Page 44 of Defending You

Asher’s jaw clenched as if she’d said something wrong. He looked away.

“Rhodes?” Dad said. “Yeah, I remember them. He went into the military, right?”

She looked toward Asher, but he was staring through the trees toward the highway. “He was a SEAL.”

“Good, good. Tell me where to wire the money. You stick with Rhodes, you hear me? Rhodes, if you can hear me, you keep my daughter safe or you’ll answer to me.”

Asher held out his hand for the phone.

“He wants to talk to you, Dad. Hold on.” She gave it to Asher.

“I’ll do my best, sir,” Asher said. “Meanwhile, you need to do something for me.”

Cici cringed. Dad wasn’t accustomed to taking orders from anybody. But Asher didn’t seem to care.

“Tell Ballentine—in person—that I believe he has a mole in his operation.”

“How do you know that?” Dad’s voice was easy to make out.

“They were waiting for us near the airfield,” Asher said. “There’s no way they could’ve guessed that.”

A beat of silence, then Dad said, “I’ll tell him. Keep her safe.”

Cici expected Dad to ask to speak to her again, but he didn’t, just hung up.

She shouldn’t have been surprised.

Asher powered down the phone. “Let’s eat. We’ll give your dad a few minutes to wire the money. No sense lingering where we can be seen.”

They munched protein bars and sipped water in silence. It wasn’t enough food, but once they got to Shadow Cove, they’d have a proper dinner.

After ten minutes, Asher stood and held out his hand for her.

She slid hers in it, and a spark of awareness zinged through her. She ignored the strange response, one she hadn’t had to any man, ever. Except when Asher had kissed her, which felt like years ago but was actually less than twenty-four hours before.

Crazy.

He pulled her to her feet, and they headed back to the store, where her father’s money was waiting. They pocketed the cash.

“Let’s go.” Asher scanned the lot through the store windows. “No sense taking chances.”

“Agreed.”

His eyebrows rose. “No arguments?” Amusement sparkled in his eyes. “No ‘better’ ideas?”

She felt the air quotes in his attitude. “Shut up and lead the way.” Sheesh, she wasn’tthatdifficult.

He nearly smiled as they slipped out of the store and back into the woods, the new burner’s map app glowing on Asher’s screen.

“What’s next?” she asked. “We just keep wandering around like lost hobbits?”

Her Crocs slipped on a root, and she flailed, aiming for—and missing—a skinny branch.

Asher gripped her arm, and thanks to his help, she managed to stay upright.

“You all right?”

“Sure.” She tried to sound casual and confident despite the fresh adrenaline pumping in her veins. “I’m loving these new shoes.”