Page 184 of Renard's Deliverance

Opal could have stayed where she was.

But she’d never been good at following orders.

And what was he going to do? Spank her?

That wasn’t happening.

Yeah, right.

Although he might make her write lines which she did not want to do. However, she was willing to take that chance.

“What the hell are you all doing here?” Renard demanded. “What do you want?”

“John Renard? I’m FBI Agent Eli Jones and this is my partner FBI Agent Kellan Jones.”

What the heck?

Why were FBI Agents on her doorstep? Wait. Jones. Duncan’s brothers were FBI agents.

But why would they be here?

“Right. What do you want?” Renard asked.

“We’d like to speak to Opal. Is she here with you? We went to your apartment first, then tracked you both down here.”

“Why would you track me down?” Opal asked, moving up behind Renard.

He scowled down at her. “Told you to stay in the bedroom, Gem.”

“They’re here for me. Aren’t you?” she asked them.

Eli nodded, looking firm. But Kellan’s gaze seemed to soften as he took her in. The bruises on her face actually looked worse, even though the swelling had gone down.

“Could we come inside?” Eli asked.

“No.” Renard crossed his arms over his chest. “This isn’t a good time. Opal needs to rest.”

“Is it about Barney?” she asked. “Why would FBI agents be here? Unless . . . did he do this to someone else?”

Had he killed them?

Oh God.

She watched in surprise as two police cars pulled up at her curb. Jake got out of one. Duncan out of the other.

Renard stepped forward, forcing the two agents back, then pushed her behind him. She went up on tiptoes to see around him.

“I thought we agreed to do this tomorrow,” Jake snarled, climbing up the steps onto the front porch to get between Renard and Eli.

What the hell?

What was going on?

“You cannot stand in the way of this investigation, Jake!” Eli Jones snapped. “Or I’ll have your badge.”

“Then you’ll need to have mine too,” Duncan said.

Her gaze met Duncan’s, and he gave her a worried smile.

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