Close To Danger (Westen #4)(54)

“No,” Wes answered.

“Why not? It’s not like I’m ever going to touch them again.”

“Because they could have evidence on them.”

“What kind?”

“DNA.”

“Oh gross. That’s just…disgusting.”

Dylan grinned, imagining them arguing wherever they were. She looked at Janowski who winked at her with a little smirk on his face. She couldn’t help covering her mouth as a giggle threatened to escape.

“What do you want me to do, Chief?” Steve finally asked, hoping to get her sister and the deputy back on track.

“Can you and Dylan stay there for a little while? I’ll contact Bryerson, the same guy you called last night about the car. I’ll fill him in and see if he can get someone there to run forensics.”

“Doc and I are pretty dead on our feet. How long do you think it will take?”

“Don’t know, but he’ll probably put a rush on it since it’s me calling.”

Janowski held the phone to the side and looked at Dylan expectantly. He was waiting for her to make the decision. She hated being here longer than necessary, but she would do it if it would help catch her sister’s stalker. She nodded.

“Doc says she’s good to go,” Steven said into the phone.

She leaned forward, “But the doc isn’t the least bit happy her sisters kept her in the dark about this.”

“Bobby doesn’t know,” Chloe said.

“How does she not know if you’re there staying with…” She let the words trail off as realization hit her. “She doesn’t know you’re in town, because you’re not staying with her.”

“And I don’t want her to know until this mess is cleared up, little sister,” Chloe said, going all big sister on her. “I don’t want her worrying and jeopardizing her baby.”

“No, duh. Neither do I. But she’s going to be really pissed when she learns you kept not only the stalker thing from her, but that you were…there, wherever there is, with…one of her co-workers.” An idea hit her. “Gage doesn’t know either, does he?”

Silence on the other end.

This time she laughed. “Oh, you two are so dead when he finds out.”

And they would be. She knew one thing about her new brother-in-law, he loved her sister with his whole heart and that meant he thought of himself as her and Chloe’s big brother. If Bobby didn’t kill Wes for hiding her sister, Gage definitely would.

“Dylan, we have to go,” Chloe said. “Wes has to call that policeman to come to my place so you can go get some sleep.” A pause sounded on the other end of the phone and deep rumbling like Wes was whispering to her sister. “Uhm, Dyl, can you stay somewhere besides your place tonight? It might not be safe.”

That’s why they’d given her a bodyguard. Chloe, probably at Wes’s instigation, believed the stalker might try to come after her to hurt her sister.

“I’ve got a spare room at the extended-stay efficiency I’m booked into. She can stay with me,” Janowski said, rising from his crouch and handing her the phone. “Besides, I’ll have to take you to work when it’s your shift again.”

Who was she to argue with her bodyguard?

“When are we telling Bobby? Because I’m not very good at lying to her. You know that,” Dylan said.

More mumbling on the other line. “If we are no closer to figuring this out by noon tomorrow, we’ll go into town and tell them ourselves,” Chloe said.

“That’s not going to work and you know it. She’s going to be calling your phone, then mine, the minute her feet hit the floor in the morning.”

A big sigh heaved over the phone. “I know.”

“You have until about seven, eight at the latest tomorrow morning, then she and Gage are going to know where to find you. Stay safe, Chloe. Love you.”

“Love you, too Dylan.”

“Put Bulldog on the phone,” Wes said.

Dylan’s eyes shot over to Janowski’s who was at the window. Bulldog? She mouthed at him. He nodded and stalked back over to the phone, hitting off the speaker button.

“What’s up, Chief?” He listened to whatever Wes was saying, nodded his head a few times. “Got it. We’ll talk in the morning.”

He pushed the disconnect button and pocketed his phone.

Dylan held up her hand when he opened his mouth. “Don’t say anything. I’m mad and I need questions answered.”

“Okay.” Slipping his weapon into the shoulder holster under his coat, he moved to stand between her and the front door, obviously still in dangerous protector mode. She had no doubt he wouldn’t need the weapon to stop anyone unwanted coming through that door.

“First, and this is more of a statement of fact than a question, you came to work at the hospital two weeks ago, just to keep an eye on me, right?”

He shrugged. “More like keeping an eye out for trouble around you.”

“Are you really gay or was that just a ruse to keep me relaxed?”

The corner of his lip lifted, a twinkle of humor in his eyes. “Gay as the day is long, Doc.”

Good. She liked knowing something about her friend was true. “I assume you got your surgical skills in the military. Which one and how did you meet Wes?”