Page 60 of Under Fire

“Will you have Z look deeper into their backgrounds?”

“Already sent him a text. I didn’t want to call in case he was asleep.”

“Seems as though Zane is always on duty.” Cade retraced his steps to the kitchen for more coffee. “You should rest, Matt. You may not have much time to sleep before Delilah wakes.”

Matt set aside his computer and stretched out on the couch, a pillow under his head. “We didn’t have a chance to return to Shannon’s office tonight.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand in light of the attack on Baxter’s. A few hours won’t make much difference.”

Turning onto his side, Matt allowed himself to drop into a light sleep, wondering how soon the attacks on Delilah would escalate. He didn’t believe for one second the Randolphs masterminded the attacks. He had to unmask the person pulling the strings from the shadows before Delilah paid the ultimate price.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Delilah woke with a start. Disoriented, she glanced around the darkened room. She remembered watching television with Matt. He must have carried her to bed.

Heart still pounding from a nightmare about the shooting at Baxter’s, Delilah checked the time and winced. Three o’clock. Too much adrenaline buzzed through her veins to sleep. Might as well get up.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, zipped through a shower, and dressed. Delilah opened the door to the living room.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

Matt’s sleep-roughened voice sent chill bumps surging over her skin. How could he make three words sound sexy? Easy. The words came from Matt. “Nightmare. Go back to sleep. I’ll make tea and read or something.”

“I take over the watch in an hour.” He sat up and held out his hand. “Sit with me.”

Feeling guilty for interrupting his sleep again but needing his arms around her to chase memories away, she curled up beside him. “I’m sorry.”

“I expected you to wake up about now, Delilah. When traumatic events like the attack at Baxter’s occur, our minds replay everything over and over, trying different scenarios to change the outcome. It’s a coping mechanism that fades over time.”

“Will it disappear?”

“Not totally. Other things will bring the memories back.”

“Another attack?” Man, she hoped never to experience something like that again. If Delilah was an operative, she’d never sleep again. She didn’t have the personality to be a black ops soldier.

“Not necessarily. Could be a scent or sound. A car backfiring or firecrackers might remind you of those few minutes in the restaurant.”

“Fantastic. I’m like a bomb waiting to explode.”

Matt kissed the top of her head. “It will improve.”

“How do you deal with this all the time? I’d never sleep again.”

He chuckled. “I work out. Ask Josh Cahill how many times he rolled up alongside me at three in the morning because memories plagued me.”

Durango’s team leader was also an Otter Creek police officer who loved to work the night shift. “What I’m experiencing is normal?”

“Absolutely.” He picked up the remote.

“You don’t have to turn on the television for me. Try to sleep. I’ll sit quietly with you.”

“White noise stops the loop running in your head. I’ll take a nap while you watch something.” Matt handed her the remote. “If you need me, promise you’ll nudge me awake.”

Not unless she had to. “I promise.”

The medic shifted her closer, rested his head against the back of the couch, and dropped off to sleep.

Delilah wished she could do the same. With a soft sigh, she turned on the television with the sound low, and found a station running episodes of a favorite cozy mystery series.

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