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He escorted her inside, then stepped back as she looked around. “This is great.” She looked as if someone had handed her a diamond ring, rather than put her up in a safe house. “Although it’s a little chilly.”
He crossed to the thermostat and cranked it up several degrees. “Have a seat, Harper. Make a list of what you need from the store.”
She sank into one of the kitchen chairs. When she kicked off her shoes, he frowned when he saw her bloody toes.
Dropping to his haunches, he inspected her feet. “You have blisters.”
“I know.” She frowned and shrugged. “I told you these shoes weren’t meant for running through yards and climbing fences. I work in a law office; they expect me to dress nice.”
“Okay, what size shoes?” Brock asked. “And I assume you’d like some basic toiletries too?”
“Yes, please, including prenatal vitamins.” She offered her shoe size, then added, “I wouldn’t mind a sweatshirt, too, if it’s not too much trouble. These work pants are fine, but the thin top isn’t very warm.”
“Don’t you need specific maternity clothes?” Steele tried to avoid staring at her belly. Personally, he thought she looked cute in her maternity outfit but managed to hold his tongue.
“An extra-large sweatshirt will work just as well.” She smiled. “Thanks.”
“Get some bandages and antibiotic ointment too,” Steele told Brock. “And you should probably grab groceries. At least enough food to last twenty-four hours.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be back soon.” Brock turned and headed back outside. The moment the door closed behind him, the interior of the house seemed to shrink around them. Being here alone with Harper didn’t feel any different from when he’d taken her to his house.
He turned away, double-checking the lock on the door for something to do.
“Excuse me,” Harper murmured, rising to her feet. He shouldn’t have been surprised when she padded to the bathroom.
He sank into the closest chair and rested his head in his hands. Okay, he seriously needed to get a grip. Harper needed his protection, nothing more.
There was no reason to hover over her like some expectant husband or father. Her personal life was none of his business. Any normal person would be extra careful when it came to protecting a pregnant woman.
He couldn’t afford to make the mistake of caring for her more than he would any woman in danger. If he’d been smart, he’d have offered to run errands, leaving Brock with her.
Rising to his feet, he went from window to window to check their surroundings. He didn’t see how the gunmen could have tracked them here, but he wouldn’t make the mistake of taking their situation lightly. These men were not random guns for hire.
Not that it took a lot of brain power to place a tracking device on her sedan. His thoughts went back to Tommy Grotto, the head honcho behind the gunrunning scheme. At least, according to Feldman.
He wondered if Joe had reached out to their Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearm contacts, Bryon Perkins and his partner, Steve Banner.
Pulling out his phone to call them for himself, he hesitated. He didn’t know Perkins or Banner very well, as the backup request had gone from Perkins’s boss to Rhy, who’d agreed to the plan. Their tactical team had helped back up the ATF raid on the warehouse. The one that had turned into a full-blown shoot-out at the O.K. Corral.
This wasn’t the first time their team had worked with the ATF, so there was no reason to suspect anything underhanded. Especially since the ATF had also been involved with placing Feldman in a safe house in exchange for testifying against Grotto.
He called Joe, who answered quickly. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I was curious if you mentioned the attempted abduction of Feldman’s ex-wife to ATF Agents Perkins or Banner?”
“Not yet, why?” Joe asked.
He breathed easier at the news. No way could either ATF agent be involved in the attempts against Harper. “I was just curious.”
There was a long pause before Joe asked, “You think the ATF is involved?”
“Not really, but you know how the feds are about not sharing information. I guess I’m glad you and Rhy decided to keep this latest development a secret.”
“Well, it won’t be a secret for long,” Joe said. “Rhy has a meeting with Perkins and Banner this afternoon.”
It made sense that Rhy would be looking for more intel on Feldman and the rest of the gunrunning crew. “Do you think ATF will try to take over the case?”
“Is that a roundabout way of asking if ATF will want to hold Ms. Crane in protective custody?” Joe asked bluntly.
