Page 38 of Better Watch Out
“This way.” Andrew had started to lead Frannie to the corner of 42ndand 6thwhen his eyes stopped on a man in a leather jacket. He was too far away to get a good look at the man’s face but Andrew wasn’t going to stick around for confirmation. “This area is too congested for an Uber to pick us up. Let’s walk this way.”
Turning them around, Andrew subtly picked up his pace. They moved toward the New York Public Library. It was closed but there were some stores on the other side of 5thAvenue where they could duck inside and wait for another Uber driver.
“Something you should know about me, I’m not really into exercise.” Frannie reached for his arm and gave it a little tug. “Can we slow down a little?”
He wanted to tell her no. Tell her that she might be in danger. Tell her—twenty feet back, Andrew’s eyes locked on the man before he took a quick side-step out of sight. The distance and the dimming daylight—or maybe his own imagination—might’ve been playing tricks on him but the man looked eerily similar to Jimmy Strazza.
“Frannie, I need you to stay close to me.”Don’t tell her. Ryan’s request seemed stupid right now. Frannie might be in serious danger and that made Ryan’s concern about what she could handle matter less than Andrew’s promise to keep her safe. “I think someone is following us.”
“What?”
She tried to look over her shoulder but Andrew slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side, catching the top of her head with his lips. The touch sent a sizzling zip through him but he ignored it.
“Just keep walking and if I ask you to do something, I want you to do it, no matter what.” He glanced down and hated the fear he saw on her face. “Okay?”
Frannie hesitated but then pressed her lips together and gave a nod before pressing herself deeper into the crook of his arm.
With a quick look over his shoulder, Andrew couldn’t see the man anymore. Had he been mistaken like he had earlier? He was about to convince himself he was being jumpy when movement ahead of him drew his eyes to three men who looked the sort to hang out with guys like Jimmy Strazza and they were heading straight toward them.
As he pulled up short, Frannie stepped on his foot at his sudden stop. Looking back, he saw the man in the leather jacket had reappeared. They were closing in on them.
“This way.” Andrew pushed through the crowd on their right and circled back toward Bryant Park. He’d seen at least three police officers there. It was unlikely Jimmy Strazza would try anything with police there but if he was brave enough, it would at least even the odds some.
“Who is it?”
Frannie’s voice sounded shaky, and he hated that he had done this to her. In front of them, the number of people doubled. The sight of families with children made him instantly regret his decision to bring the danger back this way.
Maybe if Andrew could lose them, Jimmy and his thugs would catch sight of the NYPD and make the wise choice to back down. Without a second option, Andrew kept Frannie tucked next to him and walked her toward the congested shopping area.
With a final look behind him, Andrew saw that Strazza was just far enough this could work but Andrew would have to be quick and Frannie would have to trust him.
“Where are we—”
Before Frannie could finish her question, Andrew spun her up against his chest and pushed her three steps backward and into the narrow gap between Santa’s Workshop and North Pole Nordicwear.
It was just big enough for the two of them with Frannie pressed up against him, her cheek and palms resting on his chest. His arms wrapped protectively around her as long strands of garland provided just enough cover from shoppers as they passed by.
Andrew felt like they were both holding their breath, his heart ticking off the seconds until the man he’d identified as Jimmy Strazza walked past. Except … Andrew’s forehead creased. It couldn’t be.
“What do we do now?” Her warm whisper reached the base of his neck.
“I need you to stay here for a second.” He maneuvered out of the tight space. “I need to check something.”
“I don’t want to stay here by myself.”
“Just two minutes. I won’t be far.”
Andrew stepped into the fray, looking left and then right for the man. It didn’t take long before he spotted him at the ornament store Frannie had shopped at. He wasn’t more than ten feet away when Andrew realized his mistake at the same time the man looked directly at him.
“That’s the guy.” The man pointing at Andrew wasn’t Jimmy Strazza. He took a bag from the confused salesclerk and walked over. “I was trying to find you. My wife saw your girlfriend leave this on the ground by the Christmas tree when you were taking a photo. I tried to follow you but then I lost you in the crowd.”
“Thanks.” Andrew accepted the bag with Frannie’s ornament. “Sorry for the trouble.”
“No trouble at all.” The man smiled. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” Andrew replied.
“Oh, Bishop.”
