Chapter 11

Dana knewfew things for certain. The earth was round. Death was inevitable. And Jake Shepard didn't do promises.

Yet here he was, standing in front of her, looking devilishly handsome, making promises—to her.

She didn't know what to do with it.

Luckily, Jake did. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his blue eyes sparkling as he cupped her cheeks. "Tell me that's what you want."

Too shocked to speak, Dana nodded.

It was all the confirmation Jake needed. He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her breathless again. He tasted like cinnamon, like safety, like home—like hers.

For one blissful moment she let herself get swept away. But too quickly it was over.

Ever cognizant of danger, Jake pulled back. "Get your things. We'll stay at my place tonight."

"But Claire might come here."

"What part of someone was in your house did you not understand?"

Without Jake's lips clouding her ability to think, Dana's mind cleared, and her stubbornness returned. "I understand it perfectly, but I'm not leaving this house if there's even the slightest chance Claire is coming here. And you should go to your place in case she goes there."

"Dana, I'm not leaving you here alone."

"It's not up to you."

"The hell it isn't."

She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Call in a favor and have an agent babysit me if you have to, but I'm staying here."

"You don't call the Feds for a B and E. I need to report this to Metro."

"Fine, but no lights or sirens. That will frighten Claire."

Jake's only response was his crooked smirk which was as sexy as it was patronizing.

"Why are you smirking at me, Shepard?"

"No reason, Doc."

"Don't give me that. If I'm missing something I want to know."

"You're not missing anything. I was merely thinking how sexy you look when you're bossy."

"I'm not being bossy. Bossy would be telling you to board up the hole you smashed in my front window."

"Fine. I'll call Metro, and fix the window, but only if you go pack a bag, because we're going to my place the minute the ink is dry on the police report, which will be…" Jake glanced at his watch and sighed. "Shit, it'll be morning by then." Jake rubbed the thick stubble making his jawline even more irresistible. "Well, the good news is that gives Claire plenty of time to show up if she's headed this way."

Dana wasn't ready to give in, but Jake sauntered closer with that dazzling smile he only used on rare occasions. "Come on, Doc." He pinned her against the counter. "You got me to compromise. Take the win."

With Jake's lips against her neck, it certainly felt like a victory.

"Fine," she conceded, melting into his kiss. "You call. I'll pack."

Dana was just pullingher leather duffle out of the hall closet when the whirl of blue and red lights cut through her home. The sinister colors bounced off every surface, slicing through the false sense of calm she'd allowed herself while cataloging her mental packing list. Dana reminded herself to breathe as her mind instantly recalled each macabre crime scene she'd witnessed.

Jogging back toward the front door, Dana caught Jake's eye. His expression matched hers. Something wasn't right.

The cops shouldn't be here yet. It was too fast.

Dana didn't know what that meant, but it couldn't be good.

Jake put down the broom, abandoning his attempt to clean up the broken glass in the foyer. Dana rushed toward him, but he held out a hand to stop her just as someone rapped on her front door. She halted in her tracks and they shared an entire conversation exchanged in a look.

The rapport she and Jake built working their last few cases was tested in moments like these. It wasn't easy for Dana to trust. But Jake had earned it, so she stayed where she was, grateful she could remain hidden while her view of the dining room window gave the perfect vantage point to her front porch.

All the warmth in Dana's body leached away when she spotted the silhouette of the officer solemnly waiting on the other side of her front door. The sight was as welcome as a crow or raven. The symbology was the same. An uninvited police officer was the modern world's messenger of bad tidings.

Dana steeled herself as Jake unclipped his holster snap before opening the door a crack.

The officer's voice reached Dana. "Hello, I'm Officer Drake. I'm looking for Dr. Dana Gray. Is this her home?"

"Can I see some identification?" Jake asked.

A swath of tense silence stretched on before Jake was satisfied with the officer's credentials. He spoke without opening the door an inch further. "This is Dr. Gray's home. What is this regarding?"

Careful to remain out of sight, Dana crept closer. She watched as the officer took a step back and motioned to his squad car before answering. "We picked up a suspicious person wandering this neighborhood, disoriented, no ID, basically catatonic. Normally, we'd have just brought her in, but she fit a new BOLO. When I called it in, we were instructed to bring her to this address."

The moment Dana saw the slight frame emerge from the squad car she was moving. "Claire!"

Jake tried to hold her back, but Dana pushed past him and the surprised officer on her porch. She was down the steps and pounding sidewalk before anyone could stop her. A second police officer escorted the girl Dana would recognize anywhere. "Claire!" she shouted again.

The girl's head didn't move, her gaze fixed on the ground, but Dana was sure her eyes didn't deceive her. She ran faster, calling to her intern again. "Claire! Claire!"

Still no response.

Finally reaching Claire, Dana threw her arms around her, but the girl didn't move. It was like clutching an under-stuffed rag doll. Dana grasped Claire's thin shoulders, holding her at arm's length. The girl's black hair hung in her face. Dana brushed it away to reveal pupils so dilated that the clear blue of Claire's irises were almost not existent—a sure sign of shock.

A tidal wave of anger crashed over Dana. "What did you do to her?" she accused the officer.

"I think it's better if we talk inside," the officer suggested.