Dangerous Protector (Red Stone Security #14)(9)

Constantly moving had worn her down emotionally, though. She’d been tired of looking over her shoulder all the time and having no real connections to people. “When I saw on the news that he’d been murdered, I settled in Miami.” For the first couple of months she’d still been off the grid for the most part. Kimmy had paid her under the table until a few months ago when Tegan had finally started to feel safe enough to truly put down roots. But she didn’t think the detective needed to know that Kimmy had been paying her in cash in the beginning of her employment.

She cleared her throat. “It’s sunny here all the time and the people I’ve met in Florida up to this point have been so nice. For the first time since I was a kid I feel like I belong somewhere…” Her voice broke and, to her horror, the tears she’d been keeping at bay started pouring out in an unexpected wave. Her throat tightened, making it impossible to talk as emotions strangled her.

She didn’t want to go on the run again, didn’t want to leave the friends and home she’d made. Before she could swipe the tears away, Aaron had pulled her into his arms. She didn’t bother pushing back, but buried her face against his chest and blocked out everything else as sobs racked her body.

She’d been strong for a long time, always trying to keep positive even when she’d been on the run and her only friend had been Kali. Now someone had tried to kill her today. She’d almost died. By all accounts she would have if not for dumb luck. Which meant someone was out there who wanted her dead. Someone who wouldn’t simply stop because they’d failed.

At that thought, another sob tore through her and she clutched Aaron’s shirt. She was sure she’d be embarrassed later for blubbering all over him but right now she didn’t care.

She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, with him rubbing his big, callused hand down her back and murmuring soothing words she couldn’t really make out. She didn’t care what the words were anyway. They made her feel better, whatever they were.

Eventually she pulled back, sniffling and, yeah, embarrassed when she saw the tear and mascara stains on his white button-down shirt. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“Don’t be sorry,” he murmured as he handed her a box of tissues from the built-in nightstand next to the hospital bed. As she took them she realized the detective was gone.

“Where’d he go?” she asked, swiping at her cheeks and under her eyes, hoping she got the smudges she knew were there.

“He got a call.” Aaron was watching her carefully, his expression concerned.

Before she could respond, the detective walked back into the room, his expression even grimmer than it had been before. “Your security company called the department about a breach at your home. Someone broke into your place.”





Aaron watched as Tegan’s face paled.

“Is someone in my house?” The words came out raspy and trembling.

“Not now. Two officers did a sweep of your place. A picture frame is broken and it’s clear someone broke in through the sliding glass door, but they can’t tell if anything was taken. No visible electronics are missing so you’ll have to do an inspection yourself.”

Aaron wanted to pull her into his arms again, to comfort her, but held off for now. “What are you guys going to do about this situation?” he demanded. Because someone tried to kill her today and now her place had been broken into. Not a coincidence.

He planned to call his boss as soon as he could and see if Porter Caldwell could look more into Enzo De Fiore. Or more specifically, if Lizzy Caldwell, Porter’s wife, could. The woman was a genius when it came to hacking. She was the best security analyst—aka hacker—they had at Red Stone.

“We’re going to keep a detail on her house for now. And I’m going to call the Feds about De Fiore, see if they suspect he might not be dead.” Carlito shook his head, clearly frustrated.

That wasn’t remotely good enough. “She’ll be staying with me until this shit is figured out.” Because despite what Tegan seemed to think about him not liking her, she couldn’t be further from the truth. She was the first woman he’d been interested in since his wife had left him and their young son almost five years ago. And she terrified the hell out of him. Tegan was a sweet, sexy, smartass woman and she brought out all his protective, possessive instincts. Even if he wasn’t insanely attracted to her he’d still have to help. He was involved now and it was clear she didn’t have anyone else to help her. He couldn’t turn his back on her.

“Um, she is right here.” Tegan shifted against the crinkly sheets, a frown tugging at her pretty mouth. “That’s really nice, Aaron, but I can’t stay with you. Someone wants me dead and now someone broke into my place? I’m not bringing that kind of danger to your doorstep—especially because of Dillon.”

His chest squeezed that she automatically thought of Dillon. “He’ll be staying with my parents and you can stay in my guesthouse. I have a little mother-in-law type suite behind my place. It’s a one bedroom, one bath apartment, basically. It’s small but no one knows there’s a connection between us, because we don’t have one. There are no phone records between us, nothing. You’ll be safe.”

Her jaw tightened and it was clear she planned to argue more. Well, this was an argument she’d be losing. “It’s not happening.”