13. Bounce Back
Sean wanted to hop on the first plane and track down Hawley. Find out what the man was planning and stop him.
That would work if Hawley stayed put, but Sean’s gut told him the man would be long gone by the time he arrived. It also told him the scenario all of them liked the least was the one that was happening. Prince Hawley had found out where Branna was, and he was heading to Vermont.
Branna leaned into his shoulder. “I’m going to guess he knows where I am. And that he’s coming here.”
Sean felt her trembling and tightened his arm around her. “He’s not getting to you.”
Through the phone, Marcus agreed. “Sean’s right, Branna. I didn’t give you this information to scare you, but you need to be prepared.”
“I’m not going to stay here and put everyone here at risk. He’s already killed at least one person and burned down at least one building. I don’t believe either action was his first. If I leave, he won’t be a danger to Phail.”
Sean squeezed her because her body was shaking. “If necessary, we can leave and go without telling anyone where. But with a warrant out for him, he can’t get on a plane. He has to drive. I’m guessing he’s not the type to rough it and drive straight through like we did. That gives us some time to decide our next steps.”
Graham spoke up. “We don’t know the story and who this Prince guy is, but you have lots of options. You don’t need to run.”
Aisling nodded. “Along with everyone right here, there’s the rest of the team from Midnight Security. There’s also the property itself. It’s a two-mile hike in from the road, and there are security measures in place. This might be a great time for the two of you to come out and stay with the team for the next little while.”
Branna’s eyes widened. “You don’t even know me. Or why this man is after me.”
Graham shrugged. “We’ve taken down walls together. What else do we need to know?”
Aisling laughed. “You obviously know Troy and Marcus. If you’re their friends, you’re our friends, too.”
Marcus spoke again. “Troy, do you have any pay-as-you-go phones in stock? Branna should have one on her at all times, and I don’t think she should turn on her own phone. It’s doubtful they’ve put a tracking device on it, but let’s not take a chance.”
Troy nodded and added. “If you want, I can take your phone apart and find out if there’s been anything added to the case or to the phone’s programming.”
Branna nodded. “Thanks. I’ll grab it for you. I haven’t turned it on since we listened to the videos the other night.” She patted Sean’s arm and moved to get the phone.
Sean wanted to follow her down the hallway. He didn’t want her out of his sight. Instead, he blew out a breath. “What do you think we should do?”
Marcus replied immediately. “I think it’s best if you stay here in Phail. You haven’t met all the people at Midnight Lake yet, but they’re exactly the people we want at our back.”
Good to hear.
Branna returned with her phone and passed it to Troy. “I took out the battery when I turned it off.”
Troy grinned at her. “Good job. Shouldn’t take me too long to check it out once I’m back home, although if someone hacked into your email or data remotely, I don’t know if I’ll be able to tell.”
Branna nodded and Sean hated the way the weight had settled back on her.
After hanging up with Marcus, they finished the demo and cleaned the rooms. The order of supplies wouldn’t arrive until the day after tomorrow, so they planned to meet up again then.
The others waved off Sean’s offer of food, and soon it was the two of them alone with Jabba, who watched his little buddy drive away.
When the dog wandered off to flop on the floor for a nap, Branna moved to pull the curtains closed. At least most of the windows had curtains, even if they were hideous floral things from decades ago.
Branna still wasn’t speaking much and had said next to nothing since Marcus’s call. Earlier in the day, she’d been lighter and happier, making friends and having fun. Now that asshole had made everything worse.
Branna turned to him. “I think I’m going to need to leave. I can’t put these people in danger by being here. Maybe we should go into town in the morning, meet some people, and make a fuss about heading out. That way, when Prince’s herd ask questions, they’ll find some answers and leave.”
Sean ran his hands up and down her arms. “Not a bad plan, but I don’t want to leave. Do you?”
Her eyes sparkled with moisture, but she blinked the tears away. “No. But I can’t be that selfish. I can’t put people in danger because I like them.”
He grinned at that. “It all sounds like a movie plot, but I don’t think we’re endangering anyone. Hawley is having a tantrum because you foiled his plans. You not only didn’t give in to his demands, but you got away from his thugs, and you worked around the fact that he’s got some cops in his pocket to get a warrant put out for his arrest.”
Her eyes lightened a bit at that. “We did most of that, not me.”
“And we’ll keep doing that. I don’t think there’s any danger to anyone tonight or even tomorrow. Even if he knows where we are, he’ll need to come up with a plan before he gets here. I think he’s used to intimidation and reputation being his weapons. He won’t have those here.”
“He could still do the intimidation. What if he catches someone and tries to torture the information out of them?”
“That’s not going to happen, Branna.”
“You can’t guarantee that. No one can.”
He pulled her in for a long hug. “How about we leave off deciding until the morning? We can sleep on it and think about the options. Then we’ll talk to the others and find out what the FBI and the police know. Then we’ll make some plans.”
She sighed, but her arms wrapped around him. “You don’t have to stick with me, you know.”
Oh, hell no. he leaned back and squatted until they were eye to eye. “You’re stuck with me. And it’s not out of a sense of duty. I’m not interested in being anywhere other than where you are. If you decide to leave, we’ll go together.”
“But—”
He cut her off. “No. No buts. Promise me you won’t take off on me. Promise me I don’t have to panic every time you leave a room. Please. Promise me, Branna.”
He wanted to ask her for even more promises, but for now, he’d stick with these.
She studied his face for a long moment. His Branna was a stickler for promises, and she didn’t make them lightly. Her word mattered to her.
Finally, she nodded, but she didn’t smile. “Fine. I promise. But you have to promise me the same. No taking off to put yourself in danger because of me.”
“It’s not me he’s after, honey.”
“If he knows I’m in Vermont, he probably had access to a police file. Your name could be in there, too.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. But reports tend to focus more on the criminals than civilians.”
“Not the point, Sean. Promise me I’m not going to lose you as well.”
Little did she know he would promise her absolutely anything. “I promise, Branna. We’re going to deal with this asshole together. He’s going down.”
And he would do everything in his power to ensure that was exactly what happened.
* * *
Branna didn’t think she’d be able to handle it if she lost Sean. She’d already lost so much. Despite her heartbreak, she’d fallen in love. And now, he could be in danger because of her.
She’d never been a violent person, but right now, she wanted to see Prince Hawley suffer before they threw him in jail forever.
Sean’s body softened at her words, and he enveloped her with his strength. “You’re not losing me, Branna. And I’m not losing you. We’re just starting our journey together, and there’s no way we’re going to let that jackass screw it up.”
She squeezed him. “Okay.”
When they hadn’t moved a few minutes later, Jabba barked, making her smile. This dog didn’t let you feel sorry for yourself for too long.
They took Jabba out the back door and let him play in the moonlight. The sun set early in the winter, but the snow stopped it from being dark. The mostly open fields surrounding them made it easy to see Jabba loping through the snow.
It would also make them easy targets. “Do you think we can find out if Prince has a long gun like a rifle?”
Sean nodded. “Probably. If he got it legally, anyway. But I assume someone like him would have revolvers or pistols. What are you thinking?”
She gestured around. “That we’re pretty easy targets out here.”
“If he knew where to look, yes. While he might show up in town looking for us, he has no idea how small towns work.”
That made her choke out a laugh. “Me neither. I’ve never lived anywhere but in the pub. This is the longest I’ve been away from it my whole life.”
And while that sounded pathetic, it was the truth. The pub had been part of the family. They’d all loved it, all stayed there. Originally, the top floor had been storage, but when they were old enough, Seamus had helped her and Charlie fix it up. They’d made bedrooms, a shared living space, and even a small kitchen for the two of them. She’d never felt the need to move out as her parents respected her privacy. They’d been the best.
Sean squeezed her hand. “You’ve had an incredibly difficult few weeks.”
He rubbed his fingers over her thumb while they watched the dog play in the snow. Even in her gloomy mood, she had to laugh at his antics. “I wish this was real.”
Sean chuckled. “Pretty sure we’re not dreaming.”
She smiled. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I was just thinking that this is a good life. Working on a project we both enjoy, having friends to help, a dog to play with. I never thought about any other life than the pub, but this makes me happy.”
Sean lifted her hand to kiss it. “Me too. How about we go on a covert mission?”
“What kind of mission?”
He shook his head. “Always with the questions. Trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Let me text Epic to see if I can set it up.”
The texts flew back and forth a few times before he grinned. “All set. Ready?”
Her mood had shifted from gloomy to happy. All because the man she loved was doing something to give her a boost. She didn’t have a clue what he was up to, but his desire to help her was all that mattered. “Ready.”
They locked the house and left Jabba with food and water. Then they hopped into the new truck Sean had bought. It still boggled her mind that he’d sold his truck and bought a new one in order to keep her safe. He’d told her repeatedly he’d wanted to upgrade for a while, but he wouldn’t have done it without the need to stay under Prince’s radar. “You’re a pretty special guy, Sean Falcone.”
He grinned at her but didn’t respond. Instead, he drove toward town and followed his GPS to a small bungalow. As they drove up, the garage door opened, and he drove in.
Troy was in the garage, grinning as he closed the door behind them. “Step One, complete. Let me check the surroundings.”
They got out of the truck and moved to the man-sized door of the garage. Troy waved them outside and to his car. He handed two sets of keys to Sean. “Have fun.”
Then he disappeared inside his house. Sean ushered her into the passenger seat and then got in.
“Where are we going?”
“Secret mission. Stay low.” But his voice was full of fun, not fear.
“Should we be wearing camo?”
He grinned at her. “Maybe next time.” He turned down a street and then another. This one was more like a wide alley, showing the backs of buildings on one side and a field with some trees on the other.
Sean backed in right behind one building, and pulled up to a door. The one to her left had a sign saying Doc’s on it, but this one had nothing to identify it.
He held up his key. “Ready?” When she nodded, he put his hand on the door handle. “Get set.” She placed her hand on her handle. “Go.”
Giggling, she hopped out of the truck and raced to the back of the vehicle. Sean already had the key in the lock. He turned it, ushered her inside, and then locked it quietly behind them.
She looked around curiously. The light from outside wasn’t bright, but she could see enough to know she was in a retail kitchen with several doors leading to other areas. But Piper had said there weren’t any restaurants in the town.
Branna walked closer and realized the appliances were old and the space wasn’t in use. Wait. Was this her pub? Her head whipped around to find Sean grinning at her.
“Is this the Saloon?”
He took her hand. “Why don’t we find out?”
Sean opened the flashlight app on his phone and moved it around the space. Definitely old, but the layout was logical, and there was plenty of room for a pub kitchen.
A set of stairs on the right led up, but they kept moving forward. They found an office, a storage room, and a bathroom before they finally opened the door to the main space.
Branna bounced forward and behind the bar. Sean played his light across the bar top and she reached forward to run her hands over it. The wood was probably as old as the building and had been polished hundreds of times over the years. The grains shone through the worn wood. “This is absolutely stunning.”
Sean chuckled. “Sure is. The bartop is nice, too.”
Branna shook her head, but she was smiling. This man knew exactly how to cheer her up. And to distract her from the threat hanging over her head.
“Troy said there are blinds on the front windows, so I’m going to turn on the lights.”
“Won’t that mess with the secret mission?”
He laughed again. “Troy’s car is out back. No one is going to think anything of the lights being on.”
But he’d made it into a fun mission for her. Once he flipped on the lights, she got another look at the bar. It was even better in the light. She ran her hands over the polished finish, and memories of her pub consumed her. But they had her smiling. “Dad would have loved this bar top.”
Sean nodded and popped onto a stool facing her. “I think you’re right. And he would have made up a ridiculous story about how the wee folk had conjured it up for some ancestor or another.”
“I love that.” And maybe she could make up a similar story. “Maybe the wee folk had met with some foreign friends on a faerie raft at one of their festivals. They taught them the magic of creating a bar that would lighten the load of those travelers who were lucky enough to pull themselves up to it for a pint.”
She mimed passing Sean a drink, and he bowed his thanks. “Thanks me wee lassie.” Branna laughed at his terrible accent and curtsied.
After Sean mimed taking a drink, he gestured to where she stood. “What do you think? What kind of shape is it in back there?”
A quick glance showed it wasn’t bad at all. Space beneath the bar for small refrigerators and sinks. Even enough for a commercial dishwasher if they wanted one out front as well as in the kitchen. The shelves behind the bar were in front of an enormous mirror. “Just like all the westerns I’ve ever seen.”
She met Sean’s eyes in the mirror. “Thank you for bringing me on this mission. I’m loving it.”
“Loving it enough to consider running it? Moving here permanently?”
She leaned back against the bar and maintained eye contact in the mirror. “That depends.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “On what?”
“A couple of things.”
When she didn’t continue, he gestured for more.
Smiling, she turned around. “It depends on me figuring out my insurance money. It depends on if Prince Hawley gets his ass tossed in jail.”
Sean nodded. “Anything else?”
“The most important thing of all. It depends on you. Are you going to stay in Phail?”
He grinned at her. “Looks like we’re building ourselves a saloon.” Then he leaned over the bar to kiss her.