Her mother’s eyebrows rose. Her father’s eyes narrowed.
Blake was as shocked as they were by the bond forming between him and Marissa, but she needed his strength at the moment and he wasn’t going to let her go for a few judgmental looks. He’d fix the mess he created five years ago and bring Kara home safely to the Lanes.
He wasn’t the sort of man who broke promises.
* * *
BLAKE’S PHONE BUZZED for the thirtieth time in as many minutes. He’d received nearly nonstop texts and emails as they’d told her parents about Nash Barclay. Until now, Blake had shared the information. This time, though, he excused himself to take the call.
Marissa followed him through the house and watched from the front window as he paced the porch.
Her mom and dad moved in on her like bookends, each winding one arm across her back. “Do you trust him?” her mother asked. “Can he do the things he says? Bring Kara home? Catch this maniac?”
“Yes.” Marissa felt the truth of the words in her core. “We don’t know where Kara is yet, but if we find out she’s in trouble, then I trust Blake to bring her home.”
Her dad harrumphed. “I think you’d be better off staying with us while he goes back into the field. You’re our top priority. Let the sonofagun who’s doing this be his. With you here, Agent Garrett can actively hunt this man.”
Marissa’s muscles bunched, the way they always seemed to at the thought of leaving Blake’s side. Nash was probably watching them, even now, and staying together was smart. Besides, staying at her parents’ home could put them in danger. She eased the sheer curtain aside with her fingertips and attempted to decode his muffled voice through the glass.
“He’s too distracted,” her dad continued. “Troubled. That’s no way to lead an investigation.”
Marissa gave her dad a sad smile. “You heard him. He blames himself for what happened to those women.”
“And you,” he said, frustration creeping into his voice. “This is happening to you, too, and your sister. This isn’t about some strangers. My daughters are involved now.” His voice cracked, and he turned away with a curse.
“I know,” Marissa said. In fact, Nash was only after Kara because Marissa had gotten away. That was on her.
The front door opened, and Blake poked his head inside. “Time to go. They’ve got a lead on the truck.”
Marissa drifted away from her parents. “And Kara?”
He shook his head infinitesimally. “Not yet.”
“Don’t go,” her mom pleaded.
Marissa went back to squeeze her mom. “I’m going to be okay, and you can reach me anytime you want at the number I called from earlier, okay? I won’t be alone. I’ve got Blake and his team, plus the sheriff and his deputies looking out for me.”
Frustration burned in her dad’s cheeks. His eyes were glossed with fear. “Anything happens to her, Garrett, and I’m holding you responsible.”
Blake moved into their home, standing close and strong at Marissa’s back. “Sir, you can rest assured that I will protect both your daughters at any cost.”
Her dad’s chin wobbled. “Do that.”
Blake’s hand was on Marissa’s waist, turning her toward the waiting truck. “Time to go.”
She took one last look at her parents, then let Blake lead her away. Frightened as she was for whatever lay ahead, Marissa was certain she could face it with Blake. She was also thankful for how shockingly natural it felt to lean on him for support. Yesterday, he’d been a stranger, and today he was her friend. More than that. Was there even a word to explain all Blake had become for her? The way he willingly shouldered her burdens? No one had ever done that, and Blake wasn’t only strong when she was weak, but he was intuitive and kind. She trusted him to get her through whatever came next, and with a little luck that wouldn’t involve any more bodies of Nash’s victims.
Her baby sister’s included.
Chapter Seven
Blake shifted into Drive and inched toward the road, discouraged by the Lanes’ vast amount of land and lack of nosy neighbors. Hopefully his dad wouldn’t be much longer. He’d responded affirmatively to Blake’s text request for him to drop in on Marissa’s family. Leaving the Lanes alone wasn’t Blake’s first choice, but he was needed at the station, and his dad was a solid stand-in. The town’s former sheriff had training, experience and an innate compulsion to protect and serve. Exactly what the Lanes needed in a bodyguard.
Marissa turned weary eyes on Blake. “What happened? Where are we going?”
“Back to the sheriff’s department. Cole says there’s been an onslaught of sightings since the media picked up Nash’s story, and they need help taking statements. He’s pulled in a handful of volunteers meeting with folks in person, and West has Mom’s quilting club manning the phones.”
Marissa kneaded her hands on her lap. “You didn’t get bad news about Kara then.”
“No.” Blake paused at the end of the Lanes’ driveway. “I wouldn’t keep news about your sister from you.”
The street was quiet, no traffic, no vehicles parked curbside. That was all good, but a jogger rounding the distant bend set off his internal radar. Blake added pressure to the brake, stopping to monitor the man. “You recognize him?”
“No.” Marissa leaned forward. “He’s too far away.”
“All right.” Blake freed his side arm and rested it against his thigh, then eased onto the road, moving them slowly in the man’s direction.
His face was hidden beneath the shadow of a high-end hoodie. The brand symbol was printed in reflective silver across his chest. He had the posture of a runner. His strides were steady and evenly paced. He didn’t appear to be out of breath or excessively distracted. No indication of unusual interest in the surrounding properties, specifically the Lanes’.
He looked into the truck’s window and lifted a hand in greeting as they crawled past.
Marissa relaxed against the seatback. “It’s not him.”
Blake slid his
