cocked her head.
“Wait.”
Rowe’s stomach dropped at the single word. “If we wait,
they’ll be out of the chocolate croissants.”
“Come on, Rowe. Don’t lie to me.” Harlow put her bag back on
the counter and then crossed the room so she was standing right in front of
Rowe. “You don’t want a pastry. You want to keep an eye on Jack.”
Damn it. Why was that woman always digging around in her
head? “Why does it matter? You want to shop. I want to go to a store. Does the
motivation really make a difference?”
“Of course it does. It makes all the difference in the
galaxy.” She reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Rowe’s ear. “What’s
going on? You’ve been on edge ever since you got out of the hospital. You
aren’t worried about your own safety. So why have us here around the clock?”
Rowe had to look away. Not that it’d make a difference. If
Harlow wanted to figure out what was going on, nothing would stop her.
“You’re worried about all of us.”
“I keep feeling as if something bad is about to happen.” She
stared at a small spot on the floor as she spoke. “And I can help. I should help.”
“Something bad did happen, sweetheart. And you did help. You
saved Jack’s life.” Harlow pulled her into a hug. And the embrace made her feel
a little better. She liked being held by others. Too much of her early life had
been spent in solitude. “What you’re feeling is PTSD.”
“No. This isn’t post anything. It’s not over.”
“It is over. They got the bad guys.” She guided Rowe to the
couch as she spoke. “Hours and hours of interrogation went into making sure
they got the right guys.”
“They didn’t get him. The other guy said, ‘He’ll cut off
your balls’, to Thomas. There has to be another person.”
“He was probably talking about Jack. I could see him cutting
off some balls.”
“No. I mean, he would.” She couldn’t help but smile at the
image. “But this is something else. I just need to go check up on him. Make
sure he’s okay.” She was an adult. Harlow couldn’t hold her without her
consent. It was time her friend realized that. “You can come with me or go
home. But I’m not a prisoner in my own home and I won’t be treated as one.”
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Please. You have to know I’m
doing this for your own good.”
The words didn’t make sense but she was used to that. It
wasn’t until she felt the prick of a needle that she started to worry.
“Harlow?”
“It’s just a sleeping aid. Something to help you rest. You
haven’t slept well in days. It’s making you hysterical.”
“I can’t sleep now. I have to go check on him.” But already
her world was starting to get fuzzy.
“He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.”
“I can’t lose him.” Her eyes were much too heavy. How was
she going to find Jack if she couldn’t stay awake?
“You just need some sleep. You’ll feel better when you wake
up.”
But she knew Harlow was wrong. Things would only be worse
then. Much, much worse.
Chapter Six
Jack rubbed his temples as he stared at the screen of his
digital reader. He’d been going through the case’s files all day. He’d studied
the camp’s schematics, the militia’s financial records and the interrogations
in search of something out of place. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong but
something didn’t add up.
Actually he knew what was bothering him about this case. It
upset Rowe. She’d been doing her best to act normal. Well, normal for her. But
he could tell. She was keeping something from him. She was nervous every time
he left her side. And he’d been happy to spend as much time with her as possible.
He’d hoped his presence would make her feel safe but that was a temporary fix
at best. As much as he hated leaving her he had to go to work and somebody had
to make sure she had groceries in the house. Plus it was just no way for her to
live. She was a brave, strong
“Wait.”
Rowe’s stomach dropped at the single word. “If we wait,
they’ll be out of the chocolate croissants.”
“Come on, Rowe. Don’t lie to me.” Harlow put her bag back on
the counter and then crossed the room so she was standing right in front of
Rowe. “You don’t want a pastry. You want to keep an eye on Jack.”
Damn it. Why was that woman always digging around in her
head? “Why does it matter? You want to shop. I want to go to a store. Does the
motivation really make a difference?”
“Of course it does. It makes all the difference in the
galaxy.” She reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Rowe’s ear. “What’s
going on? You’ve been on edge ever since you got out of the hospital. You
aren’t worried about your own safety. So why have us here around the clock?”
Rowe had to look away. Not that it’d make a difference. If
Harlow wanted to figure out what was going on, nothing would stop her.
“You’re worried about all of us.”
“I keep feeling as if something bad is about to happen.” She
stared at a small spot on the floor as she spoke. “And I can help. I should help.”
“Something bad did happen, sweetheart. And you did help. You
saved Jack’s life.” Harlow pulled her into a hug. And the embrace made her feel
a little better. She liked being held by others. Too much of her early life had
been spent in solitude. “What you’re feeling is PTSD.”
“No. This isn’t post anything. It’s not over.”
“It is over. They got the bad guys.” She guided Rowe to the
couch as she spoke. “Hours and hours of interrogation went into making sure
they got the right guys.”
“They didn’t get him. The other guy said, ‘He’ll cut off
your balls’, to Thomas. There has to be another person.”
“He was probably talking about Jack. I could see him cutting
off some balls.”
“No. I mean, he would.” She couldn’t help but smile at the
image. “But this is something else. I just need to go check up on him. Make
sure he’s okay.” She was an adult. Harlow couldn’t hold her without her
consent. It was time her friend realized that. “You can come with me or go
home. But I’m not a prisoner in my own home and I won’t be treated as one.”
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Please. You have to know I’m
doing this for your own good.”
The words didn’t make sense but she was used to that. It
wasn’t until she felt the prick of a needle that she started to worry.
“Harlow?”
“It’s just a sleeping aid. Something to help you rest. You
haven’t slept well in days. It’s making you hysterical.”
“I can’t sleep now. I have to go check on him.” But already
her world was starting to get fuzzy.
“He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.”
“I can’t lose him.” Her eyes were much too heavy. How was
she going to find Jack if she couldn’t stay awake?
“You just need some sleep. You’ll feel better when you wake
up.”
But she knew Harlow was wrong. Things would only be worse
then. Much, much worse.
Chapter Six
Jack rubbed his temples as he stared at the screen of his
digital reader. He’d been going through the case’s files all day. He’d studied
the camp’s schematics, the militia’s financial records and the interrogations
in search of something out of place. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong but
something didn’t add up.
Actually he knew what was bothering him about this case. It
upset Rowe. She’d been doing her best to act normal. Well, normal for her. But
he could tell. She was keeping something from him. She was nervous every time
he left her side. And he’d been happy to spend as much time with her as possible.
He’d hoped his presence would make her feel safe but that was a temporary fix
at best. As much as he hated leaving her he had to go to work and somebody had
to make sure she had groceries in the house. Plus it was just no way for her to
live. She was a brave, strong
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