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“I can’t. Her life is in danger.”
Welcome to the party, my friend.“Please.” Shep hadn’t gotten this far to take no for an answer. Too much hinged on it. “I really need to talk to her.”
Jace shook his head fiercely. “Listen. Her uncle thinks we’re out grabbing ice cream. When she fails to return to the rez afterward, they’re gonna be crawling all over this place. You don’t want to be here when that happens.”
“You’re right,” Shep conceded. “I’ll pull my truck around back, and you two can hop in. We’ll continue this conversation at my uncle’s place.”
Jace made a sound of frustration. “Haven’t you heard a word I said?”
“Yep.” Shep stepped closer and spoke directly in his ear. “But unless you have her in an underground bunker guarded by killer K-9s and a cranky uncle with a crossbow that’s dying to see some action…”
Jace gave a snort of laughter. He ran both hands through his longish dark hair. “Got a better idea. I’ll open the center garage bay. You pull in, and we’ll load up from there.”
“I’m gonna need your word on that.” Shep held out a hand. “No crossed fingers or toes.”
“No crossed fingers or toes,” Jace growled, clasping Shep’s hand tightly. “I’ll wait to open the door until you’re backed against it.”
Shep gave him a hard look, finally realizing just how terrified his friend was. Though he was trying to put on a good front, he was essentially asking Shep to use his truck as a shield in the event anyone opened fire on his shop.
“Are your brothers here?” Shep glanced around the office as he moved toward the door.
“Nope. Jasper’s competing out of town again. Please don’t tell our sister. And Jalen’s in the hospital with pneumonia. She already knows about that.”
Good gravy!Shep wished he’d known sooner. His uncle would’ve insisted on visiting and taking him a thermos of his homemade chicken noodle soup.
“Believe me. It’s the safest place for him right now.” Jace walked him to the door and bolted it behind him.
Shep neither saw nor heard any sign of movement outside. He hopped back into his truck, which he’d left unlocked, andstarted the motor. He hoped like crazy that Jace would keep his word as he backed up to the center bay. A few seconds ticked past. Then the garage door rolled upward.
Shep let out the breath he’d been holding and backed up by the light of his own reverse beams. There were still no lights on in the shop. The moment his truck was inside, the door rolled back down.
Shep leaned across the seat to push open the passenger door and discovered he was parked next to a pale shiny race car that he could only presume belonged to Jace’s girlfriend. Seconds later, she crawled inside his truck.
Alina Paddock’s cheeks were damp from tears. Long, dark strands of hair were sticking to them. She was curvy like Prim, though not quite as short.
Shep nodded at her, sorry to be meeting her under such dismal circumstances.
She said something that sounded like an attempted greeting. It ended in a sob.
“Stay down,” Jace warned in a low voice, climbing into the truck after her. He tossed an overnight bag behind the seat, then covered her with a blanket. It reeked of grease. “Sorry.” He shot Shep an apologetic look. “If we get stopped, figured one of my work pads will raise less suspicion than a woman huddled in the floorboard.”
Shep kept a sharp eye on their surroundings as they exited the garage and parking lot. He turned onto the highway and headed toward town. Though it didn’t appear they were being followed, he ducked down several side streets as a precaution. Satisfied that they had no tail, he continued driving to his uncle’s place.
All the usual motion detector lights flashed to life as he rolled up the driveway. When he parked and cracked open his door, the dogs barked their normal welcome home.
At the moment, nothing appeared to be amiss. Since his guests were so jumpy, Shep herded them straight inside and bolted the triple set of deadbolts. Though Shep considered it overkill, his uncle had always taken the fact that he lived with a policeman seriously. At the moment, Shep was glad he had.
Uncle Caleb glanced up from the pot of stew he was stirring on the stove. His sharp eyes took in Alina’s mottled features and Jace’s protective hovering. “I see you brought a few friends home with you.”
“Yep. Jace and Alina. This is my Uncle Caleb. If you’re hungry, he makes a killer venison stew.”
Shep grabbed a box of tissues from the end table beside the couch and held them out to Alina. Now and then, another tear slid down her cheeks.
She grabbed several and used them to wipe her face and blow her nose.
Though Jace’s bronze features brightened at the mention of food, Alina shook her head. “Thanks, but I don’t think I can eat right now.” Her pallor suggested she was too upset to do so.
Shep strode to the fridge and withdrew some chilled bottles of water. He tossed two to Jace, who caught them and uncapped one for Alina.
