Page 59 of Last Chance Christmas

“So, what now?” she asked.

“I’ve got an idea.” Penny appeared out of nowhere and slid into the booth next to Della. She glanced at their hands but didn’t say anything. Instead, she helped herself to the fries Della hadn’t eaten.

“Do I want to know?” Anthony lifted an eyebrow.

Penny just grinned.

“Great.” He sighed. “Okay. Let’s hear it.”

Penny bumped Della’s shoulder. “See, he acts all tough, but he’s actually a big ol’ sw?—”

“Spit it out, Pen.” Anthony let go of Della’s hands, but she didn’t miss the slight blush that bloomed on his cheeks and neck.

“Jude and another buddy have been watching Della’s house. No sign of anyone approaching it all day. I say we give Della my car and she drives home alone and we see if Vaynes shows up.”

“Absolutely not.” Anthony leaned away from the table. “It’s too risky. She’ll be too exposed.”

“Hear me out before you get all huffy.” Penny snagged another fry and popped it in her mouth. After chewing, she continued. “You and I can follow at a distance. She has a tracking device in her shoe. We have an established perimeter. That’s minimal risk.”

“And if he tries to shoot her as she gets out of the car?” Anthony asked.

Penny leaned in. “He’s not a shooter. He’s a serial killer. He wants to be up close to his victims so he can mess with their minds. That’s how he feels powerful.”

“What about the carbon dioxide? That wasn’t up close and personal.”

“He was probably watching from that vent. As soon as you were both knocked out, I bet he would’ve taken Della and left you there to rot. All of it, though, is meant to terrorize his victims, remind them that he can get to them.”

“Oh, well, that’s reassuring.” Anthony jammed his fingers through his hair, messing up his gelled hairdo. He probably didn’t even realize he was doing it. “Look, I’m her protection detail. And I say it’s too risky.”

“We gotta give it a shot, Tony. And we’ll be watching her. Tracking her.”

He stared Penny down as he took a sip of his water. Maybe he was actually contemplating the idea. Then he turned to Della. “What do you want to do?”

Good question.

She looked at Penny and Anthony. They were giving up their day to watch over her. And others were out there fighting the freezing weather and awful conditions, tracking down these escaped convicts. She was cold. And weary. And…done with being afraid.

She finally found the words. “I just want this over with.”

Anthony closed his eyes a second and then focused on her a moment before his gaze shifted to Penny. “Fine. But I’m in charge. The second we see Vaynes, we move in. We don’t let him get close. Not this time.”

Penny stood. “All right. Let’s do this.”

Hopefully, this time it would work.

Thirteen

Anthony must be going soft, just like Penny had teased. He never should’ve agreed to this. He tried to loosen his death grip on the steering wheel of his squad car as he peered through the windshield. Penny, on the other hand, hummed along to the radio. She had tuned it to a country station as soon as she’d slipped into the passenger seat, like she owned the place. Like they were out for a leisurely cruise and not trying to catch a killer.

His wipers were at full speed, yet he could barely see Penny’s burgundy SUV through the freezing rain and sleet. Della was keeping it at a good speed at least. Nothing reckless or unsafe. Still, he didn’t like this idea.

“So…” Penny let the word linger. “You and Della?”

“What about it?”

“Don’t bite my head off, Tony. I’m just saying, you two looked pretty cozy over lunch. I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?”

“Like that’s ever stopped you before.”