Page 90 of Stripping Bare

With the sensors rapidly generating more heat, he hadn’t realized his breathing was becoming more and more shallow. “We don’t have any idea how he’s tracking us. I can’t risk it based on that damnriddle.”

The drive out to Tupelo Hill from town had never taken solong.

“We’re going to beat him,” Tessa reassured him. “You’re doinggreat.”

But the clock on the dashboard kept ticking away as she took the country roads and weaved around a tractor and a couple of pickups on the two-lane blacktop. They turned into the family property and Tessa blew right past one of the security patrols Reid had hired when people had threatened the Steeles in thepast.

Dust and gravel flew, probably scratching the hell out of the car’s paint job as Tessa fishtailed to a stop in front of TupeloHill.

In his haste, Jonah stumbled up the porch steps and burst inside the house. “Mom! Hey, where areyou?”

Noanswer.

“Is anyone the fuck here?” Where had all his useless siblings gone after he’d filled them in about this psycho? Why had he sent themaway?

He tugged at the sensors because they were starting to sizzle against his skin like butter on a hotskillet.

The sound of bare feet came slapping down the hallway from his mother’s bedroom. “Jonah Stewart Steele, you can use that kind of language in your own home,but—”

“Anyone else here?” He lunged and scooped her up in his arms, barely registering that her hair was wrapped up in a towel and she was wearing a shortbathrobe.

She gave a squeaking squawk. “No, just me. If this is some new part of your latest paintball game with your brothers, I swear, I will take away all yourguns.”

He had no idea how far away he might need to get her, so at the car, he swung her to her feet, yanked open the door, and shoved her into thebackseat.

When he jumped in, his mom was saying to Tessa, “I don’t know what this is all about, but I don’t appreciate being manhandled by my ownson.”

Tessa didn’t acknowledge his mother, didn’t look toward the backseat. She just put her foot on the gas and ate up the winding road toward his house as if she’d been studying under Danica Patrick her wholelife.