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Duke flipped the guy onto his back and grabbed his arms, pulling them behind him. Then he reached into his pocket and yanked out some zip ties. He always carried them with him—over the years he’d found them handy to have on hand for many different reasons.
He secured Skeeter’s wrists together. Then his ankles. Then, with one final zip tie, he linked Skeeter’s arms and legs together to ensure he wouldn’t go anywhere.
“We were just having a conversation,” Skeeter insisted. “She’s into me. I promise.”
“Everybody knows that’s not true.” Duke rose and rushed back to Andi.
Her eyes were moving, and her body jerking.
Skeeter had tased her, hadn’t he?
He brushed the hair out of her face as he examined her. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here.”
Some of her twitching stopped just for a moment. Almost as if his presence had comforted her.
Even though he hadn’t been there for Celeste, maybe he could help Andi.
Would doing so make amends? Maybe not.
But it was a start.
Just then, the tow truck driver pulled up.
Good.
Duke pulled out his phone.
He needed to call backup. Because someone needed to get out here and arrest this guy.
Then Duke needed to get Andi back to the trading post . . . she could stay there until she was ready to leave.
chaptersixty-one
An hour later,Skeeter had been arrested and Andi had given her statement to Gibson.
The effects of the Taser had worn off, and she now stood on the highway next to Duke, who hadn’t left her side. The tow truck driver had successfully pulled her semi from the snow drift and was getting ready to head back to Fairbanks.
She glanced up at Duke, feeling such a swell of gratitude that she could hardly speak.
That was unusual for her, the woman who made a living through speaking and arguing.
She shoved her hands into the pockets of her heavy jacket as she turned to Duke. “Thank you for coming back for me.”
“Of course.” His eyes glimmered with . . . something unreadable but warm. “You did the same for me. The many times you didn’t listen.”
They shared a smile.
“I guess we’re even now,” Andi finally said.
“Maybe.” Duke nodded toward the tow truck, his smile fading. “I think he’s waiting for you.”
Andi felt everything go still in her mind.
Felt her emotions push away.
Felt conviction light inside her.
It had probably been there all along, she’d just been too stubborn to acknowledge it.
