Page 51 of Home Town Knight

Owen closed the door to the office. “Intruders, plural. There were two of them.”

He held out his phone, showing me a still from a surveillance camera. A man in winter gear carried a rifle. Only a sliver of his face was visible. But Iknew. Chills shot down my arms and legs. “That’s him.”

“And the other?” He showed me another still image. No face visible. Nothing distinctive.

“I don’t know who that is.”

I was getting lightheaded again, but I forced myself to stay standing. Jessi got up to glance at the image on Owen’s screen as well. “Wish we had a better picture of the bastards. I want to be ready the next time he or his friend comes around.”

“No, there won’t be a next time. I need to leave. Right now. I’m going back to Denver.”

Owen blocked the door. “You’re not. These people knowyour name. They know where you work. It wouldn’t take them long to find your home address.”

“Then I’ll stay at a hotel. Or with a friend.” Assuming I had a friend who was willing. “I can’t risk anyone else.” The thought of Cece or Diane, or anyone Jessi loved, being hurt because of me was too much.

Owen stood like a sentinel. Arms crossed over his chest, hat low over his forehead. “You’ll stay with me.” The sheriff had spoken with an authority that brooked no argument. But I had never been cowed by authority.

“I can take care of myself.”

He walked over to me. Owen didn’t stop until he was inches away, his warmth and his scent enveloping me. “Stay with me.Please.”

Thatpleasewas enough to break through my defenses. I nodded, and one of the bands strangling my heart loosened. Just a notch.

We went to my cabin to gather up my things. I hadn’t even managed to stay at Last Refuge a single night.

The temperature had dropped, and I was shivering by the time we piled into Owen’s SUV, despite my coat. I’d already returned his, but he took his jacket off and wrapped it around my shoulders again. I let him. This had possibly been the longest day of my life, except for the day my father had died. I was too tired to keep arguing with Owen.

“Thank you for doing this,” I said.

He nodded in acknowledgment, giving me a small smile. “At least if you’re staying with me, your pursuers will think twice about going after you, even if they figure out where you are. They probably underestimated the security at LastRefuge, but they’ll know I’m armed and can call for backup in an instant.”

“What about when you’re at work?”

“You can come to the station with me. If we’re working on this investigation together, I might as well. Plus, I’ll be able to keep an eye on you.” He glanced over and winked. “Make sure you stay out of trouble.”

“You don’t think I can make trouble with access to all your files? Most reporters would be salivating over that.”

He just shrugged. “I’m choosing to trust you. Like you’re trusting me.”

I had no idea how long he expected me to stay with him. Or what I would do with myself. I hadn’t given my resignation to Pam yet, but I was strongly considering it. I didn’t have much to go back to.

But Iwouldhave to go back. Denver was home.

We made it to his house, which was further outside town than I would’ve expected. We’d gone past the lights of Main Street, then followed a winding road until the pavement ended and turned to dirt. Owen lived in a small brick house with Victorian wooden trim around the porch. It was classic Colorado. Not opulent, probably built by a family that made a little money back in this region’s mining heyday. But with small elegant details that made it uniquely beautiful.

We got out of the SUV, and Owen carried my bag. I didn’t see another neighbor around for miles. “Don’t you feel isolated out here?” Last Refuge had been isolated too, but it still had a good number of people, including their security team. It was just Owen out here. Unless somebody else lived with him, and he would’ve mentioned that by now.

“I like having a bit of privacy. Hard to get otherwise. But I’ve made some security upgrades, not unlike Last Refuge, thanks to Trace and River. Plus more basic precautions. I keep my weapons close. We’ll be fine here.”

We went inside, stepping onto the wood floor, which was patinaed with age. “This was the house I grew up in,” Owen said. “A gift to my parents from my mom’s father after I was born.”

“I thought you weren’t close to your mom’s family? They didn’t approve of her marrying your dad.”

“It was mostly my uncles, my mom’s brothers, who were the problem.” He shrugged. “Anyway, make yourself at home. Should be easy to find everything. Bathroom’s that way, kitchen’s there.” He rubbed a hand over the stubble on his jaw. “How about you use the bathroom for whatever you need, and I’ll change the sheets on the bed. You must be tired.”

“Thebed? There’s only the one?”

“The second bedroom is my home office. I was planning to set myself up on the couch. Unless you want to share.”

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