Shielded In The Shadows

“An inability to stop looking at each other.”

Emma wanted to stand and walk out. Her muscles felt like mush. Maybe that was why her lips opened to give him an unequivocal “no” message and then her mouth just hung open.

“I’m not currently seeing anyone.” He dropped the information on her.

She nodded. “Good to know,” she said. And suddenly energized, was able to stand. To gather her things. She was going to get out of there without making a fool of herself.

Or be in any danger of losing her good sense. Of making another bad choice over a bad-boy character who would only be trouble in her life. She knew the ropes. Had climbed them and had the burns to prove it. Had left burns, which stung even more.

Emma waited for him at the door, pretending not to notice the wince he made as he stood. It was only good manners to hold the door for him, and to do so as they exited the building, too.

Drawing the line at opening his car door, she split from him as soon as they were outside.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he called as she crossed the parking lot away from him.

“I know,” she called back. Wanting to say more.

Before she gave in to the warmth pooling in places he had no business knowing about, she got into her car and locked the door.

Chapter 5

He’d made the offer. She’d declined. That should be the end of it. It would be, too, in terms of him ever again even hinting to Emma Martin that there could be something personal between him and her. A casual reference without pressure, when one had been mutually stared at, was fine.

Anything more than that and he crossed a line.

He could call her out for staring at him with that heat in her eyes.

Except that he’d kind of liked it.

And so it went with Jayden on Thursday morning. In the shower. Stepping out. He cringed as he dried off and contorted to get his shirt on without pulling on the muscles surrounding his ribs. He’d picked up the recommended wrap that would help reduce swelling and speed up healing but had declined the prescription pain meds. He’d been hurt a lot worse playing football in high school and still gone on the field.

There was no time for rest, either.

Leaving his shirt open, he put a slab of frozen packaged bacon on his chest while he made some toast and drank milk from the carton. The fewer dishes he had to do, the better. The fewer actions that required movement, the better. He’d woken himself up half a dozen times in the night, turning in his sleep. Or attempting to. Back to the recliner for him that night. He’d been dumb to insist on the bed the second evening out from having taken the hit.

He’d driven by Luke Lincoln’s place on the way home the ni

ght before. The man had been there. He’d stopped earlier in the day, too, to make sure there was no gun on the premises; it would be his first stop this morning. Another gun check. Jayden wasn’t just going to ask, he wanted to take a look around.

He’d be seeing Harold Wallace that morning, too. Wallace’s son was going to be arraigned. And then, after a couple of workplace checks, it was on to Bill Heber. He was going it solo, partially because he didn’t need backup, and partially because he didn’t want anyone else to know he was checking into Heber. Not unless he found something that gave him cause to report anything.

If evidence that implicated Bill turned up, he would report it. But until then, he wanted nothing to hinder Bill’s chances for successful reentry.

Luke, who’d done time for physical assault, among other things was at home. Wearing a bulletproof vest under the shirt tucked into his jeans, Jayden kept his expression serious and calm as he asked to enter.

Inside he was smiling; Luke was at home. The man hadn’t broken parole—at least not that he knew of. Success, even momentary, felt good.

“I need to come in,” he told the twenty-two-year-old who’d opened the door dressed only in a pair of flannel pants. “Is anyone else home?” Luke was living with his younger sister and boyfriend, both of whom had passed the home inspection stage before Luke’s release.

“No.” Luke stood back, his expression grim as he let Jayden inside.

Having Leon or other backup with him would have been the safest choice for this call. And would put Luke immediately on the defensive, which would have blown any chance Jayden had for establishing even a small bit of rapport with his least-trusted client.

As far as he knew, Luke hadn’t reoffended yet. And though he didn’t feel as positive about the young man’s potential for success as he had some others, he had to give Luke the chance to surprise him.

“I need to search the place,” Jayden said as he walked into a living room that had definitely been lived in. Warrantless searches had been a part of Luke’s parole stipulation, but if they hadn’t been, he had reasonable cause, which, as a probation officer, was all he needed.

Dirty plates and glasses sat on the coffee table. Three of them. As though that small family had shared a meal sometime recently.