Police Protector

A shiver worked through her, and she spoke quickly to change the subject, knowing he’d seen it. “How long have I been here?”

He didn’t even glance at his watch. “A few hours.”

And he’d stayed beside her the whole time? She didn’t need to ask. She could tell from the way the nurse had maneuvered around him when she’d left the room without even looking, as if she’d been doing it repeatedly.

She had an instant flashback to the day she’d arrived in Jannis, having accepted the job as a digital forensics examiner. She’d walked through the station doors, thinking it was connected to the laboratory she was supposed to report to, her palms slick with nerves and her stride quick with anticipation. She’d turned the corner toward security and walked smack into Cole Walker.

She was tall, and in the heels she’d worn that first day with her carefully tailored suit, she’d been close to his six feet. But even in heels, she didn’t have slow or dainty strides. She walked with purpose, so she’d collided with him hard. Enough that the impact with his rock-hard chest had almost sent her to the ground.

The memory made her flush, warming her up, and Cole’s lips turned up at the corners like he could tell what she was thinking. Before he could comment on it, she blurted, “I’m not quitting.”

He looked surprised by her outburst, and, in truth, it had surprised her, too. She’d had no idea she was even thinking it until the words came out, but as soon as she spoke, she realized they were true.

A year ago she’d let the tragedy at the station derail her career. The fact was she’d let it derail her life.

She was scared. But how many times could she be this unlucky?

And she was tired of running from the things that scared her. She met Cole’s gaze, momentarily distracted by the perfect sky blue of his eyes, then felt her shoulders square on the scratchy hospital pillow. “Whatever needs to be done to catch this guy, I want to be a part of it.”

* * *

HAPPINESS BURST FORTH, then instantly warred with Cole’s need to keep Shaye safe.

He’d been thrilled when she had returned to the lab. It had been part of his motivation when he’d called her a month ago, asking for some off-the-books help with a situation his foster brother Andre had been battling. When she’d provided key information to help them nail the guy who’d been coming after his brother’s new girlfriend, he’d seen it boost her confidence again. Even more, he’d seen it remind her how much she loved the electronic chase.

He’d worked with enough forensics specialists in his years at the police department to know Shaye was special. She had a gift with computers, able to pull from them things no one else could find. And that kind of talent rarely came without passion.

When she’d left the job last year, he’d understood. A tiny part of him had even been glad, because it kept her out of the line of fire while they chased down the dangerous gang nervy enough to stage a drive-by at a police station. But he’d missed seeing her every day, those few moments each morning when they’d walk in from the parking lot together before she veered off to the county’s forensics lab located behind the station. Those few moments each evening when she’d wait for him outside the station doors, and they’d stand and chat before going their separate ways.

Once he’d been confident they’d shut the gang down, he’d reached out a few times, tried to convince Shaye to return. He knew her director had, too. But each time she’d refused, seeming embarrassed by the fact that she was afraid to come under fire again. So he was shocked that she was standing her ground now.

“Are you sure?” he asked. Before she could argue, he continued. “Believe me—I want you to stay. I think this is where you belong. But we don’t know who came after you today—and although I don’t think you were the target, I want to be sure. Your safety is most important.”

“I—”

“Hopefully, we’ll catch him today and discover he’s acting alone and picked you at random. But until we’re certain, I think you should go into protective custody.”

When she looked ready to argue, he held up a hand. “Not WitSec. I’m not asking you to give up your life here. This is nothing like last year.”

He hoped that was true. Nothing about this situation resembled the other—the shooter hadn’t been wearing gang colors, and he’d gone after Shaye at a store, instead of attacking where the rest of the gang’s presumed targets would be, back at the station. All logic pointed to this being random.

But he couldn’t shake the fear that someone wanted Shaye dead. And he couldn’t let anything happen to her.

“Just temporary police protection,” he continued, trying to stop his morose thinking. “Then, once we’re sure you’re out of danger, you get back to work.” He reached out and took her hand, which felt cold and tiny on top of the too-warm blanket. “Deal?”

“No.”

He almost laughed at the stubborn tilt of her chin, the petulant look in her eyes. But this wasn’t a joking matter. “No?” he repeated, in his best “bad cop” voice.

Staring at her now, looking so vulnerable in that hospital bed, made all his protective instincts fire to life. She might have belonged in forensics, but she could have gotten a job doing that anywhere. He’d been the one who’d lured her back to this department after she’d helped with his brother’s case. So everything that was happening to her now was on him.

The idea that he’d had any part, no matter how small, in putting her back in danger left a sour taste in his mouth. He’d always been drawn to Shaye, from that first day she’d shown up at the station, looking nervous behind her determined posture.

She’d slammed into him, all lean muscle and surprisingly soft curves, and then her cheeks had gone such a deep red, he’d been immediately charmed. He’d sought out excuses to see her every day. But he’d never been able to bring himself to ask her out. She was shy and sweet and smart. She came from a close-knit family and he knew when she looked into her future, she saw someone solid and stable to share it with, someone with a normal job. She deserved far better than he’d ever be able to give her.

But when it came to this—when it came to her safety—he knew he was the best man for the job.

He could tell she was scared. It was there, behind the determination in her eyes, in the slight tremor in her hand. But she shook her head.

“I let a shooting scare me off once. I work in law enforcement. Maybe I’m just a lab rat and not a cop, but I’m not letting it force me out again.”

“There’s no shame in going into hiding for a short time,” he told her, but she was already shaking her head again. “You know they’ll hold your job for you.”

“It doesn’t matter.” A smile quivered on her lips, fleeting and self-deprecating. “If I leave now, I’ll never come back. And I want to do this job. I want this life. I’m not giving up on it.”

Cole stared at her, not really sure what she meant by this life. But he could see it in her gaze—she wasn’t going to back down. Which meant he’d have to keep her safe. It would be way more challenging than if she’d agree to go off the grid, but the more he thought about it, there were upsides, too.

With no evidence this was a targeted hit, he’d be hard-pressed to convince the brass to use resources to protect her. He knew he could talk them into it for a short time, but it wouldn’t be easy. And if she went to a safe house, they’d assign a couple of patrol officers to watch her. If she kept working, he’d be on the case. He’d make sure of it. And that meant he’d also be personally in charge of her safety.

“Okay,” he said, not pulling his hand away from hers even as her cheeks started to flush from the extended contact. “Have it your way. But you’d better get used to having me around, then, because I’m not letting you out of my sight until we catch this guy.”

Chapter Three

He wasn’t letting her out of his sight?

All sorts of inappropriate thoughts ran through Shaye’s mind until she was sure Cole could see exactly what she was thinking, especially when his pupils dilated, staring back at her.

She dropped her gaze to her lap, her heart thudding way too hard after the day she’d had, and pulled her hand free from his. She’d had a massive crush on Cole from the moment she’d met him. But if she hadn’t already known it, last year’s shooting had quickly shown her that they’d never work. While she’d turned in her resignation the very next morning—over the phone because she was too afraid to return to the scene of the crime—he’d gone right back to work.

They would never be equals. He would always be the brave detective with the badge and the gun, and here she was again, the terrified forensics expert. It couldn’t be more obvious, with her stuck in this hospital bed, in a hospital gown someone had changed her into—she hoped not in front of Cole—and him ready to dive right into solving the case.

But this time would be different, she vowed. Because she might be way too shy, way too awkward, way too boring for a man like Cole Walker, but she was tired of feeling like a coward. Two years ago she’d moved out to Maryland from Michigan, leaving behind her big, well-meaning family and the anonymity that came with being the middle child in a group of five. She’d dived into the unfamiliar, trying to break out of her comfort zone. She’d even bought a house, putting down roots right away, to force herself to stay if things got tough. And things had sure gotten tough.

She wasn’t going to let herself be driven out of the job she loved and the place she’d come to consider home a second time.

She clenched her jaw and looked back up at Cole, praying her cheeks would cool. “What do we know so far about the forensics? What can I do?”

Her specialty was computers, but she had plenty of cross-training. There had to be some way she could help catch this guy. And once they caught him, maybe she could get back to the task of putting her life back on track.

Cole patted her hand. “Right now I just want you to focus on healing up.”

“I’m fine.” She knew he didn’t mean to condescend to her, but if she wanted him to take her seriously as a professional—and not a victim he had to take care of—she needed to show him a reason. She shoved off the blanket and got to her feet, remembering too late she was hooked up to an IV.

The nurse ran in as her monitor went off, and Shaye clapped her hand over the crook of her elbow where she’d pulled out the line.

Cole stood, tried to steady her as she wobbled a little on her feet. “What are you doing?”

“Going home.”

“You need to be under observation,” the nurse stated, scowling as she slapped a piece of cotton over the blood on Shaye’s arm and taped it down.

“I’m fine,” Shaye said. “The wound on my leg is closed, right? My heart rate and blood pressure have been pretty normal the whole time I’ve been in here.” She’d been peeking over at her monitor periodically as she and Cole talked. “You said you were going to release me today. I’m ready to go.”

The nurse frowned at her, but it was nothing compared with Cole’s expression, a mixture of worry, frustration and anger.

Shaye stood her ground. “Have the doctor look at me if you need to, but I feel okay. I want to go home.”

The nurse muttered something under her breath, then looked her over. “All right. But if you start feeling dizzy or your wound opens up, I want you to come back here—understood?”

Nodding, Shaye hoped she wasn’t making a mistake. But she couldn’t stay here any longer. She needed answers about who had shot at her—and why. And she wasn’t going to get them on her back in a hospital bed.

She was tired of letting things happen to her. It was time to fight back.

* * *

“EVERYTHING HAS BEEN quiet all night,” Marcos Costa told Cole as soon as he drove up next to the car.

Cole’s youngest brother may not have shared his blood—they’d met at a foster home as kids—but they’d formed a bond that went deeper than genetics. After Shaye had spent several hours in the forensics lab, Cole had driven her home and then promptly called his two brothers to see who was available to watch her house until he got off work. Their middle brother, Andre, was on a mission for the FBI, but Marcos had been free.

Now it was 3:00 a.m., and everything looked quiet on Shaye’s street. Her house was situated on a corner lot in a cute little neighborhood that boasted its fair share of picket fences and young families. The kind of place where a stranger skulking about would be noticed.

Still, it was Shaye. He wasn’t leaving anything to chance. And his youngest brother worked for the DEA, so he had plenty of experience spotting suspicious characters.

“Thanks,” Cole said through his window as his car idled next to Marcos’s.

“No problem. We all love Shaye.” Marcos glanced past Cole at his partner, Luke, in the passenger seat and nodded hello. “Is there a reason we’re doing this on the street instead of in her house?”

“She doesn’t know you’re here.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Marcos said with a dimpled smile. “I’m wondering why exactly.”

“She refused police protection.” Luke Hayes, Cole’s partner on the force for the past three years, spoke up. “Officially we can’t force her.”

Marcos frowned. “But if someone’s gunning for her—”

Cole didn’t have to turn his head to feel Luke’s glance as he replied. “No one is gunning for her. The shooting that happened earlier this evening looks random.”

“Ah.” Marcos nodded knowingly. “Got it.”

“It’s a precaution,” Cole said, not bothering to hide his annoyance at what Marcos and Luke were clearly thinking. That he was overreacting because it was Shaye. That no matter how far out of his league she was, he was still going to be there whenever she needed him.

“Don’t worry,” Marcos said, starting his engine. “I don’t mind. But right now I’m going to head home and get a little sleep.” He started to shift into Drive, then paused and asked, “Shouldn’t you get some of that yourself?”

“That’s why Luke is here.”

Marcos grinned again. “You’re going to nap while he keeps watch?” He peered at Luke and joked, “All that Marine training means you don’t actually need sleep?”

Cole’s partner had been in the Marines before becoming a police officer.

“Ha-ha,” Cole said. “We’re going to take turns getting a little shut-eye.”

“Good luck,” Marcos said. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“You got it.” As Marcos pulled away, Cole eased into the spot his brother had chosen at the corner of the street. It was a perfect vantage point since it gave him a good angle on the two sides of Shaye’s house that abutted streets. The remaining sides of her house were bordered by neighbors’ yards, and they would be trickier for someone to approach.

Cole shut off his truck. It was a typical November night, hovering near forty degrees, but Cole didn’t want the running engine to draw any attention from the neighbors, in case anyone was a night owl. Besides, he and Luke were used to working in uncomfortable conditions. Both of them had been patrol officers before being bumped up to detectives.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, checking the area, and then Luke asked, “Have we officially released her car yet?”

Shaye’s car was still at Roy’s Grocery, where the parking lot had been roped off so he and Luke, along with a handful of cops working with them on the case, could pull evidence. They’d finished an hour ago, but Cole figured he’d tell Shaye in the morning.

“Technically, yeah. I thought I’d take her to pick it up tomorrow.”

“Or just have it towed,” Luke suggested. “She’ll need that bullet hole repaired.”

The gunman had fired three shots. One had hit the driver’s door of Shaye’s car, another had hit the back tire of the grocery store owner’s car and the third had gone into Shaye. He’d asked the forensics lab to put a rush on reviewing the bullets, but they’d looked insulted he’d even asked. Shaye was one of them. They were already rushing it.

“We hear anything yet about those security cameras?” Cole asked. Although the camera at the grocery store wasn’t real, there were others nearby they were checking. He’d probably have heard if there was news, because he’d made sure everyone working the case knew they should call him at any hour with updates. But he’d also spent several hours this evening at the hospital while Luke headed up the investigation. It was possible he’d missed something.

“Not yet,” Luke replied, but he dutifully pulled out his phone and tapped in a text, then shook his head a minute later. “They haven’t found the guy on any cameras yet.”

Cole wasn’t surprised. The grocery store wasn’t in a highly commercial area, and it didn’t get much criminal activity, either. There weren’t as many security cameras as there would have been if the shooting had happened in another area of town. He wondered if that had been the shooter’s intent.

“Shaye’s got bad luck.”

“What?” Cole shifted in his seat to face Luke, who always looked serious, with his buzz cut leftover from the military and his intense greenish-blue eyes.

“That’s all this was. We went over her timeline. She was at work until eight, and then she drove straight to the grocery store, which she said she hadn’t originally planned to do. If someone was after her specifically, that means they would have had to watch the forensics lab from at least five and then followed her. And in three hours, sitting outside a police station, don’t you think someone would have spotted him?”

Cole nodded. He knew it was true. All the evidence said this had nothing to do with Shaye. Still, ever since he’d shown up at that shooting, his instincts had been buzzing the way they always did on a case when he knew something was off. And it was telling him there was more going on here.

“If it was random, meant to be a spree shooting, then why did he wait until the place was almost empty?”

Luke frowned. “Yeah, that bothers me, too. But he ran into the parking lot. Maybe he’d been coming from committing a crime and Shaye was in his way.”

“We didn’t have any reports that would match up,” Cole reminded him.

“Not yet. Or maybe he planned to keep going—run though the grocery store lot, taking out anyone there, then move on to the rest of the businesses on the street. There are a couple of restaurants that were pretty full.”

It was one of the reasons they didn’t have any witnesses yet. It seemed counterintuitive—the shooter had run toward businesses full of people—but on a Friday night, it meant the music was loud, the patrons were drinking and no one heard a thing. Except for Roy still inside the grocery store, who’d sheltered in place and called the police.

“That’s possible,” Cole agreed, but he still couldn’t shake the dread gripping him, saying Shaye had a direct connection. Because Luke was right about one thing: how unlucky could one woman be? Two attempts on her life in a year?

“Today is almost a year to the day of the shooting at the station,” Cole said, even though he knew Luke didn’t need the reminder. Luke had been there, too; he’d run out right behind Cole, firing back at the gang members, completely outgunned with their service pistols against semiautomatics.

“Yeah, and that’s why I’m sitting in this car with you instead of in bed at home,” Luke replied. “Because I think we got everyone in that gang. But they’ve all got families, too.”

Cole nodded. It hadn’t occurred to him that a gang member’s family member might be trying to get revenge on Shaye for speaking up as a witness in the trial earlier in the year. His thoughts had always been on the families of the three officers who’d died that day. But his and Luke’s bullets had killed two gang members at the scene, and four more had died in subsequent raids, because they’d pulled weapons instead of throwing up their hands when police came to arrest them. Any one of those men—or the ones who’d landed in prison—could have family or friends desperate for revenge.

“That theory has the same problem, though,” Luke said. “If Shaye was a specific target, someone followed her to that grocery store. And if we’re talking about someone affiliated with a gang, yes, they wouldn’t be afraid to stake out a police station, but I doubt they’d be subtle enough to get away with it.”

“True. And if we’re looking at that kind of revenge, wouldn’t someone want us to know it was them?” Cole added. “Or go after the station too? Both of us instead of just Shaye? I don’t like the timing, and it seems way too coincidental that she’s targeted by gunmen twice—”

“She wasn’t targeted before,” Luke cut him off. “They had no idea she was involved in the digital analysis that got us the lead we needed on the gang leadership in the first place. They were there because we’d been investigating. She just happened to be on our side of the parking lot.”

A fresh wave of guilt washed over Cole. He knew why she’d been by the station doors, when she should have been on the other side near the forensics lab, out of the line of fire. Most days they’d ended around the same time and stood outside chatting for ten or twenty minutes before going their separate ways. That day, he’d been late, caught up in paperwork. And she’d almost paid with her life.

“Well, still,” Cole said, hoping Luke didn’t notice the new tension in his voice, “she’s been shot at twice in just over a year. I don’t like it.”

“Me, either,” Luke said, then swore.

“What?”

“Here she comes.”

“What?” Cole said, spinning back toward the direction of Shaye’s house.

His partner was right. Shaye was storming their way, her injured leg dragging a little behind, her hands crossed over her chest and a furious look on her face. None of that stopped him from noticing she was heading toward them in a nightgown that was way too short and way too thin for this kind of weather.

His mouth dried up as he got out of his truck, rushing over to her side and slipping his arm behind her shoulders in case she was still off balance from her injury. Behind him he heard Luke step out of the vehicle a little more slowly.

Shaye shrugged his arm off. “What are you doing?”

“Keeping an eye on things,” Cole said. “Just until we catch the shooter.”

She scowled but didn’t look at all intimidating in her nightgown. It was just cotton, basically a big T-shirt, but on Shaye it somehow looked sexy. Especially with her hair spilling around her shoulders, loose and rumpled.

“I told the chief I didn’t need protection.” Her words lost some of their anger as he continued to stare at her, trying to keep his gaze on her face. As if she suddenly realized what she was wearing, she tugged the hem of her nightgown farther down her legs, her gaze darting to Luke and back again.

Then she spun around. Just when he thought she was going to demand he leave and call the chief about his unauthorized stakeout, she called over her shoulder, “This is unnecessary. But if you’re going to insist on being here, you shouldn’t sleep in the truck. Come on. You can stay with me.”

A million images rushed through his brain, most of them involving that nightgown on the floor, and Cole knew he should refuse and climb back into the truck with his partner. Instead he followed Shaye inside.

Chapter Four

Shaye tried not to feel self-conscious as she strode quickly back to her house, but she’d never been more aware of the swing of her hips as she walked, of her long, awkward limbs. She pulled at the hem of her nightgown, willing her cheeks to cool as she held the door open for Cole without turning around.

Mixed in with her embarrassment was annoyance. The chief had offered her protection, even though she could tell he thought it was unnecessary. She’d had only a moment’s hesitation before she refused. And yet here Cole was anyway, deciding what was best for her.

She tried to shove back her frustration. Cole was just doing what he always did, what seemed to come naturally to him: protecting everyone around him, whether they needed it or not.