Butcher replied right away:
Just say you gotta leave
What if he follows me? He’s asking me where I live
Shit. I’m on my way
I was so happy I’d given Butcher the location. Sure, I didn’t really think I’d be kidnapped, but I also hadn’t considered the possibility that this guy would follow me home. Now I was worried he would.
After I used the toilet and washed my hands, I returned to where Tim was sitting. “Sorry about that.”
“No problem at all. Almost got worried you were going to ditch me.” He gave a forced laugh, but his eyes gleamed with an unsettling intensity.
I could feel the tension in the air as I slid back into my chair, trying to come up with an excuse to cut our date short. The date I’d set. I should have known better or at least given meeting a stranger more time, but I thought we had a good connection online. Maybe we would if I wasn’t the “Emmett Cooper.”
As I fumbled with my phone, pretending to check the time, a familiar voice boomed from the entrance of the coffee shop.
“Coop! I didn’t know you’d be here!”
I turned to see Butcher striding toward our table, a look of mock surprise on his face. I couldn’t have been more relieved. Tim looked up, confusion written all over his face.
“Austin Butcher?” he asked, eyeing Butcher. “I can’t believe it.”
Butcher extended his hand toward Tim, a grin plastered on his face. “Nice to meet you.”
Tim didn’t hesitate for a moment before shaking Butcher’s hand with a huge smile. “Tim. Nice to meet you too.”
“Coop, buddy, glad I ran into you. Did you get the text? We have an emergency team meeting,” Butcher said, gesturing toward the door. “I just came for a quick cup of joe on my way.”
Tim looked puzzled. “A team meeting? Didn’t you just come from being on the road?”
“Yeah, you know how it is in the hockey world—fast-paced and unpredictable,” I added, trying to sound apologetic.
Butcher put a hand on my shoulder, steering me toward the exit. “You know what? I’ll grab a cup of coffee at the arena. Nice meeting you, Tim.”
“I’ll message you,” I said to Tim, knowing that was a lie. Or maybe it wasn’t, but I wouldn’t be meeting him again. I would let him down easily because I wasn’t an asshole.
“All right. Thanks again for the coffee,” he said.
As Butcher and I stepped out into the cool breeze, Butcher whispered, “What the hell is going on?”
“He was asking weird questions, man. I’ve got a bad feeling about him.” I kept my voice low.
Butcher glanced back through the coffee shop window. “Let’s get you out of here. We’ll figure out the details later.”
We quickened our pace down the bustling street, leaving Tim and the unsettling encounter behind us. Butcher hailed a cab, and we jumped in, a sense of relief washing over me as we sped away from the coffee shop.
“Thanks for that,” I sighed, leaning back in the seat.
“No problem. That’s what friends are for. I’m just glad you didn’t end up onDateline.”
“OrThe First 48.” I chuckled, remembering what Orlov had said.
“I know, right? Fucking hell.”
“How’d you get there so fast anyway?”
Butcher looked over at me and grinned. “I had to make sure you were safe. I was just down the street at a bar.”
