Page 67 of Line of Resistance

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“HEY.”

Nate jerked awake, body jolting as his eyes flew open.

Reggie’s wrinkled face hovered inches from his, looking ominous in the moonlight. She squinted down at him, lips pressing into a frown. “Want to tell me why there’s twenty strange men surrounding my cabin?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

ELOISE

SHE KNEW SOMETHING bad was happening before she even opened her eyes. The second Nate’s whole body tensed beside her it was clear they needed to start moving.

Eloise flung back the covers and jumped out of bed, going straight for the pile of stuff in the corner of the room. She had her coat on and was shoving one hand into a glove by the time Nate reached her. He rested both hands on her shoulders, leaning down so their eyes were in line. “Stay in the house.”

Reggie leaned around him, looking Eloise up and down. “She sure doesn’t waste any time, does she?”

The corners of Nate’s mouth twitched in a hint of a smile. “No she does not.” He leaned in, kissing her on the forehead the same way he had the night before. It was achingly sweet and threatened her resolve to keep his previous disappearing acts at the front of her mind. He leaned back, focus moving between her and Reggie. “I want you both to keep getting ready but donotcome outside until I come back and tell you it’s safe.”

“I’m not agreeing to that,” Reggie scoffed. “What if you don’t come back?”

“He’s coming back.” Eloise said it because she needed to hear it. Needed to believe Nate would absolutely be perfectly fine.

Reggie lifted her brows. “You sure about that?”

Was she? Not just in this moment, but outside of it.

Eloise lifted her eyes to Nate’s face, looking for the same thing she’d been seeking since fate landed them together. But, like every other time, what she wanted wasn’t blatant or obvious. There were no guarantees in life and there were no guarantees Nate wouldn’t disappear the second they got back home, just as he had before.

Believing things would change—thathewould change—took a leap of faith, and she’d never been great at those. Not when making friends and certainly not when it came to men. But if she expected Nate to change, she probably had to do the same.

Eloise nodded. “I’m sure.”

Nate’s hand came to the back of her skull, pulling her in for a kiss that almost made her forget the danger lurking outside. She sagged against him, holding on tight, hoping everything would be okay.

“Are you just gonna stand here and make out with her or are you gonna go figure out who in the hell is out there?”

Eloise opened her eyes, rolling them to the side to find Reggie staring at them, hands on her hips.

Nate claimed another, more chaste kiss before releasing her. “Pack everything up and be ready.”

She nodded, watching as he raced to dress, putting on only the most dangerous of his weapons before sliding out into the snow.

Reggie turned to her the second he was out the door. “You want a gun?”

Eloise met the older woman’s eyes and nodded. “Yes, I do.”

Within minutes they were both fully dressed and fully armed, each with a packed bag loaded on their back and a weapon clutched in their hands.

Eloise tested the weight of the single barrel shotgun Reggie had given her. “What’s this loaded with?”

“Buckshot.” Reggie braced her own shotgun across her chest. “Wasn’t sure how gooda aim you had. Wanted to give you the best chance at actually hitting something.”

Eloise snorted out a laugh in spite of the situation. “Your faith in me is humbling.”

She’d spent years pretending to be sweet and feminine and the kind of girl who was more comfortable in heels and skirts than she was in jeans and hiking boots. Up until recently, she felt like all of it was fake. Like no one even came close to knowing the real her. But that wasn’t true.

She did actually like dresses and heels. She was just also happy in hiking boots with a loaded gun.

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