Montana D-Force (Brotherhood Protectors Book 3) by Elle James Page B

room and installed earlier on her nightstand jangled, abruptly.
    Mia’s eyes flew open, and she clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out in the darkness. Having lived with cell phones in L.A., the harsh, tinny jangle of the vintage phone made her start and sit up. Next on her list of things to buy was a more updated version with caller ID.
    She grabbed the receiver and lifted it to her ear, wondering who would be calling at that hour. More importantly, who knew she was home? “Hello.”
    Nothing. No static. No voice. Nothing.
    Then a hint of a sound, like someone releasing a breath, made her strain to listen.
    Mia swallowed hard, her pulse racing. “Who is this?”
    Light clicking sounded above her head. Mia screamed, dropped the phone and rolled out of bed onto her knees.
    Footsteps pounded down the hallway and Mia’s door crashed open.
    Bear, wearing jeans and nothing else, rushed in. “Mia? What’s wrong?”
    Mia leaped to her feet and threw herself into his arms. “I answered the phone. No one spoke, but I heard someone breathing. Then there was a clicking sound.”
    With Mia tucked against his side, Bear scooped up the phone, listened and shook his head. “Whoever it was hung up. We’ll see if the phone company can trace the call. Maybe the sheriff can help us with that.”
    Mia burrowed her face against Bear’s naked chest. “I’m not normally spooked, but the breathing and the clicking…”
    Both of Bear’s arms circled her and held her close. He smoothed her hair with one hand as he spoke soft, soothing words. “It’s okay. It was only a phone call.”
    “I just had the phone company turn it on yesterday. How could anyone know the number already?”
    “Probably a wrong number,” he murmured.
    “What about the clicking? What does that mean?”
    “Nothing.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and tipped her face up to his. “I’m here to protect you. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
    Mia’s heart skipped several beats as she stared up into his incredibly blue eyes. She believed he wouldn’t let anyone harm her. But she had the feeling she would be hurt anyway.
    This was the kind of man she could fall for, and what would that get her? Even if he wasn’t her bodyguard, and they were just a man and a woman, he wouldn’t want her. When he learned she was hesitant when it came to intimacy, he’d grow frustrated when she shied away from his touch.
    Well, she wasn’t shying away yet, and his arms were firmly around her. At this point with anyone else, she’d fight to be free, panic taking over and ruining her chances of making love.
    Mia stared up into Bear’s eyes and waited for the familiar anxiety to take control. But it didn’t.
    Clicking sounded again. This time, Mia realized it wasn’t on the telephone. She looked up at the same time as Bear.
    More like a scratchy tapping sound, it moved from one end of her room to the other and faded away. Then it started again.
    For a moment, Mia considered the idea that the house was truly haunted.
    “Have you been in the attic since you’ve been home?” Bear whispered.
    “No,” Mia said, perfectly happy to remain in Bear’s arms until the horrible scratchy sound went away.
    “Do you know what’s up there?”
    “Christmas decorations, old keepsakes, boxes of my grandmother’s things that my parents couldn’t bring themselves to throw away. I don’t know.” She’d only been up in the attic on a few occasions when her mother had her help get the Christmas decorations down for the holiday.
    Bear loosened his hold on her. “I’m going up to check.”
    Mia curled her fingers around his biceps. She didn’t want him to leave her and opened her mouth to tell him so. Before she could, the clicking sounded again. A shiver shook her body, and she released him. She couldn’t sleep knowing something was up there.
    “Show me to the attic door,” Bear said.
    Mia led him out of her room and into her parents’ bedroom at