Chapter 16 #2
The phone in his hand vibrated, followed by the generic ringtone. He looked at the caller ID. Sam.
His stomach clenched, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. “Sam?”
“Is this Deputy US Marshal Liam Roberts?” an unfamiliar male voice asked.
“It is. Who is this?” He paused the video.
“This is Corporal Johnson with the Renegade Police Department.”
Liam hit the door in a full sprint, racing to his car. “What’s going on?”
“Everyone is okay, and no one is injured. But there has been a shooting. Samantha Williams asked me to call you.”
“Tell her I’m on my way there now.” He disconnected the call and tossed it in the passenger seat as he started the SUV. He slammed it in gear and activated the lights and sirens.
Lord, I know he said no one was hurt, but please keep them safe.
Police cars lined the street he’d left an hour ago. He turned off his lights and sirens, jammed the SUV into Park, and hopped out.
He ripped his badge from his belt and flashed it at the nearest officer. “Where are the woman and two teenagers that were in the house?”
“They’re in my unit.” She turned and pointed to a unit in the middle of the melee.
He jogged to the cruiser and pulled open the door.
Sophia jumped at the suddenness. “Uncle Liam!”
She scrambled out and threw her arms around him. He crushed her to him. “Sophia. Thank God you’re all right.” He pulled back and looked her over, then hugged her again.
Sam slowly climbed from the unit, Isabella behind her. He gathered the two of them into the hug as well.
“Thank You, God, for Your protection,” he whispered into the huddle. He pulled his head back. “Is everyone okay?” He made eye contact with each of the girls in his arms.
Isabella’s and Sophia’s faces were splotchy, and their eyes were rimmed with red. The paleness of Sam’s face only made the bags under her eyes more pronounced.
She said, “We’re good.”
“Sam!” Someone yelled from over behind the barricade.
They all looked to the commotion. Dean was standing next to an officer, pointing at their huddle.
Sam pulled from Liam’s embrace and jogged to her friend, who grabbed her in a bear hug, practically lifting her off her feet.
The officer let him through the perimeter. Dean immediately pulled Isabella to him. “Oh, kiddo.” She hugged him back.
Dean looked at Sophia, still in Liam’s arms. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He reached out and patted her on the arm.
“I’m so sorry,” Sam apologized to her friend.
Dean turned to her. “Did you shoot up my house?”
She shook her head.
“Then you have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I brought them to your house.” She gasped. “What if Cass and the boys had been home?”
“You can’t think like that.” Dean framed Sam’s face in his hands. “They weren’t home. No one was hurt.”
Liam spoke up. “I’m positive we weren’t followed back to the house earlier.” He was an experienced law enforcement officer. He knew how to spot a tail, and there hadn’t been one.
“See,” Dean said. “Plus, we don’t even know if this is related to you. It could be a coincidence.”
“Does this type of thing happen in your neighborhood often?” Sam crossed her arms over her chest.
Dean rubbed the back of his neck. “No. I was just trying to make you feel better.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “We can’t stay here. I’m not going to put your family in any more danger.”
“Where else are you going to go?”
Liam stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Sam’s shoulders, pulling her close. “They’ll stay with me.”
Sam stiffened under his arm.
His offer surprised him too. But this was strictly professional. No other reason.
“Moving in together. Isn’t that really too soon?” Dean narrowed his eyes at Liam.
Sam tilted her head up and looked at Liam.
“Relax. She’s not moving in moving in.” He looked at Sam. “You’ll just be staying until you find a new place and whoever it is gets caught. It makes the most sense.”
She just stared at him.
“Why would you go anywhere else when you have built-in security with me?” He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose.
Her eyes widened even more, which had to be anatomically impossible.
He turned to face her, eclipsing Dean from her sight, and gently grabbed her shoulders. He hoped he could communicate what needed to be said with his facial features.
If they wanted to keep her cover intact, this was the best way to do that.
She started to nod. “You’re right. Plus, it will be good for the girls.”
He smiled. “It’s settled, then.” He turned back to face Dean and pulled Sam to his side again.
Dean stared Liam down, his jaw clenched.
Interesting reaction to wanting to keep Sam safe. The guy was married, and they worked on the same firefighter team, watching each other’s backs. Liam figured it was a big-brother type reaction.
Dean’s face softened a bit when he looked at Sam. “Fine. You’re an adult. You can do what you want, but—” He turned to Liam and squared his stance. “You hurt her”—he nodded to Sam—“or her”—he nodded to Isabella behind them—“and you’ll have to deal with me.”
The threat was strangely comforting. It meant Samantha had people in her life who would protect her, because right now, this was all a ruse. She’d need people like that when everything was said and done. He hoped he’d get to be one of those people.
“Understood,” Liam said.
“I need to go see about my house.” Dean stepped back and made his way to a police officer.
Samantha stepped out of Liam’s embrace, and he immediately missed her presence. It had been so long since he’d held someone like that. Sophia excluded.
They turned around, and both girls were staring at them, mouths agape.
“What?” Sam stopped in her tracks.
“Are you two dating now?” Isabella looked at Sophia, then glanced between the two of them. “We were getting vibes at lunch.”
Liam reached down and grabbed Sam’s hand. Gave it a little squeeze. “I guess the secret’s out.”
She looked up at him. Vulnerability filled her face.
This was obviously a big step for her. Even if it was fake.
“We could be sisters!” Sophia turned to Isabella and wrapped her arms around her.
He wasn’t going to ruin their excitement with semantics. They needed all the happy they could get right now.
And he needed to figure out who had just tried to kill them. There was no way that a drive-by at Dean’s house was a coincidence. This was a targeted attack.
Dating took a back seat to attempted murder.