sandwiches, bottled water and juice.
The cramped quarters and limited food options, however, meant nothing to her. The only thing Willa cared about right now was being as far away from Martin Shore as possible.
She watched as Brandon double-locked the door, and then he took out the codes that Sergeant Cash Newsome had given him so he could arm the security system.
“I suppose the windows and both the front and back doors are connected to the system?” she asked.
He nodded. “They are. There’s also an alarm that runs around the immediate perimeter of the house in case anyone attempts a break-in. It’s supposed to be safe.”
She nodded as well. Then swallowed hard. Because no place might be safe enough to protect them from Martin Shore. Or the people who might be planning another hostage situation.
Brandon turned slowly and faced her. “I don’t want us to sleep here inside the house.”
Willa had thought he was about to tell her to get some rest. Maybe even give her another reassurance that nothing else bad would happen. She hadn’t expected that from him. And her breath stalled in her throat.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
The question hit her almost as hard as his bomb-shell about not wanting to stay there. She automatically reached for the PDA in her bag. But Willa didn’t need to see his picture or the note she’d written to go along with it.
She remembered.
And what she remembered was that she thought she could trust him.
“What’s this about?” she wanted to know.
Brandon scrubbed his hand over his face. “You know I made several calls after I got off the phone with Sergeant Cash Newsome?”
Yes. He’d stepped to the other side of the room for those calls, and he’d whispered so she couldn’t hear. Willa figured he was discussing the therapy appointment that SAPD had made for her. An appointment that was supposed to happen at eight the following morning. Since it was already nine in the evening, that appointment wasn’t far off.
“Cash is an old army buddy, and while I trust him, I wanted someone outside of SAPD,” Brandon explained. “I contacted another old friend who runs a security company.”
“Is that the person who dropped you off the duffel bag?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Brandon had that particular bag slung over his shoulder, but he eased it off and set it on an over-stuffed fabric chair. “I asked him to bring me some supplies that I might need. I also asked him to see if he’s heard anything about a possible leak at SAPD.”
Her breath stalled again. Mercy, she hadn’t braced herself nearly enough for any of this. “What kind of leak?”
“The worst kind for us. A leak in communication. I don’t like the fact that SAPD’s intel told them that Shore wouldn’t attack you until tonight.”
She thought about that a moment, and the conclusion she came to caused her heart rate to spike. “You think someone tipped Shore off?”
Brandon shrugged. “I don’t want to believe it, but I also don’t want to put blind trust in people I don’t really know.”
Neither did she. “You don’t think Bo Duggan could have done this?”
“Not him. But I don’t know how many people in SAPD had access to the information about Shore.” He made a sweeping glance around the room. “Or this place.”
That didn’t steady her heart. Willa slid her hand over her stomach. “So, what should we do?”
Brandon didn’t answer immediately, and his forehead bunched up. “My friend sent me several portable security cameras and a monitor. I want to set the cameras up here, inside, but I want us to sleep in the car in the garage.”
She instantly thought of the grenade that Shore had tossed into her rental. “Shore could try to blow us up again.”
Brandon nodded. “He could. But I’ll keep watch on the monitor. And the cameras are motion-activated and will sound if they’re triggered. If anyone approaches the house, I can drive us out of here.” He reached out, touched
The cramped quarters and limited food options, however, meant nothing to her. The only thing Willa cared about right now was being as far away from Martin Shore as possible.
She watched as Brandon double-locked the door, and then he took out the codes that Sergeant Cash Newsome had given him so he could arm the security system.
“I suppose the windows and both the front and back doors are connected to the system?” she asked.
He nodded. “They are. There’s also an alarm that runs around the immediate perimeter of the house in case anyone attempts a break-in. It’s supposed to be safe.”
She nodded as well. Then swallowed hard. Because no place might be safe enough to protect them from Martin Shore. Or the people who might be planning another hostage situation.
Brandon turned slowly and faced her. “I don’t want us to sleep here inside the house.”
Willa had thought he was about to tell her to get some rest. Maybe even give her another reassurance that nothing else bad would happen. She hadn’t expected that from him. And her breath stalled in her throat.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
The question hit her almost as hard as his bomb-shell about not wanting to stay there. She automatically reached for the PDA in her bag. But Willa didn’t need to see his picture or the note she’d written to go along with it.
She remembered.
And what she remembered was that she thought she could trust him.
“What’s this about?” she wanted to know.
Brandon scrubbed his hand over his face. “You know I made several calls after I got off the phone with Sergeant Cash Newsome?”
Yes. He’d stepped to the other side of the room for those calls, and he’d whispered so she couldn’t hear. Willa figured he was discussing the therapy appointment that SAPD had made for her. An appointment that was supposed to happen at eight the following morning. Since it was already nine in the evening, that appointment wasn’t far off.
“Cash is an old army buddy, and while I trust him, I wanted someone outside of SAPD,” Brandon explained. “I contacted another old friend who runs a security company.”
“Is that the person who dropped you off the duffel bag?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Brandon had that particular bag slung over his shoulder, but he eased it off and set it on an over-stuffed fabric chair. “I asked him to bring me some supplies that I might need. I also asked him to see if he’s heard anything about a possible leak at SAPD.”
Her breath stalled again. Mercy, she hadn’t braced herself nearly enough for any of this. “What kind of leak?”
“The worst kind for us. A leak in communication. I don’t like the fact that SAPD’s intel told them that Shore wouldn’t attack you until tonight.”
She thought about that a moment, and the conclusion she came to caused her heart rate to spike. “You think someone tipped Shore off?”
Brandon shrugged. “I don’t want to believe it, but I also don’t want to put blind trust in people I don’t really know.”
Neither did she. “You don’t think Bo Duggan could have done this?”
“Not him. But I don’t know how many people in SAPD had access to the information about Shore.” He made a sweeping glance around the room. “Or this place.”
That didn’t steady her heart. Willa slid her hand over her stomach. “So, what should we do?”
Brandon didn’t answer immediately, and his forehead bunched up. “My friend sent me several portable security cameras and a monitor. I want to set the cameras up here, inside, but I want us to sleep in the car in the garage.”
She instantly thought of the grenade that Shore had tossed into her rental. “Shore could try to blow us up again.”
Brandon nodded. “He could. But I’ll keep watch on the monitor. And the cameras are motion-activated and will sound if they’re triggered. If anyone approaches the house, I can drive us out of here.” He reached out, touched
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