dogs.”
Brynne felt a chill. Here it was, the reason she didn’t date cops. The dangers were innumerable, and sometimes it was impossible for an officer to escape unharmed.
Sometimes, they were horribly wounded.
Or killed.
“Brynne,” Eli said.
She realized he’d read her expression, seen the fear churning up inside her.
She began to cry.
She wasn’t the weepy type, but after such a long day, this was too much.
Eli stood, took her hand and drew her gently to her feet. Then he took her into his arms, held her tightly, rested his chin on top of her head.
He didn’t chide her for being silly, as Clay had done, more than once, nor did he ask her not to cry.
He simply held her, rocking her very slightly from side to side.
And she did the most dangerous thing of all: she let herself lean into Eli Garrett, into his courage and his masculinity and his strength.
She was in big trouble.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“DO YOU EVER SLEEP?” Sara demanded, as she opened her back door to Eli and his sidekick, Festus. She was wearing a red zip-up bathrobe and fluffy slippers, and her dark hair hung in loose spirals around her shoulders.
She’d scrubbed off her party makeup and probably brushed her teeth.
Since it was after one in the morning, Eli supposed he was lucky she hadn’t already turned in.
“I’ve been known to sleep, on occasion,” he replied.
Sara stepped back to let her brother into her spacious kitchen. She smiled warmly and patted Festus on the head as he passed.
It was obvious that the dog was a welcome guest. Eli himself? Maybe not so much.
“Is this about Eric?” Sara asked, once she’d shut the door. She moved to the counter, started building a pot of coffee. “He’s been weird tonight. Sort of jumpy.”
Anyone else would have served decaf at that hour, Eli supposed, but Sara was a writer and she ran on caffeine.
Eli stood, constitutionally incapable of sitting while a woman stood. “Yes,” he replied. “It’s sort of about Eric, and sort of not.”
Sara left the coffee maker for the sink, where she filled a bowl with water and set it down for Festus.
The dog lapped thirstily, then plunked down on the floor to wait out whatever human interaction was taking place.
Sara stood with her hands on her slender hips. She was a beautiful woman, strong, smart and successful, and yet again, Eli reflected that it was a real shame that she’d decided never to take a chance on another man. Zach Worth had single-handedly soured her on the whole male gender.
“If that boy is in trouble again, I swear I’ll lose my mind,” she said. Her gray eyes, weary with the lateness of the hour, flashed with conviction.
“Sara,” Eli said. “Sit down.”
He pulled back a chair for her, and she sat.
Eli took a seat across the table from her.
The coffee maker hummed and chortled on the counter.
“That might not be the worst idea you’ve ever had. Sending Eric away for a while.”
Sara paled slightly. Lowered her voice when she spoke again. “Oh, my God, Eli—is he in some kind of danger?”
“Yes,” Eli replied, because there was no sense in beating around the bush. If Freddie Lansing got an opportunity to hurt Eric or Hayley, he’d do it, not just because he wanted revenge for the events of last summer, but to get back at Eli for giving him a hard time tonight.
Sara got up, filled two cups before the coffee maker had finished its noisy work and brought them to the table.
“Tell me,” she said. “Tell me everything, Eli.”
So he did.
He told Sara about his exchange with Eric, back at Bailey’s, and the text the boy had shown him. Then he went on to describe the encounter with Freddie and his father, out at the Lansing place.
Sara sat in silence, stoic and pale. She was used to fending for herself, with what little help she would allow Eli to give her, but this development had obviously shaken her. And with good reason.
When he’d given his account, he took out his phone and played what he’d recorded during the confrontation with the Lansings.
Sara closed her eyes and swayed slightly, and Eli reached out to steady her. At the mention of Hayley, she winced.
“Listen to me,” Eli said gently, once the recording was over, “I’m going to do everything I can to keep Eric and Hayley safe, and anybody else he goes after, too, of course. The more I think about it, though, the less I think it’s a good idea to