LITMIR.BIZ

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at a lot of things in her life, but not this. The safety of the people she cared about ranked above everything else. She’d never even stepped close to that line.

      His gaze searched hers for another second. “I believe you.”

      “You should.” It was almost insulting that he experienced any doubt.

      “That leaves very few reasonable options.” He stood so close and leaned in as he spoke. “Are you messed up in something?”

      The words didn’t make any sense at first. It was as if the slam against the floor had rattled her brain. Scrambled whatever up there helped her comprehend simple sentences. “Like what?”

      “Something that would bring armed men to your door.”

      “Are you serious?” She worked at a desk. She read files and sat in on meetings. Nothing about her life shouted excitement...except for one thing. Her secret. The one piece she never shared. The same side work that kept her sane and would make Shane furious if he knew. She couldn’t even imagine the warnings and threats he’d issue if he knew.

      More body aches sparked to life the longer she stood there. She tried to take a mental inventory. Sore knee. A twinge in her back. That pain when she moved her wrist a certain way. She was going to be one big thumping bruise tomorrow.

      “I’m being thorough.” He talked slowly, enunciating each word. “We can’t miss anything. Even the smallest bit can sometimes provide the lead.”

      “I work in college admissions. I can’t really imagine a kid or a kid’s parents resorting to this sort of revenge for an application rejection.” Maybe she could, but that didn’t mean they’d be able to find her. Neither her cell nor her address was public record.

      But the other thing. She bit her bottom lip as she tried to reason it out. The part of her life, the private part, where she sat at a computer and conducted interviews. Pored through records and looked for lies. Those men could get angry enough to hurt her.

      Shane stood over six feet and now he bent down until they stood eye to eye. “What aren’t you telling me?”

      “Nothing.”

      His intense stare didn’t let up. “We’ve known each other for too long for me not to pick up on that bobble in your voice.”

      “I was attacked.” But he was right. It had been years. She’d met him through Holt. Shane was her big brother’s best friend. The guy with the bad marriage and, eventually, the difficult divorce. The one who made sure Holt came home safe from their assignments. The one who hung around and joked and looked and smelled so good.

      For Makena, appreciation and attraction had grown from the second they met. She’d kept her feelings locked inside and pushed them away while he was married. Once he was single again, her gaze started lingering longer on Shane’s broad chest. Even when they weren’t together, the memory of his deep voice vibrated in her head. She looked forward to seeing him, even if the peek amounted to nothing more than a quick glimpse as Shane dropped Holt off somewhere.

      She missed him when he was gone and enjoyed whatever little time they spent together these days. And today she silently thanked him for getting there on time. His entry had made all the difference. Anything could have happened to her if he’d waited a few more minutes to show up.

      A groan cut off her mental wanderings. Low and almost a growl, it had her attention zipping to the floor. The attacker didn’t move and his eyes didn’t open, but the air changed. She felt rather than saw movement.

      She shifted so they could both look down. “He’s waking up.”

      “Good.” Shane moved her back, just far enough that the attacker’s hand no longer rested next to her foot. “I have some questions for him.”

      Funny, but all she wanted was to see the guy dragged out of her house and locked up. The why mattered, but seeing the guy’s presence triggered a constant shaking inside her. “Any chance we could handle those at the police station?”

      “I want to question this guy without an official report.”

      That sounded like one of those things Holt said and she tried to ignore because she did not want to know. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

      Shane took a step in the downed man’s direction and his eyes popped open. “You have two minutes to tell me who you are and why you’re here.” Shane aimed his gun at the attacker. “Or do you need an incentive?”

      “Shane, please.” The only thing she wanted less than to hear about Shane’s work plans was to watch them in action. She understood the need for hard talk—even violence—to combat evil, but she did not want to witness it firsthand. She’d had enough of that tonight.

      “Go wait outside for the police.” He never broke eye contact with the attacker. They’d launched into a staring contest and neither of them moved.

      She wanted Shane safe. She also wanted him to stay out of jail, so she was not leaving, no matter how much relief flooded through her at the thought at being outside in the fresh air and away from the injured attacker. “No way.”

      Shane shot her a quick glance before returning his attention to the guy on the floor. “I need answers. He has them.”

      The attacker lifted his head but didn’t say anything. His fingers moved on the carpet and sent Shane’s gaze bouncing.

      He held out a hand in her direction even as his focus remained on the attacker’s prone form. “Stay back.”

      She didn’t have any intention of getting closer. The exact opposite, actually. She took one step and backed into a chair. She could add her calf to the list of injured body parts.

      She swore as she glanced down. The room started spinning in slow motion. The attacker’s foot hooked around hers and he pulled. Her knee buckled as the air whizzed under her. Prone one second, the attacker moved with record speed the next as he jackknifed into a sitting position.

      Shane’s hand brushed her forearm as he made a grab for her, but the attacker proved to be a second faster. He wrapped an arm around her legs. She fell and her weight came down in a rush. The next time she inhaled, she lay on top of the attacker, her back against his front, with the fire poker balanced on her neck, keeping her locked against him.

      “Drop your gun.” Those were the first words the attacker had spoken since Shane raced through the back door.

      Her breath rushed out of her as her heartbeat thundered in her ears. The shaking inside her morphed into waves of panic. Tension filled the room and seemed to have Shane’s arm locked as he pointed the gun just past her head at the attacker.

      “I said drop it.” The pressure against her neck closed in, choking off what little air moved through her, as the attacker spoke. “Do it or I kill her.”

      “No.” Shane didn’t offer anything else. Just that.

      The attacker tightened his grip until his knuckles turned white. She could see his skin right by her face. His arms shook as he pulled in. The light began to fade on her.

      No way was she going out like this, in her own home while Shane watched. She flailed, shifting her weight and elbowing as she pushed and kicked.

      Shane said something, but she couldn’t hear him. Couldn’t hear anything. Could barely think.

      Movement flashed in front of her. Shane went from looming over them to shifting to the side. A bang echoed through the room, right by her face. She felt the attacker shudder behind her. His hold tightened for a fraction of a second, then slipped away.

      Her ears rang as Shane reached down and lifted her to her feet. She tried to turn and see what was happening as she rose, but Shane’s arm blocked her. Her body came to a halt and her head rested on his shoulder as her leg muscles gave out. She glanced over his arm and spied the blood on the floor around the attacker’s head, before she quickly closed her eyes again.

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