Page 52 of Constant Risk
The tightness in Tanner’s chest eased just slightly. Not having working internet would be one of the few reasons why Bree would have left of her own volition. He pulled out his phone and dialed hers again.
It was only because the rest of the room was so quiet that they heard the vibrating of a phone in the back corner as Tanner called. Whitaker ran back there.
“It’s her phone.”
The manager nodded. “Yeah, that’s where she was sitting.” Tanner disconnected the call and walked over to the corner. He and Whitaker both looked around.
“There’s no sign of a struggle,” Whitaker said. “And somebody would’ve seen if Jeter was here and tried to take her out.”
Tanner nodded. “And no internet here means she could’ve left on her own. It’s the one reason she would.”
They both looked up as the bell chimed on the door as someone entered.
The ball of ice around his heart eased when he saw it was Bree, laptop held in one arm, typing with the other hand, screen up to her face, completely unaware that everyone in the coffeehouse was looking at her. She literally nearly ran into Whitaker before she even looked up.
“Excuse me, I left my phone and I—” She finally realized it was them. “Oh, hey. What are you guys doing here?”
Tanner scrubbed a hand over his face. This was Bree. He’d seen her get lost more than once while working on computers. Couldn’t remember to do even the most basic of tasks like feed herself or go to sleep. He couldn’t get frustrated with her for being herself.
The most important thing was that she was safe and he was going to make sure she stayed that way.
“We caught the bad guy and got to the victim. The victim is going to be okay and we don’t think the perp was able to get word to anyone else,” Tanner said, taking the computer from her, setting it on the table and pulling her against his chest.
She was fine. Thank God, she was okay.
Bree didn’t question his actions, just snuggled against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Good. I’ve sent separate messages to the other two. As long as they are not conferring with each other separately, I think they both will eventually take the bait.”
She finally reached back and took a good look at him. “Are you sure you’re okay? I thought you said the woman was alive.” She reached up and smoothed her small thumb across his brow. “Why so worried?”
He couldn’t hide this from her. They’d come too far in their relationship, in their trust in one another, to keep something as critical as Jeter’s whereabouts from her. Tanner respected her too much for that.
But damn he didn’t want to tell her that her worst nightmare was unaccounted for.
“It’s Jeter. There was a crash of the prison bus and no one is completely sure where Jeter is.”
Chapter Eighteen
Bree felt like the entire world was falling out from under her. Tanner was saying other stuff, stuff meant to reassure her that Jeter wouldn’t get to her.
If Michael Jeter was out, there was nowhere on earth that he couldn’t get to her.
She’d spent much of her life running from him and the Organization, and that was before he’d known for sure she was alive. Now that he knew for certain she was and she’d helped get him arrested, he would never stop hunting her.
Her first inclination was to run. She was far from the emergency bug-out bag she had stashed at the ranch house, but she knew enough to know how to make herself disappear in a crowd. She could get completely off the grid and maybe find a way to evade Jeter long term.
She was actually turning toward the door, instinct to flee riding her harder than anything else, when Tanner’s hands came up and cupped her face.
“Breathe, freckles.”
Bree sucked in air and realized she had, in fact, been holding her breath.
“You’re not going to run,” he continued. “You’re not alone anymore.”
Her hands wrapped around his wrists like they were her lifeline. “Tanner, I know I’ve talked about Jeter, but you really don’t know the truth of it. I’m putting everyone in danger if he’sout. You. Your family. Everyone in Risk Peak. He’ll hurt them all.”
He brought his face closer to hers so it was the only thing she could see. “You’re not alone in this. Never again. No running, especially not until we have all the facts about Jeter.”
He stayed there, blocking out everything else, surrounding her with his presence until the panic finally melted just enough that she could process what he was saying.
