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Monterey was a decoy Since it would take three hours to get to Mojave and several to get to Monterey, she was stalling for ti over to him The top of her head barely reached his shoulder, but she set her hands on her hips and looked ready to take hi to Monterey, don’t you?

It’s faster to Mojave and you’re hoping that you’ll wrap this all up before I’led to keep his face stern when he really wanted to smile "If Justin’s in Monterey, that’s where you’ll want to be"

"Listen" Her head tilted to the side "I’ to Monterey, that’s where I’ to Mojave, that’s where I’lanced at Aidan "Which car are we taking?"

"Stace, please," Lyssa begged Standing from her seat at the end of the small table "Stay withher ar room and then outside He took her to the far corner of the porch, by the bedroom , as far away as possible fro in and out of the house

Stacey followed Connor with shaking legs She hoped he didn’t notice how unsteady her steps were She was terrified he would find a way to leave her behind Maybe it was unreasonable to feel like she had to be with hi Her houilt-trip, and Aidan was focused on keeping everything running smoothly

She felt like an outsider Lost, confused, and really goddamned scared

Connor was her only anchor in the o

What would she do if he left her behind?

He drew to a stop and heaved out a breath The roof of the porch hid hilittered with ean in that low, rich brogue she adored "What can I do to get you to stay behind?"

"Nothing" Her voice came out hoarser than she would have liked

"Sweetheart" The aching note in his voice made her cry

"You can’t leave me here, Connor You can’t"

He cupped her face in his hands and pressed firm lips to her brow "I won’t be able to think if you’re with ed in scarcely o crazy here"

He was going to say no, she could tell Her hands fisted in his T-shirt His skin was so hot she could feel the huh the black cotton "You owe ive you if you leave o without ripped his frame and his head lifted "Do we have a chance now?"

She sed hard, her chest co

"Stacey?" He pressed his parted lips to hers, his tongue flickering along the seaainst hisnow What you are…

what this means… But I need you I need to be with you"

Connor nuzzled his teainst hers and cursed under his breath "You have to listen to me

Obey every co into him "Yes, whatever you say"

"You’ll be the death ofher mouth with deep, possessive licks His thu at the wetness left by her tears His grip was alht, his passion almost too th when she had none, and she rab our bags," he said with a resigned sigh

"The sooner we take off, the sooner we’ll have Justin back"

Filled with gratitude, she restrained him and kissed hirowled "I don’t like it all"

But he was doing it anyway, because he couldn’t deny her There was so precious in that capitulation

Stacey stored away the feeling to exaht down the highway and wondered at his sanity It was shot to hell apparently; otherwise Stacey would not be in the passenger seat next to him

"So all of your people are i wheel tightened The powerful HEMI engine of the Magnuhty-fiveat hi still They weren’t reaching their destination fast enough

"We can be killed," he said finally, "but it takes a lot of work"

"Are you going to k-kill Rachel?"

He shot a side-glance at her "II can to keep this neat and clean, but if it comes down to the wire, we can’t afford to fail"

"No, we can’t" She offered hi and his heart clenched "I figured you un and started explaining"

"That’s to protect yourself Don’t worry about me, Stacey" He reached out and set his hand over hers where it held the Glock "Keep yourself alive

That’s the "

The silence stretched out between them Not quite comfortable, not quite uncomfortable