couldn’t ski a woman to save his life, if you get what I mean.”
Like anyone could miss it. “Mel, stop for five seconds.”
Low chuckles sounded from the car and Lennox flipped them both off. Then again, they’d both probably take that as an invitation. “Is it that stud muffin Hound you’ve been partnered with?”
“Torres is married to Bree.”
“Ah hell, the good ones are always taken.”
“ Mel.”
“What, girl?”
“The boys aren’t the problem. Or the whole problem. Shit.” A laugh sounded from the car and this time she couldn’t help it, Lennox turned and jabbed a finger at both of them before making a slicing motion at her neck. They grinned up at her, completely unrepentant. At least they were smiling.
“Is one of them there?”
“Melody, is it all right if the three of us come stay with you for awhile?”
“They know each other?”
Lennox closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the windshield. “Can I explain it all when we get there?”
“Sure. You know where the spare is. Unless you think you’re going to get here in time to visit me at work?”
“Doubt it. We’re in Utah. And this...this is dangerous.” Her voice broke and Lennox bit down on her lip to keep herself from crying. Melody was the last person on earth she wanted to get caught in the crossfire. “It’s a lot of trouble.”
Instantly, Melody sobered over the phone, her voice soft, serious. “Like I would turn you away.”
The fierce loyalty always hurt, like a damned noose to the heart, but Lennox clung to it. Melody had never once let her down. “I know, but people have died. I don’t want...” She swallowed back the words. She would not say that. She wouldn’t. “I want you to know exactly what you’re getting into, okay?”
“Get your ass over here, babe. Like yesterday. Besides, I’m not all helpless. You should see the hunk after me. Tall, dark, and handsome.”
A thin smile curved her lips. That right there fit both of the men in her car. “Thank you.”
“No problem, just get here.”
“Please stay safe...”
Melody snorted. “Chica, I’m not the one on the run. You stay safer. Love you, now I’m on my way into work, so you call me when you get here. Gary can stuff it if he doesn’t like me answering my phone.”
Lennox smiled. “We’re on our way. Thank you.”
She pushed End on the phone and waited, not daring to look up. Knuckles knocked over the windshield and she sighed. “Mel’s a little overenthusiastic,” she explained, sliding off the hood of her car.
“She sounds nice,” Tegan said. They were both smiling, but they were the worn smiles of men wrung out with grief. Lennox held out her keys.
“Someone has to drive, I need to sleep.”
Kanon got out and took them from her, his hand sliding over her hip as he stepped around her. “I will. Rest up.”
His lips found the back of her neck and Lennox leaned into the kiss automatically, letting him hold her briefly before he let her go, nudging her towards the backseat. “Just tell me where I’m going.”
They weren’t going to miss the irony in this. “Safety, Colorado.”
A smile tugged over Kanon’s lips. “So...”
“I-70 East,” she told him, then collapsed in Tegan’s lap. Lion or not, he could hold her. Tegan wrapped an arm over her shoulder and pressed a soft kiss against her temple. The last thing she remembered was Kenny Chesney playing on the radio, Tegan’s hand brushing through her hair, and an empty highway behind them.
For once, it looked like they really were going to be safe.
***
“You should pull over,” Tegan said as they passed the flash of a blue oncoming exit sign on the highway. Kanon had been driving for over five hours, stopping only for a bathroom break, some gas, and a snack. “We could get a motel room for the night?”
“Do you have cash?”
Tegan muttered a low curse. “No.”
“What if he’s trailing us?” Kanon glanced in the rearview mirror, like
Like anyone could miss it. “Mel, stop for five seconds.”
Low chuckles sounded from the car and Lennox flipped them both off. Then again, they’d both probably take that as an invitation. “Is it that stud muffin Hound you’ve been partnered with?”
“Torres is married to Bree.”
“Ah hell, the good ones are always taken.”
“ Mel.”
“What, girl?”
“The boys aren’t the problem. Or the whole problem. Shit.” A laugh sounded from the car and this time she couldn’t help it, Lennox turned and jabbed a finger at both of them before making a slicing motion at her neck. They grinned up at her, completely unrepentant. At least they were smiling.
“Is one of them there?”
“Melody, is it all right if the three of us come stay with you for awhile?”
“They know each other?”
Lennox closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the windshield. “Can I explain it all when we get there?”
“Sure. You know where the spare is. Unless you think you’re going to get here in time to visit me at work?”
“Doubt it. We’re in Utah. And this...this is dangerous.” Her voice broke and Lennox bit down on her lip to keep herself from crying. Melody was the last person on earth she wanted to get caught in the crossfire. “It’s a lot of trouble.”
Instantly, Melody sobered over the phone, her voice soft, serious. “Like I would turn you away.”
The fierce loyalty always hurt, like a damned noose to the heart, but Lennox clung to it. Melody had never once let her down. “I know, but people have died. I don’t want...” She swallowed back the words. She would not say that. She wouldn’t. “I want you to know exactly what you’re getting into, okay?”
“Get your ass over here, babe. Like yesterday. Besides, I’m not all helpless. You should see the hunk after me. Tall, dark, and handsome.”
A thin smile curved her lips. That right there fit both of the men in her car. “Thank you.”
“No problem, just get here.”
“Please stay safe...”
Melody snorted. “Chica, I’m not the one on the run. You stay safer. Love you, now I’m on my way into work, so you call me when you get here. Gary can stuff it if he doesn’t like me answering my phone.”
Lennox smiled. “We’re on our way. Thank you.”
She pushed End on the phone and waited, not daring to look up. Knuckles knocked over the windshield and she sighed. “Mel’s a little overenthusiastic,” she explained, sliding off the hood of her car.
“She sounds nice,” Tegan said. They were both smiling, but they were the worn smiles of men wrung out with grief. Lennox held out her keys.
“Someone has to drive, I need to sleep.”
Kanon got out and took them from her, his hand sliding over her hip as he stepped around her. “I will. Rest up.”
His lips found the back of her neck and Lennox leaned into the kiss automatically, letting him hold her briefly before he let her go, nudging her towards the backseat. “Just tell me where I’m going.”
They weren’t going to miss the irony in this. “Safety, Colorado.”
A smile tugged over Kanon’s lips. “So...”
“I-70 East,” she told him, then collapsed in Tegan’s lap. Lion or not, he could hold her. Tegan wrapped an arm over her shoulder and pressed a soft kiss against her temple. The last thing she remembered was Kenny Chesney playing on the radio, Tegan’s hand brushing through her hair, and an empty highway behind them.
For once, it looked like they really were going to be safe.
***
“You should pull over,” Tegan said as they passed the flash of a blue oncoming exit sign on the highway. Kanon had been driving for over five hours, stopping only for a bathroom break, some gas, and a snack. “We could get a motel room for the night?”
“Do you have cash?”
Tegan muttered a low curse. “No.”
“What if he’s trailing us?” Kanon glanced in the rearview mirror, like
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