Perfect Fit (23 page)

“Are you free for dinner tonight?” Alexa asked. “I have a rare free evening. I was thinking maybe dinner and a movie?”

Cara nodded. “That sounds wonderful.” It had been too long since Alexa had given herself permission to relax, and Cara definitely wouldn’t mind continuing their time together. They made plans for the evening, and Cara headed out the door.

At Havensbridge, no one had heard from Daniella. Cara spent the afternoon talking to a new woman who’d come in while Cara was in Vegas and encouraging her to look into self-defense classes in which she’d expressed an interest. All the while, Daniella’s absence, which was now going on two long weeks, weighed heavily.

That night, a snowstorm hit, forcing Alexa and Cara to change their plans. They ordered dinner in and watched the movie
Friends with Benefits
, which left Cara shaking her head at the romanticized ending.

“When was the last time a woman ended up with Prince Charming? One who organizes an entire flash mob to impress her?” Cara rolled her eyes, though she’d secretly loved the movie.

Alexa laughed. “It’s a
movie
; can’t you just enjoy it without analyzing it to death?”

Cara laughed, but she knew that when a guy said he didn’t do permanent, she’d better listen.

Alexa left before the snow got any worse, and Cara holed up in her condo, watching the beautiful snow fall outside her living room window.

She must have dozed off because she woke to the distant ringing of her cell phone, the sound coming from her bedroom.

She ran, hoping to catch the caller before they hung up. “Hello?”

“Cara?” Her name sounded like a whisper, but she recognized the voice.

“Daniella?” Cara gripped the small phone in her hand.

“I don’t know what to do,” the other woman said in a small voice.

“Are you hurt?”

Silence.

“Daniella? I’m not going to judge you. I just want to know if you’re okay.” Cara realized she was trembling and lowered herself onto the bed.

“I’m fine. But I need to talk to you.”

An opening, Cara thought. A small one, but it was there. Cara squeezed her eyes shut tight and prayed. “Where can I find you?”

“Umm…”

“No pressure. We’ll just talk, and afterward you can walk away if that’s what you want.”

The silence was deafening while the time that she waited for an answer stretched on. “The McDonald’s off Route 80,” Daniella said, and then Cara heard a click.

Heart pounding, Cara glanced down. She was wearing a pair of pink sweats and a T-shirt. Good enough. She wasn’t taking the time to change and risk Daniella leaving. She strapped on her holster and gun, pulled on her jacket, and was in the car within five minutes of the phone call.

The drive there normally took fifteen minutes, but thanks to the heavy snow and roads, which hadn’t yet been plowed, it ended up being a thirty-minute drive. Thirty long minutes in which Cara inched along in her car, with too much time to think. Her first impulse was to call Mike and tell him she’d heard from Daniella, but Cara slammed the brakes on that idea immediately.

After Vegas…no, that wasn’t right—before Vegas, when Mike had shown up on her doorstep and told her he was headed out of town, her panic at the notion of his leaving told her in no uncertain terms that she was coming to rely on him too much. To put things back in perspective, Cara had to remember that this was her life. She’d been
self-reliant before Mike arrived, and she’d have to go back to going it solo once he was gone. No reason not to exercise the same behavior now.

Finally the Golden Arches came into view, and Cara pulled into the parking lot, which was already covered with an ever-thickening layer of snow. A small McDonald’s off a highway, it wasn’t a full-service family restaurant but one where truckers and travelers stopped for a quick meal or cup of coffee. Tonight, the dimly lit parking lot was fairly empty.

Cara entered through the front door and was surprised to see Daniella behind the counter. No one waited in line to order, and Cara stepped up to greet her. “Hi,” she said softly.

“Hi.” Daniella smiled. It didn’t reach her eyes.

Cara wondered if she’d ever see her truly happy and prayed with everything in her that she would. “You got a job!”

“As soon as I went back, Bob said since I ran away once, I have to earn my keep. But he keeps a close eye on me,” Daniella admitted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Cara winced, but she’d promised not to judge. “At least it gets you out of the house.”

Daniella nodded. Her eyes filled with tears, and she bit down on her lower lip, obviously to keep from crying.

All Cara wanted to do was bundle the woman up and bring her home, but she knew that acting emotionally wasn’t an answer. She couldn’t bring home everyone she helped at Havensbridge, no matter how badly she wanted to.

“Can I get a cup of coffee?” Cara asked, hoping to give Daniella something else to concentrate on.

“Sure. My manager is in the back. She’s really a sweet woman, and she said I could take my break when you got here. I’ll just tell her to come out and cover for me.”

Cara nodded.

A few minutes later, Cara and Daniella were seated across from each other in a small booth.

A middle-aged woman walked over, carrying two cups of coffee. “On the house. Take all the time you need,” she said.

“Thanks, Bev.”

“Thank you,” Cara said.

“No problem.” She nodded at Cara before walking away, taking her place behind the counter.

“She seems nice,” Cara said.

“She’s been very good to me.” Daniella sounded surprised, as if she’d seen too little kindness in her life.

“How long have you been working here?”

“A little over a week.” She glanced into her coffee cup.

Cara studied Daniella carefully, taking in the fading bruise on the girl’s jaw. Without meaning to, Cara reached out and brushed a gentle finger over the discoloration.

“I tripped—”

“Not with me, okay?” Cara whispered.

Daniella’s eyes once again filled with tears that she was unable to keep from spilling over her cheeks.

“Daniella, I know I promised no pressure, but you have to leave. You can stay at Havensbridge and—”

The young woman clenched and unclenched her fists. “I want to leave him. I do. That’s why I called you. But I like working here. I like having somewhere to come every day. It’s not like being a paralegal, but I feel good about myself. And I can do this part time and make money while I take online refresher classes.”

Cara nodded, pleased that Daniella not only had made the decision but had more of a plan than when she’d been at Havensbridge the first time. “That’s good. I’m sure Belinda will have a way to make things work. It’s just transportation you’d need, right?”

“Right—except Bob knows I work here.” She shook her head in frustration. “He shows up at odd hours, to check up on me.”

Cara wasn’t surprised.

“Damn right I know where you are every minute of the day.” A shadow loomed over their table. Cara looked up and into the eyes of one very pissed-off—and if she wasn’t mistaken, drunk—man. “I drive you here and pick you up because you’ve proven you can’t be trusted.”

Daniella shrank lower into her seat.

Cara felt the pressure of her holster and breathed out hard. She straightened her shoulders and met the man’s gaze, refusing to let him intimidate her as he obviously wanted to do.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” She deliberately dismissed him with her tone.

“Bob Francone. Who the hell are you?” He braced his hands on the table, leaning over them, distinctly threatening.

Cara wasn’t impressed. She smiled broadly and reached into her pocket. “I’m Daniella’s friend. Officer Cara Hartley.” She flashed her badge.

“You stupid bitch!” Bob raged at Daniella.

A whimper escaped the younger woman’s lips.

Time to take control of this situation
, Cara thought. She slid to the edge of the seat, intending to stand, but Bob remained blocking her way. “Excuse me.”

Bob ignored her. “You’re friends with a
cop
?” Bob asked Daniella instead.

“Please don’t make a scene,” Daniella said, the words coming out more like a plea.

“
I
shouldn’t make a scene.” He barked out a laugh. “You called a goddamned cop and I shouldn’t make a scene?”

“That’s correct. Now I believe I said excuse me, you’re blocking my way.” Cara nudged his thigh with her knee. “I’d like to stand up.”

“And I’d like you to get the fuck out of Daniella’s life,” he said, too loudly.

“That’s not your call to make,” Daniella said, surprising Cara and making her want to applaud at the same time.

“Shut up!” He slapped her, sending Daniella sprawling back on the seat.

Cara pulled her gun. “Step back now.” She leveled her weapon.

Daniella scrambled up once more, her terrified gaze on Cara’s gun. “Bob—”

“I’ve got this, Daniella.” Cara’s gaze never wavered from the man.

He eyed the gun, then Cara, warily.

“Look, Bob, I’ve already got you on assault. I’ve asked you to step out of my way twice now. I’m sure you don’t want to add false imprisonment of a police officer to tonight’s charges.”

Sirens broke the charged atmosphere, the sound growing increasingly louder. Bev, Cara realized, must have called the police.

Panic flickered in Bob’s eyes, and before Cara could register his intent, he grabbed Daniella by the hair and yanked her out of the booth. Cara jumped up and trained her gun on Bob, who’d wrapped one beefy arm around Daniella’s neck. Her face turned red and she grabbed at Bob’s arm, attempting to pry his grip away from her airway.

“Let her go,” Cara said calmly.

“Go to hell. She’s mine,” he said, his eyes wild.

“She’s her own person, Bob. Release her now, okay?”

From the corner of her eye, Cara realized Sam had quietly come in from the back entrance, with his partner, a rookie named Ted, alongside him. Thankfully Bob hadn’t seen them enter. No doubt he’d freak out even more once he did. But he hadn’t drawn a weapon and Cara didn’t know if he had one on him. All she could do was hope that Sam could easily take him from behind.

“Bob, if you love Daniella, you don’t want to hurt her. That puts us on the same side. Let’s end this now.” Cara imperceptibly nodded at Sam.

He stepped up behind the man, jamming his gun into
Bob’s side. “It’s over,” Sam said, nudging Bob with his weapon.

That quickly it was over. Without warning, the big man released Daniella and dropped to his knees, blubbering like a baby.

Cara pulled the girl away from Bob, whom Sam easily subdued.

“I’d never hurt you, Dani, you gotta know that,” Bob said as Sam cuffed his hands behind his back and proceeded to read him his Miranda rights.

Bev wrapped an arm around Daniella, comforting her as a mother would a child. Cara exhaled long and hard, pleased that this had ended so quickly and easily.

“Thanks for calling the police,” Cara said to Bev. “That was a smart move.”

Bev, a gray-haired, stout woman, merely shrugged. “Seemed like common sense. He shows up here every day at different times, watching Daniella, making threats. I’ve seen his type before.” She frowned and patted Daniella’s back.

“I’m sorry,” Daniella murmured.

Cara shook her head and smiled. “No apologizing for someone else’s behavior, remember?”

Daniella nodded.

“I’m going to need you both to come down to the station and give your statement. Will you press charges? And file for a restraining order?” Cara asked Daniella. “I’ll be right there with you.”

Daniella nodded.

Cara was under no illusion that this arrest or an order of protection would end Bob’s abuse, but it would document it and maybe act as some sort of deterrent.

“I’m proud of you,” Cara told Daniella, squeezing her hand.

“I need to call my son—he’s the owner. He’ll come in so I can come down to the station,” Bev said.

Cara inclined her head. “Good. I can drive Daniella now and you can meet us. Let me go see what’s going on. I’ll be right back.”

Cara walked over to Sam, who was about to escort Bob out to the squad car. He handed the now-calm man over to Ted. “I’ll meet you at the car.”

With a nod, Ted prodded Bob and they headed out the door. “Dani, I’m sorry,” he called out.

She turned away without answering.

Cara shook her head in disgust. “Daniella said she’d press charges.”

“That’s good,” Sam said.

“I can drive her over now. The manager needs to lock up and she’ll meet us at the station so we can all make a formal statement,” Cara concluded, since she was off duty when the incident occurred.

“She okay?” Sam tipped his head in Daniella’s direction.

Cara nodded. “She is. I just hope she stays that way.” She’d seen too many women, her own mother included, back down and change their minds once faced with the reality of testifying and pressing charges.

“And you? Okay?” Sam eyed her critically, as he always did after any kind of incident.

“Just another day at the office,” she said with a grin.

Sam shook his head. “Smart-ass,” he muttered. “See you at the station.”

Cara spent the rest of the night filling out forms and making sure Daniella was settled. Bev insisted that Daniella go home with her, and Daniella agreed. As long as she was somewhere she felt safe, there was no risk of her returning to the apartment she shared with Bob. For now, the bastard was in jail, but after his arraignment in the morning, he might get out on bail. And Daniella would have to make some smart and hopefully permanent decisions.

Sunday dawned cold and sunny after the snowstorm
the night before. Mike had spent all day yesterday at the station catching up on endless paperwork, which was still piled high on his desk, and he’d met with the tech guy to go over the potential computerization of files. Last night he’d spent at Ethan’s playing poker with guys they’d gone to school with, where Mike had won a decent amount of cash and caught up with old friends. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night, short of seeing Cara and spending the night in her bed.