Close To Danger (Westen #4)(16)

Bracing the steering wheel with his knees, he deftly kept the car on the highway while he used both hands to open her phone and remove the battery. She wouldn’t like that he’d messed with her phone. Nope. Not one bit. She was going to pitch a major fit over it. And wouldn’t that be fun to watch?

But like it or not. The only successful way to be sure no one was tracking her whereabouts through her phone’s GPS was to remove the battery.

He should know. In his previous life he’d found more than one bogie through their phone.

Next problem was the youngest sister. During the two weeks after the wedding, while he’d been making his plans to help Chloe, he’d known Bobby was safe with Gage, but if Chloe disappeared, would the stalker go after their sister, Dylan? Problem was, Dr. Dylan Roberts was a resident in one of the local hospitals in Cincinnati. Protecting her required a person he trusted, who also had unique skills to be her silent body guard.

The memory of that conversation flashed in his head.

“What’s up, Chief?” the sultry voice on the other end said.

Wes paused at the old name. He hadn’t been called that in years. “Any chance you’re free for a job, Bulldog?”

“For you? Anytime. Where? When? How much firepower do I need to bring?”

Wes shook his head at Bulldog’s willingness to jump into the fray with little explanation. “I need you to find and get close enough to watch a doctor in Cincinnati, Dylan Roberts.”

“Oh, is he handsome?”

“He is a she,” Wes said, remembering Chloe’s sister was a blonde version of her, “and quite beautiful.”

A snort came through the phone. “Well, I’ll take the job anyways. What did the doc do?”

“Nothing. Her sister has a stalker and I want to be sure the bastard doesn’t hurt Dylan as collateral damage.”

“How close do you want me to get?” Rustling sounded in the background and Wes knew his former team member was getting his go-bag out—the one each team member always had packed and ready to go when they got the word about an op—and double checking its contents.

“Don’t spook her. Just keep her safe.”

“Got it. This number good to reach you?”

“For now. If it changes, I’ll contact you.”

“One last thing, Chief,” Bulldog asked.

“Yeah?”

“How do you spell her name?”

“D-y-l-a-n.”

“Got it. Watch your back, Chief.”

“You, too, Bulldog.”

Time to check in with his team member and alert him that circumstances had just increased the threat level.

Pulling out his phone, he scrolled down until he found the number and hit call.

“What’s up, Chief?” Bulldog asked on the second ring.

“How are thing’s going with the doc?” Wes asked, turning on the windshield wipers as the sleet turned into fat snowflakes.

“Managed to secure a job in the OR department as a scrub tech. Good thing working for a medical temp agency I have licensure in all fifty states. The doc is not only a beautiful woman,” a deep chuckle sounded on the other side of the phone, “and yes, despite my own preferences, I can appreciate a beautiful woman, she’s also a skilled surgeon of the first order, and that’s something I appreciate even more.”

“I’m sure you do,” Wes said. They’d seen more than their share of injured and dying people who suffered at the hands of nervous or inept physicians. “Any signs of someone trailing her?”

“Other than the chief of surgery who’s a misogynistic throwback to the early twentieth century? Nope. Nothing unusual.”

“Is he going to be a problem for the doc?” Wes asked, wondering if he should have Bulldog have a chat with the man.

“I’d considered letting him know he was a little behind the times, but the doc took care of him on her own.” Another chuckle. “When he cornered her in one of the scrub rooms last week, she disengaged his hand from her ass, with a twist of his thumb and a hit to his chest with the flat of her hand. Quite expertly, I might add. Then I heard her explain to him that her brother-in-law was a sheriff, her sister a deputy sheriff, and her other sister a lawyer and did he really want to risk bodily injury or a lawsuit to cop a feel?”

“Good for her.”

“Yep. Son-of-a-bitch is giving her a wide berth these days.”

Wes glanced to his right. Chloe still slept, her breathing easy and unlabored. “Keep a close eye on the lady doc the next few days. The threat level just increased.”

“What changed?” All humor had left Bulldog’s voice.

Wes quickly filled him in on the damage to her car.

“I’ve just moved his original target out of the area. The stalker may decide to use the doc as leverage or revenge on her sister.”

“Got it. Want me to take care of the car?”

“Yes. There’s a guy on the local force who could look into it. Take pictures and then you could get it towed to a shop to have new tires put on. Garage it for a week.”

He gave Bulldog the cop’s name, a man he’d done a favor for a few years back.

“Anything else, Chief?”

“Any chance you can watch the doc twenty-four seven?” If not, he’d have to find a way to get someone else close to help Bulldog keep her safe.