Sheâs become his whole world...and sheâs under fire
Ever since forensics analyst Shaye Mallory survived a police-station shootout, Detective Cole Walker has felt personally responsible for her well-being. Then another shooter takes aim at Shaye. Cole decides the only thing he can do is stay right by her side until he finds the man who wants her dead.
Cole knows that he must set aside his attraction to Shaye if heâs going to do his job. But as the daysâand nightsâgo on, it becomes harder and harder to resist his feelings. And, as danger moves ever closer to them both, Shaye realizes that her safety might cost her the life of the man she loves.
The Lawmen: Bullets and Brawn
âShaye!â
âCole?â
Her voice was weak, but relief hit him hard, a wave that almost took him to his knees. She was alive.
He rounded the second car and found her huddled near the back tire. The flat back tire, Cole realized. The gunmanâs final shot must have just missed her.
But relief was short-lived, because she was hit. There was a trail of blood alongside the car, as if sheâd dragged herself here. He yanked his cell phone out, calling Monica directly. âGunman ran east out of Royâs parking lot, on foot. Male, white, average height and build, wearing jeans and a dark hoodie, carrying at least one pistol. Send backup. And get me an ambulance to Royâs, right now.â
He barely paused as he knelt next to Shaye, who was abnormally pale, her freckles standing out more than usual against her porcelain skin, her red hair tangled around her face and her pretty brown eyes huge. âTalk to me. Are you okay?â
ELIZABETH HEITER likes her suspense to feature strong heroines, chilling villains, psychological twists and a little romance. Her research has taken her into the minds of serial killers, through murder investigations and onto the FBI Academyâs shooting range. Elizabeth graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English literature. Sheâs a member of International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. Visit Elizabeth at www.elizabethheiter.com.
Itâs amazing to have friends whoâve been by your side since childhood. Robbie Terman, Jaime Pulliam, Julie Gabe and Esi Akaahâthis oneâs for you!
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Paula Eykelhof, Kayla King, Denise Zaza and everyone involved in bringing Police Protector to readers. Thanks to my family and friends for their endless support, especially my âusual suspectsâ: Kevan Lyon, Chris Heiter, Robbie Terman, Andrew Gulli, Kathryn Merhar, Caroline Heiter, Kristen Kobet, Ann Forsaith, Charles Shipps, Sasha Orr, Nora Smith and Mark Nalbach.
Chapter One
Sheâd made it.
Shaye Mallory smiled as she juggled two bags of groceries and headed toward her ten-year-old sedan at the far end of the grocery store parking lot. Sheâd been back to work at Marylandâs Jannis County forensics lab for a full week now.
A full week where no one had shot at her.
It felt like a good reason for a celebration, so tonightâs trip to the grocery store had included a big carton of chocolate-chunk ice cream. She tried not to feel too pathetic that sheâd be having that celebration all by herself on a Friday night in her living room with an old movie and spoonful after spoonful of sugar.
But sheâd lived in Maryland for only two years. Sheâd moved out here for the computer specialist job. She worked with police officers in her role, but bullets had seemed as foreign to her as living alone, far away from her big family. When sheâd left the forensics lab last year after the shooting, most of those friendships had eventually lapsed. At the job sheâd taken in tech support before returning to the lab, sheâd kept mostly to herself. Although she had friends, there wasnât anyone close enough to tell she wanted to celebrate going a week without being shot at or having a nervous breakdown. And celebrating with her family over video chat seemed way too pathetic, not to mention that it would get them worried about her all over again.
The truth was today was a milestone for her. A year ago, when sheâd quit the job, sheâd sworn sheâd never return. Never walk back into the forensics lab parking lotâone that was shared with the Jannis City Police Departmentâwhere sheâd watched three officers die. Where sheâd hit the pavement, panicking as shots rang out, having no way to defend herself, knowing she was going to be next.
The shiver of fear that bolted up her spine now was just a memory, Shaye told herself, repositioning her bags so she could dig out her car key. Sheâd worked late tonight, but when sheâd arrived at the store, the parking lot had been relatively full. Apparently sheâd spent too long inside debating treats because now it was nearly empty. She forced herself not to spin around, not to check her surroundings, not to give in to the paranoia that had caused her more than one moment of embarrassment over the past week.