“We should split up,” Bree said.
“No way in hell.”He reached down and wrapped her hand in his, a little afraid she might bolt.
“They’re looking for a couple.Separating is logical.We could meet up later when it’s safe.”
“But it also makes us more vulnerable.”He wasn’t worried about himself, he was worried about her.“What would happen if they caught you?”He held her hand more tightly in his, ignoring the relief he felt when she didn’t try to pull away.
“I’d probably be dead before my body hit the ground,” she murmured.
Damn it.“Then we definitely stay together.”
They ducked around a family, and Bree turned more fully to him, putting her hand on his forearm and squeezing.“It’s me they want, not you.You don’t have to be in danger.This isn’t your fight.”
He shook his head.“We stay together.”
She looked like she wanted to argue further, but there was no time.
When Tanner saw a suit enter the crowded street from the other direction, conspicuous because of his obvious observation of everyone, he wrapped an arm around Bree and pulled her into the nearest shop.
“Someone just entered the street from the other end.Waiting them out is probably our best bet.”
She nodded.“We need to find somewhere away from people.They’ll start scanning phones soon.”
He didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it didn’t sound good.“Mine, too?”
“No, your flip phone is too old.It’s safe.”
Thank God Grand County was behind the times when it came to updating communication devices.
Bree looked around the general discount store they’d entered and began pulling him toward the back and the restrooms, then into the separate handicapped bathroom that would give them full privacy.Tanner grabbed an out-of-order sign resting under the water fountain and hung it on the door’s hook as they went inside before shutting and locking the door behind him.
Bree closed the toilet seat lid and sat down wearily.“This is one of the best places we could’ve probably picked to hide.But we’ll have to stay here probably an hour to make sure they’ve given up.Hopefully by then they’ll just assume they lost us.”
Tanner leaned back against the sink.“Good.That should give us enough time for you to tell me exactly what’s going on.Starting with who those babies belong to.Because you’re sure as hell not their biological mother.”
Chapter Ten
Bree stared at Tanner as he leaned up against the sink, his long legs stretched out in front of him and strong arms crossed over his chest.
How much could she tell him?Definitely not the whole truth.First of all, he was law enforcement.Under oath to fight bad guys or whatever.Knowing Tanner and his sense of justice, he would want to take on the Organization all by himself.The only thing that would succeed in doing was getting him killed.
If he even believed her at all.Why would anybody believe that a charity organization that had helped millions of underprivileged and impoverished people gain access to education and technology was actually housing a terrorist group buying and selling privacy and information?
Communication for All was the perfect front.They seemed so pure and altruistic in their motives.
No, she definitely couldn’t tell him everything she knew.But she had to tell him something.
“Christian and Beth aren’t my children.You’re right.They belong to my cousin, Melissa.”
“Melissa Weathers.The woman you met today at the church, and who the suits were talking about on the phone.”
“How did you know I met her?How are you here at all?”
“I’ve been watching you carry around that phone every day since you got to town like it held the secrets to the known universe, but you never actually talk or text anyone on it.Then today you get a text and ten minutes later you’re bolting out the door.So I followed you.”
He was a cop.A damn good one, she knew that.She shouldn’t be surprised.“Ok, fine.The text was from Melissa, telling me to meet her.”
“But you still scoped out the place.I watched you do that, too.Quite proficiently, I might add.Do you not trust her?”
