Elizabeth Heiter - Police Protector

She’s become his whole world...and she’s 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 he’s going to do his job. But as the days—and nights—go 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

“Shaye!”

“Cole?”

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 gunman’s 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 she’d dragged herself here. He yanked his cell phone out, calling Monica directly. “Gunman ran east out of Roy’s 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 Roy’s, right now.”

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. “Talk to me. Are you okay?”

Police Protector

Elizabeth Heiter

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ELIZABETH HEITERlikes 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 Academy’s shooting range. Elizabeth graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English literature. She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. Visit Elizabeth at www.elizabethheiter.com.

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It’s amazing to have friends who’ve been by your side since childhood. Robbie Terman, Jaime Pulliam, Julie Gabe and Esi Akaah—this one’s 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 “usual suspects”: 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.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text She’s become his whole world...and she’s 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 he’s going to do his job. But as the days—and nights—go 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

Introduction “Shaye!” “Cole?” 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 gunman’s 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 she’d dragged herself here. He yanked his cell phone out, calling Monica directly. “Gunman ran east out of Roy’s 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 Roy’s, right now.” 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. “Talk to me. Are you okay?”

Title Page Police Protector Elizabeth Heiter www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author 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 Academy’s shooting range. Elizabeth graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English literature. She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. Visit Elizabeth at www.elizabethheiter.com .

Dedication It’s amazing to have friends who’ve been by your side since childhood. Robbie Terman, Jaime Pulliam, Julie Gabe and Esi Akaah—this one’s for you!

Acknowledgments 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 “usual suspects”: 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

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

She’d 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. She’d been back to work at Maryland’s 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 tonight’s trip to the grocery store had included a big carton of chocolate-chunk ice cream. She tried not to feel too pathetic that she’d 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 she’d lived in Maryland for only two years. She’d 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 she’d left the forensics lab last year after the shooting, most of those friendships had eventually lapsed. At the job she’d taken in tech support before returning to the lab, she’d kept mostly to herself. Although she had friends, there wasn’t 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.