government agent. She squirted a little of the beautifully scented shampoo on her hand and applied it to her hair, scrubbing hard, as if she could scrub the images and thoughts about Daniel out of her head.
Not likely.
With quick efficiency, Shelby washed her body and rinsed her hair and skin, careful to avoid touching the bump on her forehead. Then she shut off the water. The towel she wrapped herself in was thick and luxurious, like everything else in the mansion. All the towels they had back home on the Outer Banks had been well worn and washed. They were thin, some threadbare. It wasn’t that she and her grandfather were poor, they just hadn’t found a need to replace things that worked just fine.
Shelby tossed the towel over the rack and slipped into her nightgown and bikini panties.
A sound in the bedroom made her jump.
“Daniel?” she called out.
No answer.
She grabbed the metal toothbrush holder and eased toward the door. “Daniel?” she called out, louder this time, her heart lodged in her throat.
As the bathroom doorknob turned, she remembered that she hadn’t locked it and dived for the handle and the locking mechanism, twisting hard.
She got it locked. With her pulse slamming against her veins, she stood in her nightgown, holding the toothbrush holder and wondered what the hell to do next.
Daniel paced in front of Kate’s desk. “I don’t like what’s happening. The attack at the school made it clear that Shelby is still a target. Whoever is after her won’t stop until they’ve caught her and used her for whatever they hope to accomplish.”
Kate sat in the leather chair in her robe, looking no less regal than if she wore one of her tailored gray suits. “I don’t know what else to do. She’s at risk because of me. Until I know who they are or what they want, I can’t do anything about it.” She rested her face in her hands. “All I can do is pray that you’re always there to keep her safe.”
“She’s got a mind of her own and she’s not afraid to use it.”
Kate smiled. “She’s like her grandfather. Stubborn man.”
“The point is, she doesn’t take kindly to being followed around and putting her life in someone else’s hands.”
“For the time being, she’ll have to get used to it. She’s not safe.” Kate stood and cinched the robe at her waist. “It’s late, Daniel. Even a good bodyguard needs his rest. Go to bed. We can worry about this again in the morning.”
He was ready. The few minutes he’d been talking to Kate, he’d been farther from Shelby than he’d been since he was assigned to protect her. His instincts were to go to her and make sure she was all right. Not that much could happen to her in the relative security of the Winston Estate. Still, he didn’t trust anyone but himself to ensure her safety.
Kate drifted off toward the kitchen for a cup of tea while Daniel hurried up the curving staircase and along the landing to the door to Shelby’s bedroom. He leaned his ear against the thick wood paneling and heard nothing. He tested the door. It was unlocked, and he debated whether or not to knock or barge in and demand she lock the door. Instead, he opened the door, reached in and twisted the lock, then closed the door again. No use alarming her. She was probably already asleep. Daniel went to his own room to get ready for bed.
As he closed his door behind him, he heard a noise from Shelby’s room.
He crossed to the connecting door and listened.
The noise sounded again…and he could swear he heard Shelby calling his name. He could be mistaken; the sound was so soft he could have imagined it.
Then the noise sounded again and Shelby’s voice called out, louder this time.
He tried the door and discovered it was locked and cursed himself for locking the other door before checking to see if Shelby was okay. Pulling his weapon from the holster beneath his jacket, he performed a hard side kick with his heel close to the locking mechanism. The door frame splintered, but the door didn’t give. He kicked again and the door flew open, the frame shattering.
“Daniel?” Shelby called out from inside the bathroom. “Please tell me that was you,” she said, her voice breaking as if it caught on a sob.
“It’s me,” he responded, arriving at the door to the bathroom as she opened it and threw herself into his arms. He caught her and held her against his body with his free hand, his gaze panning the room. Nothing moved; the room was empty except for the two of them.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I’d just gotten out of the shower when I heard a noise in my room. Then the doorknob twisted. I got to it in time to lock it.” She looked up, her eyes wide, her fingers digging into his shirt. “Please tell me it was you.”
He shook his head. “Sorry, sweetheart, it wasn’t.”
Shelby closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his shirt. “I could have been imagining it. With all that’s happened, my mind could be playing tricks on me.”
He didn’t believe it for a minute. “Had you locked your bedroom door?”
She nodded. “I’m pretty sure I did.”
“Wait here.”
Her fingers tightened on his shirt. “I’d rather not.”
With her tucked in the curve of his arm, he led her through the connecting doorway to his bedroom door. He gripped her arms and moved her to the side of the door. “Lock this behind me and don’t open it until I tell you to.”
Opening the door, he pointed his weapon out into the hallway, then poked his head out, glancing in one direction and then the other. The hallway came to a dead end to the left, and the right led toward the staircase. No one stirred; nothing moved.
Carefully turning the knobs on the other doors in the hallway, he checked inside. Two of the rooms were empty. The room Patrick was to stay in was empty, as well. Daniel hurried down the hallway to the staircase and stared down at the floor below.
Kate Winston walked toward the stairs, carrying a cup. She glanced up and gasped. “Daniel? Is something wrong? I thought I heard a crashing sound.”
“I don’t know.”
“There must be, or you wouldn’t be carrying a gun.” She looked around her and back up to him. “Is Shelby all right?”
“Yes. If you don’t mind, I’ll do a security check of the house.”
“Please, by all means.” She waited at the bottom of the stairs as he checked the other rooms on the second floor. When he returned, she met him halfway up the stairs. “Anything I can do?”
He shook his head. “No. I’ll finish my check. You can go to bed. Your room is clear.”
“Thank
