Page 6 of The Outpost (Jamison Valley 4)
Before I could tell them that this wasn’t their problem, Beau talked over me. “Maybe one of the outposts? The one on the north side of Fan Mountain? I could take her up there and get her settled. Stick around for a while and clean the place up, then make trips up and down to keep her in supplies.”
Jess and Silas shared a look that snapped my spine straight. What about this was amusing? Was my life being in mortal danger really that entertaining?
“I think that would work,” Silas said.
“What’s an outpost?” Felicity asked. She seemed as annoyed by their inside joke as I was.
“Think of it like a cabin in the woods,” Jess said.
“Wait a minute.” The color drained from my face. The woods? No. Hell no. “I don’t think that’s necessary. I’ll just promise not to go out in public, stay tucked away in Felicity’s closet or something. I’ll be like Harry Potter living in my tiny cupboard.”
“I’m sorry, Sabrina,” Silas said gently, “but I’m not having you anywhere near Lis.”
How could I argue with that? He was going all alpha-male protective for his woman. I loved him for her. Felicity deserved nothing less than a man that put her safety and well-being above all else. She’d dealt with enough assholes in her life. Not only was Silas handsome, with his tall frame and killer brown eyes, but he looked at Felicity like he loved her more than anything in this world.
And there would be no point in arguing with him. No matter how much Felicity or I protested, he would put her above all else.
I nodded. “I can understand why you’d say that. I don’t want her in harm’s way either, but I’m not going to disappear into the wilderness with a strange man.”
A strange yet unbelievably attractive man. Unless Beau was married, my new vow to refrain from the male species would be short-lived if I was confined alone with the mountain of sexy standing across from me.
“Then what are you going to do?” Jess asked.
My fingers moved to my hair, twirling a lock as I ran through my options. Seattle was out. There was no way I’d be safe there. I wouldn’t take my troubles to my family in Florida. Maybe I could embark on a massive road trip around the country?
“I don’t know. I need a new ID. Maybe a car. Can you lend me some money?” I asked Felicity. I already owed her five thousand for paying my Uber driver, Kenny.
She nodded. “Sure.”
“Okay. What else?” I muttered to myself. Sliding off my stool, I slowly paced across the living room to stare out the large windows.
I’d need some clothes and something to change my appearance. I winced at the idea of cutting and dying the long hair I’d had for decades, but if I was going to evade the Federovs, I’d need to do something drastic. I wouldn’t put it past them to hack into cameras and security systems. They were filthy rich and extremely powerful. Basically, the worst possible enemy a girl could ever ask for. My nerves peaked as I stared into the dark night.
Stupid, Sabrina. So stupid.
When Felicity slid up beside me, I leaned my shoulder into her side as we stood quietly together. I hoped she had an answer to my dilemma. My brain was fried and I was too tired to think of something creative.
“I think you should go with Beau,” she finally whispered.
“No way.”
“Please, hear me out? They’ll track you down if you’re using my credit cards. The five thousand dollars I gave Kenny is going to show up as a huge red flag. They could find you here in the time it would take you to get a fake ID. It’s not like you can jump on an airplane. So what does that leave? You driving around the country like a vagabond, living out of the back seat and cheap motels?”
“That sounds better than living in a shack in the mountains.”
“Really? Are you sure about that? I’ve heard three out of ten motels have bed bugs.”
I smiled at her reflection in the glass. Leave it to her to make up some ridiculous fact about bugs to persuade me. She knew I hated all insects and ninety-nine percent of animals.
She smiled back but worry etched her face. If my staying in a repulsive wilderness hideout eased some of her worries and would keep me safe, I’d give it a shot. It wasn’t like I had other options.
My forehead fell against the cool glass as I reluctantly agreed. “Fuck. You’re right. I’ll go with Goliath.”
“Thank you.” She pulled me off the window and into a gentle hug. “He’s a good guy and I know he’ll keep you safe. Think of it like a rustic adventure. Maybe write a story about it.”
That would never happen. I’d written plenty of stories, and more often than not, they’d landed my ass in trouble
Writing a story about being trapped in an “outpost” with mountain-man Beau was just asking for more headaches.
