Page 17 of Montana Manhunt

“Find us a movie to watch and I’ll see if the kitchen’s still open. If not, I can get what we want at the all-night coffee shop across the street.” He crossed the living room to the breakfast bar and picked up the room service menu. “We’re in luck. The kitchen is open 24 hours a day. Want anything else besides hot chocolate?”

Comfort food, she thought. That’s what she needed. “Vanilla ice cream.”

He smiled. “Good idea.” Noah called the front desk and placed their order. “They’ll deliver in 20 minutes.” He sat beside Violet on the sofa. “What movie do you want to watch?”

Violet used the remote to start the movie and grinned when Noah chuckled.

“Really, babe? You want to watch Fast and Furious?”

“It’s fun and you can’t beat it to escape reality.”

“You’ll get no argument from me.” Noah drew Violet against his side and settled deeper into the sofa cushions as the movie played.

The longer he held her, the more muscles relaxed until she leaned heavily against him. At the twenty-minute mark, a soft knock sounded at the door.

Noah rose, palmed his weapon, and checked the peephole. “Room service,” he murmured, holstering his Sig. When he returned to the sofa a minute later, he handed Violet a bowl of ice cream and set her hot chocolate on the coffee table.

She polished off the ice cream first, then chased it down with the hot chocolate. Violet moaned at the first sip. “This is so good.”

“So is your coffee. It’s perfect.”

“Couldn’t go wrong by making it strong enough to walk by itself,” she teased.

“Guilty as charged, ma’am. We learned to drink it that way in the Sand Box.”

“Teagan and I learned to love it that way, too.” She yawned. “Sorry. It’s not the company.”

“You need to sleep, Violet.”

“I’m afraid to,” she admitted, voice soft.

“You can’t stay awake for the duration of our investigation. In fact, you won’t be much help in the search for the killer if you’re sleep deprived.” Noah cupped her chin in his palm and turned her face toward his. “How did you sleep on the jet?”

Her cheeks burned. “Better than I’ve slept in years.”

“No nightmares?”

“No.”

“Then sleep here on the sofa. I’m more than happy to serve as your pillow.”

“That’s not fair to you, Noah. You need rest, too.”

“I can sleep anywhere. Let me do this for you.”

The offer was so tempting that Violet couldn’t refuse. “All right, as long as you promise me you’ll wake me if you’re uncomfortable on the sofa. I can go to my room.” She’d survive.

“I promise.” Noah took the remote from her hands and turned down the movie to a soft murmur. “Let go for a little while. I’ll be here if you need me.”

“You’re too good to me, Noah.”

“No such thing. You’re worth everything.” He kissed her lightly, then encouraged her to lay her head on his chest. “Sleep now. I’ll wake you if there’s trouble.”

With fatigue weighing on her, Violet finally surrendered to the need for sleep. She curled up against Noah and let go.

CHAPTER FOUR

AFTER HE WASsure Violet was asleep, Noah called Zane Murphy, Fortress Security’s tech and communications guru.

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