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Chapter 22
A car charm appeared in Tuesday’s mail. Zoe stared at it, memories surfacing of her mom giving her the charm on her sixteenth birthday. “A reminder that you’ll grow up soon enough,” she’d said. “You’ll go to college, get a job, a car, your own place to live. But for now, enjoy your life as a teen. Be carefree. Have fun with your friends. Figure out what you want to do after high school.”
Her eyes moist, Zoe lifted her head to stare at Spence. She didn’t give a damn if he realized she was close to tears. “What… what do you think the car is for? What’s he trying to tell me?”
Spence took a deep breath. Let it out. “I think he’s sending these charms in this order for a reason.” His jaw worked as he stared at the tiny car. “The scissors represented you cutting all the ties to your life before him. So the car is the next step in his plan. It represents Davies taking you away to be with him. In his car.”
Zoe stared at the car with revulsion. When her mother had given her the charm, it had represented her future. Her full, rewarding life, spent doing something she loved.
Now it represented her father’s death and Ethan’s dangerous obsession with her. She lifted her gaze to Spence. “Are you gonna call Lindsay Woods to come get it?”
He shrugged. “She’s taken all the others. Might as well. After this is over, you can get them back.”
Zoe looked away from the car and shrugged one shoulder. “I’m not sure if I’ll want them. He’s kind of ruined them for me.”
“Yeah, I get it.” He took her hands in his. Squeezed them and let go. “You might want them someday, though. When this is all over and you can put everything that happened behind you.”
She tried to smile at him but was afraid she’d failed miserably. “For a tough guy, you’re a softie inside, Spence.”
“I’m practical,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t want you tossing those charms away and regretting it later.”
“It’s very sweet of you to think of that. Thanks, Spence.”
He scowled at her. “For God’s sake, Zoe, I’m not sweet. You talk like that and you’ll ruin my reputation.”
“My lips are sealed,” she said, trying to smile. “I won’t say it to anyone but you.”
“You better not.” He scowled again, but Zoe was pretty sure he was trying not to laugh, as well. “No one wants a softie as a bodyguard.”
“The people you protect are lucky to have you,” she said, bending her head to sort through the rest of the mail. She barely saw the return addresses through the images scrolling through her head. Her parents giving her the charms on her birthday every year. Helping her put them on the bracelet. Spence was probably right. She’d regret it if she threw them away.
She’d look at the mail again later. When she’d regained her equilibrium. Her control.
* * *
The knife and fork arrived on Wednesday. Zoe didn’t have to ask Spence for his interpretation of the silverware.
She looked up at him. “Domestic bliss,” she said, her voice flat. “That’s what this charm represents, right? Me and Ethan living together. Eating meals together. Doing… doing other things together.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I hope to God this is the last of them.”
Once again, Spence took her hand in his. But this time, he held on to it tightly. “How many charms were on the bracelet originally?” he asked.
Zoe closed her eyes to think. Pictured them in her mind. “I think there was only one other one,” she said. “It was a Ferrris Wheel. I went on one of them when I was seven or eight and fell in love with them. Whenever there was a carnival in town, if I saw a Ferris Wheel, we had to stop so I could take a ride.” Her mouth curved into a smile. “Mel always went with me. She grumbled about it, but I think she secretly loved them, too.”
“Mel Melbourne, riding on a Ferris Wheel?” Spence shook his head. “Hard to imagine.”
Zoe sighed. “She got a lot more serious when she went to work for the CIA.”
“Yeah, I bet she did.” He shoved the knife and fork back into the package, then pulled out his phone. Called Lindsay Woods. “I’ll take this down to Bob,” Spence said after he hung up.
* * *
Spence stewed all the way down in the elevator. And most of the way back up. He really, really wanted to get hold of Ethan Davies. Lock him up and make sure they lost the key. His psychological torture of Zoe was driving Spence crazy.
He was afraid Zoe was going to be jittery at her conference. Seeing shadows everywhere. Distracted as she waited for Davies to jump out at her.
He knew how important this conference was to her. The spotlight would be focused on her, and she needed to be at her best. Having Davies on her mind constantly wouldn’t let her relax and shine.
He needed to grab the guy before the conference started. Give Zoe some breathing room. Allow her to let her guard down.
