Page 85 of Under Fire

“Find out who has the insurance policy on the Holloway house and nudge the evaluation process along.”

“Will do. Later.”

“You’re a decorated war hero?” Delilah’s eyes were wide.

Cheeks hot, Matt shrugged. “I just did my job.” He shifted his gaze to Zach. “Satisfied?”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. If I were in your shoes, I’d want the same reassurance. Any other reason you followed us besides concern for Delilah’s safety?”

A snort. “Isn’t that enough? Someone wants her dead.”

“Would that someone be you?”

Zach’s jaw dropped. “No!” He turned to Delilah. “Come on, Dee. We weren’t close growing up, but you can’t believe I would hurt you.”

“I didn’t believe I had an enemy before two people broke into my house and attacked me.”

What little color Delilah’s brother had in his face drained away. He buried his face in his hands. “This is my fault.”

Matt’s eyes narrowed. “Explain.” If Zach had anything to do with Delilah’s injuries, he would pay.

“I’m sorry, Dee.”

“What have you done?”

A wry laugh escaped. “Better question is what haven’t I done? Look, not everybody is as driven and successful as you are.”

Delilah blinked. “My shop is in the black, but not by much, and that’s only been in the past year. I’m not wealthy. I work hard, but I love my shop and community.”

“Mom talked about you and your shop all the time.”

Matt poured himself a mug of coffee. “How did she know Delilah’s shop was doing well?”

“Hired a private investigator to poke around. She was proud of you, Dee.”

“She never told me that.”

The pain in Delilah’s voice raked at Matt’s insides. He sat beside her and wrapped his hand around hers. “Get back on point, Zach. Why are you blaming yourself for the attack on your sister?”

“I like to gamble.” At Delilah’s pained look, Zach scowled. “What? I’m an adult and I have the money. I can afford to lose a little here and there.” He winced. “At least, I did have the money to lose.”

Matt shook his head. “Gambling is a fool’s game. The odds are in favor of the house. Always. If you think you’re responsible for what’s happening to Delilah, then you lost a lot of money to someone calling in your marker.”

Zach slumped in his chair. “Yeah, all right. I owe a lot of money. The guy I owe isn’t keen on waiting for his payout.”

“How much, Zach?” Delilah reached out her free hand to her brother. He grabbed hold as though gripping a lifeline.

“Fifty thousand. It wouldn’t be a problem if Mom had given me the money before she died. This guy knows I’m good for it.”

Matt snorted. “Get real. Joey Petrelli is a loan shark. He’s not known for his patience.”

Outrage filled the other man’s face. “You had me investigated?”

“You’re a threat to Delilah. You bet I looked into you and your financial situation.”

“That’s an invasion of privacy.”

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