“Shoot.” Quid pro quo is not how the FBI works. Not wanting to be here all day, I play along.
“Did Bear see a weapon?” Her question surprises me. We established this fact back at the beach.
“Judging from his behavior, it’s more than likely. Did you?” I search for a tell, but her face remains stoic.
“I can’t be sure.” The vent in the ceiling blows frigid air down, and she shudders. Those damn tits pebble under her black dress, and not for the first time, I wonder if she’s wearing a bra.
Were the stakes lower, I’d pursue the electricity sparking between us.Dammit, man, focus. “Did you recognize the shooter on the beach?”
If I’m not careful, she’ll come to her senses and lawyer up. “Gah, if I knew him, don’t you think I would’ve warned Henry?”
“But you did warn him.” After I point out this obvious fact, she pounds a fist on the table.
“Only after I noticed the weapon. Why are you doing this?” Tears well and she swallows hard. “I didn’t do anything illegal. I swear it.”
Seeing her weaken, I pick up my chair, place it beside her, and grab her hands. “Tell me about the text message, and I will do everything in my power to help you.”
The tops of her cheeks redden, as does her neck and what I can see of her chest. “It was nothing… a picture of my daughter in bed. My ex was right. Sometimes I over-react.”
“What about the one you received on the way here?”
Realizing she can no longer hide things from me, she sighs heavily. “It said, ‘If I care about Abigail, don’t say anything to anyone.’”
When she shoves her phone screen under my nose, I memorize the Rehoboth address. “Abby is staying at my ex's beach house. Whoever sent me this text may have already gotten to her.”
“Give me a moment.”
Outside the room, I call Lucky. “Someone threatened Gwen’s daughter. Texting you her location. Can you put a guard on her?”
“Yeah, sure. Mah wife is giving me holy hell. Sort this out soon, or I’ll be sleeping on the couch.”
Picturing his enormous frame on a tiny sofa, Ichuckle. “McGee is fine but reluctant to talk.”
“Mate, go easy. Her ex did a real number on her. Worst case of gaslighting I’ve ev-ah seen. Her self-esteem’s in the shit-tah. She’s been seeing a therapist and getting bet-tah. She may appear prickly on the outside, but inside, she’s fragile. Get my drift?”
“I do, and thanks for the insight.” Scratching the growth on my chin, I take a moment to discard the overpowering need to protect my suspect… from me.
Once I have the feeling under control, I take a deep breath and walk back into interrogation. “Lucky has agreed to put a guard on your daughter.”
Ginormous brown eyes glance up at me. Tight shoulders drop from her ears, the lines around her mouth loosen, and shewhooshes a long exhalation. “Please don’t let anyone see she’s being watched. My ex will try for full custody, and I can’t afford the fees.”
Nodding, I text the Patten bodyguard and sit down across from her. “Spill. Everything.”
“Callie insists on doing this team-building shit every year. I hate karaoke, and my turn was next, so I circulated some lame excuse and escaped. Seeing my friend had done the same, I ventured onto the dunes to join him. As I slogged over the beach, a man in an impeccable suit marched straight toward Henry. I remember looking for the bride or other wedding party members.”
“Something about his gait caused me to become nervous. I tried to walk faster, but the dunes were too soft and deep. At this point, I recognized our EMF prototype. When he aimed it at my coworker, it made a buzzing noise. Then, the man aimed his weapon at me, and I dove onto the sand. If not for Bear, you would’ve had to choose between Henry or me.”
Grimacing, I ignore the tightness in my chest. “So, our enemies have a next-generation EMF pistol better than ours?”
She shakes her head and slays me with those sensual brown eyes. “I said smaller, not superior. Theirs didn’t kill Henry. Ours would’ve.”
“Perhaps he didn’t mean to, or maybe he simply wanted to send you a message?” The urge to spank her surfaces as she flutters her lashes in a ridiculous attempt to appear innocent.
“Why ever would he want to send a message?”
Chapter 7
Well! he huffed and he puffed. He puffed and he huffed. And he huffed, huffed, and he puffed, puffed; but he could not blow the house down.
