Gut Instinct. Barb Han
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made a cup of chamomile tea to calm herself and give her something to do besides think about her ex. Hadn’t she spent enough time trying to get over him? And she was almost certain she had.
Almost.
She threw on a pair of yoga pants and curled up on the couch with the steaming brew. She was less than thrilled her ex had shown up. Even so, she wasn’t stupid. He was FBI. She’d do whatever he said to stay alive.
There was some relief that he looked better than when he’d come back from Iraq. Then he’d been a shell of the once-charismatic, -vibrant and -sexy-as-hell man he’d been.
She still remembered the day she’d learned his tour was finished and he’d be coming home. She’d sat on this very couch, where they’d made love more times than she could count, and cried tears of joy.
Nothing had prepared her for the day Luke walked through that door.
She hugged the pillow into her stomach and took a sip of her hot tea.
The cool, courageous and fearless man she’d once stayed up all night talking to was gone. He looked as if he hadn’t eaten or shaved or slept in weeks. His eyes were deep set. He’d been dehydrated, starved or both. He barely spoke when he walked through the door and then folded onto the couch.
His vacant expression had startled her the most.
He’d refused to talk. The only thing she knew for sure was something very bad had happened overseas. Her determination to be there for him solidified even though he gave her zero reasons to hang on. Julie Campbell didn’t quit. Her father had sown those seeds years before and the crop was fully grown.
Even though Luke had shut her out completely, she was convinced she’d break through and find the real him again. The days had been long and fruitless. Then there were the nightmares. He’d wake drenched with sweat but refusing to talk about it. The slightest noise sent him to a bad place mentally—a prison, one he wouldn’t allow her access to.
She held on to their relationship, to the past, as long as she could before there was nothing left between them but sadness and distance. Then he left.
Seeing him now, he looked different but stronger.
She sank deeper into the couch.
Living on his own must agree with him.
She heard a noise from out back and fear skittered across her nerves. She told herself to calm down. There was a police officer stationed out there and Luke covered the front. No one could hurt her. She was safe. Luke wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.
Even so, a warning bell sounded inside her. She turned out the light in the living room, slipped next to the curtain and peeked out the window. Luke’s truck sat out front. Empty. He should be at his post by now. Where was he?
A knock at the back door caused her to jump.
Adrenaline had her running toward the kitchen, needing to know if Luke was there.
The tapping on the door increased and intensified, causing her heart to lurch into her throat.
She forced her rubbery legs to carry her the rest of the way into the kitchen.
“Julie” broke through the pounding noise. Luke’s voice gave her strength to power forward.
She cracked the door.
He forced it all the way open and pushed his way inside. His weapon was drawn as he leaned his shoulder against the door for support. His dark eyes touched hers. “Thank God you’re safe.”
“What happened, Luke? What’s wrong?”
“He’s here.” He tucked her behind him.
A scuffle sounded from the alley. Luke opened the door and bolted toward it.
Julie fought to keep pace, pushing her legs until her lungs burned.
They stopped at the sight of an officer’s body lying twisted on the concrete, his radio the only noise breaking through the chilly air.
“Stay right behind me,” Luke instructed as he scanned the alley for a threat, his weapon leading the way. “And watch for any movement around us.”
She looked everywhere but at the officer, who she feared was too quiet to still be alive. She said a silent prayer for him.
When Luke had checked behind garbage cans and gaps in fences, he moved to the injured man. He dropped to the ground, bent over the officer and administered CPR as Julie kept a vigilant watch.
Luke leaned back on his heels after several intervals of compressions. He looked at her again and his horrified expression almost took her breath away.
“What else can we do? We can’t leave him.”
“There’s nothing we can do now. I tried to revive him. He’s gone.” The sadness in his voice was palpable as he called it in. He glanced at the officer’s empty holster and looked around. “His gun is missing.”
A sob broke through before Julie could suppress it.
“We have to go,” he said, then twined their fingers.
She noticed blood on his shirt and arms. She stuck close behind him as they bolted back through her house and toward the front door, his gun drawn.
“Alice is on her way,” she said.
“We’ll call her from my truck and tell her to turn around. I already notified local police. We can’t stay here.”
By the time they got to the front door, the silhouette of a man appeared against the front window.
Luke’s grip tightened on her fingers, and he leveled his weapon at the man’s chest.
Julie didn’t realize she was holding her breath until the squawk of a police radio on the other side of the door broke the silence.
Luke tucked her behind him, placing his body between her and the officer, and opened the door. He pointed to the badge clipped on his belt. “I’m Special Agent Campbell, and I called for backup. Where’d you come from? I didn’t hear your sirens.”
“I received a call of an officer down and was told to proceed with caution until others arrived at the scene. I was nearby.”
“He’s in the alley,” Luke said.
The officer thanked Luke, hopped off the porch and disappeared.
Several squad cars roared up the narrow street, descending on the once-quiet neighborhood in a swarm.
Relief washed over Julie. She glanced up in time to see Alice running toward them, looking panicked.
Julie let go of Luke’s hand and embraced her friend on the stairs.
“What in hell is going on?” Alice demanded.
“He was here.” Another sob broke through.
Alice’s expression dropped in terror. “You don’t mean...? How does he know where you live?”
“I don’t know. He left a note on my window earlier and now a police officer is dead.”
“What note?”
“I was planning to tell you about it when you got here. We weren’t sure it was him before.” Julie caught her friend giving Luke the once-over.
“That who I think he is?” Disdain parted her lips as her gaze stayed trained on Luke.
Julie nodded.
“What’s he doing here?”
“This is his case. He’s been tracking this guy for the past two years. He’s the expert, so he’s in charge.” Julie hoped her friend didn’t pick up on the change in her voice every time she spoke about her ex.
“Well, he isn’t doing a very good job.” Alice spoke loud enough for him to hear.