Chapter Ten
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“HEADS UP,”CONNORsaid. He was peering through the blinds of the front window with his gun drawn. “You’ve got company.”
Shelby was still waiting for a call back from Lori Evers and they’d done a few laps around the living room. Connor had pushed the sofa out of the way and made an obstacle course with a couple chairs. He’d told her about Sabrina while she practiced walking and keeping her balance.
Her ankle was cranky from that morning with Colton, but it wasn’t swollen, so she ignored the ache and found it actually made her more focused.
Focus equals progress.
She pushed the walker ahead of her and made to look out the window too, but Connor held her back.
“It’s probably just my parents,” she said, praying they’d left Daniel behind. “Or Jaya, my best friend. They’re all worried about me being here with… Well, you know.”
“Yeah.” Connor shot her anI get it look. If anyone knew Colton’s effect on people, it was him. “Driver is in a black BMW with fancy wheels.”
“Oh.” She waved at his gun. “Put that thing away. It’s my boss.”
Connor gently set her back a foot. “Stay here. I’ll get the door.”
These men. So protective. All her life, her dad had been the same way. It usually rubbed her wrong, and like she’d told Colton, she was FBI and a damn good agent at that. She knew how to protect herself.
But right now, Colton was the one who was correct. She needed help, including protection, until they figured out who’d tried to stop her that night.
Connor didn’t open the door and let Theo in, he stepped through and closed it behind him. Shelby finagled her walker over and pressed her ear against it to listen to their conversation.
Theo introduced himself, Connor did not. Theo claimed to have brought a box of chocolates from Shelby’s team at the office. Connor told him he would see Shelby got them.
Oh, for all that’s righteous!Was he seriously not going to let the ASAC come inside the house?
A rumbling sound echoed from her left. She reached out and lifted one of the blind flaps and saw Colton’s truck wheeling into the drive. Shelby had to blink and do a double-take—Salisbury stood in Colton’s lap with his paws on the steering wheel.
Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her again.
Colton parked, the dog bounding out and heading for the porch. Colton followed, eyes narrowed at Theo.
Shelby opened the door—at least she tried to. Connor still had hold of the handle and it wouldn’t budge.
There was barking and Theo’s voice went up a notch as he told Colton to call off the dog. Shelby tried the door handle again, but it wouldn’t give. She heard Colton laughing, his amused voice telling Theo he never trusted a man who didn’t like dogs.
“Connor,” Shelby called through the door. “Let me out.”
The door suddenly flung open and Connor filled the doorway, a wrapped box under his arm and his gun still drawn. “Back up.”
She had no choice but to do as he said as he pushed himself inside. “What do you think you’re doing? I told you, that’s my boss. He may have a lead on the case.”
Ignoring her, he flipped one of the chairs from the obstacle course around and guided her into it. “Colton will handle it.”
She pushed herself to standing again. “Open the door.”
Connor handed her the wrapped box and gently shoved her back down into the chair. “Have a chocolate, Shelby.”
“Did you bring the file?” she heard Colton ask. Salisbury had stopped barking, but she could hear a muffled growling through the door.
“What file?” Theo.