Under Duress. Meghan Carver
her home pleasing. When was the last time she had dusted? Had she left dishes in the sink that morning? Did she have enough coffee to offer him a cup?
She pinched her own leg to punish herself for even thinking such thoughts. Someone with Reid’s reputation would never be interested in the coziness and pleasures of home. Nor would she want him there. She and Lily were doing just fine by themselves.
She pointed to the next stoplight. “Turn left up there.”
“So what else can you tell me about Lily’s father?”
“I told you about all I know. The driver was never found, so we don’t know who hit his car. Lily came home with me after seeing her father at the hospital, and she’s been with me ever since.”
“So he didn’t die on impact?”
“No. She got to spend a little bit of time with him. It was good to say that goodbye, but bad to have to say it. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah. I do.”
A catch in his voice touched something deep inside Samantha. Even the tall, strong and quiet Reid Palmer had some difficulty with his background. Samantha checked their location. “In here, at the subdivision sign. I’m in the third house on the left.” Whatever more it was that was bothering him, she couldn’t dwell on that now. Probably never. She had a child to protect, her first priority.
Reid drove slowly, sweeping his gaze over the other houses and down the side streets. “What did her father do? For a living?”
“He was an accountant with that big manufacturing company on the north side of Indy. Why?”
“Just searching for information that might help us figure out who’s after you and Lily.”
Samantha sniffed. “I didn’t know a lot of the details, but accountant sounded like a pretty dreary job to me. I can’t imagine that has anything to do with our present difficulty.”
He idled past the house and turned right at the next street.
“Where are we going? You passed it.”
“I’m circling and double-checking.” He leaned forward and peered past her, in between the houses that backed onto hers. “There was only one car parked on the street, and no one was in it. I think we’re okay.”
Reid pulled up in the driveway and cut the headlights. Lily fidgeted in the backseat but stilled when he held up a hand. “We’ll sit here for a moment and check it out.”
The structure was cloaked in darkness, even more so with the thunder-boomers blotting out the nighttime stars. Samantha sat in the eerie silence and let her gaze dart around the yard. Everything seemed in place. Not a single flower appeared to be trampled, although she couldn’t see all the beds in the dark. “Looks fine to me,” she whispered in Reid’s direction.
“It doesn’t seem that anyone’s around, but it’s hard to tell from the exterior. Let’s go in, but be watchful and stay behind me.” He leaned over the steering wheel and pulled up his pant leg, retrieving the weapon from the holster fastened to his lower leg. “And keep it quiet. Not even a whisper.”
Lily lunged against the back of the seat. “I knew it! You do have a gun.” Her hoarse whisper whipped through Samantha’s hair.
“Whoa.” Samantha scooted to the edge of her seat near the door. She’d never been close to a gun before. “You have a gun?”
“Yeah. What police officer, even former, wouldn’t be armed?”
“You have a permit for that thing?”
“Of course. And in Indiana it’s called a license.”
Samantha tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear with a trembling hand. “Stay back, Lily. Let Mr. Palmer handle this.” She should have figured a former police officer would carry a weapon, but she hadn’t been prepared for her innocent ward’s sudden interest in firearms.
“I’m not going to touch it, Sam. And I know better than to stand in front of it. I just want to look at it...from here.” Samantha couldn’t quite tell in the darkness, but Lily probably executed a classic eye roll as only a ten-year-old could.
Reid swung his door open and motioned for Samantha and Lily to do the same. He slowly pushed it closed without latching it, and Samantha softly closed hers as well, grabbing Lily’s before the girl could slam it shut.
As they approached the door, Samantha uttered a prayer thanking the Lord for sending such a tall, broad-shouldered protector. She hated to put him in the line of fire, but at least he could fire back.
He nudged the butt of his gun against the door, and it swung open. Someone had been there for sure. There was no way she would leave the door hanging open when she went to work. Besides, she usually left through the garage. The front door was only opened when she or her sister, with whom she shared the condo, were expecting guests.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.