Page 28 of Fast Justice

Her father stood there in dress slacks and a button-down shirt, his gaze cutting from Mal to Rowan and back, a frown pulling his salt-and-pepper eyebrows together. “Rowan. Who’s this?”

So she hadn’t ever told her father about them. Not that Mal should have been surprised.

She opened her mouth to respond but Mal beat her to it, stepping forward and offering his hand. “Special agent Malcolm Freeman, Mr. Stewart.”

“FBI?”

“DEA.”

Those shrewd blue eyes exactly the same color as Rowan’s studied him as they shook hands. “Have we met?”

“No, sir. But I know both Kevin and Rowan.”And heard plenty about you. Not all of it flattering, either.

Her father nodded and withdrew his hand, switching his attention to his daughter. “The FBI agent in charge is here to talk to us.”

Rowan sighed and rubbed a hand over the back of her neck, reminding Mal that she must still be sore from the accident. “All right.”

Her father turned away for a second to wave someone in, and in entered Rowan’s mother and the FBI agent, wearing the standard dark blue windbreaker. “He’s got news about the case,” he explained. “Agent Freeman, if you’ll excuse us.”

Rowan surprised Mal by putting a restraining hand on his shoulder, to stop him from leaving. “Actually, I’d like him to stay. He’s involved with the case I’ve been working on, so he knows what’s been going on behind the scenes.”

Her father frowned again, gave Mal a cursory once-over, then dismissed him by turning to the Fed. “All right. Go ahead.”

The forty-ish agent got right to it. “They found another device wired to the engine of your boss’s car,” he told Rowan.

She blanched, her stomach grabbing. “They were able to dismantle it, I hope?”

“Yes. A search of the other vehicles in the lot hasn’t turned up any other devices so far, and of course we’re checking the building and perimeter as well.”

Rowan shook her head. “How did someone plant bombs in two vehicles right out in front of our office without anyone noticing? Without security noticing?”

“We’re questioning the security members and reviewing video footage now. Your boss has been moved to a hotel for now, and both he and his family have police protection. We suggest you do the same.”

She shook her head. “I don’t plan on leaving here until my brother wakes up and I know he’s going to be okay.”

“We’ve got an agent posted on this floor for your family’s protection. When you do leave the premises, a police officer will escort you. But for now we don’t suggest going home.”

Mal gave a mental snort. Police protection? Against theVenenocartel? Screw that.

“She can stay at my place,” he announced, and all eyes snapped to him in surprise. He held Rowan’s for a long moment before speaking to the other agent. “I live in a secure building. I’ve been temporarily removed from my current assignment and can watch Miss Stewart until you get something else arranged. I’m not comfortable sending her outside of this hospital with nothing more than police protection.”

Hamilton had assured him he would take over bodyguard duties for Anya until Mal had everything settled on his end. This wasn’t about feelings he may or may not still have for Rowan. This was about doing the right thing and making sure she was safe.

The agent nodded once in acknowledgment, then glanced at Rowan and her parents. “Well?”

“If you’re sure,” Rowan began to Mal, seeming surprised he’d made the offer, “then I’ll go with you.”

“I’m sure.” The surprise in her eyes annoyed him. Yeah, she’d hurt him more than she seemed to realize when she’d decided she was done with him. That didn’t mean he didn’t care about her wellbeing, and after something like this? No goddamn way he was letting some beat cop guard her when theVenenosmight have her in their sights.

Not only that, he considered Kevin a friend, and it was the least Mal could do to look after Kev’s sister right now. Besides, it would only be for a couple of days, tops. He was a big boy. He could grin and bear having her at his place that long to ensure she was safe.

Rowan’s father’s hard blue stare bored into him. “How did you say you know my daughter?”

“I met him through Kev at a gala,” Rowan cut in, sounding exasperated.

“And how do you know Kevin?” he demanded, never taking his eyes off Malcolm.

“Dad, stop. It’s okay. I trust him.” She turned those blue eyes on Mal, and there again was that weird catch in his chest. Not really painful, more like pressure. As though invisible fingers were closing around his heart. “I feel safe with him.”

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