Page 61 of The Daredevil

“Oh my God, Royce. No!” Her eyes widened at the pocket where the gun was hidden. “How about we wait for the police to arrive? You’re a scientist—thinklogically here.”

I smiled at my angel. “Don’t worry. It’s licensed, and I’m a good shot. I’m not going into your apartment. Someone wants to hurt you, and I need to know who he is.” I brushed a hand over her cheekbone. “No one touches what’s mine.”

She gasped at my admission. The words came out without me knowing. I supposed the truth had a way of sneaking out to the light.

I pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Stay here. I need eyes on the street in case he has an accomplice. Don’t leave the car. Don’t go after them. Just observe, take a picture if you can, and call me. I need you to be the detective on the ground. Can you help me with that?”

Understanding dawned on her, and she heaved a sigh. “Be careful.”

“Always.”

I exited the car, locked it, and surveyed the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing stood out to me. Across the street, a couple walked toward the retail and restaurant area.

I made my way into her apartment as though I lived there, looking like a man returning from an event. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, I kept my ears open for any noises as I approached the door to her floor. Footsteps sounded, and I yanked the door open, hoping to find the asshole. I heard the door at the other end of the hallway slam shut. He probably ran down toward the back of the building. I rushed after him and out into a dark alley.

A car screeched away, and a loud boom erupted in the air.

Fire burst from the fourth-floor apartment. Terror gripped me.Michelle!I rushed toward the front of the building. Relief settled when I found Michelle assisting a lady with her dog across the street to join the other residents.

Michelle spotted me and met me halfway down the street. Her arms swung around me. “Are you hurt?” She looked distressed, with tears in her eyes.

“I’m okay. Are you?”

“Yeah.” She tightened her arms around me. “When the explosion happened, I thought you were still in there. I . . . I was so scared, Royce.”

She cried because of me, and my heart shook. “I’m fine. I was chasing after the intruder.”

“Did you see them?” She peered up at me.

“No.” I kept my arms around her until the police arrived.

After giving my statements to Ludvik, I drove my car to my garage. Despite the extreme situation, it only garnered a few dents and scratches—minor things that could be fixed. I glanced at Michelle, who couldn’t be replaced if something happened to her. The fear that she could have been hurt from the explosion knifed me deeply.

“Did a bomb go off in my apartment?” Michelle asked.

“Maybe. The police will investigate and let us know.”

“Do you have any enemies?”

“No.” Tension formed between her eyebrows. “The only person I know who hates me is Fiona.”

Terror swam in her eyes, and I hated seeing that.

“Let’s talk inside.”

Michelle kicked off her shoes at the doormat. I followed suit and removed my jacket, draping it over the kitchen chair. She made her way to the living room, folded herself onto the couch, and released a shaky breath. She looked frazzled, and I wanted to strangle the person in her apartment. This was no accident. Someone tried to kill her. What would have happened if she’d been in her apartment all alone? The more I thought about it, the more infuriated I became, but Michelle didn’t need my anger.

I slung an arm around her. “I’ll sort this out.”

She rested her head on my shoulder. “I don’t understand. Who have I upset to make them want to hurt me like this? Fiona wouldn’t want tokillme for you, would she?”

Fiona was capable of many things, but I didn’t think she’d do something like this. “I don’t know. She doesn’t have a chance with me. Why would she risk something deadly like this? It’s too extreme for her. But then again, I don’t know her well.”

Thoughts swirled in my head. A thief threatened her with a knife, wanting to mark her face and steal her purse, then a rock was thrown into her apartment. The explosion was severe compared to the other two incidents. Were the three events related? Would Fiona do this? Sharing my suspicion with Michelle would only make things worse, and I wanted her to sleep well tonight.

“How many girlfriends have you had? What’s your favorite food? What’s your favorite color?”

I welcomed the change in topic. “Three girlfriends. Each of them lasted less than a year. Women I’ve dated for less than two weeks aren’t considered girlfriends.”

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