stress knotting the tendons in his neck. They both could use a little levity.
Time to change the subject. His job was to keep her alive. She’d gone to Lost and Found for help.
“We’re almost to the safe house. I asked Kay to drop off a few items of clothing and toiletries for us.”
“Thank you. A nice hot shower sounds good.”
Nate had recently purchased a small farmhouse, isolated and easy to defend. Their previous hideaway hadn’t fared too well. A Colombian drug lord had ordered Ty’s and Ana’s deaths. One of his henchmen had strafed the building, shattering windows and leaving multiple holes in the walls. Reconstruction was taking too long, so Nate had bought this place.
Marcus drove down the long driveway and parked behind the house. “Wait here for a second,” he said, stopping Chris. He clipped the leash on Diablo, and then he and the dog walked around to the passenger side of the car. He extended his hand, and she got out, grasping him tightly. “Stay close behind me.”
“You’ll think I’m a shadow.” She slipped her purse over her shoulder and stuck her hand inside.
“I think—”
“Don’t start. I know how to use a gun, and believe me, I will.”
“As I was going to say, I think you’ll be more effective if you take your pistol out of your purse and hold it in your hand. That way, if you have to fire your weapon, you’ll be more accurate.”
“Oh.” She sounded a bit sheepish but did as he suggested.
He walked directly to the back door. The two-bedroom brick house wasn’t actually in the country, more like the outer edge of a small suburb. Set back from the street and shielded by trees, the area was pitch black. The quicker he got Chris inside, the better he’d feel about the situation.
He handed Chris the key while he kept an eye on their surroundings and his Glock in his hand. “Unlock it and step back. Let me go in first.”
“No problem.”
Marcus flipped on the overhead lights, flooding the bright yellow kitchen, eliminating the dark shadows. Chris stepped up beside him. The three of them cleared the living room and two bedrooms.
“Kay’s already been here.” He pointed at the sacks from the local department store sitting in the middle of the bed.
“She bought me clothes?” Chris slid the pistol into the waistband of her jeans and went straight to her new things. “There’s a note. She guessed my size perfectly. And she left your things in the room across the hall.”
Chris emptied the sack while he checked the window locks. There was nothing fancy about the place. The room held a dresser with a mirror, a nightstand with a lamp and clock and a queen-size bed. The huge white comforter caused images of her cuddled under the fluffy cloud to flip through his mind. The soft blue walls reminded him of her eye color.
He crossed the hall and walked into the other bedroom. Sure enough, two bags waited for him. No doubt, he’d find clean clothes. “I’ll let you look through your goodies while I take Diablo outside.”
“No, I’ll stay close to you.” She answered a little too quickly. “If you’re going out back, I’ll go to the kitchen and put what’s left of our supper on plates.”
He got it. She was nervous. And maybe more than a little worried about hiding out with a complete stranger. She’d been his client for two days, and he’d been hired to protect her. Other than that, she knew little about him. Best if things stayed that way.
“Your call.”
Chapter 9
Chris’s chest tightened. She spun toward the door and grabbed her gun from the counter. She sighed with relief. Marcus and Diablo were back.
“You startled me.” She carefully placed her pistol on the table next to her plate.
“I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll call out so you’ll know it’s me.”
“I’m just a little jumpy. Our burgers and fries are cold, but I’m guessing they’ll do for sustenance.”
“I’d think you were in shock if you
Time to change the subject. His job was to keep her alive. She’d gone to Lost and Found for help.
“We’re almost to the safe house. I asked Kay to drop off a few items of clothing and toiletries for us.”
“Thank you. A nice hot shower sounds good.”
Nate had recently purchased a small farmhouse, isolated and easy to defend. Their previous hideaway hadn’t fared too well. A Colombian drug lord had ordered Ty’s and Ana’s deaths. One of his henchmen had strafed the building, shattering windows and leaving multiple holes in the walls. Reconstruction was taking too long, so Nate had bought this place.
Marcus drove down the long driveway and parked behind the house. “Wait here for a second,” he said, stopping Chris. He clipped the leash on Diablo, and then he and the dog walked around to the passenger side of the car. He extended his hand, and she got out, grasping him tightly. “Stay close behind me.”
“You’ll think I’m a shadow.” She slipped her purse over her shoulder and stuck her hand inside.
“I think—”
“Don’t start. I know how to use a gun, and believe me, I will.”
“As I was going to say, I think you’ll be more effective if you take your pistol out of your purse and hold it in your hand. That way, if you have to fire your weapon, you’ll be more accurate.”
“Oh.” She sounded a bit sheepish but did as he suggested.
He walked directly to the back door. The two-bedroom brick house wasn’t actually in the country, more like the outer edge of a small suburb. Set back from the street and shielded by trees, the area was pitch black. The quicker he got Chris inside, the better he’d feel about the situation.
He handed Chris the key while he kept an eye on their surroundings and his Glock in his hand. “Unlock it and step back. Let me go in first.”
“No problem.”
Marcus flipped on the overhead lights, flooding the bright yellow kitchen, eliminating the dark shadows. Chris stepped up beside him. The three of them cleared the living room and two bedrooms.
“Kay’s already been here.” He pointed at the sacks from the local department store sitting in the middle of the bed.
“She bought me clothes?” Chris slid the pistol into the waistband of her jeans and went straight to her new things. “There’s a note. She guessed my size perfectly. And she left your things in the room across the hall.”
Chris emptied the sack while he checked the window locks. There was nothing fancy about the place. The room held a dresser with a mirror, a nightstand with a lamp and clock and a queen-size bed. The huge white comforter caused images of her cuddled under the fluffy cloud to flip through his mind. The soft blue walls reminded him of her eye color.
He crossed the hall and walked into the other bedroom. Sure enough, two bags waited for him. No doubt, he’d find clean clothes. “I’ll let you look through your goodies while I take Diablo outside.”
“No, I’ll stay close to you.” She answered a little too quickly. “If you’re going out back, I’ll go to the kitchen and put what’s left of our supper on plates.”
He got it. She was nervous. And maybe more than a little worried about hiding out with a complete stranger. She’d been his client for two days, and he’d been hired to protect her. Other than that, she knew little about him. Best if things stayed that way.
“Your call.”
Chapter 9
Chris’s chest tightened. She spun toward the door and grabbed her gun from the counter. She sighed with relief. Marcus and Diablo were back.
“You startled me.” She carefully placed her pistol on the table next to her plate.
“I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll call out so you’ll know it’s me.”
“I’m just a little jumpy. Our burgers and fries are cold, but I’m guessing they’ll do for sustenance.”
“I’d think you were in shock if you
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