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Peirce gave her an inscrutable look “Yes”

“Are you sure?”

She saw his jaw tighten He grabbed his clothes and went back to the bathrooot dressed, wishing she could explain as running through her mind

Rationally, she knew Peirce could handle hi would happen to him

Peirce stepped back into the bedrooht across his chest He ignored her as he put on his belt, cuff, coloves The knife was slipped into a boot sheath The jewellery tucked into one of the many pant pockets He took a slim armoured vest fro just a little as he pulled on his shoulder His jacket covered the vest but allowed access to the gun he strapped at the small of his back

It wasn’t until he was at the doorway to the main room that he paused and said, “I’m not afraid to face him”

“I know you aren’t,” Emmaline promised as she scrambled from the bed and followed him

He was pulling on his lighter boots by the front door

“But he’s such a hateful man…how do you know he hasn’t set a trap for you?”

Peirce’s expression was one of a all his coot back to Monterrey Your father’s taken special care to avoid anyone who could let Stone knohat’s actually going on”

“So they aren’t working together?”

“At this point I’d have to say no Your father lost his only bargaining chip He’s desperate” His eyes darkened and she realised he was giving a slow perusal of her legs, bare since she earing one of his shirts “It’s easier to tell what men hen they’re desperate”

He turned away from her, started to open the door

It must have been split-second insanity, because she was across the rooainst his chest a h as she could on her tiptoes so she could lock her arms aroun

d his neck “Please be careful,” she whispered, strangely eear up and leave