Fragile Sanctuary (Sparrow Falls Book 1)

I’d seen the woman nosing around the outside of the house, peeking in through the back French doors, and then finally getting up the nerve to come inside. I’d called Shep, but he hadn’t picked up his damned phone, and I really hadn’t wanted to call the cops for a Nosy Nelly. I was sure the woman was just curious.

But sneaking around a construction site was a surefire way to get hurt or worse, which was exactly what was about to happen. The woman’s eyes widened at my barked question, revealing stunning hazel irises. Her shock seemed to make them spark, the gold in the green a living, breathing thing. But then her foot got caught on a broken step.

That shock turned to fear as she windmilled her arms. I let out a stream of curses, trying to predict which way she might tumble. She was only about ten steps up, but if she hit wrong, it could be really damn bad.

The woman’s mahogany hair flew around her face as she tried to regain her balance. It was futile. She crashed into the railing, already weak from fire and smoke damage, and went straight through it.

I moved on instinct, charging forward to catch her. She landed with an oomph against me. She was petite, but the force of the impact knocked the air right out of my lungs.

Or maybe it was the fire in those hazel eyes that stole my oxygen—hazel eyes locked on me in fury.

The woman shoved at my chest, squirming out of my arms. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Her ire raised my brows a fraction, my practiced mask slipping just the tiniest bit. “What am I doing? You’re the one sneaking around a construction site. This is private property. I could’ve called the cops on your ass. Or worse, you could’ve broken your neck.”

She let out a huff of breath that made wisps of hair dance around her face. “I know it’s private property, you overgrown oaf.”

A muscle along my jaw ticked in a staccato punch as I tried to rein in my annoyance. “Then why the hell are you on it?”

“Because I own it,” she said with a haughty glare.

Well, shit.

I took in the woman with new eyes, my gaze raking over her in a fresh sort of assessment. Her deep brown hair was just a bit wild like it needed to go its own way no matter what anyone had to say about it. Her skin was a deep bronzy-gold and looked smoother than anything I’d touched in years. While petite, she had curves for days. Dips and valleys that had images of my best friend’s little sister swirling in my brain—thoughts I had no right to.

Shit was an understatement.

“Nothing to say now?” Rhodes demanded.

My gaze flew back to her face, taking in the defiance in her eyes. I respected the hell out of it, but I wasn’t about to let her win this battle. “Still shouldn’t be in here. Might be your property, but exploring it when it’s condemned is reckless and stupid.”

Rhodes’ jaw went slack. “Did you just call me stupid? And who the hell are you?”

“Didn’t call you stupid. Called your actions stupid. Reckless. Take your pick.” Neither was something I needed in my life, that was for damn sure.

A throat cleared, and we both whirled. Shep stood there, ballcap still on but amusement clear as day on his golden-boy face. “I see you two met.”

“Met?” Rhodes parroted.

Shep’s grin only widened. “Rho, meet my friend and your fire-restoration expert, Anson. Anson, meet my sister, Rho.”

Rhodes whirled back to me. “You’re Anson? College best friend? The one Shep got arrested with for streaking the quad? That Anson?”

I sent Shep a withering look. He just loved telling that story. “You can’t actually get arrested by campus security.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Detained for streaking the quad.”

I shrugged. “The right words matter.” God, did I ever know that.

Rhodes turned to her brother. “Your bestie almost killed me.”

“You almost got yourself killed,” I shot back, turning an annoyed glare on Shep. “She was walking up those damn stairs that could give at any second. I tried to warn her.”

“They’re my stairs,” Rhodes huffed. “And I wouldn’t have tripped if you hadn’t snuck up on me.”

“I wasn’t exactly quiet, and your gate was wide open.” It was basically a welcome to anyone who wanted to stop on by and have a go at the place or her. Reckless. That’s exactly what she was.

All amusement fled Shep’s face as he pinned Rhodes with the same stare a pissed-off parent might give. “I told you that you can’t be in here. It’s not safe.”

Rhodes’ cheeks pinked. “I just wanted to get a little look.” She paused for a moment, and there was something in that silence, a charged energy I couldn’t quite pin down. “I needed to.”

The hard edge to Shep’s expression faded away. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Okay. But no more. Promise me. You could get seriously hurt.”

“I promise,” she grumbled.

He released her and gave her a gentle shove toward the kitchen and the open French doors. “Go on. I’m gonna do a quick once-over with Anson, and then I’ll come talk to you about our plan of attack.”

Rhodes cast me a quick look. It wasn’t as heated as earlier, but it certainly wasn’t happy. Still, she did as Shep asked without protest.

When she finally disappeared from sight, Shep let out a low whistle. “Jesus, Anson. I’ve never seen anyone piss her off that quick.”

I forced my gaze away from the now-empty spot Rhodes had filled and looked back at her brother. Her brother, I reminded myself. “I thought someone had broken in. You could’ve gotten sued if someone got hurt.”

“So, call the cops,” he argued. “They’re the ones who deal with break-ins.”

My jaw worked back and forth. “You know my feelings on cops.”

Shep shook his head. “This is a small-town county sheriff’s department, not the FBI. It’s my brother, for fuck’s sake.”

I shrugged. It didn’t matter if it was Mother Teresa; I didn’t want anything to do with law enforcement anymore. “Thought I could handle it myself.”

“Well, do me a favor next time.”

I simply waited for Shep’s request.

He didn’t disappoint. “Don’t.”

I didn’t bother agreeing because it’d be a lie. “You wanna take a look around the place or not?”

Shep groaned, casting a look over his shoulder. “Actually, let me talk to Rho first. Make sure she’s all right.”

Something about that made my sixth sense prickle. Not that Shep wasn’t someone who checked in, he was, but something else was going on. I bit back the urge to ask questions. I didn’t need to know. Didn’t want to. The less information I had, the better.

“Need to make sure she’s shutting that gate and locking her doors. She’s not living in town anymore. She needs to be careful.” I pinned Shep with a stare to punctuate my point.

He jerked his head in a nod. “I will.”

“Good,” I muttered, heading into an area on the lower level with the worst fire damage and trying not to worry about whether Rhodes would take the appropriate precautions. Because I knew what could happen to people, especially women, if they didn’t.