Sheriff Cortez, who’d insisted I call him Emmanuel, had assured me he would have his team working overtime on this case and they wouldn’t rest until we were safe. He’d made sure I knew I had nothing to fear legally, and that I was a witness, not an accomplice. I had been so scared of retribution; I hadn’t even stopped to think about legality.
Hearing his words did little to squash the dread that filled my body. I knew he would do everything in his power to help, but the ease with which criminals skirted the justice system left me on high alert. Somehow, even though I’d driven across state lines and over eighteen hours from the only home I’d ever known, they’d found us.
As we walked him out to his cruiser, Max’s hand resting on the small of my back, I once again thanked him for his help.
“If you receive any more messages from unknown senders, please pass them on to our office,” he insisted.
I nodded, fearing that if I spoke, I’d break down. A suffocating pressure bore down on me, the weight of the situation a palpable thing pressing against my chest. I was sure that if Max removed his hand from my back that I’d crumple to the ground in defeat.
I thought we had gotten away. How stupid could I be? You don’t outrun a murderer set on vengeance.
After the patrol car’s tires crunched on the gravel, disappearing down the driveway, Max put his arm around me, turning me back to the house. I’m not sure how he could sense the quiet desperation radiating from me, the way I was barely holding it together, but I wasn’t going to question it. I let himguide me back into the living room and sit me down on the sofa.
Retreating to the kitchen, I heard him rustling around in cabinets for a few minutes before reemerging with a steaming cup in hand.
“Tea.” He said simply, as if using too many words would snap the tightly wound tether on his restraint.
“Thanks.” I replied and brought the steaming cup to my lips. It hinted of cinnamon and clove as I took a slow sip. The warmth trickled down my throat and into my belly, instantly relieving some of my anxiety.
“When I was a kid, I’d have panic attacks,” Max stated while picking at a loose thread on the sofa. “Ma would always sit me down with a cup of chai tea. She said that the warmth was good for calming the soul.”
“I wish I could have met her.” I said, placing my hand on Max’s knee in comfort.
“She would have loved you.” His gaze met mine and a slight smile tipped up at the corner of his mouth. “She was fierce, loyal, and stubborn as hell. You remind me a lot of her. She would have gone to the ends of the earth to make sure Wade and I were safe, happy and loved.”
He used his signature move, a gentle lift of my chin, his eyes shining with sincerity, leaving no doubt about his words as he spoke.
“You’re an amazing mom, Stella. You did what you needed to do to keep yourself and Charlie safe. We’re not going to let anything happen to you two, I promise.” His sincerity met its mark, and I smiled weakly.
The group ambled back into the house, settling with soft thuds onto the plush living room furniture. One by one, theyall nodded in agreement, a silent chorus of approval for Max’s earlier statement.
“We mean it, kid. You’re one of us now.” Pops said with a tender tilt of his lips. “Now, who’s gonna train this woman how to shoot?”
Laughter bubbled out of everyone in the room, myself included at Pops’s brisk change of subject.
“Now, that’s a great idea Pops.” Max said, scrubbing at the stubble on his chin in contemplation. I could see the wheels turning as he worked out logistics in his head.
I mean, it couldn’t hurt to learn.
NINETEEN
stella
The acrid smellof gun smoke, a metallic tang mixed with something burnt, filled my senses as I made my way from the porch of the big house, crunching on gravel, to the shadowy coolness behind the barn.
Max had insisted on starting our shooting lessons immediately, taking Pops’ advice to heart.I was hesitant, but reluctantly agreed. I longed for the day when the knot of dread in my stomach would loosen, replaced by the confidence to protect myself. Realistically, I knew that one lesson on how to shoot a gun didn’t make me an expert, but I hoped it would give me a little bit of strength to know that Icouldprotect myself.
It just so happened that a water main break near the boutique had shut everything down, giving me an unexpected day off. Though disappointed about closing, the thought of having uninterrupted time with Max brightened my mood.
Ray had already planned on having Charlie for the day, so she offered to keep her so that Max and I could work on some shooting lessons.
The sight that greeted me as I rounded the building was nearly pornographic.
Max was standing with his feet shoulder width apart and his arms raised as he aimed at a target approximately fifty feet away.
He looked ever the vision of lethality, and I leaned against the barn in an attempt to keep out of sight and avoid rubbing my thighs together to quell the ache settling between them.
Max’s faded Wrangler jeans clung to his muscular thighs as they flexed with each shift of his hips. He wore a tight-fitting black tee tucked into his pants, accentuating his broad back. To top off the sexy hitman visual, he had on a ball cap turned backwards and a pair of aviator sunglasses. Over his hat was a pair of black earmuffs to dull the sound.
