“Braden,” she called. “Time to go.” She rushed toward the bedrooms as he hurried out of his, strapping a backpack on. She swung her bag on her back and purse across her chest and led the way out the door.
The man said nothing as they left.
She jogged away from Braden’s house and into the dark night.
“Shouldn’t we take my truck?” Braden asked, catching up to her.
“I don’t know that we have time,” she responded. “We’ll come back for it if we get an all clear from Papa’s man.”
They rushed through the neighborhood. Within twenty seconds, she heard the van gunning through the peaceful night.
Braden wrapped his arm around her and ushered her through one of his neighbor’s yards. She startled at the protective move. It was something one of her male family members would’ve done. She’d never allowed any other man to protect her. Many had tried and failed.
She and Braden darted to the side yard of the closest house and he sheltered her with his body. They watched the van go by, headed straight for Braden’s.
Yanking out her phone, she pressed Papa’s number. She should’ve ducked under and away from Braden’s shielding position, but it felt strangely … comforting and surprising to have this strong man watching over her. Even if she could take him down. She almost smiled at her prideful thought.
“Maddie?” Papa answered after two rings. “Is Moyle okay?”
“I’ve got Braden with me. Two men came into the house. I shot one in the hand and one in the shoulder, tied up the one with the shoulder injury, chased the one I shot in the hand. He got in a van and they pulled an assault rifle on me, so I hit the grass and let them go.” She wanted to go back and fight them, but she couldn’t risk Braden when she didn’t know how many men or how stacked they were with firepower.
“Maddie.” Braden’s voice seemed to rumble through her. She blinked up at him. The concern in his blue eyes tugged at something deep inside of her.
What was happening between them?
She shook it off, refusing to let him distract her again, and continued, “I don’t know what they waited for or where they went after that, but they’re doubling back around to Braden’s to either get their injured buddy or—”
An explosion ripped through the night air. Braden curled around Maddie, but they were far enough away they only felt the ground rumble, heard the noise, and saw the fireball above the tree line.
“My house,” Braden murmured, still curled around her as if he could protect her from every danger by the sheer strength of his body and make her yearn to be in only his arms for the rest of her life. If only …
“Maddie, what’s happening?” Papa sounded a bit frantic.
What was happening, indeed? These feelings for Braden were new and exciting and …
Papa wasnottalking about her allowing this enticing man to hold her close.
Focus, now, she commanded herself.
“Ninety-nine percent sure they just blew up Braden’s house.”
“To kill the two of you or the man you left tied up?” Papa asked.
“I have no idea. Their motives make no sense. The guy told me they had come for Braden and were to deliver him to the North Pier and their contact would find them. He claimed they were independent. Maybe they thought we were still in the house and blew it to contain the situation?” But they should’ve had equipment that at least showed them heat sensors, and why would they kill their own man? To prevent him from sharing info? He hadn’t had much.
“I’ll get somebody to North Pier and I’ll get somebody to Braden’s house. I want you to move Lieutenant Moyle to a secure location and watch over him until we figure out what is going on. Let me know where you end up.”
“Gotcha.” Maddie loved that Papa trusted her. There was no worrying about if she could keep Braden safe or where she would go. She’d been on her own for over seven years now and faced circumstances that would make trained men run and hide with tears streaming down their rugged cheeks. She could easily protect this handsome lieutenant. She had to make sure to keep an emotional distance from him as well. That might be hard. Whew. He was appealing. Actually, it was more than that. She felt an insane bond she’d never felt to any man. Lieutenant Braden Moyle was much more dangerous than the men who’d just blown up his house.
“Love you. Be safe.”
“Love you.” She hung up the phone and slid it into her pocket. Looking up at Braden, she knew it was far past time to get out of his embrace, no matter how safe, comfortable, and exhilarating this particular pair of toned arms was. “I’m taking you somewhere safe. We’ll hunker down until we figure out what happened tonight.”
He stared down at her. “Maddie, I can’t just leave. The local police and masters-at-arms will want answers and I’m expected on base at oh-seven-hundred hours.”
She let out a short laugh and gestured toward his house, the smoke still billowing above the tree line. “I’m pretty sure everyone is going to think you’re dead. Sorry, but you might not have any ‘normal’ days for a while now. We need to move.”
Ducking under his arm, she led the way through the backyard, thinking through places she’d stayed in Chicago, friends she’d made, and what fake identity she’d used.