Page 28 of Ice Cold Liar (Ice Breaker Cold Case #14)

“No, I’ve met plenty of those before. You’re not like them.” His hand fell to his side. “I wanted you. I knew I shouldn’t cross the line, but I didn’t care. I told you to say no. I warned you—” He broke off. “Get in the car, will you? Eyes are on us.”

Like she didn’t know that? Again? “You seriously think I want to be anywhere near you right now?”

His nostrils flared. “In the car.”

“Why don’t you just?—”

He scooped her into his arms. Tossed her over his shoulder.

The same damn way he’d done at Ivan’s bar when he’d carried her away after she’d knocked down Ivan’s motorcycle.

For just a moment, absolute rage held her still.

And then, her fists pounded relentlessly into his back.

“Let me down, now! ” They were in front of a police station for goodness’ sake!

Where was a cop when she needed one? She was being abducted right in front of the entrance doors!

“Stop this!” Naomi snarled at him.

“You are in danger! You leave me, and who the hell knows what could happen? You might be pissed as hell at me,” he tightened his hold, “but believe me when I say that I will stand between you and danger.”

“I don’t want you standing anywhere near me!” A hard heave against him. Only he didn’t let her go. Bastard!

“Well, this is new.” A man’s voice. Mocking. Not overly concerned. “Not every day that you see a woman being carried off so close to a cop station. Takes a lot of balls—and probably not a lot of sense—to pull this move.”

Her hands shoved into the base of Eb’s powerful back, and she levered herself up.

She found a tall, broad-shouldered male staring at her and Eb with raised brows.

He looked bemused when he should have been looking horrified.

Dammit, were there truly no heroes left in this world?

“Are you going to help?” she snapped to the stranger.

He blinked.

“Yeah, help, ” Eb emphasized. “Stop standing there like a prick, Hunter, and open the door for me. In case you missed it, she’s trying to get the hell away from me.”

“It’s really hard to miss.” He leaned against the side of the Impala and made no move to open the door.

“I do a lot of things to help out you and your brother,” he continued, voice turning thoughtful.

“I dig up classified intel, I bend some laws here and there, I face down killers—because you know, I do hate to be bored.”

“Sonofabitch, Hunter!” Eb surged forward, scrambling to hold her and open the door at the same time.

“But I think I have to draw the line at kidnapping a woman in broad daylight—right in front of a police station. I mean, we all have our limits, you know?”

Eb had no choice but to put her down. He tried to open the door when he released her. Naomi used that opportunity to whirl and aim a vicious knee right for his groin.

He realized her intent and dodged back. Mostly dodged. She made a hit because she heard the sudden inhalation of his breath.

“Naomi!”

“Figured it was her,” the stranger noted. “I don’t remember the masterplan being to kidnap her, but hey, maybe I’ve missed a few steps.”

Her breath heaved in and out.

Eb straightened and stepped toward her.

“Don’t even dare try to touch me again,” she warned him.

The stranger—had his name been Hunter?—whistled. “Dude, do not do it. She is pissed. ”

Henry trotted over to stand in front of her, taking up a guard position. She spared him a glance. Glad someone finally decided to get on my side. Would barking at Eb have been too much to ask? Maybe even a bite on the leg?

“I am trying to keep you safe,” Eb gritted out. “You walk away alone, and I’m afraid of what could happen to you.”

Uh, huh. “Right. Because you care so much about what happens to your dead partner’s wife.”

“I care about you! Damn straight, I do!”

If she hadn’t discovered what a phenomenal liar he was, Naomi would have believed those words. They actually sounded truthful.

“She doesn’t have to leave alone,” the stranger offered. “She can leave with me.”

Her head whipped toward him. “Who in the hell are you?”

He extended his hand toward her. “Hunter McQueen. You can call me Hunter. You can call me Mac. You can call me?—”

“The jerk who just stood there and didn’t help me?”

A nod. “That will work, too.” He cleared his throat. “But I am actually offering help now. I’ve got a safe place lined up for you to stay. One that isn’t bugged by cops or CIA asshats. You can decompress there. Come up with a plan of attack.”

“My current plan is to get the hell out of this town.” Because nothing good happened there.

At least, not to her. The dream she’d had—Naomi knew it had gone up in smoke.

There wasn’t going to be some bed and breakfast. She wasn’t going to own her own place and welcome her own guests.

She needed to get back to Vegas. To the lights that hid every sin.

To the visitors who tumbled in—one after the other—looking for adventure and magic. The perfect escape.

She needed to escape. To get far, far away from Eb.

“Running will make you look guilty,” Eb warned her.

Her hands flew into the air. “Everyone already thinks I’m guilty! Including you.”

Since she hadn’t taken Hunter’s offered hand, he dropped it. But mostly just so he could let Henry sniff his fingers. “Hi, there, fellow. Aren’t you gorgeous?”

“I don’t need a ride from either of you. I can call a driver and get the hell out of here on my own.” She didn’t look at Eb. Couldn’t. She was too angry. Too hurt. Staring directly into his eyes— no. Don’t do it.

“Ma’am…”

At that drawl, her gaze did whip toward Hunter.

“I get that you don’t know me. But I am not here to hurt you.

Eb asked me to find a safe house for you, and I did.

You don’t want to stay in this parking lot, you don’t want the reporters—uh, they are just minutes from here, by the way—you don’t want them closing in while you’re standing on the corner waiting for a driver to appear. ”

“How do you know the reporters are close?” Her head whipped toward the road. She didn’t see them. Her head snapped back toward him.

He smiled at her. “I have my ways, I’m resourceful like that. They’re coming. You’re going to be standing out here like the perfect prey, and they will surround you.” A pause. “Unless you let me give you and your dog that ride I offered.”

“She can ride with me,” Eb growled.

“In your dreams.” She turned fully toward Hunter. “How do I know you aren’t some crazed killer? After all, you appear to be friends with Eb. Hardly a ringing endorsement.”

“Oh, I am a killer.” He nodded. “Guilty.”

Her gaze darted over him in a fast assessment.

“Former Army Ranger,” Hunter murmured. “Current troublemaker. It’s what I am and what I do. Not gonna pretend I’m some good guy. I won’t ever be. But I’m also not going to slice you into pieces and wear your leftover skin, so, there’s that.”

Stunned, her gaze came right back to his face.

“Hunter…” Eb’s voice deepened even more in warning.

“What? I’m being honest with her. Maybe it’s time someone tries that tactic.”

Her chest burned.

“Hunter McQueen,” he said his name again. “I fight viciously. I fight dirty. But I am not about hurting innocents. Not who I am or who I ever will be.”

“Eb doesn’t believe I’m innocent,” she told him. It actually hurt to say the words, and even more so to add, “No one does.”

“I like to make my own opinions about people.”

“And what have you decided about me?”

“Still working on it.”

Her breath heaved out. “Give me that ride.”

“ What?” An explosion from Eb. “Why the hell would you choose him?”

She spun toward him. “Because he’s being honest with me.” And I think that means the reporters are coming. Actually, crap, behind Eb’s massive shoulders, Naomi caught sight of a white news van barreling toward them. “I could use some honesty in my life.”

“I am sorry, ” Eb said, voice rumbling.

“For fucking me?”

“Oh, damn,” Hunter rasped. “Damn.”

“Or fucking me over with your lies?” she asked sweetly.

“That’s a news van,” Hunter told them. “How about we take this chat to a new location?”

She was more than ready to leave. Nodding, she sidled toward Hunter.

“ Naomi.”

A shiver slid over her. There was an odd note in Eb’s voice. An ache. A plea? No, no plea. Eb would never plead for anything. Certainly not for her.

Not. For. Her.

She left Eb and didn’t look back. Not like she really needed to look back, though.

She was one hundred percent sure he’d be tailing her and Hunter to the safe house.

Naomi settled into Hunter’s SUV, with Henry making himself comfortable in the backseat. Her head leaned back against the headrest. Hunter cranked the vehicle.

They didn’t drive away.

Her head turned toward him. She found him staring at her. The kind of intense, focused stare that told her he was trying to figure things out in his mind.

“You don’t look like a cold-blooded killer.”

Great to know. “You do.”

He smiled. “I know.”

They drove away.