Page 22 of Fatal Vision

Chapter Four

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SHE TOOK DOWNthe pictures.

Colton stared out the kitchen window, seeing the backyard tire swing, memories of a sultry July night and Shelby on the swing taking him back a few years.

So many memories. They assaulted him from every room, every view. Shelby’s ghost—the old Shelby who laughed and teased him mercilessly—called to him around every corner.Remember. She danced away each time he reached for her or tried following her through the house.

The teakettle whistled softy. For a second, he had to reorient himself, not remembering why the bloody thing was even on.

Tea. For Shelby.Get it together, Bells.

His phone went off with the ringtone from Green Day’s song,Espionage. ‘Queen B’ showed on his screen.

Beatrice. For half a second he considered not answering, making work out of finding a mug—at least the cups were still in the same place—and a tea bag.

Southern Mint. Shelby liked that one.

But within seconds, he couldn’t resist the beat of the song, his curiosity getting the best of him, not to mention his loyalty to the woman who’d given him, and so many of his friends, a second chance.

“Hey, boss.” He glanced at his watch. “Last I checked, my seventy-two hours aren’t up yet.”

“Save the cheekiness for Cal.” As usual, she was all business. “Rory got a hit on you. You’re raising flags with the locals. Want to fill me in on why the Feds are running a background check on you?”

He scratched the back of his head. His hair was two months past a good trim. “No, ma’am. I’ve been on my best behavior.”

Which Beatrice damn well knew meant he was hip-deep in trouble.

“Are you in need of assistance?”

If assistance meant bail money, she might be spot on. “Not at this time.”

“I don’t like to threaten, Colton.”

“No, ma’am, I know you don’t.”

“I’m going to anyway. If your escapades with your ex-wife bring heat on you from the Bureau, that brings heat on Rock Star Security and SFI. We’ve had enough attention from government entities lately.”

He wanted to promise her he wouldn’t do anything stupid. He really did.

“I understand,” was all he could say.

“Do you, Colton? Do you understand that if we get involved in yet another snafu with the US government, they could shut us down? The interim president likes us, but we have a lot of enemies itching to put us out of business. If they do, your SFI brothers will be out of jobs again. Rock Star Security will close.”

“No one’s going to shut us down.”

“You can’t guarantee that.”

“Let me rephrase that—Rock Star, and ergo, Shadow Force—won’t be shut down because ofme. Shelby’s boss is investigating a case she was working before she was shot. She had a photo of me in the file and he thought I was a suspect. I’m not. Case closed. He ran a background on me because he wants in Shelby’s pants and I just brought her home.”

There was a slight pause. He heard rustling and then the sound of little Sloane making faint hiccupping sounds.

“Male jealousy has landed more than one man in prison,” Beatrice said. “Need I remind you, it has started wars and toppled countries.”

He sighed, pouring water into the cup and watching steam rise. “Point taken.”