Dead Heat Read Online Free PDF Page B

occurred, the mood turned somber.
    “How’s Dani? Please tell me she’s okay.” Kenna gripped her hand tightly.
    “She’s stable. The bullet cracked a rib causing it to puncture and collapse her lung. They are draining the blood now and reinflating the lung,” Cole explained. “I am sorry to have to ask you, but can you tell me what you remember about the shooting?” Cole pulled out his ever present digital recorder and pushed record.
    “Not much. Dani and I were talking about her engagement. We walked through the door and out into the parking lot. I remember putting my arm around her and then I heard the gun shots. Before I could react, I felt the bullet go through my arm. The force knocked me back and I knocked myself out when my head hit the pavement.”
    “Did you see where the shots were fired from?”
    “No. I didn’t see anything. I couldn’t even tell where the noise was coming from. I am sorry, Cole.” Will moved to sit on the bed and pulled his wife close to him.
    “There is nothing to apologize for.” Cole paused and ran his hand over his head in an action now familiar to Paige. “I guess we know what Plan B is now.”
    “Yes, but we don’t know who carried it out. Obviously it wasn’t Edwards or Chad,” Kenna said as she leaned her head against Will’s chest.
    “That’s where you are wrong. Paige saw the shooter and is the only one who can identify him. If he is any kind of professional, then he’ll be back for her soon.”
    “But how would he know to come back for her?” Kenna asked.
    “Um, I kinda chased him down and we came eye-to-eye before he tried to run me over with his car.”
    “Oh Paige!”
    “I’ll be fine, Kenna. Please don’t worry. Just take care of yourself and that baby.” She smiled when Kenna instantly moved her hand to cover her abdomen.
    “I have tried to get her to go into protective custody, but she refuses,” Cole complained.
    “I can’t go into protective custody. I have Chuck waiting for me at home and I am not about to leave him or my store.”
    “Chuck? Just who the hell is Chuck and why is he at your home?” Cole’s silver eyes snapped in anger.
    Paige stood up and walked up to Agent Asshole. It didn’t matter that for a couple of seconds she was crazy enough to be thankful he was there comforting her. Now his true persona was back: the over-protective jerk.
    “It’s none of your business.”
    “It’s my business when I am trying to keep you alive.”
    She stood still and took in a deep breathe of sterilized air and tried to reign her temper in. She listened to the beeping of the machines and the ever present white noise of the air conditioning. She had always been the one with a short fuse in her family. Most of the time her brothers just laughed at her and didn’t take her seriously, which is probably why she tended to get offended pretty easily. But, Kenna was injured and clearly upset about her being in danger. She didn’t want to make it any worse so she took a deep breath and smiled at Cole.
    “Chuck is my dog and I am not leaving my store, Okay?” She smiled again at him with all the Southern manners she possessed.
    “Fine. You can stay at your store provided I am there with you at all times.”
    “No way!” Manners be damned. They were overrated anyways.
    “It’s either me or the safe house, sweetheart.”
     
    Paige said goodbye to Kenna and Will and left them discussing which room to turn into a nursery.
    “Are you seriously going to move in with me?”
    “Yup.”
    “Won’t that be kinda obvious to the assassin? Should I hang an ‘FBI Agent Here’ sign just in case he misses you strutting around with your gun?”
    “Don’t be a smartass. I’ll think of a cover. Now knock off the pissy attitude before we get to Danielle. And do not tell her you saw the shooter. I want her focused completely on her recovery and not worried about you.” Cole led her through a maze of corridors and finally she saw the sign for the