Free THE DEFENDER by Adrienne Giordano Page A

we’re done here.” He reached over and hung up on David before the war started. He turned to Gerald. “If he calls back, do me a favor and talk him down. I don’t have time for family squabbles now. Besides, he’s being unreasonable.” He looked at Zac. “Sorry about the inconvenience, but it’s for your own safety. For the time being, vary your pattern.”
    “No Starbucks before work,” Penny said. She glanced at Russ. “He stops there every morning.”
    “She’s right. Whatever your normal routine is, change it up. Let’s not make it easy for this lunatic.”
    “Can you get this guy?” Zac wanted to know.
    “Yes. As long as your sister’s client cooperates, we’ll put him away.”
    Gerald’s phone bleep-bleeped again. David probably. And David could shove it.
    “I have a Colin Heath for Penny,” the secretary said. “She wanted me to let her know when he called.”
    Russ swung to Penny, who stared at the phone as if it had grown fangs.
    The men in the room glanced at Penny, then to Russ. “Take it,” he said. “Just like we talked about. Got it?”
    “Oh, I’ve got it.”
    * * *
    P ENNY SCOOPED UP the phone the second it rang. “Hello, Mr. Heath. Punctual, I see.”
    “When it comes to beautiful women, I try.”
    She rolled her eyes. What more could she do? She’d like to flip him off, but certain things she wouldn’t do in front of her father. Still, psycho or not, Colin Heath probably had a way with women. Just not this woman.
    “I’ve a busy day, so let’s make this fast. I’ll agree to your terms, Mr. Heath. But I want a guarantee from you—whatever that might be worth—that Elizabeth and her son will stay safe.”
    “You’ll convince her not to testify?”
    “Do I have a choice?”
    “Not really.”
    I’ll get you another way, you rat. “Then she won’t testify.”
    “And what will you do about the FBI?”
    Penny glanced at Russ and he rolled his hand. “That’s my problem to deal with.”
    “You get the FBI off my tail, Ms. Hennings, and Elizabeth will be safe. After all, her husband made me a lot of money.”
    Sick, twisted bastard.
    “Are we through?”
    “We are. I’ll be in touch to make sure our deal is going according to plan.”
    Penny hung up without bothering to say goodbye. Why give him any pleasantries?
    Her father leaned forward, stretched his hand to her. “Are you all right?”
    “I’m fine, Dad.” She squeezed his hand, hoping to reassure him and maybe herself. “It’s the right decision.”
    “Sis,” Zac said, “you’ve got guts.”
    She shrugged. “Sometimes.”
    Russ jerked his chin toward the door. “We should go. I still have Brent’s car. Sooner we get to Elizabeth, the sooner this case gets wrapped up.”
    “Of course. Let me grab my laptop.”
    She hugged her brother, then her father. “I’m sorry about David.”
    Dad kissed her head the way he used to when she was seven and had suffered some trauma that only Daddy could fix. Even now, all these years later, it mattered.
    “I’ll handle him.”
    “Thank you, Dad.”
    At least she had his and Zac’s support.
    Downstairs, she stood in the foyer leading to the back alley of the Hennings & Solomon building, waiting for Russ to give her the all clear. The man had a gracefulness about him. Rugged grace. That was what he had. He moved swiftly, his strides purposeful and without hesitation. She imagined him this way all the time. As if an inherent part of him never let up, never stopped pursuing, never appeared weak. Even if he felt it, he’d never show it. Maybe some women were bothered by that. Penny? Not. She herself had trouble admitting her weaknesses and she certainly didn’t want to discuss them. Nothing doing there.
    Everyone felt weak occasionally. She knew this. Despite the outward appearance, she supposed most humans, on some deep level, hid vulnerabilities. Her brother constantly blamed her for whatever infractions plagued them. It was always Penny’s fault.