Page 9 of Rise (Rise & Fall Duet 1)

He snapped his fingers.

Muffy immediately sat statue still.

Lincoln withdrew his arm, and the agent fiddled in the back for a minute. I assumed he was securing Lincoln again. Then he returned to the driver’s seat, but not before giving me a threatening glare.

Eric threw his arms around Muffy’s body. The dog leaned into him as if he needed my brother’s comfort.

Through the tinted windshield, piercing eyes focused on me.

I shivered.

The man could command even the least obedient with only a look. Even when in the custody of a federal officer, Lincoln still ran the show.

If a trained agent couldn’t resist, who could?

Which was apparently why I was risking everything, including my good sense, pretending to look for car keys that were secured in my pocket.

Maybe Eric and I had stretched ourselves too thin lately. Yeah, I could blame that on the lack of my using my brain. Or maybe my heart was too soft when it came to Beau. She had on a tough front, but inside, she was freaking out. Teague too.

And I wanted to help them because they’d been there for us. Even if I didn’t like the jerk who would benefit most.

Another car rolled to a stop behind my van.

A dark, expensive model.

This one didn’t honk.

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