cup of coffee.
Hell, his own gut told him the same thing. He and Harry shared a look, and he shook his head when Harry offered him a cup of muddy coffee.
Harry frowned. “She seems pretty damned certain that this isn't a copycat.”
Crispin nodded, agreeing with him. “She is, and I'm starting to agree with her. Face facts. The Feds screwed up last time around.”
“Don't tell me you're starting to believe that psychic shit too,” Harry said with a raised brow.
Crispin let out a deep breath, trying to put his mixed feelings into focus. “Let's say I've moved to nonjudgmental.”
“Who says I'm judgmental?” Harry asked with a frown.
“You and I both have been known to go with our guts. She has a feeling. Same difference,” Crispin said refusing to back down.
Harry let that pass and shook his head. “What the hell did you think you were doing springing her from the hospital? She would have had protection there.”
Crispin tensed. “Shit, is that what the Chicago PD said?”
“Close enough.”
“She wanted me to take her with me and thought the killer would come back to get her. I put it down to hysteria and walked away, but didn't get far. Something she said brought me back to her. I went back to talk to her, she was gone. The nurse found her IV pole in the back stairway. She pulled it out herself and took off.”
Harry winced. “That took a lot of guts. Something must have scared her plenty.”
“She thought he was coming for her, said she felt him and saw him.”
“Felt him?” Harry asked.
“Yeah,” Crispin's gut twisted when he thought about how close he'd come to losing her. “Anyhow, she got the hell out of there. After I talked to the cop, I took off looking for her. I found her in the parking lot just as some big black SUV driving with its lights off tried to run her down.”
“So it wasn't just her imagination,” Harry said.
Crispin nodded. “There is one other possibility. She fired her manager while I was in her hospital room, and he was pissed. I think one of them tried to run her down.”
“And you took her home to keep her safe.”
He shrugged. They'd done a lot more than that, and Harry knew it. “It's personal. She's mine, and I'm keeping her.”
“You think that's wise?”
“Maybe not, but it's a fact.”
“Take her out of here and keep her safe. I'll do what I can on my end, but I won't be able to keep this off the radar for long.”
Chapter Six
Haley's stress level dropped several notches when Crispin escorted her into the Coffee Cup Café. He'd taken her to a discount store after her ordeal at the FBI, and she was wearing a pretty sundress and sandals that he'd helped her pick out. She hadn't wanted Crispin to spend too much on her, but he'd seemed to enjoy dressing her like his personal dress-up doll. The naughty part was that she was still wearing his knit boxer shorts because he'd promised to take her to a sexy lingerie store after lunch. She was almost too excited to eat, but as they walked into a casual diner she'd enjoyed in her past life, she hung on to Crispin's hand and smiled.
Even though he didn't know the truth about her identity, he seemed to pick up on her likes, dislikes, and emotions. When he slid into the booth alongside her, she gave him a startled look and eased over to make space for him. The hostess gave them an indulgent “isn't that cute?” smile, and Haley blushed in reaction. He was acting like a very possessive boyfriend, and she loved it, even though it embarrassed her a little. Then she saw him cast a watchful look around the room and sighed as she realized the real reason he was keeping her so close. He was watching the room for danger. She would have been doing the same for him if her mind had been fully on the mission. It would have been if she weren't so besotted by the hunk pressed tight to her side.
Heat rushed through her as his thigh pressed hers, a little tighter than necessary, and she watched his wicked
Hell, his own gut told him the same thing. He and Harry shared a look, and he shook his head when Harry offered him a cup of muddy coffee.
Harry frowned. “She seems pretty damned certain that this isn't a copycat.”
Crispin nodded, agreeing with him. “She is, and I'm starting to agree with her. Face facts. The Feds screwed up last time around.”
“Don't tell me you're starting to believe that psychic shit too,” Harry said with a raised brow.
Crispin let out a deep breath, trying to put his mixed feelings into focus. “Let's say I've moved to nonjudgmental.”
“Who says I'm judgmental?” Harry asked with a frown.
“You and I both have been known to go with our guts. She has a feeling. Same difference,” Crispin said refusing to back down.
Harry let that pass and shook his head. “What the hell did you think you were doing springing her from the hospital? She would have had protection there.”
Crispin tensed. “Shit, is that what the Chicago PD said?”
“Close enough.”
“She wanted me to take her with me and thought the killer would come back to get her. I put it down to hysteria and walked away, but didn't get far. Something she said brought me back to her. I went back to talk to her, she was gone. The nurse found her IV pole in the back stairway. She pulled it out herself and took off.”
Harry winced. “That took a lot of guts. Something must have scared her plenty.”
“She thought he was coming for her, said she felt him and saw him.”
“Felt him?” Harry asked.
“Yeah,” Crispin's gut twisted when he thought about how close he'd come to losing her. “Anyhow, she got the hell out of there. After I talked to the cop, I took off looking for her. I found her in the parking lot just as some big black SUV driving with its lights off tried to run her down.”
“So it wasn't just her imagination,” Harry said.
Crispin nodded. “There is one other possibility. She fired her manager while I was in her hospital room, and he was pissed. I think one of them tried to run her down.”
“And you took her home to keep her safe.”
He shrugged. They'd done a lot more than that, and Harry knew it. “It's personal. She's mine, and I'm keeping her.”
“You think that's wise?”
“Maybe not, but it's a fact.”
“Take her out of here and keep her safe. I'll do what I can on my end, but I won't be able to keep this off the radar for long.”
Chapter Six
Haley's stress level dropped several notches when Crispin escorted her into the Coffee Cup Café. He'd taken her to a discount store after her ordeal at the FBI, and she was wearing a pretty sundress and sandals that he'd helped her pick out. She hadn't wanted Crispin to spend too much on her, but he'd seemed to enjoy dressing her like his personal dress-up doll. The naughty part was that she was still wearing his knit boxer shorts because he'd promised to take her to a sexy lingerie store after lunch. She was almost too excited to eat, but as they walked into a casual diner she'd enjoyed in her past life, she hung on to Crispin's hand and smiled.
Even though he didn't know the truth about her identity, he seemed to pick up on her likes, dislikes, and emotions. When he slid into the booth alongside her, she gave him a startled look and eased over to make space for him. The hostess gave them an indulgent “isn't that cute?” smile, and Haley blushed in reaction. He was acting like a very possessive boyfriend, and she loved it, even though it embarrassed her a little. Then she saw him cast a watchful look around the room and sighed as she realized the real reason he was keeping her so close. He was watching the room for danger. She would have been doing the same for him if her mind had been fully on the mission. It would have been if she weren't so besotted by the hunk pressed tight to her side.
Heat rushed through her as his thigh pressed hers, a little tighter than necessary, and she watched his wicked
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