Page 22 of Caught in the Crossfire

Her sister’s smile faded. “He won’t let anything happen to you. Neither will Trent and Linc. You’re in good hands.” Grace handed Nicole the clothes and closed the door on her way out of the room.

Nearing the end of her strength, Nicole hurried to change clothes and open the door. She left the lamp on dim, climbed on the bed, and tugged the quilt over her legs.

When Mason returned to the room, he left the door to the hall open and moved a chair to her bedside.

“The bed’s large. You could stretch out beside me.”

A slow smile curved his lips. “No, baby, I couldn’t. In two months and six days, I’ll take you up on your offer.” He sat, turned off the lamp, and threaded his fingers through Nicole’s. “Sleep. I’ll be right here.”

Between one heartbeat and the next, Nicole dropped into the oblivion of sleep.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Dawn threw off the covers and sat up, frustrated by her inability to slow her mind enough to sleep. If nothing changed, she wouldn’t be much help to Nicole in the morning. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw that masked man barreling toward her.

More tea, she decided. That was her only option unless she could find a book with a plot that moved at a snail’s pace. Maybe a slow movie if she wouldn’t disturb whoever was on night watch at the moment. Would it be Trent, Mason, or Linc?

What did it matter? The point was safety. Besides, Lincoln Creed was the bachelor of choice for every woman in town. How could she hope to compete with all of them? She couldn’t let herself take his care and concern over the past few hours to heart no matter how much she was tempted.

Dawn slid her feet back into her running shoes, mentally thanking Grace for her foresight in providing workout gear to sleep in. She walked into the hall and glanced toward Nicole’s room. No light. Hopefully, her friend was asleep. She suspected Mason was somewhere close.

Maybe one day, she’d be lucky enough to have a man as devoted to her as Mason was to Nicole.

She walked toward the living room and pulled up short when Linc turned from the window to look at her, concern growing in his eyes.

“You okay?” he asked, voice soft.

Why did he have to be the one on duty now? Dawn couldn’t deny that familiar tug of attraction. So much for lulling herself to sleep on the couch. Wouldn’t be happening with this man so close. “I can’t sleep. I planned to make tea and hunt for a nice, slow book to read. Any chance Trent has an ancient history book I can borrow for the night?” That ought to be dry enough to bore her to sleep.

“Are you in pain or is your brain replaying the events at Riva’s?”

Smart man. “Second option.”

“The instant replay is your brain’s way of coping with trauma. Your subconscious is searching for different options that were available to change the outcome. There aren’t any.”

His simple statement eased her discomfort enough for her to take her first deep breath since this nightmare began. How did Linc know just what to say?

He moved away from the window. “Come on. I’ll walk with you to the kitchen. I need to check the back of the house anyway and refill my coffee mug.”

“Since you’re awake at this time of night, you must have drawn the short straw.”

Linc glanced at her, eyebrow raised. “Short straw?”

“The first watch.”

“I volunteered.”

“Why?” She wouldn’t have wanted to stay up half the night, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Riva’s killer must be long gone by now. A shiver raced down her body. The killer had to be a transient. Otter Creek was a safe town, one full of highly skilled men and women trained to protect. Linc was a prime example.

He lifted the carafe from the coffeemaker and poured more of the steaming liquid into his mug. “Giving up a few hours of sleep is nothing I haven’t done many times over the years. I have a hard time sleeping some nights. More important, I wanted to know that you were safe. The only way I’ll be sure of that is to watch over you myself.”

She stared. “Mason and Trent are in the house. My safety isn’t solely your responsibility.” Is that all he felt for her? A sense of responsibility? A wave of disappointment washed over her.

Linc glanced over his shoulder. “Trent’s priority is Grace. Mason is focused on Nicole. My priority is you. Believe me, it’s not a hardship on my part. I would gladly do that and more to keep you safe.”

Her heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t mean that the way it sounded. Could he?

The instructor drank a few sips of his coffee and set the mug on the counter. “I’m going outside to make sure everything is still secure. I’ll be back in ten minutes. Make your tea and go curl up on the couch. You can keep me company while I’m on watch.”

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