Page 10 of Criminally Yours

His laugh was awkward, unsure, and there were no laughter lines on his face. “I’m a bodyguard. I notice things. Bear and I?—”

She raised her eyebrow.

“Drew and I run a bodyguard firm.”

Her hands trembled where she held the box. The glitter caught the light and sparkled around the room. “Well, it was nice to see you. I’ll be going now. Give your parents my best,” she replied, her mouth dry.

His bulk blocked her exit. His stare dipped, and he scratched his chin. He hadn’t lost that tick, then, although his jaw was more chiselled now.

Blue and red lights flashed between the gaps of the blinds.

Millie tripped, hitting the wall as she reached for the bedroom light. She flicked it off, even though they might be reinforcements for him. Maybe he was here to restrain her after all.

Clutching the box tightly, she tried again to slip past Caleb, but he grabbed her, stilling her against him. She slammed her foot against his shin, but he didn’t release her.

He mumbled something, but the pressure in her head and thudding of her heart made it impossible to hear.

She squeezed her eyes shut, praying she could be somewhere else.

“I’m not going with you,” she hissed. “I don’t care who your boss is. I won’t tell anyone what I saw if you let me go. You owe me that after what you did to me.”

“I’m here to clean out my parents’ house because they’re moving.” His lips brushed her ear, and she shivered before cursing herself. It was muscle memory sparked by his scent and nothing more.

A banging on the front door made her shake against his oversized body.

“For fuck’s sake, Millie. What are you involved with?”

She gritted her teeth and gripped the box tighter.

“Can you keep me safe? I’m in trouble, and I need help, Strike.” He bristled at the name that helped her distanceherself from their past. “Someone’s after me. I can’t trust the police. I need to leave. Can you help me, or will you ditch me like you did ten years ago?”

Banging sounded from the front door again as he stared at her, his eyes pinched and his jaw set.

CHAPTER 5

Strike

Strike stared at her warily.

He had numerous questions, but her shaking hands as she clutched her memory box and her doe eyes wide with fear forced him into action.

“Okay, I’ve got you.”

For a second, her glare softened. “Thank you.”

He couldn’t respond to her gratitude. Embracing emotion would make him weak.

“Come with me, and don’t make a noise.”

He grabbed the box in one hand and took hers in his other. It was warm and soft. She wasn’t tiny, yet her hand was nothing in his.

Strike led her down the stairs. He pressed himself against the wall, and she copied. The silhouette of a stranger filled the glass of the front door.

He scanned the hallway, searching for changes from when he’d crept through the backdoor, but there was nothing.

He gripped a trembling Millie tighter.

Memories of when she was nervous during her tennis matches at school, when he’d take breaks in the middle of hisrugby practice and whistle and wink at her when her competitor tried to psych her out, came to him.