intruder got our addresses mixed up and went to the wrong home?”
Kyle jumped to his feet and began pacing the room, his hand squeezing the back of his neck. “This supports the idea that Bob was not the intended victim… Kimberly was. And that means the intruder was either someone from Kilton or was directed by someone from there.” He whirled and stared at her. “Can you think of anyone you talk to that would’ve been spooked?”
“Other than questioning Tammy, Charlie, and Joe about the van robbery, there hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary.”
Jerking back as though hit in the gut, Kyle stared. “You questioned them about the robbery?”
“Yeah, honey. I thought it was interesting. I read an article that said that thefts of pharmaceutical vans were on the increase, and I wanted to know what they thought about it and if it made them want a different job.”
She could have sworn he was counting to ten under his breath again, but Carter grabbed her hand and gently pulled her into the kitchen.
“Let’s give him a minute to chill. Alex will know what to say to him.”
She looked up at Carter, his kind eyes staring at her warmly. It dawned on her that as Kyle’s brother-in-law, he could have that same title with her if she stayed with Kyle. She placed her hand on his arm and asked, “So much of this has been about me, but I really need to know about Bob. I can’t believe he was shot, but I feel horrible if it was supposed to be me instead of him—”
“Get that outta your mind, Kimberly. The only person who did anything wrong is the one who shot him.”
She nodded slowly, letting out a breath. Before she had a chance to say anything else, Kyle stalked into the kitchen. He moved directly to her, wrapping his arms around her, and placed a kiss on the corner of her eye before resting his lips against her forehead. “Pack what you need to get out of here, sweetheart. Clothes, toiletries, whatever. I don’t want you staying here now.”
Feeling a little lost, she sighed. “Okay. I need to call work and let them know I won’t be in today.” While Kyle stayed downstairs and talked to the other detectives, she went upstairs and packed. Not having any idea how long she would be gone, she filled one small suitcase with clothes, shoes, and toiletries, and she made sure to grab her e-reader and phone charger. Sitting on the side of her bed, she called her office.
“Marcus? Hey, it’s Kimberly. Is John in? He wasn’t answering his phone.”
“No, he hasn’t been in yet today. In fact, Helen was looking for him earlier.”
“Oh, okay. I was just going to tell him that I’m not going to be in today either.”
“Are you okay? You taking a sick day?”
“Let’s just say I’m taking a mental health day.”
Marcus chuckled. “I hear you, girl. Everybody needs those once in a while. If John comes in later, I’ll let him know you’re out today.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Disconnecting, she looked up as Kyle walked into the room and glanced toward her suitcase.
“Is this all?”
“It’ll do for now.” She stood and moved straight to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. They stood embracing for a long moment, silently offering strength to each other.
Finally, whispering against her hair, he said, “Let’s get you home, babe.”
Technically, she was in her home but wisely kept her mouth shut. If he wanted her in his house, that was just where she wanted to be.
26
Kyle left Kimberly at his townhouse after helping her pack necessities and anything else she might want to have. She had not attempted to talk him into letting her stay at her place—not that she would have had a chance of doing so anyway. He hated to leave her, but since she was now designated as the intended victim of Bob’s shooting, he was able to get an officer to sit outside his home.
Now, back at the precinct, he was forced to endure his captain’s speech on letting the detectives in charge handle their investigation while he and Alex needed to continue theirs. While the captain agreed that most likely the two were linked, he warned Kyle to watch his step.
“You’ve worked too long and too hard to fuck it up now. If you give me the slightest provocation, I’ll pull you from the case.”
He nodded but gritted his teeth as he walked back into the