Page 26 of Hidden Shadows
When he reached the fence, he climbed over, gaze going straight to Finley where she stood by the rink, arms wrapped around her waist.
The air rushed from his chest. The second he was near enough, he gripped her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
She nodded quickly, fear and worry glazing her eyes. “Are you?”
A muscle in his cheek clicked. He was far from fucking okay. “I lost him.”
“But you’re not hurt?”
“I’m not hurt.”
Relief washed over her face. “That’s good.”
“Are you done?”
She nodded quickly. “We can go.”
Nixon would be relieved if it wasn’t for the fact they’d be back tomorrow. A vein in his temple throbbed as he shot one more look toward the woods before slipping an arm around her waist and turning toward the parking lot.
As they drove back to the resort, he tried to keep his damn mouth shut, but he couldn’t. “You need to leave.”
She frowned at him, her arms still crossed tightly at her belly. “What?”
“Being here is too dangerous, Finley. He knows exactly where you are, and you’re too exposed at the fair.”
“Nixon, I told you, I committed to this job, and I need to see it through. And I do not want to go to some unknown location and hide.”
His fingers tightened on the wheel. “So stay in the resort until we’ve locked him down.”
“When will that be, Nixon? How will we draw him out if I’m not out there? We don’t know who he is, what he looks like. I can’t just hide for an indefinite period of time. This is my job. Mylife.”
“If that asshole wanted to shoot you from the trees, then he could have. Fuck, there were dozens of other people who could have been caught in the crossfire.”
She flinched, and he instantly hated himself for that comment. For insinuating that, by not leaving, it would be her fault if an innocent bystander got shot.
“We don’t even know if the guy in the woods was him. And even if it was, he’s never directly hurt me or threatened to hurt me. I’m not running away and hiding. I will finish the job I accepted.” Her voice was flat.
“Finley—”
“What would the end game be if I just hid in the resort and wedidn’tfind him, Nixon? Would I go to some random location and hide out for an indefinite period of time? Letting followers forget about me and allowing my business to crumble?”
Jesus Christ, this woman. She was too damn stubborn. “It would give us time to find him.”
“But you might not.”
When they reached the resort, she was out of the car before he’d even pulled to a stop. He cursed, rushing to catch up. He set a hand on the small of her back as he guided her inside.
At their rooms, he entered through his first, checking that space, then hers, before giving her the all clear.
She went straight into her room and closed the connecting door with a resounding thud.
Nixon ran frustrated fingers through his hair.
Fuck, he was an asshole. But he was an asshole who cared about her safety. He understood what she was saying, and yes, hiding would make the job of finding this guy take longer. But in his eyes, that was worth it. Her safety was worth whatever time it cost.
With a growl, he turned back toward the connecting door and pulled it open—
He stopped at the sight of Finley, sitting on the bed, tears in her eyes and her sleeve pulled up…to reveal a cut on her arm.
