The way he handled her with care.
The way he shut down on her when she asked about the Marines.
That last part put things into perspective for her. They reallyhadjust met, and there was so much about him she didn’t know. There also seemed to be so much that he was guarding.
Maybe that should have been a red flag. Perhaps she should have felt pushed away, . . . but she didn’t. It may have sounded crazy, but even though he didn’t open up about his past, she still felt like she learned something new about him.
Today confirmed for her that he wasn’t always as emotionally available as he had been the night before. He didn’t make a habit of being vulnerable, but he did it with her when he told her how he felt. That one truth had her feeling special, and it gave her hope that he’d continue to let down his walls as their bond grew.
She learned that wounds lay beneath his silence. She was sure that there was one hell of a story that shaped this beautifully intelligent, calm yet dangerous man.
Nahla wasn’t sure which terrified her more: the sheriff’s potential retaliation . . . or the fact that somewhere betweenyesterday and today, she fell for the man who was determined to keep her safe.
One MonthLater
The past four weeks passed in a slow, golden haze. Cannon had been living a life so far from anything he ever imagined for himself, but it also felt comfortable. It felt like home.
Nahla in his T-shirts.
Nahla curled up next to him on the sofa with her laptop.
Nahla bonding with his little sister whenever she came over—and with his grandmother whenever they talked on the phone.
Nahla cooking him the best meals he’d ever had, daily.
Nahla.
Everything with them just felt natural, and they had been going with it—probably a little too much. Their plan to lay lowhad gone better than Cannon expected. She had been back to the news office a few times, and there were no strange cars or people around. She hadn’t received any more suspicious emails or calls.
Since her brother took their father on his most recent doctor’s visit, Nahla hadn’t had to go back to Lyle—thank God. And because she was sticking to publishing small, harmless pieces every week, it gave the appearance that her life had returned to normal. Everything had been smooth, and the new couple had been living in the bubble they had created for themselves.
It had almost been as if they believed the facade that they had been trying to sell to Lyle PD, because they hadn’t done much work regarding the story. Instead of using the time to explore her leads, they’d been exploring each other. Last night, Nahla randomly mentioned that all the victims she had interviewed must have thought she had given up by now.
A part of their plan to lay low was for Nahla to cease contact with all her sources. It was for her safety and theirs, just in case they were being watched. But still, the goal wasn’t to let this story slip through the cracks, so today, Cannon was getting things back on track.
The encrypted email Nahla received a month ago had been sitting untouched. They needed answers. Right now, they had a bunch of pieces but needed glue to hold them together, and they hoped to find it today. So, he and Nahla loaded into his truck and made the forty-five-minute drive into the city. They were going to be spending the day atPorter Protects.
When they entered the building, Capri was leaning over the reception desk with her tablet. Cannon was a little surprised to find her there, but then again, it made sense. Capri didn’t play about business. She believed that if their hours of operation were listed as open in their web search results, they needed to be open. She always said her worst fear was that someone in direneed of protection would come to their office and find no one there to help.
Capri looked up as they stepped through the door. She observed her brother first, then Nahla, who was tucked under his arm, wearing a hoodie she knew belonged to her brother.
Capri blinked then squinted and pointed at them.
“Oh, hell nah. Y’all go together real bad. Lyin’ asses!”
Nahla burst out laughing, and Cannon just shook his head.
“Nosy ass,” was all Cannon said.
They had yet to tell Capri or anyone else about the developments in their relationship. Capri knew they were feeling each other, but because they kept their distance from each other whenever she visited, she couldn’t prove it.
“Iknewit,” Capri said, smiling. “I was just telling Mama that?—”
Their doorbell sounded off, cutting Capri’s statement short. Cannon walked over to the receptionist’s desk and observed the security camera monitor.
“The fuck?” he said, more to himself than anyone else.
Because he was now blocking the monitor, Capri asked, “Who is it, Cane?”
