Page 53 of Under Fire

“I was afraid of that. What kind of trouble did you bring to Harmony, Ms. Frost?”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“Do you know who the shooters were?” Delilah asked Detective Russell. She doubted he would have decided questioning witnesses was more important than seeing bodies at the crime scene.

“Two brothers. Ace and Cage Randolph.” The cop’s dark eyes observed and cataloged her shock. “I see you recognize the names.”

“They’re friends with my brother and cousins. They were at my house all the time when we were growing up.”

“Any reason they want to hurt you?”

“I didn’t have anything to do with them in school and haven’t seen them in years.”

His gaze assessed the others of their group. “What about the rest of you?”

“Never met them,” Cade said.

“You have a personal stake in this, Matt. Any chance one of those boys was behind the attempt to shoot Ms. Frost last night?”

“You’ll have to test their rifles.”

His gaze sharpened. “How do you know they used rifles?”

“After years in the military and five in private security, I know the difference between shots fired from a rifle and a handgun.”

“If you found out one of them was responsible for the attack on your girlfriend, would you act on that knowledge?”

Matt’s expression darkened. “What do you think?”

Russell stood. “I guess that’s all for now. Stop by the station tomorrow sometime.” A wry smile curved his mouth. “I’ll have your statements from last night’s incident and this afternoon’s ready to sign. You’re free to go for now.”

After the detective strode away, Matt stood, hauled his mike bag to his shoulder, and extended his hand to Delilah. “We’ll find a restaurant close to the hotel or order room service.”

Soon, Delilah was back in the SUV. Matt drove them out of town, taking many detours on the route to West Fork. Ninety minutes later, he parked in front of a steakhouse.

Her stomach knotted at the thought of eating after the carnage in Harmony.

“Side salad and at least four ounces of protein, sweetheart,” Matt said quietly. “No matter how you feel right now, your body needs the fuel to function.”

Delilah knew he was right. Didn’t make her stomach any happier. She needed a gallon of chamomile tea and that might not be enough to rid her of the sick feeling in her stomach.

How did Matt handle casualties all the time? He didn’t act as though the attack and the aftermath bothered him. That made her wonder about his military service and his job at Fortress.

The steakhouse hostess seated them once again in the corner of the restaurant. This time, however, Matt requested the corner away from the windows. After taking their orders, their waitress hurried off to give their choices to the kitchen.

“So, the Randolph brothers are friends with your family.” Cade leaned against the cushioned back of the booth, his arm around Sasha. “Any of your relatives better friends with them than the others?”

“All five of them hung out together along with Sebastian Norris. They were thick as thieves back in the day.” She spread her hands. “I have no idea if that is still true.”

“We’ll find out.” Matt covered her hand with his. “Gives us a starting place.”

When the waitress brought their food and drinks, Delilah managed to choke down her meal of a chicken breast and a side salad. Although she hated to admit it, she felt better when she walked out of the restaurant. At least, she wasn’t as weak. Her stomach was still unsettled. Thankfully, the horrid shaking had stopped while Matt was driving to West Fork.

With a full stomach and feeling relatively safe again, fatigue weighed down her eyelids. Matt drove them to the hotel and Delilah soon found herself back in the suite.

When the door closed behind them, Matt drew her into his arms and held her tight. “Go rest for a few minutes. Adrenaline dump can leave you exhausted. You should be good to go in a couple hours.”

“I can barely hold my eyes open.”

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