touches one single hair on her head, I can and will take him out without a conscious thought.”
“Shadow —”
“I’m not done, Claire.” He shushed her in mid-sentence, his gaze still narrowed on Brooks. “I have never been so serious about killing another human being in my life. You need to know that up front.”
He gave Brooks a few seconds to process his warning.
“Understood,” the other man said finally. “I’ll wait on you outside the back exit.”
Shadow took Claire’s hand and braided their fingers. Part of him wanted to throttle the life from her for trusting Brooks and the other wanted to rely on her judgment. Granted, her intuition was usually dead-on but then, she wasn’t usually the target.
Claire squeezed his fingers. “You’re making my headache worse.”
He refused to apologize. “Then you know how serious I am.” He urged her in front of him, still holding tight. “Scoot. Your brother’s waiting.”
He followed her down several flights of stairs then paused in front of a set of swinging metal doors. Cold air rushed beneath.
“You sure you should go in?”
She took a deep breath. “Once you relax, I can.” She raised an eyebrow. “There aren’t emotions inside that room.”
He opened the door and stepped inside first. Once he assured himself that he and Claire were the only living bodies in the place, he tugged her to another door on the opposite wall.
“Wait,” he told her as he opened the door and peered out. Steele gave him a nod while he talked on his cell. The rumble of another motor drew his attention to a red Camaro parked behind his truck. The driver gunned the engine. Shadow smirked. Brooks. Obviously not department-issued.
Shadow reached behind to grasp Claire’s hand, relieved when her cool fingers touched his. Four steps later, he closed the truck door.
Steele pocketed his phone. “Do we need Sterling?”
Shadow mulled the suggestion. Cpt. Max Sterling was a helluva soldier, cool-headed and direct, an electronics guru. With him on board, the perp didn’t stand a chance. Except, Cameron wasn’t exactly mobile and no matter how loud she grouched, she couldn’t escape Sterling’s stranglehold.
He shook his head. “Don’t think that’s an option.”
“He’s going to rush the lab on the bullet.”
Shadow turned his back on the Camaro. “What’s your take on Brooks?”
“Guarded. Hawke’s poking around online.”
Shadow glanced around the area. “Sick sonuvabitch has a death wish.”
CHAPTER SIX
Claire glanced out the front bay window of her makeshift prison for the hundredth time and released a heavy sigh. Two weeks under twenty-four hour protection had made her almost insane. She spent the first week entertained by movies and the Internet. She’d attempted to con Shadow and Brett into playing poker but they refused. Something about her unfair advantage. By day eight, she found herself desperate. She amused herself by playing mind games with Shadow and Brett but even the fun wore off that after they both caught on.
The Gonzalez hearing couldn’t begin soon enough. At least she could leave this house and do something. Shadow and Brett suffocated her.
Her Internet research hadn’t opened any doors in the investigation. Cops were extremely hard to Google. And, she had yet to come up with an explanation for her hacking skills. She giggled. Sometimes her talent came in handy in more ways than one.
She stood and glanced at her brother, now snoring on the sofa. Her eyes widened and her stomach tilted as she intercepted his dreams of his fiancé. There were just some things she preferred not to know about the two of them.
Claire padded barefoot into the den where Shadow occupied the middle of the floor, braced on his hands and working his already toned muscles.
Shadow lifted his head in the middle of a push up to see Claire in the doorway. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she grumbled.
“Wanna work out with me?”
She
“Shadow —”
“I’m not done, Claire.” He shushed her in mid-sentence, his gaze still narrowed on Brooks. “I have never been so serious about killing another human being in my life. You need to know that up front.”
He gave Brooks a few seconds to process his warning.
“Understood,” the other man said finally. “I’ll wait on you outside the back exit.”
Shadow took Claire’s hand and braided their fingers. Part of him wanted to throttle the life from her for trusting Brooks and the other wanted to rely on her judgment. Granted, her intuition was usually dead-on but then, she wasn’t usually the target.
Claire squeezed his fingers. “You’re making my headache worse.”
He refused to apologize. “Then you know how serious I am.” He urged her in front of him, still holding tight. “Scoot. Your brother’s waiting.”
He followed her down several flights of stairs then paused in front of a set of swinging metal doors. Cold air rushed beneath.
“You sure you should go in?”
She took a deep breath. “Once you relax, I can.” She raised an eyebrow. “There aren’t emotions inside that room.”
He opened the door and stepped inside first. Once he assured himself that he and Claire were the only living bodies in the place, he tugged her to another door on the opposite wall.
“Wait,” he told her as he opened the door and peered out. Steele gave him a nod while he talked on his cell. The rumble of another motor drew his attention to a red Camaro parked behind his truck. The driver gunned the engine. Shadow smirked. Brooks. Obviously not department-issued.
Shadow reached behind to grasp Claire’s hand, relieved when her cool fingers touched his. Four steps later, he closed the truck door.
Steele pocketed his phone. “Do we need Sterling?”
Shadow mulled the suggestion. Cpt. Max Sterling was a helluva soldier, cool-headed and direct, an electronics guru. With him on board, the perp didn’t stand a chance. Except, Cameron wasn’t exactly mobile and no matter how loud she grouched, she couldn’t escape Sterling’s stranglehold.
He shook his head. “Don’t think that’s an option.”
“He’s going to rush the lab on the bullet.”
Shadow turned his back on the Camaro. “What’s your take on Brooks?”
“Guarded. Hawke’s poking around online.”
Shadow glanced around the area. “Sick sonuvabitch has a death wish.”
CHAPTER SIX
Claire glanced out the front bay window of her makeshift prison for the hundredth time and released a heavy sigh. Two weeks under twenty-four hour protection had made her almost insane. She spent the first week entertained by movies and the Internet. She’d attempted to con Shadow and Brett into playing poker but they refused. Something about her unfair advantage. By day eight, she found herself desperate. She amused herself by playing mind games with Shadow and Brett but even the fun wore off that after they both caught on.
The Gonzalez hearing couldn’t begin soon enough. At least she could leave this house and do something. Shadow and Brett suffocated her.
Her Internet research hadn’t opened any doors in the investigation. Cops were extremely hard to Google. And, she had yet to come up with an explanation for her hacking skills. She giggled. Sometimes her talent came in handy in more ways than one.
She stood and glanced at her brother, now snoring on the sofa. Her eyes widened and her stomach tilted as she intercepted his dreams of his fiancé. There were just some things she preferred not to know about the two of them.
Claire padded barefoot into the den where Shadow occupied the middle of the floor, braced on his hands and working his already toned muscles.
Shadow lifted his head in the middle of a push up to see Claire in the doorway. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she grumbled.
“Wanna work out with me?”
She
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