Page 104 of Chasing Shelter

“You know,” Linc began, “this would all be solved if you moved back into Cope’s house. Arden and I could stay there with you. It’s off the beaten path and has tight security.”

Linc and Arden currently lived in a guesthouse on Cope’s property while their new house was being built. And the hockey star had been kind enough to let me stay at his place while he and Sutton wereup in Seattle as he worked to get back on the ice. But I knew Linc would hover if I went back there.

It was hard enough convincing him that this was likely Philip’s play at trying to scare me back to New York while leaving out my painful history with Bradley. After everything he and Arden had been through recently, Linc didn’t need that on his shoulders. And given that Arden was newly pregnant, she didn’t need the stress of worrying about me or being concerned that her fiancé might lose it.

“I agreed to some over-the-top security system. That’s enough. I’m not uprooting anyone,” I said.

Trace crossed the room, moving into my space. He slipped his hand under my hair and squeezed my neck. “Just a precaution, but it’ll make everyone feel better. This way, we know all our bases are covered.”

Gabriel and Dex had found exactly nothing last night. No evidence of a private investigator in the area. No signs of Jasper. No IP address to tell us where the texts had come from. Trace had even made a poor deputy sit in my driveway overnight, just in case.

I felt a little guilty that their presence had eased some of my worry. But I still slept with Mrs. Henderson’s trusty bat under my bed.

“Hey,” Linc bit out. “What’s with all the touching?”

Anson choked on a laugh. “Do we need to havethe talk?” He gestured to Arden. “Actually, since you knocked her up, maybe we do. When two people?—”

“Anson,” Arden barked. “I might be pregnant, but I still know twelve different ways to snap your neck, and I have a habit of carrying a switchblade.”

He just grinned. The smile was so wide it looked slightly deranged. “Arden in love. Threatening death and dismemberment to anyone who might harm her Lincy-poo.”

My brother scowled at the ex-profiler. “Did you just call me Lincy-poo?”

Anson shrugged. “It just felt right.”

Linc shook his head and turned back to Trace. “Please explain your hands being on my sister.”

Heat flared to life somewhere deep, and not just because Tracewas touching me. “Oh no, you don’t, buddy. There is no alpha-male, big-brother overprotective nonsense happening. I touch who I touch, and that’s that.”

Linc blinked a few times. “Okay…I just…you two are…”

“Figuring it out.” It was the best answer I had for something I had no idea how to classify. Neighbors with benefits seemed a little ridiculous.

Trace moved, sliding an arm around my shoulders, his silent statement on the matter.

“Oh, come on,” Anson said, exasperated. “He called Dex for her. He calledme. He’s bringing in Holt and Anchor Security. He took a day off work to be here, for God’s sake. He’s a goner.”

I stiffened. “Anson…you aren’t helping.”

He looked back and forth between us and flashed that creepy grin again. “Pleased as punch for you two.”

“Who are you, and what did you do with the guy who barely speaks two words most days?” Trace asked. “I think I liked him better.”

Anson just shrugged. “Your sister happened. Now, I’m into love and all that shit.”

Arden started laughing and leaned into Linc. “He’s like a feral matchmaker now or something.”

Linc kept looking back and forth between Trace and me as if trying to figure it all out.

“Well, this feral matchmaker has all the measurements he needs,” Anson said. “I’ll get these to Holt. He’s going to send a team down from Seattle and will try to come himself.”

“He doesn’t have to,” I started.

“He wants to.” Anson grinned. “He thinks Lolli’s a trip. He had her make a donut dick painting for his brother, Nash, for Christmas.”

“Jesus,” Trace muttered.

I fought a smile. “She’s getting a true following.”

---