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“That still doesn’t explain why you ran. Why didn’t you just tell Mason? He would have understood.”
“Are you sure about that? After my mom took Teagan? After she almost killed him. Do you really think he would have just looked past me being involved?”
“What do you mean by being involved?” Shit. Of course, Dallas doesn’t miss my little slip up.
“I’m tired. Can we not do this now?” I almost died a few hours ago.
“Whose cabin is this?” Griffin questions, changing the subject but not in a direction I would like.
“That’s enough questions for the day,” I snap. Pressing my lips into a tight line, I signal that I’m done talking. I’ve already said too much, and if I don’t watch my mouth, I’ll be in even more trouble.
6
NATALIE
The day drags on as both Dallas and Griffin continue to ask me questions I don’t want to answer. I remain huddled up in front of the fire until my entire body is back to feeling normal again, and my skin has returned to a soft rose color.
Dallas paces through the room, the old wood creaking every time he steps on a certain board. Their relentless questions about my mother never end, but neither does my patience. If my training with the CIA taught me anything, it is to keep calm in situations like this.
“How did you get up here? We didn’t see a car on the road. Is there another way up the mountain?” Griffin asks a question he hasn’t thought of before.
“Not that I know of.” I keep my answer vague.
“So somebody dropped you off here,” he concludes. “Your mother, maybe?”
“I have not seen or talked to her since she tried to kill Mason.” If I had known she was going to try, I would have never let her back into my life. I would’ve stopped her.
“Who helped you, then? Someone on our team?” Dallas stops pacing a few feet away from me. “Who was it, Nat?”
“I’m tired of playing games.” Griffin suddenly gets up from the couch. “Give us some answers or we’re taking you back to the hotel now.”
I can tell he is at the end of his patience, so I do the one thing I know will shut both of them up. Letting the first blanket fall off my shoulders, I unwrap the second before I get on my feet.
As I planned, Dallas and Griffin shut their mouths immediately. Their endless questions finally stop. I step out of the puddle of wool around my feet, completely in the nude.
I’ve always been comfortable with my body, so I have no shame in flaunting what I’ve got in front of these two, especially when it gets me exactly what I want. I need to use whatever tools I have to my advantage, and right now, I’m using my body.
“I’m going to find some dry clothes and get dressed. Any objections?” Placing my hands on my hips, I look between the two guys. Both Griffin and Dallas shake their heads, while their gazes wander my naked skin aimlessly.
Men. So easily distracted.
If I still wasn’t so damn exhausted, I would make another run for it. Instead, I dig a pair of leggings and a sweater from the dresser to pull on. As I’m getting dressed, I catch my reflection in the mirror and notice I look like crap. My hair looks like something made a nest on my head. My face is still pale and there are small scratches on my cheek.
I find a brush in the bathroom to comb out my hair. The small act of self-care makes me feel a bit more human again.
“I half expected you to run again.” Griffin’s voice startles me. Lifting my eyes, I meet his icy gaze in the reflection of the mirror. He’s leaning against the doorframe casually. His muscular arms folded over his chest, making him look even bigger than he already is.
“I thought about it,” I admit. “But now I have something else in mind.”
“And what might that be?” Dallas steps out of the hallway and into view.
“We’re gonna stay here one more night, and in the morning, we’ll go back home. I’ll come with you. No more games. No more hiding. I’m ready to face Mason… tomorrow.”
“How do we know you’re not gonna try to run again?” Griffin questions.
“I’ll pass on a repeat of today. It’s almost night again. By the time we’d get back to the hotel, it’d be two or three in the morning. Let’s stay here another night. I won’t give you any trouble. And in the morning, we’ll track down to your car and head home.”
Dallas and Griffin exchange glances before nodding at each other.
“Fine,” Dallas agrees, “but if I even suspect you’re doing something stupid again, I swear I’ll tie you up and drag you back to the city.”
