Page 73 of Colton First Responder (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

Savannah continued to crouch on the dirt behind the bushes. The best part was that they were thick and concealing. There were uneven rows of them in this area. A good place to hide.

She was so glad Grayson was okay. The sounds she had heard after calling him had been scary. Had the person who’d been after him, presumably Schuyler, hit his car?

She wished he had told her more, but he’d promised to do so soon. And she had come to believe Grayson’s promises. She would see him in a little while. He’d said so.

And she couldn’t wait. Wisely or not, she had come to really care for him.

To love him.

It was late in the day now, but fortunately there was still enough light for her to see the bunker’s opening.

She had certainly intended to hurt Zane, and the fact she had knocked him out was a good thing, even though she couldn’t have been certain of that outcome. She just hoped she hadn’t killed him. Wouldn’t that be ironic under the circumstances?

The good thing was that she would have proof he had remained alive, at least until now. And that he had conspired to frame her for his murder.

Time seemed to pass so slowly as she waited there. No indication that Zane was leaving, at least, unless he had found some exit she didn’t know about. Through the mine somehow? And what direction would Grayson come from?

How long would it take him to get here—

There! She saw movement from the edges of the dirt road. Two people, walking.

Fortunately, one of them—the one walking behind—was Grayson, not wearing a shirt. Savannah couldn’t help staring at his sexy body, even in these stressful circumstances. But she quickly brought herself back to reality.

The man in front was Schuyler Wells, the guy who’d claimed to be Savannah’s lover as part of the attempt to frame her. As she’d believed, he must have been the one who’d gone after Grayson and the recorder.

The one who’d apparently caused Grayson to be in an accident. At least Grayson appeared okay. He walked normally, and she saw no blood on him.

She just observed his gorgeous, carved chest...

And Schuyler appeared to have his hands tied behind his back as he moved slowly forward, prodded by Grayson.

She wanted to scream out in happiness and relief and run toward them, but she didn’t. She would wait until they had entered the bunker, keeping watch out here in case Zane had somehow escaped another way, but then join them inside.

And so she waited—and good thing that she did. Sure enough, Zane appeared at the opening to the bunker. As far as she knew, she had his only weapon.

Grayson apparently saw him too, and stopped. “Hey, Zane. Good to see you,” he called.

“Not good to see you,” Zane called back. His voice sounded a bit fuzzy, and he wasn’t moving fast, either—possibly as a result of his injuries from the bookcase.

Or, possibly, he was faking it to put Grayson off guard as he approached.

In case it was the latter, Savannah moved away from her hiding place and out into the open—holding Zane’s gun and aiming it at him.

“Hi, Grayson,” Savannah said, glancing in his direction but looking back immediately. “Should we go inside the bunker now, or somewhere else?”

“The bunker will do. I’ve got some rope there and you can help me tie both these guys up. I’ve got Schuyler secured, but that would work better.”

“Damn you,” Zane cried. “I’m not going back in there. And you’re not going to tie me up like some stupid animal you’ve captured.”

“Oh, is that what you are?” Savannah couldn’t help asking. She basked for a few seconds in Grayson’s smile. “Anyway, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. And if Grayson wants you inside the bunker, that’s where we’ll go.”

“Actually,” Grayson said, “we can hang out in the entry area.” He had his gun in his hand, and now he aimed it at Zane, too. “Looks like our buddy Zane is the bigger flight risk at the moment, and I’ve got control over Schuyler. Let’s go into the entryway, then I’ll tell you when to go inside for the rope, Savannah, and where it is.”

Which made her feel wonderful. She’d started to fear that maybe things weren’t over after all.

But now she had reason again to believe they were. Or could be.

And she could only hope that the future became as wonderful for her, with Grayson, as she now desired to have.

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