Chapter 71
Dom held her there, on the couch, all night. He’d thought about carrying her to the back of the house and tucking her into the bed in the master. But he didn’t want to disturb her while she was actually sleeping.
And he had a lot to think about. He didn’t know what to do next.
He couldn’t let her go. And if they went forward, what did he have to offer her?
A plain apartment he was rarely at? Him working longer and longer hours for the TSP every damned year?
He was cranky, moody, consumed with whatever was going on in his head at any one time, he knew himself well. His ex had hammered it home, too.
He wasn’t exactly the kind of man a woman stuck with long term. At least not a decent woman anyway.
All he knew was no one on the planet had ever mattered to him more than the woman he was holding. Dom didn’t have a clue what he was going to do about her now.
If he screwed this up any more than he had, it would mess up everything he valued in this world.
She shifted in his arm. Dom pulled her close.
They’d dressed after they’d finished. He hadn’t wanted to be caught off guard, just in case.
He hadn’t slept much, just dozed. He hadn’t lost sight of the fact that they’d basically committed a crime even by being here.
That was something he’d have to square up with the Colesons.
He’d replace the packages of snack crackers and jar of peanut butter they’d found in the cabinet later.
The house had shown signs of relatively recent occupancy and repair work.
Madison had said the man was getting the house ready to list or something.
It had just been damned convenient here. He knew she was afraid.
He would do his damnedest to protect her, going forward.
But when he got back to Finley Creek, it was time to find the bastards who had done this, in the first place. Dom was going hunting. Because those bastards had been a bit too close to her. And no one was going to hurt her ever again.
He heard a sound. An engine—a quiet one, but someone was out there.
He jerked from the couch, waking her. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear. “Quiet. Someone is out there.”
“What do we do?”
“You go upstairs. Hide in the attic. I’m going to see who it is.”
It was most likely the damned Oklahoma cops.
Someone had probably seen something they shouldn’t.
Now they were screwed. If the cops in this town turned them in—Dom couldn’t predict who the TSP would send to get them.
Or if they’d rot in an Oklahoma jail waiting for it to all be sorted out. And they’d be separated.
He wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Oh, no. Not happening. You are not shaking me that easily. You are my caveman now, and I am not letting you escape.”
They didn’t have time to argue. Besides, if they needed to run for her car—he wanted her where he could get to her. But…that would put her too damned close to whatever was about to happen. “Stay close to me. No matter what.”
He went to the window and looked out. No one was there. But he’d heard something. He was sure of it.
The sound of the door opening in the kitchen was all the validation he needed. He put his body between Madison’s and the kitchen door. They didn’t have time to get out now. Not before they were seen.
Confrontation was the only real option.
He tightened his grip on his service weapon but did not raise it. If it was the Oklahoma cops, that was the last thing he should do. He didn’t want to get caught on the wrong side of a “shoot and ask questions later” situation. Especially not with her stuck behind him.
The kitchen door swung open. A man stood there, half hidden in the shadow. The sun wasn’t fully up yet. It made it damned hard to identify the man standing there.
“Madison? Dr. McAlister? Are you okay?” the man asked. “Madison?”
But Dom didn’t miss the rather large gun in his hand.
“I’m armed.” Dom warned.
“I suspected as much. So we both are. But since this is my house, Acardi, I think I am the winner. Hang on. I’m turning on the hall light.” The man did just that. Heather’s brother-in-law stared right back at him. “So here you are.”
“Hello, Mr. Halson…I…can’t we put the guns away now, boys? So we can talk for a minute?”
“I can do that.” Halson holstered his weapon, apparently perfectly relaxed to find them in his house.
“I really hate using this thing now. I far prefer a calculator actually. Madison, I am not sure why you are here. Detective, you were reported missing four hours ago. You were—not her. Major Crimes is apparently in an uproar—since your truck was found six hours ago and it took them too long to notify the chief and your teammates instead of immediately. Daniel was getting more heated than he probably should have—Samia had to calm him down. Bodily. Dr. Lake wasn’t too happy with that.
I put it together when the neighbor called and told me he’d seen a car behind my barn when he was walking his dog.
I recognized the license plate number—and figured I’d drive up here to see… just in case.”
“You know my plate number?”
“Yes. I tend to…remember…numbers. Considering. Are you both okay?”
“Dom was hurt and he was out for a while. I tried to take him to the ERs in Finley Creek, but there were TSP everywhere there and I just didn’t trust them.
So I started driving. Hope told me about…
here. And that you just had to take the first left outside of town and keep driving.
So I did. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to break in, I just… somehow ended up here.”
“This house has always been here for those who needed it. I am glad you are both safe,” Halson said. “Let me guess—the end window on the front porch? Every time I fixed that, Hope would find another way to get into it. It was some sort of challenge for that kid.”
“Yes. I fit. We didn’t break anything, though.”
“Even if you had, it wouldn’t have mattered. Like I said, I am just glad you are safe.”
Dom cataloged the way the man moved. He strongly suspected that Halson could get in and out of places undetected without a problem.
Just like Miguel Rodriguez. Miguel—who had spent a lot of time in the military special forces.
Though Miguel never talked about exactly what he had done those six years he was in.
This guy was a very dangerous man. Dom was going to keep digging until he found out why. “We need to figure out what we need to do next. I can’t just drive her car back into Finley Creek. I’m sure someone has figured out that we are together. Do you know what they are saying?”
“I was with McKellen when he got the report. From what they are saying…carjacking gone wrong. And there was no mention of her at all. Just an APB out on you. Details are very sketchy, from my understanding. Suspiciously so.”
“I need to get back. Before my mom freaks.”
“I got some things you can wear, Acardi. Grab a shower. Madison, there’s a bag of my daughter’s things in the girls’ bedroom. Maris came down with me last weekend to help paint. She’s about your size, just taller.”
“You go first, honey. I’m going to talk to Halson about what he’s heard from Dan. Go.”
Dom nudged her away.
“Just…no making plans without me. That is not going to happen. I suspect you’ll get in trouble that way.”