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“There’s nothing more for us to do here,” Detective Graves, the police officer who’d come inside to take their statements, said. “We’ll check the casing we found outside for any fingerprints. Who knows, we might get lucky.”
She didn’t know much about weapons, but she’d watched enough movies to know the casing was the part left behind after a gun fired a shot.
“We got the bullet too. That might provide some leads.”
Yeah, she’d watched the police remove the bullet from Rock’s couch. Considering all the damage a single bullet could do to a person, she’d expected something larger.
“I’ll be in touch with you both. Here’s my number if you need to reach me,” he said, handing them each a business card. “Please don’t hesitate to call.”
Allison tucked the card into her pocket and watched the detective and Rock speak as they walked toward the door. With Rock’s attention elsewhere, she dropped her head in her hands. The entire event played through her mind again. One moment they’d been kissing and the next Rock tackled her to the floor, covering her body with his. A tear slipped down her cheek as a light bulb went on in her head. He’d used his own body as a shield. In a heartbeat, he’d been willing to sacrifice his own well-being for her safety.
Her heart expanded, pushing its way out of her ribcage and filling her entire chest.
“You holding up okay?”
Allison looked up. Rock sat on the coffee table, his forearms on his thighs, facing her. “So, so.” How about him? From the moment he’d pushed her down, he’d stayed in control. Would he be offended if she asked if he was shaken up? The oddest things offended guy sometimes. He looks fine. The outside didn’t always match the inside. “Are you okay?”
“Just a scratch.” He touched the rip in his shirt. A rip she hadn’t noticed until he drew her attention to it.
“Baloney. You’re bleeding.” If she hadn’t been looking right at the wet spot on his dark shirt, she would’ve missed it. “Rock, you need a doctor.”
“Bullet nicked me. I’ve gotten worse cuts shaving.” He pushed up his sleeve. “Not even bleeding anymore.”
A blob of dry, crusted blood covered the wound. It did look as if his body had the bleeding under control. “We should clean it. Maybe put something on it so it doesn’t get infected.”
“Sounds like you’re offering to play nurse.”
She’d gotten certified in first aid and CPR when she started working for the Falmouth Foundation. If Rock’s injury was as minor as he said, she should be able to take care of it. “I’ll try, but if I clean it and it looks serious or starts bleeding again, I’m taking you to the ER. Do you have a first aid kit?”
He gave her one of his panty-melting smiles before he sauntered away, distracting her for a moment from the fact a bullet had whizzed through the window not long ago. Earth to Allison, come in, Allison. She needed to think about his arm right now not how good he looked both in and out of a pair of jeans.
“Should have everything ya need in here.” Rock handed her a large, white first aid box and a wet towel before tugging his shirt over his head, revealing the toned body underneath.
Like a magnet drawn to metal, her eyes zeroed in on his hard pecs and then down to his six-pack. Arm, take care of his arm. Taking in a deep breath, she popped open the box and searched for what she needed. “Do you think Detective Graves’s suspicions are right? That this was some gang initiation.” He’d claimed a similar incident happened the week before in Southbridge, a nearby town.
“Anything’s possible.” He remained still as she cleaned away the dried blood.
She heard the uncertainty in his voice. “But you’re not convinced.”
“You need a bodyguard.”
“Rock—”
“Listen, will you?” He grabbed her wrist. “Hire someone from Elite Force Security for when I’m not around. Maybe see if they do surveillance too. If someone is following you, we need to know.”
No doubt she’d feel safer with either Rock or a bodyguard around her at all times. “That’ll still mean I have a stranger camping out in my house every night.”
He ground his teeth and shook his head. “I’ll stay with you at night.”
“You’re going to move in?” Considering how high-handed he acted, she should tell him to back off, remind him she could make her own decisions and she might not want a roommate. Under different circumstances and with a different man, she would. “You want to commute to Quantico everyday from Alexandria?”
“No.”
Whoa, what?
Rock leaned closer and stroked her face with his fingertips. “But I will for you.”
Her heart started its expansion ritual again.
