“He sure does.” She nodded. “I won’t say anything.”
As she watched Wallace leave, her thought shifted to a different direction. Starting first thing in the morning, she was going to spy on Jim Bob Craig. One way or another, she was going to arrest someone before nightfall tomorrow.
She left the veranda and hurried up to her room. She suspected Zack and her dad were still planning Zack’s fake death. She shivered. That plan really did not sit well with her. Something would go wrong. It always did in her life.
She entered her room, and immediately, she felt another presence in the room. The person’s deep breaths were a dead giveaway that she was not alone. Her heart pounded irregular, and a sickening chill rushed through her. Slowly, she reached for her Glock and pulled it out of the shoulder holster, preparing for anything.
Silently, she prayed that she’d remember her FBI training and the self-defense classes she took. She really didn’t want to have to kill anyone in her bedroom.
SIXTEEN
Slowly turning, Whitney’ssharp eyes scanned the darkened room. A small light shone through the window’s curtains from the full moon’s glare, causing many shadows to dance around her. Her ears tuned in to the heavy breaths coming from the corner toward her bed.
Focusing on all of the training she’d been put through to be an FBI agent, she stepped carefully and cautiously, keeping her gun in front of her as if it led the way toward the sound.
It only took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, although it seemed like several minutes has passed. But soon, the furniture in the room took shape. She saw the bed, the nightstand, the dresser drawers, and the large cushioned chair in the corner. Someone sat in the chair, facing her. She couldn’t see a face, but the man’s hands were on the arm rests. The slight tilt of the man’s head made her curious, and she paused, studying the outline closer.
She dared take another step toward the person in the chair, and then another, until she was two feet away. The person in the chair didn’t move except for the man’s chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm and he continued to take deep breaths.
A different feeling washed over her now. Someone was asleep in her chair? Suddenly the familiar scent in the air tickled her senses.Zack!She had memorized his smell.
Sighing with relief, she holstered her gun and finished walking toward him. She clicked on the lamp sitting next to the small table between the chair and the dresser drawers. Zack’s eyes were closed, and his head cocked to the side as he slept peacefully.
Once she was able to get her heartbeat to regulate properly, she removed the lap blanket on the end of the bed and gently placed it over his body. He didn’t stir or even jerk. He was certainly sleeping deeply. Which was what she hoped to be doing soon.
Knowing that he’d fallen asleep while waiting for her, made her smile. He really did care about her. He must have known she’d wanted to be by herself, which was why he didn’t come and search for her.
She leaned closer to him with her arms bracing the back of the cushioned chair. “Zack,” she said in a soft voice. He didn’t flinch at all.
Satisfied that he wasn’t going to wake up, she moved away from him and gathered her pajamas before turning off the light. She stepped softly into the adjoining bathroom to undress. Keeping as quiet as she could, she took off her FBI clothes... Zack was right. They were very plain and ugly. She’d never wanted to stand out, which was why she wore them. She’d wanted to be treated like everyone, not someone special, because that was what she’d been used to.
She took a quick shower, praying that Zack wouldn’t be able to hear the spray from the showerhead hitting against the walls. But she couldn’t get a good night’s sleep without taking a shower first. For some reason, the hot water beating upon her seemed to relax her.
Once Whitney was out and dried off, she slipped on her silky nightgown before taking the brush and running it through her wet hair. She had to admit, she thought she was prettier with her hair long, too. But keeping it back in a ponytail was less hassle in the morning, plus she didn’t want any extra attention on her while she was at work.
She brushed her teeth before leaving the bathroom and clicking off the light. As she tip-toed toward the bed, she kept watch on Zack who hadn’t appeared to have moved from his sleeping position. But she had to scoot around him in order to get to her bed.
