Free No One Heard Her Scream by Jordan Dane Page B

circles. Their worlds could not be farther apart—cop and criminal. Tainted and forbidden fruit, that's all he represented to her. No way she'd allow anything to happen between them.
    Becca crawled back through the window. After a quick search of the premises, gun in hand, she found nothing out of the ordinary. She locked up for the night, flicking off lights as she went. One last time, Becca stood in the dark by the window, scanning every shadow along the river.
    "Who the hell are you, Diego?" she whispered. "And what do you want from me?"

CHAPTER4
    Barefoot and dressed in jeans and black T-shirt, Diego sat in the kitchen before dawn, a morning ritual he'd cultivated since taking up residence at Cavanaugh's estate. He preferred to be alone with his newspaper and coffee, before the onslaught of the chef and his kitchen crew. Diego lived amidst the pampering, but he fended for himself, keeping Cavanaugh and his staff at bay. No one knew his comings and goings, by design.
    And this morning, although he held the newspaper in his hand, Diego hadn't retained a single word. An image from last night replayed in his mind, over and over.
    Drawn to the Riverwalk, he had stood in the shadows, watching her. That's all he intended to do. But Rebecca held him there, spellbound from the first tear. He still pictured her staring out the window, a beautiful face tainted by sadness.
    And all he wanted to do was hold her.
    Clearly, the woman could handle herself, so why had he been so hell-bent on taking her in his arms? Diego knew the answer, had avoided it like a scourge.
    He'd been alone for so long, maybe he'd mistaken her need of comfort for his own. And that thought scared the hell out of him. The isolation of his work, of his life, had sowed a seed of restlessness. He no longer accepted the way things were. And the seed had sprouted, threatening to take root.
    The white roses had been plucked from a vendor's cart, an afterthought, the only way he could touch her and still keep his distance. But judging by her reaction, when she shoved her back against the wall in fear, he should have resisted the urge. He hadn't intended to frighten her with the gesture.
    But what the hell had he intended? That first day. He should never have made contact with her outside the Imperial. Big mistake. Now he was behaving like an idiot. He had no right to meddle in her personal life. Someone like Rebecca would never—
    Intruding on his thoughts, a hulking presence blocked the overhead light, casting a shadow on his day and the sports section. The ugly face of Matt Brogan looked down at him.
    "Where were you last night?"
    "Out." Diego found single syllables worked best.
    "Not good enough."
    Brogan, the bully. A shaved, meaty head atop broad shoulders with no neck. So early in the morning, and the man wore a suit. Diego had never seen him without one. For all he knew, he wore the damned thing to bed, tie and all. But no matter how expensive the label, Brogan wore designer duds like they came off the rack. That about sized the man up. And those were his good points.
    He didn't like Brogan's advantage over him, so he got up and moved, using the pretense of refilling his coffee mug. Brogan stood a head higher and outweighed him by fifty pounds, easy. Diego preferred to keep his distance, choosing a spot across a food preparation island to stand and sip his coffee. Besides, the hanging pots and pans blocked his view of the man's fleshy face. A side benefit.
    "Who died and made you hall monitor, Brogan? You're just pissed 'cause I ditched you. You had no business following me, especially when you're no good at it."
    Brogan had been dropped on his head as a child. At least, that's what Diego preferred to believe. Brain damage explained a lot. No sane mother would've raised a child using Brogan as a prototype.
    "You don't know nothin' 'bout my business," he blustered, ready to pick a fight as usual. "As far as I'm concerned, you're some kinda outsider 'round here.