Free SAFE by B J Brandon Page B

away from her face. She watched the thundercloud that erupted in Ty’s eyes and knew there was more than her just passing out.
    “What’s wrong?”
    Ty reached back up with the wipe and gently touched her nose, coming away with more blood. The bleeding had stopped while she was laying down but sitting up it had slowly started again.
    “Ah damn,” was all she could whisper as she took the wet wipe and held it to her nose and laid back down with her eyes closed. This wasn’t the time for this and trying to explain it to Ty wasn’t a good thing. He would flip, and if Buck found out the old man would have a coronary. Buck was old school, didn’t believe in things he couldn’t see, touch or hear much less the unseen essence of things intangible that haunted Melissa’s life.
    “Now, are you going to tell me what happened?” Ty moved to the running board of the SUV and settled in, resting his thigh next to Melissa’s feet. “How long have you been having the nose bleeds?”
    “It started just after the Academy. I was on my first assignment at a DOA, a domestic violence case that was tied to one of our investigations. She was a witness for the investigation and Buck sent me over to gather statements.” Melissa didn’t even try to hide the facts. Ty would figure it out and he would nail her for lying to him. He may have been gone for the better part of her life but he still knew her almost better than Buck Stanfield did.
    “Does anyone else realize you have been using you gifts to solve cases?” He was furious and she could hear it in his voice. “Melissa, do you just how dangerous this is for you, for your health?” Somehow, deep inside, she had always known Ty would have her back. Just as he had that last year in high school when she had needed him the most.
    Ty pulled his phone from his belt and hit speed dial 2. Thank god for Lonnie and his geek programming because Ty couldn’t remember his own phone number at the moment. Lonnie picked up on the second ring.
    “What do you need?” Ty was shocked at the professional and direct tone from the otherwise Goth geek who always seemed to be ready to punk someone.
    “Melissa’s down. I need a discreet pickup of my vehicle at the cave site since I’m using her vehicle to take us back to her hotel. Once that’s done I want to know who the hell pulled the detail off of the site. No one was here and she was alone!” He was yelling by the time he finished. Ty had to force himself to stop and take a deep breath.
    “Get moving. I have one of the mail staff who’s a friend coming down to get the truck. Leave the keys in the wheel well. I’m on the other.” The line went dead and Ty knew he had a new best friend within the department. That kid was amazing.
    Now to move Melissa. He eased her up off the back seat even as those amazing eyes came open and her hands came up swinging.
    “Easy, babe. I’ve got you! I’m taking you to your hotel but we’re taking your truck.” He reached down and unclipped her keys from her belt loop before lifting her into his arms. Once in the SUV it was easy to lock his own vehicle and hide the keys before heading out of the canyon. Time to get out of there and make sure Melissa was really out of danger.
    Thirty minutes later Ty had Melissa tucked into her bed and a cool cloth on her head. She had come to a couple of times but hadn’t stayed awake long enough for him to question her about what had happened in the caves. Sitting in the darkened room, Ty pulled the large overstuffed chair up to the corner where he could look out the curtains and put his weapon in his lap. He watched her sleep, moaning softly on the bed until a text from Lonnie brought him out of his musings.
    “Handy thing, a geek like me!” came the text. Ty grinned. He just couldn’t help himself.
    “Really? And why is that?” He was still fuming because the detail had been pulled from the site. Buck didn’t order it. So who did was the question.
    “Because