Forever My Love by Heather Graham

started with the Harry Robertson case, frowning intently when he heard about Larry’s death, then knitting his brows still more tightly when he heard about the explosion. Shanna gasped in horror, realizing that her father should have been there.
    â€œIt’s all right,” Brent assured her gently. It was good to focus on his daughter. Kathy was sitting beside him, and she wouldn’t hold on to the towel. It had slipped down her back. And her thigh was touching his. They were all sipping coffee, and her fingers kept brushing his.
    He should have hog-tied her and left her on the Sweet Eden . He’d be making more sense now.
    â€œI’m all right, and everything is going to be all right,” he added, smiling at the anxiety in his daughter’s eyes. God, she was precious to him. “But I want you and your mother gone.”
    â€œWhy?”
    He inhaled and exhaled. Damn, but she sounded like her mother!
    â€œBecause I don’t want you hurt or killed by someone trying very hard to get to me. Shanna, weren’t you listening, don’t you understand? I tried to disappear the second I saw what had happened to Johnny because I knew I had to get the two of you away before they came looking for me. I called a friend in Washington and I managed to get everything arranged for the two of you.”
    â€œWashington! I don’t want to go away. I want to stay near you!”
    â€œShanna, you can’t—”
    â€œYou’re going to go back! You’re going to try to be some kind of bait—”
    â€œShanna—”
    â€œWait a minute, wait a minute,” Justin interrupted. Brent looked at him. Justin knew he had to go back, that he didn’t have a choice in the world.
    He also seemed to understand how concerned Brent was for his wife and daughter. Ex -wife and daughter.
    â€œWhat you want is absolute safety for Shanna and Kathy,” he said.
    â€œRight,” Brent agreed.
    â€œOkay, then listen to this. And you listen real good, young lady,” he advised Shanna. “We’ve got a little place on a private island. Walled in, electric gates, a fine pack of trained shepherds, security guards, the works.”
    Kathy and Brent were staring at him. Justin flushed, his cheeks going very red. “I have a publisher friend who was in real trouble. Lost his job and everything, and we’re always in the islands, so I bought the place from him. The people I’ve kept on I trust implicitly. I can take care of Shanna and Kathy. We’ll still be real near just in case you need us, and Shanna will be a lot happier with David around, and I think Kathy will be happier with us than she would be with strangers, right?”
    Brent hesitated. He didn’t know what to say. “Justin, I can’t put you in this position.”
    â€œHell, Brent, I was a cop for years!”
    â€œBut your own family—”
    â€œI’m telling you, this place is like Fort Knox!”
    â€œWe’d be delighted to have Kathy and Shanna. Honestly!” Reba said.
    David looked at Brent. “Sir, please, we wouldn’t have it any other way.” He hesitated. “I can’t let you take her otherwise, Mr. McQueen.”
    â€œOh, you can’t?” Brent said, his temper rising.
    â€œDaddy!” Shanna pleaded. “I won’t go unless I go with David.”
    Brent smiled. She’d been going to fight him the whole way. Then she’d jumped to David’s defense, and now she was stuck.
    â€œSo you will go with the Brennans.”
    â€œYou tricked me!” she wailed. “I still don’t like this, I don’t like it one bit. I want to be with you.”
    â€œShanna,” he said, sighing impatiently, “you can’t be with me!”
    â€œYou could take the boat back and they could be waiting for you.”
    â€œI won’t take the boat to your mother’s place. I’ll dock her somewhere else. Shanna,