Page 24 of Fatal Vision

And just maybe, they could put the past behind them and start fresh.

First, he needed details about the case she’d been working when this all went down. Then he needed sleep.

Rubbing his eyes, he picked up the mug of tea and went to talk to the woman who held his future in her hands.

In the hall, a snuffling sound met his ears. The odd sound had him looking around for the dog, trying to see what trouble Salisbury had gotten himself into.

It grew louder as he drew near the living room. There were smacking noises too.

“Salisbury, where are you?” he called. There was no answer, no click of nails on the hardwood. Undoubtedly, the dog had found something to chew on—probably one of Shelby’s designer shoes—and both he and the mutt were going to end up with their asses on the front lawn yet.

As he swung into the living room, ready to hand off the tea and hunt down the dog, he pulled up short.

Salisbury was looking at him, ears alert, from the comfy lap of his ex-wife. Shelby’s head was cockeyed against the back of the chair, her mouth open and loud snores emanating from it.

She’d redone her braid again, the side of long hair lying neatly over her shoulder, while the other side was on display. The hair there was only a couple inches long, and she had tucked it behind her ear. Through the blond strands, the ugly pink scar over her ear taunted him.

Why did I ever leave?

Had he actually had a choice?

The words she’d thrown at him that night—the night of no return—still burned inside his skull. The dragon stirred inside his chest.

While he had no outward scar like the one cutting across the side of her head, the internal scars were still bloody and gruesome. He’d been shot, knifed, and burned in the line of duty. Never had he felt pain, or been cowed by it, the way he had over a few simple words.

Reckless. Thoughtless. Selfish.

The venom in her voice, in her eyes, when she’d slayed him with those words had brought him to the rudest awakening of his life. He was in truth the loser everyone always thought him to be.

It didn’t matter how many terrorists he’d nailed. How many Americans he’d saved. How many medals and commendations he’d been graced with.

He was still the loser. Forever the boy with no family, no roots, and nothing to make him respectable in this two-horse town.

Gazing down at Shelby now, he wished he didn’t love her anymore. Didn’t think about her every hour of every day.

He wished he could truly let her go so she could find the man she deserved.

The dragon yawned, bored with the same old script.

He’d tried to let her go. He’d signed those damned divorce papers and bled a bucket of his soul when he did, but he’d given her her freedom. She deserved better than him. Far better.

Yet in his heart, he’d never really turned her loose. He’d quit the SEALs, traveled all over the world, and joined SFI trying to forget her. Nothing had worked. He couldn’t forget her or the love they’d shared. Not ever. He could never move on with his life, even if she’d moved on with hers.

Sheismy life.

He knew with certainty that the only reason she’d called him back here was to help solve her case. The FBI came first. Her career had always been the most important thing outside of her mom and dad. Once he helped her with the case, she’dsayonarahim and send him on his way.

He should have had the balls to walk away with dignity. If he were smart, he’d introduce her to Beatrice and let the two of them figure it out. Shelby didn’t really need him; what she needed was solid intel. Beatrice and Rory could dig into sources outside the Bureau’s perfect square box of legalities.

Colton set down the tea and shooed Salisbury off Shelby’s lap. Gently, he scooped her up into his arms.

“What…?” She blinked her eyes a couple of times. “What happened?”

“It’s okay, Shel. I’ve got you. Go back to sleep.”

As if her eyes couldn’t stay open, she did just that, tucking herself into his arms.

A killer was on the loose and that killer might be the shooter who’d tried to silence her. No way was he walking away until he knew she was safe.