Levy didn’t look happy but gave up the argument. At least for now. As Justin, Raine, Stone, and Griff filed from the room, Levy took a step toward the front door. “I’ll go first, as I need to move my car out of the driveway, behind your SUV.”
Dominic crossed to the kitchen table to hand Kendra the backpack. It was heavier than he anticipated, so he slung it over his shoulder and picked up the laptop. “I’m ready.”
“We’re supposed to wait a few minutes for Justin, Raine, and Griff to get in position.” Kendra glanced down at her K9. “But I can’t just stand here either. Let’s head out. I’ll give Smoky time to get busy.”
Dom followed her outside. Levy was already in his car backing out of the driveway. He watched as the US Marshal skirted around a Cody squad to head west. He couldn’t shake the idea of going into WITSEC to keep Kendra safe.
First, her parents were innocent victims when his father was murdered. Now he’d dragged Kendra into the same danger. Granted, when they’d arranged to meet, he wasn’t aware of the danger.
But he was now.
“Get busy,” Kendra called to Smoky.
The Alaskan malamute did her thing, then trotted toward Kendra, her curvy tail wagging. Kendra bent to stroke the fluffy fur, then straightened to head toward the SUV parked in the driveway.
After Kendra opened the back hatch for Smoky, Dom stored her backpack and the laptop on the floor, then slid into the passenger seat.
“You’re awfully quiet.” Kendra sent him an arched look as she started the SUV and drove down the driveway past the police cars. “What’s wrong?”
He shrugged. “I can’t help but wonder if Levy is right. If Bartoli thinks I’m dead, you’d be in the clear.”
“Please don’t.” Her pleading tone tugged at his heart. “Don’t give up your entire life because Levy suggested it.”
He wasn’t sure how to explain to her that she was the main reason he was tempted to go along with the plan. As he stared out the passenger-side window, his heart felt heavy. Kendra was beautiful, kind, sweet, and caring.
And he was falling for her big time.
A pair of headlights flashed on and off. He pushed his complicated feelings for Kendra aside and gestured toward them. “Is that Griff?”
“I believe so.” Kendra flashed her lights in response. “Yes, that’s Griff. I can tell by his license plate.”
“You know your siblings license plate numbers?”
“Yeah. I know it sounds weird, but Chase made us memorize them. Along with our phone numbers.” She lifted a shoulder. “It’s come in handy over this past year, as my siblings have gotten themselves in some dicey situations.” She grinned. “Like now.”
He’d wondered why the Sullivans seemed so calm and cool in a crisis. He’d thought it was probably their search and rescue training, but it was more than that.
“That’s Griff, and I think Levy is behind us.” Kendra’s gaze bounced from the rearview mirror to the side mirrors. “I don’t see Justin and Raine, but if they were to the east, they’ll end up behind Levy.”
“I’m not sure I like the caravan approach.” He twisted in his seat to look through the back window. Smoky was stretched out in the crate area, resting with her eyes closed. “I feel like we’re waving a neon sign that says ‘Follow us!’”
“The shooter isn’t going to hang around nearby with the police swarming around outside.” She reached over to pat his knee. “I have faith that Griff and Raine know what they’re doing.”
“Of course they do. It’s just so different from how we tried so hard to fly under the radar.” Drawing in a deep breath, he tried to relax. Her hand was warm on his knee that was painfully jammed up against the dashboard. He reached over to grasp her fingers. “Kendra, I need you to promise me you’ll be careful. I’ll feel guilty if you get hurt.”
“Guilty?” She frowned and tightened her grip on his. “I made the choice to come and to stay with you. There’s absolutely nothing for you to feel guilty about. I don’t even want to think about what might have happened if you’d stayed in Billings.”
He wondered about that for a moment. What if he had stayed in Billings? The snowstorm had made him consider canceling, but he’d decided to push forward. The first attack against him hadn’t come until he’d arrived at the Redwood Motel. Was that because someone had shown up at his place only to realize he was gone? But if that was the case, how did the gunman know to find him at the Redwood Motel?
Something nebulous niggled at the back of his mind. He couldn’t seem to put his finger on what was bothering him. Dom hoped he wasn’t missing something important.
“Don’t forget, we have God on our side,” Kendra said softly.
“I know.” He was starting to believe she was right about that. It certainly seemed as if they managed to escape danger every time the shooter showed up.
Dom stared at the overcast sky and silently prayed that God would guide him to making the right decision when it came to protecting Kendra. Somehow, she had become the most important person in his life.
He would risk his life for hers without hesitation.
