Page 4

Training kicked in, prompting him to catalog her appearance. Slender, but athletic. Blonde hair, rich with shades both warm and cool, pulled into a ponytail that had mostly come undone. Her features were classically feminine—high forehead, delicate cheekbones, a graceful jawline—but there was nothing soft about the way she looked at him.
Their gazes met. Her eyes were a stormy gray, sharp and unreadable. Assessing him. Measuring.
Tough.That was the first word that came to Daniel’s mind.
Not even the sleeping child nestled in her arms softened the impression. If anything, the way she held the boy with such calm steadiness only reinforced it. This woman had fought off two masked attackers with her bare hands. She hadn't curledup or fallen apart. She'd protected the kid, locked herself in the vehicle, and called it in.
Respect sparked first. Attraction came second, sharp and uninvited and immediate. He wasn't prepared for that.
Roy drew closer. “Miss Brooks?—”
A sharp lift of Ellie’s finger to her lips silenced the older man. “Keep your voice down, please, chief. Owen just fell asleep. If he wakes now, it’ll be another hour of crying and none of us want that.”
Roy gave a sharp nod and then whispered, “Allow me to introduce Texas Ranger Daniel Perez. He’s assisting with the case and needs to ask you some questions.”
“Perez.” Ellie’s head tilted, the strands of her ponytail drifting across one shoulder. “Marta’s son?”
“Yes.” Daniel pulled over a nearby chair and sat. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Miss Brooks. And Owen. I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances.”
“Me too.” She patted Owen’s back lightly, but her assessing gaze never wavered. She was measuring him up. It was hard to tell if she found him lacking. “Your mom’s told me a lot about you too. She’s very proud of you.”
“Being the firstborn means she's had decades to polish my reputation. Though she tends to embellish quite a bit.”
That earned him a light laugh, giving Daniel a moment to study the baby in her arms.
Owen’s cheeks were blotchy from crying, his lashes still damp. A riot of blond curls framed his angelic face, soft and flushed with sleep. His small body was curled into Ellie’s with complete, unguarded trust, one fist still gripping the ear of a tattered stuffed dog.
Something twisted low in Daniel’s chest.
His gaze lifted to meet Ellie’s. “Are you and Owen okay?”
“Physically, yes.” Her voice was quiet and measured. “Owen’s still young enough that I don’t think he’ll remember anything of what happened. I, on the other hand…”
She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t have to. The incident had shaken her. It was there in the way she held him. Fierce. Protective. As if she never intended to let go.
Daniel hated to make her relive it, but he didn’t have a choice. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Ellie took him through the sequence of events with the practiced detachment Daniel had only seen in fellow law enforcement or military members. Every word was calm, even when she got to the harrowing part about the window shattering. Daniel took notes as she spoke, but his attention was on her word choice and her demeanor. “Can you describe the men who attacked you?”
“They were wearing ski masks, so I didn’t see their faces. Mr. Broken Nose was 5’8, around 210 pounds, Caucasian. He wore a black T-shirt and pants. No distinguishing tattoos or markings that I could see. The other guy was also Caucasian. Also wearing a black T-shirt and pants. Dozens of tattoos on his arms, more than I could catalog, but there was a distinctive dragon one on his right forearm.” She pointed to the general area on her own arm. “It was red, the mouth pointed at his wrist. He was about 6’0 and 230 pounds.”
Roy was busy scribbling all the information down, then he stepped back and pulled out his cell phone. Probably calling in the description to update the BOLO.
Daniel remained still, his pen hovering over the notebook in his lap. His eyes didn’t leave Ellie. “You’ve described the perpetrators better than most cops I’ve worked with.”
Her mouth flattened slightly and then she shrugged. “I’m a big fan of crime shows. And I’m a mystery writer. I notice things others miss.”
“Right.” Daniel wasn’t quite buying that explanation, but he’d let it ride for now. “I forgot Mom told me you were a writer. She bought me one of your books for Christmas last year. I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t read it yet. I don’t get a lot of downtime.”
Ellie didn’t respond. The silence drew out, but she showed no external sign of discomfort. Finally, Daniel tapped his pen on his notepad. “You told Chief O’Neal the attackers were after Owen. How can you be sure of that?”
She didn’t do it, but Daniel had the distinct impression she wanted to roll her eyes. “I told you, one attacker picked Owen up and tried to carry him away.” Her jaw tightened. “If they wanted the car or money, they would’ve gone for my purse or demanded my keys. Neither did. They were after him. Trust me.”
Daniel agreed with her logic. But he’d learned a long time ago never to jump to conclusions, especially in a case with this many unknowns.
Still, he’d follow the path she was leading him down. For now.
He flipped to a fresh page in his notebook. “Well, I guess that brings me to my next question. Can you think of any reason someone would want to kidnap Owen?”