Though I was trying to focus, it was impossible to ignore the signs of Palmer in the room. Some of her clothes were folded neatly on top of my dresser. That damn pink satin robe she liked was draped across the end of my bed.
Somehow, in just a short time, she had woven herself so thoroughly into my life.
I tightened my leather belt, my hands tense with nervous energy as I shoved my feet into my boots. After lacing them, I sat on the edge of the bed and dragged a hand down my face.
Breathe.
Palmer was safe.
That was the whole point of tonight.
Phantom rubbed against me, his soft body pressing on my arm insistently. I sighed and scratched behind his ears.
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered.
Even the stupid cat was a reminder of Palmer and everything she’d brought to this house.
Phantom purred loudly, his bluish eyes drifting closed in contentment as he leaned into my hand.
My thoughts shifted to Hailey, and I was thankful she wasn’t here. At least she was far away from all of this.
That thought brought me a small measure of relief, but it also made my chest ache. Video chatting with her every night before bed wasn’t enough, and I missed her more than anything.
After a few more minutes of stroking Phantom’s soft fur, I forced myself to stand.
Waiting around wasn’t doing me any favors. I left the bedroom light on and headed back downstairs. It was my turn to fulfill my side of the plan.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I lifted my phone to my ear like I was already on a call.
No one was actually on the line, though, as I headed for the front door and stepped outside. I needed to make it look like I’d been called into work and that Palmer was in this house by herself.
A sitting duck.
I locked the door behind me, armed the security system, and hurried down the porch steps toward my truck.
A minute later, the engine roared to life and I pulled away from the house, heading straight toward the fire station.
Thelivecamerafeedfrom the bed-and-breakfast filled my phone screen as I sat in my office. The house sat quiet and still under the pale wash of the night vision. Snow clung to the yard in uneven patches, the wind occasionally stirring the barren tree branches.
Nothing moved.
Not a single damn thing.
It had already been over an hour.
I slouched back in my chair, my stomach twisting tighter with every passing minute. I’d been watching those cameras obsessively since I got here, waiting for some sign—anything—that Anderson had taken the bait.
The place was a ghost town.
There was still time, though. The fundraiser didn’t end for another hour. If he was going to strike, it should be soon.
I couldn’t explain it, but something was off. The feeling had started the second Palmer walked out that back door and I tried to ignore it. I’d thought I was just anxious because she wasn’t here, but the longer the night dragged on, the harder that feeling was to shake.
I wished I could contact her.
That thought had been circling around my mind for the last twenty minutes like a pissed-off hornet.
I should have gotten her a burner phone.
