Finn came around to help Eva with the car seat. Once she had it secure, she set Mikey inside, buckling him in. He opened the front passenger-side door for her, and she hesitated for a moment before climbing in.
After sliding in behind the wheel, Finn glanced over at her. “I was thinking once you’re safe at home, I could go out and grab something for lunch.”
She hesitated, then nodded, seemingly relived. “That would be great. I’m still too shaken up to cook.”
“Any particular food Mikey likes best?” NYC was well-known for its variety of restaurants, but he had no clue what three-year-old kids preferred to eat.
“Pizza!” Mikey said excitedly. “I love pizza!”
“I know you do,” Eva said, glancing back at her nephew. “It’s your favorite, right? We’ll eat as soon as we’re home.”
“Speaking of which, I’ll need directions.”
“Keep heading north, then turn left at the next intersection.”
Eva continued to give him directions until he pulled into a narrow driveway in front of an older-model brown brick home wedged in between two others. It was a nice place to raise a child, he thought as he slid the gearshift into Park. He thought there might even be a little sliver of a fenced-in backyard for Mikey to play in.
“We’re home,” Eva said, as she carried Mikey out of the SUV. Finn went around to the back to let Abernathy out, grabbing the dog’s water dish and tucking it under his arm as he followed Eva and Mikey inside.
Eva hesitated for a moment in the doorway, and he wondered if she’d noticed something out of place. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing.” She flushed as if she were embarrassed, then moved farther inside. The small kitchen was crowded with two adults, a little boy and a dog, but Eva acted as if she didn’t notice.
“Okay, what’s for lunch?” he asked, filling Abernathy’s water dish and setting it in the corner of the kitchen.
“Ordering pepperoni pizza would be easiest, then you don’t have to leave.” There was an underlying note of fear in Eva’s voice and he understood she was loath to be alone.
“Not a problem.” He caught a glimpse of a local pizza flyer on the fridge. Using his cell, he dialed the number and ordered a cheese-and-pepperoni pizza. When that was done, he took Abernathy’s vest off, giving him a bit of freedom to explore. Abernathy lapped at the water, then began sniffing around the edges of the room.
Finn’s phone rang and he quickly answered it. “Gallagher.”
“We got the video feed you requested,” Danielle Abbott, their technical guru said. “But it’s not a lot of help. The camera angle isn’t great. The cars are too close together to get a view of the license plate, and the crowds of people on the sidewalk obscure the view of the perp’s face. I’ll keep trying to clear up the video, but I can’t make any promises.”
Finn battled a wave of frustration. “Okay. Thanks, Danielle.”
“What?” Eva asked.
“We haven’t got anything off the subway camera. At least, not yet.”
Eva shook her head. “It figures.”
The pizza arrived twenty minutes later. Eva opened her purse, but he shooed her away to take care of the bill himself. Eva set the table, and he opened the pizza box, then picked up Mikey to place him in his booster seat. Eva took out a small slice of pizza and placed it on Mikey’s plate, giving it a chance to cool off. He took the seat across from Eva’s and, when she finished, he clasped his hands together and bowed his head to say grace.
“Dear Lord, we thank You for this food we are about to eat. We also thank You for keeping Eva safe in Your care. Please provide us the wisdom and guidance to find Cocoa, too. Amen.”
There was a brief pause before Eva murmured, “Amen.”
Mikey had already taken a bite of pizza, completely oblivious to the prayer. Finn smiled and made a mental note to include the boy next time.
Whoa, wait a minute. Next time? There wasn’t going to be a next time! He was only here because Eva had been attacked twice in one day.
This might look like a nice cozy scene, but Eva wasn’t his woman and Mikey wasn’t his son.