Her Master Defender (The Masters Men Series) (13 page)

Copper climbed in the cab after Kismet climbed in the back seat, while Dos held the door. Okay, there was leeway then there was being overbearing. She waited to voice her opinion until he got behind the wheel.

“The only place we have to go together is the station.”

“We also need to get new locks until I can get the real security system in for you. So, after developing the pictures we’ll take care of paperwork at the station, buy new locks, and then go back to your house.” He turned the key after punching the remote door opener.

Copper turned to fully face him. “Why?”

“So I can install the locks.”

“I can install my own locks, thank you very much. I do know how to handle a screwdriver.”

“I told you those guys were professional and armed. There should be a full system at your house. Until I can get that taken care of, I’m not comfortable with you staying there.”

“That will take days, or weeks. I don’t have that luxury or that kind of money. I have a business to get back on track. And, I have other responsibilities. I can’t hide up here because you or I feel uncomfortable.”

“I would prefer not having the Colonel kick my butt for letting something happen to his daughter.”

Copper hadn’t let her father’s over protectiveness rule her life for a very long time. She didn’t plan on changing now. “I served in Iraq for heaven’s sake. I can handle a couple of burglars.” She took a deep breath and changed tactics. “I admit I was a bit shaken last night. I should have taken care of it myself instead of calling you. My only excuse is I was rattled from the break-in at the office. My head’s back on straight. I can take care of myself. And don’t worry; I plan to tell my father that. Again.”

The hard stare he cast across the seat didn’t faze Copper. A niggle of concern worked its way into her mind when he took a bit longer than she expected to speak. Was he having another attack while they were driving? She popped her seatbelt loose, ready to take control of the wheel.

“What are you doing?” he all but barked at her movement.

“You were so tense I thought you might be having an attack. I wanted to be ready to--"

“I don’t get them when I’m driving. Don’t ask why, I don’t know.”

She pulled her seatbelt back across while she thought about the information. The visual effect of constant movement must do something to his --

“Why should you face this alone when you have plenty of people to help?”

Copper barely heard him her brain was so focused on the puzzle of his attacks. When it registered, the question was so bizarre considering his mindset she almost laughed. “I don’t know,” she said cocking her head. “Why do you?”

His gaze turned to a narrow-eyed glare. Oh she’d hit a nerve. But hey, it was a fair question. He had family and friends all around him, but he wouldn’t ask for any help. Why should she?

“I asked for help. I called Ace and Gina yesterday.”

“For me, not you. You said your mother doesn’t even know how sick or hurt you are.”

“That’s different.”

“Why?”

“My brothers understand my situation, or they do now. It would only hurt my mother to know more. The rest is not up for discussion.”

“I think it is,” she said smiling at his stony profile.

“Not anymore,” he said pulling into her driveway.

Copper gave in when she saw Tres’ truck beside them. Fear that Dos had been right and they returned made her breakfast churn in her stomach. “Why is Tres here?”

“I asked him to take a look. There he is,” he said nodding toward the side of the house.

Copper saw Tres walk out from the back of the house as she climbed down from the truck. She didn’t bother grabbing Kismet’s leash when he jumped out. He never left the perimeter of the yard unless she was with him. He didn’t even chase the squirrels.

“Nice place you have here,” he said to Copper.

“Thanks. I haven’t changed much since I inherited it. Makes me feel like my grandparents are still here.” His thoughtful nod made her think he really understood the sentiment.

“I looked around,” Tres said. “If they had the back locks open, they did a great job. There’s barely a scratch.”

“They were unlocked,” Dos said. “If I’d been a minute later . . .”

“You weren’t so let’s drop that line of thought,” Copper said. “Do I have permission to go inside, sir?” she asked Dos.

“Give me the keys and let us check it out first.”

“Do you know how to say overkill? Once they knew I was gone why would they be careful? If they came back they would have just busted in like they did at my business.”

“Humor me,” he said, his sarcastic grin irritating her.

Copper dropped the keys in his outstretched hand. Leaning against the truck she watched him draw his gun as he walked to the door. He couldn’t really believe someone would still be in there, even on the far out chance they came back. Something she didn’t believe for a minute.

She watched as he slipped in the key. His slow movements were nerve wracking. Her shoulder muscles tightened and she leaned forward a little as he pushed the door open.

“Holy shit.”

Copper bolted toward the house at the words. Dos caught her at the door.

“Slow down,” he said holding her from shoulder to waist.

His arm felt like the shoulder harness in her car when she slammed on the brakes. “Don’t tell me to slow down. It’s my home.”

She stared as far in as she could from the doorway. What met her gaze shocked her. Everything had looked so normal from the outside. The curtains were in place, no broken glass, or broken door. It was so unlike the other burglary.

“Unfortunately, it’s also a crime scene,” he said softly. “Tres is calling it in.”

Her heart was racing a mile a minute. What the hell was happening to her life? She wanted to scream, cry, and punch something all at the same time. Totally unconstructive, but she was an Irish redhead after all. She had a right, a duty even, to be mad.

Copper girl; calm yourself down. Nothing to do about it now. Crying won’t fix it. Let’s make some cookies instead
.

Her grandmother’s sensible voice played through her mind causing her to sniffle. Copper could almost taste the soft, warm, sugar cookies. Her heart-rate slowed. She took a deep breath.

“You okay?”

Nodding she released the breath. Gram was right, crying and anger wouldn’t fix anything. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Can I help by trying to see if anything is missing? I don’t do idle well.”

“Tres?” Dos asked and Copper watched Tres waiting for his answer.

He nodded. “Be careful. Don’t touch, move or step on anything. Just look and let me know if there’s anything obviously missing.”

Copper glanced up at Dos who still hadn’t released her. Not that she wanted to complain, his strength and concern helped to steady her. When he met her gaze she thought she glimpsed a hint of reluctance.

“I’ll be okay, really,” she told him just before he was pushed closer to her. Looking down she saw Kismet trying to push his way in. “No, baby, you have to stay outside.”

Copper watched Dos make a motion with his hand and the dog sat. She couldn’t believe how attuned they were to each other. Reaching down she picked up his leash and tied it around the porch railing. “Be good,” she said and gave him a hug.

Turning back she stepped further into the house. Now she understood their comment. The burglars had done a thorough job.

The cushions from her sofa and chairs were thrown on the floor. Drawers from the desk she worked at were pulled out, the contents scattered and drawers dropped on the floor. “I can tell you now my laptop is missing.”

“They probably figured you downloaded the digitals to it. Anything else?” Dos asked.

“Nothing I can say right off.” She turned and walked toward the kitchen careful to avoid anything on the floor.

The refrigerator door stood open, all the food thrown onto the floor. The freezer and her cabinets had received the same treatment. “Why would anyone toss my refrigerator?”

“You’d be surprised at the places people hide things.”

Copper couldn’t imagine having anything worth working that hard to hide. She continued down the hallway not wanting to contemplate cleaning up the powdery, wet, gooey mess on the kitchen floor.

Passing her bedroom her anger returned. The mattress and box-spring were tilted awkwardly and all the bedding torn off. Her clothes and everything else from her drawers and closet were thrown everywhere. What bothered her most, though, was seeing the contents of her memory box tossed and trampled on the floor. She stooped to pick up a picture, but Dos stopped her.

“You can’t touch it yet,” he said, his voice apologetic.

Looking up she saw the apology reached his eyes as well. Before she could think about it something clicked in her head. Pictures. She bolted to the other room.

“No, please, no.”

“Copper, what’s wrong?” Dos called as he followed her.

The chemicals for developing pictures were broken and dripping from shelves onto the floor. She ignored the obvious damage they were doing because she was intent on locating something else. “They’re gone.”

“What’s gone?” Dos and Tres both asked from behind her.

Copper wanted to bolt across the room to see if they were just knocked to the floor. Instead, not wanting to ruin possible evidence she carefully picked her way to the shelf where she stored all her negatives. A knot of pain built around her heart when she didn’t find them. “Three locked fire boxes. I kept all my negatives in them.”

“You lock up negatives of dog pictures?” Dos asked.

“I put all my negatives in the fire boxes. That way if the house burned down, hopefully, I would still have the negatives so all my family pictures wouldn’t be gone. They date back to before my mom died,” she said turning to face him.

Dos felt like someone punched him in the stomach, as pain etched her beautiful face and tears filled her eyes.  He could only imagine what she felt. Him and his brothers had kept projects they’d been working on with their father when he died. They had never finished them, just left them the way they were. He still had a box with the derby car they’d been making. He had refused to finish it and race, afraid the sense of his father’s touch would be erased. God, he still missed him.

Picking his way across the room, he cupped her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

She offered a sad smile as tears cascaded down her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she said, brushing at the tears.

“Nothing for you to be sorry about, we understand,” he said. He just hoped she had extra hard copies of the pictures most important to her. He doubted the guys that took them would return all her old negatives.

“If you keep being nice, I might never stop crying,” she said leaning against him.

“Take all the time you need.” His arm wrapped around her as his gaze met his brother’s from across the room. Yeah, they understood. And they would definitely find this son-of-a-bitch. Dos stroked Copper’s back while she sniffled trying to get herself under control. After a minute or two she pushed out of his embrace. The emptiness that replaced her warmth felt like a physical pain. He shook his head for even noticing such a thing.

“Guess this confirms your theory on what they’re after,” she said interrupting his thoughts.

“What theory is that?” his brother asked.

“I think she inadvertently photographed someone that didn’t want their picture taken. She was clicking away at the dog rescue benefit night before last. We looked at the digitals she took last night and didn’t notice anyone who stood out.”

“I take it she had another camera?”

“Yes, I have a 35mm. I took duplicates and more with that one.”

“Where are they?”

“We have to get them developed today, after we see Gina,” Dos told him as Kismet barked just before a car door slammed.

They all rushed down the hallway to check it out. Finding the CSI team pulling equipment from the trunk of their car while Kismet continued to serenade them, Dos released a nervous breath. Copper stepped outside to calm the dog.

“I guess we should touch base with Gina then look into getting the pictures developed,” he said to Tres.

“Take them to Dan’s 35 on 1st,” Tres said.

“I prefer to develop them myself. I’ll pick up some supplies and come back here when you guys are finished, or use Dos’ bathroom, but thanks,” Copper said through the screen door.

Dos wondered what the big deal was, but didn’t argue. It was probably the only thing she felt she could control and needed to. He could understand that feeling. He turned his attention back to Tres after Copper stepped off the porch with Kismet in tow.

“Thanks for taking care of this,” he said, then glanced over his shoulder. “Last night I told her it was probably someone just after the pictures, but I’m not sure. There’s an awful lot of rage here. They didn’t have to do all this damage to look for pictures. Someone wanted to upset her. I just don’t know why yet.”

“I agree it seems a bit over the top if they were looking for pictures. I’ll keep my mind open for other possibilities. I already let Gina know about this. Call me if you find anything on the film.”