Page 31 of Silent Comrade
“What?”
“You’ll need to stay in a safe house for awhile.”
“Like, overnight.”
“Lay low for a few weeks. Maybe more.”
City lights moving past cast her face inshadow and illumination, light and dark. “Then, no.”
“No?”Nowasn’t an option. Did shenot remember the recent beating and near-death experience? Hell, hehadn’t even fully checked her for additional injuries. Great job ofprotector. As ineffective as when he was a kid in foster caretrying to watch over the other kids in that house. Damn it. Herubbed his fingers through his short hair, the beanie long lostback in that store. He had to convince her of his plan.
With luck, his teammates would arrive in afew hours for cleanup.
By “cleanup,” he meant getting rid of anyevidence that he and Britt had ever been in that store. Getting ridof Lequire’s goons if either one remained. Hopefully after hisbuddies painfully extracted useful information from thosebastards.
“Uh, you’re doing the steering wheel thingagain.”
She was one to talk, gripping the doorhandle like a lifeline. He kept his mouth shut.
“You can’t go about your regularactivities,” he said.
“No can do.” The lift of her jaw made hisheart sink. As he opened his mouth to rebut her, she held up herhand. “Okay, I totally get the danger piece. I do. And, I guess,thank you for doing a job that I didn’t know needed to bedone.”
He bit back aharrumph.
She continued. “Here’s the situation. I havea few more weeks of school left. Heck, I have a senior project thatneeds to be finished. Soon.”
“Project?”
“My fashion collection.”
Of course he knew that. “With other peoplethere?”
“That’s the idea. It’s a public fashionshow. Big names in regional fashion—sometimes even national names—attend the SCAD show each spring. Many students havegotten their internships based on their collections.”
“You can’t do a public show!” he barked. Noway could he provide enough security.
“Watch me.”
It took an act of willpower to finallyunclench his teeth so words could escape. “You don’t get it.”
“Yes, I do.” She let go of the door andscrubbed her face with both hands. “But you don’t understand howlong and hard I’ve worked to complete my degree. What I promisedMom before she…” Her voice wavered, and somehow he stopped himselffrom reaching over to her. “You know how I mentioned about taking awhile to finish college? Well, there’s more to it than that. I’vekind of drifted through my life so far. Mom and Brady’s deathsthrew me off course. I had to get some treatment.” She waved herfingers toward her face. “But even with treatment, I’m adisappointment to my dad. A loser compared to my sisters.” Sheraised an index finger when he opened his mouth. “Hold on. Listen.This degree is the one thing I’ve aimed for, stuck with, and havehad any success doing. Before Mom died, her wish was for me tofinish college. I won’t stop now.”
“You could start again next year.”Alive.
“You don’t get it. I need this. Finally. Forher memory. And for me.”
“You’re not a loser.” How could anyone thinkthat of this vibrant, energetic woman?
“I want them to be proud of me. I want tohonor Mom. I want the satisfaction of completing this goal, despitea lot of barriers. I have to stand on my own two feet and becomesuccessful. It starts with this step.” She paused, her swallowprickling the skin over his scalp. If he didn’t have extraordinaryhearing, he might have missed the next words. “I have to be worthsomething.”
Well, shit. He understood her line ofreasoning. His entire childhood, validation was all he wanted fromthe rotation of foster homes. To be thought of as someone withvalue. Still, her safety was the highest priority. “First of all,you are worth something. More than something. You have value forbeing you, no matter what the degree is. Second, you won’t be safeliving out in the open.”
“You’ll be around, right?”
“Well. Yes.”
“You’re a specialist in protection.”
