Danger Next Door (Red Stone Security Series) by Katie Reus Page A

protests. As he reached the front door it flew open. Carlito’s face was grim, making Grant’s heart seize. Travis had called him and told him Belle was okay, but his former partner looked like death. “What the fuck is it? Is she hurt?”
    “Nothing that won’t heal. Her jaw, shoulders and neck are bruised. Her feet are a little raw, but she’ll be fine. Physically anyway,” Carlito talked as they hurried through his house. “She scratched the guy though. Got enough to run his DNA.”
    Grant paused, sucking in a deep breath. That was actually good news even if he hated that the guy had been close enough for her to touch. Travis had told him a masked man—just like last night—had tried to drown Belle. In his pool. What the hell was going on? And why had Belle been outside in the first place?
    Sidestepping a paramedic walking through his back door, he scanned his backyard in seconds, quickly narrowing in on Belle. She sat with a giant blanket wrapped around her on one of his patio chairs. She was talking to Travis but her face was pale. When she saw him her eyes lit up. The sight was like a punch to the gut. She lifted a hand, half-waving, and her blanket fell open revealing that she was wearing a skimpy two-piece bathing suit. Okay, it was actually more than decent but he froze at all that skin.
    Next to him Carlito hissed in a breath but Grant ignored him. He didn’t have a claim on Belle. Stalking toward her, he stopped when he was right in front of her and kneeled down.
    “Why the fuck were you outside?” He cringed the moment he barked the question. She blanched as if he’d struck her and he wanted to kick his own ass. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong… How are you doing?”
    She took a shuddering breath and to his complete and utter surprise, lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her blanket sagged and before he could shoot Travis a beseeching look the other man had grabbed it and was holding it against her back. Belle mumbled nonsensical words as she started crying. Real, gut-wrenching tears. Shit. Carlito and Travis had both told him she’d been keeping it together. His heart ached at seeing her falling apart like this. Sweet, funny Belle in tears made him want to kill whoever had done this. Grant had always been in control of his emotions but right now he felt positively murderous.
    Lifting her up in his arms, he glanced around to find everyone staring at them. He wanted to shout at them to mind their own business but had a feeling that would upset Belle even more. Travis draped the blanket over her and Grant held onto it as best he could while holding her. He could barely understand what she was saying as she cried into his neck, but he was pretty sure she was apologizing. For what, he couldn’t imagine.
    He headed back for his house, only stopping to talk to Carlito and tell him to make sure everyone was gone as soon as possible. Considering the paramedic had left Belle he figured she wasn’t going to the hospital, but he needed to confirm it anyway. As he hurried up his stairs he asked, “Did they say anything about you needing to go to the hospital?”
    She shook her head almost violently and pulled back, her green eyes shimmering with tears. “I’m not going.” There was a bite of attitude in her words and he was glad.
    “They’ve taken the DNA from under your fingers, right?” he asked for clarification.
    When she nodded he figured that was all he was getting from her. Striding to his bedroom, he shut the door behind them and put her on her feet. She wrapped her arms around herself but she seemed steady enough to stand on her own.
    Grant nodded toward his open bathroom door. “I think you’ll feel better if you take a bath or a hot shower. Are you okay to start it on your own?”
    She just nodded again, her green eyes huge and terrified, her face an ashen gray and panic punched him in the chest. He wondered if she’d gone into shock. “Belle! You’ve got to give me