A sudden sneeze drew Brewer’s attention to the trees. He clamped his mouth shut and put a hand on Trent’s chest to stop his friend from overreacting.
“Crystal?” he whispered as fear gripped him. He’s been certain that she would still be in this spot.
“Here,” came the familiar voice—a voice that dropped his pulse back to near-normal levels. She must have panicked when he hadn’t immediately returned.
She climbed down and then sneezed again.
“This is Trent,” he said once she’d settled down.
“I’m Marshal Remington,” she said, taking the hand being offered.
“It’s good to meet you,” Trent said. “Looks like the cavalry has finally arrived.”
“Where’s your family?” Brewer asked.
“Safe,” he responded. “For now.”
Those were two words no person wanted in the same sentence when it came to protecting their family members.
“Your aunt must be—”
“Somewhere she won’t easily be found,” Brewer said, cutting Trent off. “Shall we head back to the car?”
“Sure,” Crystal said. “What’s the plan now?”
“Once we get back into cell range, I was thinking your superior could provide a safe house out here,” Brewer said.
“How about we find a fishing cabin to spend the night in?” Crystal said. “According to the map, there are several lakes around.”
Trent was shaking his head. “Bad idea. We should definitely get back to civilization.”
“Why is that?” she asked.
“We can’t stay in one place for too long,” Trent quickly said. A little too quickly?
“Maybe we can join your family,” Brewer stated. It was probably all the talk from Crystal about not knowing whether or not they could trust Trent that had Brewer questioning his friend’s motives. His buddy hadn’t done anything so far to cause alarm. Brewer would keep an eye on the situation, though. If Trent made a wrong move, they would leave him on the side of the road to fend for himself.
“Another bad idea,” Trent said.
“I need your phone,” Crystal said to him.
“My what?”
“You heard me,” she said, calm as anyone pleased. “It’s protocol. We can’t risk anyone tracing us.”
Trent’s gaze bounced from Crystal to Brewer. Was he looking for some kind of intervention on Brewer’s part? Because after what had happened, Trent would be waiting a long time. “Is that really necessary?”
“After reaching out to you with a new cell, our location was compromised,” Crystal said matter-of-factly. “Now that might have been a coincidence, and for your sake, I’m hoping it was. But I’m not taking another chance like that.”
If Trent’s phone had been compromised, Crane’s people should have been able to find them all this time.
“Okay, okay,” Trent said a little more defensively than Brewer would have liked.
“What’s the big deal?” he asked. “Hand over the phone.”
“When will I get it back?” Trent asked. “I have a family to think about. If my wife can’t get a hold of me, she’ll panic.”
His reasoning was solid. Keeping in touch with his family would explain why Trent hesitated to give his phone over. A twinge of guilt stabbed Brewer for not trusting his buddy’s intentions. Trent stood to lose people close to him too.
“Once this is all over, you’ll be welcome to retrieve it from the gas station bathroom where I intend to hide it,” Crystal said.
Brewer leaned in so only she could hear. “Is that necessary? The man has a family to consider.”
Crystal took a step back and caught his gaze. “Then let’s do everything in our power to get him home safely so he can be reunited with his loved ones.”
He couldn’t argue her point, so he turned to his friend. “This is the best way for now.”
Trent studied Brewer. His face morphed. “I shouldn’t complain, man. I know. I still can’t believe I got you into this mess in the first place. I guess my family will be safer if they can’t get a hold of me until this is all behind us.”
“That’s the right attitude,” Brewer said. “We’ll get through this together. In the meantime, Crys... Marshal Remington has done a damn fine job keeping me alive.” He put a hand out like he was presenting himself to the world. “I’m still here despite a few close calls and against the odds.”
“Teamwork, Mr. Brewer,” Crystal said, switching back to being formal.
Brewer’s chest deflated a little even though he understood the need for them both to be as professional as possible now that Trent was in the picture.
Trent handed over his cell so the three of them could get on the move. Crystal tucked it inside her left pocket after turning the power off. Brewer doubted that would help in terms of security, but it might keep Trent from panicking if a call came through once they hit a patch with service.
“That’s not all, sir.” Crystal shot a look of apology to Brewer before shifting her gaze back to Trent. “I’m going to need to pat you down.”
“You better believe I’m carrying,” Trent stated, lifting his hands in the air. “And we’re on the same team here.”
“Even so, sir. It’s protocol,” she informed, her voice steady, even, and authoritative. “Nothing personal.”
Trent shot a look at Crystal that could freeze water in hell before slowly turning his back, spreading his legs, and anchoring his hands against the nearby tree trunk. “You’ll find a Glock tucked into a holster in the waistline of my jeans. That’s all I have on me.”
Brewer noted how formal Crystal was with Trent as she patted him down. Her guard was way up when it came to his military buddy. Did she have good reason?
Deciding an extra layer of precaution never hurt, Brewer filed the information under the interesting category and moved on. He would keep an eye on Trent too. The man was a bundle of jitters and nerves. Under the circumstances, it was understandable. Crystal might’ve been making a mountain out of a molehill. Either way, they were covered.
Crystal thanked Trent. “Do you need to pack up any supplies at your campsite before we head back to my vehicle?”
“Nah,” he said. “I’ll just leave everything here. No reason to waste time, and there’s nothing that can’t be replaced or retrieved at a later time.”
“All right, then,” she said, nodding to Brewer before turning the direction they’d come and hoofing it back.
It was past midnight by the time they located the car.
“Think we should grab a few hours of sleep before heading out?” Brewer asked, thinking of Crystal. They’d slept last night. In fact, he tried to forget just how right she’d felt in his arms and how fast and hard he’d fallen asleep. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so well.
“I’m good,” Crystal said quickly. “I’ll drive. You can do whatever you want in the back seat.”
“I’m riding shotgun,” Brewer argued.
“Not this time, champ,” she said. Was it easier for her to keep an eye on Trent in front?
Crystal’s moves were always tactical, so he didn’t put up an argument. It would be easier for him to subdue Trent from the back seat, though.
“We’ll both ride in back,” he said, making a production out of opening the door for his friend.
Trent nodded, did as told. There was no humor in his eyes. Was he concerned about what would happen to his family if they were found?
Crystal claimed the driver’s seat, then placed Trent’s cell inside the console.
“Man, I’m just so glad you found me,” Trent said to Brewer.
“How long were you waiting?” Brewer asked.
“Not long,” he supplied. “Since last night after I stashed my family away. What about your aunt?”
“Same.”
“She’s good, though?” Trent continued.
“In good hands,” Brewer stated.
“I sent someone to check on her, and they reported back that she wasn’t home,” Trent stated. He leaned back in the seat and swiped a hand over his face. “I’ve been worried sick ever since I tried to call you back and got nothing.” He motioned toward Crystal and lowered his voice. “I’m guessing she’s to blame for your phone going missing.”
Brewer wasn’t sure how he wanted to play this. On the one hand, he could pretend to be the victim here in a good cop, bad cop way. Trent already didn’t like Crystal. It was obvious from his expression every time he looked at her and his reaction to her demand to turn over his cell.
But did they have more to worry about than Trent not being able to get in touch with his family? Or was there someone else waiting on a call?
THE PIT STOP at the gas station hadn’t taken long. Crystal had hidden Trent’s phone and was now the only person who knew the exact location of the cell. It was neater that way, especially when it came time to retrieve the piece of tech.
At this point, she was the only one with a cell. Hers had bars again, so she was finally in range for service. She had several texts from family members that she’d scrolled through while Brewer filled the gas tank. No news wasn’t exactly good news when it came to a loved one being in a coma for an extended period of time.
The text exchange had been her siblings and cousins checking in. Since all six worked in different districts for the US Marshals Service, their jobs weren’t nine-to-fives. They had to be ready to travel at a moment’s notice when a felon was located or believed to be located because you never really knew until you arrived on scene.
One look at Brewer said he was relieved they’d found Trent. She didn’t have history with the man, so there was no attachment for her, making it easier to be objective. Brewer was intelligent. He had street smarts. Under normal circumstances, she would trust his judgment on a person. He seemed to have the ability to read others well. Bias might get in the way, though.
Back on the road, she wondered if they could make a detour through Mesa Point on their way to the next safe house. Being a caring granddaughter was beginning to win over following exact protocol despite her need for perfectionism in her work. Crystal’s SO needed time to find a good location. Elise wanted them closer to Austin, so she’d thrown out Round Rock as a possibility. The sprawling suburb north of Austin could be a good place to blend in.
Another front entry garage–type house would work until Elise figured out what she wanted to do with Trent, now that she was aware he was along for the ride. The best news so far was that Aunt Rosemary was in an upscale nursing home having the time of her life. Not even the promise of hot firemen would be able to pry her out, according to sources. It was a good place to tuck her away until this whole ordeal was over.
Then what?
Crystal hadn’t given Brewer the sales pitch for WITSEC just yet. The subject had been brought up. The thought of Brewer disappearing, gaining a new identity and new life, sat hard on her chest.
The other message she hadn’t seen fit to return was from Mahone.
I miss us.
Those three words twisted up her insides. She’d been clear. He wasn’t the one. He needed to move on for his own sake. He deserved to find someone who could love him back. During their relationship, Crystal had believed she was broken somehow, that she was incapable of loving anyone. Was it the curse of her father’s DNA? How much could he have loved her mother if the man couldn’t stick around to bring up their children after she’d died giving birth?
Until meeting Brewer—and it was ridiculous when she really thought about it because the kiss had been so short—she’d thought what she’d had with Mahone was as far as she could go.
Her ex deserved better than mediocre feelings toward him. Crystal cared about him, but that wasn’t the same thing as being the cliché head-over-heels in love with someone. The kind of love that made her stomach free-fall when he was near. The kind of love that made her so in tune with his presence, she knew the second he walked into a room. The kind of love that caused an electrical storm in the space between them and fire to burn low in her belly and warm the insides of her thighs.
Now that she’d experienced those things, there was no going back. Which was also ironic because there was no going forward with the only man who’d ever made her feel that way either.
“I might as well grab some sleep while I’m in good company,” Trent said, shifting down in his seat farther, reminding her of a sullen teen. He tucked his chin to his chest and folded his arms across his chest.
“Go ahead, man,” Brewer stated. “We’ll keep watch for anything out of the ordinary.”
Trent’s phone was back at the gas station, so he couldn’t be trying to make a secret call for help or to give away their location by slinking down in his seat. She’d patted him down but hadn’t found a wire either.
Then again, devices could be small enough to miss. Could they trust Trent?