Page 16 of Cold Case Murder Mystery

Hart gave the dog a pet then turned to Brooke with anothersmile. “See you tomorrow, Brooke.”

“Bye, Thomas.” Her smile faded as she turned her attention to him. “Zeke, you didn’t need to be here.”

“And yet here I am.”

She sucked in a slow breath, and herefusedto let her annoyance with him and her smiles at Thomas stir up his temper.

“No one’s been following me today and you removed that tracker, so they can’t again. I think it’s best if we go back to the way things were before. If I have concerns... I’ll let you know.” She moved over to where Viola whimpered in the passenger seat and gave her a rubdown, whispering assuring words to the dog.

But Brooke waswrong. Someone had been following her today. The fact that it washimwas neither here nor there. “Did it occur to you that no one’s been following you today because you involved me?”

She gave him a cool look. “Do you think your North Star reputation matters to anyone around here?”

He shrugged. “I’m a physically intimidating guy, Brooke. I don’t need a reputation to precede me.”

She rolled her eyes and he couldn’t help but smile. Because a little spot of color showed up on her cheeks. Like she was considering anythingphysicalabout him. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

Didn’t matter.

“Besides, trackers are easy and inconspicuous,” he continued. “Someone could drop another one at any time.”

She stiffened at that. Maybe four years changed a person, but Zeke knew Brooke well enough to know her refusal wasn’t some misplaced bravado. It wasn’t that shewasn’tscared or didn’t have concerns. She just never wanted to be seen as a burden by anyone. Back then, she’d always been so scared that... whatever support she got was fleeting. That she needed to handle everything on her own or people would simply... kick her to the curb.

It was one of the few things he didn’t think she had any self-awareness about. She thought she was being independent, but what she really was, and always had been, was afraid to be a bother.

He understood, too well, where it stemmed from. Not just her awful childhood stuck in the middle of a Sons of the Badlands family, but then as a foster kid getting kicked around the system.

Knowing all that about her made him softer than he should allow himself to be when it came to her safety.

“If you really want to stay at your rental, I can drop Viola off at the Hudsons’ and crash on the couch or something. I can even sleep in the truck outside, if that bothers you.”

Her face took on a pinched look, but she continued to speak in that careful, detached kind of way. “That’s not the kind of alternative I’m looking for. Thank you.”

Healmostsmiled at the tacked-on “thank you,” but this was too important to be amused by her. “It’s the only one you’re going to get, Brooke.”

Temper flashed in her blue eyes. “I didn’t tell you about this just so you’d swoop in and take over.”

“Didn’t you?”

Her mouth dropped open—not quite outrage. She wasn’t mean enough for outrage. Because something likehurttinged in her expression and it made him feel about two inches tall. Enough that he had to fight the urge to reach forward by shoving his hands into his pockets. Enough that he gentled his words.

“Brooke. You’re possibly in some kind of danger. There’s no point in being stubborn about wanting and taking some protection. It’s not offered out of anything other than concern, so you shouldn’t feel badly about taking it.”

She inhaled. That slow, careful inhale that signaled she was trying so hard to bereasonable.

“You’re right,” she agreed, somewhat surprisingly. She met his gaze with a cool, determined look. “We’ll discuss a fee.”

He frowned at her, not following. “A fee?”

“Like hiring a bodyguard. I’ll pay you a fee.”

He could not think of anything she might have said that could be any more insulting. “You’re not going to pay me,” he growled.

“Why not? You’re offering a service, are you not?”

“Brooke.”

“Zeke.”

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