As soon as the door was closed, she rushed to lock it. Then Madison flew to the window. The goon walked down the sidewalk like he didn’t have a care in the world. A black SUV waited. It was one very similar to the kind that Roman used but somehow different. She couldn’t put her finger on what. A brief warning light flashed in her mind. Were they somehow connected?
Madison jumped when someone knocked on her door. “Yikes.” She’d forgotten about Stephanie and rushed to open it.
“Are you okay?” They both spoke as the same time.
“Security just called,” Stephanie added. “They’ll be right here. Who was that guy?” Her words were flying out a hundred miles a minute. “I’m sorry. I must have been putting some dresses away in the fitting rooms. I never saw him come in, only leave. I was scared to death something had happened to you.” She had a death grip on the iron and was on the cusp of freaking out.
“You were scared. I was terrified.” The intimidation had radiated from him.
Stephanie narrowed her eyes. “So help me, if I see him again I will beat him to a pulp.” The nasty scar on her face hadn’t faded much.
“He never said who he worked for, just that he wanted to buy the building. He said the offer was in the envelope.”
They both turned at the same time and regarded the letter like a viper.
“Is anyone still in the store?” Madison asked.
“No, they all left.” Her voice shook.
In the next second, several of Roman’s men swarmed the shop.
Madison whispered to Stephanie, “Don’t say anything about the letter.”
It sat untouched on the desk while the guys took down their story of what happened and promised to watch from a car out front in case he came back. There was also a big guy in a suit camped out in the front room. Having him there was a comfort but she wasn’t sure how they would explain his presence to their customers.
Stephanie never questioned her request to remain quiet. Wiping her sweaty palms on her sweater, Madison stepped up to the desk and ripped the letter open. It was indeed an offer to buy the building. A reasonable offer, but there was no way her mother would sell the building. There was also a deadline to let them know.
“Who’s it from?” Stephanie’s exotic perfume tickled her nose as she looked over her shoulder.
Madison flipped the letter over and checked both sides of the envelope. Nothing.
“It doesn’t say. It just says they’ll be in touch.” Goosebumps raced up her arm.
They both jerked as the phone in the other room rang.
“I’ll get it,” Stephanie said.
Madison hugged herself as she contemplated her next move. She would, of course, have to notify her mother, wherever she may be at the moment. At least Connie was in town somewhere.
“What?” Stephanie’s exclamation rang loud, and Madison wandered out from the office.
She held the phone in one hand and her finger wrapped around her hair with the other.
“Okay, let me know what happens.” Stephanie hung up the phone and collapsed in a nearby chair.
“What is it?” The day was going downhill fast.
“That was Andrea over at the arts center.” Andrea had been the shy, quiet bride that Madison helped get away from her abusive fiancée. It had taken a while to get her out and about, and working at the center had done wonders for her. Unfortunately, she still had a long way to go before she would ever trust men again.
“Is something wrong?” The poor girl had been through so much.
“Apparently that jerk just made a visit there too.”
“He didn’t hurt Andrea, did he?” She pressed her shaky hand to her chest.
“No, fortunately there were other people there at the time. He just gave her the letter and left.” Exhaling, Madison collapsed in a chair and the phone rang again. She locked eyes with Stephanie as she answered it and there was no need to hear what was said on the other end to know it was no good. After the conversation ended, Stephanie sat quietly.
“Who was that?” Madison leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees.
“The couple that owns the Chinese restaurant. Big, scary guy was there too.”
The phone rang a few more times with the same story.
A chill eased its way up her arm. Roman promised to never do anything to change her town, but questions niggled at her mixed with fear. All these businesses were ones they’d visited in the last few weeks. They were also places Roman mentioned should be developed.
“You know I don’t want to say this, but do you think Caponelli has a hand in this?” Her friend even had a hard time saying his name. “I mean, how did this guy get in here with the security system?”
“Stephanie, you’ve had a problem with Roman since we met. Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“No. I know his kind and you don’t need someone like that in your life.” She looked her straight in the eye. “Look at what’s happening already. Directly or indirectly, he has caused this.”
“What should I do? I can’t believe he would have any connection to this.” It didn’t make sense. Was he behind this somehow but making it look like it was someone else? Bullying her and others she cared about into selling their businesses would only put a wedge in their relationship, not make it stronger. Had she been a pawn all along?
“I don’t know what to tell you, but we’ve got to do something and fast before whoever it is buys the whole damn town.”
“Madison?” Roman’s voiced roared from the other room before he rushed into her office. “Thank God.” He crushed her to his chest in a big hug. “Are you all right? I heard what happened and broke every speed limit to get here.”
“Yes, I’m fine. Shaken up a bit.”
“Tony.” Roman let her go and went to drill the man left behind in the main room. For a tough guy working security, even he appeared rattled at Roman’s attention. “What the hell happened? You guys are supposed to be watching day and night.”
Tony tugged at his collar. “We were. It wasn’t until we noticed no traffic or movement after a few minutes that we realized the surveillance had been stalled. These guys are good. They must have hacked into the system and froze the camera shots right before the guy entered.”
“Son of a bitch. I want this guy’s head on a platter.”
“Yes, boss. We already have the IT guy checking the whole system out.”
“Keep working on it and let me know as soon as they have something.”
“You got it.” Tony dialed up his phone to check on any progress as Roman ushered her back into the office.
Arlo walked in the front door and followed them as well. “I know you have probably answered all the guys questions a hundred times already, but is there anything at all that you remember about this guy?”
“What I mentioned before. His height, the tattoos, the accent.” She exhaled and wandered to the window. “Wait a minute.” She paused and her mind worked, searching for the missing piece.
“What is it?” Roman was at her side.
“I saw his vehicle.”
“You didn’t happen to get a license plate number, did you?”
“No, but I did notice something odd.”
“What?”
Everyone in the room was staring at her, holding their breath. “It’s probably nothing, but he was in one of those big black SUVs. You know, the kind you drive…only different.”
“Different how?”
“I think it was a Ford.” Roman used Cadillacs. “And there was something else. Dark hub caps…black.”
“Black?”
“Yes, I’m sure of it. I knew there was something odd, but couldn’t put a figure on it until now.”
“Arlo?” Roman addressed his enforcer.
“Already on it.” His man was out the door in a flash. The guy was itching to hurt someone and it was only a matter of time before he did.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through this again. We will find this guy, I promise.” He held her tight. The moment he stepped into the shop, she knew he wasn’t responsible. Roman may be a big tough guy, but she’d seen genuine relief when his eyes met hers. “If anyone dares to ever lay hands on you again, I swear I will kill them with mine.” Venom sounded in his voice as he held up his large, tanned hands.
“It’s okay. I know they’ll find him.” Madison laid her head on his neck as he held her close. His fingers stroked her hair.
She had her moments of doubt, but every time he was close those uncertainties slipped away. In her heart, she knew he would hunt down anyone who harmed her and that he would kill them. In her heart, she knew she loved him no matter what he did.