Page 51 of Lone Star Rescue

Bree couldn’t keep her silence any longer. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“I feel as if I do.” His gaze bore into her. “After what just happened between us, I feel as if I do.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to bring all these old wounds to the surface.”

Rafe attempted a smile. “That’s the thing, Bree. The wounds are always on the surface.” He stopped again, shrugged. “I’m learning to live with it.”

Yes, she could see the fight he was having with himself about that. “You did rescue her,” Bree blurted.

Rafe gave a quick shake of his head. “I didn’t.”

“You said she regained consciousness so that tells me she didn’t die from not being rescued. She died because of injuries from the second explosion.”

He continued to stare at her, and she hoped that maybe that had gotten through. Yes, it was a sort of skewed logic, but she wanted him to start thinking beyond the belief that he’d failed. He’d succeeded, had done his job, and then Ellie had been killed in combat. Judging from the scar, Rafe had nearly been killed as well.

Rafe opened his mouth, but he didn’t get a chance to say anything else because there was a series of soft but piercing beeps. Bree wasn’t sure what it was, but it caused Rafe to spring into action. He grabbed his clothes, pulling them on while he hit a button on the flat-screen TV. It came to life, showing split images of the feed from the security cameras.

“Someone’s here,” he muttered.

That got her attention, and she immediately thought of Buckner. Had he realized she was here? It wasn’t the hour for avisit, but then Buckner might not have a visit in mind. He could be coming after them to eliminate the people investigating him.

Bree put back on her holster while she watched the screen with Rafe. And she saw it.

Not a vehicle.

But a person walking toward the house.

It was a woman wearing dark clothes, and she was moving at a clipped pace. Not flat-out running but close.

Rafe zoomed in on her face, and he cursed under his breath. There was a moment. One frozen moment of shock before they both said the name of their visitor.

“Tessa.”

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Chapter Thirteen

The moment Rafe muttered Tessa’s name, he realized he’d been waiting for this. Waiting for her to show up. Still, it was a shock to see her in the flesh. Alive.

And running to his house.

“Jesus,” Bree said, her own shock loud and clear in that single word.

“Yeah,” Rafe agreed, and he had a quick debate with himself as to what to do. This was Tessa, all right.

But it didn’t mean they could trust her.

In fact, the timing meant she was likely mixed up in the investigation. In the murder of those two women. Of Gavin. So, she could either be an intended victim or a killer.

“Keep your gun drawn,” he instructed Bree.

No shocked reaction from her this time, and her quick nod told him they were on the same page. They had no idea what Tessa wanted, and they needed to take some precautions. This was not going to be an open-arms homecoming. Then again, that stark look on Tessa’s face was an indication she wasn’t expecting one.

However, she did seem to be expecting something.

Something not good.

She was firing glances all around, and when she shifted to the side, he saw the gun she had gripped in her hand. Hell. Had she come here to try to kill them? Had it come down to that? If so, Rafe only hoped he learned why after he restrained her, and they were hauling her off to jail.

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