Page 55 of Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire

Chase held out his right hand to the officer.“Chase Harper, Harper Security.”

“Nice to finally meet you, Mr.Harper.I’ve heard a lot about your services.Apparently, your firm has been instrumental in helping to close some of our cases.”

“We help whenever we can.”

The officer stepped into the apartment.

Meri peeked around the foyer wall into the living room.“Do you think it’s safe?”

“As safe as it’s going to get, for now.”Chase turned to the officer.“Did you catch the shooter?”

“Not yet.We’re going door-to-door in the dorm.It’s going to take a while.We’re only checking the ones that face the lofts here.So it won’t be too bad, we hope.”

The officer’s radio squawked.“No one in the dormitory.All the rooms have now been checked.We found where he was.He left in a hurry and didn’t police his casings.They’ve been bagged as evidence.”

“You heard?”asked the officer.

“Yes.Please come in, where we can at least sit at the table.I need to make sure there is no glass in the couch before we sit there.”She headed toward the kitchen.On the way through, she shoved the meatloaf into the refrigerator.

“Certainly.”The officer followed them in.

Meri sat at the head of the table.

Chase sat to her right.

The officer chose the chair to her left.He took out a notepad and pen from his pocket.“Now, tell me exactly what happened.”

Meri and Chase recounted all the events from the first bullet to the last and described how they had to crawl around to prevent getting shot.

“It’s a good thing he wasn’t a better shot, or I’d be,” she swallowed past the giant lump in her throat.“Dead.”Meri’s voice cracked on the last word.She was hanging on by a thread.She never wanted to be shot again as long as she lived and had hoped Chase and his men could capture Marco without shooting.But she knew now that would never happen.Marco would continue to try to kill her, just for witnessing a murder and maybe for being associated with the fiancé of his former lover.Someone must stop him and it had to be them.“What do we do now?”

“Now, you let us handle it,” said Officer Donnelly.“You could be hurt, even killed next time.”

“I’ve already been shot, short of dying what else can he do to me?”She was being sarcastic and didn’t expect an answer.

“Ms.Anderson, you’re quite right.Next time he might kill you.Again, let the police handle it.It’s our job.The detectives will be here shortly.”The man stood and shoved the notebook and pen back into his shirt pocket.

“We’ll be waiting,” said Chase.

Meri and Chase showed him out.

She walked into the kitchen.“What now?Are you still hungry?The meatloaf is ready.”

“I don’t know.I want a drink before anything.We’ll clean up the glass after dinner.”He grabbed his phone off the living room table.“I’ll get someone over here to either replace the window or board it up until it can be repaired.”

“Thanks.Let’s get a glass of wine.The bottle is still on the counter and I’ll get us more glasses.I don’t want to use the ones in the living room, just in case there is glass in them from the windows.”In the kitchen, she clutched the counter, closing her eyes for just a moment.She grabbed two glasses.They were the kind without a stem.She had both but didn’t want to use the crystal stems again lest the last two get broken and they were expensive to replace.Even without the stem, she saw her hand shake.Or maybe it was her whole body shaking and she could only see her hand.Oh, God, how did I get into this situation?

Her body shook, and nausea roiled in her stomach.

“Meri?”

She turned toward him, tears in her eyes.“I was so scared, and now that it’s over, all the adrenaline is gone and I’m a wreck.”She swiped at her eyes.

Chase held his arms wide.

She moved into them, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He lowered his arms and held her close, resting his head on top of hers.“It’s okay to be scared.Heck, I thought I was going to wet myself when that first shot came through.”

She laughed.“You did not.”

He chuckled.“No.But you laughed and so it worked.Seriously, when I realized how close I came to losing you again, it scared me.He tilted her face up.“I don’t want to lose you, Meri.Not now.Not ever.”His lips teased hers with gentle kisses.

She responded, but Meri didn’t want a gentle kiss.She wanted to feel alive, wanted hard, insistent kisses that blew her socks off.

Chase met her kiss for kiss, and then he took over, replacing the gentleness with hunger.He pressed her hips closer, holding her still and letting her feel how much he wanted her.Then he broke off the kiss.“If I don’t stop now, I won’t be held accountable.”

She liked the fact that she had such an effect on him.But what would she do about the effect he had on her?