Free Flash Point by Shelli Stevens Page A

yeah.”
    “Shit. Who’d Kate piss off?” Jeremiah shook his head and took the dead possum from Todd’s hands. “I’ll take care of this poor little guy.”
    Todd watched Jeremiah leave the shop, and then his gaze caught on Kate and Walt. Walt had her in his arms, was stroking a hand down her back and brushing a kiss across her forehead.
    Jealousy blindsided him, tightening his throat and coiling every muscle in his body. How the hell could she let another man touch her? After what had just happened between them barely forty-eight hours ago.
    “ Todd .”
    He blinked, tearing his gaze away from the couple and meeting Tyson’s questioning stare.
    “What?”
    “I said I don’t think this is a random prank.”
    “No shit,” Todd replied tersely and scrubbed a hand down his jaw, forcing his focus back to whoever was targeting Kate. “I’ve never thought any of them were. The rock through the window. The flat tires.”
    Tyson nodded. “Time to talk to her.”
    “Great idea. Let me grab her.” The idea of making her leave the circle of Walt’s arms was more appealing than he wanted to admit.
    Todd moved toward the door and Walt glanced up, spotting his approach. Then, holding Todd’s hard stare, Walt caught Kate’s chin in his hands before kissing her on the mouth.
    The hell he did . Hot anger coiled in Todd’s belly as he thrust open the door, barely restraining the low growl rising in his throat.
    “Kate,” he damn near snarled. “We need to talk.”
    She jerked away from Walt, her eyes blue pools of surprise and guilt. She nodded and ran her tongue over lips that had just been beneath another man’s.
    “Umm, I need to go, Walt,” she murmured, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “I’ll catch up with you tonight?”
    “That sounds great, Caitleen. See you then.”
    Todd held the door and Kate scooted in past him, the curve of her hip brushing his thigh. His blood heated and he ground his teeth together, willing his cock not to get the wrong idea.
    He shut the door behind her, noting that she didn’t meet his gaze and seemed entirely too fidgety as she made her way toward the back.
    Curling his fingers into fists, he resisted the urge to catch her arm and halt her. And he bit his tongue to stop himself from revealing just what he thought of seeing that schmuck next door kissing her.
    And when Tyson sat her down to begin questioning her, Todd managed—just barely—to turn his thoughts to darker issues. Like who had it out for Kate and her shop…
     
     
    What the hell was wrong with him? Todd scrubbed his hands over his eyes and wished like hell he could sleep. Instead, he’d spent half the day tossing and turning before finally getting up and taking another shower.
    Why did getting kicked to the curb by Kate bug him so much? It should have been his damn fantasy. Kate with no strings attached. Hadn’t he wanted that for months now?
    Instead, his stomach burned with bitterness and jealousy while instinct pricked in the back of his head that something was off.
    He sat in his kitchen, sipping a soda and staring out the window at the setting sun.
    There had to be more to it. Something else going on, but what? It was there, he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Damn if he didn’t wish there was someone else to ask. Someone else who might know exactly what was going on in Kate’s little head…
    Todd’s fingers crushed around the soda and he shoved back his chair. Ellie! How the hell had he forgotten about his sister-in-law’s involvement?
    He ran through the house, grabbed his keys and hurried outside to his truck, a resolute smile curving his lips.
     
    Ellie opened the door after the second knock and her expression showed she’d been reluctant to.
    “Todd,” she greeted him mildly. “How are you?”
    “You need to tell me everything, Ellie. Everything you and Kate plotted.”
    She winced and glanced behind her into the house, then lowered her voice. “Give me a minute and