Page 20 of Rescuing Erin

“I’m glad there’s only one bed.”

“Why’s that, sunshine?”

“Because I’m too afraid to sleep by myself, and this way I don’t have to beg you to let me sleep next to you.”

Colin pulled back and propped himself up on an elbow. When his brows pulled together, I worried I’d crossed a line. “I’ll never make you beg for something you need.” I searched his face and was shocked to find he looked so sincere, his eyes pleading with me to believe him.

“Thank you.”

His hand brushed across my cheek, and he pushed my hair behind my ear. He was so close I could feel his breath on my face and, for a second, I thought he was leaning in to kiss me, but he stopped. “We’ll only be in this shithole for tonight. Tomorrow we’ll be someplace where you can feel safe.”

I doubted a change in location was going to ease my fears but I agreed, “Okay.”

“Are you still hungry?”

“No. I’m just tired and I want a shower but I’m afraid of what the bathroom looks like, so I’ll wait until tomorrow. Where are we staying?”

“My buddy, Abe, has a cabin outside of San Diego. It’s where Leo took Olivia when he was hiding her.”

“Does he know we’re coming? Don’t you have to call and ask?”

“Zane’s already taken care of it.”

“When did you talk to Zane?” He hadn’t called anyone since he talked to Fletch before we left Killeen. As a matter of fact, he’d taken the sim card out of his phone and smashed the rest of it when we stopped at a hardware store for a roll of plastic and duct tape. Which reminded me. “Are you worried someone will break into the car? It’s not like the plastic taped to the back window is a great deterrent.”

“It’s a rental,” he said by way of explanation. “Fletch called Zane and told him.”

“He did?”

I thought back to the short conversation the two men had and didn’t remember Colin mentioning Abe or California.

“He did,” Colin confirmed. “Remember when I asked Fletch to tell Zane, it’s always best to be honest?”

“Yeah.”

I still wasn’t understanding what that had to do with a cabin in San Diego.

“Abe’s name is Christopher. His team nicknamed him Abe because he’s always honest and has no tolerance for those who aren’t. When Fletch called Zane and repeated what I’d said, Zane knew where we were going.”

“What if Fletch didn’t repeat your exact words? Then how will Zane know? Wouldn’t it be easier to just call him?”

It seemed like a lot of work to pass secret coded messages when Colin could just call himself.

“First, Fletch repeated my words verbatim—”

“How do you know?”

“Because Fletch has been trained to follow instructions to the letter. He lives in a world where men die if they don’t. He knew the situation we were in and the importance of my message. I wouldn’t have said it, if it didn’t mean something. And I didn’t call Zane directly because I don’t know how we were tracked. The only people who knew we were headed to Texas were your father, my team, and Fletch’s team.”

“Would Fletch—”

“Not only is the answer no, but a resounding, fuck no. Fletch and the men he works with are solid—a hundred percent.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to question their integrity.”

It was a sad reality I didn’t have anyone in my life who I trusted the way Colin trusted the men he worked with or Fletch and his team. When Colin spoke about Zane and the guys, he was sure and confident they would never let him down. Even with Fletch, his answer was strong and quick. I loved that for Colin, but it reminded me how lonely I was. I had exactly one friend, and she didn’t even count anymore because I’d stupidly turned my back on her.

“You don’t know them and, right now, you should be questioning everyone. We are. Zane has Tex and Garrett, our in-house IT guy, combing through the lives of everyone you’ve come in contact with in the last few years. Friends, boyfriends, people who you worked with at the charities, anyone and everyone.”