“Get dressed and meet us in the kitchen in five minutes.” He didn’t ask, he demanded.
Shelby bristled, but clamped her teeth down on her tongue as Daniel crossed her bedroom and passed through the connecting door to his own. Once the door was shut behind him, she was tempted to rip it back open. He couldn’t lock it because the door frame was splintered. Instead, she marched to the bed, lifted a pillow and cocked her arm to throw it.
The door opened and Daniel poked his head through and he pointed at the pillow. “Don’t do it.”
Shelby launched the pillow and it hit the door as he closed it quickly.
Throwing the pillow didn’t fix the fact that the man was exasperating, but it made her feel better.
“Five minutes,” he reminded her through the closed door.
Part of her wanted to drag her feet and arrive in the kitchen in ten minutes just to spite him. How could he kiss her like that and then practically dump her off his lap and go about business as usual?
She dressed in her jeans and one of her better pullover blouses. The outfit was not nearly as nice as the slacks and cashmere sweater Kate had given her to wear, but they felt more like her and she felt more normal in them. Running a brush through her hair, she washed her face and applied a little blush to her pale cheeks and a bit of mascara to her eyes. Not that she wanted to look better for anyone but herself.
Slipping into her favorite sandals, she let herself out of her room, betting Mr. Bossypants was already in kitchen making plans for her without her input. She hurried down the stairs and found the kitchen by following the sound of voices.
“Well, the fact is she’s not safe in Raleigh.”
“The house is wired for security and the gate should help keep people out.”
“How does that explain someone being in her room last night?”
“We don’t know that for sure.” Shelby stepped into the room. “I could have been imagining things.”
“There have been too many attempts already. I’m afraid you’re not safe here,” Daniel said.
“Then I can go home?” she asked with a bright smile.
“No!” Kate and her grandfather both said at once.
They smiled at each other, and then her grandfather faced her. “It’s not safe at the bar.”
“I had no problems there last night.”
“But you had problems yesterday afternoon and this morning,” Daniel pointed out.
Shelby glared at Daniel, sitting quietly in a chair across the table, drinking coffee. “So I made a bad choice in going out without my watchdog. I won’t do that again.”
“And what about school?” Kate asked.
Daniel’s jaw tightened. “She’s not going.”
“The hell I’m not.”
“You got your assignments, you can work on them and turn them in when we get this thing resolved. Your instructors will work with you.”
“Maybe and maybe not.” Shelby crossed her arms over her chest. “Did anyone even bother to ask what I want to do?”
Her grandfather reached for her hand. “Honey, you need to listen to what these people are saying.”
“I can’t live like this. I’m just as much a prisoner in this house as I was in that basement.”
Daniel stood and waved his hand toward the door. “If you don’t like it, go.”
Her back straightened. “I just might.”
“No, either you will or you won’t, but stop straddling the fence.” He pinned her with his stare.
No one else said a word, each waiting expectantly for her response. “It’s my life.”
“Yes, it is. And if you step out of this house, off this property by yourself, you’ll end up in the hellhole you were in before, and maybe for longer than two weeks this time. And they might not be as nice to you. You might not even get bologna sandwiches. They could decide it would be fun to assault and torture you.”
The blood rushed from Shelby’s face and a cold shiver shook her. Her grandfather’s face paled and he shook his head, his eyes pleading with her.
“Daniel,” Kate warned.
“No, Kate. If she wants to go out on her own, she needs to know the truth. No sugarcoating.” Daniel stepped up to her. “If you leave, you might die this time.”
Shelby sucked in a breath, finding it harder to breathe than moments before, her hands growing clammy. She rubbed her palms on her jeans and stared down at the scabs just beginning to heal.
“Is that what you want?” Daniel asked softly.
She shook her head, her eyes blurring. “No.”
Kate stood and came to her side, laying a hand on her arm. “Then let us protect you. Let Daniel keep you safe until we can figure this out.”
“How to your propose to keep her safe if she’s not even safe in this house?” Thad asked.
“I could assign another agent to the detail,” Jed offered.
“Thank you, Jed,” Kate patted his hand. “I appreciate the offer, but after D’Angelis proved to be a traitor and his death took place in a public facility surrounded by law enforcement officers, I don’t know who to trust except my children and Daniel.”
“I would be willing to offer my own services,” Kincannon said.
Kate frowned. “You’re the director. You have another job to do. Finding who’s doing this to my family is as important as protecting my granddaughter.”
Thad leaned forward. “We could hire an independent bodyguard.”
Kate shook her head. “That goes back to my original point. I don’t trust anyone but my family and Daniel.”
Thad tapped his fingers on the table, his eyebrows dipping low. “I’m leading the investigation from the local law enforcement side. Though I wish I could be here, if we want to catch the person responsible, I can’t do both.”
Kate nodded. “I know you can’t and I won’t ask it of you. Which leaves us only one option.” She faced Daniel.
Shelby inched closer to him, despite his effort to frighten her.
“What choice is that?” Daniel asked.
“You have to get Shelby out of here.”
“And where do you want me to take her?”
“Away.” Kate waved her hand in the air. “Someplace no will think to look for her.”
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