Page 28 of Echoes in the Night

Stuffing the last bite in my mouth, I grin, “You did all the cooking, go put your feet up and read while I do the dishes.”

“Do you have any romances in your collection?”

“Look on the bottom shelf next to the door.”

“Really?”

“Not sure if they’re your style, but Gramps read everything.”

Dishes done, I find her on the loveseat engrossed in a book. I drop into my chair. “You found something?”

“He’s got like twenty. Older publications but I recognize this one as really popular in its time.”

“We’ll get you more.”

She smiles at me, then cocks her head to the side. “Jax, is something wrong? The look on your face is worried.”

“Come sit on my lap.”

She does, straddling my hips. I take one of her hands in mine and kiss it before telling her what I’ve learned. “When I found you my satellite phone was already sketchy due to the weather. When I got a signal, I texted Clay that I’d found you and your name was Maura knowing it could be days before he got it.

“The only Maura he knew was you. He went to your father and told him that I’d found you and you were alive. He claimed you’d been despondent and disappeared. And that he’d gotten a call that your car was found down by the river. Clay went withhim and they found your car with your belongings and a suicide note.

“Your father knows who I am. He and Gramps had a few…conflicting business deals over the years. He’s never been to the cabin, but he would have a rough idea where it is. The main roads will be cleared by the county tomorrow and he told Clay he was coming to get you.

“He can’t get to my property since I clear the private road to this cabin. Also, my place is secluded, and he wouldn’t know exactly how to get here. I don’t have markers on the main road.

“Second, I don’t believe he’ll be the one to come. He’ll make sure he’s well seen in town all day tomorrow and he’ll send his killer to make it look like I killed you and then myself.”

She gasps and clutches my shirt. “No. No that can’t happen. Can you take me to town now?”

“Hush, babe. Neither of those things are going to happen. I have my own security. I’ll keep you safe.”

She tries to give me a shake. “I needyouto be safe!”

“Babe, I need you to trust that I know what I’m doing. If you don’t, one of us could be hurt. I couldn’t live if anything were to happen to you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, but…”

“No buts, trust me. My guess, the killer will come up the mountain tonight on a snowmobile from the general location of where he left you before. He’ll have a heat detector to locate the cabin and finish the rest of the distance on foot.

“The wild card is how much he knows about me personally. I’m an army ranger. That alone will tell him something. I have my sensors in place to give me warning. But I need you to hide when I tell you. And stay hidden until I or Clay come to get you. If you don’t things could go south quickly. Can you promise me?”

“I want to have your back.”

“After you get some training. But not tonight.

“You need to know, I’ll kill this guy in a heartbeat if he gets anywhere near you. But I’d like to keep him alive to expose your father. It will make going after your dad easier and cleaner. Too much points to this being his plan.”

“I’ll do whatever you ask, but damn you, if you get hurt, I’ll…..I’ll never forgive you.”

“Can we define hurt? There’s scratch hurt, and hospital hurt.”

She slaps my chest then pulls me in for a kiss. “I love you too, babe.”

I hide her under a mylar blanket in the secret room once one of my sensors let me know there’s been a breach in my security. The heated rocks under the bedding next to me should fool the intruder enough to have him approach the door. Once I hear him on the porch, I roll from the bed. He fires through the window alerting me he’s wearing infrared goggles then slams through the unlocked door.

I hit the light panel, blinding him. I take my own shot, hitting him in the upper arm of his gun hand. He drops his sidearm and goes to pull another with his other hand. I get to him first. Slamming my fist in his face, I break his nose with a satisfying crunch. Then get him in a choke hold till he passes out. I have him hogtied before he regains consciousness.

---