“Why?” I wasn’t sure why they’d hide the fact that the bed-and-breakfast was closed. Something ominous prickled at the back of my neck.
“The fewer people who know where my family is, the safer they are.”
My stomach dipped. I waited for him to continue, but he just stared at me, his jaw working as if he were grinding his back teeth.
“What’s going on, Roman?”
He was quiet a few beats longer, but then he leaned toward me. “First, I need you to assure me that you’re serious about your offer to take care of Hailey. This information is only relevant if you are.”
I blinked at him, taken aback. “Of course I’m serious.” I frowned, my cheeks heating. It was annoying how my skin was always so sensitive to my shifting emotions. I blushed for just about every little thing that got my heart going.
“I was sleeping in my car, Roman,” I muttered, fighting the embarrassment. “I’m obviously in need of a job.”
He gave a stiff nod. “Officially, my parents and my brothers are on—vacation.”
“But it’s not an actual vacation?”
Roman shook his head. “You’ve heard of Amos Anderson?”
Another pulse of anxiety shot through me. “The Shadow Stalker?”
“Yes.” His nostrils flared. “His escape has put my family in a situation that’s…less than safe.”
My chest tightened. “What does that mean?”
His lips thinned. “My brothers married women who were victimized by him. It’s made our family a target. Everyone but me has relocated to a safe house.”
I stared at him.
A safe house.
His family was hiding from a serial killer.
My thoughts scattered like snowflakes in the drifting wind, moving so fast I couldn’t focus on a single one long enough to respond.
Roman continued, his voice steady but weary. “This is something you need to consider before accepting the job.”
I tilted my head, studying him more carefully now. “If everyone else left, why are you still here?”
When his eyes met mine, they burned with intensity. In the light streaming in from the kitchen windows, there was a blue hue to them. They were a dark slate-blue, like a storm cloud before lightning struck.
“I made a promise to this town,” he said. “To protect it. I can’t abandon it.”
My pulse spiked.
“And because I have Hailey,” he added more quietly. “I didn’t want to uproot her life. I don’t have the same connection to Anderson that the rest of my family does, either. I’ve taken precautions. We’re careful. The house is safe, but there’s still a potential risk that you need to be aware of.”
His stare bore into me, like he was searching for any sign of fear. I was shocked to discover that there wasn’t.
Not of the serial killer, at least.
“Okay,” I finally said, nodding.
Roman tilted his head. “You need to decide if that’s something you can handle.”
I opened my mouth, but he shook his head.
“I don’t want an answer right now,” he said. “Think about it. But if you do decide to work for me, know this: while you’re under my roof, I will keep you safe.”
