emergency room door of Navajo Memorial Hospital. Fiery red anger painted the atmosphere and her knees threatened to buckle. Yet, without a second thought she sought the safety and warmth of his embrace.
“How is he?”
She squeezed her arms tighter around her brother and absorbed his comfort. “The bullet just grazed him. Blinded that panther in the left eye.”
“You’ve seen Shadow’s tattoo?”
Up close and personal . She ignored Brett’s prod for information. “To hear him tell it, he fell down on the playground.”
Brett’s chest shook with a gentle laugh. “Did he stitch himself?”
She snorted. “He couldn’t reach it.”
“He’s fine, Claire.”
When she lowered her arms and stepped away, Brett reached to run his fingers across the bare skin at the base of her neck. “Have you been checked out?”
“It’s not my blood, it’s his.”
“What the hell happened?”
She relayed the morning’s events then released an irritated sigh. “This perp escapes me every time.”
“You’re too close.”
“Possibly. But I know without a doubt that bullet was meant for me.”
“As soon as Shadow’s stitched, we’re out of here.”
“No.”
“I’m taking you back to Diablo.”
“I won’t run, Brett.”
“Damn, Claire, you can’t stay with some maniac hell bent on murder.”
“Leaving Navajo won’t stop him.”
His heavy, angry breathing did little to ease the pounding in her head. “Shadow and I are no match for bombs and bullets. Shadow believes he’s Superman but only because nobody has the balls to burst his bubble. And now with this … whatever it is between the two of you, his concentration is doubly screwed.”
She placed a hand on her brother’s forearm. “You’re just as close as Shadow. We will get him, Brett.”
“If we don’t get killed in the process,” he mumbled. “Maybe I should call Mom.”
Her eyebrows touched her forehead. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear you say that.”
“Well, hell. You’re not exactly rational right now.”
“And you think Madelyn Steele, the woman who taught me everything I know, can change my mind?”
“No, she’d kick my ass for letting you get in the middle of this to begin with.”
“Exactly.”
“She’d still want you safe.”
“I’m safer with you and Shadow.”
“Come on, Claire.” Brett grabbed her elbow and pulled her toward a pair of metal doors. “Maybe Shadow can knock some sense into your thick head.”
She bit her tongue to keep from giggling. “You’re flying high on that testosterone aren’t you?”
Brett only grunted as he stopped at the nurses’ station and glared. The young woman dressed in surgical scrubs looked at Claire, then at Brett, then back at Claire.
“My brother,” Claire murmured.
The nurse nodded and Claire intercepted her amusement with Brett’s caveman attitude. “Bay four,” she told him.
“Behave.” Claire poked her brother in the shoulder. “Detective Brooks is back there with him.”
***
Shadow blocked the pain from his mind as the emergency room doctor pulled the last stitch tight and tied it off. Sweat coated his brow, not from pain, but from the thought of Claire’s discovery that he refused anesthetic. Hell, he should’ve just stitched the damn thing himself.
As soon as the deed was done, the doctor placed a gauze pad over the wound and left the cubicle. Now that the pain dulled, Shadow focused on Brooks.
“Any witnesses?”
“Several. One claims our shooter had a badge.”
“A cop?”
“Yeah. I can’t imagine who in the Department would have a problem with Claire. I’ve requested a report of every case she’s worked.”
“Claire’s worked DEA and FBI. Might not be local.”
“I’ll order those too.”
“In the meantime, we have to stash her.”
“Done. I’ve arranged a safehouse.”
“You’re sure it’s secure?”
“Positive. No one has access but me.”
Shadow’s doubt refused to waver. “Steele
“How is he?”
She squeezed her arms tighter around her brother and absorbed his comfort. “The bullet just grazed him. Blinded that panther in the left eye.”
“You’ve seen Shadow’s tattoo?”
Up close and personal . She ignored Brett’s prod for information. “To hear him tell it, he fell down on the playground.”
Brett’s chest shook with a gentle laugh. “Did he stitch himself?”
She snorted. “He couldn’t reach it.”
“He’s fine, Claire.”
When she lowered her arms and stepped away, Brett reached to run his fingers across the bare skin at the base of her neck. “Have you been checked out?”
“It’s not my blood, it’s his.”
“What the hell happened?”
She relayed the morning’s events then released an irritated sigh. “This perp escapes me every time.”
“You’re too close.”
“Possibly. But I know without a doubt that bullet was meant for me.”
“As soon as Shadow’s stitched, we’re out of here.”
“No.”
“I’m taking you back to Diablo.”
“I won’t run, Brett.”
“Damn, Claire, you can’t stay with some maniac hell bent on murder.”
“Leaving Navajo won’t stop him.”
His heavy, angry breathing did little to ease the pounding in her head. “Shadow and I are no match for bombs and bullets. Shadow believes he’s Superman but only because nobody has the balls to burst his bubble. And now with this … whatever it is between the two of you, his concentration is doubly screwed.”
She placed a hand on her brother’s forearm. “You’re just as close as Shadow. We will get him, Brett.”
“If we don’t get killed in the process,” he mumbled. “Maybe I should call Mom.”
Her eyebrows touched her forehead. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear you say that.”
“Well, hell. You’re not exactly rational right now.”
“And you think Madelyn Steele, the woman who taught me everything I know, can change my mind?”
“No, she’d kick my ass for letting you get in the middle of this to begin with.”
“Exactly.”
“She’d still want you safe.”
“I’m safer with you and Shadow.”
“Come on, Claire.” Brett grabbed her elbow and pulled her toward a pair of metal doors. “Maybe Shadow can knock some sense into your thick head.”
She bit her tongue to keep from giggling. “You’re flying high on that testosterone aren’t you?”
Brett only grunted as he stopped at the nurses’ station and glared. The young woman dressed in surgical scrubs looked at Claire, then at Brett, then back at Claire.
“My brother,” Claire murmured.
The nurse nodded and Claire intercepted her amusement with Brett’s caveman attitude. “Bay four,” she told him.
“Behave.” Claire poked her brother in the shoulder. “Detective Brooks is back there with him.”
***
Shadow blocked the pain from his mind as the emergency room doctor pulled the last stitch tight and tied it off. Sweat coated his brow, not from pain, but from the thought of Claire’s discovery that he refused anesthetic. Hell, he should’ve just stitched the damn thing himself.
As soon as the deed was done, the doctor placed a gauze pad over the wound and left the cubicle. Now that the pain dulled, Shadow focused on Brooks.
“Any witnesses?”
“Several. One claims our shooter had a badge.”
“A cop?”
“Yeah. I can’t imagine who in the Department would have a problem with Claire. I’ve requested a report of every case she’s worked.”
“Claire’s worked DEA and FBI. Might not be local.”
“I’ll order those too.”
“In the meantime, we have to stash her.”
“Done. I’ve arranged a safehouse.”
“You’re sure it’s secure?”
“Positive. No one has access but me.”
Shadow’s doubt refused to waver. “Steele
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