SEAL Wolf In Too Deep(21)
Tucked under her covers in bed, she began thinking about the case of the dead man in the car. She didn’t count sheep. She counted key pieces of evidence, working them over in her mind. And then she recalled something from the police report. Two eyewitnesses had seen a black sedan leaving the scene right after the victim’s car went into the lake.
Coincidence? Or the killer?
She grabbed her phone and called Allan. Before he could even say hello, she said, “Do you remember that a couple of eyewitnesses said they saw a black sedan speed off after the victim’s car ended up in the lake?”
“Black sedan,” Allan said, his voice darker than she thought it would be.
It could mean absolutely nothing, but Allan sounded like he believed it might.
“One followed me when I was headed in to work earlier.”
“One was following you after we left the pizza parlor.” Bedcovers began to rustle. “I’m coming over.”
“What? You’re kidding. Why didn’t you arrest him?”
“He gave me the slip. Besides, I wasn’t certain he was really following either of us.”
“I’m fine,” Debbie said, not wanting to cause further speculation about why Allan would be staying the night at her place. “I’m armed and dangerous.”
For a moment, he didn’t say anything. She would have liked it if he came over, truth be told. She had a guest room, and if someone was after her next, at least she’d have backup. But Allan seemed to believe she could handle it on her own. She had wanted to give him an out, hadn’t she? Besides, she was armed.
“I’m coming over. Be there in a half hour.”
Relieved to the max, she sighed. She knew he’d be rushing if it only took him half an hour, especially in winter when it was snowing again. “Take your time. I’ll be fine.” But she truly was glad he was coming to stay the night.
“Okay, I’ll be on my way to your place in a few minutes.”
They said good-bye and ended the call.
She wondered what his log cabin on the mountain was like. The family had owned it forever, he had said, and she bet it was really nice no matter what the season.
She considered getting dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater before he arrived. But it seemed silly when she was just going to put on her thermal pajamas again once he was settled in. She threw on a robe instead and slipped on a pair of boot slippers. They were pink, and so was her fluffy robe. Her pajama top sported a teddy bear wearing a ski hat with earflaps and braided ties. At least her pajamas were gray, so she didn’t look too girly.
She realized that whenever she saw anyone, she wore somber colors. She thought it made her appear more professional. But with her nightwear and underwear, she loved being frivolous. Maybe she should wear her jeans and the sweater. Then in the privacy of her bedroom, she could be herself.
She glanced around at all the pastel colors—light green, light blue with navy accents. Oh, well, there was no escaping her love of all things colorful.
She brushed out her hair again to remove all signs of having been in bed and then straightened up the place, though it was already fairly neat. Living by herself with reading as her only hobby meant she didn’t make messes often.
She checked her watch again. Twenty minutes before he would arrive. She went into the guest bedroom and checked it out. She wanted to turn down the bed, to do something to thank him for coming over to help watch her back.
He was her dive partner, she told herself. This was nothing personal; he was just concerned. She turned off all the lights in the duplex and peered out the windows, moving from one room to the next to see if she could catch sight of a black sedan. Security lights and streetlights in her complex cast a strange orange glow on the misty snow. It looked like the perfect night for a murder.
*
Before he hit the road, Allan called Paul, hating to wake him but needing to tell his pack leader where he was going. He knew Paul wouldn’t like it, but Debbie was his partner and he had to watch her back.
Paul answered with, “Hell, Allan.”
“Can’t be helped,” he told Paul.
“Yeah, I know, but you’re digging yourself deeper on this one.”
“I’m not turning her, and I’m not mating her. I’m just protecting her.” Allan threw his bag in the car and slammed the door.
“Yeah, you remember what happened between Hunter and Tessa?”
Their SEAL wolf team leader had gotten into a real mess with Tessa, a human with wolf roots. This was different. Debbie didn’t have any connection to the wolves. That would make it even worse if Allan turned her. Which he had no plan to do, no matter what.
“Yeah, yeah. This isn’t the same.”
“Isn’t it? Hunter had to protect Tessa and look what happened then.”
“They’re happily mated wolves,” Allan reminded Paul, pulling out his ice scraper.
“Right, but she had wolf ties. Your partner doesn’t.”
“Which I’m well aware of.”
“You need to find a mate. That would be the end of this…infatuation you have for her.”
“We mate for life, and I’m not going there with just any she-wolf so that everyone will get off my case about my partner. I’m not infatuated with her. I enjoy working with her, that’s all. Got to go. I’ll let you know if anything else happens.”