“Might want to talk to the concierge down in the lobby about those locks. Maybe you need a new key made up.” She was more aware of her surroundings than most civilians he’d met, but a person could never be too careful.
“Key usually works fine. I’ve never had to fudge with it before. Not even a little.” Fine lines had formed between her brows when she turned to look at him and weariness showed in the smudges under her eyes. His mood darkened at the sight of them and a protective surge washed over him. She should get some rest, but he was about to make her night even longer.
“Let me go in first.” He set the box down in the hallway and took his sidearm from its holster.
She opened her mouth to protest, but fell silent under his glare. Good. They could argue about it after he made sure there was nothing to worry about.
As he entered the apartment, he visually confirmed the main living area was clear. The place was neat. Pillows artfully arranged on a modern-style couch and throw blankets neatly piled within reach. Several. Unless she liked to build forts in her spare time, he couldn’t imagine why she’d need so many.
Nothing looked disturbed. Maylin seemed to be in the habit of leaving at least one light on while she was away. He’d confirm with her later. Either way, it gave him enough to see by.
Stepping away from the entry wall in measured steps, he paused between each to scan the area inside the apartment from floor to ceiling before proceeding further around the corner in a wide arc. The technique was referred to as “pieing the corner” and it was a strongly ingrained survival habit to negotiate turning any corner. It gave him the best chance to spot a threat and take action accordingly. In this case though, he found nothing. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything to worry about. There was something off about this place.
The entire apartment was dead silent. Either it was empty or her intruder was very good at hiding.
As soon as he had a clear line of sight down the hallway he advanced past the breakfast area and kitchen, careful to check reflections in the glass to give him added visuals behind the counter.
Finally, he cleared the bedroom. Again, the room was tidy, with no obvious sign of search or invasion. She seemed to like a whole hell of a lot of pillows on her bed too. He wasn’t sure there was even room for her to sleep on there.
An image of her burrowed in her pillows, curled up and sleeping, popped into his mind.
Banishing it immediately, he knocked a few to the floor to be sure there weren’t any unpleasant surprises hidden among them. Not the time to be distracted.
Nothing seemed to be out of place, so he lowered his weapon and returned to where Maylin waited for him at the door, her phone in hand. Smart girl.
He lifted his finger to his lips and motioned for her to come inside. He retrieved her box of cooking supplies too and set it on the counter in the kitchen before conducting a second sweep. This time he checked every appliance, every light fixture.
Well, damn.
He could take her out into the hallway but he didn’t want to remain exposed for longer than necessary. Once they left the apartment—and he intended to be sure she left with him—he’d want to be on the move immediately.
She was still standing in her entryway, pale and swaying on her feet. He stepped close to her, wrapped his arms around her. Her shoulders and back remained stiff in his embrace for a minute before she relaxed a fraction. He lowered his head to whisper into her ear. “Your apartment’s been bugged. Do you have any family in the city?”
She shook her head, her face brushing into the hollow at his shoulder. A sense of purpose solidified. Protect. Defend. It’d started when he’d recognized the threat earlier and dove to get her out of harm’s way. It’d only intensified since.
He wasn’t about to leave her here.
He kept his voice low, his lips brushing her hair as he gave her his next set of instructions. “We’re going to go into your bedroom. I want you to pack a bag with what you need for a couple of days.”
Her head tilted up, her forehead bumping his chin and knocking his teeth together. “Where?”
Good thing she’d matched his whisper, but ouch, she had a hard skull. “I’m taking you anywhere but here. We’ll figure out next steps after we get to your car and get out of the area.”
“But...”
“There’s too many red flags here. Even if you go to a hotel for a night, you can’t stay at one indefinitely. Too accessible.” He tightened his arms around her to stop her argument. “You are not safe and I want to know why. We can talk more about it on the drive.”
Hours ago he hadn’t wanted to have anything to do with her. Now, rage burned through him as he held her trembling form against his chest. Almost flattened by a not-so-drunk driver and the privacy of her home violated. Someone was investing a lot of effort into hurting her and it didn’t make sense.
Puzzle pieces were floating around them, and no private investigator had the means to help her fit them together before somebody took her out of the game.