She felt a spring and the back of the drawer popped forward. “Got it!”
She reached forward, but he cinched her wrist. “Better make sure there are no rats in there.”
“Don’t try to scare me.” She slapped his hand away.
She inched her hand into the cavity of the drawer, her fingertips skimming the leather edge of a book. “I think it’s a book or something.”
She gripped the book and pulled it out of the secret compartment. Holding it up, she said, “Look.”
Kieran rubbed the sleeve of his jacket against the red, leather-bound book, which had a small lock holding the front and back covers together. “Looks like a diary.”
“Oh, maybe it belongs to some long-lost St. Regis relative. Should we snoop and break the little lock?”
“We broke into the house. What’s a diary?”
Kieran tucked the book under his arm and pulled Devon back into the library. He raised the candle to peer at the lock.
Instinct drew Devon’s gaze to the window.
Kieran jerked his head up. “What is it?”
“I thought I saw…”
A flash of light and a crack at the window interrupted her words. And then she had no breath to speak at all because Kieran had tackled her to the floor.
Chapter Eight
Kieran pinned Devon to the floor with the full length of his body. With his chest sealed against hers, he couldn’t tell where his galloping heart left off and hers began. His breath came out in harsh gasps, stirring the strands of hair that fell across her face. “Stay down.”
He grappled for the cell phone in his pocket, while he tried to scoot Devon behind the sheet-covered desk. He only succeeded in grinding his pelvis against hers. Two minutes ago that action would’ve driven him crazy with need. Now it caused a rush of adrenaline to flood his system, and he half picked her up from his position on top of her to hoist the two of them behind the desk with a thump against the hard floor.
After choking and making several strangled sounds, Devon forced a few words out. “What was that?”
“A gunshot.”
Her body jerked beneath his, allowing him to slip the phone from his pocket. He called 911. Should have it on speed dial by now.
“We’re at Columbella House and someone shot at us through the window.”
Devon’s body twitched again as if he’d just reminded her why they were in their current position.
Kieran finished his conversation with the 911 operator and smoothed his hand over Devon’s golden hair, like a beacon of light in the darkness. “It’s okay. The guy’s not going to stick around for a second shot.”
“You can’t tell me that’s the U.S. government trying to get you to come in.”
The strands of her hair got caught on his calloused palms and all he wanted to do was kiss the worry from her pursed lips.
“If you are the target, Devon, why?”
“I have no idea. The only thing I can think of is Mrs. Del Vecchio’s murder, but I didn’t see anything. Why would they believe I saw something? The killer shut that laundry room door on me, and my back was to the door.”
“Was Mrs. Del Vecchio still alive when you found her? Did she tell you anything before she died?”
“She was dead. Why would her killer believe otherwise?”
“Did the newspaper reports of the murder identify you?”
Her eyes wide, she nodded.
“He knows you found the body. Maybe he’s afraid he left a clue. Maybe he’s afraid Granny Del whispered his name to you with her dying breath.”
“Any clue would be for the police to find. I wouldn’t know a clue if it smacked me on the forehead. And I’m sure he knew he’d finished off Mrs. Del Vecchio.”
The sounds of sirens reached them as they huddled beneath the desk. Kieran had pulled the sheet around them for added security. Not that he believed for one minute the shooter would come after them in the house.
Two attempts on Devon’s life in one day.
Maybe fate
An hour later, after the cops had canvassed the area, retrieved the bullet embedded in a bookshelf, and questioned them, Kieran took Devon’s hand while they stood on the sidewalk in front of his parents’ house.
“This is why I’m not leaving you on your own tonight.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the cop car parked at the curb. “Do you think he followed us here or was waiting for us?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on the rearview mirror in the car. I’d know if someone were tailing us.”
“Do you remember what the man looked like yesterday at the beach? Maybe it was him. He broke into my car. Maybe he was trying to get my address here. Then he tried to follow me to my place that night.”
“Whoa.” Kieran held up his hands. “What do you mean he tried to follow you last night? You told me you stopped for ice cream.”
“We stopped for ice cream so I could lose a light- colored sedan that looked suspiciously like the one parked at the beach yesterday.”
White-hot anger surged through his body, and his eye throbbed. If he ever caught the person threatening Devon, he’d kill him.
“Are you mad that I didn’t tell you?” She touched his arm.
He squeezed his eye shut. “No. I’m mad that I wasn’t there. I’m mad that I wasn’t there for Michael. I’m mad that I wasn’t there for you when he was born.”
“You couldn’t help it.” She tilted her chin at the cop waiting on the street. “He’s waiting to follow me home. Are you sure you need that heavy jacket? It’s still mild out.”
It wouldn’t be mild later tonight in her car. “Yeah. Get behind the wheel. I’ll be right out.”
He ran inside the house, snagged his jacket from a hanger in the closet and returned to Devon’s car. As she peeled away from the curb, the patrol car lined up behind her.
They reached her mother’s house, and the cop approached them when they got out of the car. “Just got off the radio with the station, Ms. Reese. Chief Evans would like you both to come in tomorrow.”
“We’ll be there, officer.” Kieran stuck out his hand. “Thanks for your help. I can take it from here.”
Devon walked ahead of him up to the lighted porch and patted her bag. “At least no calls from the hospital. Michael must be doing okay.”
“We’ll be there first thing in the morning to get him, or maybe we should wait until our talk with the chief. I don’t think Michael needs to see any more policemen.”
“I agree.” She yawned. “Well, come on in. I-I can get you settled…in the spare room.”
She dropped her gaze to the porch, and Kieran took a step back. “I’m staying out here tonight, Devon.”
Grabbing the porch railing as if to steady herself, she said, “What?”
“If someone’s lurking around, following you, I want to be where I can watch the house.”
“That’s crazy, Kieran. You need a bed and a good night’s sleep.”
“That’s not going to happen if I’m worried about what’s going on outside.” He held out his hand. “Give me the keys to your car. I can get comfortable.”
“So that’s why you wanted your jacket. You couldn’t ask for a blanket?”
“Good idea. Can I have a blanket, too?”
She dropped the keys in his hand and pushed through the front door. He wedged his foot in the doorjamb, propping open the screen door. She returned and shoved a blanket into his arms.
“This is no way for you to heal.”
“Keeping you safe comes first. I can heal later.”
He pivoted on the bottom step and made a beeline for her car in the driveway.
“Hey.”
