Page 32 of SEAL's Harmony
She looked at him ruefully. “Dang. I am in full-on klutz mode now.”
“No, sweetheart, you’re just exhausted and probably a little scared,” Ry said gently.
Whiskey licked her face and leaned against her too.
“I can’t stop thinking about what would have happened if I’d been home alone when all of this happened.”
“But you were safe with an entire team and a half of SEALs. I don’t think you can get much safer than that.”
“Very true. And don’t forget the Krav Maga queen. Chrissy could take out all of you,” Harmony said, then drained the water bottle. “Gosh, I can’t believe I’m so thirsty.”
“I seriously doubt she could take out all of us. We’re highly trained and lethal. Besides, Ryan has been studying it to keep up with her,” Ry said as he reached into the bag to grab another water bottle and hand it to Harmony. Josh had been smart to bring a six-pack since he didn’t know if they’d be there for a while or if Detective Nelson would ask them to meet him at the station.
A few moments later, the detective returned. “I think we have all we need for now. If I need anything else, I’ll call you. In the meantime, be vigilant until we catch whoever did this. If you feel threatened, call me. Don’t hesitate, just do it. If you can’t find my card, dial nine-one-one. Okay?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you. Does this mean I can get into my apartment?”
“I’m afraid not, it’s still a crime scene. But Officer Roberts will let you inside to pack a bag. We should have it cleared sometime tomorrow.”
“But…”
“It’s okay, Harmony, we’ll figure it out. Let’s go grab your things,” Ry said.
Her eyes narrowed as they searched his face. But she slowly stood without tripping and they followed the officer to her apartment. She’d already given them her keys so they could check it out, and the door was still open.
Ry and Whiskey stood near the door and watched as the officer followed her into the apartment. It didn’t look like anyone had been in there since he’d picked her up earlier, and for that, he was grateful. This was hard enough for Harmony without having everything she owned destroyed. Though, if Ericson had the chance to do it, Ry believed he would.
What he didn’t understand was what had triggered the guy. He’d been pissed off earlier, but this was some next-level shit. They needed to find out what had happened between the time when he’d left the bank earlier and this evening when he torched Harmony’s car.
10
Harmony grabbed her suitcase out of the bedroom closet. Even though Detective Nelson said she could probably come home tomorrow, she didn’t want to take any chances. Money was tight, and she didn’t want to have to go clothes shopping just to go to work.
Knowing better than to grab more than one outfit at a time didn’t stop her from doing it. It only took three steps from the closet before she landed on the floor on top of her clothes. Gawd. And, of course, the officer witnessed the entire thing.
“Do you need help, ma’am?” he asked politely.
Her cheeks burned with mortification as she imagined him recounting the story at work the next day and his fellow officers laughing until they cried.
“I’m fine. But thank you for offering.” It’s not like this stuff didn’t happen all the time to her. But it was always worse when there were witnesses. But at least he hadn’t grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off the floor like her father used to. He’d dislocated her shoulder more than once over the years.
She did her best to look graceful as she pulled herself and her dresses off the floor. She folded them neatly and tucked in a pair of dress shoes. Then she grabbed two pairs of jeans and a couple of sweaters since it was getting cooler in the evenings. Saving her underwear for last, she was trying to figure out how to get them out without the officer seeing her plain cotton granny panties and matching bras. No sexy lingerie for her—at least not yet, anyway.
The officer sighed from the doorway. She was taking too long to pack, but the more she rushed, the more anxious she became. Where would she go, how would she get around without a car? Worry weighed heavily on her shoulders. She just wanted to climb into her bed and pull the covers over her head.
“Ma’am, you need to hurry.” He sounded aggravated. Probably wished he was anywhere but there.
“I’m trying. I just need to grab a few more things,” Harmony answered. Giving up on trying to hide her unmentionables, she pulled a couple of her nightshirts out of a drawer and then wrapped them around her bras and panties. Then shoved all of it into her suitcase. She was sure she was forgetting something, but all the stress was making it hard for her to focus.
“Just need to grab a few things from the bathroom, then we can go,” Harmony said as she slid past the officer to get her toothbrush and other toiletries. After shoving them into the suitcase, she glanced around the room for anything she might have missed. It was a good thing, too, since her makeup bag was still sitting on the dresser.
Harmony felt like a homeless waif, being evicted onto the street with nothing but her suitcase and the clothes on her back. Was this how Harry felt?
As soon as Ry saw her, he wrapped her in his embrace so she was nestled snuggly against his muscled chest. She struggled at first, but then gave in to his warmth and inhaled his woodsy, male scent, and listened to the steady beat of his heart. His comforting embrace soothed her frayed edges, and the world didn’t seem so bleak.
“C’mon let’s get you away from here,” Ry murmured as his cheek rested against her head.
“I don’t have anywhere to go.” She hated how desolate she sounded.
