Page 73 of Tanner
She forced herself to take in slow, deliberate breaths, the way Tanner had taught her during one of her panic attacks months ago. The camera light in the corner was still blinking steadily, a small red beacon of hope. Someone would have seen. And the camera would have recorded what had happened.
That would be evidence that Tanner was justified in whatever he did. Surely someone from Wilder Security would show up. Help was on the way. But right now, all she could do was sit at the table, arms wrapped tightly around herself, and try to stop trembling.
The familiar scents of cinnamon, browned butter, and chokecherries that usually brought her comfort now felt distant, overpowered by the lingering ghost of Preston’s cologne.
The kitchen door swung slightly in the draft, creaking softly, a sound she had always found comforting but now made her flinch. Bread & Batter was her happy place. Her safe place. Now Preston had defiled it and broken its charm.
A shaky sob tore from her throat. She pressed her forehead to her knees and whispered into the empty space, “Please come back, Daddy. Please be okay.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Tanner’s boots pounded against the pavement as he sprinted around the side of the bakery, heart slamming against his ribs with every stride. The front door was locked tight. As soon as he’d seen Preston’s car across the street from the bakery, he’d known Junie was in danger.
Fear and fury twisted together in his chest, a lethal combination that made his blood run hot. He had never been more grateful for the years of conditioning that kept his body moving even when his mind screamed at him to break the glass and go through it anyway.
Please let the back door be unlocked,he thought, the prayer slipping out before he could stop it. For the first time in his life, he was hoping Junie had been distracted enough this morning to forget her usual routine.
She’d mentioned something about a big shipment coming in early to replace everything destroyed in the food fight. That’s why he’d headed into town to help her restock the shelves.
They would have come in through the back door…
The knob turned in his hand.
A rush of elation hit him, sharp and bright, but it died just as fastwhen the door cracked open an inch and stopped. Something heavy was blocking it from the inside. He shoved harder, shoulder slamming against the wood, but the door only gave another stubborn inch before stopping cold.
“Damn it,” he growled, the sound low and guttural. He remembered her sleepy voice that morning as she kissed him goodbye. “Got a big delivery coming in today. I need to get there early to make sure everything’s there.”Those boxes of flour, sugar, and cases of chokecherries were almost certainly piled right against the back door.
From inside the bakery, he heard Preston’s voice, raised and unhinged. “Don’t fight me on this, Junie!”
The words hit Tanner like a physical blow. Rage, pure and blinding, flooded every inch of him. No amount of boxes, no locked door, nothing in this world was going to keep him from his Little girl.
He took two steps back, then rammed his shoulder into the door with everything he had. Wood splintered. The stack of boxes shifted forward with a crash, and he forced his way inside, the door banging open against the wall.
The kitchen was a mess of fallen supplies, but that would have to wait. Junie needed him. He burst through the swinging doors just in time to see Preston bolting out the front, the bell jingling wildly behind him.
“Junie!” Tanner crossed the distance between them in three long strides and dropped to his knees in front of her.
She sat on the cold wood floor with her back against the wall, knees drawn up tight to her chest, arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold her pieces together. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and glassy with shock. The sight of her like that nearly broke him.
She tried to assure him she wasn’t hurt, but then he saw the fingertip marks on her arm. They were already beginning to bruise. Fury, unlike anything he’d ever known, exploded inside of him.
“He’s going to die,” Tanner yelled, getting up. “Lock the doors, babygirl!” he called over his shoulder as he ran outside.
The street was busy with tourists and locals enjoying the weekend festival. Preston had a head start, but Tanner knew what direction he’d gone. Taking off at a full sprint, he weaved through the crowd, his Bluetooth already connecting.
Griff answered on the first ring. “Tanner?”
“Preston was at the bakery. He violated the order. I’m chasing him now. Pull the footage from the second he got anywhere near the building. I want to see exactly what he said and did to her. Send a copy to Sam and Weston.”
“On it,” Griff said, voice sharp and focused. “Don’t do anything stupid, man.”
“The only stupid thing I did was leaving my woman at the bakery without a bodyguard,” Tanner bit out, dodging a group of festival-goers. “I’m fixing that right now.”
Tanner kept running, scanning the crowded street for any sign of Lassiter. Then he spotted him about fifty yards ahead. Before Tanner could catch up to him, Preston ducked inside a department store. Tanner pushed through the doors and searched every aisle.
It was unbelievable and beyond infuriating, but Preston was gone. It was like he’d vanished. Tanner slammed his fist against a display shelf, breathing hard, anger and frustration burning through him.
He’d underestimated Preston. The man was fixated, but, though he’d warned Junie, even he hadn’t realized how completely unhinged Preston was. Until today, he’d shown every indication that he would honor the restraining order. Tanner had let his guard down. That mistake could have cost him everything.
