her to the house, the last thing he'd intended to do when he walked up the steps behind her was to scare her. Stealth wasn't what he'd been going for at all. She just didn't hear him. He didn't, however, miss the movement of her hand. Considering there was a rather large gun inside her jacket, Paul was lucky he wasn't lying on the green grass of her front yard with a big fat hole in his chest.
Fortunately, her hand jerked away from her waist and he assumed she'd decided not to shoot him. Lucky for him. Provided, however, his assumption was right. He wasn't quite as good at making assumptions as he was at making goals.
"What're you doing here?" Her voice trembled with a slight edge. He wasn't sure if it was fear or anger. What he noticed was that her face still held the same hint of sorrow he'd glimpsed at the rehab center. The kind of sadness that came directly from the heart. Who had she gone to see?
With her hand still hovering near the gun, he wasn't about to ask. It was better to stick to the basics and keep her gun hand outside of the jacket. "I wanted to talk to you," he told her.
Her brow furrowed and her eyes grew even darker. "How do you know where I live?" Her words were tinged with a bit of ice.
"I didn't know." He might as well come clean. She'd find out sooner or later anyway. "I followed you."
Paul looked away from her face to turn the key in the lock and push the door open. He stepped back to let her go in first. She didn't move.
"You followed me." Her words were very slow. If she hadn't been angry before, she was now. In fact, he had the distinct impression she went right by angry and straight to furious. He didn't like the look on her face either, or the way she almost seemed to twitch. He kept one eye on the flickering hand.
He shrugged. "Yeah."
"What for?"
So much for the sadness. That was all gone in an instant and her eyes now blazed. Yup, he'd called that one. It wasn't anger he heard in her words, it was outright fury. It wasn't only in her voice, it also flashed from her dark brown eyes. This was one pissed off bounty hunter. Oops, bail enforcement agent. Great, he was just kept messing up.
The truth was his best defense. It was his only defense. "I want to be with you in case you find Jamie," he said, hoping.
* * * *
Of all the stupid, crazy things. The damn man had followed her. Who exactly did he think he was? A better question was: what wrong with her? She'd been doing this a long time now and not once had she encountered something like this. Lazy and sloppy…not to notice a tail was inexcusable. Not to notice an amateur tail was unthinkable. If this kept up, it'd be time to find a new career. She was as ticked off at herself as she was with him.
Through the haze of her anger, a sudden, uncomfortable thought occurred to her.
"How long have you been following me?"
His gaze was steady. "Since you left the office."
"Since I left the office?" She sucked in a deep breath.
He nodded. "Yeah."
Great, just flipping great. So he followed her to Christopher's care center and then here. Was nothing sacred in this world? Damn, damn, damn. It pissed her off royally. Cute as he might be, Paul McDonald didn't have the right to invade her personal life. And, he really didn't have the right to invade on her brother's life.
Only a handful of people knew where to find Chris and that was for his own safety. The asshole who'd shot him was still out there. Until he was found, Chris had to be kept safe. She worked hard to protect him. To think she was followed so easily and that she was the one responsible for putting her brother in jeopardy yet again made her furious. An unforgivable lapse.
As if he seemed to read her thoughts, he said. "I didn't mean to pry into your life. I only wanted to be with you in case you find Jamie before I do. That's all, I swear."
She closed her eyes and counted to ten. A hundred would be better. Ten would have to do. It worked, and the initial flush of fury dulled to a
Fortunately, her hand jerked away from her waist and he assumed she'd decided not to shoot him. Lucky for him. Provided, however, his assumption was right. He wasn't quite as good at making assumptions as he was at making goals.
"What're you doing here?" Her voice trembled with a slight edge. He wasn't sure if it was fear or anger. What he noticed was that her face still held the same hint of sorrow he'd glimpsed at the rehab center. The kind of sadness that came directly from the heart. Who had she gone to see?
With her hand still hovering near the gun, he wasn't about to ask. It was better to stick to the basics and keep her gun hand outside of the jacket. "I wanted to talk to you," he told her.
Her brow furrowed and her eyes grew even darker. "How do you know where I live?" Her words were tinged with a bit of ice.
"I didn't know." He might as well come clean. She'd find out sooner or later anyway. "I followed you."
Paul looked away from her face to turn the key in the lock and push the door open. He stepped back to let her go in first. She didn't move.
"You followed me." Her words were very slow. If she hadn't been angry before, she was now. In fact, he had the distinct impression she went right by angry and straight to furious. He didn't like the look on her face either, or the way she almost seemed to twitch. He kept one eye on the flickering hand.
He shrugged. "Yeah."
"What for?"
So much for the sadness. That was all gone in an instant and her eyes now blazed. Yup, he'd called that one. It wasn't anger he heard in her words, it was outright fury. It wasn't only in her voice, it also flashed from her dark brown eyes. This was one pissed off bounty hunter. Oops, bail enforcement agent. Great, he was just kept messing up.
The truth was his best defense. It was his only defense. "I want to be with you in case you find Jamie," he said, hoping.
* * * *
Of all the stupid, crazy things. The damn man had followed her. Who exactly did he think he was? A better question was: what wrong with her? She'd been doing this a long time now and not once had she encountered something like this. Lazy and sloppy…not to notice a tail was inexcusable. Not to notice an amateur tail was unthinkable. If this kept up, it'd be time to find a new career. She was as ticked off at herself as she was with him.
Through the haze of her anger, a sudden, uncomfortable thought occurred to her.
"How long have you been following me?"
His gaze was steady. "Since you left the office."
"Since I left the office?" She sucked in a deep breath.
He nodded. "Yeah."
Great, just flipping great. So he followed her to Christopher's care center and then here. Was nothing sacred in this world? Damn, damn, damn. It pissed her off royally. Cute as he might be, Paul McDonald didn't have the right to invade her personal life. And, he really didn't have the right to invade on her brother's life.
Only a handful of people knew where to find Chris and that was for his own safety. The asshole who'd shot him was still out there. Until he was found, Chris had to be kept safe. She worked hard to protect him. To think she was followed so easily and that she was the one responsible for putting her brother in jeopardy yet again made her furious. An unforgivable lapse.
As if he seemed to read her thoughts, he said. "I didn't mean to pry into your life. I only wanted to be with you in case you find Jamie before I do. That's all, I swear."
She closed her eyes and counted to ten. A hundred would be better. Ten would have to do. It worked, and the initial flush of fury dulled to a
Similar Books
