Page 67 of Risk of a Lifetime
She didn’t understand phones and GPS and tracking, but her insides triggered a flash of warning. “He’ll be able to find us, right?”
“If my phone’s turned on, he can likely trace it. May have already.” JB let her lean back, looking her in the eye. “You might as well know, I’ve decided to leave the phone on.”
“Can’t we run again?” There had to be another way. More time. She wasn’t ready for this to end. She might not be able to face a life with him as a lawman, but she needed more time to make the memories she’d hold on to once this was over. “We could find another cabin and…and…”
“Could. But we won’t.” He scanned her face with his stare, as if making a photo negative for future use. “This ends here. On our terms. Okay?”
What would he say if she said no? Said she wanted to keep on running forever just to be with him? Said she’d give herself up for him to live another day? What would he say?
She straightened her back. Swallowed her fear. No, they weren’t going to run any more. JB was right. Better to confront the attacker on your own ground. They wouldn’t let the man chase them like they were the criminals. Like they were animals waiting for his pot-shot.
“Okay.” People might think she was a flutter in the breeze, but she could stand her ground when push came to shove. JB needed her help, so he could work to keep them both alive. “Do you have a plan?”
Chapter Twenty-two
Thirty minutes later, JB laid out his plan to Marcy. “You’ll get in the boat by the dock and set it adrift. You won’t be able to turn the motor on, but you’ll be able to use the oars if you’re real quiet. Once you’re out of the cove, you can start the trolling motor just like when we used to go fishing.”
“I can’t go out on the water by myself… I can’t.” She shook her head, eyes wide with stubbornness. “Change your plan. Come with me.”
“You’re a good, strong swimmer. You just hit your head on the side of the boat when it capsized that day. You got disoriented. Forgot to swim for the surface. That’s all it was.”
He swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew how hard this would be for her and doubted she’d gone fishing or swimming since he’d left town, but there was no way he could change the plan. “You can do this, sugar. I know you can.”
Fear lacing her eyes, she shook her head.
“Trust me, Marcy. You. Can. Do this.” He scoured his mind for another way. There was none. “You asked about a plan, and I have one, but I need you out of harm’s way to make it happen.”
“No. I’m not leaving you here alone with the killer.”
“Don’t you see? If you’re safe, then I don’t have to worry about protecting you.” JB covered her hands with his. “I’ll keep him busy long enough for you to get in that boat and get the hell away. With you gone, he won’t have anything to hold over me. It’ll just be me and him. And trust me, I don’t go down easy.”
The look on her face said she’d go along with it. Her escape was his top priority. His personal to-do list—simple. Take the perp out. Or, if there was no other way, let the perp take him out. At least afterwards, the man would have no reason to pursue Marcy, and sooner or later, the local police would catch him.
Right now, everyone needed time. Good old-fashioned time.
“Why can’t the police GPS the sheriff’s phone? They should be able to do the same thing he’s doing to us.” She couldn’t stand being immobile anymore, so she paced the perimeter of the room.
“This guy’s a pro. Probably took him less than a minute to download the numbers. Then, all he had to do was toss the phone in the trash or the lake when he drove across the dam.” He flipped through procedures in his mind. “I would have.”
She stopped. “You still think it’s the guy who ratted you out during the last job?”
“Yes.”
“Why’d he do that?” She walked to the back of his chair and looped her arms around his shoulders. Placed her cheek next to his.
“If I figure that out, this could all be over.” He grasped her hands, rubbing them in his fingers. “So, back to the question at hand… Can you force yourself to get in the boat and leave?”
Marcy slid her palm to his chest. She caressed the Kevlar covering his heart, over the spot where the thugs had branded him. “This must have hurt a lot. How did you stand the pain?”
“I imagined your lips coming to kiss me, not the hot metal.” He pulled her down enough to brush his lips across hers. He’d never tell her the smell as the glowing shield seared into his flesh. How even the memory of their times together hadn’t been enough to keep him from passing out.
“I’ll do it. If you can stand up to that…” She pointed to the spot on his chest. “…then I can get in the boat.” She rotated around and sat on his lap. “I’ll pretend you’re right beside me and we’re out to catch Sunday dinner.”
He knew how much effort that would take for her, but she’d work it out. Analyze her weakness and get it done. “Hey, you don’t have your Kevlar on.”
“I’ll put it on when we have to leave.”
Shucking her from his lap, he pointed to the bedroom. “Now. Get dressed as if you were going outside except for the coat. When the guy comes, he’ll come hard and fast. We need to be ready.”
