resort. Though the buildings were unfinished on the inside, in true Alan style, the outside of the place looked ready and welcoming. Always the cart before the horse with Alan. The main lodge was a four-story cabin-style building with snow three feet thick on the roof and icicles hanging down along the eaves, making it look like a gingerbread masterpiece. A deserted one—there were no lights, no other cars, nothing.
Noah pulled into the front row. “It looks finished.”
“Not on the inside.” Turning in her seat, she glanced uneasily behind them. “We lost them?”
“No. They’re still back there, lying low.”
Her stomach dropped at his easy acceptance of the trouble they were in. “I don’t see them.”
“That’s because they don’t want to be seen.” He had one arm along the back of her seat, the other on the console in front of her. He looked big, bad, slightly attitude ridden, and…worried.
About her.
She didn’t want to see that, didn’t want to know he cared.
“Truth time,” he said quietly.
He was surrounding her. It would be so easy to sink into his strength. Instead, she fumbled behind her for the door handle, pressing away from him. “Thanks for the ride, I’ll just—”
He slid his warm hand to hers, halting her movements. “What? What exactly are you going to do, Bailey?”
Find the money.
Turn it over.
And then hopefully live to a ripe old age somewhere warm, somewhere quiet.
To that effect, she shrugged off Noah’s hand and opened the door of the Jeep. Icy night air instantly hit her in the face, sapping the very breath from her lungs. Her feet sank into the snow. Already she couldn’t feel her fingers, but she managed to grab her bag. “Take good care of yourself.”
“Bailey, wait—”
“I can’t. But thanks. Thanks for…” She offered a feeble smile. “Everything.”
“Damn it, hang on—”
She shut the door. She imagined him swearing colorfully, but it was now or never because she was losing her nerve. The strain of keeping the truth to herself, and therefore keeping herself alive, was seriously beginning to wear on her.
She turned toward the gigantic resort in front of her. With Alan’s death, construction had come to a grinding halt.
Actually, that had happened when it had been discovered that he’d siphoned all of his money out of the business accounts. He owed millions of dollars, and yet the money had vanished into thin air.
Or so she’d thought.
Now Stephen was out there, sure she knew where Alan had hidden it, and he was on her tail.
Literally.
If she hadn’t already felt like a frozen popsicle, the thought of what he’d promised to do to her would have made her blood go cold.
But she couldn’t get any colder.
Behind her, the driver’s door to the Jeep opened. Refusing to acknowledge the small, tiny beat of hope, not to mention relief, she began walking, fast, toward the buildings, her every step sinking into the snow so that it crept up her boots, and then inside them.
“Goddamnit,” Noah muttered, grabbing her arm, bringing her around, his free hand coming up to her hip to hold her still. “I said wait.”
She wondered if he really did that on purpose, took such care in order not to hurt her, but even as she wondered, she knew it was true. He did take care not to hurt her. Just the thought brought a lump to her throat. She was so glad to have him here, with her, but she needed to get rid of him before they arrived, before they hurt him, too. “Go back, Noah.”
“No.”
“I mean it,” she said, her voice quivering. “You don’t know. You—”
“Shh.”
“Need to go back—”
“No, I mean really, shut up.”
Oh, God, now she heard it. An engine. Accompanying this was a beam of headlights, a car making its way up the road.
Toward them.
“Hurry.” He pulled her stumbling through the snow, slipping an arm around her to rush her along. Her bag banged painfully at her side, and she was so cold each movement was
Noah pulled into the front row. “It looks finished.”
“Not on the inside.” Turning in her seat, she glanced uneasily behind them. “We lost them?”
“No. They’re still back there, lying low.”
Her stomach dropped at his easy acceptance of the trouble they were in. “I don’t see them.”
“That’s because they don’t want to be seen.” He had one arm along the back of her seat, the other on the console in front of her. He looked big, bad, slightly attitude ridden, and…worried.
About her.
She didn’t want to see that, didn’t want to know he cared.
“Truth time,” he said quietly.
He was surrounding her. It would be so easy to sink into his strength. Instead, she fumbled behind her for the door handle, pressing away from him. “Thanks for the ride, I’ll just—”
He slid his warm hand to hers, halting her movements. “What? What exactly are you going to do, Bailey?”
Find the money.
Turn it over.
And then hopefully live to a ripe old age somewhere warm, somewhere quiet.
To that effect, she shrugged off Noah’s hand and opened the door of the Jeep. Icy night air instantly hit her in the face, sapping the very breath from her lungs. Her feet sank into the snow. Already she couldn’t feel her fingers, but she managed to grab her bag. “Take good care of yourself.”
“Bailey, wait—”
“I can’t. But thanks. Thanks for…” She offered a feeble smile. “Everything.”
“Damn it, hang on—”
She shut the door. She imagined him swearing colorfully, but it was now or never because she was losing her nerve. The strain of keeping the truth to herself, and therefore keeping herself alive, was seriously beginning to wear on her.
She turned toward the gigantic resort in front of her. With Alan’s death, construction had come to a grinding halt.
Actually, that had happened when it had been discovered that he’d siphoned all of his money out of the business accounts. He owed millions of dollars, and yet the money had vanished into thin air.
Or so she’d thought.
Now Stephen was out there, sure she knew where Alan had hidden it, and he was on her tail.
Literally.
If she hadn’t already felt like a frozen popsicle, the thought of what he’d promised to do to her would have made her blood go cold.
But she couldn’t get any colder.
Behind her, the driver’s door to the Jeep opened. Refusing to acknowledge the small, tiny beat of hope, not to mention relief, she began walking, fast, toward the buildings, her every step sinking into the snow so that it crept up her boots, and then inside them.
“Goddamnit,” Noah muttered, grabbing her arm, bringing her around, his free hand coming up to her hip to hold her still. “I said wait.”
She wondered if he really did that on purpose, took such care in order not to hurt her, but even as she wondered, she knew it was true. He did take care not to hurt her. Just the thought brought a lump to her throat. She was so glad to have him here, with her, but she needed to get rid of him before they arrived, before they hurt him, too. “Go back, Noah.”
“No.”
“I mean it,” she said, her voice quivering. “You don’t know. You—”
“Shh.”
“Need to go back—”
“No, I mean really, shut up.”
Oh, God, now she heard it. An engine. Accompanying this was a beam of headlights, a car making its way up the road.
Toward them.
“Hurry.” He pulled her stumbling through the snow, slipping an arm around her to rush her along. Her bag banged painfully at her side, and she was so cold each movement was
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