Page 105 of Heartsong
His brows lifted and he offered her the signature pad again. The only reason Anna finally opened the door just wide enough to lean out and jot a messy signature was the bored look in his eyes, the one every delivery person got near the end of their route and they just wanted to hurry up and get back to the depot and go home.
Replacing the little stylus, she caught the man’s gaze flicking over her, taking in what he could of the apartment.
“That dog you got in there has one mean growl,” he quipped as he handed over the box.
“Yup. And he’s big and tends to bite men.”
The man pulled a face, then touched the brim of his hat, bid her goodnight, and stomped back down the stairs.
What delivery guy tips his hat?
One that’s an undercover cop.
Paranoia clogged her throat, and Anna quickly deposited the mysterious package onto the dining room table. Frey emerged to stand alongside her, and together they stared at the package.
Pulling out her phone, Anna quickly checked her email and confirmed that no, she didn’t have any outstanding orders being shipped to her.
“I didn’t order anything.” She felt the need to whisper.
“What should we do?” he whispered back.
Chewing her cheek, Anna ran her finger over the label. It had her name and address printed correctly, and for all intents and purposes looked like an ordinary shipping label. However, a quick search of the return address yielded only a vacant property down in Carmel.
It smacked of surveillance, but did an art theft suspect really warrant all this espionage bullshit?
Anna picked up the box and gently shook it. Something rattled around inside, roughly half the size of the box. Without any stickers or branded tape, there were no other clues as to what was inside.
“I could drop it into the sea.”
Tempting, but she didn’t want to risk Frey leaving the apartment. This was probably one of those moves the cops did sometimes, trying to unnerve the suspect to get them to do something rash that they could then investigate. Anna wouldn’t play into their game.
After peeling the label off the package to save the address, she deposited the box out on the stoop and shut the door. The lock sliding into place gave her a small measure of comfort. She’d throw the box away with the rest of the trash tomorrow.
“What do you think it is?” Frey asked, voice still low.
“I don’t know. A trick, maybe. I don’t want it inside the apartment.”
“Agreed.”
Anna’s arms came around her, and she couldn’t stop the prickle of tears. She hated crying, but this was all getting ridiculous. She didn’t want to play games or keep looking over her shoulder. How long could their surveillance really keep going? How long until they believed she wasn’t in on the heist?
She hated that they came to her home, reminding her that she was always under threat, always being watched.
Frey came to her and wrapped her up in his arms and wings, and Anna sank into the comfort. Drawing in a deep pull of his scent, her resolve firmed. They could get through this, together. They just had to lay low a little while longer.
There were one too many mysteries going on, and Anna wanted answers. For Frey and her peace of mind. If they were ever going to have a life, whatever that looked like with him being a gargoyle, they needed to be safe.
She hated it, but maybe on top of job hunting, she needed to start apartment hunting, too.
29
Despite having the world’s best body pillow—who knew a big, bulky gargoyle would be such a good cuddler—Anna hadn’t slept well the past few nights, and she was paying the price for it that afternoon. A headache crackled behind her right eyebrow. She’d managed it through the dreary morning rain, but now, with the clouds breaking apart, every time a visitor walked in, bright afternoon sunlight streamed inside and glared off the wet pavement straight into her eyes to stab her brain.
It didn’t help either that no amount of massages, head rubs, or orgasms was able to soothe the unease growing inside her. Since getting that weird package, Anna had been on edge. Yeah, she knew those suspicious vehicles were still outside and sure Detective Ramirez had come to her apartment before, but none of that had made it inside her home. Her sanctuary. Where Frey was safe.
That they’d sent someone to her door to deliver a suspicious package made Anna’s hackles rise. She’d bet money there was a listening device or something similar within whatever item was packed inside. Anna hadn’t even opened the box before throwing it out, but just those brief moments it’d been in the apartment were too many.
Her home had been invaded. Violated. And Anna despised that.
