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“Are you seeing a mouse?” Lena asked, her voice coming closer. “Is it back?”
“No,” the man said. “No mouse. Call me if you see them.” The footsteps were moving away from them now. The bell over the door jingled and then silence.
Xavier breathed out but stayed still. He glanced at Allegra. She was sitting on the floor with her arms curled around her legs. Her eyes were saucer-sized and her lip was snagged between her teeth. He recognized the look for what it was: terror. She was scared out of her mind. She wasn’t the only one. He rolled his shoulder to stop the tingling in his arm and hand. It had felt nearly normal after last night but with everything that happened this morning, it was right back to the edge of numbness.
The bell sounded again but it was the women leaving. There had been a rush of German between the women but it had subsided and now the door was presumably closing behind them. Footsteps sounded like they were coming closer.
“Hello?” Lena called out.
Xavier pushed the coats apart and stepped out of the rack, still staying low until he moved around the rack to see the front of the store.
“It is safe.” Lena nodded toward the door. “Everyone is gone.”
Xavier straightened and then reached back and helped Allegra stand up.
She straightened with a pained groan, then stumbled. Lena looked alarmed so Allegra held up her hands. “I’m okay. My legs went to sleep.” Lena frowned. Allegra explained, “Numb.” Then she hit her leg with her fist and Lena nodded.
“We need to figure a way out of here.”
“There is only the front door.” Lena pointed.
Sunlight streamed through the windows. The sky was a clear blue and the sun off the snow was blindingly bright. The street provided no place to hide. Everyone would be out after the storm. How the hell were they going to meet Gunther without getting caught?
Allegra had finally stopped dancing around trying to get feeling back into her legs. “Any ideas?”
“Maybe.” Xavier walked over to a display of hats. “Come here.”
Allegra walked over. He stuck a black beanie over her blond hair. “Tuck all your hair inside and then go pick out some sunglasses. Grab a nice jacket and some new boots. Don’t forget gloves and a scarf. We’ll change your whole look. Then we’re going to leave separately. We’ll meet where Gunther is.”
Lena came over with a pair of sunglasses and handed them to Allegra. “These will suit you.”
Allegra took them and tried them on in front of the full-length mirror near the dressing room. She nodded her approval and then spent the next twenty minutes organizing her entire outfit. Armed with the address written on a piece of paper along with directions and wearing her new clothes, she was set to go.
Xavier’s gut spasmed. The thought of Allegra out there on her own unnerved him. She brought out his protective instincts. He wanted nothing more than to take her to his rental cabin and away from all this. Hell, he’d like to take her back to Yellowstone where she’d be seriously safe. He could quit worrying if she were there. Between him and the rest of the team, she’d be watched around the clock. The idea of her on her own made him physically ill. He didn’t want to leave her unprotected, but there wasn’t a choice. The men were looking for a man and a woman together, so they’d have to split up. “We’re going to have to leave here separately,” he managed to ground out.
She whirled around and took off the sunglasses. “Why?” Her green eyes got wider and she bit her lip.
“They’re looking for a couple so we need to separate. Ideally, you could mingle with a group of people on the sidewalk. Maybe Lena could call some people to help?” He looked over at Lena who nodded.
“No. No way.” Allegra said shaking her head. “It’s bad enough we’ve involved Lena and Gunther and the poor woman who saw us and probably her friend. That’s a lot of ands. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. These men, if they’re anything like Simon, they’re ruthless. I refuse to let anyone get hurt because of me and that includes you.” She jabbed a finger into his chest.
He did his best to bite back a smile. Not because it was funny but because she was so fierce and it was so damn hot. She’d been amazing last night and he wanted more. Not just another night but a lot of nights. He swallowed and tried to loosen his shoulder. The numbness had all but vanished after sex last night. Maybe that was the right prescription. More sex with Allegra and he’d be right as rain.
“Look, I know you don’t want anyone else to be at risk but—”
“No Xavier. I won’t do it.” She walked over to the counter.
“Then you’ll have to go on your own.”
She looked back at him and nodded. “Fine. With Lena’s directions, I know where I’m going. I should be good. No one will recognize me in all this gear. I will get off the main street as soon as possible.”
He wanted to argue with her but he knew trying to change her mind was futile. Her shoulders were rigid and the set of her jaw meant she wasn’t going to relent. Amazing how he’d only known her twenty-four hours and yet he knew her so well already. It was like he’d known her all his life.
He paid for the items and then made sure Allegra understood Lena’s handwriting and knew where she was going.
“Gunther is there waiting,” Lena said. She held up her cell phone with a text on the screen.
Anxiety pinched Xavier’s chest. What if this was all an elaborate set up? What if Gunther was working for the gunmen or worse, what if they found him and they were holding him hostage? Stupid. Neither of those things were happening. He had to stop thinking worst case scenario all the time.
