Page 54 of Deadly Revenge

He cringed and quickly held up his hand. “It’s only a suggestion, and probably not a good one ...”

“Thank you for clarifying.” Her lips twitched as the ghost of a smile threatened. “But I’m fine now—honestly, I let you drive to Mr. Darby’s because I didn’t want to argue with you.”

She climbed out of the truck and slammed the door before she jogged to her front door.

He jumped out and hurried after her. “Hold up.”

She turned and glared at him. “Why?”

“Your intruder could have returned.”

Her mouth formed a small O. “Right ... I didn’t think of that.”

“That’s why you have me here.” He held out his hand. “Key?”

Jenna punched him in the shoulder, but she handed over her key.

The house was just as they’d left it, and to tell the truth, it didn’t look as though anyone had searched it. What if she’d had an episode of PTSD earlier today and imagined she’d heard someone inside? And then fainted when she reached the kitchen ...

“I’ll be right back.”

When Jenna returned, she’d changed into jeans and a T-shirt.

“My riding boots are in my SUV,” Jenna said as she strapped on her service pistol. “I can handle this, so I’ll see you in the morning.”

He followed her to the front porch. “I know you can, but I’m not staying at the hotel tonight—you said I could stay here.”

“No,yousaid you were staying here.” She smiled sweetly before she turned and pressed a transparent piece of tape at the top of the door. “Don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier.”

He hadn’t even seen the tape in her hand. If there was an intruder and he returned and entered through the front door, when they came back, the disturbed tape would alert them. “Good thinking. Did you put one on the back door?”

“No. Be right back.” She hurried around the side of the house with the tape and returned a few minutes later. “All taken care of.”

Max nodded. “When we return, we’ll process your house like you told Alex we would.”

“Wereturn?”

“I’m going with you to the barn.”

He could see the wheels in her mind turning. “As long as you understand helping doesn’t earn you a spot here tonight.”

We’ll see about that, Missy.“How about we table that discussion?”

“There’s no need to table anything.”

“Come on,” he coaxed. “I just want to do what any good friend would do.”

Jenna blinked rapidly and looked toward the road. She flicked a tear away. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. My emotions are on a roller coaster.”

“You’ve had a couple of hard days—three people dead, a possible intruder in your house. Not to mention we were just shot at even though he didn’t intend to hurt us—I think a few tears are a normal reaction.”

“I don’t see you having a come-apart.”

He had to tread carefully. “Men aren’t nurturers like women. We react differently to situations. And men cry sometimes too—tears aren’t a sign of weakness.”

“Too bad you weren’t my captain in the gang unit.”

Max had known her captain. Billingsley had been old school, and a woman working under him would not have had it easy. “I heard the gang unit was being disbanded.”

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