He grabbed her hands, which she was wringing in front of her as she spoke, clearly upset. “Scarlett? You can tell me anything.”
She visibly swallowed hard. “Okay, well, when I was outside the club the night of the bomb scare, a guy I’d never seen before looked at me. He smiled in this really creepy way and then he took his finger and sliced it across his neck. Like this.”
She repeated the gesture and Tanner’s blood ran cold. He didn’t like the idea of anyone threatening her, especially outside of his club. “You should have told me.”
She rolled her shoulders. “You and your partners had already disappeared. You’d probably gone inside. I yelled for Frank, the cop, but when I pointed to show him the man, he wasn’t there.”
Worry and concern wrapped icy tentacles around him. “What aren’t you saying?”
Her wide eyes met his. “When I pulled up Victor’s mug shot, I recognized him. He was the guy who threatened me.”
“That bastard is using you to get to me.” Anger and pain lanced through him.
She nodded. “I had that thought myself although I’d prefer if it was a coincidence.”
He shook his head. “There are no coincidences where Victor is concerned.” Ignoring the rush of blood to his head that signaled the anger that always accompanied thoughts of Vic, first and foremost, he focused on Scarlett. “If he’s targeting you, it’s because of me.”
She looked at him, utterly calm. “I’ve been the subject of threats before. It’s all in a day’s work in this job.” She even smiled to reassure him.
It didn’t work. “You don’t know this man. I do.”
“Okay, well … I received a threat today.”
His gaze whipped to hers. “What?”
She opened her phone and showed him a photo. “I took this before I had forensics take it to examine. And before you get upset and jump to conclusions, it could be related to the mob case I’m working on.”
He narrowed his gaze. “You don’t believe that any more than I do. It’s Vic. Showing me he can get to you.” Tanner pulled out his phone and began to text.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Calling a meeting. I want to talk to Jason and Landon. Fill them in.” It was his fault Scarlett was in the middle of this.
“Tanner, I also spoke to one of the cops who works with us. They’re aware, not that there’s anything they can do with nonspecific threats.”
He heard the calming tone in her voice, but it wasn’t working to soothe him. This was all Vic and it was his fault she was in his sights.
“Okay, well, if that’s all, I have a lot of work to get through today.” She patted the top of a pile of case files with a fake smile on her face.
He shook his head. “I want you in the meeting.” He was already working up a plan on how to protect her. One she wasn’t going to like and he wanted backup when he presented it to her. Landon would help. Jason would be the key because he’d been in a similar situation with Faith and taken comparable action.
Hmm. Maybe he should have Faith there too. He continued to text the guys, making his wishes clear.
“Tanner, come on. There’s no reason for me to be in on a meeting about Vic. He doesn’t know who I am. He…”
“Might have been following me all the times I brought you lunch. Or when we went out. How else would he know you to single you out the other night?”
She groaned. “After work then, okay?” This time she pointed to the pile of work, exasperation in her features.
She wasn’t taking this as seriously as he was, but that was because she didn’t know what Victor Clark was capable of. Tanner did. And after over a decade in prison? Yeah. No way would Tanner blow off the man’s threat. It was all he could do to remain calm. Not to lose his mind and scare her away.
He glanced at his phone. Both Jason and Landon would be at the club this evening and Jason said he’d bring Faith. “I’ll pick you up after work,” Tanner told Scarlett. “Name the time.”
“Seven? I really have a lot to get done. I can meet you at the club–”
He shook his head. “I’ll be here.”
He confirmed the time with his partners and tried not to focus on the fact that Scarlett was in danger because of him. But he couldn’t shake off the feeling of responsibility he felt toward her. Partly because Vic was involved and more because his heart was.
* * *
Scarlett walked into Club TEN29, and with Tanner’s hand on her back, he led her to the elevator and up to the office, where his partners waited. She hated to admit the pull she felt toward him, how much she liked the heat of his palm against her shirt, the possessive way he touched her. As if telling everyone around him to back off. She was taken.