Page 16

SIXTEEN

B ryce was a grown man. He shouldn’t sulk. But seriously.

“Isn’t this fun?” Penny sipped on a huge convenience-store fountain drink as she stepped into the back of the barbecue-food truck/stakeout vehicle. She threw a bag of sunflower seeds to Anthony and a package of beef jerky to Jude in the front seat.

“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to spend some more time with you,” Bryce grumbled under his breath as she dropped the bag of chips he’d requested into his lap.

Crammed into a van with little air flow and five other adults was not what he wanted at all. What he wanted was a chance to show Penny that he’d changed. A chance to see if they could be together again.

Because his mother was right. He didn’t belong with a sweet, quiet girl like Sarai. He belonged with Penny.

And chasing after Sosa? He was dead. There was no question about that.

Still, Penny set down her pop to help Olivia Tazwell strategically place her necklace with the hidden camera between her collar bones. Bryce averted his eyes from the tight dress she wore. In that outfit, even being blonde, Olivia would fit in with the crowd all right. And he wasn’t sad that she was the one going in undercover rather than Penny.

Penny would stick out no matter what she wore. Any hot-blooded guy in the place would be all over her. But, oh darn. Emma knew what she looked like and so did her boyfriend. So Olivia was up. Izan wasn’t so pleased. Not that he could do anything about it. Until the man got the guts to ask the girl out, he was in the friend zone. But Jude had let him ride along tonight since he knew the place and might recognize some of the players from Maria’s old group.

“You sure you don’t want me to come in with you?” Izan asked Olivia.

“He does have some pretty sweet moves,” Bryce said. One less person in the van meant more breathable air. And more of Penny’s attention.

“If Emma remembers Izan was with you, it might scare her off to see him again. We can’t risk it.” Penny stared Bryce and Izan down. “She’s a cop. She’ll be fine.”

“I still say it would be smart to have some backup.” There was no sign of his famous dimple or usual good humor as Izan spoke.

“I’ll go.” Tony stood.

Olivia and Penny studied Tony as he took off his jacket, as if assessing if his wardrobe was club-worthy.

“Uh, no. That’s not what I meant.” Izan stepped in front of Anthony so he was face-to-face with Olivia. “I’ll go in separately, a few minutes after you, so Emma won’t think we’re together. I’ll stay close to the bar and that side of the dance floor and watch your back.”

Jude spoke up from the front seat. “Neither Izan nor Bryce are law enforcement. You have no weapons, no training in apprehending someone. It’s not that we don’t trust you guys, but we have to do this by the book. You two need to stay here.”

Izan and Bryce looked at each other.

“Then, Tony, you’re up. You go in first, find a spot, and we’ll send Olivia in about ten minutes.” Penny took his jacket from him.

“Sure thing.” He grinned at her before he hopped out of the truck and headed across the street to the club entrance.

“Sorry, man. I tried,” Bryce whispered to Izan as soon as everyone went back to their tasks. He could commiserate with his friend. Sitting around waiting for something to happen was not his forte.

“Okay, I’m ready. Are you getting the camera feed?” Olivia asked.

Jude came to the back area. He and Penny studied the three screens hanging on the side. Penny turned to Olivia and made some adjustments to the necklace. “Everything looks good. Give Tony a few more minutes to get situated and you’re on.”

Olivia stepped out of the truck, checked her mic, and was gone. Bryce glanced over to Izan. His leg bounced to a fast rhythm. The man had it bad.

“All right, let’s keep our eyes peeled for Emma and her mysterious boyfriend.” Penny stuck a long stick of red licorice in her mouth as she studied the screens. Bryce’s focus stuck on her lips. Clearly Izan wasn’t the only one pining.

Once Olivia made it into the club, everything went silent as four pairs of eyes scanned the monitors for their targets.

An hour into the stakeout, Bryce’s bag of chips was long gone and his attention fading. “How long are we going to stay here? There hasn’t been a hint of Emma or the Sosa lookalike.” He sat between Jude and Izan on stools while Penny stood behind them all, leaning on the opposite counter.

“These things take time. Patience.” Jude’s eyes didn’t leave the screen as he spoke. Steady and stable as ever, which was great for a man married to his little sister. But for himself, give him something tangible to do or he was going to go nuts.

“I think I’ll step out and get some air.” Bryce started to rise.

Penny pushed him back down. “You promised if we let you come, you’d stay in the truck. We can’t risk you being seen.”

Was it just him or did her hands linger a little longer than necessary on his shoulders? Either way, her touch trickled deep down inside him and ignited longing. Longing for something true. Something deep and lasting. Most of the time he could ignore it, but since Penny had come back to town it was getting harder and harder to push aside. So why fight it? His mother thought they were good together. Logan saw it too.

If only he didn’t have an audience, he’d ask her if she’d be willing to give him another chance. But no?—

“There! Olivia, turn toward that southwest corner.” Penny spoke into the mic.

The camera angle slowly turned. Jude pointed to the screen. “That’s Emma.”

Bryce froze. “And that’s Sosa.” The man guiding Emma into a dark booth looked very much like Diego Ruiz Sosa. The man who had tried to kill his family. The man responsible for throwing Penny in that closet, expecting her to die in the fire. Bryce squeezed the empty chip bag and twisted it. If he got close enough, it would be more than a foil bag he would wrench. “Who is he?”

“He can’t be Diego. This guy is too young. Really young. He’s gotta be related though. Look at his nose. It’s longer. He’s taller…but there must be a DNA connection.” Penny’s finger traced the different features on the screen.

“That’s not a point in his favor. If anything, that makes him more guilty.” Bryce was ready to pounce.

“What do we do now?” Izan asked.

“Olivia, see if you can get closer, strike up a conversation. If I hear his voice, I’ll know for sure if that’s who Emma met with in the warehouse. Once we confirm, we’ll move in and arrest them.”

“You mean Olivia and Tony will arrest them.” Jude looked at her.

“Yeah, yeah. You know what I mean.”

The camera view moved. Olivia wound her way through the dancers and approached the table.

“Oh my goodness. Sebastian!” Olivia’s voice was higher than normal. “I can’t believe you’re here. It’s been so long!”

The Sosa twin frowned. “I’m not Sebastian.” He turned away and continued talking to Emma.

“That’s him!” Penny hit the counter. “Move in!”

Jude stood. “I’ll go back up Olivia and Tony.” He hopped out of the truck.

Bryce stood too, ready to follow, but once again Penny pushed him down. She pointed at the monitor. “You stay and watch. I need eyes until I get there.”

“You two need to come with me.” Olivia’s voice came through the speaker.

But it was Emma’s face on the screen. The same woman as last night but no seductive smiles and lingering stares. Her glare could draw blood. “This isn’t Sebastian. You have the wrong person.”

“No, she has the right people all right. And you two need to come with us right now.” Anthony must’ve come up behind Olivia. The screen showed his hand holding out his badge.

Bryce couldn’t quite tell what happened next. Everything on the screen went blurry. Screams sounded.

“What’s going on?” Izan asked.

“She’s not getting away.” Penny lunged for the door of the truck. She jumped down to the street, Bryce right on her heels.

She spun and stopped his forward motion with a palm to his chest. “Stay. Here.”

“No way! I’m coming with you.”

“Bryce, I know you want to help, but you have to stay. You don’t even have a weapon. Please.”

He was just supposed to sit here and do nothing? Let her take all the risk?

“I don’t work that way.”

“Today you do. We had a deal. You were here to watch.”

She turned and ran across the street. “You better stay put, Crawford!” she yelled without even looking back.

Once again, the woman he loved ran off, leaving him behind. He could honestly say watching it happen was way worse.