Her lower lip trembled. He didn’t have the heart to fight her right now.
“I need to get you out of here. We need to leave.”
“Cheyn? Max?” Laurie glanced at David’s body for a second, before she flinched and looked away. “You’re bleeding!”
Her fingertips grazed the soaked pad of cloth on his arm.
“It’s just a scratch. I’ll be fine. We need to go to another safe house.”
“Yes.” She looked up into his eyes. She hugged him again.
Wrapping his arm around her back, Dante led her down the hall. As he led her past David’s body, he tried to turn her toward him to shield her from it.
She turned her head, and it was too late. A raw sob tore from her throat.
“Oh God. He’s never going to be a father.”
Laurie lost it. She flat out lost it.
Dante pulled her against him hard.
She struggled at the unexpected contact.
Dante grimaced as his muscles screamed against his bullet wound.
“Laurie, I’m sorry, but I can’t let you grieve right now. I need you with me. Okay, do you understand me? I need to get you out. I’m sorry!” He shook her.
Her knees buckled. She fell against him. She was shaking again, and there was nothing he could do.
He half dragged her down the stairs, through the house, past all of the officers. They stared, but scampered out of his way. The Lieutenant waved goodbye as Dante helped Laurie into the SUV. He got in the driver’s seat, turned on the truck, backed up and drove away from the house.
The cool night air, the darkness, and the distance brought Laurie back to herself. She hugged herself, letting the tears just stream down as she rested her head against the cold window. She cleared her throat several times before she could speak.
“What about Max and Cheyn?”
“Max has been shot.” Dante took a steadying breath. “They’re both on their way to the hospital. Cheyn was shot in the arm. He was knocked unconscious by the fall.”
“Will they be okay?”
“I don’t know.”
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Dante wished he could do the same.
“I’m sorry they were hurt, Dante.”
He almost choked on his own emotions, but he clamped down on them. He had to get to the next safe house. He couldn’t do that if he broke down. So, he turned his mind to anything he could think of except what had just happened. He would deal with the present moment when he and Laurie were safe.
***
Laurie
Dante drove to Kona.
Laurie sat, staring out into the black distance.
Neither spoke.
Dante pulled off Route 11 and onto a dead-end street where the safe house was located. He gunned the engine to get up the steep incline, then braked suddenly and swerved to miss the line of trees in front of them.
Laurie gripped the seat.
Dante parked in front of a small square building, with little awnings over each window.
Laurie couldn’t tell what color it was in the darkness, but it wouldn’t have mattered to her anyway.
Dante shut off the engine.
Laurie reached for the door, put he laid a hand on her arm. She looked at him. He took a small pistol out of the console in his truck, loaded it, and handed it to her.
“I don’t…”
“Just point and shoot, Laurie. I don’t normally give witnesses a gun because they can hurt someone without meaning to, but there isn’t going to be a team for a couple of days. Maybe one or two men, until we can fly in someone else. I need to know you’re protected. I’ll show you how to load it and clean it tomorrow. Tonight, I just need you armed. I go into the house first. You stay with me, until I’ve checked every room, okay?”
Laurie nodded. She blinked at the gun in her hand. It was cold, shiny, and heavier than she expected. Even on the shooting end of it, it was intimidating.
“Let’s go. I’ll bring in the bags once everything is secure.”
Dante moved like clockwork. Opening doors, checking each room. There was nothing in the house but blank walls. Once the house was clear, Dante turned to her.
Her hands clutched at the gun as her whole body shook in slight tremors.
He grimaced.
“House is clear.” He gently took the gun from her. “We’re safe.”
She nodded. Her shoulders slumped in exhaustion. She blinked in slow motion as all her energy seemed to evaporate.
Dante wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Let’s get some sleep.” He kept his arm around her as they walked into her room.
“I’ll go get our bags—rest.” Dante jogged out of the room.
When he returned, Laurie was making the bed. She pulled soft, dark blue satin sheets onto the mattress. Dante grabbed a pillow and a matching pillowcase and started stuffing one into the other. A thought struck him, and he swore under his breath.
“I forgot the sleeping bag.”
Laurie turned to him. She considered him for a long moment, her bleary eyes taking in the grim set of his mouth and the stark stain of blood soaking through his bandage. Laurie didn’t want to sleep alone. She knew she shouldn’t allow him to sleep with her again. He had a strong, steady, and comforting presence, which she was beginning to crave. She should be cautious, but she decided to throw caution to the wind. Her need to have him beside her won out over her logic.
“I don’t think I can sleep alone tonight. Can you just sleep beside me?”
Dante hesitated, giving her a sidelong glance.
“Please? Just this once.” She wrapped her arms around herself.
His whole body softened.
“Yeah. It’s been a tough night. I would feel better if we were in the same room.”
“Thank you.”
Laurie hugged him. She wanted to cry. The unshed tears tightened her throat. She had waited in that horrible safe room. Then she walked out of the safe room, only to see David gunned down by someone trying to get to her. Her mind was numb as she released Dante, grabbing her bag of toiletries. She went across the hall to the bathroom to get ready for bed. She went through the motions of it, one minute at a time. When she came out, she saw Dante standing beside the door, looking almost guilty.
He coughed and looked away.
“Sorry—just wanted to be sure you were okay.”
Laurie nodded with the barest hint of a smile. At least there was one thing that remained the same. Dante would do whatever it took to protect her.
Laurie dumped her clothes into her bag, knowing she could deal with separating the dirty from the clean tomorrow. Then she fell into bed and pulled the covers over herself.
A few minutes later Dante re-entered. He closed and locked the door. Then he turned off the light.
Laurie’s heart started pounding, but she ignored it. It was silly. He had already slept with her before. Why should she be nervous? She chalked it up to anxiety hanging on after the attack.
Laurie rustled around in the bed, throwing back the covers for him.
He lay down beside her. She felt the warmth radiating from his body. As he settled into bed, Laurie cuddled up beside him. She laid her head and hand on his chest.
Dante hesitated, but after a few minutes, he wrapped one arm around her.
Soon after, they both fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
CHAPTER TEN
Dante
The next morning, Dante awoke to a frantic beeping from his cell phone. He tried to slide out from beside Laurie.
She mumbled something and rolled over, turning her back to him.
He fumbled for the phone inside the pocket of the jeans he wore the night before. Finally, he pulled it out. It showed a missed call from his boss. He stepped out of the room and hit speed-dial.