Page 19 of Target Acquired

He thought Kenzie might have snorted, but when he looked at her, she just shook her head and walked back up the steps.

“Thanks, Sarah.”

“Sure thing.”

Cole followed Kenzie and found her at the sink looking out the window. “I noticed something down there,” he said.

She tilted her head at him, questions in her eyes. “What’s that?”

“You have Butler’s face on your punching bag.”

He suspected she turned away to cover a smirk before she shrugged. “It’s my own personal brand of therapy.”

He frowned. “He’s bugging you that much?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry, it doesn’t affect my ability to do the job.”

“Do I need to—”

“Absolutely not.” She didn’t raise her voice, but he got the message loud and clear. She’d handle it. And yet . . .

“Kenzie, it’s my job to make sure the team functions like a team. If Butler is jeopardizing that, then I need to address it.”

She sighed. “I get what you’re saying, but I’d rather you didn’t. Not yet.”

He nodded and leaned against the counter. “Will you tell me if he crosses a line?”

She glanced at him, then back at the officers still outside. “How do I know where the line is?”

He studied her a moment, then shook his head. “You’ll know.”

FIVE

Would she? It worried her that she wasn’t sure. Kenzie lay in bed, eyes on the ceiling, unable to sleep. Because of the intruder, yeah, but mostly because Cole was on her couch. She should have sent him home. Had in fact told him to go home and he’d asked her if she was comfortable staying alone.

Ugh. She’d dug out a pillow and blankets, pressed them into his arms, and pointed out the guest bathroom. Once he was taken care of, she wound her way to her room where she lay in tangled sheets unable to close her eyes. She could fall asleep on her couch thirty minutes after someone broke into her home and shot at her, but once she was all tucked into bed, she was pulled tighter than a tripwire.

The truth was, she wasn’t comfortable.

The other truth was, she could have called someone else.

But Cole was already there, and if she called Lainie or Jesslyn or Kristine or Steph, she would feel like she was . . . infringing. Or imposing. And while in her head she knew they wouldn’t see it that way, she still couldn’t help hesitating.

She could have called one of her brothers, but that was a hard no way. She wasn’t in the mood for the “told you so’s,” which would lead right into the smothering, protective helicoptering. Minus Logan, though. Maybe. She couldn’t help but wonder and was almost afraid to find out. The fact that he’d checked on her earlier was a positive, though.

Regardless. Cole was definitely the better option.

Maybe.

She groaned and punched her pillow. Too many dumb maybes. She shifted to her side and mentally started going through the steps to clean her weapon. She must have dozed off finally, because the next thing she knew her work alarm was buzzing. She slapped at it and knocked the clock on the floor. She’d forgotten to turn it off the night before.

“Kenzie? You okay?”

At Cole’s voice from the hallway, she shot out from under the covers and to her feet. “I’m fine. I knocked my clock off the end table. You still want to go running?”

“I don’t exactly have the clothes and shoes for it, but yeah.” He was still in the hallway.

“We can run by your place and grab them if you want. I’m just going to get ready. Be out there in a few.” She hurried to the bathroom and completed her morning routine in record time. Then found a toothbrush still in the package and met Cole in the den. “Just in case you might need one.”