“I’ve been to worse places,” he replied
Gabe’s smile increased along with the tightness. “I know. Hopefully, the pace won’t bore you.”
Some of the others stopped talking, including his neighbor, and turned their attention to them.
He shrugged. “Guess we’ll see.”
Gabe’s smile faltered for a split second but he quickly recovered. “Yeah, time will tell.”
He held back a snort at the concealed jab. Sinjin understood exactly what the sheriff meant. The guy was good. Astute as hell. He suspected another reason for Sinjin’s presence in town. This would make his mission a little tougher but not impossible. Even though they didn’t see eye to eye, he wasn’t crazy about having to go against his sometimes-nemesis. But the sheriff’s idea of keeping people safe involved using the legal system.
Sinjin’s idea involved using thelethalsystem.
“I don’t know what he thinks about Harland County,” Mac said, with his pregnant wife sitting next to him, holding his hand. “But I know what ESI thinks about him. We’re lucky to have Sinjin. We neutralize access points much faster than before.”
“And twice now, he’s already become a human shield at the shelter,” Emily said, sending him a grin from Isla’s other side. “I’m grateful. How about you, Isla?”
She nodded as heat colored her cheeks. “Absolutely. Not just for putting yourself between me and a collision, but for being a good neighbor.”
Good neighbor?
He frowned. “How?”
All he’d done was basically avoid her.
“Just by being there.” She smiled. “You make the street safer.”
Unable to help himself, he allowed the warmth in her gaze to seep into him and break through some of his chill. A smile tugged his lips. “I’m sure you’re perfectly safe, Isla. The sheriff runs a tight ship.”
He could feel disbelief radiating from Gabe but didn’t bother to meet the man’s gaze. That would require Sinjin to rip his eyes away from Isla, and he just wasn’t that strong.
“True.” Her features softened. “But I still feel safe with you across the street.”
He nodded. “You are safe. You have a German Shepard to protect you.”
She snorted. “Yeah, unless an intruder shows up with a steak or ball, or you know…breathes.”
Laughter filled the air and the earlier tension disappeared in the mirth. The woman had a way with words. She also had a way of putting others at ease. Her presence was soothing, and he wasn’t immune to her allure.
In fact, he was captivated.
“How have things been with Loki?” Emily asked Isla. “Is he adjusting, okay?”
Isla snorted again. “He’s fine. I’m the one who needs help adjusting.”
Sinjin wasn’t blind to the fact she’d adopted a dog with the wrong type of energy.
Emily frowned. “Is there a problem?”
“No.” Isla shook her head. “He eats what I feed him, gives me the bottom right corner on my bed, and takes me for a walk every night.”
Again, laughter echoed through the air. He even cracked a smile. But it wasn’t all funny. The poor girl needed training. Fast.
“Are you a first-time dog owner?” Hunter asked.
“Guess that’s probably pretty obvious.” She sighed with her smile still in place.
“Well, then all of that is normal,” his buddy assured. “It took Sinjin and Holden, another of our buddies, some time to get the hang of handling dogs in our unit.”
