Hell or High Water by Jerrie Alexander Page A

wasn’t going to tell us anything. Parents protect their kids.”
    “I know that. I deal with them all the time. But his son is a monster.”
    God. He’d stopped calling her Kaycie and switched to sweetheart. She’d relaxed her guard and allowed him to move in.
    “Hank needed to know you’re not alone. If we tracked him down and told him, it would mean nothing. Dad telling him with fear in his voice might carry more weight.”  
    “You could’ve mentioned your plan to me. That’s twice you’ve treated me like I’m less capable than you. Do it again and there will be consequences.”  
    She’d turned his words on him but with a different connotation. This time his gaze carried no humor. She was glad he’d taken her statement seriously.
    “I’m trying to help,” he growled.
    “And I don’t doubt that. Not for a second.” Her heart softened a tad at his declaration. “I’m a hell of a lot more capable than you think.”
    “Are you a good shot?”
      “Trust me. In a duel, put your money on me.”
    “Beautiful and deadly. That’s an image I’ll take to bed with me tonight.”
      ****
    Nate choked back the urge to pull Kaycie behind him. To demonstrate his confidence, he let her enter her apartment first to ensure no surprises waited for them.  
    He’d made her angry enough for one day. Now wasn’t the time to test her patience.  
    She was working too hard to push him away. None of her tactics would stop him from protecting her or from trying to win her forgiveness. Like the old cliché said, he’d rather be sorry for something he did than something he didn’t do.  
    “Place is clear.” Kaycie waved him into the room.  
    Nate went back down to his truck and brought in the snacks and beer they’d picked up. They moved around each other in her kitchen as if they’d done this a thousand times before. She removed two beers, handing him one. His hand covered hers. Lightning strikes shot up his arm when she didn’t move.
    She dodged his grasp, moving to a CD player and a collection of hundreds of discs.  
    “Place is too quiet. You still like country music?”  
    Nate followed her, reaching around to help choose. Her body went stiff. She grabbed his hands, backing the two of them to the middle of the room. When she faced him, her expression telegraphed fear.
    “I have a question, and I need a truthful answer.”
    “I’ll never lie to you.” He tensed.  
    “When you broke in, did you touch anything?”
    “No. Why?”
    “My CDs are kept in alphabetical order. It may mean nothing, but a couple are out of place.”
    “I didn’t get near your music.” He remembered the eerie feeling he’d had after he’d picked the lock and entered her apartment. He’d blown it off, thinking the chill had come from being close to her things. “Show me.”
    Sure enough, the first few were clearly out of order.  
    “The radio was on this morning. Did anybody play a CD before I got up?”
    “No. Look through the apartment. You’ll be able to spot anything missing or moved.”
    Nate followed her from room to room. A massive hand clamped around his chest and squeezed. Could her apartment have been bugged? It was a long shot but not one he could overlook. If a camera or microphone had been hidden, he’d find the damn thing.  
    He methodically searched and probed in every spot he could think of. The knot in his shoulders eased when he was satisfied the place was secure.  
    He walked back to Kaycie’s bedroom. “Anything else out of place?”
    “Nothing.”
    He opened a drawer on her dresser. “Underwear not disturbed?”
    “No.” She crossed to him, reaching to close the drawer.  
    He caught her hand in his. Her gaze lifted, met his and held. Longing darkened her smoldering brown eyes. He moved closer.
    “Hello,” Holly yelled from the living room, and Nate silently cursed.
    “Let’s see if they found anything useful.” She turned and left him standing there.
    He rubbed at his temples,