She laughed. “Some of us prefer staring at computer screens.” She clicked another email from an unknown source. Subject line:Proof of Asset Location. Proceed as planned.
The message contained an attachment. She opened it. A photo of her in the hut filled the monitor. She gasped.
He gently gripped her arms. “Easy. You’re safe now.”
She took a deep breath and nodded.
“Check out the time-stamp.” He pointed at the information.
“What about it?”
“It’s around the same time Agent Scott said he’d got word the contractor’s daughter died in a car wreck and called us off. We disobeyed his orders, because…well…we don’t report to him. Not long after, we found you.”
“I was the target all along.” A whimper escaped her lips.
Liam tugged her to a stand and wrapped his arms around her. “They made it personal, Raven. We won’t stop until we find who did this to you and why.” Her discovery of the leaked GPS codes and her upstreaming the information had placed a bullseye on her.
Raven burrowed her face into his chest and sobbed.
The woman had hit her limits, and he vowed to protect her, no matter the cost.
CHAPTER 6
Timber Ridge, Colorado – Safe House
Friday – 0600 Hours
Code Name: Raven
Vision blurred from staring at the computer screens for the past several hours, Jade held her coffee mug to her chin and inhaled the bold aroma. She opened the blackout curtains, revealing the magnificent sunrise, and gazed out the window at the beautiful landscape. If the reality of the situation weren’t so dire, the safe house would be a wonderful vacation spot. But the computers in the dining room and the constant patrol of the property spoke of the reason she had landed here.
“Hey, would you like to go outside for a bit?”
She turned and spotted Liam leaning against the door frame of the living room with his hands stuffed in his front pockets. Jade had seen pictures of the man when she’d investigated the entire team. The images hadn’t done him justice. The rest of the men were handsome, but there was something about Liam that made her want to stare.
“Well?”
She blinked away her wayward thoughts. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
The grin on his lips said that he’d caught her daydreaming.
Yup, she’d had her hand caught in the cookie jar.
“I asked if you’d like to go outside? Or is that something you can’t do?”
Oh, this man. His considerateness slayed her. “I do have agoraphobia, but I can go outside, to the store, and things like that. I’m not confined to my home. But, I’ll admit, I prefer to stay inside and away from crowds of people. It keeps my anxiety at a minimum.”
“Well, then. Would you like to sit on the porch for a bit?”
“Is it safe?” Her hands tightened around the cup.
“We’ll sit on the glider, tucked close to the house. It should be fine. The guys will report in if there’s danger.”
“It would be nice to get some fresh air.” She had a screened-in porch at home that she enjoyed. It sounded silly, but the enclosure helped. The open area off the front door gave her pause, but she’d deal with it. She remembered a time when the idea of stepping out in the open would have sent her spiraling. But now… She was a living testament to the benefit of therapy. Through grit, determination, Breana’s steady belief in Jade, and constant pleas to God for help, she’d wrestled her terror into something survivable. Most days.
Liam pushed off, strode toward her, and extended his hand to her. “Come on.”
Taking several deep breaths, Jade took his hand and exited the confines of the four walls. The fresh mountain air had a calming effect she hadn’t prepared for. But the vast land fought against the peacefulness.
