Chapter 15
––––––––
BOONE RAN UP THE STAIRWELL, cursing at the policemen blocking his path. Nothing and no one would stop him right now. They could haul his ass off to jail later on if they wanted. He was getting to Radley come hell or high water.
After a terse discussion, they finally let him pass. The perp was long gone, but he’d left splatters of blood at the top of the stairs. Boone would have been scared shitless that Radley was hurt after seeing that, except she’d already texted the team to say she’d broken the asshole’s nose.
Good girl.
He knocked on her door, glancing sideways at everyone in the hallway watching him.
While he didn’t like Radley arguing with him so much, at the moment, he appreciated the hell out of her gutsiness. He had no doubt that she’d given her attacker a run for his money, but he also felt guilty for not escorting her to her condo like he’d wanted.
Damn stubborn woman.
The threats to Radley were escalating. What had started as text messages had turned into trapping her in a cabin, setting it ablaze, then attacking her in her own building when that had failed. And what was meant to come next? He hated to even think of the possibilities.
She swung open the door, looking both frightened and mad at the same time. Boone was vibrating with tension himself, pissed the hell off, and his anger eased only slightly when he saw that she was okay.
“I got another nastygram earlier—this time delivered in person,” she said as way of greeting. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you think I’m doing here?” he asked, irritation radiating off him.
Radley was pale, her hair slightly tangled, but she was still the prettiest damn thing he’d ever seen.
He reached for her without thinking, brushing back some of that silky dark hair and resting his hand against the side of her face.
It might’ve been inappropriate, but he didn’t give a shit.
She was warm. Soft. Alive.
And his heart was still thundering in his chest. He’d spent countless hours in the sniper’s roost, watching his teammates from above. Boone prided himself on being cool, calm, and collected. The terror he’d felt when Radley said she’d been attacked was like nothing he’d ever known.
“I needed to see if you were okay,” he ground out, his voice gruff.
Their eyes locked for a moment, understanding shining in her own. It was hard to believe he’d known this woman mere weeks.
Boone dropped his hand, and Radley moved to the side, Boone striding into her condo like he’d been there a million times before. The police officers were finishing up their report, and he eyed the two men, then Radley. “Care to tell me exactly what happened?”
She huffed out a sigh but gave an abbreviated rundown—a story she’d no doubt already told the police. Boone noted that she stayed close to him, rather than the officers who’d arrived. Radley felt safe with him, whether she realized it or not.
His gaze swept over her, assessing. It was hard to believe she’d been perfectly fine an hour ago and then attacked mere feet away from her front door. Anger wound through him. He never should’ve let her come home alone. It was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.
Boone’s phone buzzed, and he lifted it to his ear.
“How is she?” Holt barked.
“Radley seems to be fine, just shaken up. Several police officers are here in her condo taking a report. Forensics and other officers are in the hallway. The guy escaped before anyone got here.”
“Stay with her,” Holt ordered.
“That was already my plan,” Boone assured him.
Boone hung up, his gaze settling on Radley once more.
Just seeing her soothed something inside him.
Being around her gave Boone something he hadn’t even realized he needed.
He worked alone. He was happy in his life.
Successful. But he couldn’t deny that being near her stirred up all sorts of feelings he hadn’t expected. Emotions he couldn’t control.
“The boss was making sure you were okay,” he explained in a low voice.
She nodded, then looked to the police. “Are we almost through here?”
“Yes, ma’am. We’ll review the surveillance footage,” one of the officers told her. “There was blood at the scene, so hopefully we’ll get an ID on your attacker. The lab will run it through CODIS. Any prints retrieved will go through AFIS. If he has a record, it’ll be easy to ID him.”
Radley bit her lip, nodding. “I’m a former agency employee. It’s possible he works there,” she added.
The officer frowned, making another note. “Are you okay to stay here tonight? You said that you live alone. There’s a possibility the suspect might come back.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Boone snapped.
Radley didn’t argue. “I’ll be fine,” she told the officers. “Trust me, I work with an entire team of overprotective alpha males. I’ll probably never have a moment alone again until this guy is arrested.”
They finally departed, telling Radley and Boone that the forensics team would still be working in the stairwell and that they’d be in touch soon.
When they were finally gone, Radley let out a shaky sigh, locking the door behind them.
Boone’s heart stuttered. She was putting up a brave front, but he could see she was still rattled.
Trying to put her at ease, his gaze swept the room. “Nice place.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“I’m serious,” he said. “I’ve got a bunch of boxes at my apartment. You’ve already settled in, and I’ve barely even unpacked.”
“Typical man,” she said, but her laughter was more subdued than usual.
Radley headed toward the kitchen, Boone following her like he’d done so every day of his life.
It was weird to feel so at home in a place he’d never been before.
While she had just moved in, it felt comfortable here.
She had furniture. Shiny new appliances in the kitchen. A few knick-knacks lying around.
It was her, he realized. Something about Radley made Boone feel like he could be himself.
She didn’t let him boss her around, which both amused and annoyed him.
His reactions to her were a walking contradiction.
She was sexy as hell, stirring all his base desires, but he also wanted to wrap her up and protect her, shielding her from the world.
“You want something to eat?” she asked. “I was going to heat up some leftover pizza before I got...sidetracked.”
“Sure, unless you’d rather I order us some food.”
She turned to face him, raising her eyebrows. “Are you offering to buy me dinner, Boone?”
“Are you always going to argue with me, Radley?” he countered.
She rolled her eyes. “It was just a question.”
She turned and opened a cabinet, stretching to grab something from the top shelf, and Boone stilled, fisting his hands. The soft material of her sweater had ridden up, and he spotted the bruises on her side—an angry purple, blueish hue from a fresh injury, the colors marring her creamy skin.
“You’re hurt.” His voice was gruff. Pained. He sucked in some air, trying to remain calm, before his deep baritone filled the space. “He hurt you.”
Radley turned toward him slowly, the item in the cabinet forgotten. Her face was perfectly expressionless. “He tried to hurt me,” she said, her voice cool. “He shoved me into the door of the stairwell.”
“And then?”
“I handled it.”
Boone raised his eyebrows. “Meaning?” He didn’t move from where he stood across the room even though every nerve-ending in his body was firing, urging him to go to her. Protect her. Soothe her.
Radley cleared her throat. “Let’s just say he’s the one who ended up with broken bones. After I broke his nose, I kicked him down an entire flight of stairs. I left him there at the bottom, too.”
“Good.”
Shocked laughter escaped her lips, and then she shook her head. “I’m sure he’s in plenty of pain right now. He didn’t get what he wanted though. He told me he was here to collect payment. Me.”
“Fuck.” The quiet curse came out before he could stop it, but he was pissed.
Livid that a man would put his hands on her.
Radley might be a force in her own right, but she was a woman—smaller than him.
Delicate. Soft in a way he never could be.
She’d deny all that, he was certain, but the truth was still there.
Boone had killed before—countless times.
If he’d been there when a man had touched Radley—hurt her—the guy would never walk the face of the Earth again.
He was moving toward her before he thought better of it.
“Boone.”
“Let me see,” he ordered gently.
Radley edged her top up, and he bristled. “You should ice that.”
“I did,” she said lightly.
He sucked in a breath, his hands careful as they reached for her.
“Did he break any ribs?” Boone asked, gently running his fingers over her skin as she shivered.
Her skin was so fucking soft and smooth, he wanted to explore every inch.
Breathe in her scent. Run his lips over her body. Taste her with his tongue.
Radley’s chest was rising and falling, but it wasn’t from fear. She was as affected by Boone as he was by her. She glanced up, and their eyes briefly locked. The vulnerability in hers nearly slayed him.
“I don’t think anything’s broken,” she said, her voice breathless. “It’s just a bruise.”
Boone lowered her sweater, turning her so that she was facing him once again. He brushed her hair back, unable to keep away from her any longer. “I worry about you,” he said, his voice husky.
“There’s no need.”
She reached for him anyway, her small hands clutching onto his shirt. There was a hint of fear in her eyes, but something deeper, too. Trust. Desire. Want.
“Tell me I shouldn’t do this,” he said, covering both her hands with one of his own, trapping them against his chest. His heart was thudding, every nerve ending in his body firing at her closeness. He could feel her heat, breathe in her scent—he wanted her.
Radley searched his gaze, her lips parting.