“I think it’s Granger trying to isolate us,” he admitted. “This is his way of making sure we can’t get anyone up here to help us.”
“I guess it’s a good thing that you spoke to the sheriff earlier when you were arranging protection for the guests. At least he’s aware of what’s happening up here.”
“Yes, he’s aware. He was dealing with the FBI when I spoke to him. Handling the Donner and Adams situation. And as soon as he’s done, they’ll all be heading this way.” Sarah breathed a sigh of relief from his words.
“That’s good news, then. Do you think they’ll make it up here in time to help?” she asked hopefully.
Lawson searched her face, like he was committing her features to memory. “I’m not sure, but it would be great if they did. At least we know they’ll be coming. Sarah…”
He stopped talking, and stared at her for a long moment. She knew, before he said anything, what was going to come out of his mouth. She had been ready for it, from the moment they had started moving people off the property.
“I need you to go, too, Sarah,” he told her gently.
She shook her head. She had been preparing what she was going to say to him since that morning. She could help them at the lodge, and she’d rather be in danger with the people she cared about than safe and alone, wondering what was happening.
“No. I need to be here,” she replied firmly. “With you. And the other women, they need me. I know this place, I can be a help—”
“Sarah. You know you can’t stay. It’s too dangerous. I can’t focus on what needs to be done if I’m worried about you,” he pointed out. “I care too much about you to have you here when all hell breaks loose. I’d never be able to forgive myself if something happens to you.”
Those words knocked the breath from her lungs. She knew exactly what he meant. It felt like such a twisted joke, for all of this to have happened now that they were together. It was so unfair.
“I can’t leave you, Lawson,” she breathed, and he closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers for a moment.
“I don’t want to be apart from you, Sarah, believe me,” he murmured. “But I need to have a clear head going into this. And I can only have that if you’re safely away from here. You need to go with the other women, and you can look out for each other. Bailey knows how to handle herself. You’ll be safe with her.”
She gazed at him. She knew there would be no changing his mind, but she still asked him one last time to reconsider.
“I don’t want to leave you to take this on alone,” she protested, even though she was certain it was futile.
“I’m not going to be alone,” he assured her. “I have the best damn backup in the country. If anyone can end this, you know it’s going to be us.”
She smiled slightly. Well, he had a point there. Victor Granger might be scary, but he didn’t know what he was dealing with—three former military, two being former CIA, too, and a former cop. Or the other things the past couple of years they’d had to face down together.
“Will you please go?” he asked her. “For me?”
“Yes, I’ll go,” she replied. “But promise me something, Lawson. Promise me you’re not going to do anything crazy.”
He kissed her, the kind of urgent, needy kiss that told her just how high the stakes were.
She grabbed his face, holding him there longer, not wanting this moment to be over.
He pulled back and smiled at her, a little sadly.
“You know I can’t promise that,” he replied. “Come on, pack your stuff. You need to leave.”
Chapter Twenty
Lawson lifted a hand to wave off Sarah and the rest of the women, who were departing the lodge in Bailey’s car. His heart twisted in his chest as he stared at Sarah, the sadness at leaving written all over her face. He wouldn’t have expected anything less, but as long as she was going and would be safe, that was all he could ask for right now.
He thought she’d put up more of a fight to stay, but she seemed to understand how important it was that she left with the others.
When Granger had made that threat against her, Lawson knew there wasn’t a chance in hell he could have kept her here without being out of his mind with worry the entire time. He wouldn’t be able to focus and it would end up costing them all.
As soon as the car was out of sight, he turned to the team of men behind him—Cade, Aaron and Xavier stood next to the door, each of them with a grim expression on their face. They knew they were about to take on the fight of their lives, and whether they made it out in one piece was going to be down to their skills and their instincts. With their women safe, they could now focus on taking down Granger. For good.
“Come on, let’s get geared up,” Lawson instructed them. He had taken the lead, as he always did at the lodge. It was his tactical unit and he knew he couldn’t let any of them think he had any doubts about how this was going to go. Sometimes being a good leader meant showing confidence you might not really feel in order to keep your team strong, assured and focused.
The guys headed inside to the dining room, where they had gathered everything they had in the way of weaponry and firepower—well, what was left after setting the various traps around the property.
