Deadly Silence (Blood Brothers #1)(17)

“I can protect you.” The words were determined and the tone absolute.

“If I needed protection, I’d call you.” She wasn’t stupid, for pete’s sake. “I got into the middle of a domestic situation, and my face was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” It was the truth. Speaking of which, she glanced at the time on her computer. Julie should be calling soon, so she needed to get Ryker out of her office. “I have to work.”

His gaze narrowed until she wanted to squirm. “Was the domestic situation part of a case you’re working on?”

“Yes.”

“Divorce?”

“Yes.” She unfolded her arms and reached for her warm coffee cup. “I can’t discuss a case with you, and you know it. Privilege applies.”

“Hire me as a consultant again. Then privilege extends to me.” He glanced at the stack of files on her desk.

She fought the urge to put her hand over the files. “I don’t need a private investigator on the case, but thank you.” What she needed was for him to get out of her office so she could breathe again. He was throwing her off balance, and she had to be quick on her feet today. “I believe you have your own cases to worry about. We’re finished now.”

“No. We are nowhere near finished.” He stood. “I’m glad you’re not in danger, and that definitely eases my mind. However, I still want the name of the guy who hit you.”

“Why?” she snapped.

Ryker’s eyebrows drew down. “So I can beat the ever livin’ shit out of him, darlin’, and make sure it never happens again. Anybody who’d hit you is a bully, and a bully needs to be knocked down completely so he doesn’t do it again. That’s what happens now.”

His tone spoke of knowledge and old hurts. How could he be so calm talking about hitting people? “That’s illegal, Ryker. I’m not in danger and don’t need defending, so if you go batter some moron, you’ll end up in jail.”

“I don’t think he’ll press charges,” Ryker drawled.

Yeah, Mayor Jay Pentley was exactly the type of guy who’d press charges. “You going after this guy would get me into trouble, so it can’t happen.” Although somebody should beat the heck out of Jay, considering he’d been smacking his wife around for years.

“How?”

“Can’t tell you.”

“Won’t tell me.” Ryker stood by the door. “You’re forgetting what I do for a living.”

She wiped a hand across her eyes. “Ryker, I’m asking you to leave this alone.” He was the best at what he did, and he’d discover every little secret she had if he set his mind to it. Why was he acting like they were more than they were? Was it just ego? “Please. I took care of the situation.”

“How?”

She huffed and tried to keep from yelling at him. “I kicked the bastard in the balls and ran.” After getting Julie Pentley into the car and to safety.

Ryker’s lips twitched. “Actually not the most effective move, and we’ll work on that later. What I don’t understand is that if this guy hit you, and he’s on the other side of a domestic case, why not use that information in the divorce? Why not get his ass arrested and help your client in the process?”

“You’re right. You don’t understand. So let it go.” Ryker would have it figured out by dinnertime if she didn’t get him to back off. She stood and moved around the desk toward the door. “It has been good to see you, but after last night, I think we should cool things a little.” She reached for the doorknob.

His hand enfolded hers. “You don’t like our relationship being taken out of the little box where you put it, now, do you?”

Heat from his body washed over her, but she lifted her head to meet his gaze. “We don’t have a relationship.”

He smiled then, and the curve of his lips held more determination than amusement. “I’m not letting you run, and I’m certainly not letting you hide, baby. Although neither of us has been in this for the long haul, I’m staying in Wyoming for the moment. The first thing that’s going to happen is I’m going to figure out who dared put a hand on you and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

For the first time, she saw a side of him that gave her true pause. In the long haul, he’d be unbearably possessive. Why did that give her an intriguing sense of safety? “Knock it off,” she snapped in his face. “Get out of my business.”

That quickly, she found her back against the door and her front pinned by hard male. His hands planted on either side of her neck, his thumbs at her jaw, forcing her to look at him. “Something you need to understand and pretty damn quick is that your business is my business right now.” His thumb swept up and over the offensive bruise on her face.

“Step back.” Her voice trembled.

He ignored the very calm order. “No. You don’t want to tell me who did this? Fine. I’ll find out on my own, and I’ll have the name by the time I pick you up for supper. What you don’t want to do is deal with him or his case until I have that name. Kicking him in the balls might’ve just pissed him off more, and now you’ve let a bully stew on it for a while, which might be dangerous for you. Got it?”

“You have no right to interfere,” she whispered.