Harlequin Romantic Suspense April 2021 by Karen Whiddon (good e books to read txt) 📗

Micha didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Of course I do.”

As if he’d expected that answer, Jones nodded. “Then I strongly suggest you do what you can to get her to go somewhere safe until this is over. With or without you.” Then Jones got into his car and started it, driving away without waiting for Micha’s response.

* * *

After stopping by the kitchen to grab a handful of dog treats, Carly walked quietly into her bedroom. She could see the shine of Bridget’s eyes from her spot under the bed. Carly sat down on the floor, making no move toward the still-terrified animal, and simply began to speak softly to her. She repeated the same words and phrases, even though the dog most likely didn’t understand them, telling her over and over again that she was safe, she was loved and everything would be all right.

She placed a dog treat in the space between her and the bed, where Bridget could see it, and continued talking. Eventually, as Carly had expected she might, the dog inched closer, her nose twitching.

Careful not to make any sudden moves, Carly placed another dog treat on the floor, closer to her this time. After Bridget scarfed down the first one, she came all the way out from under the bed, got the second and crawled into Carly’s lap.

Carly gathered her close, still crooning, and stroked her silky fur. At first, the dog trembled, but eventually even that stopped.

The front door opened, which meant Micha had returned from his chat with her younger brother. At the sound, Bridget stiffened and raised her head. “It’s just Micha,” Carly told her, hoping her new pet understood. When the dog gave a quick thump of her tail, Carly thought she might.

When Micha appeared in the doorway, Bridget let out a low woof. More of a greeting than a warning. Micha got down on his haunches and Bridget wiggled her way over to him on her belly. “Such a good girl,” he said, scratching Bridget behind the ears. He glanced at Carly over the dog’s head. “Still okay?”

She nodded. “Still okay.”

“Do you need help getting up?”

“No, I’m good.” Though she felt stiff, Carly climbed to her feet. “Is everything all right with you and Jones?”

“Sure.” Micha rose, too, beckoning her to follow. “He didn’t read me the riot act, if that’s what you’re asking. He just asked me to try to talk you into staying somewhere else until this mess is figured out. Which you have to admit does make sense.”

They’d reached the kitchen. Bridget went immediately for her water bowl. Carly eyed Micha, trying to think. “Both the car exploding and having my house shot at are terrifying,” she admitted. “But I hate to let some crazy person drive me out of my own home. Plus, where would I go? I don’t want to stay with Heath or Jones. You live in a hotel. And my dog needs an outdoor space like I have here.”

“I could rent a place,” he offered, dragging his hands through his longish, wavy brown hair. Two years ago, he’d worn it short, in a military cut. She liked it better this way, she thought. The longer cut made him look sexy, almost roguish. More like a pirate than a soldier. Though bad boys had never been her type, Micha made her want to change her mind.

Mouth dry, she tried to force her thoughts back on track. “Rent a place?”

“One of the ones we were going to go look at,” he continued. “That way you’d still be close to work.”

Leaning against her kitchen counter, she crossed her arms. “And then what happens if this crazy person finds us again? If he’s staking out my job, all he has to do is follow us. Once he knows about your new Jeep, that could be a target, too. We’d have to keep moving, which isn’t possible right now. I have a job I love, my first dog and family here. This is our home. We can’t keep living our lives on the run.”

She caught her breath as she realized she’d said us and we and our rather than simply herself. She’d included him in her future, as if she already decided he’d be there. The realization made her stomach do a somersault.

If Micha noticed he gave no sign. “That’s a valid point,” he agreed. “Still, until they catch this guy, there’s got to be something we can do.”

“Precautionary measures?” She was good at those, mostly because she had to be as a nurse. “I’ve already started on some. As I said, I’m planning on hiring an alarm company to put in a monitored alarm with outside video cameras. Tomorrow I’ll call a glass company and get that window replaced. And I’ll get that garage cleaned out on my next day off, so we can park our vehicles inside.”

Gaze serious, he studied her. Her heart skipped a beat at the heat in his eyes. “Are you sure you want me hanging around? What if this person is after me instead of you? My presence here will only endanger your life.”

All this back and forth exhausted her. He needed to take a stance and stick with it. “I’ll leave that up to you,” she finally told him. “If you don’t want to face this as a team, I get it. If you go, I can handle it.” She lifted her chin. “I’m used to being on my own.”

“Ouch.” He winced. “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me.”

“Then you have quite the conundrum,” she drawled, refusing to give in to the sudden, sharp urge to beg him to stay. Never again, not after he’d disappeared and allowed her to believe him dead. She still couldn’t wrap her head around his decision not to make contact. If the situation had been reversed, she would have moved heaven and earth to make her way back to his