“Don’t you even think about that,” Wolf said, getting up. His face was set in hard lines. “You are not leaving this town. We can’t protect you if you’re off in DC.”

Logan jogged up the steps, pulling the aviators off his face. “Wolf is right. I read that file this morning. You nearly got killed in DC. No place is safe anymore, but at least here you know everyone will watch out for you.”

Laura opened the screen door and allowed Logan in. His big frame filled the doorway. In the last several months he’d gone from lanky boy to muscular man. He’d put away his precious comic books and now spent a lot of time in the gym. And at bars, if the rumors were true.

“Are you here to bring me in?” Laura asked the deputy.

Logan settled his hat on his head. “It’s not like that. Nate’s got a whole bunch of men in his office who want to talk to you. He wouldn’t tell them where you live. He sent me out to see if you want to talk or if you would prefer to join Mel and Cassidy. No one is going to look for you there. You could hole up for a week or two, and this should blow over.”

“It’s not so bad,” Wolf offered. “Mel’s made that place quite comfortable.”

“I am not going to hole up in a shelter and hope they go away,” Laura said with a long sigh.

She’d dreaded this moment. It was so much worse because, once again, Rafe and Cam were involved in her utter humiliation. “It was really far too much to think I could hide forever. I’ll go talk to them.

Who’s the agent in charge?”

“A man named Joseph Stone.”

Wolf suddenly held up his right hand, making a fist.

“Is he going to punch someone?” Laura asked.

Wolf shushed her and started to move around the table. His voice was low. “Someone’s outside. They’re moving slow and quiet, but they’re not used to rural terrain. He’s making a bunch of noise, and he doesn’t even realize it.”

Logan’s face had gone stony, and he had his gun in hand. “I thought I was being followed. Damn. Back of the cabin?” Laura’s heart rate sped up. The whole world suddenly seemed far too quiet. Every little noise felt like a threat.

“You protect her,” Wolf said, his voice a mere whisper.

“You don’t have a gun.” Logan pushed her none too gently to the nearest corner and placed his big body in front of hers.

“Since when does a SEAL need a gun?” Wolf asked.

He opened the screen door and disappeared. As far as Laura could tell, he didn’t make a sound.

She stood there feeling like an idiot for hiding behind Logan, but she didn’t have a gun, and she was out of shape. Bliss had made her feel secure. She’d stopped practicing judo and given up on lifting weights. It was so much nicer to sit with her friends at Stella’s and have pie and think about summer. Laura blinked back tears. She’d gotten too used to Bliss. She’d forgotten how crappy the world could be, but now it was crashing in on her.

Suddenly, the door to her bedroom opened and Cam stepped out, a gun in his hand. He wore his boxer shorts and nothing else.

“Put it down,” Cam growled at Logan. The Glock in his hands was perfectly aimed at the deputy’s head.

“You put it down, motherfucker. I don’t see a badge on your chest.” Logan didn’t move an inch to put down his gun, and Laura could feel the tension tighten in the room. “I’m giving you to the count of three before I blow your fucking head off. You understand me?”

“Logan, please, he’s not here to hurt me.” Laura needed to diffuse the situation.

“I don’t give a damn,” Logan replied. “He’s threatening an officer of the law. I don’t have to take that.” Laura looked to Cam, hoping he would be the reasonable one.

“Cam, please.”

Cam’s gun didn’t waver. “Not on your life, baby. Someone is moving around outside. Rafe is taking care of it. I’m taking care of you.”

“Everyone can stand down.” Rafe showed up in the doorway. He had put on some pants, but he was barefoot and bare-chested. He pushed someone through the doorway. All Laura could see was a man’s dark suit and his head covered in one of her pillowcases. Rafe had a gun to the back of the man’s head, and Wolf followed after them.

“He didn’t need a gun, either,” Wolf said with a smirk on his face.

“It was actually pretty cool. I was edging around the house to catch this guy when the fed here managed to get out that little window of yours, jump him, take the asshole’s gun, and get a damn bag over his head. Are you sure you’re not Special Forces?” Rafe tightened his grip on the pillowcase. Logan finally stood down, but Laura could feel the tension pouring off of him.

“Can you vouch for these guys, Wolf? This one pulled a gun on me.” Logan practically snarled the words.

The man Rafe was holding had his hands up, and he seemed to be trying to shout something through the case on his head.

“They’re law enforcement, Logan,” Wolf explained. “The sheriff should have warned you they were in town.” Logan holstered his weapon. “He didn’t warn me that they would come at me with guns and their dicks hanging out.” Cam looked down and readjusted his shorts. “I’m sorry about the hard-on. It’s the adrenaline. I’ll put on some pants as soon as we figure out if we need to bury this asshole.” Rafe gave his partner a stern glare. “We’re not burying anyone.

We’ll take him into custody.”

Wolf pointed to Cam. “I like that one, Laura. He’s the one you should keep. Sorry. I’m really good at burying bodies. I was looking forward to it.”

“No one’s burying anyone. Cam, get the hood, and let’s see what we caught.” Rafe forced his prisoner into the kitchen chair and took a step back.

Cam pulled the hood off, and the man suddenly had two guns pointed at his head, and he had a pair of her socks stuffed halfway down his throat.

“Well, if it isn’t Brad,” Cam said, shaking his head. “I should have guessed you would show up like a jealous girlfriend.” Rafe lowered his gun. “Brad? What the fuck?” He pulled the gag out of the man’s mouth.

Laura studied the newcomer. She hadn’t met him before, but she knew a fed when she saw one. He wore the uniform, dark suit—not too expensive, not too cheap—comfortable loafers, white shirt, and bland tie. He was built, but there was something about his face that reminded Laura of a weasel.

“You nearly killed me, asshole.” Brad spit the words out along with no small amount of phlegm.

“What the hell were you doing sneaking around like that?” Rafe asked. The guns had all been lowered. The tension notched down.

“I was trying to figure out where our target was,” Brad replied.

“No one around here seemed willing to help. The whole damn town seems intent on interfering with a federal investigation.”

“He followed me from the station house. I remember you,” Logan said. “You were the jerk who wanted us to haul in an innocent citizen.

He argued with Nate that we should put out an APB and treat Laura like a criminal.”

The man named Brad’s face twisted. “She can’t be too innocent.

She’s done a hell of a lot to cover her tracks. I’ve found innocent women don’t walk away from their lives and go off the grid. Innocent women don’t get the locals to cover for them. This whole damn town has made sure no one can find this bitch.” Rafe’s fist came out and made sharp contact with Brad’s nose.

Laura stepped aside the minute she saw Rafe draw back. Rafe knew how to punch. Brad’s head snapped back, and his nose crunched, a splatter of blood flying out.

“You broke my nose,” Brad said, though it sounded more like

“nobe” instead of nose.

“I’ll break more than that if you refer to her that way again,” Rafe said.

“I’ll do worse than break your nose,” Cam threatened.

“I’m your partner,” Brad said, holding his nose.

So the asshole was Rafe’s new partner. That was interesting news.

Cam was staring at him like he couldn’t stand the man. Laura walked into her kitchen and wet a kitchen towel. She grabbed some ice and wrapped it up before she handed it to Brad.

He put it to his nose. “You need to think about why we’re here, man. The whole team is holed up at that shithole sheriff’s office waiting around with their dicks in their hands because you won’t answer your damn phone.”

The words kicked Laura squarely in the gut. So Rafe had known they were coming. Well, she’d pretty much figured that out. Hearing it hurt, though.

“The team was supposed to wait for us to call back,” Rafe said.

He was looking at Brad. His eyes seemed to be avoiding hers.

“We have some new information. I’m not talking about it here,” Brad said, his mouth setting in mulish lines. “Now, maybe you can do your job, partner, and bring this…lovely woman in where we can talk to her.”

“That’s up to Laura,” Logan said.

“What new information?” Cam asked.

“Rafe didn’t share that news with you?” Brad asked, smirking.

“Joe called and talked to him yesterday. I guess he decided to withhold that little nugget. I would have done the same. Rafe is a Bureau man in the end. Now you need to step back, Mr. Private Investigator, and let the real men take over.” Cam’s face flushed. Laura knew that look. Asshole McSmartypants was about to get a fistful of Cam. She’d really had enough testosterone for the morning.

“I’ll ride with you, Logan.” Laura walked past Cam. “You should get dressed. Both of you. Wolf, can you give my boss a call and explain why I’m not going to be at work?” He nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll find someone to take your shift.

Everyone is going to want to help out. You be sure to take care of her, Logan. Call me if you and Nate need some backup.” Brad stood up. He still held the icepack to his nose. “You are not going to interfere with an official investigation.” Cam moved into Laura’s space. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”