She laughed and he could tell she was pleased.
“Where will you go this time?” he asked, when he really wanted to know if she had someone, somewhere, to help protect her.
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. Maybe north, into Canada. I’ve heard British Columbia is beautiful.”
His chest felt tight. She might as well have said Australia. There was no way he could keep an eye out for her so far away. Why he even wanted to, he couldn’t explain, even to himself.
Crossing his arms and watching her, he shook his head. “You’ll run again, find a place, settle, and make a home. Until the next accident happens. And then what?”
“This was no accident. Come on, Colton. How many people do you know who’ve had their brake line magically snap on them?”
She had a point, but he wanted to make a point of his own. “Hear me out. Are you going to spend the rest of your life running?”
“I don’t know.”
“I do. Every time you think he’s tracked you down, you’ll go. What kind of life will you have, always looking over your shoulder?”
Her expression turned hard. “Why do you care?”
“Damned if I know.” He turned, thought about walking away and realized he couldn’t do it. “But, for some odd reason, I do.”
She stared at him. From her silence he could tell he’d surprised her.
Ah, damn. He’d even surprised himself.
“What are you suggesting?” she asked.
He stayed silent, afraid to open his mouth, afraid he’d say the wrong thing.
“So I run. And I live. If I don’t, I die. What choice do I have?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “There’s got to be another option.”
“Really? Then tell me what. Give me some suggestions.” Her eyes had gone dark, the color of the lake in a storm. “Maybe I should hunt this guy down, find out who he is and stop him.”
He started to chuckle, before realizing she wasn’t joking. “You’re serious.”
“Yes.” Now she came closer, lifting her gaze to his. “Even if I stay on the run, I want to be prepared for an attack. Why do you think I signed up for the self-defense class?”
“An excellent idea.”
“Maybe. But not against cut brake lines and bullets. If the car had exploded, I’d have been killed.”
She was right, though looking at her, he couldn’t even tell she’d been in an accident only yesterday. All of her bruises had completely disappeared.
“I’m thinking about buying a gun,” she said.
Now she’d shocked him. “A gun. Do you know how to use it?”
“No, but there are classes I can take, right?”
He nodded. “In Texas, you can get a license to carry a concealed weapon once you’ve completed the course.”
She moved even closer, so close he could smell the light, musky scent of her. “Do you have this license?”
Barely able to concentrate, he tore his gaze away from her lips. “Yes.”
“Then you know how to shoot.”
