the sidewalk to her building. Rafe was out of the truck and by her side in an instant, glimpsing into every car and shaded window surrounding them as they walked into the lobby and buzzed for the elevator. Despite the stiffness with which she carried herself, he kept his hand at the small of her back, a visual reminder to any curious eyes that this woman was not alone in the world—that anyone who intended to do her harm would have to get through him first.
Once the elevator doors closed, he let her move away and sag against the railing on the opposite side of the elevator car.
But the mix of hope and despair in her eyes tore right through him, even from a distance. “The man at my car might not have been the Rich Girl Killer. He could have been just a random creepy guy.”
“Hanging around you? I don’t like that much better.”
She pulled her shoulders back and walked to the doors as the elevator’s ascent slowed. Even with her back squarely facing him, he recognized her bravado for what it was. “Well, fortunately, it’s not your problem. I know what you’re up to, Rafe. And I can’t have you shadowing me 24/7, bossing me around and playing bodyguard.”
“It’s either that or a safe house.”
Her ponytail serpentined down her back as she shook her head. “I’m in my last few weeks of school. I have to work to pay bills and get everything ready for the baby. I can’t be locked away.”
She’d bite his head off for this one, but he had to make the offer. “I’ll cover any income you might miss, pay for anything you or the baby needs while you’re in the safe house.”
“Oh, no, you don’t, Sergeant Delgado.” She wagged her finger at him. “I know you think you’re doing me a favor, but money is the last thing I want from you. You are not going to turn what’s left of our friendship into the Josie Nichols charity.”
What’s left…? He really had messed up with her, hadn’t he, if she mistook his concern for charity. “Then I guess you’ve got yourself a bodyguard.”
The doors opened and she headed down the thinly carpeted hallway, with Rafe striding right behind her. “That’s ridiculous. You have to work. We have different schedules. Now that I know this guy may have found me, I promise I won’t take any chances. I grew up around cops and a criminal both, Rafe—I know how to be careful. I’ll add another lock to the door, make sure someone I know is always with me when I’m away from home, let people know my destination and when I should be there.” She glanced over her shoulder before pulling out her keys. “How about we compromise and I still let you walk me to my car every night?”
“That’s a given.”
He let her have one harrumph of frustration before urging her to unlock the door. Once they were inside, he closed and bolted it while she dropped her bag on a chair and marched into the kitchen to grab a fork and eat a few bites of her salad. She went into the bathroom and Rafe checked the window in her living room that led onto the fire escape. He made sure the closet in her bedroom was clear, and the window there was secure, too.
He was kneeling over a stack of oak slats, railings and steel hardware in the corner of her bedroom when she came in behind him. “See? We’re managing just fine without you,” she claimed, tossing her jacket onto the bed and pulling a pair of jeans and a striped blouse from her closet.
Rafe was looking at a hodgepodge of crib parts with a few nicks in the wood, a plastic bag full of nuts and bolts and no visible set of instructions. At least the plastic-wrapped mattress looked new and intact. “How did you get this all up here?”
“I carried it. Since the shop didn’t have a box for the crib, it took me a few trips, but I made it.”
“You should have called me.”
“To help with the baby?” She plucked the bag of parts from his hand and set it beside the heap of wood pieces. “Like I said, I absolve you of all
Once the elevator doors closed, he let her move away and sag against the railing on the opposite side of the elevator car.
But the mix of hope and despair in her eyes tore right through him, even from a distance. “The man at my car might not have been the Rich Girl Killer. He could have been just a random creepy guy.”
“Hanging around you? I don’t like that much better.”
She pulled her shoulders back and walked to the doors as the elevator’s ascent slowed. Even with her back squarely facing him, he recognized her bravado for what it was. “Well, fortunately, it’s not your problem. I know what you’re up to, Rafe. And I can’t have you shadowing me 24/7, bossing me around and playing bodyguard.”
“It’s either that or a safe house.”
Her ponytail serpentined down her back as she shook her head. “I’m in my last few weeks of school. I have to work to pay bills and get everything ready for the baby. I can’t be locked away.”
She’d bite his head off for this one, but he had to make the offer. “I’ll cover any income you might miss, pay for anything you or the baby needs while you’re in the safe house.”
“Oh, no, you don’t, Sergeant Delgado.” She wagged her finger at him. “I know you think you’re doing me a favor, but money is the last thing I want from you. You are not going to turn what’s left of our friendship into the Josie Nichols charity.”
What’s left…? He really had messed up with her, hadn’t he, if she mistook his concern for charity. “Then I guess you’ve got yourself a bodyguard.”
The doors opened and she headed down the thinly carpeted hallway, with Rafe striding right behind her. “That’s ridiculous. You have to work. We have different schedules. Now that I know this guy may have found me, I promise I won’t take any chances. I grew up around cops and a criminal both, Rafe—I know how to be careful. I’ll add another lock to the door, make sure someone I know is always with me when I’m away from home, let people know my destination and when I should be there.” She glanced over her shoulder before pulling out her keys. “How about we compromise and I still let you walk me to my car every night?”
“That’s a given.”
He let her have one harrumph of frustration before urging her to unlock the door. Once they were inside, he closed and bolted it while she dropped her bag on a chair and marched into the kitchen to grab a fork and eat a few bites of her salad. She went into the bathroom and Rafe checked the window in her living room that led onto the fire escape. He made sure the closet in her bedroom was clear, and the window there was secure, too.
He was kneeling over a stack of oak slats, railings and steel hardware in the corner of her bedroom when she came in behind him. “See? We’re managing just fine without you,” she claimed, tossing her jacket onto the bed and pulling a pair of jeans and a striped blouse from her closet.
Rafe was looking at a hodgepodge of crib parts with a few nicks in the wood, a plastic bag full of nuts and bolts and no visible set of instructions. At least the plastic-wrapped mattress looked new and intact. “How did you get this all up here?”
“I carried it. Since the shop didn’t have a box for the crib, it took me a few trips, but I made it.”
“You should have called me.”
“To help with the baby?” She plucked the bag of parts from his hand and set it beside the heap of wood pieces. “Like I said, I absolve you of all
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