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“None,” Elizabeth admitted.
“It’s all right, Liz,” Hays said softly. “I’ve got you.”
“Lizzie,” Quaid said.
She startled. He hadn’t called her Lizzie in years. Only Jacey used that term.
“It’s going to be okay. We’re done cowering to him and his manipulation.”
Quaid had escaped nine years ago and even when he’d been recaptured four months ago, she’d heard that he bravely never succumbed, even when beaten almost to death. She wasn’t so certain she was done cowering. She still feared she was the only one who understood her father’s tactics and deviousness.
“Jacey, Cade, and Anna?” she begged to know.
“Safe.”
“You promise?” Her voice quavered and she bit her lip to hide the emotion.
“Yes, sis, I do.” He paused. “The Colevilles will protect their ranch, town, and Cade’s family.”
Jared and Easton nodded. It was as serious as she’d ever seen Easton.
“Sutton Smith sent some of his people to help Aiden’s operatives watch over Hays’s family and Anna’s.”
“Thank you,” Hays said.
Elizabeth was grateful for that as well. She tried to think if they’d overlooked anyone, but she also had to reiterate, “You know how he works, Quaid. Sneaky, stealthy, under the radar. Please have everyone be suspicious and careful about anything—carbon monoxide poisoning, a vehicle or plane tampered with, food poisoning, kidnapping, water poisoning?—”
“I know, Lizzie. I know. We are taking this very seriously. We won’t underestimate Father, Peter, or any of Father’s associates. Thanks to you, we have a long list of who to watch, and thanks to Aiden and Sutton, we have a lot of trustworthy allies in the FBI, CIA, military, police forces, Interpol, and other government organizations.”
“Okay,” she managed. Hopefully it would be enough.
She looked up at Hays.
“I won’t leave your side,” he said, his dark eyes full of promise.
She wished that could be true, but she’d eventually have to leave him in order to save him. She would sacrifice herself every time. It was second nature to her.
“You all are so lucky,” Aiden quipped. “You get to claim friend status with not only the second top security specialist in the world, but now the most wanted renegade.” He chuckled. “Chalisa’s going to hate that term. See you all soon.”
“Thank you, Aiden,” Jared said.
“My pleasure.” A click and he was gone.
Hays had told her that men like Aiden quipped and teased to deal with the darkness and heaviness of their occupation. Aiden was too much for her. She couldn’t make light of her father setting his target on Aiden’s head. Who else would he go after if Quaid was right and Cade, Jacey, and Anna were in a safe space? Hays? Definitely. Maybe the Colevilles would be safe since they hadn’t stayed at Jacey’s party past when the rest of the innocent people from town had left, but she wouldn’t put it past her father to track down everybody who had been at Jacey and Cade’s the night she ‘disappeared’ and start torturing them to see who would make Elizabeth, Quaid, and Jacey break and come running to him.
Elizabeth focused on Hays’s dark eyes and his strong arms around her. He was her safety net, her love, her life. And her father was going to destroy him, cut him apart bit by bit.
She straightened and tried to step away. He didn’t let her go.
“I don’t want you as my bodyguard any longer,” she told him in a firm, business-like voice, tilting her chin imperiously. “Aiden’s men will be sufficient. You should go back to the SEALs.”
Hays’s dark eyes reflected hurt, then determination. He leaned in. “Nothing you say will displace me from your side, Liz. Quaid hired me and I won’t leave you.”
“Please, Hays. Please.” Tears leaked out of her eyes. All self-control was gone. She crumpled against him and clung to his strong back. “If my father sees you, he’ll either realize you’re the voice from Jacey’s closet or he’ll put together that you’re the man I fell in love with at eighteen and sent away. Somehow he’ll know. He always knows. He’ll take special delight in torturing you to punish me for trying to escape and making certain I never disobey him again.”
Hays wiped a tear from her cheek. “Don’t cry, Liz. I will protect you and I will stay by your side. Even if it goes so far that you have to marry the cupcake.”
“Jarom,” she corrected. How was that his biggest concern? Did he not hear what she’d said about torture and murder?
