Page 157 of Snowbound Threat

“You think so?”

He nods. “Lucian runs this place. If he were worried about you, they’d all be worried.”

“What if they’re just?—”

“Stop,” I say. “Stop borrowing trouble.” Then, because in these moments, there’s nothing else to do, I close my eyes and bow my head. “Lord, we ask that You be with us through this journey and always. Please help us find the answers we’re looking for, and shield us with Your protection. We are surrounded by enemies, God, but we know that, with You on our side, we are not outnumbered. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

“Amen,” she whispers.

When I look up at her, there are tears in her eyes. “What is it?”

“I’ve never had someone pray with me before. Not like that. Paul believed, but he was never one for praying out loud.”

Smiling even as my heart aches for her pain, I lean forward and brush a tear from her cheek with my thumb. “I’ve gotten alot closer to God the last couple of years. And getting through the day without Him is impossible.”

“I agree.” She swallows hard and takes a deep breath. Since she seems to have relaxed slightly, I release her hands and stand. Distance. That’s what I need.

As I get to my feet, someone knocks on the door. “Head into the bedroom and close the doors,” I whisper, needing her out of the way should this go sideways.

She does so without questioning me, and as soon as the double doors are closed, I look through the peephole on the oversized wooden door. A man dressed in a suit stands on the other side, our bags in his hands.

He looks almost annoyed to be there. Not interested or nervous…annoyed. So, plastering on a smile, I pull the door open. “Thanks for this,” I say as I retrieve a hundred-dollar bill from my pocket. When he hands me the bags, I offer it to him.

“Would you like me to unpack them as well, sir?” he asks, his brown eyes lacking nearly all emotion even as he shoves the money into his pocket.

“That won’t be necessary. Thanks.”

“Of course. Please call if you are in need of any assistance.” He dips his head, then heads down the hall, so I close the door and lock it behind me.

As I always do, I double-check the bags to see if they added any monitoring devices and am pleased when they both come back clean. “You can come out,” I call to Beckett.

She opens the door and strolls back into the room. “So, what’s the plan for the rest of the day?” she asks.

“Interested in a tour?” I ask.

“Not really,” she says, although she nods. “But I think it’s time we start finding answers.”

15.Beckett

Velocity Ridge Airfield is not a place I can picture Paul being.

He was too warm. Too happy to fit in with these people here. Everyone we pass has their nose so high in the air I’m surprised there aren’t more people tripping over each other. The men barely notice us as we pass, though the women—theyalllook back at Shawn.

It makes my skin crawl, and unwanted jealousy sours my already strained mood.

With his fingers threaded through mine, we follow Charlise, a woman wearing a short, pin-striped skirt and white button-down, as she guides us through the club areas. She’s been talking pretty much solid for the last thirty minutes, her tone chipper, hungry gaze eating up Shawn every chance she gets.

Even with me standing beside him.

“These are our private men’s quarters,” she says, gesturing toward a frosted glass door to the left. “You can book a massage from any of our talented staff, all of them trained in every method of relaxation.”

I’m going to hurl.

That’s going to be what breaks our cover.

Me puking all over her ridiculously expensive shoes.

Disgusting.