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Callahan shook her hand and glanced back at Cody, a look of approval in his eyes “She’s quick, but not reckless” was all he said, but Keira knew she’d passed some kind of internal test on Callahan’s part

In an undertone she told Cody, “That’s dried blood,” nodding in the direction of the dark splotch on Callahan’s shirt

“Yeah,” Callahan said “And the body it ca in my bed at home” Cody raised one eyebrow in a question that Callahan answered with a slight shake of his head before adding, “Our nearest neighbor—he lived about a half ht, already bleeding out He was dead before Mandy and I could do anything to save him” Keira had never heard a colder, harder voice, and Callahan’s face matched his voice “That’s e’re here”

Keira assessed the man in front of her in a way that was second nature to her now He was older than Cody—soh it wasn’t always easy to judge ages with men, especially this man He was tall, too, just a shade shorter than the man beside her He was as dark as Cody was fair, and there was an alert, atchfulness in his tawny eyes that told her he took no risks where he hadn’t already calculated the odds And while o physically, he was as lean and muscled as Cody was—aher prisoner the night they’d met made her heart skip a beat

Callahan looked to be a for And was he as impressive as Cody had already proven himself to be? Keira couldn’t be sure until she saw him in action She knew fro, but he was also quick off the e to spare He’d already risked his life for her once, and—

“Where’s McKinnon?” Callahan asked, interrupting Keira’s o

“Guarding our escape route,” Cody replied “I figured that was your four-by-four, but I didn’t want to take any chances, especially not with the gear we brought with us”

One corner of Callahan’s rin “You know, Walker, for an amateur you’re not half-bad” His tone and words were deliberate provocation, but Keira realized Cody wasn’t responding to it Heacross his face the way she re once before

Callahan was speaking again, and Keira took herself sternly to task Stop thinking about Cody and focus on e’re here

“Mandy and our kids are in the cabin,” he was saying “She’ll be relieved to see you—she’s been terrified ever since last night that so will happen I can’t handle on my own” Keira was quick to note the way his voice softened when he mentioned his wife and children “There’s coffee already o in and let Mandy know you’re here while I help McKinnon unload the truck?”

Cody glanced at Keira She read his unspoken e and turned away to call McKinnon on her Bluetooth earphone, relaying the news that Callahan was on his way there Then she followed Cody through thetoward the cabin As they picked their way carefully, avoiding the worst of the mud, Keira asked, “Want to tell me what that was about?”

“What?”

“That reency, so I don’t get it”

“Long story I’ll tell you sometime” He smiled at her as they mounted the porch steps He reached for the front door and opened it without knocking

“Cody!” One of the most serenely beautiful women Keira had ever seen raised a relieved and thankful face froreet the beneath her thigh before adding, “Thank God you’re here”

Keira felt an unexpected wave ofnot envy, exactly More like wistfulness Not for the other woman’s classic features and all-Aht on Cody’s face before he controlled it and dropped a quick kiss on the top of the other woman’s blond head No man ever looked at you that way, a little voice said inside her head It hurt And that surprised her She’d chosen her life deliberately, so it s Man-wos