Nicole frowned, clearly regretting what she’d said. “I’m sure he’s just being careful. You need to rest. I shouldn’t be talking about all of this with you.”
Sasha tried to draw a deep breath to calm herself but winced at the knife-sharp pain in her ribs. “Don’t feel bad, Nic. I’d find out sooner or later anyway.”
Nicole reached over, rested her hand on Sasha’s arm. “I hope it makes you feel safer to know that you’ve got a hot big-city detective working on the case.”
“It does.” Sasha willed herself to smile, not wanting Nicole to feel bad.
Still, she couldn’t shake the niggling fear that had closed around her heart.
Nicole changed the subject. “Megs says the surgeon thinks you’ll be able to climb again. That’s good, at least.”
That had been Sasha’s first question in the recovery room. “He said it would probably be a couple of months before I can hit the climbing wall again.”
“It sucks that you won’t be able to compete this year.”
“Yeah.” It reallydidsuck.
“I’m sure it’s hard to see a five-year winning streak end like this.”
“It’s more than that. I was so excited to see everyone again. Maritza already bought the two of us tickets for a sightseeing tour on the Danube. I was hoping to go climbing in the Tatra Mountains, too. I knew I wouldn’t be world champion forever. I just never imagined…”
Die, bitch!
Nicole squeezed her hand. “I’m so sorry, Sasha. No one imagined this. I wish I’d been there. Maybe they wouldn’t have dared with two of us.”
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Nicole smiled. “Marcia and Chey were ogling Detective Silva at lunch today. Julia saw them and yelled at them to stop. She said, ‘Not every hot guy who walks through the door is looking for a date.’ Then she got all flustered because she’d called himhot, and he was sitting right there. She started babbling. ‘I didn’t mean to call you hot. You are hot, but…’ It made everyone laugh.”
Itwasfunny, but Sasha had so much on her mind. She tried to seem interested. “What did Detective Silva do?”
“Nothing. He didn’t even smile.” Nicole lowered her voice. “He’sveryserious.”
Sasha was fine with that. “I guess he has a serious job.”
Right now, that job entailed finding the men who’d almost killed her.
Chapter5
Darius turnedonto 32ndStreet in Boulder’s Martin Acres neighborhood. He’d opted to drive the unmarked SUV, concerned that the sight of a Forest County sheriff’s vehicle might make Riggs bolt.
Deputy Marcs pointed. “There. It’s the white one on the corner.”
“I see it.” Darius parked two houses down.
Riggs lived in a small ranch-style house of brick and wood, its paint crumbling, its front lawn more bindweed than grass. There were lights on inside, the curtains open. Even with the windows rolled up, he could hear heavy metal blaring.
Deputy Marcs glanced at the house. “At least we know he’s home.”
While she called dispatch with their location, Darius made sure his body armor was on securely and his bodycam was running. Then he checked his pistol and grabbed his notepad and the manila envelope from the glove compartment. The envelope contained color print-outs of the pornographic images Riggs had posted, as well as photos of the stolen SUV and Ms. Dillon’s mangled bicycle.
“I’ll go to the front door. You head around back in case he rabbits.”
Marcs started her bodycam and checked her firearm. “Got it.”
“I’ll take the lead in questioning him.”
“I knew you’d say that.”
