Page 21 of Capture My Heart

With a grace as smooth as a snake, he stood. “Me too. I’ll walk out with you.”

“Thanks for the chivalry, but news flash, I’m a cop. I carry a gun. You don’t need to walk me to my car.” Her hand rested on her hip, inches from her hidden hip holster.

“Exactly. Did you ever think I might want you to protect me?”

She snorted. He was a charmer. “Fine. Come on then.”

They waved goodbye to the others, and he followed her out the door. She turned to head down the alley to where she’d parked in the back lot. The dark, windowless walls never bothered her before, but tonight, with the light of the moon casting shadows in the corners, she was acutely aware of Trey’s body behind her. She scanned over her shoulder as she usually did, fully aware of her surroundings, and caught him doing the same. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he had training. They exited the alley, but the lot was no better lit. The one streetlight was a half a block away, but with only a handful of cars left this time of night, she spotted her car right away. Her head swiveled, canvassing as she crossed to it.

A hand circled her upper arm. Instinct kicked in and her hand went for her weapon.

“Stop.” Trey’s command whispered in her ear. “I don’t think you had four flat tires when you came.”

“What?” She shook off his hand and looked at her vehicle. “Fuckin’ A.”

Trey nudged her back and moved to inspect her tires. He stuck his finger into the slice on the sidewall of the tire. “Someone didn’t want you to make it home tonight.”

Amy ran her hand through her hair and fought back a scream of frustration. First Gus, then the note, and now this. Icy dread washed down her back. She straightened her spine in reply. Someone was trying to scare her off. She was too mad to admit it might be working.

Rounding the car, glass crunched beneath her feet. The back window was shattered, only shards remained. She didn’t have to open the door to know her computer would be gone. “Damn it.”

She had a backup at home, but still. Her notes from Gus West’s interview, her thoughts and ideas about his case would be lost. Her hands clenched and released. Clenched and released. She wanted to pound someone.

“I didn’t think this was a bad part of town.”

Amy cocked a brow. Her hands flexed, but the concerned look Trey sent her—the same one she would have wiped off his face less than an hour ago—had her relaxing her fingers.

“It’s not. But crime can happen anywhere.” She wasn’t about to tell him about the case or the other incidents. She pulled out her phone and had her finger on the button, then she heard Trey say, “Siri, call 911.”

So much for getting to bed early. She kicked a rock as she paced the lot. No cameras. No neighbors. They would question the nearby homes and business for any leads, but she doubted they would dig up anything.

“The police are on their way.”

She dropped her head and glared at him with a you’re-an-idiot look.

He shrugged. “Okay, more cops are on their way.”

Chapter 5

The gym lights glowed bright when Trey opened the door for Amy. He didn’t pay any attention to them. Members used their keycards to gain after-hours access to the equipment. His hand hovered an inch from her low back. Electricity zipped between them, creating a gravitational pull. That and his innate need to comfort her, not that she would want that.

Amy gave off a pissed-off vibe that would scare off a charging bull. But somehow, he still wanted to stand between her and whatever evils chased her.

She glanced back at him, no weakness in sight.

He dropped his hand. The pull between them was strong, but his integrity was stronger.

His mind puzzled at the new turn of events of the evening as he followed Amy up the stairs to their apartments. Why would someone slash her tires? Was it a warning?

Scenarios circled in his head, none of them good.

Could it be related to his case? If Officer Larson was the corrupt cop, whoever she worked for might be giving her a not-so-subtle reminder to keep her mouth shut.

He hadn’t gained any useful intel from Brannon, Daniels, or Peterson tonight, but he’d filed away his first impressions he got from each of them. Those first impressions had saved his life before and he wouldn’t discount them.

Swenson made sure to invite him to the Independence Day party next week. He needed to build on the relationships with these officers. He planned this week to conduct his interviews with the prisoners involved with the corrupt cop in the past, but if he didn’t turn up something new, he would need to interview the officers sooner and blow his chances of gaining their trust and catching them with their guard down.

They turned down the hall, and Amy spoke over her shoulder. “Thanks for taking me home. I’d say I had a wonderful time, but trash duty was more fun.”