Page 10 of Shadow of Doubt
Eryn’s phone chimed. “That’s a text from Trey. Lucas has a cold, and he’s crying for me. I need to try to get him back to sleep.”
“How old is he?”
“Almost five.” She smiled, a dreamy one that lit up her face with happiness Colin only wished he knew as a parent. “But Lily is sick too. She’s three, and Trey has his hands full with the two of them. I should be back soon. I’ll let you know if that’s not the case.”
She rushed toward the door as if the kids themselves were calling out to her.
He couldn’t imagine being the parent of three—she had an older daughter too—and still trying to work. But she loved her job, and she seemed to fit it in part-time.
Voices sounded outside the door. Male. Female. Calm, ordered tone. No excitement by the woman. He’d hoped she would be thrilled about the job, but maybe she wasn’t interested. After all, she was used to something far more thrilling.
Please. Mom’s care is more important than me. I’ll gladly deal with the residual trauma from my past work if You provide someone to care for Mom.
The door opened, and a tall, curvy woman with flaming red hair in waves of curls down to the middle of her back stepped in. The sidearm at her hip surprised him. Didn’t match thefemininity she portrayed. Not that a feminine woman couldn’t be a gun enthusiast, but in his experience it was more rare.
Why did she feel a need to carry? Was it because of what she’d learned in hacking? Learned that the world was a dangerous place and she needed to feel safer? He wouldn’t doubt it.
She caught sight of him. Her eyes matched the shocking green accent light of his gaming keyboard. A jolt of interest hit him hard. He almost gasped, but swallowed it down.
She had to be the woman Gage mentioned. The one who might take the job as his mother’s caregiver. If so, he would be glad to solve the problem. To have someone in the job.
But with her?
Could he live day to day with someone who made him forget everything in the room except her?
3
The job of caring for this Colin Graham guy’s mother was simple. One Brooklyn could do. Would like to do until she decided what came next for her. But the intense study from him left her unsettled. It was like he was trying to read every single secret she held, and she had the bizarre urge to unburden herself to him.
Not happening. She couldn’t very well tell him about the threat to her life. Not and work for him and live a normal life. He had “protector of the innocent” written all over his face. In his posture. In his assessing gaze. Just like all the other men in organizations like Blackwell Tactical and Shadow Lake Survival. Even Nick and his partners in the Veritas Center thought the same way.
“Will you excuse us for one minute?” she asked him. “I need to talk to Nick and Gage again.”
She didn’t wait for an answer but fled the room and hoped the guys would follow her. They did, but they didn’t look happy about it. Or maybe they were more surprised.
She hit the cooling night air, bugs flitting in the light beside the door, and took a long breath before turning. It would take allher efforts to bring these two men around to her side. “I want you both to promise not to tell anyone about Kane.”
“And by anyone, I’m guessing you mean Colin,” Nick said.
“Especially not Colin, but no one in general.”
Gage planted his feet, sending up a little pillow of a dust cloud. “Why?”
“I want to try to live a normal existence and not have every minute of every day a reminder that Kane is hunting me. If I tell guys like you and Colin about my situation, you all go into protective mode and get overbearing.”
“I resemble that comment.” Nick chuckled. “Seriously, though. I get it. I know I do it and some of the other guys do too. Just instinct.”
“I know, and I’m not pointing a finger or placing blame. I appreciate the support, but this has been going on for years now, and I need a break from it.” She rubbed her arms against the night chill. “I know I can’t forget about it and have to keep my eyes open and watch, no matter where I am. But for the first time since I fled from him, I feel like this is an opportunity where he won’t track me down.”
“A reasonable request.” Gage held her gaze. “But you’re putting Colin and his family at risk. He should have the choice of hiring you under these conditions or not.”
“I get that, I do, but I don’t think he would be in any danger now. If I stay off the internet, Kane has no way to track me to this location. And I only plan to take on this job as a temp gig until I can find something more in line with my computer work.”
Gage looked at Nick. “Is she right about that? About Kane not finding her?”
“Yes, in terms of an online footprint, but he could track her the old-fashioned way. On foot. PIs have been doing so for centuries.”
“Odds aren’t good, though, right?” She used her gaze to try to plead for agreement with Nick. “Kane won’t have a reason to connect you with this town and especially not with Shadow Lake.”
