Page 39 of Colton First Responder (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

“Sounds fair.” But now he was going to impose a condition she probably wouldn’t like at all—even though it was for her own sake. “The other thing I want you to promise is that, even after I buy the things you want, and you change your looks, I’ll want to give you the once-over before you leave here, to confirm that you really do look like someone else.”

“Fine, as long as you get here quickly after I notify you. I’ll just send you a text message that says ‘Done.’”

“Okay,” Grayson said. “That was the first condition. The second is that you don’t leave until I agree it’s the right time, and then only after you’ve told me where you’re going and how long you’ll be there—and I will also have to agree with that. Might even come with you.” He stared at her hard across the table. He recognized that was being pretty restrictive, but as a professional first responder he had a better sense of where she should or shouldn’t go.

“You’re awfully controlling, aren’t you?” Those amazingly attractive green eyes were hard and she was c

learly irritated.

“Yes,” he said in as jovial a tone as he could muster. “When it makes sense.” He hunkered down then, leaning across the table toward her. “And you can be sure that in this case it does. Do we have a deal?”

Savannah sucked in her lips and closed her eyes for an instant, obviously reining in her emotions and most likely her inclination to say no. She finally opened her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. “Do I have a choice?”

“No,” Grayson said.

“Well, under the circumstances, then I guess we have a deal.” She put her hand up, and he noticed the shortness of her plain fingernails, probably required while she was in prison. Did she usually wear polish?

“Good,” he said, standing and reaching for her hand to give it a businesslike shake. “I’ll get on my way now and let you know as soon as I can what happens with Ian—and also go on your shopping expedition as fast as I’m able.”

Her hand grasped his a bit more tightly than he’d anticipated, and didn’t let go immediately. “Thank you, Grayson,” she said in a soft voice. “I might not always agree with you, but you do seem to have my best interests in mind.”

“Yeah,” he said, pulled her closer around the table and gave her a quick hug before he left.

And as he walked out the door, now locked behind him and headed to his car, he wished he could do something to reassure Savannah that everything would be okay for her, and soon.

But first, he needed to do whatever was necessary to start believing that himself.

Chapter 12

Okay, now what? Savannah trusted Grayson. She had to.

But she had also trusted Ian Wright—and she’d had to do that, too.

She was outside the cabin now, walking around it in the open air as she had done with Grayson because she had to do something. Physically, at least. She didn’t want to just wait inside, playing with her phone like a kid.

Not at this moment.

Soon, Grayson and Ian would meet. Savannah had no doubt that Grayson would convince the attorney to see him—especially because of his plan to tell Ian he needed his guidance in tracking Savannah down.

If Ian was the horrible person she now feared he was, a cohort of Zane’s and Schuyler’s, he’d undoubtedly open his office door wide and invite Grayson in so they could discuss where in the world Savannah was likely to be now. He would be keen to find her, professionally or worse.

And Ian might use his lawyerly arguments to state why Savannah should turn herself in so she could go through the legal system as she should.

With Ian still representing her, of course.

Not.

In fact, what would she do now if she were caught again? Would the courts let her fire her current attorney? Probably. But then, who could she hire in his place who might actually help her?

She realized her pace had increased. She was now stomping her way around, possibly noisily, to help calm her inner thoughts—but she was instead igniting them further. If there was any wildlife around, any birds, she had to be scaring them off, even though a sighting of them might help to calm her. They represented ongoing life.

She looked around at the trees surrounding her, through their branches where she could, toward the blue April sky.

She was free now, despite the kinks in her ability to go places. She had to remain free.

Would Grayson actually bring her the disguise items she’d requested?

If so, would they work at all?

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