“Thanks,” she said and looked up at him again, her gaze was as soft as a caress. “I seem to be thanking you a lot lately.”

  “No thanks needed.” His eyes clung to hers, not wanting to break away, but he forced himself to pull free. “Wait here. I’ll go get the car.”

  He rushed outside and jogged to his car, letting the cold air wash away the emotions she’d brought to the surface. He had to stop this. He couldn’t let a simple thank-you make him go all weak in the knees.

  He pulled the car under the hospital awning, and before he could open the door, Kat was climbing in. She slid in slowly and with great care, a pained expression on her face that helped douse any positive feelings he had.

  All of this was his fault. He’d let a killer get close to her, and he had to live with the thought that she was hurting because he’d failed her.

  “You get any pain meds?” he asked as he put the car in gear and headed for the exit.

  “I have a prescription, but pain meds always make me sleepy so I’m not going to take any.”

  “We should get it filled for tonight, though, or you may not sleep well.”

  “I guess. If we have time.”

  They had time. Plenty of time to make sure she got a good night’s sleep. They were at a hospital so there had to be a pharmacy nearby. He merged onto the main road, making sure they weren’t followed and searched the strip malls for a drug store.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “First the pain meds.”

  “That can wait.”

  “It can, but I won’t let it.” His words came out more forceful than he wanted, but he’d let her get hurt and was going to do the only thing he knew to make it better. At least physically better for her.

  She eyed him up for a long moment then seemed resolved to do as he wanted. “Then where?”

  “I thought you might like to stop by your place to pick up some clothes for tomorrow.” His tone was free from the guilt and deception eating at his gut, but he couldn’t look at her. If he told her that her family was waiting for them, he knew she’d figure out a way to avoid going to her house. Besides, he wasn’t exactly lying about the reason for going there. He was just omitting the fact that her whole family would be waiting for them.

  Right, Elliot. Keep telling yourself that and maybe you’ll believe it.

  “What I’d like to do,” she said, shifting on the seat and looking out her window, “is to go back to Nancy’s house and search the files.”

  “Tommy’s got that covered.” He made sure she knew this wasn’t optional.

  Her stomach grumbled. She laughed and glanced at him. “Guess what I really need is something to eat. I can rustle something up at my house.”

  He gave her a sincere smile. Sincere, anyway, in that he was glad they’d moved past his half-truths. “Any particular pharmacy you use?”

  “I rarely get prescriptions filled so it doesn’t matter.” Her focus was on the window again.

  He spotted a chain drugstore down the street. “How about the one on the corner?”

  She looked ahead. “Yeah, sure. It’ll work.”

  He flipped on his blinkers and maneuvered into the turn lane. She was still looking out her window as he pulled into the parking lot.

  “Something interesting out there?”

  “Just making sure no one followed us from the hospital.”

  “Once a cop, always a cop,” he said, and she nodded.

  “You can wait out here if you want.” She opened the door and climbed out.

  “Wait,” he said as the door slammed.

  She hadn’t learned anything from the shooting and apparently, she didn’t remember the agreement they’d made on Nancy’s porch.

  He jumped out and caught up to her. “I guess you’ve already forgotten that promise to stay by my side.”

  “Relax. I will when it’s necessary. But I made sure we weren’t followed and it’s a random stop. No one could know we were coming here.” For a long moment, she looked up at him, then turned and entered the store.

  He hated to admit it, but she had a point. Still, the shooting had scared him too much to let his guard down at all. He could have lost her before he really got to know her, and at this moment, never really knowing her seemed like the worst thing that could happen in his life.

  * * *

  Prescription in hand, Kat shifted into a comfortable position in the front seat of Mitch’s car and glanced at him. He hadn’t spoken to her since they’d entered the pharmacy. He’d called Tommy to check the progress in locating Nathan’s threat file. They’d also talked about investigating Nancy’s client list and the source of the propofol. She guessed from hearing Mitch’s side of the conversation that Tommy had nothing new to report. Not that Mitch felt a need to fill her in. After he’d hung up, he’d sat stoically next to her until she claimed the prescription and then he’d quietly held the door for her when they’d left.

  As they’d traveled toward her town house, she’d tried to keep the mood light and make sure he knew she’d be fine just as Tommy suggested, but something was eating at Mitch. The uncomfortable silence was starting to bother her and she couldn’t keep quiet.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked lightly.

  “You mean other than the fact that I let someone shoot you on my watch?” His voice was low and tormented, and he didn’t look at her. “Yeah, it’s peachy.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.” She stared at him until he looked at her. His face was tense and drawn, and she felt an overwhelming desire to make him feel better. She touched his arm. He winced and she pulled back. “You’re hurt. You should have had it looked at.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think ‘nothing’ would make you wince.”

  “I’m good, Kat.”

  “You’d tell me if you weren’t?’

  He laughed and the tension in the space seemed to lighten. “Probably not.”

  She held her hand over his forearm. “Is it safe to touch you here?”

  He nodded, letting his eyes meet hers. She saw the heartrending tenderness in his gaze. She was overcome with gratitude for all he’d done and all that he would do until this case was resolved. “I am forever in your debt for risking your life and for being here for me. I don’t know how I would have gotten through any of this without you.”

  The warmth fled from his eyes, and the tensing of his jaw further cemented his changed demeanor.

  “What did I say?” she asked.

  His face clouded with apprehension. “I hope you know that I wouldn’t do anything I didn’t think was in your best interest.”

  He’d said the same thing yesterday then refused to let her go home last night. She felt unease welling up inside. “What have you done?”

  He pointed out the front window. She saw cars parked outside her town house. Family cars. Justice Agency vehicles.

  “You called them.” She flashed her gaze up to him. “How could you?”

  “We can’t do this alone anymore, Kat. The department doesn’t have the resources needed to work this case and protect you, too. We need help.”

  “No.”

  “I’m afraid there’s no choice.” He pulled to the curb.

  She wanted to bolt, but not before she set him straight on this. “Of course there’s a choice.” She saw Cole storm out of the house so she rushed on before he interrupted them. “Or at least there was a choice before you called them behind my back and took it away from me.”

  “I’m sorry, Kat,” he said, his voice sincere and racked with guilt.

  But what difference did that make? Her father had been sorry, too. Each time he beat her mother, he’d begged for forgiveness. And she’d given it. Then he’d gone right back to taking away all of her choices in life. Telling her what to do. Stifling her. Controlling her. And now Mitch wanted to do the same thing.

  Cole ripped open her door and glared down on her. “What were you thinking not telling us about any of this?”

  She eased out of the car, but didn’t have the strength to answer.

  “Are you okay?” He searched her from head to toe, and she nodded, feeling guilty for not telling him what was going on. Maybe she’d been doing a little bit of controlling others, too. But that was different. It was motivated by love.

  He swept her into a gentle hug. “Man, Kat, you scared us all to death.”

  She felt him shudder, and guilt—this time over making them worry about her—brought tears to her eyes. She loved her family and didn’t ever want to hurt them. “I’m sorry, Cole. I just didn’t want this killer anywhere near all of you.”

  He leaned back and scolded her with his gaze. “What are we gonna do about you, Kat?” he said fondly. “Our little worrier and protector.”

  “We could start by getting her inside,” Mitch offered, and Cole scowled at him.

  “He’s right, Cole,” she said, surprised she was taking Mitch’s side in anything.

  They headed up the walk and into the town house. She spotted Dani first who gave her an apologetic smile. Then she saw Dani’s twin, Derrick, who resembled his sister except he wore a scowl much like Cole’s. She was thankful Ethan was off on his honeymoon with Jennie or there’d be three strong men giving her surly looks. Make that four as Mitch joined them.

  “Leave her alone, guys.” Dani crossed the room and put a protective arm around Kat. “She’s had enough to deal with without looking at all your grumpy mugs.” She smiled at Kat. “Let’s go up and pack your things while these guys hash out logistics.”

  Kat let Dani lead her to the stairs. She felt all three sets of eyes on her so she stiffened her back and climbed the steps. In her room, she crumpled on the bed in exhaustion.

  “You don’t look so hot.” Dani joined her.

  “I’ll be okay.” Kat squeezed her sister’s hand. “What about you? They didn’t give you any grief did they?”

  “All they know is what I told them the other day. They don’t know that I spent the night with you last night.”

  “I won’t tell them.”

  “Better coming from us now. You know it’ll come out anyway.”

  Kat hugged her little sister. “I just don’t want them to be mad at you.”

  “Please. I’ve survived as the youngest female in the family for years now. I can hold my own.” She got up and went to the closet. “So what do you want to pack?”

  “It doesn’t much matter.”

  She spun. “Are you kidding me? You want to look your best around Mitch, don’t you?”

  She groaned as Dani went back to the topic she’d badgered Kat with last night at Mitch’s house. “For the last time, Dani, I’m not looking for a relationship.”

  “Ah, but it’s looking for you.”

  “If you’re intimating that Mitch is interested in me, I don’t care. He is the bossiest man I know. He makes Ethan look like a softy.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Dani said, sliding hangers along the pole.

  “You’re not even listening to me.”

  “Yes, I am.” Dani pulled out a vibrant red dress that Kat had worn to a formal awards banquet. “This will do nicely.”

  Kat snorted and got up. “Like I’d wear that slinky dress to investigate a murder.”

  “Well, at least I got you over here to choose your own things, now, didn’t I?”

  Kat gave her sister a playful sock in the arm, and Dani slipped it around Kat’s shoulder. “Don’t ever get shot again, Kat. I can survive in an all-male family, but I sure don’t want to.” Her tone was filled with humor but tears welled in her eyes.

  “Not to worry, Squirt,” Kat said with a smile in her voice. “I don’t plan on letting this killer get that close to me again.”

  She put the red dress back into the closet and selected more practical clothes that Dani then packed into an overnight bag.

  “I need to grab a few things from the bathroom.” She went down the hallway to the only bathroom in the two-bedroom town house.

  The scent of a man’s cologne stopped her dead in her tracks. This was the same fragrance the killer wore. The same cloying, sickly scent that had overpowered her as he’d tried to stab a needle into her arm.

  She drew her weapon and backed out, moving quietly down the hall to the spare bedroom. She put one foot in front of the other as her heart tripped at a fast rate.

  His nauseating scent didn’t linger in the air in here, but she wasn’t taking any chances. She cautiously approached the closet door and whipped it open.

  Empty.

  She searched behind the door and under the bed.

  No one.

  With her family downstairs, he couldn’t be down there. He was gone.

  The curtain fluttered and she went to the window for the first time realizing it was cold in here. The window was open behind the blinds, the screen knocked out. She leaned out. He must have been in the house when her family arrived and shimmied down the thick drainpipe, then dropped onto the roof of the back porch to escape.

  Careful to disturb as little evidence as possible, she went back down the hall to get her bag. She didn’t want to tell anyone that he’d been here, but she had no choice. If she wanted to stay alive, she had to share with the family that the killer had gotten closer and even more personal. And for the first time, she was starting to fear he just might succeed in his quest to end her life.

  EIGHT

  Mitch looked at Kat’s brothers. They were angry. Both of them. Cole had his arms crossed and legs planted wide. A hard scowl lurked beneath end-of-the-day stubble, and he ran a hand through hair that could use a trim. The younger brother was less intimidating. He was taller and leaner, but with the way his T-shirt fit, Mitch knew there would be power in his fist if he decided to aim one his way.

  His best bet was to get them to focus on protecting Kat and maybe that would diffuse their anger at him for failing to involve them before their sister was shot. “I could use your help investigating Nathan Bodig’s clients. Nancy’s list, too. It would speed up the investigation.”

  “We can do that,” Derrick offered. “In fact, we’ll take over everything related to Kat and you can be on your way.” He resumed glaring.

  “Look,” Mitch said, feeling as if he was talking to a brick wall. “We all have the same goal here. To catch this killer so he can’t hurt Kat again. Glaring at me like this or trying to cut me out isn’t going to make that any easier.”

  “She could’ve died,” Cole said matter-of-factly.

  “Don’t you think I know that?” Mitch’s voice rose, and he felt the fear from the afternoon return. “I’d never want Kat to get hurt. Never.”

  Cole raised a brow and appraised Mitch with ice-blue eyes. “You care about her, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” Mitch admitted and hoped they wouldn’t ask what his intentions were, as he hadn’t a clue, and he didn’t want to make the two of them madder.

  Cole looked at Derrick and the younger brother gave a clipped nod. “Then I guess we can work together on this.”

  “Just to clarify,” Mitch said and met their gazes one at a time. “I’m officially in charge of this case, and I’m simply asking for your help. I’ll have the final say on any plans involving Kat’s safety.”

  “We’ll play it by ear,” Cole said.

  “This isn’t negotiable,” Mitch warned.

  “Fine,” Cole said, but his focus had drifted to Kat and Dani coming down the stairs.

  Mitch wondered if this agreement was because he didn’t want to argue in front of Kat or if Cole really would keep his word. Mitch would need to be alert to make sure Cole didn’t try to outmaneuver him.

  He turned his attention to the sisters and instantly knew from Kat’s tight expression that something had happened upstairs. He met her at the bottom of the stairs. “What is it? What happened?”

  “He was here.”

  “Who? The killer?”

  She nodded, but looked at her brothers. “I smelled his cologne in the bathroom. I cleared the upstairs and found the window in the spare bedroom open. He must have been here when you all arrived then bailed out the window.” She sounded calm and collected, but he saw her hand tremble.

  That now-familiar urge to comfort her rose up, but after what she’d said about trying to prove herself while working with her brothers, he didn’t want to make her seem weak. Plus after calling in her family without her approval, he’d be lucky if she had a conversation with him again much less let him touch her.

  Cole drew his weapon and headed toward the back of the house. “I doubt he’s still here, but we can’t be too careful.”

  “I’ll get F.E.D. out here.” Mitch dialed the Forensics Evidence Division to arrange for a team to process her town house. Maybe they’d get luckier than they had with the fingerprints from Nancy’s house where Tommy still hadn’t hit on any prints.

  As he requested assistance, he heard Derrick questioning Kat. Her answers came out clipped and rapid like the bullets fired at her earlier. She was more upset than she let anyone know. He wondered if her siblings could tell how unsettled she was or if he was the only one who could read her so well. And he could read her.

  How had he gotten this close to her in just a few days?

  He hung up and felt his heart tighten at the pain dulling those amazing eyes. She’d been through so much, and he wanted to whisk her away somewhere safe. Lock her in a safe house and throw away the key.

  “We’re clear,” Cole announced as he came back into the room and holstered his weapon.

  “Perhaps it’s time to locate a safe house for Kat.” Mitch didn’t have the heart to look at her as he said it. He knew his suggestion would cause her additional pain and he didn’t want to see it.

  “No!” she said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “That might be a good idea, Kat,” Cole said, and Mitch glanced at her then.

  “I said no.” She looked so disappointed in him. “I’m not one of our helpless clients. I know how to protect myself.”

  “Like you did this afternoon?” The minute the words came out of his mouth Mitch wished he could take them back. She glared at him with such venom it felt like a slap across the face.