He guided her to the vehicle and closed the door after she was seated. A minute later, he placed her purchases on the back seat and got behind the wheel.
One thing she loved about her friendship with Church was that they didn’t need to fill the space with talk. Their silencesweren’t awkward, only peaceful, like they’d known each other for ages. Which they had.
She sat stiffly in the passenger seat, staring out the window while the town faded behind them. The mountains that never truly left the view seemed to swell larger as they climbed higher, the late afternoon light washing the land in gold.
Normally she would have admired the view. Today she barely saw it.
The gates of the ranch opened when they approached, and they rolled inside. Security cameras watched from the entrance. Fence stretched along the property lines. Everything here was designed to keep trouble out.
Not if the trouble drives in.
Zee swallowed hard. She didn’t want to be the reason trouble found its way onto the Black Heart Ranch.
When they parked near the lodge, she sat for a moment before reaching for the door handle.
“I’m sorry.” Her murmur was barely audible.
Church turned to her. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Come up to the suite. I’ll make you some tea.”
She felt herself nod because she didn’t know what else to do. But the uneasy feeling in her chest refused to fade.
The people here had welcomed her so easily. They trusted her.
The thought planted itself deep in her chest, painful. Because if whatever followed her here didn’t stop…
She didn’t think she could stay.
Chapter Seven
Church stood at the table in the security office, his mind a jumble of questions and a hell of a lot of scenarios he didn’t want to think about.
Not when it came to anyone, let alone Zee.
Theo slid a report across the surface toward him. “We already pulled the police report.”
Church picked it up and read the first page, skimming incidental details such as vehicle information and time of response.
“And these”—Theo passed him another sheet—“are photos pulled from all the security cameras we can access in the area.”
He stilled as he stared at the photos. A man in a ball cap appeared near the truck. Not close enough for a clean angle, and he kept his head down and shoulders hunched enough to keep his face hidden from the camera.
“No face.”
Theo shook his head. “Nothing usable.”
Church’s jaw ached from clenching as he tried to make out any features on the face. “He knew how to evade the cams.”
The guy had kept his head turned at exactly the right moments. He approached from the side facing away from the street and the store as well, ensuring the cameras didn’t pick him up.
He met Theo’s gaze across the table. “This has happened to her before?”
“At least four times.”
Theo’s statement rocked his head back, and he closed his eyes briefly. Jesus Christ. Zee. Anyone but Zee. She’d already lived through so damn much.
“This explains why she kept moving. It wasn’t the jobs or the cities. This isn’t a woman who couldn’t settle after Matt died.” His throat worked on a hard swallow, the lump that formed at speaking his friend’s name jagged.
“This is a woman who hasn’t felt safe enough to stay. Anywhere.”
