“‘Precaution is better than cure,’” Adam said without thinking. But Amanda’s expression made him wish he had thought. Because the old quote was something Greg had often said, when teaching Adam to cover all the bases. She simply stared at him, and he felt that familiar ache inside.

“All right,” she said, but sounding wary.

Hayley laughed. “We aren’t moving in on you permanently. We’ll just be at hand. Until we sort all this out and find out for sure what’s going on.”

Adam wished he was as confident as Hayley sounded. And he couldn’t deny that Quinn had been right when he said as a private entity they could sometimes do more because they weren’t hamstrung by regulations or political interference that sometimes kept police from doing their job. Or at least what cops like Greg thought was their job, which was protecting innocent people.

He made a silent vow then and there that this time, unlike last time, he would do that job.

Chapter 16

This was ridiculous.

Amanda pronounced it silently as she turned on the water in the kitchen to rinse out her coffee mug. It was ridiculous, annoying, disconcerting and a few other things she could mention. Not solely because she still couldn’t seriously believe she was in any danger, but because it had upended her entire life.

Not Hayley, she didn’t mind having her around at all. She was sweet, charming and smart. Quinn had been right; her clients hadn’t been the least concerned about her. In fact, more than once in the three days since this farce had begun, she’d been quite helpful. Once she’d even offered Foxworth help to a victim’s widower who wanted to set up an ongoing scholarship in his murdered wife’s name but didn’t know how to go about it.

And she didn’t mind Cutter, either; the clever, kind animal had her thinking she should get a dog of her own. And Hayley was all for that.

“A therapy dog might be very helpful in your work. And it never hurts to have a protective watchdog around,” she had said about day two, when Amanda had commented yet again on Cutter’s nearly miraculous ability to both guard and to calm and comfort. But then Hayley had ruined it all by adding rather archly, “Unless, of course, you prefer the watchdog out in the garage.”

Adam.

There was the true discomfort about this whole thing. And not for any of the reasons she would have given just days ago.