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“I wanted to give back. I did my time in the service, military police, and then came back and started working for the Canon City Police Department in Colorado.”
“How did you end up with Forrest?”
As he answered, he got the feeling Nicole wasn’t ready for their day to end, and neither was he. He wanted to spend more time with her.
“I worked with one of the guys that helped found the agency. Bruce and I had partnered on a couple of cases in Colorado, and when they were wanting to hire more investigators, he suggested me.” He pulled into an empty space and shut his truck off.
“Why move into the private sector? I can’t see the advantage of that.” Nicole moved slightly in her seat so she was facing him. Now he could gaze into her green eyes while they talked. He wondered if she felt the same attraction he was beginning to feel.
“Less rules, less red tape. We don’t work outside the law, but on the edge of it. Sometimes to accomplish something we have to tread a very thin line—a line you can’t even see through with some of the bureaucracy a LEO has to follow. At least fifty percent of my job was paperwork and answering to superiors. I still have to do that, but now it’s only ten percent of my job.
“We’re all invested in the company and pretty much equals as far as the structure goes. Darrall is officially the head of the agency, but we all vote on what assignments to accept and who works on what.
“We all have different strengths, backgrounds, and contacts. That gives us a huge advantage.”
The truck was starting to get warm sitting in the sunny Florida afternoon. Paul needed to either turn the air conditioning back on, or they needed to get out.
“I should probably head back to the hotel for the evening. I need to check in with my contacts to see if they have any information for me, and I’m sure Darrall will want to have a brief meeting with everyone to update our progress.” He exited the truck and circled around to help Nicole out.
As she moved down, her heel caught on the step of the truck, and she fell against him. He held her a second longer than necessary before he set her gently on the ground.
“Oh! I’m sorry,” Nicole said, pushing against him with one hand.
“No worries. It’s not every day I get to catch a beautiful woman,” Paul answered with a smil
e.
Nicole blushed and bit her bottom lip, not sure what to say.
“Here’s my card with my cell number. You can call that at any time. The number for the main office is there also. Even when we are out in the field that number is answered anytime, day or night, and someone will get a message to us. If you hear anything, please let us know immediately.”
Paul escorted her to her car and watched as she exited the compound. She was very attractive and just his type. He needed to watch himself around this one.
3
Nicole drove slowly back to her small apartment. She couldn’t believe how comfortable she’d been talking with Paul. Not only was he easy to talk to, but he was easy on the eyes also. Very easy.
She could tell he was a man who cared about other people. He hadn’t hesitated to play with some of the younger children at the center and had also taken the time to throw a ball with the older boys. They all seemed to adore him, with several of them asking if he would come again.
He’d promised that if he was in town he would stop by again and explained he lived far away and was only visiting.
She pulled into the parking lot in front of the doorway to the building her apartment was in. Hers was on the second floor, and she slowly climbed up the stairs, wondering about Paul and his family. He hadn’t mentioned a wife or children, but a man like him had to have someone.
He was too attractive and caring to spend his life alone. She continued to her home, paying little attention to her surroundings. She knew better. She’d not only taken safety courses but had taught a few at Clifton’s school. Working as a nurse often in emergency rooms in some of the highest crime areas in the bigger cities, she knew what the consequences could be.
She reached her apartment door and let herself in. She locked the door behind her and let out a scream when she saw a man sitting on her couch.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” she screamed backing up until her back was against the door.
“Settle down Nicole, I have a message for you from Huang Peng.”
Nicole stood terrified against the door her mind scattering with a million questions. How he’d gotten in was at the top of her list.
“What is the message?”
The man held out a picture of her son sitting with an older lady. Cliff appeared happy.
Nicole was holding her phone and hit the record button. She tried to hold the phone casually, but still in a way that would record the man’s face as well as his words.
