Page 35 of Last Chance

“Simone and I are engaged, but she’ll be fine with a phone call or video chat with me and our dog, Goose.”

“Goose?” She smiled.

“He’s a toy poodle. His name is almost bigger than he is.”

“Smart, though,” Sawyer said. “I’m training him to be a watchdog.”

Janie’s eyebrows rose. “Seriously?”

“Don’t underestimate him. He’s a smart little dog. Goose has great instincts.”

Jesse chuckled. “We’ll introduce you to him, Janie.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Let’s go.” Brody turned toward his SUV. “I’ll follow you to the safe house, Sawyer. The rest of you go on home and get some rest. Sawyer will send the watch rotation in a few hours.”

“Copy that.”

In less than a minute, the rest of the team had driven away from the garage while Sawyer was helping Janie into his vehicle. He circled the hood and climbed behind the wheel. Soon, he turned onto Harding Place and headed for the Interstate. Time to get Janie behind closed doors and let her regroup.

While she rested, Sawyer had some Internet searching to do.

CHAPTER 10

JANIE OPENED HER eyes and stared at the unfamiliar room. Where was she? A beat later, she relaxed. Of course. The safe house. She felt as though the precaution was overkill. What if it wasn’t, though? She still didn’t believe this Vatos Locos gang wanted her bad enough to come after her in Hartman.

That reminded her of David. She didn’t believe her own brother was responsible for her experience with the hijackers. Something else was going on here, but what?

Janie shoved aside the sheet and quilt. No matter what was happening, she wouldn’t solve the problem by staying in bed. Besides, she had employees to check on, stock to make, and an appointment with Ian McGregor to create a picture of her missing fellow traveler. If he was an innocent victim, she hoped nothing bad had happened to him.

After a quick shower, Janie dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen. Sawyer was reading something on his phone and sipping coffee.

He glanced up and smiled. “Morning, beautiful. How do you feel?”

Beautiful? Wow. This guy was a charmer. “Better than yesterday. I’m ready to go back to work and help. If you feel it’s too dangerous for me to be at the shop during working hours, maybe I can make some of the stock at the shop early in the morning or perhaps at the safe house. I always have extra ingredients in case I want to experiment with scents and textures at home.”

“That’s an excellent idea. You can still help but not be in public sight. Can your employees handle the shop if you help supply stock?”

“It will certainly make things easier for them.”

“It’s an excellent compromise, Janie. Thanks for working with me.”

“I don’t want you or your teammates at risk, Sawyer.”

“No way around that. We’re well trained. For your safety and protection, do exactly what we say, and we’ll all have a better chance of escaping a dangerous situation with a minimum of injuries.”

“You can count on it. I owe you for saving my life in Mexico.”

“This isn’t about balancing the scales. I want you safe. That’s my priority.”

And she wanted the same for him. Over the past day or so, Sawyer meant something to her. Perhaps the feeling was gratitude. She didn’t think so, though. “Thank you.”

He inclined his head, then handed her a mug. “Chamomile and honey tea.”

Janie breathed deep and sighed. “This smells wonderful.” She sipped. “The tea tastes as good as it smells.”

“Hungry?”

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