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Hated that she was pretty much frozen.
    “Tell that fucker Quinn that his time is coming. No one close to him is safe,” he growled out before snapping his jaws at her like a wild animal.
    She jerked back, both from the action and the stench of beer coming off him in waves. Before she could think about responding, he turned and strode away from her. By the time he was walking out the sliding glass doors, she could finally move again, her breath rushing out of her in a huge whoosh of air.
    The man’s words were terrifying enough, but his eyes would give her nightmares. She knew it without a doubt. And how the hell did he know Quinn?
    She also knew there was no way she was walking to her car alone or even with a manager. Setting her basket right at her feet, she pulled her cell phone from her purse with a trembling hand and called Quinn.
    No matter what was going on between them—or rather wasn’t going on—she knew he would be here as soon as he could. That was just the type of man he was. She had no doubt the owner would let Quinn see the video footage too. Let him see exactly who that man was.

Chapter 4

    Quinn’s heart was beating overtime as he pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store where Athena had told him she was. At this point all he knew was that a man had approached her, said something about Quinn’s ‘time coming’ and basically terrified Athena.
    He’d heard it in her trembling voice.
    He was glad she’d called him though. That said a lot. More than he wanted to analyze right now. What she’d said at today’s lunch had been a setback to his plans but none of that mattered.
    The only thing that mattered was making sure she was okay and that she stayed that way. He did a scan of the parking lot, looking for any threats before pulling out his cell phone and doing an actual scan with his video capabilities. Just because he didn’t see something didn’t mean there wasn’t a threat lurking nearby. Later he’d review the video and blow up images of license plates if necessary. But he figured this was probably useless.
    As he got out of his truck, he automatically reached back to make sure his weapon was holstered securely at his back. He preferred a shoulder holster for work but this was better for now. He immediately spotted Athena’s cobalt blue Volkswagen beetle and a small thread of relief spiraled through him at the sight. She’d assured him she wouldn’t go outside and would stay in sight of people at all times. Then she’d texted him to tell him she was sitting in the deli.
    Once inside the grocery store he immediately located the deli, which was clearly closed given that all the display cases had been wiped down and there was no food in any of the trays. But as he approached the entrance to the seating area, he saw her sitting at a small black table with two men on either side of her. Both looked concerned, the older man with dark hair and a thick mustache, patting her hand in a paternal gesture. The other had on a white button-down shirt and black pants. Over the shirt was a red vest with a nametag that read Steven. His expression was pinched, his stress lines around his mouth were deep. The two men were clearly related, probably father and son.
    Athena saw Quinn before the men did and the second their eyes met he felt it like a gut punch. Her expression lit up with pure relief. She and the men stood at once.
    The older man moved in front of the table in a surprisingly fast move, his body language clear.
    “Stephanos, this is Quinn, my friend.”
    The older man just made a ‘hmm’ sound and stepped back, but his wary expression didn’t change.
    For just a moment, Quinn tuned the two men out since it was clear they weren’t threats. “You’re not hurt?” he asked, sidestepping the younger man and moving around the table. Not caring what the strangers thought, Quinn rubbed his hands down her upper arms. She was wearing what she’d had on at work and her face was pale, but