Page 23 of Hannah's Truth

“He’ll stay with his mom until we’re clear,” he said, feeling defensive. “It was my first call after notifying the sheriff’s office about Tim.”

She nodded, clearly relieved. “Good.”

“I know how to protect my kid.”

“Of course you do. You’re a great dad.” Hannah gazed up into Bart’s brown eyes, shadowed by that dark scowl, and wondered why her concern for his son offended him. “I don’t want my problems to complicate your time with him.”

Her problems. What an understatement. She resisted the urge to lay a hand on her belly. Who knew what would happen when he found out she was pregnant? She had the perfect opportunity to tell him a moment ago, but she hadn’t been able to get the words out when her throat was choked with tears and sorrow for Krystal.

Hopefully her unpredictable emotions would even out once she’d told Bart everything. But not now. It couldn’t be now. They had to focus on the case and judging by his reaction over her witness, he’d ship her off to the moon before allowing her to help if he knew she carried his baby.

Not that she blamed him. It was instinct, and she understood it. She didn’t want to take unnecessary risks either, but the cartel wouldn’t back off until they were forced to back off.

And Tim might be their best hope for a lead if, like Maria had suggested, he’d been tracking something that related to the cartel.

Based on the condition of his body and that gang tag on the dumpster, she knew he was tied in somehow.

Bart shifted closer to the shower head and reached for the waistband of his boxers. “If you don’t mind, I really do want to clean up.”

“Sure. Right.” She had to drag her mind away from the tempting prospect of watching him bathe. She hadn’t missed his aroused state when they’d been talking. Or when he’d held her. Clearly, it wasn’t personal, just a natural reaction to a nearly naked woman. Not that she wanted personal.

“I’ll go find a towel.”

Quickly she stepped out onto the bath mat before she did something stupid and acted on the desire pooling low in her belly. Behind her she heard the wet slap of fabric as his shorts hit the floor of the tub and she could all too easily picture him nude under the spray of hot water.

She trembled, but it had nothing to do with being cold. On the contrary, she felt damn near feverish.

She peeled off her wet bra and panties and, desperate to put more distance between them, she grabbed the small hand towel and blotted her skin dry.

In the bedroom, she rooted through her duffel and dressed quickly so he wouldn’t catch her naked. It wasn’t the first time she’d been attracted to a man who hadn’t been equally attracted to her, but experience never made this kind of situation easier.

She heard the water shut off as she hurried into dry lingerie and she was tucking her t-shirt into her jeans when he opened the bathroom door.

“You okay?”

She picked up her thirty-eight revolver and checked the load, anything to keep from making eye contact. “I’m great.” She hoped that sounded more like a satisfied wife than a nervous imposter. In either case, it was true, she realized. The morning sickness had faded and telling Bart about Krystal seemed to relieve a measure of the guilt and stress she’d been carrying since the cartel had attacked them.

“Did you decide where we’re going?”

“Would it be okay if we had dinner down in Richmond?”

She risked eye contact and found him grinning at her. Good, he understood she was trying to manipulate whoever was listening in. She wanted them to believe they would have time to search the apartment, or make a move on the supply line.

In reality she had a completely different destination in mind, but they could discuss it on the way.

Chapter 6

Haleswood, South Carolina

Eva Battaglia swiveled in her chair as she waited for Ross, founder of Cypress Security, to show up with their friend and third business partner, Rick.

They’d been tasked with finding some common ground in a string of inexplicable ATM robberies in Greenville, South Carolina and she thought she had that about sewn up. At least enough to send Rick out to ask a few questions and verify her theory.

But the call from Hannah, combined with the news report about a murder at the Virginia truck stop owned by their friend Bart, had just leaped to the top of their case load.

The stairwell door at the end of the hallway banged closed. The Cypress Security was the only business on the third floor of the Haleswood court house, so whoever wandered up here had but one destination.

During the remodeling required after a sniper had attacked her office before Christmas, someone asked her if she wantedthat stupid hinge replaced, but she declined. The noise was almost a comfort now, giving her ample warning when someone was approaching.

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