DANGEROUS JUSTICE By: Terri Reed

Chapter 2

"The roses are from a guy I dated." 

She was seeing someone? The hot flush of jealousy caught Chris off-guard. Whoa, dude. He quickly rose, needing some distance.

Fiona was his co-worker, his friend. He had no business feeling anything but...protective? Okay.

Possessive? No.

Concerned? Yes.

Anything else would be inappropriate. Then her words registered. "Dated? As in past tense?"

She nodded, her gaze everywhere but on him.

"Fiona." 

With a sigh, she met his gaze. "I met him online. We went on two dates. I told him I wasn't interested." She waved a dismissive hand. "He's harmless."

Understanding sent Chris's blood boiling. "I take it he's having trouble accepting no."

Her shoulder lifted in a half shrug.

"You have a stalker?"

She cringed. "Noooo." A sighed escaped from between her lips. "Maybe?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She blinked. Her mouth opened then snapped shut.

"You're part of our team, Fiona." He grabbed his patience by a thread. "You shouldn't have to deal with this alone." 

A mulish look entered her gaze. "I didn't want to bother anyone. I'm handling it."

"I need his name," he said through gritted teeth.

"Why?"

His fingers curled into tight fists. Dutch nudged him, sensing his agitation. "No one hurts one of ours and gets away with it."

# # #

Though Captain Gavin McCord and his German shepherd partner Glory weren't able to track Fiona's attacker, D.C. Police successfully brought in Roy Roberson, the man stalking Fiona. He sat in an interrogation room at the Capitol K-9 Unit's headquarters waiting to be questioned by the captain.

And Chris, Fiona guessed, if he had his way.

As Fiona rode up the elevator, sandwiched between Chris, Dutch, their captain and Glory, she wasn't sure what to make of Chris's He-Man attitude back in her apartment.

Why didn't you tell me?

Like she could have answered that question without admitting to Chris she had a crush on him. Not happening.

Sure, they were friends. Colleagues. Though she had hinted she'd be open to more on numerous occasions only to have him flash her one of his dazzling smiles and laugh off her flirtations.

Could she blame him for being amused? He dated tall, model types. Lots of them. Not geeky, petite women with a penchant for the absurd.

He'd act protective with anyone on the team, she told herself. She wasn't special. Letting herself hope his feelings ran deeper would only set her up for disappointment. Like every other time she'd let her heart hope for more.

They filed into the small viewing room adjacent to the interrogation room. A two-way mirror revealed Roy's thin frame hunched over the metal table. Fiona quickly dismissed him as her attacker once again. The man who'd grabbed her had been tall and muscled.

"He shows no signs of being sprayed with pepper and doesn't have scratches on his arm," Gavin stated.

Chris grunted.