Page 72 of Mountain Rescue

“Are you staying here, too?”

“Do you want me to?” Was she tired of him? Not that he’d leave her alone and unprotected, but he’d sleep on the couch or floor if need be. He’d slept in much worse places.

“Please. Jack doesn’t like you being with me, so I thought maybe you were dropping me off here and you were going to stay somewhere else.”

“What makes you think that? Has he said something to you?” It was true, but he hadn’t thought Jack had voiced his opinion to her.

“No, but I feel his disapproval.”

He kept forgetting that she was an empath. “He’s afraid I’m going to hurt you.” There was no danger of that. They both knew this was a sort of time-out and they would be returning to their lives soon.

“Hurt me?” She frowned. “You’d never hurt me.”

“Not physically. He’s afraid I’m going to break your heart or something like that.” He smiled when she rolled her eyes.

“My heart is my business, not his.”

He glanced out the window. Jack was standing on the porch of the cabin with his arms crossed over his chest. “He’s giving us the stink eye, so we should probably get the Jeep unloaded.”

“I have this childish urge to stick my tongue out at him.”

“Go for it.”

She grinned, then did just that, making him laugh. When Jack scowled, they grinned at each other.

“Let’s get unloaded and settled in, then I’ll show you around.” He opened the back door, and Bella jumped out with Blue in her mouth. The cat never seemed to mind hanging by his neck. “Why don’t you get Bella and her baby inside, and I’ll get our stuff.”

Rachel came around the Jeep. “Okay. Come on, Bella Boo. Let’s go see our new house.” The dog followed her up the steps and into the house.

“Deke headed downtown to interrogate Hargrove’s man?” Dallas asked Jack.

Jack nodded. “He’ll call if he gets any info from him, but Ebers will probably lawyer up. If we’re lucky, his prints will be in the system and we’ll at least learn who he is.”

“Sure wish we had about five minutes with him before the police got him.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

Noah pulled up in a silver SUV. After parking it, he walked up and handed Dallas a set of keys. “Your new ride. There’s an old barn on the property, and we’ll hide the Jeep in there.”

“Good idea.” By now, Hargrove probably had a description of the Jeep.

“Peyton will be here shortly with groceries,” Jack said. “If you or Rachel need anything else, let me know and one of us will get it to you. She shouldn’t go anywhere, even in her disguise.”

“Agree.” He didn’t want her anywhere Hargrove could find her.

Rachel came out and stopped next to him. “You agree to what?”

“That you’re not leaving this property until Hargrove is behind bars.” Or dead.

She stared at the mountains, and he wondered what she was seeing because it wasn’t the beautiful view. As if making up her mind about something, she nodded, then slid her gaze over each of their faces, starting with Noah and ending with him.

Whatever was going through her mind, he didn’t like that determined look in her eyes.

Keeping her attention on him, she said, “Robert could spend weeks sneaking around, looking for me, watching me. I’m tired of it, and I’m done with hiding.”

“Meaning?” As soon as he asked the question, he knew the answer. “No, not going to happen.”

She narrowed her eyes, and he narrowed his right back. If she thought she could intimidate him, she better think again. He’d survived the worst anyone could throw at him, and one woman who barely reached his chin didn’t stand a chance.