right?”
She
could tell, from the anxious resonance of his tone, that he would barge in if
she didn’t say anything. “I’m fine.”
She
thought she’d sounded okay, that she hadn’t given away her state of mind, but
evidently she was wrong.
“Please
don’t cry. I’m really sorry. Can I come in?”
She
couldn’t speak immediately. Then she sat up straight in bed when she saw the
door open.
Her
face worked desperately as she tried to hide her emotions from Michael, who
stood in the doorway of the room. “I said I’m okay,” she forced out.
He
walked over to the bed, his expression torn with some sort of strong feeling. No
trace of anything stoic or impassive now. “Shit, Claire. I’m so sorry. I
totally blew this whole thing. I never meant to hurt you.”
“It’s
okay.” She managed to compose her face and voice. “It’s not your fault. I’m really
fine. I can handle it if someone doesn’t want me.”
It
hurt though. Even just saying the words. It hurt so much her chest ached with
it.
She’d
thought for a short time that Michael might want her—know her—for who she
really was.
His
face twisted inexplicably. “You think I don’t want you?” He reached out and
took her face in both of his hands. “Claire, you have no idea how much—”
His
words were interrupted by the sound of a high-pitched blaring that filled the
whole cabin.
Without
hesitation, Michael regained his feet and ran out to the living area. Claire
stumbled after him. He’d already picked up his tablet and his gun when she
reached him.
“Someone’s
on the north side of the property,” he muttered, checking the screen of the
tablet. He’d shifted in just an instant into crisis mode, completely alert and
primed for action, his earlier emotional distraction forgotten.
Claire
couldn’t shift quite so quickly. Confused and disoriented, she hugged her arms
to her chest.
Pete
ran in through the front door of the cabin, his gun in his hand.
“Get
back in your room,” Michael ordered her curtly. “Call your dad and don’t hang
up with him until I get back.” He turned to Pete. “Stay with her. No one gets
in.”
When
she didn’t move fast enough, Michael pushed her back into the bedroom. Pete
took his position in the doorway, and then Michael disappeared out the front
door.
Claire
was shaking all over as she reached for her phone and dialed her dad. It was
late, but he must not have been asleep because he answered on the second ring.
“Hey,
is everything all right?”
“I
don’t know.” Her voice was wobbly.
Her
father’s voice changed immediately. “What’s going on?”
“There’s
someone on the property. Michael went to check it out.”
“But
Pete’s with you?”
“Yes,
Pete’s here with me.” She took an uneven breath, suddenly terrified about the
idea of Michael out there with a psychotic person. He was always meticulously
careful about her safety, but he might not be as vigilant about his own safety.
What
if something happened to him?
“Is
there something else?”
She
swallowed over a knot of fear. “No. I’m just scared. He’s out there all by
himself. What if—”
“No
one is as good at this sort of thing as Michael. You know that.”
“Yeah.”
“I
picked him out on purpose because he’s the best—so nothing would happen to
you.”
“I
know.” She lay on her side on the bed and curled up in a ball, the phone at her
ear. “But what about him?”
“He’ll
be fine. Everything will be fine.”
“Yeah.”
She
couldn’t seem to say anything else, and her father evidently understood. She
kept the phone to her ear as she waited, hearing nothing but her father’s soft
breathing.
She
wanted to go outside and look for Michael. She wanted to go out and help him.
But she wouldn’t dream of being so foolish. She didn’t have the skill to help
in any way and, if she tried, she would likely only get herself hurt. Or
killed.
Or
get Michael killed.
She
wasn’t sure what
She
could tell, from the anxious resonance of his tone, that he would barge in if
she didn’t say anything. “I’m fine.”
She
thought she’d sounded okay, that she hadn’t given away her state of mind, but
evidently she was wrong.
“Please
don’t cry. I’m really sorry. Can I come in?”
She
couldn’t speak immediately. Then she sat up straight in bed when she saw the
door open.
Her
face worked desperately as she tried to hide her emotions from Michael, who
stood in the doorway of the room. “I said I’m okay,” she forced out.
He
walked over to the bed, his expression torn with some sort of strong feeling. No
trace of anything stoic or impassive now. “Shit, Claire. I’m so sorry. I
totally blew this whole thing. I never meant to hurt you.”
“It’s
okay.” She managed to compose her face and voice. “It’s not your fault. I’m really
fine. I can handle it if someone doesn’t want me.”
It
hurt though. Even just saying the words. It hurt so much her chest ached with
it.
She’d
thought for a short time that Michael might want her—know her—for who she
really was.
His
face twisted inexplicably. “You think I don’t want you?” He reached out and
took her face in both of his hands. “Claire, you have no idea how much—”
His
words were interrupted by the sound of a high-pitched blaring that filled the
whole cabin.
Without
hesitation, Michael regained his feet and ran out to the living area. Claire
stumbled after him. He’d already picked up his tablet and his gun when she
reached him.
“Someone’s
on the north side of the property,” he muttered, checking the screen of the
tablet. He’d shifted in just an instant into crisis mode, completely alert and
primed for action, his earlier emotional distraction forgotten.
Claire
couldn’t shift quite so quickly. Confused and disoriented, she hugged her arms
to her chest.
Pete
ran in through the front door of the cabin, his gun in his hand.
“Get
back in your room,” Michael ordered her curtly. “Call your dad and don’t hang
up with him until I get back.” He turned to Pete. “Stay with her. No one gets
in.”
When
she didn’t move fast enough, Michael pushed her back into the bedroom. Pete
took his position in the doorway, and then Michael disappeared out the front
door.
Claire
was shaking all over as she reached for her phone and dialed her dad. It was
late, but he must not have been asleep because he answered on the second ring.
“Hey,
is everything all right?”
“I
don’t know.” Her voice was wobbly.
Her
father’s voice changed immediately. “What’s going on?”
“There’s
someone on the property. Michael went to check it out.”
“But
Pete’s with you?”
“Yes,
Pete’s here with me.” She took an uneven breath, suddenly terrified about the
idea of Michael out there with a psychotic person. He was always meticulously
careful about her safety, but he might not be as vigilant about his own safety.
What
if something happened to him?
“Is
there something else?”
She
swallowed over a knot of fear. “No. I’m just scared. He’s out there all by
himself. What if—”
“No
one is as good at this sort of thing as Michael. You know that.”
“Yeah.”
“I
picked him out on purpose because he’s the best—so nothing would happen to
you.”
“I
know.” She lay on her side on the bed and curled up in a ball, the phone at her
ear. “But what about him?”
“He’ll
be fine. Everything will be fine.”
“Yeah.”
She
couldn’t seem to say anything else, and her father evidently understood. She
kept the phone to her ear as she waited, hearing nothing but her father’s soft
breathing.
She
wanted to go outside and look for Michael. She wanted to go out and help him.
But she wouldn’t dream of being so foolish. She didn’t have the skill to help
in any way and, if she tried, she would likely only get herself hurt. Or
killed.
Or
get Michael killed.
She
wasn’t sure what
Similar Books
