Better to find a place to set up his next auction, which he was looking forward to. He had several places he’d previously cased that were suitable. He glanced at the photograph again and another idea formed. He looked at his watch. Time was going to be tight.

He pulled into a drive-thru for some coffee. It was going to be a long journey.

23

Out of his peripheral vision Shane was aware of members of HRT and other FBI agents peeling out to cover different positions inside and outside the bar, but his primary focus was on Yael. On making sure she was okay and prying out the information she was currently too petrified to give.

“Tell me exactly what happened.” He squeezed her arms gently. He could tell from her large pupils and ragged breathing that she was terrified and possibly going into shock. He scanned her body to make sure she hadn’t been shot but he couldn’t see any wounds beyond the cuts on her feet.

Her feet were a mess though, covered in blood and there was a scratch on her cheek, probably from flying glass.

Her teeth rattled. “I’d gotten dressed because I’d decided to come down here and meet you for a drink.”

He blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected that. He closed his eyes and tried to bury the fear that had flooded him when he’d seen her run in here.

“I was in the kitchen when I heard the alarm system start doing its warning beep.” She gulped air. “And I thought it might be you.”

Her eyes flashed to the people crowding around them. He thought he caught a hint of embarrassment in her expression. Did she think he might be ashamed of her or want to keep their relationship a secret from his friends when her life had been in jeopardy?

“I am so fucking proud of you, Yael.” He didn’t know if she believed him but she needed to hear it and he wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

She was an incredible woman. He rubbed her arms and took the brandy that the barkeep handed him over her shoulder. Watched as she tipped back the shot and handed him back the glass.

“Someone started firing an automatic weapon through the door to the deck.”

Christ. His mouth parched as she told them what had happened. How she’d run out of her home and the fact the SUV windshield had most likely saved her life.

He was so impressed by her. She’d done everything right. And she’d been very, very lucky and could so easily have died. The punch to his gut when he realized exactly how close he’d come to losing her hurt more than the snap of his bones after falling down those stairs last month.