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“Something like that.” Because I plan to be her freaking shadow every moment she’s in this town. But it wasn’t just this town that was dangerous to Shelby. “Tell me, have you guys done any traveling recently? Left town?” Went to New Orleans and tried to take a shot at Shelby?

“Get the hell off my property,” Gabriel repeated doggedly. “Shelby can talk with me later. Just her. Not you.” Then, to Jonah, “And if you think you’re getting in my place, you’d better have that warrant I mentioned.”

“Not cooperating with the police makes you look guilty as hell,” Jonah groused.

“There’s looking guilty and then there is being guilty. Those are two distinctly different things. Just ask Shelby. I bet she understands that difference.” A smirk covered Gabriel’s lips as he opened his door. Marched inside.

Then slammed the door shut.

What was happening? Shelby strained to see through the windshield, but the falling rain blocked her view. Was Hunter really playing the unhinged act or had that just been BS? The last thing she wanted was for him to get into some sort of physical confrontation with Gabriel or Jonah.

Several minutes had already ticked past.

And she damn well did not like just waiting in the car.

Screw this. She shoved open her door. Rain pelted on her. Great. But getting soaked was better than…

Than what?

Sitting on the sidelines the way she’d done for years?

Just…waiting?

And she didn’t want Hunter getting his butt tossed in jail. She needed him.

But as she took a step away from the SUV, she saw him bound off the porch steps. She squinted against the rain. There was no sign of Gabriel, but Jonah lurched after Hunter. Jonah reached out and locked a hand around Hunter’s shoulder.

Hunter turned instantly, his fist flying up.

“Hunter, don’t!” Shelby yelled. Do not hit a cop!

He froze. Then spun toward her.

The rain hit harder, and she automatically put her hand up to shield her hearing aid. They needed to both get in the SUV and leave.

Hunter rushed toward her.

She hurried to meet him.

“What was the point of the umbrella if you’re just going to run in the rain?” Hunter snarled as he closed in on her.

“It’s—” Shelby began.

Thunder cut through her words. A reverberating blast. Heat seemed to lance over her back. And suddenly, she wasn’t hurrying toward Hunter. She was flying. A scream tore from her throat as she tried to figure out what was happening. She stared straight at Hunter, and she saw shocked horror on his face.

She hurtled toward him.

He grabbed her, caught her, yanked her against him, and whirled. But…

Somehow, they wound up on the ground. Had they tripped? Fallen?

They were on the ground. He was over her, covering her, and she could smell…smoke. Flames.

Fire.

“Hunter?” A gasp that was his name. She couldn’t hear anything. Just—a suffocating silence, and terror streaked through her. Why couldn’t she hear—anything? Had she lost her hearing aid? Had something happened to her other ear? What was⁠—

Hunter’s head lifted. “Baby?”