She jerked upright and made a mad effort to straighten her clothing and hair.
“Take it easy, Regina,” the chief said gruffly as he walked around his desk to take a seat. He settled down and stared hard at her. “You look like hell. How are you feeling?”
“I’m good, sir. Just a little shaken and sore.”
The chief nodded. “I’ll get right to the point so you can go home and get some rest. I’ve spoken to Jeremy about the break-in at Birdie’s. We agree that there are several possibilities, all of which need to be pursued. I’ve got every man available on it. We’re going to nail this bastard.”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Now, I’m sure you know this is coming, but you’re on leave indefinitely. At least until this mess has been straightened out and we’ve removed the threat to you.”
She nodded again and tried not to grimace.
“I know this is hard for you, Regina. You’re a damn good cop. Dedicated. But you need the time off. You’ve been through a hell of a lot in the past several days. My advice is to take the time off and enjoy it.”
“Begging your pardon, sir, but I can’t enjoy anything while there is a possible threat to Hutch or to Birdie.”
“I understand. Keep your eyes open. We’re going to keep a close eye on Birdie, and the county will be sending regular patrols by the house where you’re staying.”
Regina leaned forward. “About that, sir. I thought you should know. I’ll be staying with Hutch Bishop, Sawyer Pritchard and Cam Douglas . . . until this is all settled.”
“Okay, we’ll make sure we have a regular patrol by to check on you.” He eyed her curiously. “Was there something else?”
She shifted uneasily. “Well, my father thinks it’s a big deal. Where I’m staying, I mean. I thought you should know. That’s all.”
He leaned forward. “Regina, what you do in your personal life is your concern. I try to stay out of my officers’ business when at all possible. Most folks around here know that you’ve been friends with those boys since you were kids. I doubt anyone will bat an eyelash over it.”
She almost felt guilty. What the chief construed as a deep friendship . . . well if the guys had their way, it would be a lot more. Why she should feel guilty over it went beyond her, but she wasn’t kidding herself. If such a relationship as what they proposed ever got out, she’d be crucified.
“Keep your head up, Regina. And be careful. If you spot anything out of the ordinary, you call it in immediately. I’ll keep you up-to-date on any developments, and we’ll fully investigate all angles. If this is personal to either you or Hutch, we’ll find it.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Now, why don’t you get on home. I’d say you’re long overdue for some rest.”
She smiled weakly. “I won’t argue that.”
She stood and braced her hands on his desk before turning to walk out the door. The chief hurried around to open the door for her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
She made her way back out front where the guys were waiting. Sawyer, who had been pacing back and forth, stopped and hurried over to her.
“Come on, honey. Let’s get you home.”
Home. The word sounded incredibly sweet to her. And for once she didn’t fight the notion that her home was with them.
CHAPTER 17
The ride home was tense and silent. When they pulled up to the house, Sawyer got out and reached up to help Regina down.
Hutch parked his battered truck beside them and was out just as quickly.
Sawyer curled his arm around her and ushered her inside the house. He didn’t stop in the living room. Instead he half carried, half helped her up the stairs.
A few seconds later, he shoved the door to her bedroom open.
Cam and Hutch followed them in, stopping a few feet from where Sawyer halted.
Before she could so much as blink, Sawyer began tugging her shirt from her jeans. He reached down and unbuttoned her pants and began pulling the denim over her hips.
