Chapter Two

They pulled into her building’s lot fifteen minutes later, and this time she purposely bailed out of the car before he could make it around to her side to open her door.

They were in the elevator before Leah turned to him and abruptly asked, “So, do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Think Robert’s car exploding was accidental?”

He held her gaze but remained silent.

She pressed the button for the fourth floor, and concentrated on the lights illuminating the panel, trying not to be drawn in by his presence.

At last, the doors opened, and she led the way down to her apartment. Leah rummaged for her keys as they walked, and she’d just pulled them out and stepped forward toward the lock when she found herself flung backward, and his strong, wide frame blocking her view.

“What the...” she started to say, but Fuller softly said, “It’s already open. Stay out here.”

She watched, partly fascinated and partly uneasy as he silently drew his weapon, then eased the door all the way open and slipped inside.

Leah realized what he was doing, and also realized that the direct line of sight from her front door was probably not the wisest place to be, so she stepped to the left, leaning her back against the hallway just beside the door.

Although he’d caught her completely off guard, she managed not to jump and yelp when his head suddenly appeared through the open doorway and he said, “All clear. Come on in but watch your step.”

“Watch my step? That’s just dumb! Why would I need to…?”

Leah’s questions trailed off and she began to shake as she took in the view.

A malevolent force had ripped her and Shannon’s apartment to shreds. Everywhere she looked, something was smashed, broken, or otherwise vandalized. Immediately inside and to her left, all the kitchen cabinets were flung open, with broken dishes, spices, and cans and boxes littering the floor.

Four steps further in was the living room, where it looked like the overstuffed couch and recliner had simply erupted. Every single part of them had been slashed open and stuffing strewn everywhere. The entertainment center had been knocked over completely, breaking the TV screen as it fell, and their meager DVD collection lay scattered around the room.

She moved swiftly through the living room, picking her way around debris, then turned right to check out the bedrooms. They, too, had been torn to pieces; mattresses and pillows shredded, bureau drawers thrown haphazardly, closets rifled through.

I haven’t been gone that long, she realized, and went pale. An hour, maybe two, tops. If I hadn’t gotten the call from the hospital, I’d have been home watching TV when they broke in…

Get it together. Don’t lose it in front of the FBI man…

The idea of what might have been made her lightheaded, and she leaned against the hallway wall until it passed.

***

Leah’s mind reeled as she moved on autopilot back to the living room where Agent Fuller was on his phone reporting the break-in.

What happened here? Is anything salvageable? Our renters’ insurance will cover this, right? I hope?

She entered the living room as he finished his phone call with, “We’ll meet you there,” and disconnected, then looked at her.

“Is anything missing?” he asked sternly at just the wrong time and managed to push her buttons without even trying.

“Are you kidding me right now?”

She twirled around, gesturing like a model on a game show.

“Do you not see this? There are pieces of my couch everywhere!”

She scooped up handfuls of the stuffing material and shook them at him.

“Look at this place! I have no freaking idea what might be missing, because I’m too busy noticing that everything we own is destroyed!”

Two long strides were all it took, and he was in her personal space, hands on her upper arms, his jaw ticking with irritation. He pulled her so closely to him she had to lean her head back to maintain eye contact with him due to the seven-inch difference in height.

“Think, and focus. This is serious,” he told her as he brought his face within kissing distance of hers, his voice deadly calm in contrast to the raging storm in his eyes. “I need to know if anything is missing. Now.”

For a millisecond, she toyed with the idea of closing that small distance between them, but her intense attraction to him was overwhelmed by her indignation at being manhandled.

Leah saw red.

***

“Let. Me. GO,” Leah hissed between clenched teeth.

Fuller immediately released her and took a step back, not knowing whether to feel more surprised at her reaction, or guilty at his behavior.

“Miss Culverton, I’m so sorry,” he said tenderly, and meant it. “I should not have done that. Please forgive me.”

She stared at him silently.

“Can you please just take a look around, let me know if you notice something’s missing? Please? It’s important.”

“Fine,” she snapped, still trying to rein in her temper. She took a calming breath and began to focus on her surroundings.

“Now that you mention it, I don’t see either one of our laptops anywhere in this… mess. What is going on here?”

Fuller bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling at the sight of Leah, standing in the sea of ruin that once was a functional living room, with her hands on her hips like a tiny pixie warrior.

“I promise I will tell you more in just a little while,” he answered. “But we need to get back.”

“Wait a minute… This is all connected, isn’t it? The car exploding, and then this… none of this is random. Am I right?”

He stared at her.

“Fine, don’t tell me,” she huffed, turning to move to Shannon’s bedroom. “I’m gonna grab her some clothes.”

***

“Hey,” he called out, “pack enough for two weeks.”

That brought her right back, not only out into the living room, but standing toe to toe with him again.

“Why?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, then ran his hands through his hair in an obvious effort to align his patience level.

Good, she found herself thinking. Why should I be the only one sick of this crap?

“I swear I will explain everything,” he muttered. “The condensed version is, she’s not safe here, okay?”

“You think she’s a target,” Leah guessed, her eyes filling with concern.

His look was indecipherable.

“You’re not sending her off somewhere by herself. I’m going with her.”

“Oh, no you’re not.”

“I go where she goes,” Leah asserted, thrusting her chin out in defiance.

“That is so not happening.”

“Like hell it isn’t,” she snarled. “Hide and watch, mister. She’s gonna need me. She can’t reach the wounds on her back. Who’s gonna change out her bandages? You?”

And the pixie warrior crossed her arms firmly and tapped her foot as she awaited his answer.

***

Holy crap. She’s even more stubborn than me, he realized, and I honestly did not think that was even possible.

I kinda like it.

He sighed and relented, rolling his eyes at her as he muttered, “Fine. Go pack for both of you.”

“Thanks, that’s more like it,” she grinned, and started to saunter down the hall in victory.

“Miss Culverton? One more thing.”

“Yes?” she called back, her voice dripping with sugar.

“We don’t have a lot of time here.”

“You’re the boss, Agent Fuller,” she said with an undercurrent of giggle in her tone.

Which was ironic, since they both knew all too well that at the moment, he was the boss of precisely nothing.