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“Yes.” Hank nodded. “Someone who might have stumbled on evidence that the Loyalists are here and just disappeared off the face of the earth.”
“Damn.”
“Well, my gals all know Leslie,” Beck pointed out, “which could be a help.”
“Then let’s get the teams working,” Roman urged. “Then we can send the guys to the more remote locations where she’d be less likely to end up but that need to be searched anyway.”
“Absolutely.” Hank nodded. “Okay. Here are the pairings. Melody, you’re with Dean Turner. Cygny, you’ll pair up with Leo. Victoria, you and Logan Tackett are a team, and, Fay, you’re paired with Walker Nash. You’ve all met each other already, so get together.”
He waited while the pairs he’d read off coupled up before he went on.
“We’re wasting time, so we need to get moving. We’ve got maps of the mountains, such as they are, and I need to make sure everyone has them on their phones.” He grabbed a bag sitting at his feet and started distributing the contents. “Two-way radios tuned to the same frequency. Cell reception here is fucked. And I went for headphones rather than handheld units because they are less cumbersome to use. Each of you will have one in case for some reason you are temporarily separated, although I hope that doesn’t happen. You can contact me, Swede, and each other. Got it? Okay, let’s check and make sure they’re all working.”
For the next few minutes, they went through the radio checks and made sure everyone’s headset was operational.
Hank gave a loud whistle. “Okay, everyone. Let’s divide up the trails, form into pairs, and get going on this. Every minute, she’s in greater danger.”
“We’re good.” Beck settled the comm she’d been given more comfortably on her head and started to walk away. “Let’s get moving.” Every minute they weren’t looking for Leslie, her nerves got jumpier.
But before she had taken more than a couple of steps, she felt a tug on her hand and felt Roman’s fingers grasping it. A streak of heat shot up her arm and flashed through her body. God! Just his touch lit up her hormones, and this was definitely not the time for it. But she didn’t pull away, instead letting the feel of his touch wrap itself around her.
It had been too many months since a man had affected her this way. In fact, she didn’t think anyone had ever gotten to her the way Roman did. Thought? No, no, no. She was damn sure of it. And what an inconvenient time for it to happen. Still, a sense of security washed through her as he squeezed her hand.
“Beck.”
She turned to face him. “Yes?”
“I have to say this now, and we’ll get back to it when we have your sister safe and sound.”
She lifted an eyebrow. What now?
“Get back to what?”
“I made a big mistake four years ago. I had a pattern to my life and never broke it. I didn’t realize until it was too late you were the one woman who could make me do that. When this is over, we’re going to talk about it. And about the future.”
She was so stunned, she was speechless and just stood there staring at him. He wanted to talk to her? Finally, she shook herself.
“Okay.” What else could she say? Besides, she was anxious to hear what he’d tell her. But they had a crisis to take care of before anything else.
“We’re going to get her,” Roman assured her. “We’ll bring her home and before anything happens to her. That’s a promise.”
She stared at him. His deep voice was like a security blanket.
“I believe you.”
“Good. Let’s get to it.”
