Page 123 of Running to You

“You were there?” Sam asked his brother. “When she escaped?”

“I planned to be, but something came up. I have friends who were in Utah for a training exercise. Spec-ops guys. They rescued her. Got her to the airport.”

“I don’t remember any of that,” she said.

“Then why…?” Sam raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t understand. If she was with them, then how did she end up getting hurt? Why didn’t they protect her?”

“It wasn’t an official mission,” Michael said. “They were doing me a favor—at great risk to themselves. Not just from the guards they had to face—though they managed them with little trouble. But if they’d been caught, they could’ve been court-marshaled. They needed to wrap it up fast. They rescued her, dropped her off at the airport, and went back to the base before anybody knew they were gone. I’d gotten her a ticket to Florida by way of Denver.”

“You were going to Florida?”

“Um, no?” Eliza looked as confused as he felt.

“She was never going to Florida,” Michael explained. “We were trying to throw Keller off her trail. She stayed in Denver.” He looked around, seemed to remember that was where they were. “She ordered a car—”

“This part I do remember. Getting the Lyft to the bank, opening the safe deposit box. By the time I got all that done, it was too late to fly out that night, so I booked a flight to Manchester the next day.”

Sam was trying to put it all together. “Why Manchester?” For that matter… “Why were you in Shadow Cove?”

“To see you. It took me a long time, too long, to understand Jed’s tactics, but once I did, I questioned everything he’d ever told me. So in Denver, I looked you up and discovered you weren’t married and never had been. He’d lied. And I needed…you.” She laid her hand over his on the table. He flipped it over and weaved their fingers together.

She’d come to see him. The truth burrowed deep. She’d said she never stopped loving him, and it wasn’t that he hadn’t believed her so much as he’d thought maybe she’d exaggerated. Or, with the amnesia, she’d forgotten how she really felt about him. But now it was real.

Still… “Not that I’m sorry you came,” he said, “but wouldn’t it have been safer to go straight to the FBI?”

She licked her lips, swallowed. Looked at Michael.

“What?” Sam asked.

Michael said nothing.

Eliza pulled her hand back and crossed her arms. “I needed to see you. It’s…it was probably a stupid decision, but I needed to see you before I did anything else.”

“Why?”

“I promise I’ll explain everything.” By the way her gaze flicked across the table, Sam guessed she wanted to talk to him without Michael listening. Fair enough. He could wait.

A server delivered their meals—steaming plates piled with tacos and enchiladas and burritos. When she walked away, Michael lifted his fork. “I searched for her because I knew how much she meant to you. I thought, if nothing else, you’d know what happened. Get…closure or whatever. When I figured out she was in trouble, I did my best to get her out of it. It hasn’t worked out like we planned it. They must’ve guessed Florida was a ruse, or hedged their bets and sent a couple guys to Manchester, maybe even Boston and Portland, too, figuring she’d head toward home.” Michael shook his head. “I should’ve been there. I’m sorry.” He shifted to Eliza. “I’m sorry you got hurt. That you’re dealing with—”

“I’d still be at The Ranch if not for you.” She reached across the table and squeezed his wrist. “You don’t owe me anything.”

Michael pulled his arm away, his gaze on Sam. “You and me. Are we good?”

Sam swallowed the emotions jumbling in his throat. “Sorry for how I reacted.”

“I made a judgment call, and I stand by it.”

“You found her, which was better than I could do. I tried. I hired a PI once, not long after she left.”

Eliza let out a quiet gasp.

Yeah, well…

He hadn’t planned to tell her that. Hadn’t wanted her to know just how desperate he’d been to get her back. But Sam wasn’t nearly as good at secrets as some people at the table. “Apparently, your contacts are better than my PI’s.”

Michael’s lips rose in a smile, but his eyes weren’t on board. “So, are we…?”

“We’re good. It seems like…” He swallowed a lump and glanced at Eliza, who gave him a shy smile. “I owe you everything.”