The jewelry store was busy when the guard at the front of the shop opened the door for John. Kirsten, he remembered her name was.

Ava had said she was former military and from what John had seen, she was perfect for the store. She was good at what she did, scanning the store with an eye that told him she was aware of all that was happening inside and out, but doing it in a way that didn’t make any of the clientele feel like they were being stalked.

John had a feeling he wouldn’t be as tactful if it were his job.

It was close to five on a Thursday, but the day was unseasonably warm, and shoppers were walking the Brewery mall or sitting and enjoying the green. He guessed that was good news for any of the shops in the area.

Ava’s smile when her eyes fell on him was genuine. It kicked him in the gut to see that response. He hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted this to go deeper between them until their talk the other night. He just hoped like hell he didn’t screw this up. Because he was happier lately than he’d been in a very long time, even with his frustrations with his job and the case.

He winked and tilted his head toward the back, heading that way when she gave him a slight nod.

Janna had her head down at her workbench, focused on an intricate setting for a brilliant green stone. John opened the office door, adjusting the monitors of the security system before going and sitting quietly by Janna. He pulled out the snacks and water bottle he’d brought for her before opening a bottle for himself and settling in to watch the cameras.

He could tell she hadn’t noticed he was in the room yet. He could see why Ava worried about Janna. There were times when she was hyper-vigilant, and her anxiety was through the roof. Other times, she was utterly unaware of her surroundings. Anyone could sneak up on her, and she wouldn’t know it until it was much too late for her to do anything about it.

Half an hour passed before Ava came into the back room. John had watched the front room empty out and knew she was headed this way.

As soon as she came through the doorway, he tugged her onto his lap and kissed her. Was it the most professional thing to do in her place of business? No. Could he help himself? Hell no.

Janna looked up at the sounds of affection, seeming to startle at their presence. “Is it dinner time?” She smiled and waved to John as she spotted the chips and granola bar he’d set next to her.

“I was thinking I’d hang out until closing again, and we could pick up some take-out on the way home.” He turned to Ava, lowering his voice. “Maybe dinner in bed?”

Ava blushed.

“You’ll get crumbs in the bed,” Janna said.

John only grinned at her. “Worth it.”

Ava swatted at him. “You don’t have to wait here the whole night again with us. We’ll be fine if you just want to come back close to closing.”

John looked at his watch. Two hours ’til closing. “I’m good. Janna and I will work on my masterpiece again.”

He shot Janna a look when she unsuccessfully smothered a laugh.

“You said I was doing good the other day.”

She only laughed harder.

Ava headed back out to the front showroom while John reached for his water bottle.

He made the unfortunate decision to drink just as Janna spoke next. “Dad says we have to give you and Ava privacy out in her apartment, but I think if he knew you were putting crumbs in the beds, he might have a thing or two to say about that.”

John choked on the water.

Janna grinned at him, the light in her eyes telling him she was playing with him. And she was having fun doing it. He gave her a mock scowl, and she laughed harder.

For two hours, John watched the monitors, resisted the urge to text Eric every two minutes for a sit-rep on the jewelry store robbers, and let Janna laugh at his efforts to mold metal into something presentable. The sales clerk covering the floor with Ava had left a half hour earlier, and the last stragglers on the green didn’t seem to have any interest in shopping for jewelry. The store had been empty for the better part of an hour.

It was nearly closing time when he got a text message from Eric.

Eric: Picked up two of the biz partners but leader is in the wind. Claim they don’t know where he is. Trying to get these guys to flip on him on shooting Hall, but no go so far.

John typed a quick thanks and got up to stretch his legs. He could see Ava going through the motions of closing up. She had already replaced the displays in the front windows with paste jewels and was removing several of the trays from the glass cabinets. He’d seen her close up shop before. The guard stood in front of the locked front door while Ava stacked the trays of the more expensive pieces into the large safe they had beneath one of the display cabinets.

She would carry other trays into the back to secure in the safe in her office. He wondered what the total value of the store’s inventory was and decided the figure might set him on edge. It might be better he didn’t know.

Movement near the front door caught his attention. Kirsten, the guard on duty, was talking through the glass to someone. Her gestures were exaggerated, and John could see she was telling the man they were closed.

The short, balding man raised a fist and banged on the glass, shouting, despite Kirsten’s explanation that they were closed. John couldn’t make out what he was saying, but he was angry. Everything in his body language and expression said so, and John didn’t at all like that anger directed at Ava and Kirsten.

They were all anxious enough as it was with the robberies happening.

“Stay here, Janna,” he said, heading toward the showroom.

“Oh!” He heard Janna and smiled. She was probably looking up and realizing it was closing time.

The look on Ava’s face when he got up front told him she was frightened. He didn’t blame her. She didn’t know that this guy didn’t match the physical profile of the jewelry store robbers. She had no idea that short and paunchy wasn’t the man responsible for beating and killing other shop owners.

John murmured to Ava as he entered. “Why don’t you go in the back with Janna?” He didn’t think Janna had even heard the commotion up front, she’d been so absorbed in her work, but still. If she did realize something was going on, it would help to have Ava back there with her.

He crossed to the front of the store where Kirsten had taken up a protective stance in front of the glass door. John pulled his badge out of his pocket, flipped the leather case and held it against the glass.

“Beat it! Now.” The command was more growl that words.

Short and stocky went pale, but turned and walked away.

John watched till the man was across the green, then turned to Kirsten, opening his mouth to speak, but a scream stopped him in his tracks.

Ava’s scream.

The sound of it turned the blood in John’s veins to ice. He’d heard a lot of screams in his lifetime. Pain, fear, agony, mourning. They all had a different sound to them.

Ava’s was terror.

“Call for backup,” John said as he bolted for the back, drawing his weapon. He was counting on Kirsten to follow that order, because there was no way in hell he was stopping to do it. Every bone in his body screamed at him to get to Ava. To make her safe.