“Good. That makes two of us. I’ll be sticking to her like gum on the bottom of my shoe. Unfortunately, if Ryder shows up with his friends, you’ll be up against more than just one man.”
“That where you come in?”
Cain nodded. “Or the other way around. The two of us should be able to handle whatever comes up.” He wished his damned arm was a little more functional, but life happened.
“I’ll introduce you to Jenny.”
Jenny was in the kitchen, working with the cook. All the employees were in costume today, the bar already full. But the crowd was a drop in the bucket compared to the horde that would be descending on the town that night.
He stood up and waved, and Jenny walked over. She was wearing her boots, black jeans, and a black T-shirt that said MEOW on the front. She had drawn whiskers and a small black nose on her face. The black band across her head had two fuzzy little cat ears sticking up.
Cain grinned. She looked so damned cute, he fought an urge to haul her upstairs and finish what they hadn’t had time to start that morning.
At the grin on his face, Jenny flashed him a look and set a hand on her hip. “It’s Halloween, remember? I wear this every year. It’s easy to work in, but it’s still a costume.”
“I love it. I just hope you’ll wear it for me when we’re alone.”
She laughed.
“Jenny, meet Will Price. He’s going to keep an eye on things this afternoon and tonight.”
“Hello, Will. Nice to meet you.” They shook hands.
“I realize you’re going to be busy,” Will said. “I’ll do my best to stay out of your way, but I won’t go far, and I’ll be watching you. If I miss something and you need me, just raise your hand.”
“With the two of us here,” Cain said, “you should be safe enough.”
“I’m sure I will be.”
But Cain was far less certain.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
JENNY WORKED ALL AFTERNOON AS THE PLACE FILLED TO OVERFLOWING, people in ghoulish costumes, including a man with a black ski mask that revealed red, murderous eyes. That one made her nervous, but it wasn’t Ryder Vance, just some guy having fun with his friends.
There was a vampire, a man in a long, black robe carrying a plastic sickle with a fake bloody blade on the end. There was a lady pirate, a sexy, blond female devil, more black cats. Lots of fake blood and gore.
So far nothing threatening, everyone just having fun.
She was in the kitchen, checking on a food order that was delayed when she heard a loud crash in the basement. Myrna, dressed as a plus-size version of a 1920’s flapper, was busy filling plates, and Tim, the busboy, in a sailor suit, was clearing tables.
Jenny headed for the basement. Just as she was about to disappear out of sight, Cain appeared in the kitchen doorway.
“You need to stay where one of us can see you,” he said darkly. He and Will were both wearing cowboy boots and hats as their costumes, except the clothes looked perfectly fitted and slightly worn, clearly not just “pretend” for the night.
Jenny glanced at Cain, whose gaze was hard with warning, and irritation trickled through her. “There was a noise in the basement. I need to go down and see what’s going on.”
If it hadn’t been for the shooting, she could have justified being annoyed. The man could be ridiculously protective. As it was, she simply ignored him and continued on down the stairs. Before she reached the bottom, she heard Cain’s heavy footfalls behind her.
She kept walking. There wasn’t a lot of light down there, but it didn’t take long to figure out what had happened. Her mother’s precious china, one of the only things she had left that had belonged to her mom, had fallen off the shelf. The box had split open and the dishes were in bits and pieces all over the floor.
Her heart sank. As she knelt beside the pretty flowered porcelain cups and saucers, tears burned her eyes.
Cain’s hard gaze followed hers. “What the hell . . . ?”
Jenny rose to her feet, knuckling a tear from her cheek as she looked up at Cain. “My mother’s good china. I thought we’d stored it in a place where it would be safe.”
Cain’s jaw hardened. “We did. It was in the last load we brought from your house. I double-checked it myself. There is no way that box accidentally fell off the shelf.”
