Lawfully Protected by Evangeline Kelly

Author:Evangeline Kelly [Kelly, Evangeline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-05-07T04:00:00+00:00

8

“I don’t see a point of entry,” Bronson said. “There’s no open window or broken screen. The doors remain locked and undisturbed.” His forehead wrinkled. “Have you ever given Barry a key? Maybe to feed Snowball while you’re away?”

“No, but I gave my next-door neighbor, Mrs. Chapman, a key when I went on vacation last month, but she would never give it to anyone, especially Barry. She doesn’t trust him.”

Bronson glanced around the room, appearing to think. “I have a friend who owns a home security company. He could set you up with an alarm and cameras. If I ask, he’ll even change your locks as well.”

I pressed my lips into a hard line. “How much would something like that cost?”

“Don’t worry about it. He’s a retired officer, and he owes me a favor.” He pulled out his phone and stepped a few paces away to call the friend. He spoke in a hushed voice while I stooped down to rub my hand down Ace’s soft fur.

For the first time, I thought about how nice it would be to have a watchdog. Ace’s big brown eyes bored into mine—solemn and mesmerizing and kind. I couldn’t help it—I broke down. Tears fell over my eyelashes and down my cheeks. Ace whimpered and sniffed my face as if to console me. I wrapped my arms around his thick body and buried my head in his fur.

A minute later, Bronson cleared his throat. “Allison . . . Are you okay?”

I stood to find he’d finished the call and now looked at me with concern. Hastily, I wiped the tears off my face. “I’m fine. This is just overwhelming.”

“What can I do to help? I’ll do anything.”

“A hug would be nice.”

He stepped forward and pulled me into an embrace. In the safety of his arms, I felt protected and sheltered. I let go of the tension in my body and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head against his chest. More tears streamed down my face. Bronson smoothed his hand down the back of my hair and leaned in to whisper. “It’ll be okay. I set up an appointment for my friend to come tomorrow. He’ll make sure your house is secure, and I’ll make sure he gives you the best of everything.”

“I can pay—”

“You’re not going to pay a dime. Like I said, he owes me one since I send a lot of business his way. He’s been trying to pay me back for years, but I’ve never let him until now.”

Pulling back a little, my hands still wrapped around his waist, I grimaced when my eyes fell on his shirt, soaked from the place my tears had fallen. “It’s a good thing I didn’t wear mascara today or your shirt would be inked up.”

He smiled. “Will it sound weird if I tell you I might not take this shirt off for a while?” He flashed this ridiculously charming grin that I was sure he’d used a million times to get his way.

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