Page 53 of A Rebel's Shot

A chill ran down Merritt’s spine at Nolan’s words. Should she tell him about her suspicions surrounding her dad’s death? She had been so focused on uncovering the truth about the mine, on doing what was right, that she hadn’t fully let it sink in that she might share his fate.

But as much as she wanted Nolan’s comforting presence, she needed him to keep his focus where it needed to be. With Dr. Erikson’s help, she could sort through the research.

“I appreciate your concern, but you’re needed back at headquarters. You have to keep the rest of the company running while I deal with this.”

Nolan shook his head. “I can run the company just fine from wherever I am. I have years of experience dealing with these kinds of situations. I know how to navigate the politics. If we don’t approach this the rightway, instead of just setting us back, we’ll get closed down completely.”

Merritt hesitated, torn between her desire to handle things on her own and the undeniable sense of relief that came with having Nolan by her side. She knew that he was right. His knowledge and experience could be invaluable in the days ahead.

“Okay. We’ll go together.” She tapped on the desk. “But I need you to promise me something.”

Nolan leaned forward, his eyes locked on hers. “Anything.”

“Promise me that we’ll see this through to the end. That we won’t stop until we’ve uncovered the truth and made things right.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I promise, Merritt. I won’t stop until I’ve made this right.”

Gratitude and affection rushed through her for her uncle, the man who had always been there for her, even in her darkest moments. Telling Nolan was the right move. Why she ever doubted was beyond her.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Nolan’s jaw clenched, and he reached across the desk, his hand clasping hers. “You’ll never have to find out, pumpkin. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

She gathered her belongings, shoving Dr. Erikson’s reports back into her satchel. Nolan’s gaze lingered on her movements, then scanned the maps and reports scattered across her desk with a scowl.

The expression was fleeting, a momentaryflicker of upset that vanished as quickly as it had appeared, but it left her feeling unsettled.

She wasn’t the only one dealing with grief along with the trouble regarding the mine. Maybe being together would help them both work through their mourning and save their family’s legacy.

It definitely wouldn’t hurt to have her uncle close.

TWENTY-ONE

Tiikâan eyed the darkening sky as it rumbled and barreled toward the mine. He rolled his tight neck and rechecked the weather app. His head pounded and muscles ached from being on edge since Merritt told him the mess she was in.

All night and throughout the day, he’d waited for the boogeyman to jump out and attack. He couldn’t imagine the stress she’d been under dealing with the mine and a possible murderer.

Looking at the weather on his phone, he cringed. If they headed back within the next few minutes, they should beat the storm. Wind tugged at his hair. The scent of rain hung in the air. He shook his head and glanced at the black clouds. It’d be close.

Too close.

He walked around the plane one more time, triple-checking it, then climbed into the cockpit. As he meticulously finished his preflight checklist, he kept one eye on the horizon.

Doubt filled his chest like an overblown balloon, making it hard to breathe. Yet he’d been like that since the night before.

Was it simply his worry over Merritt flooding his system? He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and prayed for direction. His hands settled on the yoke, the familiar shape soothing, releasing some of the pressure building in him.

Opening his eyes, he took another look at the sky. He could make it. They might have to adjust their course to outmaneuver the storm, but he’d eluded countless storms. The only difference with this one was how precious the cargo was.

Merritt rushed toward the plane as her hair whipped around by a fierce gust. Nolan followed close behind her.

If it wasn’t for the meeting with their engineers back in Texas they couldn’t miss and the inconsistent internet at the mine all day, Tiikâan would push for them to just sleep in the bunkhouse. But Nolan had insisted the two of them couldn’t push this meeting off, not with everything going on.

Stroking the primer pump three times, Tiikâan turned the key and pushed in the throttle to open the throttle valve. As the engine caught, he adjusted the throttle to maintain a smooth idle and checked the oil pressure gauge and instruments to make sure everything was running right.

His eyes found Merritt, and she smiled and waved.

Tiikâan hated that Merritt was caught up in the tragedy and corporate race to save everything her fatherbuilt, especially since Tiikâan knew how little she wanted to do with it.

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