Page 120 of Noel Secrets

Her face warmed with embarrassment at what he must think of her. “I know you’re wondering how can one person have so many problems, right?”

His eyes lingered on her, warm and understanding as he gently shook his head. “I was thinking you have a lot going on.”

He was being kind and she appreciated that. She owed this man his life, but she wasn’t out of danger yet.

“We need to figure out who is after you, and we will, but I also need to protect you. I can move you to a safe house, but it’ll make it harder to flesh out the person behind these attacks.”

“Why? I thought you were investigating.”

“True, but a lot of people have seen that offer and might try to collect. On the other hand, if you go into hiding, the person behind the attack may realize they’ve been discovered and try to call off the hit. Then we may never know who hired those men to abduct you, and you’ll never know when the danger has passed.”

She shuddered at the thought of going home to an empty house with a target on her back. And David’s camp would end in a few days. Never would she bring him home under these conditions. Tears pressed at her eyes as she looked to him for advice. “What do I do?”

“I can protect you.” He pulled his chair closer and leaned in, voice low. “Hiding won’t help us catch them. If you’re willing, I can stay with you. Pretend to be your boyfriend. It gives me an excuse to stay close.”

Her heart skipped. “Pretend to be …”

“No one needs to know I’m FBI. It’s safer than you being alone. I’ll handle protection and help with the investigation. But this keeps you in play and the suspect unaware we’re closing in.”

It was madness. Letting a stranger into her home. But something about him—his quiet intensity, determination in his eyes, the way he spoke with conviction—made her want to believe him.

He saw her hesitation and misread it. “I know you don’t know me, but Sheriff Malone can vouch for me. He’s already contacted my supervisor.”

She should be thankful for his offer. But she didn’t know how many threats against her were out there. “You’re sure you can keep me safe?”

Agent Walker’s gaze met hers, unwavering. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Darby.”

Something shifted inside her. Trust, maybe. Or something warmer.

“My son comes home Christmas Eve,” she said. “Until then … okay. You can stay.”

He nodded, but his gaze lingered. “We’ll get through this. Together.” He reached and covered her hands with his.

For the first time in days, she felt a flicker of something stronger than fear—hope.

She was no longer alone.

Clay closed the conference room door behind him and leaned against it, dragging in a breath as if he’d held it for hours. Convincing Darby to let him stay with her had been brutal—every second of it. The pain in her eyes still echoed in his chest. She was terrified, clinging to composure by a thread, and he hated seeing it.

He’d promised to protect her.

He prayed he could keep that promise.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Sheriff Malone rounded the corner and motioned him toward his office. Clay followed without a word, tension still coiled beneath his skin.

“Did you find something?” Clay asked as he stepped into the sheriff’s office.

Malone moved behind his desk, sat down, and folded his hands. “The search team found Morton and Winters hiding in the woods. When they moved in, the suspects opened fire. My deputies returned it. Both suspects are dead.”

Clay’s jaw tensed. He leaned on the desk and exhaled slowly. The questions he’d hoped to ask had just died with them.Who hired you? Was it the ex-husband? Or did you answer an anonymous ad?

“Have we found anything else?” he asked.

“I’ve had my guys digging through their financials since you ID’d them. No large deposits. Nothing suspicious so far. But we’re still looking.”

Clay frowned. That didn’t add up. The fake hitman profile Cooper had used had received ten thousand up front. If Morton and Winters didn’t have that money in the bank …

“They might’ve paid in cash,” he said. “That could mean Morton and Winters knew the person who hired them. We need to run down their known associates and interview coworkers and friends. Maybe someone heard them bragging or saw them spending money.”