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Her legs didn’t want to cooperate, but she pushed through the stiffness and lifted herself. Not enough. Her body started back down, when suddenly strong hands reached under her arms and pulled her up smoothly.
When she was high enough, Flynn set her down on the dock gently. At least the sun wasn’t up and he couldn’t see the embarrassment flushing her skin. She nodded her thanks, but wasn’t able to speak.
The fluidness of the man’s strength staggered her. She’d never been strong or particularly athletic, but the injuries she’d sustained had taken even that meager skill level away.
“Why don’t we go inside and talk?” His deep baritone rumbled through her, complete with an edge of pity.
“I’m fine here. I don’t want to risk anyone overhearing this.”
Flynn sighed. “Fine. I think we tell everyone we met somewhere else. It’s too hard to hide the fact that we know each other. We can say it was at school or something. No one has to know anything else.”
“How much did you tell Sam?”
His hesitation was enough to tell her he’d said too much. “I didn’t have to say a lot. He figured it out.”
That was impossible to believe. “Not without help.”
Flynn shifted. “He saw both of our reactions when you arrived last night. It was impossible to hide the shock. He guessed you were in hiding or Wit Sec. Then he put it together with the story I’d told him before of your house exploding back in high school.”
That made her shudder. Even thinking about that time was enough to give her nightmares for days.
“Sam’s a former FBI agent and as smart as they come. He also understands the seriousness of keeping your identity secret.”
“Why did you tell him about that day?”
She couldn’t see much of his expression but he shrugged. “I work in the Organized Crime unit at the FBI. We talk cases sometimes.”
Tessa couldn’t stop the flinch. This was bad. Very bad. “You’ve looked into the explosion from back then? You were a kid when that happened. But you’ve looked into it from work? It’s still an open case?” The questions spilled out of her and she heard her voice shake.
Flynn reached out to her, but she stepped back, careful not to get close to the edge of the dock.
Panic roared through her system. “They’ll know you’re investigating. They’ll have eyes on you. It’s too dangerous. If they find out I’ve ever been here, they’ll get a hold of you. They’ll torture you for information. They’ll hurt you. I can’t stay. I have to leave. They can’t get you. They can’t find any connection to me here.”
Her voice shook and every part of her wanted to roll into a ball and cry. Just by being here at Midnight Lake, she’d put a target on Flynn’s back. She pushed past him and hurried to the lodge.
Time to leave.
Flynn shook his head to get his brain to work.
It wasn’t yet bright enough to see Tessa’s face clearly, but the complete panic in her voice had him reeling. As did her words. She wasn’t afraid for herself. Well, she probably was, but she was more scared for him and the other people here. When had anyone other than family put their own safety after his?
Her gait was stiff and awkward as she tried to hurry. Not something she’d been affected by when they were younger. She’d also struggled to get out of the canoe and onto the dock. Had she been injured?
It only took a few strides for Flynn to catch her. When he touched her arm, she flinched back as if he’d grabbed her.
“It’s okay, Tessa. Relax. No one knows I’m here.”
She shook her head and moved up the stairs to the deck. “It’s too big a risk. It’s too dangerous. I’m not putting you in danger. I’m not putting anyone else on their radar. Forget you ever saw me.”
Tessa pulled open the door and Jetson immediately rose to his feet. He barked softly and moved to Tessa’s side. She reached down and patted his head. “It’s okay, Jetson. It’s okay.”
It obviously wasn’t. Jetson looked at Flynn, as if to assess whether he had a solution or whether he was the problem. Flynn wasn’t entirely sure. He only knew he wasn’t ready to let Tessa walk out of his life. He didn’t want to lose her again either.
At the bottom of the stairs, Tessa took a deep breath and then moved up. Everything about her body language and voice said panic, but her body moved slowly.
She’d blurted out that she was afraid he would be tortured for information. Had she been tortured? There was so much he didn’t know. So much he needed to know.
Flynn followed her up the stairs to her room and moved inside before she could lock him out. Tessa didn’t even look at him. She moved to the tiny closet and pulled out a couple of duffle bags. One was already full. A Go Bag?
