LITMIR.BIZ

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another on her shoulder.

      Wide. Tall. Strong.

      A man.

      And Reggie’s first instinct, spurred by the violence she’d just witnessed, was to fight him off. Tooth and nail if she had to.

      But he was mouthing something at her. Words she couldn’t quite make out. And his eyes—light brown and as warm as his hands—were staring down at her, full of concern. A little familiar. And genuine. She was almost sure. But was it enough?

      She swiveled her head in the direction she’d just run from, and the world spun. It would have to be.

      “Help me,” she said, her voice not much more than a croak.

      He replied, and it sounded like “I’m trying.”

      “Please.”

      His expression went from concerned to puzzled, to even more concerned. But thankfully, he didn’t argue. He just bent down, lifted her from the ground and tucked her against his broad chest. She closed her eyes and sank into him gratefully, praying he could keep her safe from the craziness she’d just witnessed.

      * * *

      Detective Brayden Maxwell inhaled as he shifted his hips to accommodate the added weight, and a lightly spiced scent hit him. Pleasant. Just like the feel of the girl—who he recognized from the quaint little restaurant a few blocks over—curled up in his arms.

      Reggie, wasn’t it?

      He glanced down. Yep, her name tag confirmed that he had it right.

      Just two minutes earlier, he’d been on the phone with his brother, telling him that things were going smoothly. The plan didn’t have a hitch. Finally, after a decade and a half of searching, he was sure, all but 100 percent sure that they’d located their target. The man who’d walked away without a scratch, but left them with deep scars.

      Now this.

      What had spooked her so badly that she’d run out in front of his car like that? He hadn’t seen anything himself. Heck. He’d barely seen her. He was just glad he’d had enough time to swerve as much as he had. She’d smacked herself pretty hard against his bumper, but three seconds less notice...he shook his head at the thought, then inhaled again, and the sweet smell filled his nose a second time.

      Cinnamon, maybe? Pie from the diner?

      He studied her for another moment. She was always smiling while she served at the restaurant. One of those big smiles that lit up her whole face. It was almost too big for her very petite form. Perfect for her sparkling eyes, though, which were the greenest he’d ever seen. Which were all but closed now. Fluttering just a little. Her body was shaking a little, too.

      Yeah, she was definitely more than shaken up. Maybe not in medical shock, but definitely under a great amount of emotional distress.

      Not good.

      Brayden frowned and brought his attention to the street. He scanned it carefully. Up. Then down. Then both ways again. He couldn’t see a shred of anything suspicious. Or anything much at all, for that matter. The sky was dim, but the streetlights—few as they were in this small town—hadn’t yet come on. The moment hovered right between dusk and true darkness, and his eyes hadn’t quite adjusted.

      He gave himself one moment more to study the surrounding area. Nothing jumped out, but his instincts were definitely alight.

      He decided not to waste any more time looking for—and thinking about—something that might not even be there. The girl was scared. Possibly hurt. Both those things necessitated his assistance, even if he didn’t factor in her specific request for help.

      “All right,” he murmured. “Let’s get you somewhere you can feel safe.”

      Where that was, he didn’t know yet. But his experience with trauma victims told him that getting her away from the scene would be a good start.

      He stared at his car for a second, then decided it would be easiest to transport her in the back seat. She could lie down instead of trying to keep upright. As Brayden tugged open the door and laid her down, she started to shiver even more, and her teeth were chattering, too. The evening air was far too warm for that kind of chill.

      Definitely something close to shock.

      “Hey,” he said, careful to keep his voice low and gentle. “I’ve got a blanket in the trunk. Sit tight while I grab it, okay?”

      She gave him just the barest hint of a nod. It would have to do. He strode to the rear of the car, popped open the lid, then retrieved a thick duvet from the pile of items he’d just washed at the Laundromat. It still had a hint of warmth, leftover from the dryer.

      Perfect.

      He slammed the trunk shut, then moved back to the side of the car, where he carefully tucked the blanket around Reggie’s tremor-riddled form. He made sure to cover her completely, shoulders to toes, noting that one of her shoes was missing. A quick glance in the direction she’d sprinted from told him the missing piece of footwear was nowhere close.

      “Okay,” he said to her. “We’ll worry about that later. For now, I just want you to lie still. Can you do that?”

      She gave another tiny nod, the duvet bouncing with her agreement.

      “Good.” He put a hand on her covered shin, glad to see that her shivering had tapered off already. “You’re going to be fine. I promise.”

      Then Brayden closed the door and made his way back to the driver’s seat. He turned the key and eased the car onto the empty street. He drove along slowly, mentally assessing what his destination ought to be.

      The local doctor? He’d heard there was a man who ran a practice from his home, but it had to be after hours now.

      Her place? He hadn’t a clue where it was.

      The diner where she worked? Fine, unless she’d just run from there. It was only a few blocks over, after all.

      Maybe Brayden’s own rented cabin? He paused to think about that possibility a little further. His temporary home was out of the way. But at least he knew where it was, and was familiar with its resources. Of course, having guests over wasn’t on his list of priorities. He had his mission—his one and only reason for taking up residence in the tiny town—and getting to know the pretty waitress wasn’t a part of it.

      Because running over her with your car was?

      Brayden stifled a sigh. Yeah, that hadn’t been on his to-do list, either. But adjusting to accommodate unexpected scenarios was a pretty key element in his work. So he’d just have to do it now.

      As he put his foot to the gas, he let himself lift his eyes to the rearview mirror. Reggie had disappeared into the bulky blanket; her waiflike form was but invisible. Only a wisp of her dark hair peeked over one corner. For a second, it actually made him smile.

      Then a flash of red and blue caught his eye, and as he adjusted his gaze to find the source, his smile dropped off completely. Straight ahead, a police car was cruising toward them. Flashers on. Sirens off. A solo, uniformed man at the wheel.

      Something about the sight of the car deepened his worry. Generally speaking, when working a case that crossed jurisdictions, his boss made sure to alert the local authorities. Brayden knew that wasn’t the case here. His captain at the Freemont City PD had authorized the investigation—even if he hadn’t provided the time and the resources—and that sanction was enough. But the man they were investigating had entrenched himself in the Whispering Woods community. He had the mayor’s ear, and many pieces of the town’s property in his pocket, and the local police probably wouldn’t take kindly to having one of their favorite citizens investigated. So the case was more covert than most, and Brayden’s presence a well-kept secret.

      Moments later, the cruiser pulled up behind him. The cop inside pointed sideways, and Brayden’s concern spiked. Still, he had no choice but to pull over. He flipped on his signal and

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