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“Either I go with you, or you’re not going.”
“Newsflash sheriff, I’m not in your custody, so I don’t have to follow your demands.”
He thrust his hand through his hair and tried to take a calming breath. “Why must you be so damn difficult?”
“If you go with me to my parents' barbeque, my entire family will be looking at us like Mary and Catherine, except we can’t ignore my family and play it off. They will be on you like flies on shit.”
He grabbed her upper arms, gentle enough not to hurt her, but firm enough to get her to listen. “I need you to take this more seriously. This can be a real threat on your life, Allison.”
She blinked up, and after a few seconds, she lowered her gaze to his. He nearly stumbled when the TV ready façade was gone, and what was left was a woman who was trying to hold it together. Her lip twitched, eyes watered, and she shook her head. Her eyes slipped shut, long lashes fanning toward the apples of her cheeks.
“I know, Reid. Trust me. I know. But the minute I start living in fear is the minute the asshole wins, and I won’t let them win. So I am going to pretend like that little note exchange didn’t happen, and I’m going to my parents’ barbeque.”
She stepped back, and his hands fell to his side. “Allison…”
Allison held her hand up. “Reid, please.” She turned, but he couldn’t let her walk away, couldn’t let her out of his sight. Maybe he was being crazy and overbearing, but what other choice did he have? If she was in genuine danger, he needed to protect her.
“Maybe you’re looking at this wrong,” he called after her.
She spun toward him, hand landing on her hip. “Go on.”
“Maybe in order for you to take this seriously, you need to look at it through your reporter lens. Pretend this was happening to someone else. What would you do? What would you advise them? You could be the story this time. More so than with the Scoops incident and more than with Harley’s story.”
“Three back-to-back stories to go national.” Her eyes lit up as he swore he saw the gears in her brain clicking into place. “To have one, let alone two, is unheard of. Can you imagine three? Maybe I wouldn’t have to wait for Sandy to retire. Maybe we could co-anchor or I could fill in for her more often. Oh, this could be good. This could be very good.”
“See, make it work to your advantage.” This went against everything he honestly believed, but if it was the only way to get her to cooperate, then he’d tell her exactly what she needed to hear. “Let’s work together to get you that story.”
She held her hand out. “Deal”
Chapter 15
Reid’s plan sounded like a good idea at the time, but now, sitting in his cruiser outside her parents’ house, she was having second thoughts.
“Are we going in?” Reid asked.
“Yes, I’m just trying to prepare myself.”
“Prepare yourself for what?”
“The twenty questions my mom is going to have when we walk through that gate. Or the inquisition from one or both of my sisters. The judging eyes from my brother. The comments from my father.”
“I thought you liked your family.”
“I love my family.”
“Then what the fuck is the problem?”
“It’s complicated. We’re in each other’s business all the time, and they can sniff out a lie almost instantly.”
“Then tell them the truth.”
Allison shifted in her seat. “I can’t do that.”
“If you’re in danger, then they should know.”
She leaned her head back until it hit the headrest. “If they think I’m in danger, they will be on my ass twenty-four seven. Forget about being home alone. My father will make me move back in here.”
“Maybe for the time being, that’s not such a bad thing.”
