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“I’m scared.” She didn’t want them to think she was braver than she was. She was terrified.
“We’ll nail this asshole. And put him away for a long time,” Eli reassured her. “Your statement will help us keep him locked up. We’re still chasing the money and looking into where he was setting up his next victim. It seems that he would start setting up one victim before he’d finished with the one before her.”
Asshole.
Thank God she’d gotten tested for STDs after he’d left. Who knew what he could have given her?
Part of her still felt so scared that Steven would find out that she’d talked to the FBI. And find a way to hurt her.
He’s locked away. He can’t harm you.
However, he somehow got to this other woman. This stranger she was supposed to talk to . . . to convince to open up about what happened to her.
Rats.
“Will you come to the station with us now?” Eli asked her.
She looked at Raid.
“We’ll meet you there in an hour,” he told them.
Both of the agents stood and left. Eli gave her a wink as he walked past. He was the charmer of the two.
She just wished she could have met them under different circumstances.
One where she wasn’t scared out of her mind.
31
Raid waited until Duncan’s brothers had left to turn to Jake. “I don’t like this.”
Jake nodded. “I know, neither do I.”
Hannah glanced between them both. “What do you mean? What don’t you like?”
“He’s got to be working with someone,” Raid said. “And he sent them to intimidate his last victim.”
And they had no idea who this asshole was. Would Hannah be safe until they found this person?
He’d just have to make sure she was.
“You’re going to move out to the ranch with me,” Raid stated. “We’ll pack your stuff up and go straight there after you make your statement.”
“What?” Hannah asked, looking at him in surprise.
“I can protect you better there.” He’d need to tell all of his brothers. But no one got onto their ranch without one of them knowing.
Jake frowned. “She might be better in town. There are more people here to keep an eye on her.”
“And I’ve got to work,” she stated.
“No more work,” Raid decreed. “You’re taking a leave of absence.”
“I can’t do that. I need the money.”
“What you need is to be protected,” Raid said fiercely. “And that’s what is going to happen.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Raid, I can’t just move out to the ranch.”
“You are. End of story.” He wasn’t going to hear any arguments.
Jake looked between them both. “Hannah, if you want to stay in town, you can move in with me and Molly.”
Raid shot him a look. Did he really just say that?
“You can leave now,” Raid told Jake.
“Raid,” Hannah said. “You’re being rude.”
“Jake. We’ll see you at the station.”
Jake narrowed his gaze at him, then moved to Hannah. “Sweetheart, you have choices here. All right? If you don’t want to move in with Raid, you can stay with me.”
“She’ll be with me.” Raid wrapped an arm around her and drew her back against his front. No fucking way she was staying with anyone else.
Jake gave him a knowing look, then nodded and left.
“Raid,” Hannah said as he took her hand and led her to the bedroom.
“Where are your suitcases?”
“Under the bed. But Raid–”
He kneeled down and drew them out. “Start packing.”
“Raid–”
“I’ll get your bathroom stuff.”
“Raid!” Suddenly, she jumped at him and he let go of the bag he’d been holding to catch her.
“Hannah, what the fuck? You could have hurt yourself.”
“Raid, I need you to take a moment and talk to me. Please.”
He could feel her shaking in his arms. Fuck. What was he doing? He was so fucking upset with himself and worried about her safety that he was failing to help her work through this.
Picking her up, he carried her to the bed and sat with her on his lap.
“Baby.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, then tilted her head back. “You don’t need to be scared.”
“I know.”
“What?”
“I mean, I am scared, but I also feel safe. Steven is behind bars. And while he might have an accomplice who might try to threaten me, I’m not alone this time. I have you.”
“That’s right. You have me. I’m going to protect you.”
She cupped his face with her hand. “I know you will. But I don’t think I need to move to the ranch or give up my job.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you mine?”
She swallowed heavily.
“Hannah? Are you mine?”
“Mostly.”
He reared back. “Mostly?”
“Well, we haven’t . . . we haven’t taken things further.”
“Further?” he asked.
“Yeah, further. You know, beyond kissing.”
“Because you need time. And that’s fine.”
“What if I don’t need more time? What if . . . what if I want more now?”
Shock filled him. “You want me to make love to you?”
