Free Safe in His Sight by Regan Black

asked Julia.
    She shrugged a shoulder. “I have to be.”
    Hardly a glowing affirmation, though he didn’t blame her. He should tell her he admired that spark of determination in her eyes, that fortitude that kept her going despite the fear plaguing her.
    “Keep me informed,” Grant said, interrupting Mitch’s thoughts. “I’m here for both of you.”
    When they were back in his car, he started it and kicked the heater up a notch. The autumn night had turned chilly, offering a preview of the winter to come.
    “Can you drive for a bit, please?” she asked when he pulled out of the lot.
    “Sure. Any particular destination?”
    “No. I’m just not ready to go home.”
    He couldn’t blame her. Not only did she have him as an unwelcome houseguest, but it had to be tough knowing the jerk stalking her had been so close.
    While he took the expressway across town, he weighed his options. He’d grown up here and, learning that she’d only moved here to attend law school at Temple, he wanted to show her something special. At nearly midnight, he left the expressway and headed for Boathouse Row.
    She smiled when he pulled over, parking in a space that overlooked the Schuylkill River. On the other side of the river Boathouse Row shimmered with white lights edging each architectural detail.
    “How beautiful,” she said, a hitch in her breath. “Thank you.”
    “You’ve never been here?”
    “No.”
    Feeling a ridiculous amount of pride, he climbed out and came around to open her car door. “You need the full experience,” he said. He zipped up his jacket and pulled her coat snug around her, turning up the collar against the night air. “Wait here.”
    He pulled the blanket out of the emergency kit in the trunk and spread it across the hood of the car. “Up you go.”
    “Won’t it dent the hood?”
    He shrugged. “I can always pop it out again.” He gave her a boost and then wrapped the blanket around her legs before he took a seat beside her, leaning back against the windshield.
    “It’s lovely, Mitch.” She tipped her face up to the dark sky, a smile teasing her lips.
    He savored the peacefulness of the view and the woman for several long minutes. “I come out here when I need to clear my head.”
    She reached over and patted his hand. “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome.” He’d come here for her, but also for himself. Out here he was able to confirm his instincts that they had been watched today in the park. Grant had told them to stick with the routine, but Mitch instinctively wanted to get her away from the danger zone.
    “How many lawyers will Marburg add to the team?” he asked.
    “As many as they need,” she replied absently. “I’m not being intentionally vague, that’s just how it goes. Marburg is involved personally, of course, but his focus is managing media and publicity.” She sighed. “The rest of the team will do research and develop arguments that improve Falk’s chance of being acquitted.”
    “And you’re okay with that?” Why would she eagerly defend one of the biggest criminals in the city?
    She turned her head, gazing down the river toward the city center. “That’s how our legal system works. Everyone deserves a solid defense.”
    He’d been through her transcripts, picked apart her life in law school and couldn’t see what had pushed her toward criminal defense. “But—”
    “Can you judge me another night?”
    “I’m not judging you,” he countered. He didn’t want to ruin a pleasant moment. “I’m trying to understand your stalker.”
    “Right. You’re trying to understand my motives.”
    Mitch bit back the urge to argue with her. He didn’t expect her to believe him. This wasn’t easy on either one of them, though she wouldn’t believe that either. “I’ve got a union rep defending me,” he blurted. Once the words were out, he decided maybe his problem would be a distraction for her, like her situation was for him.
    “According to your