Page 26 of The Veteran
“I guess so. But you’ll have to do everything I tell you without question.”
“I will.” I met his eyes so he’d see I took him seriously. “I promise. Anything, as long as I can have fresh air and room to move. I feel so cramped here.”
He shook his head with exasperation. “How did you survive in witness protection?”
“They had me staying in the middle of nowhere. I could go for long walks and it was fine.”
“But your marshal came with you.”
“Yeah.” I felt a stab of grief at the reminder of Craig, the good-natured man who’d watched over me right up until someone killed him for it. We hadn’t been close, but I’d liked him. He’d been kind to me, and he’d clearly loved his wife and children. He’d spent hours telling me stories about them. Then, because of me, he’d never gotten to see them again.
“Hey.” Kade touched my arm. “Where did you go?”
I forced myself to meet his eyes. “Sorry, just had a bit of a flashback.”
His dark eyes searched mine. “You okay?”
My heart squeezed. “As good as ever. But you know what? You’re right. Let’s stay here.” I didn’t want him to get hurt just because I felt restless. “It’s fine.”
“No,” he said thoughtfully. “We can walk down to the main street. If Sean follows from a distance, he should notice if anyone else has eyes on us. It would be good to know for sure.”
“But…” Images of Craig’s lifeless body flashed through my mind. His blood had squelched between my fingers as I’d tried to revive him. I shivered. I didn’t want that to be Kade. Right now, I felt like I was pushing him into making a bad decision.
“Come on.” Kade slid an arm around my shoulders. “Go put your hair up and dress in something you usually wouldn’t wear. I’ll talk it over with Sean and we’ll see what we can do.”
“Are you sure?” I gazed up at him. “I didn’t mean to be pushy.”
“I’m sure.” He brushed a kiss over my forehead, then let me go and gave me a little shove toward the door. “Go.”
I hurried out and went to my makeshift bedroom, determined to follow his instructions to a T. I’d do my best to make sure nobody would recognize me. Thankfully, I had the kind of coloring and body shape that wasn’t distinctive. A little short, a bit on the curvy side, brown hair and brown eyes. The only unusual thing about me was the length of my hair. I grabbed several scrunchies and gathered it into a loose bun at the back of my head. All anyone would be able to tell now was that my hair was long enough to be tied back. I went through the clothing we’d bought, realizing with a sinking stomach that it was all stuff I’d usually wear. Because of course it was. I’d bought it, after all. I opted for a nondescript pair of jeans and white tank top, which were plain enough that hopefully no one would give me a second glance.
When I entered the living room, Kade and Sean were talking near the doorway. Kade was still in jeans and a t-shirt, and Sean was wearing a sports jacket that I guessed was bulky enough to hide whatever heat he was packing underneath.
Kade was holding a gun, and as I approached, he turned the muzzle toward the floor and offered it to me. “Take this.”
Reluctantly, I tucked the weapon into my purse. “Thanks.”
“I hope you know how to use it.”
“I do,” I assured him. “I might not be a crack shot like you, but I can get by.” I’d spent hours practicing at the range after our apartment had been broken into last year.
“Then we’re good to go,” Kade said. “Sean will leave first and scout up ahead, then he’ll give us a chance to catch up and he’ll trail behind to make sure no one else is following us.”
I hesitated. “Are you sure it’s safe?”
“No,” he admitted. “But it will be a good test, and between the two of us, we’ll make sure you’re okay.”
Fear wormed into my chest. Why had I even suggested this in the first place? I didn’t want them getting hurt. I’d just been blinded by cabin fever.
“Maybe we should stay.”
Kade came over to me and touched my shoulder. “Everything will be okay. Besides, you’re not the only one who’d like to get out of the house.”
“All right.” That acknowledgment eased some of my niggling anxiety. If Kade wanted to leave too, then I wasn’t being completely selfish. “Thanks.”
He held my gaze for a heated moment, and I wondered if he might kiss me again, then he pulled away and headed back to Sean. The other man winked at me over Kade’s shoulder, and I smiled in return. They were both such good guys.
Sean vanished through the back door. I made to follow him, but Kade gestured for me to wait. A couple of minutes later, his phone buzzed, and he guided me through the door and locked it behind us. He stayed close to me as we walked around the cottage and onto the street. He was a hulking form at my side, his massive arm brushing mine every few steps. I felt positively tiny beside him.