immediately put him on alert. He struck hard and fast, catching her wrist and dragging her down beside him. “Someone’s coming up your road.”
“We’d see the headlights.”
“They just turned onto it, but they’re definitely on the road leading to your house, not one of the others.” Even in his weakened state, he’d caught glimpses of the layout of the farm. He’d already mapped out several escape routes in his head. She wiggled, trying to get free, but she obviously was more worried about injuring him further. “Stop it, and listen,” he hissed. “I’ll cover you from the living room. If they come up to the house, open the door and leave it open, but step to one side. I have to be able to see you, so stay within sight of the left side of the room.”
68
“It’s my sister. She knew I went out for a dive, and she’s just checking that I’m home safe. She’ll come to the kitchen door, not the front door. And you need to mellow out. Sheesh, you’d think you want to shoot someone.”
“You think I can’t tell that you’re worried someone’s hunting you?
You have thread on the windows, and you checked all of them to make certain they weren’t touched. You circled the house looking for footprints and any disturbances in your plants. Even the layout of the plants is more to catch an intruder than for looks.”
Headlights suddenly spilled light across the wall in the living room, proving him right.
“Every door is locked, not with standard locks but security locks, and when I bolted the door, you didn’t protest. You were more worried about what’s out there than what’s inside this house with you. Don’t argue with me. Help me into the kitchen and I’ll cover you from there, just to be on the safe side.”
She regarded him with suspicion, and he couldn’t blame her. He still hadn’t made up his mind what to do if she told anyone about his presence.
He was confused and knew that made him doubly dangerous, a wild animal trapped and fighting for survival. The bits and pieces coming into his brain weren’t good. Not any of them. The only thing good was this woman staring back at him with enormous witch eyes, dark with distrust.
Again, he noted, there was no fear. None. He wondered what it would be like to see trust in her eyes. She gave a small nod.
“It’s Blythe,” she assured, “but if you feel safer ‘covering’ me, then I’m fine with that.”
She didn’t add her usual warning, but her mouth was set in a stubborn line. He had the sudden urge to lean forward and kiss her. His head nearly exploded before he realized he had actually made a move toward her. She hadn’t moved and their lips were inches apart. They stared at each other. She made a little moue with her lips and slipped off the bed.
Lev released her immediately and, trying for a modicum of modesty, wrapped the blanket closer around him, even as he grabbed his favorite gun.
Rikki was silent as she wrapped her arm around his waist and helped him to stand. She didn’t know why she was indulging him. She should have just picked up the gun and hit him over the head with the silly thing. It was just a little disturbing that he had caught her security measures, as injured as he was. Not once had any of her family noticed—and she liked it that way.
She set him in a chair and went out onto the porch off the kitchen, leaving the door open as instructed. She watched Blythe exit the car.
69
“Did you have a good time?” She called out loud enough that Lev couldn’t fail to realize it was, in fact, her sister and he could just put away his gun.
“I was worried about you. I tried to call you on your cell several times.
And I left four messages on your machine.” Blythe closed her door and came up the stairs. She reached for Rikki and hugged her.
Rikki tried to hug her back. She didn’t mind Blythe touching her, but she always felt awkward, unsure what to do in return, so she usually stood and waited for it to
“We’d see the headlights.”
“They just turned onto it, but they’re definitely on the road leading to your house, not one of the others.” Even in his weakened state, he’d caught glimpses of the layout of the farm. He’d already mapped out several escape routes in his head. She wiggled, trying to get free, but she obviously was more worried about injuring him further. “Stop it, and listen,” he hissed. “I’ll cover you from the living room. If they come up to the house, open the door and leave it open, but step to one side. I have to be able to see you, so stay within sight of the left side of the room.”
68
“It’s my sister. She knew I went out for a dive, and she’s just checking that I’m home safe. She’ll come to the kitchen door, not the front door. And you need to mellow out. Sheesh, you’d think you want to shoot someone.”
“You think I can’t tell that you’re worried someone’s hunting you?
You have thread on the windows, and you checked all of them to make certain they weren’t touched. You circled the house looking for footprints and any disturbances in your plants. Even the layout of the plants is more to catch an intruder than for looks.”
Headlights suddenly spilled light across the wall in the living room, proving him right.
“Every door is locked, not with standard locks but security locks, and when I bolted the door, you didn’t protest. You were more worried about what’s out there than what’s inside this house with you. Don’t argue with me. Help me into the kitchen and I’ll cover you from there, just to be on the safe side.”
She regarded him with suspicion, and he couldn’t blame her. He still hadn’t made up his mind what to do if she told anyone about his presence.
He was confused and knew that made him doubly dangerous, a wild animal trapped and fighting for survival. The bits and pieces coming into his brain weren’t good. Not any of them. The only thing good was this woman staring back at him with enormous witch eyes, dark with distrust.
Again, he noted, there was no fear. None. He wondered what it would be like to see trust in her eyes. She gave a small nod.
“It’s Blythe,” she assured, “but if you feel safer ‘covering’ me, then I’m fine with that.”
She didn’t add her usual warning, but her mouth was set in a stubborn line. He had the sudden urge to lean forward and kiss her. His head nearly exploded before he realized he had actually made a move toward her. She hadn’t moved and their lips were inches apart. They stared at each other. She made a little moue with her lips and slipped off the bed.
Lev released her immediately and, trying for a modicum of modesty, wrapped the blanket closer around him, even as he grabbed his favorite gun.
Rikki was silent as she wrapped her arm around his waist and helped him to stand. She didn’t know why she was indulging him. She should have just picked up the gun and hit him over the head with the silly thing. It was just a little disturbing that he had caught her security measures, as injured as he was. Not once had any of her family noticed—and she liked it that way.
She set him in a chair and went out onto the porch off the kitchen, leaving the door open as instructed. She watched Blythe exit the car.
69
“Did you have a good time?” She called out loud enough that Lev couldn’t fail to realize it was, in fact, her sister and he could just put away his gun.
“I was worried about you. I tried to call you on your cell several times.
And I left four messages on your machine.” Blythe closed her door and came up the stairs. She reached for Rikki and hugged her.
Rikki tried to hug her back. She didn’t mind Blythe touching her, but she always felt awkward, unsure what to do in return, so she usually stood and waited for it to
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