Page 96 of Fatal Vision

“Surgery.” Her balance wobbled and she put a hand out to the cold concrete block wall to steady herself. A tear slipped from her eye. “He has internal bleeding. A slow leak, the doctor said, from one of his organs. They have to find where it is and seal it off or he’ll die.”

“Oh my God.” Jaya closed her eyes and put one arm around Shelby’s waist. “I’m so sorry, sweetie.”

Zeb stepped forward and held out a hand. “I’ll take his phone.”

Shelby started to hand it to him when Theo snatched it away. “This is evidence.”

Zeb gave Theo a hard stare. “What exactly were the charges again?” Zeb asked. “I don’t believe anyone ever stated them.”

In the background, Shelby noticed Nickelback talking to someone on the phone.

Theo rubbed his eyes under his glasses. “Bells set off a bomb that nearly killed a federal officer. He’s a leading suspect in a previous shooting and the murders of three men. Don’t worry, I have plenty of charges to bring against him.”

“Oh, Theo.” He’d completely gone off the deep end with this. Maybe Colton was right about him having a crush on her. Maybe he was jealous of Colton. “Colton would never hurt me. If you don’t believe he’s innocent of anything else, you have to believe that.”

Her boss cupped her elbow. “I need to get you out of here and to the safe house.”

She jerked out of his grip. “I’m not leaving.”

Nickelback pocketed his phone and came forward to murmur, “It’s taken care of,” in Zeb’s ear. The older man nodded.

“Special Agent Shelby Claiborne is now officially a client of Rock Star Security, sir.” Zeb looked like a kid at Christmas, a huge grin on his face. “I’m afraid I have to ask you to move away from her.”

Theo, affronted, puffed up his chest. “I will not. She’s my agent. I’m taking her somewhere safe.”

Salisbury growled at Theo and Jaya tightened her hold on Shelby’s waist. “My girl doesn’t want to go to a safe house, and Colton may be a loser, but he’sherloser. She loves him and she’s right when she says he would never hurt her. Break her heart, yes, but physically hurt her? Never. So back the fuck off.”

Zeb, Connor, and Nickelback closed ranks around Jaya and Shelby. A deep red flush rose up Theo’s neck. “I can’t allow this.”

From behind her, Shelby heard her father’s booming voice. “No one is making my daughter leave this hospital if she doesn’t want to.”

Shelby looked over her shoulder and smiled.

Along with her dad, everyone else from the conference room stood behind him—her mom, Daniel, and all the parishioners.

They made a formidable lineup.

“Mister Claiborne,” Theo started to argue.

“Reverend to you, son,” her dad interrupted. He winked at Shelby.

Theo’s jaw worked. He was struggling to remain composed. “You don’t understand the seriousness of this situation.”

“What I understand is that my daughter is staying here for as long as she wants, and we will stay with her to ensure her safety. You can leave your law enforcement peers”—he pointed at the cops still hanging around—“to keep an eye on Colton if that makes you feel better, but I don’t believe that young man is going anywhere soon. So I suggest you get yourself back to Good Hope and figure out who in the world did this to Shelby and her friends.”

Good ol’ Daddy. He could be a bear at times, but just like Colton, he hated it when anyone else tried to push her around.

Shelby looked at Theo while twisting Colton’s ring around her thumb. “Please, Theo. Do as he says. You and I both know that Colton didn’t set off that bomb or kill those men. I can’t track the killer down, but you can.”

Appealing to his sense of justice caused him to pause. Denbe stepped forward and nodded at Theo. “Come on, boss. Let’s go do our job.”

Theo’s nostrils flared. A nerve above his left eye twitched.

Contempt. Anger. Frustration.

And something else she couldn’t put her finger on, there and gone in the blink of an eye.

Shelby tried to freeze the image, but he was already moving away. Denbe gave Shelby a nod and motioned for the cops to follow them. As they passed through the group of parishioners, who parted like the Red Sea, Jocelyn waved at Shelby and joined them.