Page 11 of Baited

When she’d stumbled out of the cab that Saturday night, there was no force greater in this world than the one that he had to have her.

Hanna was special.

And Riley had come here planning to screw it all up.

Over his dead body.

***

Ethan backed outof the diner’s parking lot after watching Riley enter the restaurant. Peace washed over him now that they’dtalked about the night at the bar. And maybe, just maybe, he’d made some progress.

His truck inched past the hood of Riley’s car and his eye caught a white piece of paper flapping on her windshield. He frowned and shifted into park. What the hell? Had she gotten a parking ticket?

He unbuckled his seat belt, hopped out, and crossed the pavement to her black Nissan. If she’d gotten a ticket, she’d probably want to know. But the paper was small, and not the usual thick parking ticket stock.

Shit. Maybe someone had hit her car and left their information behind.

He snatched up the paper and unfolded it.

You’re next.

The neat, simple black letters slowed his pulse. He turned around in the parking lot, scanning the small rows of cars. No one loitered in the bright sunshine. His abdomen tightened and he turned his attention to the diner.

It was a threat.

There’s no way she would have missed it on the drive to work. Someone had left it for her since she’d arrived…in broad daylight. The tendons in his hand ached to crumple it into a ball, but he couldn’t do that. He kept his hold on the edge of the paper, careful not to smudge any fingerprints if there were any, as he stalked to the restaurant.

Cool air conditioning coated his body and the door swung shut behind him. Riley walked out of the back room, her hands behind her back fastening her apron.

Her lips twitched on a smile and her eyebrows rose. “Still hanging around?” she asked, her eyes danced with amusement.

He approached the counter and pressed the paper face up to the laminate surface.

“I found this on your windshield. I thought maybe someone had backed into your car and left their contact information. I was wrong.”

Her slim fingers lifted the paper and her gaze swept across the writing.

The light tan of her cheeks drained to an alabaster white.

“What the hell is this?” he ground out.

Her eyes widened and she took in two soft breaths. “I have no idea.”

“It’s a threat, Riley.”

She shook her head and lowered the paper. “It’s probably a silly prank.”

“After the break-in the other night you really think that?”

Her hand lifted to tangle her fingers in her hair. “I agree, it’s strange. But I have no idea what it’s about. I’ll bring it to Joe’s attention though, I promise.”

The tension in his shoulders and back didn’t ease. Her green eyes flitted around the room and her usual confident, breezy attitude resembled that of a nervous baby bird.

“If there’s someone bothering you Riley, and you know who it is, speak up. This shit can get ugly quick. I’ve—”

Her thick, dark lashes met on a slow blink and she shook her head. “There’s nothing like that going on.” Her eyes turned to hard, emerald glass, the set line of her jaw made his teeth sink into his tongue.

Either she was as disturbed by this as he was, or she was lying through her pretty white teeth.