“You have to leave it for the cops, Shelby.”
She shook her head wildly, strands of her hair catching on the stubble on his jaw. “I don’t want to see proof that some pervert was in my apartment. In my bedroom.” Her voice cracked at the end, and her breath caught on a sob.
When her body trembled against him, his chest tightened as if squeezed in a vice. He turned her around in his arms and held her close while smoothing a hand over her snow-damp hair. She sagged against him, arms sliding under his suit coat to wind around his waist and hold on tight.
“You’re going to pack a bag and come home with me for now,” he said firmly. “I’ll call the police to check things out first thing in the morning.”
“He was watching,” she whispered, the words muffled against his shirt. “Whoever it was saw my dress and—”
“Shh.”
“He knows my nickname.”
Dev tightened his hold for a brief moment, then slid his hands to her bare shoulders to ease her back and see her face. The shimmer of moisture in her eyes had him steeling himself from pulling her close once more.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay?”
She swallowed hard, her brow furrowed as she nodded.
“Good. Let’s get your stuff and go.”
She gave him another nod while pulling her arms from around his waist. Her hand slid along the waistband of his dress pants, and all of a sudden her eyes widened as she jerked back a step. “Is that a gun?”
Knowing she’d felt the hard edge of his concealed carry holster with his 9mm Beretta, his hand automatically went to the weapon. “I have a permit.”
Her gaze rose to his. “Were you wearing that the whole day?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Never leave home without it.” After twelve years in the military, it was as much a part of him as his legs and arms. She’d dropped her gaze once more, and he gave her another moment before wind-milling his hand at the wrist. “Can we get moving here?”
She blinked, and gave a quick shake of her head. “Yeah. Sorry. It just surprised me, that’s all.”
After one last glance at his waistline, she crossed the floor to her open closet.
“Only touch what you need to,” he warned. “And use one of those tissues when you open your dresser drawers.”
She nodded silently while stuffing clothes into an overnight bag. He noticed her hand pause mid-reach for a red sweatshirt, then jerk away to grab a gray zip-up hoodie. Then she moved to the dresser and pulled out underwear and a bra. He refused to look too close at the black scraps she fisted in her hand.
Realizing she’d stilled, he saw her gaze shifting around the room. It locked on the mirror as she murmured, “I can’t think of what else I need to bring.”
Dev moved in front of her to block the words. “Shoes. And a toothbrush. I don’t think I have any extras.”
“Right.” She stuffed the underwear in her bag, added a pair of tennis shoes, and then made a quick detour to the bathroom. After she dumped a handful of items in her bag with her toothbrush, she zipped it shut. “That should be it.”
“I’d say you could change out of your dress before we go, but—”
“No, I just want out of here.”
Good. He hadn’t wanted to creep her out more by pointing out her stalker could’ve planted a hidden camera. After the police did their work, he’d be doing his own thorough sweep for any electronic devices.
“All right, let’s go.” He reached past her to grab her bag and caught the subtle lingering scent of her perfume. Forcing himself to focus, he swung the duffle’s strap over his shoulder and led the way out after she put her coat back on.
He didn’t have to tell her to stay close on their way to his truck, she was practically glued to his side as she shuffled along in a pair of slippers peeking out from beneath her dress. Knowing she had the tennis shoes in her bag, he didn’t bother pointing them out.
Dev tuned in to their surroundings, listening to his instincts, searching for that telltale prickle of hair on the back of his neck to signal danger in the dark. The whole world seemed muffled by the snowfall, and all remained quiet as they got in the truck. He lived about fifteen minutes away in a sprawling, wooded suburb, but he drove a meandering route that took closer to twenty-five minutes, keeping watch for any tailing headlights along the way.