Page 64 of The Deputy's Secret Double

Her hand startled his thoughts. The fabric of her gloves curled into his palm.

If her expression hadn’t changed so drastically, Price might have mistaken the move as something else. Instead, she was facing the open door, tense.

“Did you hear that?”

No sooner than she asked, he heard the front door rattling.

He shared a quick look with JJ. Her eyes were wide.

Someone was coming in.

* * *

They just triedthe doorknob. When the door didn’t give, the movement stopped. Price didn’t. He took JJ by the waist, she assumed to shuttle them into the closet or under the bed to hide next, but then stayed himself.

His hand rested on her hip while his gaze was glued to the door.

She wasn’t doing anything differently.

JJ watched as the doorknob shook a few more times then went still.

There were only three options now: unlock the door, break the lock to open the door or walk away.

She knew which option she preferred. It was one thing for her to be caught in Anthony Boyd’s apartment. It was an entirely different matter for a deputy of the law to be caught. That was without all the messy questions of why they were together too.

Maybe she could distract whoever came in while Price hid.

Maybe they both could hide.

Maybe—

“They’re walking back down the stairs.” Price’s voice was low.

JJ strained to listen.

It was faint but he was right. She could hear retreating footfalls against the wooden stairs outside.

“Why would they leave?” she asked, more to herself than him.

They shared a look.

Then they were moving in tandem to the only window that lined the left wall. JJ was nimble in moving the simple curtain over the kitchen sink just enough to get a view of the side yard below. She couldn’t see the end of the stairs, but the two men were easy targets as they walked across toward the front of the barn.

Adrenaline shot through JJ faster than lighting to a rod deep in a storm cloud.

She couldn’t get a good view of the face of the shorter man, but the one in dark joggers and tennis shoes had a face she wouldn’t forget.

“He’s the one we fought at Jamie Bell’s,” she said, voice pitching higher than she meant to. “Why are they here? Are they following us?”

Price’s expression went razor-sharp.

“Let’s find out.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

JJ didn’t like regrets. But, well, she was big enough to admit that she had a few.

Pain seared up her leg, her elbow throbbed and something felt like it was in her eye. The only thing that didn’t have any complaints on her happened to be her head. Which was nice, considering she’d had a concussion not that long ago.