Duggan said they’d been looking at all the angles as to how to approach you, so they kept digging into your background. You aren’t close to anyone in your family, so they widened the search. And finally got to your medical records. They traced the donor number for your insemination, and that led them to me.”
“They knew you were a cop?” she asked.
“Not at first. But I think that ended up being a bonus for them.” It had certainly given the police captain carte blanche to press him into cooperating. “SAPD knew you wouldn’t welcome them with open arms, and they were desperate. They need your cooperation.”
“They need me to remember,” Willa corrected. “To remember what happened during the hostage situation so I can see if it relates to what might happen in another crisis. But I can’t remember. I’ve tried and I can’t.”
He lifted his shoulder. “That’s where I was supposed to come in. They want me to coax you into going through more therapy. You’ve already made so much progress. You said yourself that your short-term memory problems were over.”
“I lied.” She huffed and pushed her hair away from her face.
Brandon had to do a double take. “What?”
Willa dodged his gaze. “My memory’s not nearly as bad as it was right after my injury, but sometimes I still forget. That’s why I put your picture on my PDA.” Her gaze snapped back to him and she scowled. “I typed in my PDA that I thought I could trust you. I need to change that.”
“No. You don’t.”
Her scowl melted away, and tears sprang to her eyes. That’s when Brandon noticed that she was still trembling. From the attack, no doubt.
Even though it was a risk on many levels, he pulled her to him. Willa fought him, struggling to break the embrace, but Brandon held on.
“That’s my baby you’re carrying,” he reminded her. And in doing so, he reminded himself. “I’m not going to let you go through this alone.”
Willa likely had no clue as to what it took for him to say that. She pulled back slightly and, even though she was still blinking away tears, she looked up at him. Her breath broke and she melted against him.
“Nothing bad can happen to this baby,” she muttered through the sobs.
“It won’t.” Though it was a promise that would be hell to keep.
He touched his mouth to her forehead. Just a touch. But he felt the heat spear through him. Brandon definitely didn’t want to feel that heat, but he couldn’t deny it was there.
What the hell was wrong with him?
He wanted to believe the attraction existed because of the baby. Maybe some kind of primal DNA trigger so he’d feel compelled to protect the unborn child.
Brandon silently cursed.
This attraction didn’t have anything to do with the baby. He was attracted to Willa. Plain and simple. And that attraction could cause some big-time problems for both of them.
Thankfully, his phone rang because Brandon was ready for both a distraction and news. After he glanced at his caller ID, he figured he would at least get the latter.
The call was from Sergeant Cash Newsome, a cop in SAPD and someone Brandon had known for years. They’d both been in the army together and had done a tour of duty in the Middle East. Since Cash was also Bo Duggan’s right-hand man, Brandon hoped he would have an update about the lieutenant’s status.
“I heard you ran into Martin Shore,” Cash greeted.
“Literally,” Brandon confirmed. “How’s Bo?”
“It’s good news. He has a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the shoulder. He’ll be out of commission for a day or two, but he’ll make a full recovery.”
Brandon released the breath he’d been holding. “And what about Martin Shore?”
“Still no sign of him. We haven’t given up,” Cash quickly added. “We’re searching the area, going door to door. We won’t stop looking until we find him.”
They might get lucky, but Brandon had to be realistic. A hired gun that was gutsy enough to
“They knew you were a cop?” she asked.
“Not at first. But I think that ended up being a bonus for them.” It had certainly given the police captain carte blanche to press him into cooperating. “SAPD knew you wouldn’t welcome them with open arms, and they were desperate. They need your cooperation.”
“They need me to remember,” Willa corrected. “To remember what happened during the hostage situation so I can see if it relates to what might happen in another crisis. But I can’t remember. I’ve tried and I can’t.”
He lifted his shoulder. “That’s where I was supposed to come in. They want me to coax you into going through more therapy. You’ve already made so much progress. You said yourself that your short-term memory problems were over.”
“I lied.” She huffed and pushed her hair away from her face.
Brandon had to do a double take. “What?”
Willa dodged his gaze. “My memory’s not nearly as bad as it was right after my injury, but sometimes I still forget. That’s why I put your picture on my PDA.” Her gaze snapped back to him and she scowled. “I typed in my PDA that I thought I could trust you. I need to change that.”
“No. You don’t.”
Her scowl melted away, and tears sprang to her eyes. That’s when Brandon noticed that she was still trembling. From the attack, no doubt.
Even though it was a risk on many levels, he pulled her to him. Willa fought him, struggling to break the embrace, but Brandon held on.
“That’s my baby you’re carrying,” he reminded her. And in doing so, he reminded himself. “I’m not going to let you go through this alone.”
Willa likely had no clue as to what it took for him to say that. She pulled back slightly and, even though she was still blinking away tears, she looked up at him. Her breath broke and she melted against him.
“Nothing bad can happen to this baby,” she muttered through the sobs.
“It won’t.” Though it was a promise that would be hell to keep.
He touched his mouth to her forehead. Just a touch. But he felt the heat spear through him. Brandon definitely didn’t want to feel that heat, but he couldn’t deny it was there.
What the hell was wrong with him?
He wanted to believe the attraction existed because of the baby. Maybe some kind of primal DNA trigger so he’d feel compelled to protect the unborn child.
Brandon silently cursed.
This attraction didn’t have anything to do with the baby. He was attracted to Willa. Plain and simple. And that attraction could cause some big-time problems for both of them.
Thankfully, his phone rang because Brandon was ready for both a distraction and news. After he glanced at his caller ID, he figured he would at least get the latter.
The call was from Sergeant Cash Newsome, a cop in SAPD and someone Brandon had known for years. They’d both been in the army together and had done a tour of duty in the Middle East. Since Cash was also Bo Duggan’s right-hand man, Brandon hoped he would have an update about the lieutenant’s status.
“I heard you ran into Martin Shore,” Cash greeted.
“Literally,” Brandon confirmed. “How’s Bo?”
“It’s good news. He has a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the shoulder. He’ll be out of commission for a day or two, but he’ll make a full recovery.”
Brandon released the breath he’d been holding. “And what about Martin Shore?”
“Still no sign of him. We haven’t given up,” Cash quickly added. “We’re searching the area, going door to door. We won’t stop looking until we find him.”
They might get lucky, but Brandon had to be realistic. A hired gun that was gutsy enough to
Similar Books
