Close To Danger (Westen #4)(71)

“Whoa,” Gage said, running his hand over his face. “Someone is stalking my sister-in-law?”

“Yes, sir,” Janowski said. “I imagine that’s why the Chief took the battery out of her phone and computer. Didn’t want someone finding her through the GPS.”

“She tried to keep it from us,” Dylan said.

“But she confided in Wes?” Bobby asked, suddenly irritated.

“Apparently, Wes figured out when we were up there for the wedding, but something must’ve happened to make him think he needed to take action to protect her two days ago,” Dylan said. “And judging by the state of Chloe’s condo last night, it’s a good thing he did.”

“So, his solution wasn’t to call the local authorities, but to abscond with your sister?” Gage practically growled out. He stalked over to his desk and grabbed his phone, already punching in the call to Wes.

“I believe he felt it was necessary to get her away from the stalker to somewhere safe and go off the grid, sir.”

“And he asked you to watch over Dylan?” Bobby asked, trying to make sense of all this information and tamp down the fear coursing through her. Someone wanted to hurt one of her sisters.

“Yes, ma’am.” The way—what had Dylan called him?—Bulldog kept saying yes, sir and yes, ma’am, he had to be former military. Probably with Wes. Damn, she wished she knew more about her fellow deputy’s past.

The bell over the office door opened. Bobby and Gage swung their attentions that way to see Earl slip inside. He raised a hand in greeting as he meticulously wiped his feet on the mat.

Gage waved him in as he dialed the phone. Bobby went back to her conversation, knowing Earl would wait until he had their attention to talk.

“Exactly how long have you been bodyguarding my sister, Mr. Bulldog?” she asked.

“It’s just Bulldog. He’s been working with me at the hospital two weeks, Bobby,” Dylan said irritation in her voice. “I just called you because I told Chloe I was going to first thing this morning. Bulldog and I were up until two last night with the cops. I need to get some more sleep. Just wanted you not to worry. Please promise me you won’t worry. If anything happened to you or the baby because I told you this—”

The catch in her sister the surgeon’s voice wrapped around Bobby’s heart. Bright, beautiful and tenderhearted, that was Dylan.

“I’m tougher than you think, little sister.” Bobby patted her tummy. Everything felt just fine, well, except for the worry and anger for Chloe coursing through her. No need to tell Dylan that, though. “The baby and I are just fine. You get some sleep. Since you have your own bodyguard I won’t worry about you today.”

“Love you, sis,” Dylan said.

“Love you, too, sweetie…and Bulldog?”

“Yes, ma’am?” he answered, and Bobby swore she heard a smile over the phone.

“Anything happens to her, I’m holding you responsible.”

“I understand.”

“Good. Get some rest, you two,” she said, finally ending the call.

“Wes, this is Gage. You still want a job here, you call me back ASAP,” her husband growled into the phone, then dropped it onto his desk. He glared at it, then focused his attention on her. “What the hell was he thinking, keeping this from us?”

As much as she wanted to give into her anger, too, she knew Wes had good intentions. “Think about it, sweetheart. Chloe didn’t tell us probably because of the wedding. Wes figured it out since he was the one spending so much time with her those few days. Then the wedding happened. You and I left for our honeymoon. Then something happened and rather than worry us with the news the moment we got back in town, Wes decided to see what he could do. Then the blizzard hit.”

Gage leaned back in his chair. “You’re telling me you’re not pissed about this?”

“I didn’t say that. I understand the timeline of events have kept Wes from telling us what was going on. I’m angry, too, just not at Wes.”

“You’re mad at your sister.” It wasn’t a question.

“Of course I am. This whole thing didn’t just pop up. Certainly not this week, and not three weeks ago before the wedding. I’ve talked with her almost daily her whole life. This, this stalker has been in her life a lot longer than a few weeks. This is just like Chloe.”

“Uhm, Sheriff?” Earl said, standing between their desks.

“Just a minute, Earl,” Gage shifting sideways in his chair. “What do you mean it’s just like Chloe? Does she often have stalkers?”

Bobby pressed her lips together, shooting him a don’t-be-ridiculous look. “Of course not. No, she simply has always been so blasted independent. Used to drive me crazy when she was a teenager.”

“So, your sister should be held accountable for not letting anyone know some crazy person is stalking her, but Wes, a supposed trained law enforcement agent, isn’t?”

“Mrs. Deputy?” Earl interrupted their discussion again.

“We’ll be right with you, Earl.” Bobby smiled at the man and his sweet new title for her, but she wasn’t done making her point to her spouse. “What I’m saying is, it isn’t out of character for Chloe to try to hide something from me if she thought it would worry me. Whereas, whatever happened this week to put my sister further in harm’s way, Wes—trained law enforcement agent,” she threw his words back at him, “recognized the need to remove my sister to a place of safety.”