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Then Miguel stood to his full six seven height and crossed those massive arms over his chest, and?—
Waited.
Not exactly what had happened in that conference room, but Jarrod knew how rumors worked.
He would never forget Daniel’s face the moment Jarrod had told him Wilson had most likely physically abused Heather while they’d dated. And that the man had been trying to intimidate her right there in their own conference room. Threatening her, and her kids.
Jarrod and Daniel and Elliot and Gunnar suspected the assholes in Wichita Falls had sent Wilson there to screw with Heather’s head specifically. They all knew the truth—Wichita Falls was constantly trying to screw with Finley Creek. And Heather had just escaped Wichita Falls after her maternity leave. Someone in Wichita Falls could be trying to send Heather a message.
Jarrod thought the chief there—Rhonda Hamler, a woman a good fifteen years or more older than Elliot Marshall—was afraid Elliot wanted her position as head of the entire TSP. Elliot didn’t. He was fully entrenched in Finley Creek and was building his life there. The way he wanted. His family.
But Hamler was doing what she could to make Elliot’s job a little more difficult every day. Trying to set him up to fail internally. Especially considering the kinds of cases Finley Creek had been solving lately. It was pitting them above the Texas Rangers in the press. And Hamler wanted a cut of that action. Politics.
But that was for another time. Right now, he had a bigger fish to fry.
Or a little rabbit to keep safe and protected from the big bad wolves of Finley Creek.
Haldyn was dressed in casual wear. He loved it when his woman wore jeans like that. She had a bag with her. Of forensic supplies or something. “Just where exactly do you think we’re going tonight, my queen?”
She hadn’t gotten called in. He was sure of that.
They’d just gotten home from the TSP half an hour ago. She’d called it an early night and actually left at her real clock out time of five.
Something that hadn’t happened enough lately, in his opinion.
His little rabbit needed a break. And a keeper.
Maybe when this was over, he’d take her to Gunnar’s cabin up in the mountains. They could do the whole roughing-it, he-man/she-woman thing for a week or so. Just enjoying nature and each other. Get a little primitive with each other and everything. Jarrod would like that.
Of course, she had her little germ phobias he’d have to consider.
He’d have to grab enough hand sanitizer and spray disinfectant. And healthy food to take with them. She needed healthy food. The woman would live on processed junk food if he didn’t keep an eye on her and everything.
Well, he had time to plan.
But for tonight… “I am waiting.”
49
Haldyn wasn’t going to be trapped here at the Barratts until Daniel found the answers. She just wasn’t. She had plans of her own now.
“Where are we going?”
“Hughes Heights. I’m meeting Powell, Mads, Shelby and Zo. Hope is meeting us, too.” Haldyn tried to dart around him. Jarrod moved right into her path. She bumped up against him. His hands came up. And he had her trapped. Reminding her...
Haldyn bit back a breath. The scent of him surrounded her. His arms were right there. The sudden urge to drag him back to her suite hit her. Hard. “Get out of my way, Foster.”
Before she did something insane here.
“The deal is, I’m your shadow. Where you go, I go. Just call me Rover. You can be Hal. We’ll go on bunches of adventures together. There is this cabin in the mountains that our Gunnary Gunnar owns. We can start there. Just you and me once this case is over. Maybe stay for a week, take actual comp time, play tourist?”
Haldyn knew what that look in those dark gray eyes meant. What he wanted. Her body clenched in immediate response. She’d never gone away with a man before in her life. She would think about it. Later. But for now, she had people waiting on her tonight.
“I have an armored car to take me to Hughes Heights, you know. You can’t guard me twenty-four-seven. I’ll be in a gated community, and will have two bodyguards from Barratt-Handley the entire way. Powell has two guards as well. Plus, Zoey will be there. She doesn’t go anywhere without a weapon. Jake will probably be there, too.”
“You will have me. Plus, Powell will have her big Gunnary shadow. Or I’m calling precious Daniel.”
She pressed her hands against his chest. His had ended up around her waist. How had he gotten so close? He was just as tall as Daniel’s six three or four or so. His shoulders were probably a bit broader. He felt just as fit beneath the soft gray TSP T-shirt. She knew he was, too. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
