Page 103 of Deadly Revenge

“Why not just use your keys? They were on the counter. And why would he have gone to the trouble of shutting the door? If I were an intruder, I wouldn’t be thinking about locking the door behind me.”

Quiet filled the kitchen.

“I’m staying here the rest of the night.”

“Why? You don’t believe me.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” She leveled her gaze at him. “Why do you even want to stay?”

“To have your back.”

That didn’t mean he believed her. She started to protest, but one look at his set expression told her it would be a waste of herbreath to argue. And down deep she really didn’t want him to leave. “You can take the guest bedroom or the sofa in the living room.”

“I’ll take the sofa.”

Jenna figured he’d say that.

“Tell me exactly what happened.”

She took a deep breath and related every detail she could remember.

“Did you recognize him, or did he say anything?”

She wanted to tell him it was Sebastian, but she hadn’t seen his face and didn’t know for sure. “The bedroom was dark, and he wore a hoodie.”

“How about his voice?”

“He never spoke above a whisper. Said he could get to me anytime he wanted to.”

“That’s all he said?”

She closed her eyes, replaying the scene. “He said something when I shot at him, something like ‘You shouldn’t have done that.’”

“Could it have been Sebastian?”

“I—” There was no way to be sure, but ... “If it is, he’s bulked up—the man in my room was big.”

Her face warmed under Max’s intense gaze. “Are you sure this wasn’t a nightmare?”

She jerked back. “I knew you didn’t believe me.”

“I believe thatyoubelieve someone was here, but I haven’t found any evidence of an intruder. There’s no blood on the floor, and none of your windows look like they’ve been tampered with, and both doors are deadbolted and require a key to lock or unlock.”

Jenna stared down at her hands. Everything he said was true. Was she losing it? Was the man in the window yesterday a shadow and the man in her bedroom a bad dream?

It wouldn’t be the first time she’d had nightmares she thought were real.

52

Sebastian gunned the plain-Jane Corolla he’d rented. He’d cut it a little too close at Hart’s house, but he hadn’t expected the TBI agent to show up. He should’ve known the agent would hang around.

Sebastian tapped an app on his phone, and the TBI agent’s voice filled the little car. He listened and couldn’t keep from grinning. Tonight had worked better than he’d dreamed—Anderson didn’t believe there’d been an intruder.

His cell phone lit up, and he checked the screen. He’d missed five calls. He answered on the fourth ring, just before it went to voicemail. “Sebastian.”

“You were supposed to call five hours ago. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you.”

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