I exhaled as quietly as possible.
At a red light, Clint turned to me. “What are you upset about, Rae?”
“Not upset, Clint. I’m just sorry you have to do this for me. So, thank you, by the way, for your help.”
His toffee-brown eyes gave nothing away as he stared at me. It made my stomach sink because normally I could read him, but now, it was like looking at someone I didn’t know.
“Why?” he asked.
I blinked. “Why, what?”
He turned back to the windshield as traffic started moving. “Why are you sorry I have to do something for you?”
I looked out the passenger window and sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Liar.”
My chuckle was silent. “You don’t want to be around me. So, I feel bad that my problems mean you’re forced to spend more time with me.”
From the corner of my eye I saw him bite his lower lip. A muscle worked in his cheek and I hoped he kept his thoughts to himself.
My hopes were dashed.
“Never said I don’t want to be around you.”
“Telling me I should be in New—”
Without taking his eyes from the road, he grabbed my hand in my lap. “I told you I didn’t mean that shit, Raegan.”
“Yeah, I just—”
“Stop,” he bit out. “Let’s see if your car’s anywhere to be found.”
His tone held finality to it, and I thought he’d let go of my hand. He not only continued to hold it, but he shifted our hands so he could lace his fingers with mine. When he squeezed my hand, I stared over at him. Had it not been for the quirking of his lips, I would’ve thought he ignored me.
What was this?
I faced forward and decided not to think about it. Whatever it was, it was temporary, and I couldn’t let myself get caught up in all that was Clint.
Problem was, Clint had always been a force I couldn’t resist.
That meant pulling into the Target parking lot, I was wrapped up in my mind and his voice startled me.
“Some things never change. You still park as far from the doors as you always did.”
To my total surprise, the rental car was still where I parked it, though I could see the driver-side door wasn’t fully closed.
My lips shifted to the side for a moment. “Well, I can tell you right now, that’s going to change.”
He looked at me but didn’t respond, other than gently pulling his hand from mine.
I opened my door, but Clint was out of the truck and rounding the tiny rental car.
“What are you doing, Clint?”
He had settled halfway in the car, with one long leg angled out onto the pavement. It took me a moment to see he was checking for something in the passenger seat.
“What are you looking for?”
He looked over his shoulder. “Your purse. Did you toss it on the seat like you always used to do?”
I shook my head. “I stopped doing that a long time ago.”
“Then why was the door open?”
I sighed. “The button for the trunk on the key fob wasn’t working. So, I had to open the doors to pop the trunk. Then I—”
Clint popped the trunk and strode past me. Joining him at the back of the car, he held my purse up to me.
“Thanks. I’m surprised they didn’t take my purse, though.”
His brown eyes said more than the next words out of his mouth.
“Your purse wasn’t the point, Rae.” He exhaled sharply, like he didn’t want to say anything more. “I don’t think you have any idea how fucking lucky you are to be alive right now.”
My eyes widened. “Actually, Clint, I do know.”
His eyes turned fiery. “Really? But you’re surprised your purse is in the trunk? They didn’t need whatever cash you got in your wallet because in all likelihood they had already been paid to abduct you.”
My head reared back. “How can you know that?”
He closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, the fire was gone. “I do shit like this for a living, Rae. I investigate things. On occasion we provide security. If a thug had come upon you and taken you, yeah. They’d have taken you in the car, and drained your wallet dry. But this isn’t that.”
I pressed my lips together as I fought off my growing fear. Everything Clint said was true, but I didn’t know what to do about it. Rather than hold eye contact with him, I rummaged through my purse for the keys.
“What are you looking for, Rae?” he asked, mocking my tone from earlier.
I glanced up at him. “My keys.”
He made a strange noise, then looked back to the trunk. “You didn’t buy any food yesterday, did you? ‘Cause that shit’ll be bad by now.”
I huffed. “No. I suppose that’s a blessing. But, now I remember I had the key ring on my finger, so I doubt they’re in there.”
He slammed the trunk shut. “Right. Well, the upside is you don’t have to report the car stolen, but you’re gonna have to report the keys lost. The other upside is that you got an older model, without the press-button ignition.” My brows furrowed, and he grinned at my confusion. “Been a helluva long time since I did this, but I get your car started, I’ll follow you back to the house.”
Clint shoved the seat all the way back and reached under the steering column. After that, his hands worked so quickly I lost track of what he was doing, but moments later the engine turned over.
“I had no idea you knew how to hotwire a car.”
He shot a sheepish smile my way. “By the time I met you, those days were well behind me, honey.”
I moved out of his way as he unfolded from the car. He grabbed my hand, guiding me toward the car. As I looked into his eyes, I again wondered what was happening here.
“I’m following you, so don’t run any yellow lights. Got it, hotshot?”
I gave a huff along with a small grin. “I would never —”
His chin
