Marla’s gaze was watery as he led her down the hallway. “But what if she needs?—”
“I told King to come get us if she needs someone who understands, I promise,” Ranger said.
Marla sniffled as she curled beneath his arm. “Okay.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Have you eaten this morning?”
“Breakfast,” Anna muttered as she took off back to the bedroom she occupied.
I moved behind her, a steady shadow in the presence of the light she gave off so effortlessly. We made it back to her room and got the door closed behind us, but I wasn’t letting her get away that easily.
I grabbed her wrist and twirled her into me, banding my arm around her back.
“Bee,” she said breathlessly, that beautiful hair of hers twirling about her head.
I cupped her cheek with my free hand. “You are the most incredible person I’ve ever met.”
That sad look in her eye alleviated, much to my pleasure, as a soft smile crossed those kissable lips of hers. “You’re just saying that.”
I shook my head. “No I’m not. Every single day, you blow me away with the person you are. I need you to know that.”
Her smile faded slowly. “Why is this happening to our hometowns?”
My hand moved from her cheek and threaded through her hair. “I don’t know, beautiful. But we will push them out. Your home will be safe again. I’m going to make sure of it.”
Her lower lip quivered.My poor Anna-mine. “Do you think they’re onto us? Maybe that’s why they’re staging the kidnappings in our area now?”
“Most likely,” Cap said through the closed door.
I wanted to growl at him, but I reminded myself of who the hell was at the door. We turned just as he eased the door open, and he leaned against the doorframe. Arms crossed over his chest. Face devoid of anything but determination.
“It isn’t a coincidence that they’re pulling this shit around the time we moved everyone here,” he said. “My guess is that they’re trying to draw both crews out for an attack.”
“Especially given the fact that me and Ghost tracked one of those fucking blacked-out logo cars through Redd Valley.”
“They’re about to get a hell of a shocker, though,” Cap said as that signature grin of his finally made an appearance.
“What do you mean?” Anna asked.
I held out my hand in a fist and Cap bumped it. We couldn’t tell them about that part of the plan. There were some things that crews were simply sworn to secrecy on. But it was coming.
“He means, it’s almost over,” I said as I dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “They don’t have a clue what kind of information we’ve been able to gather on them.”
“Especially with the cameras and microphones we were able to set up in that one house,” Cap said.
“Oh,” Anna said softly.
And when she didn’t question further, I shot a look at Cap that said,enough. I knew my Anna-mine well. There was still much to know, but that didn’t mean I didn’t know her at all. And if she latched onto the fact that there was anything we were hiding, we were done for until she got her answers.
Cap nodded as he pushed off the doorframe, reaching for the knob. “You two get some rest. The saga’s almost over. Just one more leg in this race, and then we can all go back to our lives.”
I should have known it wouldn’t have been that easy with my Anna, however. Because the instant his footsteps faded down the hallway into nothing, I felt her gaze on me.
I didn’t even have to look at her to know what she wanted to ask.
“If I could tell you, I would,” I said as I turned and looked down at her.
She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Stupid church rules. It’s like one big secret ballsack club.”
