Page 76 of The Outpost (Jamison Valley 4)
“I can’t agree to this,” he clipped.
“Please?” I whispered.
His suit-clad chest expanded before he blew out a loud huff. “Fine. It’s your choice.”
“Thank you.” I rushed out of Beau’s embrace and gave Henry a hug. “Thank you.”
He hugged me back, his designer cologne filling my nose. “You know, I was the one who came to your apartment the morning after you disappeared. I got that file you sent and then the call that there had been a disturbance at your house. I swear, Sabrina, I thought I’d find you dead.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
He sighed. “Me too.”
I squeezed him tighter before stepping away. Once upon a time, I’d had a crush on Henry Dalton. He was handsome and smart, and when he smiled, he had an adorable dimple in one cheek. But even his pretty brown eyes couldn’t conjure the butterflies I used to feel for him.
Those little flutters all belonged to Beau now.
“Would you do me a favor when you get back to Seattle?”
He nodded. “Name it.”
“Will you check in on my family? I’d like to make sure they’re all okay.”
“They are,” he said. “We’ve had an agent watching them since you went missing. Everyone’s fine.”
Checking social media was one thing but hearing from someone I trusted that my parents and brothers were fine was an immense relief. “Thank you.”
“I need to be able to call you.”
“Okay,” I said at the same time Beau declared, “No.”
“Why not?” I asked, turning around. “Don’t you think it would be good to know what’s happening?”
“Any message he needs to send can go through Jess. You’re going to disappear again.”
Henry let out a dry laugh. “You know I could find her. Obviously, she’s been with you. How long do you think it will take me to figure out who the fuck you are and where she could be staying?”
Beau’s hands fisted and a couple of knuckles cracked. “I’m thinking you’re going to leave here and not draw any unnecessary attention to why you’ve been on vacation in Montana. That would include asking a bunch of questions about me and my relationship with Sabrina. You wouldn’t want anyone to follow your tracks, now would you?”
Henry’s jaw ticked as he gave Beau a short nod before looking to me. “I hope you know what you’re doing with this guy.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant my relationship with Beau or that I was trusting Beau with my safety. Regardless, my response was the same. “Yes, we know what we’re doing.”
Henry turned to Jess. “You can get word to Sabrina if we need to in a hurry?”
“Yeah.” Jess nodded.
“Okay. Take care of yourself,” Henry told me.
“I will. You too.”
He pulled a pair of Ray-Bans from his suit pocket and slid them over his eyes. Then without another word, he walked back to Jess’s truck.
“Let’s go,” Silas said.
Without delay, I got back in Silas’s truck, leaning down to give Boone a short hug. Silas and Beau loaded up and we roared away, Jess’s truck leaving a dust stream in its wake as it went the opposite direction.
“I don’t trust that guy,” Beau said.
