Page 75 of Fracture

“Go easy on her. She’s injured.”

“And she should have called me.”

“I know, but?—”

“I know, I know. I’ll go easy on her.”

“Thanks, Hannah. I should have called you earlier. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

“Not on you, Vin. Thanks for letting me know what’s going on.”

“Yep. Keep me posted.”

“I will.”

Vinnie hung up and set his phone in the center console. He pulled out of the lot and made his way home, anxious to see how Lorelei did all day without him.

He was getting out of his SUV when another vehicle pulled into the lot. He wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but the large black SUV had tinted windows and was definitely not standard issue.

Vinnie made his way to the door, watching the SUV as it pulled to a stop at the curb. He narrowed his gaze on the vehicle.

The driver waved.

What the hell?

Vinnie stepped away from the building as the backdoor opened. He reached for his gun, just in case, and was shocked when Lorelei slid out of the SUV.

“Lorelei?”

“Hey,” she said.

A man came around the back of the SUV, approaching Vinnie with an outstretched hand. “Austin Ward. That’s my partner, Samuel MacNeil. We work for Rose Protection Agency.”

“And why are you with her? Did something happen? Are you okay?” Vinnie did a quick scan, failing to find any injuries.

“I’m fine. It’s a precaution,” Lorelei said.

“She was followed today. She went to see a woman she rescued from a kidnapper a year ago. He somehow followed her and almost got to both women,” Austin explained.

“Abigail Painter?” Vinnie asked.

Austin nodded.

“You found her? I thought you didn’t know where she was,” Vinnie asked Lorelei.

“I searched her name, and it gave me an address.”

“Why did you go alone?”

Lorelei hung her head. “I was just going to see if I recognized her. I didn’t plan to talk to her. I didn’t know the guy was following me.”

“What if he’d attacked you?”

“She broke his arm. Maybe his knee,” Austin declared, a proud smile on his face.

“You did what?” Vinnie barked.

“It was fine. I’m an FBI Agent. I know how to defend myself,” Lorelei snapped.

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