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“Get into bed, Hollis. You’re tired.”
He headed for the bathroom and brushed his teeth. Back in the bedroom, he set his SIG Sauer handgun down on the bedside table.
“I’m not sure I can sleep.” She was under the covers and propped up on the pillows.
“You’ll sleep.”
“You can’t just order me to sleep, Sawyer.”
He climbed in, and hauled her close, then pressed a kiss to her mouth. Then he lay back, pulled her face to his neck.
With a sigh, she relaxed against him. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Those quiet words arrowed into him, and hooked in deep. He’d avoided strong connections for a long time. Hell, it wasn’t that he’d avoided people, he just hadn’t been capable.
Old screams, the scent of fire. He closed his eyes, then opened them again. But with Hollis, it was so easy.
He stroked her hair. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” Then he leaned over and grabbed the remote for the TV attached to the bedroom wall.
As he flicked through Archer’s streaming services, he finally found what he was looking for.The Wizard of Ozcame on.
Hollis made a sound. “Sawyer…”
“Just relax, gorgeous.”
She snuggled deeper against him. “Watching movies is my escape. It always was. That’s why I love acting. I always hope I can give my fans the same escape. The same chance to just put their crappy day behind them.”
He kept stroking her hair, watching the light from the show flicker over her beautiful face. He wanted her to stop thinking about her crappy day.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but Dorothy was having her adventure along the yellow brick road. He looked down and realized that Hollis was asleep, her hand pressed against his chest.
I’ll keep you safe, gorgeous.
Sawyer came awake in an instant.Just like when he’d been in Ghost Ops.
He stilled, staring at the ceiling. His internal body clock told him it was one or two o’clock in the morning.
Hell, he’d fallen asleep and slept soundly for several hours. That hadn’t happened in…he couldn’t remember how long. Hollis was curled against his side, fast asleep and breathing softly.
What had woken him?
He carefully slid from the bed and grabbed his SIG. The metal was cool against his fingers. Silently, he moved through the house. He knew how to move without being seen or heard.
He scanned the living area. Nothing. Just shadows dancing in the darkness.
There.A darker, bigger shadow at the sliding doors. He tensed.
Sticking to the wall, he moved closer. He couldn’t make out any details, because it was too dark.
Again. Definite movement by the pool.
Sawyer reached out and flicked on the outside light.
The dark shape of a man raced for the trees, moving fast. He disappeared.
Fuck. More than anything, Sawyer wanted to go out there and give chase. Run the fucker down and stop him. But he couldn’t leave Hollis alone and unprotected.
He left the lights on and circled through the house, checking the locks on the doors and windows.