I stiffen. My father is as ruthless a businessman as they come. Floyd Whitaker doesn’t give in unless it’s to his advantage. “He backed down without countering?”
Bronco removes mugs from the cabinet and sets them on the counter. “He did.”
“Something’s wrong.”
He nods. “Get dressed, princess. I need to make another call. After that, we’ll make a new plan. I think it’s time to move.”
He’s including me, I realize. He said, “we’ll make a new plan”. It makes me feel both powerful and scared, the feelings warring in my stomach until I feel ill. “I’ll hurry.”
The clothes Mae brought me fit surprisingly well. I tug on another pair of jeans and a sports bra, then add a camisole and navy sweater. The locket is cool against my skin. The weight of it settles some of my fear. I’m reminded that the tracker is my choice. A way for me to protect myself if Aiden or my father find me.
My hands still on the zipper of my left boot.
They’re coming for me. I don’t know how they’ll find me, but they will. Aiden will use technology to his advantage, and my father will follow along. I zip the boot and reach for the other. Perhaps that’s how he snared my father to begin with. Maybe he overheard some shady business deal and used it to his advantage.
I wouldn’t put either scenario past them.
I swipe my hair back into a loose ponytail and stare at myself in the mirror. My cheeks have a touch of color, and somehow, I look better than I have in months. I don’t know if it’s the fresh airor being with Bronco. There’s a budding confidence I’ve never felt before.
“You escaped him once, Cam,” I tell my reflection. “If the worst happens, you can do it again.”
The words sound hollow. I cling to them anyway and go find Bronco.
He’s still in the kitchen wearing only black boxer briefs. Sunlight streams through the window, highlighting his tanned skin and all the scars and tattoos I wanted to explore today.
He hands me a mug, and I’m surprised to find he’s already fixed it for me. I take a sip, savoring the sweetness. He added sugar too, because I like it.
I don’t know what to do with that level of acceptance. Only that I can’t give it up.
Bronco sets his mug aside, takes mine too, then draws me into his arms for a lingering kiss.
When we break apart, my eyes sting. It feels like we’re on the precipice of disaster, and he feels it too.
I cling to him for a long minute.
He drops a kiss to the top of my head. “Let me get dressed. My buddy, Derek, at Citadel Securities is running down more information on Frost. His wife is good at finding things others don’t.”
“What then?”
He cups my cheek. “Pack your things. There’s a duffel bag in my closet you can use. We’ll make decisions as we go.”
I nod.
“He has to go through me if he wants you, princess, and I’m not letting that happen.”
But how far will Bronco go to protect me? And what would Aiden or my father do to get me back?
He takes my hand and leads me back to the bedroom. I step into the closet to find the duffel while Bronco dresses. He’s holstering the gun he had the first day we met.
Was that just two days ago?
It feels like a lifetime.
He adds a second clip to his belt and pulls on his boots while I put the few clothes I have into the bag.
“When you’re done, pack some food. Just enough to get us through the day. I’ll grab my phone and some other things we’ll need.”
My heart is hammering, threatening to break free of my ribs, and my hands are shaking. I swallow. “Okay.”
