Page 15 of Knight's Desire

Because of the cases coming into KSI, he and the other teams and investigators had a close working relationship with the Sheriff’s Department, and because of that, Brick knew the two deputies, who offered their greetings in return.

“Store owner thinks someone broke in.”

Brick’s brow furrowed. “Thinks?”

“No signs of forced entry. Nothing stolen except for some drawing or something that she can’t be sure hasn’t been misplaced or thrown away. Basically, she’s reporting someone breaking in and changing the mannequins and leaving flowers. That’s it. Oh, and the smell of cologne.”

“So why all the deputies for a simple B&E report?” Brick asked.

“One of your computer techs called us, saying someone hacked the store’s computer system. Apparently, there have been a serious of unexplained incidents that the store owner believes to be connected. Outside of the computer virus, there’s no evidence of anything criminal going on here. I’m not even sure we should file a report.”

“Then why are you still here?”

The cool tone interrupted the deputy’s recount to Brick. They all faced the source of the voice where it came from the store’s doorway. Brick’s mouth went dry as he stared at the breathtaking woman he’d only seen through the store’s window and again that morning. She wore all black — a flowy blouse with wide sleeves that billowed down to the middle of her bicep, slim slacks that showcased her shapely legs, and sexy black heels that added a couple of inches to her average height.

Sunlight illuminated subtle blonde highlights in her sable hair, which fell passed her shoulders to delicately curl at the end. She wore simple jewelry, and even her makeup was subtle, expertly contouring the curves of her face and emphasizing her wide eyes. He finally stared into those eyes and bit back a smile. The molten irises sparked with green flecks of anger and were probably the most impressive sight he’d seen in a while.

Her ire was with the deputy who spoke, so she barely acknowledged Brick. She stepped closer to the officer, the stocky man taller and heavier than her. She made up for it with her righteous anger, and Brick suspected she was fierce when she was pushed too far.

Her fists landed on her round hips that had Brick imagining some inappropriate things. “My Shoppe should have reopened an hour ago. We have clients coming in this afternoon, so if you had no intention of doing a single thing, then why waste my time like that?”

The deputy had the manners to look apologetic as he spoke. “Ma’am, I apologize if I made it seem like we weren’t taking your concerns seriously. The truth is there is not enough evidence to indicate trespassing, breaking and entering, or any crime. Without evidence, we can’t do more than file an incident report, so we have a record of your account. Then should you experience more odd occurrences, we can use that to build a case for a criminal investigation. I’m sorry we can’t do more than that.”

His apology seemed to take the heat out of her anger. Her arms crossed over her middle, a classic defensive move that screamed vulnerability. The incident may not seem criminal, but she was spooked.

Brick studied her lovely face, amazed at the transformation. She went from fierce warrior to vulnerable woman in the blink of an eye, and the effect was like a punch to his gut.

“I’m sorry. It’s just a little…disconcerting. I know I sound crazy to you, especially with nothing to back up what I’ve said. Thank you for filing the report. Please let me know if there’s more you need from me.”

She turned and disappeared inside her store. Brick stared at the door as if he could see her inside, worrying and probably wondering if she was imagining things. He would bet his last dollar that she wasn’t the type to invent trouble where none existed.

“I’m guessing there aren’t any security cameras.”

The deputies shook their heads. “Nah, man. You guys only have yours pointed to the alley. The only other store with a camera is across the street, but its reach doesn’t extend to the bridal store.”

“She the owner?”

“Yeah. She opened the shop several months ago, but the trouble only just started. Nothing before the last few days.”

“And you said one of our guys called you?”

“Panther’s girl,” another deputy told him.

Brick nodded and decided it was time he bowed out of something that wasn’t his business. Besides, he could always pick Sydney’s brain for more intel later. “Well, I’ll leave you guys to it. If you need us for anything, you know where we are.”

“Thanks, Brick.”

“Will do.”

With one last look at the storefront, Brick turned and headed toward KSI.

Chapter Seven

Hope smoothed a few erratic wisps of hair back into place and gave her makeup one last critical look. Satisfied with her appearance, she stepped from her car and moved through the lit parking lot to her favorite seafood restaurant. She opened the door with a brilliant smile on her face, ready to spend the evening with Parker.

She’d called him after the sheriff’s deputies left her Shoppe yesterday to tell him about her day, but he’d been swamped with preparing for a client meeting. Other than offer her validation that she’d done the right thing in reporting the strange occurrences, he could do little else. Even if he had essentially brushed her off, he at least believed her account of what happened and didn’t accuse her of being crazy.

His invitation to dinner tonight was meant to make amends for not being there yesterday, and she had melted a little at his thoughtfulness. Fortunately, her workday had passed without incident, so she was relaxed enough to enjoy quality time with her boyfriend, something that was becoming infrequent lately with how busy they both were with their jobs.

---