Page 56 of Shallow Remains

Fuck. “You’re not staying here,” Lachlan said, pulling Maddy to her feet.

“But—”

“Nope. He’s right,” Blaine said. “Get your stuff, we’re leaving.”

“I can’t leave the dogs.”

“Bring the dogs.” Lachlan didn’t know what the hell was going on here and neither of them seemed inclined to fill him in anytime soon, but he wasn’t taking any chances with her safety.

The intruder knew whatever had happened in Syria. This could escalate into something much more dangerous than psychological warfare.

“Let’s go,” he said.

He and Blaine helped her gather stuff for the dogs. Bowls. Dishes. Different foods. Meds. Supplements. Beds. Leashes and collars and harnesses, and— “Jesus, how much stuff does a five-pound dog need?”

“They’re really picky. Mae left very specific instructions for each one. I have to take it all with me,” she said, hurriedly gathering things into a large shopping bag she’d found while the dogs hung nervously around her feet. The distress in her tone and body language tugged at him.

“Hey.” He took her by the arms. Eased her to him and held her, his chin resting on the top of her head. “It’s gonna be okay. This is just a precaution until we figure out what’s happening.” But he wanted answers so he understood exactly what was going on.

She nodded, exhaled an unsteady breath.

“Ready?” Blaine asked from the kitchen doorway.

“Yes.” She turned away from him and picked up the bag. He took it from her and walked behind her to the front door.

She locked up and carried the dogs down the walkway with him and Blaine flanking her like bodyguards. Blaine’s Audi was parked closest to the gate.

He unlocked it and immediately started for the passenger side. Assuming she would go home with him.

“Oh, I…” Maddy said, stopping next to the closed wooden gate. “Thank you, but I want to go with Lachlan.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

Blaine’s gaze shot to Lachlan in surprise. Then back to her. “You sure, Mads?”

Maddy resisted the urge to fidget under the weight of that stare. She’d been spooked before calling Lachlan, but that mission patch terrified her and changed everything. “Yes.”

Blaine’s place had better security than Lachlan’s. But he’d gone above and beyond for her already, and for a long time.

She didn’t want to keep relying on him the way she had. If she went with him now, it would be way too easy to slide back into old habits she was fighting so hard to break. He was starting a new life with Xanthe. She needed to let them have that time and space together.

She looked up at Lachlan, aware that she was asking a lot of him. The patch meant whoever had done this was deliberately targeting her for some reason, and that could mean anyone close to her was at risk too. “If that’s okay.”

“Of course it’s okay.”

Blaine gave him another hard look, and oh boy, the warning on his face was clear. Like a big brother threatening bodily harm if anything happened to her under Lachlan’s watch. “You got her?”

“Yeah.” Lachlan settled a hand on her waist under her jacket. The warmth of his touch through her thin sweater spread across her skin. Anchoring her in a way she needed.

Blaine’s gaze shifted to her one last time. His jaw bunched. Then he nodded. “All right. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“Sure.” She exhaled when he opened his car door and slid in.

Lachlan urged her forward, his hand solid on her waist. She carried the dogs to his truck and he helped her into the passenger seat with them. “Are we going to your place?”

“Unless there’s somewhere else you’d rather go. I don’t think many hotels around here will allow dogs, and we won’t be able to get a rental this late.”

“No, your place is fine. I just don’t want to be a bother.” Or possibly bring danger to his doorstep.