Page 17 of Fatal Vision

“What?” Ingram demanded. “Is there something you’d like to say, Mr. Bells?”

Colton met his condescending stare. “I’m sorry, did I roll my eyes out loud?”

The blonde therapist from the gym—Ashley? Alicia?—appeared in the doorway. “Is everything okay?”

“Get some goddamn security down here,” Jack demanded.

Martha said no, the therapist looked torn, and a second later, Jack, Martha, and Ingram all started talking at once, the therapist jumping into the fray as well.

The man named Daniel backed out of the room with a knowing smile on his face. Salisbury joined the fun, barking and growling.

Shelby tried twice to yell over them, her frustration nearly toppling her. Colton caught her around the waist with one arm, raised his fingers to his lips and whistled.

Shelby flinched at the sharp, high-pitched sound, and everyone else froze, snapping their gazes to him.

“Now that we have your attention…” He held up a hand for Shelby to proceed. “Shelby has something to say.”

“Thank you.” She gave him a knowing smile. “Mom, Dad, I need to talk to Theo and Colton. Yes, it’s about who took a shot at me, but it also involves the ongoing investigation I was working on before that. Which means, you can’t be in here. I can’t discuss open cases with you.”

Jack, his face red, pointed at Colton. “He’s not FBI.”

Ingram now stood next to Jack. He knocked back his jacket, flashing his weapon in its holster again. The guy had a complex. “He definitely should not be in here. He’s a person of interest in the case.”

“Person of interest?” Martha squeaked and grabbed her chest.

Shelby sighed heavily. She tried not to lean on Colton, but he could feel the weariness in her body. One from dealing with her family all these years as well as from her recovery. She loved them dearly, but her dad was a pushy bastard. “Theo, I told you, he’s in my file because he’s a source.”

A source, huh?For what?

“He’s on the suspect list,” Ingram bit out.

Ice formed in Colton’s stomach. “I’m getting damn tired of being called a murderer. Someone care to explain?”

Both Jack and Martha started talking again, Jack shaking a finger at Colton while the therapist shot him a fearful look before she took off, no doubt to grab a couple of security guards.

“That’s it!” Shelby threw up her hands, and it was a good thing Colton had hold of her, because she took a step forward and nearly crashed into her father. “All of you, out!”

“We’re not leaving you with him!” Jack yelled.

And yep, this was exactly the way Colton remembered them. Hot-blooded and full of piss and vinegar.

Salisbury seemed to think this was fun and started jumping up and down on Shelby, barking playfully. Colton shooed him away and steadied her.

Jack sneered in Colton’s face. “Get your hands off my daughter.”

“Stop it, Daddy,” Shelby shoved at Jack’s chest. “He’s not a suspect in my case. You’ve got this all wrong.”

Then she looked at Ingram and glared at him. “And you, stop trying to protect me, already. You’re as bad as they are. I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself! Colton is not on any suspect list, and I was top of my class at the Academy with plenty of commendations in my file. If I thought Colton was a threat, I certainly wouldn’t be standing here pretending otherwise.”

Her voice echoed off the ceiling. Her body literally vibrated under Colton’s hands.

Everyone shut up.

Jaws clenched, she balled her hands into fists at her side. “Daddy, I love you, but you have to trust me. It’s imperative I speak to Colton and Theo alone. I’m not your little girl anymore. I have a life. And while I couldn’t do without you and Mom, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me while I was in a coma, theonlyperson who is going to solve the mystery of my shooting, and bring whoever did it to justice, isme.”

Heavy, charged silence hung between all of them. Even Salisbury settled down, sitting at Colton’s feet and looking up at Shelby expectantly.

“Like Martha said, the shooter is still out there, sir,” Colton reminded Jack softly. “He could come after her again.”