Page 27 of Guarded from Sabotage

“Someone fucking swatted her.”

It’s the first thing Xavier says when I reach him. His expression is thunderous, and he’s practically vibrating with anger—the muscles in his jaw twitching and his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.

“How did this happen?” I bark; tension and worry straining my voice. “She’s supposed to besafe. What’s the damn point of protecting her if she’s traumatized in her own damn apartment?”

Xavier glares at me. “What was I supposed to do, Dante? There were ten fucking cops there. They weren’t going to listen to me. All I could do was tell Sarah it would be okay.”

I retort, “But she’snotokay. She was arrested. Shoved in a damn cop car and brought down here. Shit. She must have been terrified.”

“I know.” Guilt darkens his eyes. “You don’t think I felt fucking horrible? She’s crying, and I’m pinned against the wall as a cop cuffs me.”

Shit.

This isn’t Xavier’s fault.

It’s mine.

I should have insisted on Sarah staying at Blade and Arrow. But I thought she’d feel more comfortable in her own apartment, thought we could keep her safe there. I never imagined something likethishappening.

While I was in the car rushing over here, I called my contact at the police department to get the details.

A series of anonymous calls came in, accusing Sarah of having a breakdown. They claimed she had bombs in her apartment and was planning on blowing up the entire building. They said she’d been alternating between depression and mania, and the loss of her job pushed her over the edge.

The idea of it would be laughable if it didn’t result in such terrible repercussions.

Her cozy apartment trashed. Her sense of safety destroyed. Another trauma right on the heels of an already awful day.

And sweet, gentle Sarah caught in the middle of it—roughly cuffed and dragged down to the station to be interrogated about a crime she knew nothing about.

Shit.

My emotions keep bouncing between clinging guilt and simmering fury—guilt that I wasn’t there to stop this, and fury at whoever’s behind it.

But that doesn’t mean I should take it out on my teammate.

“Sorry, Xav.” I dip my chin in apology. “It’s not your fault. I’m just…” My jaw clenches. “After everything else, and she gets put on leave, and now this…”

“I know.” Understanding fills his gaze. “It’s crazy. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do this to Sarah. She’s such a sweet person, wouldn’t hurt a fly, and these targeted attacks on her?—”

“Where is she now?” I glance around the small waiting area, as if I can summon Sarah just by thinking about her.

“She’s talking to one of the officers. But I think they’re just asking her about who might have made the calls now. After you told them everything that’s been happening, and Quint got involved, I think they knew it was a hoax.”

“We need to get her out of here. Bring her back to B and A, where she’s absolutely safe.”

Xavier nods. “Agreed. Quint said he’d work on it.”

And speaking of Quint, our friend and officer with the San Antonio police department comes striding down the hallway towards us, his features set in a grim expression. He lifts his chin at Xavier, then turns to me. “Dante. I’m sorry about all this.”

“Is she still a suspect?” I ask. “How soon before we can get her out of here?”

Quint meets my gaze. “No, she’s not a suspect anymore. As soon as you called, I made sure the investigating officers knew about everything that’s been happening to your client. And given that there was no evidence in her apartment…” He trails off,frowning as he shakes his head. “It doesn’t fix what already happened. I know.”

No. It doesn’t. Sarah’s apartment is still a disaster and she was still arrested. Frightened. Subjected to things she didn’t deserve.

But I know the police have to follow up on these kinds of things. And I know it’s not Quint’s fault. He’s one of the good ones—when Cole left the Army, he joined the force here in San Antonio, and Quint was his partner. Over the years, Quint’s been a friend to Blade and Arrow, and he’s been nothing but supportive of our new branch here.

“We’ll fix her place,” I reply. “And we’re bringing Sarah back to Blade and Arrow. With things escalating like they are… She could have been hurt. I know it’s never the intent, but in swatting cases?—”

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