Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61427 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 307(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61427 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 307(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Marley unclasped her hands and pressed them on her knees. “And now?”
“Now he wants to hurt you.” He sank into the armchair Hernandez had occupied earlier. “He was across the street for who knows how long, and he must have seen us together. He also has to know I’m with the DEA, because he saw me there during the warehouse raid.”
“So he thinks I’m working with the cops.”
“Or at the very least, sleeping with one.” He flinched when he saw her eyes darken. “What he did to your locker was an act of violence, and it’s an indication of what he wants to do to you.”
“I know.” Her bottom lip quivered. “I know the danger, Caleb. I can feel it. Where are you going with this?”
“Someone needs to stay here in the house with you,” he said. “And I’d really appreciate it if you wouldn’t object. You need protection.”
“Okay,” she said without any argument.
“Though I’d prefer it if you’d agree to stay in a safe house,” he added.
Bitterness flickered across her face. “I’m not leaving my house, Caleb. Patrick has already turned my entire life upside down. I won’t let him chase me from my home.”
He’d known she’d say something like that. “Then an agent will stay here. Grier is going to find out what happened tonight. We might get lucky and he’ll waltz back to White’s house, unaware that we found his hideout, but I’m not holding my breath. He was probably in the area, saw the police activity and took off.”
“So search the neighborhood,” Marley burst out, sounding frustrated.
“We are. Units are combing the area as we speak, though my gut tells me Grier will be long gone by now.”
“But he’ll be back.”
“He’ll be back,” Caleb echoed. “He might consider it too risky to come to this house, but he’ll find a way to get to you, Marley. I’m certain of that.”
She released a shaky breath and turned her head away, but not before he saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes. He wanted so badly to pull her into his arms and comfort her, but he knew she wouldn’t allow it.
“You probably shouldn’t go into work for a while,” he continued. “It’ll be too hard to protect you there, and today Grier showed us that he can find a way into the hospital without getting caught.”
Marley’s jaw tightened. “So I’m just supposed to sit around and wait for him to kill me?”
“He won’t kill you.” Caleb’s pulse sped up at the mere thought. “I won’t let him.”
She fell quiet for a few long moments, then cleared her throat. “It can’t be you, Caleb.”
“What can’t be me?”
“The agent who stays here. I don’t want it to be you. Or your partner for that matter.”
Something shifted in his chest. There, his heart had officially cracked in two. He wanted nothing more than to stay here with her, to protect this beautiful, generous woman who had once trusted him so willingly—and so misguidedly. It killed him that she didn’t want him around, though he understood perfectly why that was.
But God, he wished she would trust him now, to protect her, at least. He’d still be next door, but what if that wasn’t close enough? What if he wasn’t fast enough?
His palms began to sweat and he rubbed them on the front of his pants. “No,” he finally said, his voice sounding hoarse even to his own ears. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving you, Marley.”
* * *
THE SHRIEK OF SIRENS reverberated in the night, causing Patrick to sink farther into the bushes. He’d been hunkered down in the small park directly behind Marley’s cul-de-sac for the past hour, ever since he’d heard that first siren wail in the distance. Seconds from hopping the fence at the edge of the park, he’d been forced to retreat, and now he hid, waiting for the opportunity to get the hell out of here. Evidently the cops had discovered his hiding place, which sent a rush of fury to his gut.
A flash of color caught his eye, and he peeked out to see a cop car cruising along the street in front of the park. Patrols. They were obviously casing the entire neighborhood.
“Damn it,” he muttered, ducking into the bushes again.
What was he supposed to do now? He’d planned on going for the money tonight. The black backpack slung over his shoulder contained the syringes and sedatives he’d stolen from the hospital earlier this afternoon. He still couldn’t believe he’d walked in undetected and managed to break into one of the medicine cabinets. Managed to leave Marley a nice little message, too.
Now his plans were shot to hell. It could’ve been so easy. Break into the house next door to Marley’s and stick a needle in that cop bastard’s throat before he knew what hit him. And then, with the cop in a drug-induced slumber, Patrick would get his money from Marley’s bathroom while she worked the night shift. He’d considered going back to the hospital after that, waiting outside in the parking lot for her to come out. Even contemplated forgiving her for sleeping around on him. God knows, starting a new life would be a lot more fun if he had someone with him.