turned to look into her eyes. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
Yes. He had her exactly where he needed her. “Where do you need to go?”
“I need to go to the lab, to Kepplar Biological Control Systems. I need you to wait outside for me while I check on something. Then I need you to drive me north, to some place where I can rent a bike or a truck. I can go the rest of the way on my own.”
“Where are you going?”
“I—I can’t say.”
He turned his back on her. “Forget it. If you can’t trust me, I can’t help you.”
Silence stretched, thick and heavy.
“Scott.”
He turned.
“I don’t know who those men are. I hate to admit it, but yes, I am afraid. For my life. And I’m begging you to help me.”
He pressed the advantage. “But why? What makes you think those men mean you harm?”
“I—I don’t really understand what happened to Jozsef. He’s cleaned out his apartment. I think those men may have something to do with his disappearance. Some weird stuff has been happening in my life. I just need to lay low until I figure out what is going on.”
She was one hell of a liar. If Scott didn’t know for a fact those were undercover officers banging on her door this very minute, he might even have believed her.
“Tell me where you’re going or I can’t help you.”
She hesitated, eyes probing his. “To the mountains.”
“Where in the mountains?”
She gritted her teeth, anger dragging her brow down, forcing the glint of steel into her eyes. “Jesus, McIntyre.”
He shrugged. “Take it or leave it. If I’m in, I’m in all the way. Because whoever those guys are, if I help you, I become a target, too.”
She studied him, eyes wary.
“You owe me that much, Skye. You want my help, the least you can do is trust me.”
Her features shifted. “What’s it to you anyway?”
He stepped forward, lifted his hand, moved a smoky tendril that had fallen across her eye. Her breath caught. She backed up, was stopped by the kitchen table, trapped. Scott stepped in, bent his head, his lips almost touching hers. He dropped his voice to a low whisper. “I like you. That’s what’s in it for me.”
Her top lip quivered. Her breathing became ragged around the edges. “Last night—”
“What I said last night still holds. I don’t take advantage of women on the rebound.” He dropped his voice. “Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to.”
She swallowed. Her eyes darkened. The thick fringe of her lashes fluttered low. But the instant was fleeting. There was a crash next door. The officers had broken in.
She grabbed control, made her decision fast. “There’s a cabin in the mountains. Up north.”
“Fine. I’ll take you there.”
“It’s far.”
“I’m mobile. No sweat.”
She stared at him blankly.
“I’m a writer, remember? I can work anywhere. Go on, get in the truck while they’re still inside your house. Cab’s open. Lay low. There’s a blanket in there. Cover yourself until I get there.”
She said nothing, hoisted her pack onto her back in one fluid movement and made for the front door, biker boots clunking on the wood floor.
Scott rummaged in the closet for his own backpack. He quickly threw in some gear, including a sleeping bag. He checked his knife, his gun. Honey did whatever she could to trip him up. “Calm down, girl. I’m not leaving you behind. Where the doctor goes, you and I go.” He slipped his satellite phone into his jacket pocket, grabbed Honey’s lead and flipped the light switch.
He stepped out onto the porch, closed the door quietly behind him, locked it. He scanned Skye’s yard in the pale dawn. The feds were nowhere to be seen outside. But inside, lights blazed from every visible window. The cops were probably going through Skye’s things. That told him they had a warrant. That in turn meant they had sufficient evidence she was up to no good.
In the criminal sense.
And he was helping her run from the law. He smiled
She nodded.
Yes. He had her exactly where he needed her. “Where do you need to go?”
“I need to go to the lab, to Kepplar Biological Control Systems. I need you to wait outside for me while I check on something. Then I need you to drive me north, to some place where I can rent a bike or a truck. I can go the rest of the way on my own.”
“Where are you going?”
“I—I can’t say.”
He turned his back on her. “Forget it. If you can’t trust me, I can’t help you.”
Silence stretched, thick and heavy.
“Scott.”
He turned.
“I don’t know who those men are. I hate to admit it, but yes, I am afraid. For my life. And I’m begging you to help me.”
He pressed the advantage. “But why? What makes you think those men mean you harm?”
“I—I don’t really understand what happened to Jozsef. He’s cleaned out his apartment. I think those men may have something to do with his disappearance. Some weird stuff has been happening in my life. I just need to lay low until I figure out what is going on.”
She was one hell of a liar. If Scott didn’t know for a fact those were undercover officers banging on her door this very minute, he might even have believed her.
“Tell me where you’re going or I can’t help you.”
She hesitated, eyes probing his. “To the mountains.”
“Where in the mountains?”
She gritted her teeth, anger dragging her brow down, forcing the glint of steel into her eyes. “Jesus, McIntyre.”
He shrugged. “Take it or leave it. If I’m in, I’m in all the way. Because whoever those guys are, if I help you, I become a target, too.”
She studied him, eyes wary.
“You owe me that much, Skye. You want my help, the least you can do is trust me.”
Her features shifted. “What’s it to you anyway?”
He stepped forward, lifted his hand, moved a smoky tendril that had fallen across her eye. Her breath caught. She backed up, was stopped by the kitchen table, trapped. Scott stepped in, bent his head, his lips almost touching hers. He dropped his voice to a low whisper. “I like you. That’s what’s in it for me.”
Her top lip quivered. Her breathing became ragged around the edges. “Last night—”
“What I said last night still holds. I don’t take advantage of women on the rebound.” He dropped his voice. “Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to.”
She swallowed. Her eyes darkened. The thick fringe of her lashes fluttered low. But the instant was fleeting. There was a crash next door. The officers had broken in.
She grabbed control, made her decision fast. “There’s a cabin in the mountains. Up north.”
“Fine. I’ll take you there.”
“It’s far.”
“I’m mobile. No sweat.”
She stared at him blankly.
“I’m a writer, remember? I can work anywhere. Go on, get in the truck while they’re still inside your house. Cab’s open. Lay low. There’s a blanket in there. Cover yourself until I get there.”
She said nothing, hoisted her pack onto her back in one fluid movement and made for the front door, biker boots clunking on the wood floor.
Scott rummaged in the closet for his own backpack. He quickly threw in some gear, including a sleeping bag. He checked his knife, his gun. Honey did whatever she could to trip him up. “Calm down, girl. I’m not leaving you behind. Where the doctor goes, you and I go.” He slipped his satellite phone into his jacket pocket, grabbed Honey’s lead and flipped the light switch.
He stepped out onto the porch, closed the door quietly behind him, locked it. He scanned Skye’s yard in the pale dawn. The feds were nowhere to be seen outside. But inside, lights blazed from every visible window. The cops were probably going through Skye’s things. That told him they had a warrant. That in turn meant they had sufficient evidence she was up to no good.
In the criminal sense.
And he was helping her run from the law. He smiled
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