Page 48 of Shea's Hero

She stares at me for a few seconds. Then she swallows hard. “So… I guess we can assume I’m the target? Not Jade or Elle or one of the other Blade and Arrow women?”

The tremor in her voice brings a fresh wave of guilt.

“Not necessarily. Jade’s thousands of miles away. The other women all live at the B and A headquarters, and it’s extremely secure. Not to mention, they all have protection from one of theteam members if they have to go anywhere. So it may be that you were just”—my jaw clenches painfully—“the most… accessible.”

Shea winces. “Because I insisted on staying here instead of going with Niall. Or staying at the Sleepy Hollow B and A. It’s my fault?—”

“No.” My response is immediate. Firm. “It is not your fault, Shea. Not in the slightest.”

Her chin wobbles. “A man was hurt because of me, Oll. And now there’s more trouble. More time that people have to spend—” She stops. Fear flickers in her eyes.

Voice rising, she continues, “What if he comes back? What if he brings more people? You could get hurt. What if they wait until it’s dark and… I can’t let you get hurt again, Ican’t.”

“Shea, no.” My heart twists. Gathering her closer, I press my lips to the top of her head. “I’m not going to get hurt.”

“You don’t know that, Oll. I know you’re this badass CIA agent slash cop, but agents and cops get hurt, too. Police are killed every day. And I know what the stars at Langley mean.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” I lift Shea onto my lap and hold her gaze. “I’m fine. Not just because I can protect myself, but because I have people I trust to have my back. To haveourbacks.”

Thumbing a tear from her cheek, I gently add, “Right now, we have three people standing guard outside. Cole, Kane, and Nora. Remember Ian? From the ambulance? He and my friend Grant are coming over later to help out. Grant’s a former SEAL, and Ian is an expert in martial arts. So between them, and myincredibleskills”—I waggle my eyebrows as I emphasize the word—“we’re absolutely safe here.”

For tonight, at least. Tomorrow, we’ll be discussing a different plan. One that doesn’t involve Shea staying at her house by herself.

“Oh.” Her voice is so small. Vulnerable. And I hate hearing her this way. “But we can’t have all these people here all the time. It’s not fair. Everyone has jobs. They can’t?—”

“We’ll figure it out.” While I have an idea, I don’t think it’s the right time to bring it up. Not when everything is so fresh. Not when Shea is so fragile.

“Oll…” She rests her head on my shoulder, her breath feathering across my neck. “Thank you for being here. I try to handle things myself most of the time, but today… I’m not sure I could do it on my own.”

“You could. You’re strong enough. But I’m glad you don’t have to. I’m glad you’re letting me be here for you.”

After a few quiet moments, Shea lifts her head again. Emotion darkens her eyes to an inky blue. “I thought of you. When that man was trying to get inside. I was so mad. That he’d try to hurt me, maybe take me, and I’d lose this chance with you.”

Oh.

Shit.

As a CIA officer, I had to stay cool in all situations. I couldn’t let my emotions cloud my judgment for even a second. And as a cop, it’s basically the same. My focus needs to be on the job and not how I’m feeling.

But right now, holding Shea in my arms, all I can do is feel.

“I’m so damn glad you fought back,” I finally tell her, once I trust my voice to stay steady. “But you won’t have to again. I promise.”

She stares at me for a second. Then her shoulders set. Her chin lifts. “What are we going to do next?”

“Well, tomorrow we’ll meet with Cole and his team. Obviously, the Sleepy Hollow and White Plains police are involved, but Blade and Arrow can provide more personalized attention. So we’ll come up with a plan then.”

“Not tonight?”

“I was thinking you might want a break before that. Time to rest, get some food, and relax a little. Hopefully get a decent night’s sleep.”

Shea plays with the buttons of my shirt. “And you’ll stay?”

“Unless you don’t want me to.”

“I do.” She widens her eyes at me. “Maybe we could watch a movie? And order pizza?”

“Of course.” Shifting her on my lap, I reach over to the coffee table to grab my phone. “We can order some right now. And then we’ll find a movie to watch. Anything you want.”

---