closer, casting Nicole a wary look when she raised her voice.
Daniel arched one eyebrow. “I can’t?”
“Damn it, Daniel! Do not try to pin this on my father!”
Raising a hand to quell her argument, he leaned toward her, pitching his voice lower. “He may not be behind the attack, but we can’t rule him out as the source of the leak. You told him about Pilar, didn’t you?”
“I—” Nicole snapped her mouth shut. She had. Her father had promised to make phone calls to locate Pilar’s parents and smooth over any red tape regarding her presence in the U.S.
Daniel clearly took her lack of response as capitulation. “Until we know where this threat against you and the girl is coming from, I’m not going to trust your safety to anyone else.” Pivoting with his crutches, Daniel moved aside to let her precede him to Jake’s truck. Sighing her resignation, Nicole led Pilar to the street and climbed inside Jake’s dual-cab Ford F-150.
When they reached her father’s house, Jake ran interference with the senator while Nicole packed. Pilar clung to her as she gathered what few belongings she’d amassed since getting back to the States, including some clothes and toys for Pilar. Oreo, clearly recovered from the ruckus earlier in the day, hopped up on the bed and tried to curl up in the suitcase. Pilar’s face brightened when she saw Oreo, and she left Nicole’s side in order to pat the cat.
Daniel, who’d accompanied Nicole to her bedroom, sat on the opposite side of the bed with his bad knee stretched in front of him. He knitted his brow as he watched Pilar with the feline. “That’s not the cat I rescued for you, is it? The one I got from the storm drain was orange.”
Nicole paused in folding a nightshirt and shook her head. “No, that’s Oreo. He’s a more recent addition to the family. Boudreaux is around here somewhere. Boo is an old man now.” She cast a glance to Pilar and Oreo, remembering the events of that afternoon. “You know, Oreo and Boudreaux may have saved us today. They ran when the trouble started, but managed to trip up one of the gunmen, buying me a few seconds to grab Pilar and get to the safe room.” She grinned at Daniel. “They’re heroes.”
He tugged a corner of his mouth up and scratched Oreo behind the ear. “Sure, they get all the credit.”
Nicole placed her hand on his arm and held his gaze. “Not all. I’m fully aware that you risked everything to help me. Again.” She bit her bottom lip. “I’m not sure I can ever repay you for—”
He gave a disgusted grunt. “I don’t want repayment.”
“I only mean—”
“Is this everything you need?” He made an impatient gesture toward the suitcase. “We have to get moving.”
Fine. So he didn’t want her gratitude. Nicole raked her fingers through her hair and turned on her toes to check her room for anything else she wanted to pack. Boudreaux sat in the door to the hall blinking at her sleepily. Shooting a glance back to Pilar, Nicole said, “We’re taking the cats.”
Daniel jerked his chin up. “What?”
“Look at her with Oreo.” Nicole waved a hand toward the little girl, who stroked the black-and-white cat and snuggled close to Oreo’s furry warmth. “The cats calm her. Comfort her. And...I’ve missed them. Why can’t they go?”
Daniel rolled his eyes in resignation. “Whatever. But they stay inside. There are alligators where we’re going.”
“Alligators?” Nicole whipped a look of concern toward Daniel.
He raised a hand, forestalling her arguments. “It’s perfectly safe.”
“Why won’t you tell me where this safe house is?”
“Because if you don’t know, you can’t tell your father.” When she scowled, he added, “Or anyone else.”
Nicole let her shoulders droop in surrender as she moved to the back of her walk-in closet to retrieve the cats’ travel cages. Boudreaux saw the carrier and headed under the bed.
Nicole pointed to the absconding feline. “Grab
Daniel arched one eyebrow. “I can’t?”
“Damn it, Daniel! Do not try to pin this on my father!”
Raising a hand to quell her argument, he leaned toward her, pitching his voice lower. “He may not be behind the attack, but we can’t rule him out as the source of the leak. You told him about Pilar, didn’t you?”
“I—” Nicole snapped her mouth shut. She had. Her father had promised to make phone calls to locate Pilar’s parents and smooth over any red tape regarding her presence in the U.S.
Daniel clearly took her lack of response as capitulation. “Until we know where this threat against you and the girl is coming from, I’m not going to trust your safety to anyone else.” Pivoting with his crutches, Daniel moved aside to let her precede him to Jake’s truck. Sighing her resignation, Nicole led Pilar to the street and climbed inside Jake’s dual-cab Ford F-150.
When they reached her father’s house, Jake ran interference with the senator while Nicole packed. Pilar clung to her as she gathered what few belongings she’d amassed since getting back to the States, including some clothes and toys for Pilar. Oreo, clearly recovered from the ruckus earlier in the day, hopped up on the bed and tried to curl up in the suitcase. Pilar’s face brightened when she saw Oreo, and she left Nicole’s side in order to pat the cat.
Daniel, who’d accompanied Nicole to her bedroom, sat on the opposite side of the bed with his bad knee stretched in front of him. He knitted his brow as he watched Pilar with the feline. “That’s not the cat I rescued for you, is it? The one I got from the storm drain was orange.”
Nicole paused in folding a nightshirt and shook her head. “No, that’s Oreo. He’s a more recent addition to the family. Boudreaux is around here somewhere. Boo is an old man now.” She cast a glance to Pilar and Oreo, remembering the events of that afternoon. “You know, Oreo and Boudreaux may have saved us today. They ran when the trouble started, but managed to trip up one of the gunmen, buying me a few seconds to grab Pilar and get to the safe room.” She grinned at Daniel. “They’re heroes.”
He tugged a corner of his mouth up and scratched Oreo behind the ear. “Sure, they get all the credit.”
Nicole placed her hand on his arm and held his gaze. “Not all. I’m fully aware that you risked everything to help me. Again.” She bit her bottom lip. “I’m not sure I can ever repay you for—”
He gave a disgusted grunt. “I don’t want repayment.”
“I only mean—”
“Is this everything you need?” He made an impatient gesture toward the suitcase. “We have to get moving.”
Fine. So he didn’t want her gratitude. Nicole raked her fingers through her hair and turned on her toes to check her room for anything else she wanted to pack. Boudreaux sat in the door to the hall blinking at her sleepily. Shooting a glance back to Pilar, Nicole said, “We’re taking the cats.”
Daniel jerked his chin up. “What?”
“Look at her with Oreo.” Nicole waved a hand toward the little girl, who stroked the black-and-white cat and snuggled close to Oreo’s furry warmth. “The cats calm her. Comfort her. And...I’ve missed them. Why can’t they go?”
Daniel rolled his eyes in resignation. “Whatever. But they stay inside. There are alligators where we’re going.”
“Alligators?” Nicole whipped a look of concern toward Daniel.
He raised a hand, forestalling her arguments. “It’s perfectly safe.”
“Why won’t you tell me where this safe house is?”
“Because if you don’t know, you can’t tell your father.” When she scowled, he added, “Or anyone else.”
Nicole let her shoulders droop in surrender as she moved to the back of her walk-in closet to retrieve the cats’ travel cages. Boudreaux saw the carrier and headed under the bed.
Nicole pointed to the absconding feline. “Grab
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