C. Paradee - Deep Cover

Keeping her irritation hidden, Shelby returned his smile. "I'm sure Mom will be interested to hear you witnessed the shooting. I don't think you'll be moving in anytime soon."

Angry that the fear he'd expected to see in her eyes was absent, Jonathan decided to give his stepdaughter a physical reminder of whom she was dealing with. In two quick steps, he closed the distance between them and cruelly grabbed Shelby's injured arm, squeezing. "You little bitch. It's your word against mine. I'm warning you now, keep your mouth shut about me to your mother or there will be two of us after you, and both of us aren't going to miss."

When her former stepfather squeezed her injured arm, Shelby's face paled and she gasped in pain, reflexively pulling away and holding her arm protectively with her other hand, tears welling in her eyes. Very pleased he'd gotten the response he wanted, Jonathan brutally shoved her.

Angered by the triumph visible on her stepfather's face, Shelby grabbed the doorframe, refusing to allow him to physically dismiss her. Her eyes started flashing as she launched a verbal counterattack. "Feel better now? You really get off on attacking women and children, don't you? You're pathetic. You had a real opportunity to get help and just went through the motions. And I do plan on filing assault charges against you." Keeping her eyes on her stepfather, Shelby called out, "Hey, Kris, how about joining us?"

Jonathan's eyes widened at the verbal assault, and he stood there momentarily speechless in the face of Shelby's anger.

The door slammed open and Blue strode in, her anger barely under control.

The only open window had been on the far side of the trailer, and the operative cursed the extra seconds it had taken her to reach the door after hearing Shelby's gasp of pain. She'd been following the discussion intently, not wanting to invade her partner's privacy, but also not willing to leave Shelby totally at the mercy of her stepfather, should he try something.

Glancing at Shelby and witnessing the pain her partner was experiencing, Blue narrowed her eyes and focused on Jonathan, even though the analyst looked like she had the situation well in hand.

She bore down on Jonathan as he backed away, trapping him against the far wall of the trailer. "You bastard!"

Jonathan met the operative's glare, and snarled. "You either move out of my way, or I'll move you."

Blue smiled coldly, her voice low and calm, belying the tension surging through her muscles. "What are you waiting for?"

Jonathan saw red. Who was this bitch to challenge him? She had to be stupid, but she'd asked for it. He viciously kicked his leg forward and simultaneously threw a left jab, only to find himself off balance as neither blow landed. A moment later he was doubled over grunting in pain and coughing, trying to catch his breath from the sharp blow to his solar plexus. Unprepared, he never saw the fist that connected with his chin, and he sank to the floor, dazed.

Blue looked on dispassionately, struggling to control the throbbing her quick movement had wrought in her own injured muscles. She cursed her weakness, and hoped Jonathan had had enough, having no illusions about maintaining a sustained assault in her condition.

She backed out of reach and quickly glanced at Shelby. "Are you okay?" she asked, before turning her attention back to her adversary.

"Yeah, but I'm going to call the police and file assault charges."

The operative nodded. If Shelby wanted to file charges, that was fine with her. Unfortunately, it would only be Jonathan's word against her partner's because she hadn't witnessed the incident, but Kris figured Shelby knew that.

"No..."

Blue glanced at Jonathan who was struggling to rise to his feet. "Why not, sleezeball? Afraid you might go to jail this time. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

Jonathan sensed there was no dealing with the tall woman facing him, and turned his attention to Shelby. He'd never get his record expunged with a new assault charge pending, even if she couldn't prove it. "I'll make you a deal. You know I have something you want."

Shelby glanced at Kris, and then assumed a good imitation of her partner's stoic façade. She returned her attention to Jonathan, shrugging disinterestedly. "Maybe. What's the deal?"

Sensing an opportunity to regain the upper hand, Jonathan pressed his advantage. "If you don't press charges, I'll tell you what I saw yesterday when you were shot at."

Smiling inwardly, his reaction exactly what she'd been hoping for, Shelby shrugged. "How do I know you'll be telling the truth? You've lied before."

"If I'm lying, you can always press charges."

Shelby nodded. "Okay, deal. I find out you lied, and the deal is off."

Suppressing her own smirk of satisfaction, Kris observed the interaction between her partner and Jonathan, once again surprised by Shelby's innate understanding of the human mind. She had played her stepfather like a well-tuned piano, and he'd totally fallen for it.

"Well..."

"The guy was tall, with dark hair. I didn't get a good look at him because he was concealed pretty well in a tree a couple of houses up from where your car ended up."

"That's all you know? Forget it. That could be anyone." Shelby looked at Kris. "Let me borrow your cell phone. I left mine in the car."

Seeing the resolute expression on Shelby's face as she accepted the phone from her partner, Jonathan interrupted. "Wait. There's more." Pulling out his wallet, he retrieved a small piece of paper and handed it to the analyst. "I got his license number."

Kris asked a question that had been bothering her since she'd overheard the conversation earlier. "How did you happen to be in the area and just happen to notice which car was his?"

The tall man shifted uncomfortably. He'd had plans for Shelby himself, but had been saved the trouble by the appearance of the other man and had initially watched him out of curiosity until it became apparent he was on a mission. "I was just hanging around waiting for you and Shelby to leave so I could go visit Lisa when I saw him take a bicycle out of his car. He was carrying a small black gym bag."

Kris' disbelief was clearly evident. "You were just hanging around?"

"It's the truth."

Kris glanced at Shelby. Truth or not, her partner was obviously satisfied with the information Jonathan had given them, so it was time to end this visit. She smiled at Shelby. "Would you mind waiting for me outside. I want to talk to Jonathan alone for a minute." She winked to assure the analyst that she really was only going to talk to him.

Once the analyst left, Blue glared at the tall man who was watching her cautiously. Knowing words alone would be ineffective, she removed her gun from a holster at the small of her back, holding it casually as she released the cylinder and made a point of checking to see that all the chambers contained rounds.

She smiled, and in a voice few had heard and lived, purred, "If you come near Shelby or make any attempt to harm her, ever, you're a dead man." Blue clicked the cylinder back in place to emphasize her words. "Is that clear?"

Jonathan looked into the ice-cold eyes and tried to back away, but was already trapped in place by the wall. He had no doubt that she meant exactly what she'd said, and for the first time in his life he felt a bone chilling fear. Finding his voice, he muttered, "Yes."

Blue growled, "Good. I'm glad we understand each other."

Watching her leave, Jonathan wiped the perspiration from his brow, bewildered over the depth of his fear of the bodyguard.

Turning in the passenger seat to face Kris as they departed the trailer park, Shelby asked, "What'd you say to him?"

"I just told him to stay away from you."

Shelby raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Why do I get this feeling you're leaving something out?"