Page 38 of Moonlit Colorado

“Dane—”

“Nope. I’m not messing around anymore.”

Before she could run away from me again, I hoisted her over my shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Grace screamed. “Put me down!”

“I will. When we’re safely outside.”

“What about my roommates? What if someone’s hurt?”

From the hall, I quickly glanced in the other doorways, just to make sure nobody was injured and lying unconscious. None of the other rooms had been touched. I didn’t see any sign of an intruder, either. But I wasn’t going to push our luck.

Once we were outside, I carried Grace to my Range Rover, opened the door, and dropped her into the passenger seat. Then I stood there in the doorway of the SUV to block her exit as I took out my phone. She glared at me.

I dialed 911 and a dispatcher answered. “What’s your emergency?”

“There’s been a break-in at Grace O’Neal’s residence.” I glanced at the mailbox and read off the address. “No one injured that we know of. But it’s possible the intruder could still be inside the house. Yes. Will do. We’re not going anywhere.”

I lowered my phone. The dispatcher had asked me to remain on the line, but I would be able to hear if she said anything else. “They’re on their way. Are you all right?”

“No, I’mfurious. My phone is in my purse. I dropped it in the living room. Let me go get it.” She tried to push past me. I kept her in place.

“Youshouldbe furious. But you’re staying right here. We need to wait for the authorities to arrive.”

“This is my home, Dane. Not yours. I promise you, if I run into the asshole who did this, he’s going to be the one fleeing for his life.”

I smothered the grin that tried to rise on my lips.

Her glasses had slipped down her nose, and it was so damn cute that it made me want to kiss her forehead. But I had the feeling that would only piss her off more.

The thought of someone going through her things, though, returned me to that simmering state of fury. It shocked me to think anyone would want to cause Grace harm.

“Any idea who would do this? The other bedrooms weren’t ransacked. Only yours.” It had looked like Grace had several roommates, and I suspected they weren’t the female variety given the decor choices in their rooms. I was curious about that, but it could wait until later.

I wanted her gut impression. Because if someone had been bothering her lately, that name would come first to her mind. I liked Grace a lot, and I would be damned if I let someone frighten and intimidate her this way.

She hesitated, averting her eyes. “I’m not sure.”

“Give me his name, Grace.”

“I don’t have any names. I have no idea if it’s connected. But?—”

A police cruiser roared down the street and stopped behind us. Chief Landry jumped out, along with another officer. I wanted to hear what else Grace was going to say, but Landry charged up to us.

“What happened?” he demanded. His expression hardened when he glanced at me.

She explained what we’d seen inside. While Landry and the other officer went into the house, more vehicles pulled up. Grace’s brother Callum and a younger guy wearing a Silver Ridge FD T-shirt jumped out. Callum’s head swiveled until he spotted his sister, and he went straight toward us.

“Gracie, what the hell is going on? We were at the fire house. We heard about the 911 call.”

Grace hugged her brother. “Someone broke in. Dane was with me when I got here.”

“Wasn’t clear if the intruder was still in the house,” I chimed in. “I took Grace outside and called the police.”

The one with shaggy black hair who’d arrived a second after Callum crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at me with suspicion.

Callum exhaled. “This is messed up. I’m gonna call the other guys and let them know.”

By the time the police finished checking the house, we had a crowd gathered on the front lawn. Me, Grace, Callum, and their roommates. I wondered when Grace had been planning to mention that she lived with three single men. Sure, her brother was around as well, but from everything I’d heard from Ashford, Callum wasn’t a model of responsibility.

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