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He raised his brows. “That’s better than I expected. I’ll introduce you to the AR-15 when we get back because that’s what Koslov’s people use. You need to know how to use their weapons against them if you get the chance, or at least unload them. Agreed?”
“Sure, that seems smart. I should have asked Wiz or Erin to teach me.” Just because she hadn’t been in a running gun battle didn’t mean she couldn’t end up in one. She didn’t put much past those thugs Koslov hired—they wouldn’t care about bystander injuries.
A muffled ringing came from Trevor’s bag, and he sprinted to the SUV, yanking the secure phone out. “Mills.” Sam jogged over but didn’t make it in time. “Understood. Mills out.” He put the phone away and strode to the tent. “Come on, let’s get packed. I’ve got my marching orders.”
Sam followed and helped but didn’t interrupt Trevor’s thoughts, not even to ask if something had changed. If it concerned Deb, Erin, or the rest of her friends, he’d tell her. If it didn’t, she wouldn’t hound him for confidential information. She’d want the same courtesy.
When the gear was packed, Trevor handed her another bottle of water, and climbed into the driver’s side. When she joined him, he pulled an old-fashioned map book out of the back seat. “Just in case someone spotted us, I don’t want to go straight back to town, at least not the way we came.” He winked. “Besides, my hand—I mean, my boss, told me to get moving. She didn’t say get back to town. Since we need to wait for darkness, and that’s really late at this time of year, we’ll explore a bit. Ready for some backcountry roads?”
Sam couldn’t hold back her smile. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone joyriding in the woods. Probably in high school with Trevor. “Sure. Let’s have some fun.” But she’d remember he wasn’t truly a friend, just the enemy of her enemies.
He handed the map book to her, turned to the correct page. “You’re navigator. Find us the quickest way back to town, and the next few alternatives, including several behind us. This is a pretty capable vehicle and I’m an excellent off-road driver. We can handle rough double-tracks.”
The Sapphire Mountains provided them with hours of exploration, with waterfalls, rocks, and flowers to enjoy. The warm spring air carried the scents of flowers and water burbled. Although her fingers itched to take pictures, Sam lived in the moment, rather than documenting it for her friends. She’d forgotten how much fun it could be to drive without a destination in mind, just for sheer pleasure. Although the joy was disrupted whenever a vehicle rolled into view. Trevor told her to smile and wave as she normally would on the back roads, but everyone seemed threatening. She knew that was ridiculous but couldn’t help it.
At lunch time, they fixed another set of dehydrated meals, then Trevor made her practice with his pistols. His primary weapon was a forty caliber, and it wasn’t her favorite; the kickback was too much. The nine millimeter was better, but his tiny three-eighty backup was her favorite. Since they didn’t have paper targets, they set up cans and random pieces of wood in front of an often-used backstop and blasted away. She’d feared Trevor’s military background would make it a chore, but he clearly enjoyed the flexibility.
She also remembered how much fun Trevor was to hang out with. He’d been a lifeline back in high school, one she’d entirely depended on, but she’d been attracted to him for more than that. He’d been controlling and overbearing but also considerate, protective, and entertaining. A boy with heart despite his parenting, but also a young man desperate to escape, even if it meant leaving her behind. She could forgive his past actions, and see that he’d grown and changed, but she couldn’t forget everything. He’d been raised a certain way, as she had, and without constant mindfulness, either of them could slip back into those old patterns. No matter how exciting the “new” Trevor was, she had to remain on guard.
As the sun dropped, Trevor pulled off the road. The wide spot overlooked the Bitterroot Valley and the mountains on the other side, turning orange, then fading to purple. Lights popped below, and stars appeared above, suspending them in a mystical space.
Trevor turned toward her. “I’d forgotten how fun that could be. Thanks for sharing it with me.”
“Thanks for stretching your orders. It was fun, and I needed a break. We both did, I think.” She’d noticed the worry lines around his mouth lessening as the day went on. Her stomach quit tumbling and tossing, too. She only hoped Deb and the rest of them had also gotten some down-time.
“We did.” He leaned toward her, then pulled away. “I hate to ruin a fantastic day, but it’s time to make our way back. Ready?”
She shrugged. “Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
He nodded slowly, gazing out the windshield. His shoulders rose, then he shook like a dog and put the car in gear. “Tonight, we’ll have to use the camping gear. Tomorrow, I’ll go buy another bed. If they ask, I can say I have shipmates talking about visiting, and even though I doubt they’ll come, I should be ready.”
Sam shrugged. “Sure, makes sense. The camping pads are comfy enough, especially if I stack them together.”
Trevor shook his head. “I’ll take those. You can have my bed.”
“No!” No way she was sleeping in his bed. “Absolutely not. Did you think I hadn’t noticed you limping? You don’t have to tell me about it, but you got injured at some point. A decent bed is important when you’ve got muscular or skeletal issues. I’ll be fine on the pads.” After a little trouble falling asleep, thinking way too much about Trevor, she’d slept like a rock and woke up at her usual time.
He grimaced. “Yeah. We’ll talk about it later. We’ve got to get you there first.” He let the car roll, bouncing across the ruts cutting into the increasingly steep road.
Getting her back to his house might be his biggest problem, but the challenges of living with him were sinking in. With his house a construction zone, there were probably limited areas to work and sleep in. They’d be in proximity all the time, unless he was actively working outside of the house. She’d be completely dependent on him, too, reliving their high school days in a very odd way.
They’d love or hate each other when it was over. Too bad she didn’t know which she really wanted.
That was a lie. She knew exactly what she wanted. The problem was, no matter how they felt, when Koslov was dealt with, Trevor would leave. He had a life in DC, and hers was in Marcus. Horrible as it was, she hoped they drove each other crazy—living alone again would hurt a lot less.
Chapter six
Trevor staggered, struggling to keep the eight-foot-long baseboards piled in his arms, while moving the long, skinny pieces. He took them from one bedroom to another and added them to the pile. Then he waited for them to fall. When they stayed, he returned for the next bunch. A clatter made him spin, and the entire stack collapsed.
He had too many raw materials and not enough space. Sure, he’d gotten some great deals, but he’d filled every room in the house. Consolidating them into one room was practically impossible. Unless he built storage shelving, but he didn’t have that kind of time.
He leaned against the doorway, staring at the disaster he’d created. Sam had to take his bed tonight, and he’d camp in the narrow walkway in the dining room between paint cans and wallboard. Sam would insist on using the sleeping bag, but the dining room windows were uncovered. He could fix that tomorrow, too, but he’d run out of time. He had to retrieve Sam from the garage.
He texted Davidson. “Any sign?” Swiping through his security system views, he saw nothing, but he’d mounted cameras on the house. He needed some on the property lines, looking back at the house.
“Car watching Sam’s. Nothing on yours.”
Not perfect, but better than it could be. “Retrieving package.” Trevor surveyed his yard from the bedroom window. Nothing moved, nothing was out of place. He’d circle the house with cameras and motion detectors later, but for tonight, he’d rely on the thick trees to mask him from casual view. He pulled his emergency escape climbing rope—anchored under a hidden, hinged windowsill—and threw it out, rappelling down the side of his house. At the bottom, he pressed against the siding behind the tower and peered around the side.
