Laiken’s sleepy voice had me turning around. “Hey. You okay?”
She nodded. “Your arm?”
“Not too bad.”
Her eyes narrowed on me, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I could probably use a painkiller.”
“There are some in the first-aid kit.” Laiken sat up, holding the blanket to her chest. Her eyes widened as she took in the rifle. “Where did you find that?”
“There’s a gun safe in the mudroom. I just had to find the code.”
Her eyes flicked to me. “You’re a regular Hardy Boy.”
“Been called worse things.” I found a packet of acetaminophen and swallowed them down with cold coffee.
Laiken shivered. “Will you toss me my t-shirt?”
“Hold on, and I’ll grab your PJs.” I hurried into her bedroom, snagging the blue flannel pajamas that were folded on Laiken’s pillow, then stopped in my room for a fresh t-shirt and sweatshirt.
I dropped the PJs in Laiken’s lap, and she quickly pulled them on. I instantly missed seeing the expanse of golden skin. Lowering myself to the couch, I pulled her into my arms, ignoring the pulse of pain in my shoulder. I pressed my lips to her temple. “Feel better after a little sleep?”
She nodded, burrowing deeper into my hold. I breathed a sigh of relief that I wouldn’t have to battle against any second thoughts. As if she sensed the direction my mind had gone, Laiken said, “I don’t regret it. I could never regret you.”
I brushed the hair away from Laiken’s face and took her mouth in a slow kiss. “I’m damn glad to hear that.”
She smiled against my mouth, but the action quickly faded. “What are we going to do? Whoever that was could be anywhere.”
My gut twisted as the memory flashed in my mind again. The glint of metal. The crack of the shot. The feel of Laiken’s body under mine. I held her tighter against me. “We have a way to protect ourselves now. We stay inside until the roads are cleared and then get our asses back to town.”
Laiken shivered in my arms. “This means someone really is trying to hurt everyone involved in the accident.”
They weren’t trying just to hurt those in the accident. They were trying to kill them. And they didn’t care who stood in their way.
28
Laiken
The faint soundsof an engine roused me out of a deep sleep. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept so heavily or this much. Apparently, the trauma of yesterday was taking its toll.
That thought had me jerking upright. “Boden!”
He turned from his spot at the window. “It’s okay. I’m pretty sure it’s the snowplow. I caught a glimpse through the trees.”
The thudding of my heart slowed a fraction as I scanned Boden’s form. He was fully dressed, and even from feet away, I could make out the dark circles under his eyes. “Did you sleep at all?”
He shook his head. “I wanted to keep an ear out, just in case.”
I swung my legs over the side of the couch and stood, crossing to Boden. I wrapped my arms around his waist and burrowed into his chest. “You should’ve woken me. I would’ve taken over so you could get a few hours of sleep.”
“Do you know how to shoot a rifle?”
Pulling back a fraction so I could take in his face, my lips pressed into a firm line. “Do you?”
The corners of his mouth tipped up. “My dad was big on target shooting. He taught me young.”
“Oh.”
He pressed a kiss to my temple. “Stay here. I’m going to try to flag this guy down.”