Page 15 of Return to Laurel Valley

Blaze took her arm and they waded to higher ground. Their boots sucked at the mud and the slight incline was slippery enough that she lost her balance a couple of times and had to grab Blaze’s shoulder to keep from falling.

“Stay low here,” he whispered. “The cabin is just over this rise and there isn’t a lot of cover if you come at it direct. We’ll split off in either direction and come at it from the sides.”

It was easy for her to picture him as a commander. His orders were precise and direct, and he had no doubt that they’d be followed to the letter. She nodded and watched his fingers as they counted to three and then gave the “go” sign. Lily crouched low and moved from tree to tree, using them as cover, though she wasn’t sure anyone would be able to see that far from the cabin because of the heaviness of the rain.

Her heart thudded in her chest as the little cabin came into view. He was in there. She knew it. Could feel it. No lights showed from the inside, but Coltraine would keep it dark if he suspected someone was outside trying to look in.

She’d be the most exposed on her run from where she was hidden to the side of the cabin. The rain made everything more difficult—more dangerous. She caught movement on the opposite side of the cabin and saw Blaze move into position similar to hers. And then he gave the signal to go and they both ran up to the sides of the cabin, staying low and against the wall once they got there.

The water from the river was almost to the back porch, so they had no choice but to go through the front. She crept around the side of the house and met Blaze at the front door, his weapon down at his side. Visions of the last time she’d stood in front of an unknown threat with someone she cared about flashed through her mind and she grabbed Blaze’s arm, squeezing so he would know to let her go in first.

He looked down at where her hand rested and then back at her face and shook his head. She could see the compassion, but also the steel behind it. Blaze would never let someone walk through the door in front of him. It wasn’t in his nature.

“On three,” he mouthed. “You go low. We’ll be fine.”

He started the count and on three his foot slammed into the door, knocking it back on its hinges. She went in low, her makeshift weapon ready to fire if need be. The first thing she noticed was the smell. Bitter sickness filled the air and she brought her arm over her nose and mouth to block it.

A low moan sounded from the corner of the room, and she and Blaze both turned in unison and pointed their weapons at Jackson Coltraine. He was at least twenty pounds lighter than he’d been when he’d left New York a month ago. His face was gaunt and dirty and his clothes ragged. He lay huddled in the corner, and his eyes burned bright with fever.

“Just take me,” he said, holding out shaking hands in surrender. “I’m sick. Get me a doctor. Take me in.”

“Wow,” Blaze said, his mouth tightening in a thin line. “That’s just pathetic. Let’s get him back to the boat and into town. He can spend the night in jail while we get Colt to come out and take a look at him. It’d be a shame for him to die before he was able to go to trial.”

“It’d at least save some taxpayer money.”

“Are you two going to shut up and arrest me or not? I think I might need to throw up again.”

“I’ll let you take point here,” Lily said, elbowing Blaze in the side. “You’ve got the badge.”

“You’ll owe me one.”

“That has yet to turn out to be a bad thing,” she said, arching a brow.

“I said arrest me already! This is police brutality, having to listen to you two yammer on.”

“Shut up, Coltraine,” Blaze said, pulling him to his feet and slapping cuffs on. “And if you throw up in my boat, you’re going to be sorry.”

Chapter Eight

Boone handed her a cup of hot coffee. They’d brought Coltraine back into town and gotten him behind bars. Coltraine wasn’t someone to be trusted, and she didn’t want to see anyone hurt because they’d let their guard down. Coltraine might be sick and weak, but he was still dangerous, and he was mean as a snake.

She warmed her hands on the cup and didn’t care that her chattering teeth knocked against the cup every time she tried to take a drink. Colt O’Hara had already been in town helping his brothers make things more organized and assisting those who were without electricity, so they hadn’t had to wait long for him to make his way to the jail.

“You should get a shower and get warm,” Blaze said, coming up beside her. He held his own cup of coffee and his clothes were as soaked as hers. “He’s not going anywhere for a while.”

“Do me a favor and go into the cell with Colt,” she said. “I don’t trust Coltraine.”

“I can do that. If you’ll take my truck back to the house and stop being so stubborn.” He handed her his keys. “Your lips are blue.”

Lily rolled her eyes and headed down the hall toward the back door, and then she made the short drive back to Blaze’s house. She was going to have to take Coltraine back to New York, but the thought of leaving Laurel Valley made her chest tight. Even leaving Blaze for a little while didn’t sit well with her. They were supposed to be together.

But they’d never even talked about what being together looked like. What their future looked like. They were married and they knew so little of each other, only that they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. They literally lived at opposite ends of the country. But she had no ties in New York.

She was a free agent and she could find bondsmen to work for out here just as easily as in New York. Granted, there were probably fewer fugitives in this part of the country, but she could venture closer to Seattle and Portland if she had to.

Her apartment was sparse. All she had to do was pack up her few belongings and give her landlord notice. And for better or worse, she was going to make Laurel Valley her home.

She showered quickly and changed into a pair of Blaze’s sweats she’d found in his drawer. They were much too big for her, but they were warm, which was all she cared about. She brushed the tangles from her hair and left it to dry around her shoulders.

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