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“Getting you two out of here. It’s damage control.”
“Damage control?” he repeated.
Lexis gave a hard nod. “Information on whose vehicles exploded won’t be leaked, but we don’t want anybody to see her either.”
“Fuck! What did you see back there, Lexis? Did you see who planted the explosive? Tell me right goddamn now!”
A shudder racked Trinny’s body, and he automatically turned his head to brush his lips across her temple to soothe her.
Lexis’s stare hit his in the rearview. “It’s bad enough to know that whoever’s responsible won’t stop if they know she’s alive.”
“And the culprit could be sitting in his car in that parking lot, watching it all.”
“The team’s pulling people out of vehicles and questioning them now for that very reason. Just to cover our asses, this is what’s going down: The police report’s going to say a cigarette ash started a fire that caused an explosion.”
She shoved away from Jaren. “This is crazy talk! I was fine before you. Then you come into my life, and next thing I know…it’s all on fire!”
He cradled her face, directing her attention back to him. “Look, Trinny. I’m going to give you two options.”
“Why do I feel like I really don’t have any choice at all?”
He ignored her question. “Option one: You can hire me as your bodyguard. Option two: You can be dead.”
“Really tough choice, Jaren. Guess I’ll go with option one because I’m too young to die.”
He nodded at her agreement. “You’re also too pretty. Now you’re going to listen to everything I say, all right? From this moment on, I will be guarding your life.”
ChapterFive
Trinny accepted the bottled water that a woman held out to her with a murmured, “Thank you.”
“Sure thing, hon.” The striking woman’s face creased with concern as she eyed Trinny. “If you need anything else, just let me know. I’m Corrine.”
She nodded. “This is all I need.”
Oh, who was she kidding? She needed a whole lot more than a drink. She was neck-deep in danger and the worst part was she had no idea who was after her, or for what reason.
And she’d been stuffing it all down far too long.
She didn’t have enemies. She hadn’t even had the opportunity to make any since she didn’t do anything important with her life. With no career or ties to a single soul left in this world, who could want to hurt her?
How about any of the family members my mom didn’t name in her will?
Following her mother’s funeral, they’d swarmed like ants on leftover food to ask her for help.
She uncapped the bottle and sipped the cool water. It felt good sliding down her parched throat and helped dissolve some of that chemical taste she couldn’t shake since the explosion.
Corrine had drifted away again, leaving Trinny alone in a conference room in the WEST Protection office. The enormous table was ringed with seats, and she was positioned near the head. Tall windows overlooked vibrant green pastures, a calm, picturesque view compared to the one that kept surfacing in her mind.
A sudden urge to grab a horse and ride hit. Just ride and ride with the wind in her hair until her mind blanked.
She sipped her water and stared at the tall green grass swaying in the mountain breeze. Small wildflowers dotted the field in variations of yellow and white. This small town really was the type of place she needed to stay and regroup. Now that probably wasn’t wise.
Low voices drifted from the doorway, too quiet for her to make out the words. She switched her attention from the idyllic field to the scorching hot man standing there with another guy. The line of Jaren’s spine was tense, and a similar vibe rolled off the man he was with. Even their Stetsons seemed to sit stiffly on their heads.
Jaren lifted a hand and tugged on that brim so hard she expected the felt to warp, but when he swung around and walked through the door toward her, she saw it was as straight as always.
His stare drilled into her. Every step he took across the conference room scraped over her nerves. When he pulled out the chair, the legs grated on the wood floor. He angled the chair toward her and sank into it.
