Page 109 of Iron Willed Warrior

This was accurate, but for some reason, his comment made my hackles raise. “Somehow our bags got misplaced in between being kidnapped and barely escaping with our lives.” Maybe his FBI strike team would recover our belongings, but I wasn’t holding my breath.

He responded like he hadn’t noticed my sarcasm. “Hopefully I got your sizes right. Had to call my wife, Marie, for help with Brynn’s. I tried to cover the bases. Boots and coats for heading back to the mountains.”

“Thanks. Appreciate it.”

“Not a problem. I would do anything for Brynn.”

Ah. So he was marking his territory. Stanford was way too old for her and had mentioned a wife, so I assumed this was some kind of pseudo father-daughter thing. I chose not to respond. I had nothing to prove to this guy.

Taking the bags of clothing, I quietly left them in our bedroom so Brynn would find them when she woke up.

Hopefully, she’d have answers to my questions too. The answers I wanted. But now that I’d slept and my head was clearer, I was far less confident. Would Brynn really be willing to leave Colorado and her law enforcement career to run away with me? Become a renegade bounty hunter, like I had? What kind of fantasy was I living in?

I returned to the kitchen to make myself a sandwich, thanking him again for the supplies, and carried it out to the back porch.

It was late afternoon. Open desert stretched out around us. There were no saguaro cactuses like in Arizona, but this part of Colorado was just as arid. I was alone with my anxious thoughts for a few minutes as I ate.

Until Stanford barged through the back door and took the other chair. “How’s Brynn doing?” he asked. “She didn’t really answer me earlier. She doesn’t like appearing weak. None of us does. But I need to know.”

I considered my response. “She’s doing well. Resting.”

“Good.”

“She’d be doing even better if you can guarantee Garon Westwick will never see the light of day again. Not so much for what he did to Brynn as for all the other harm he caused.”

“Gladly. On that point, I believe that we all agree.”

I nodded, thinking the conversation was over. Maybe Agent Stanford wasn’t such a bad guy.

But then he had to ruin the moment when he kept talking.

“Bailey, I’d like to express my gratitude to you for getting Brynn back here safe. Obviously she played a sizable role in the success of your mission as well. I’m not diminishing that. But I had serious doubts about you when this began. You managed to come through.”

I felt a scowl twisting up my features. “That sounded more like an insult than a compliment.”

“It was the truth. Nothing more.” He brushed some invisible lint from his jeans. The denim had a crease down the legs, like he ironed them. Or his wife did. “Brynn means a great deal to me. I recruited her when she was a Marine. I’ve seen her growth as an agent. And also the setbacks she’s experienced on a personal level. She would hate the fact that I’m saying any of this to you.”

“I’m sure she would.” I set my plate near my feet and stared into the distance, hoping he’d get the message.

“But as someone who cares about her like she’s my family, it needs to be said. I’ve gotten the impression that, after the ordeal you two shared, you have come to mean a great deal to her as well.”

I clenched my jaw. “I’m not taking advantage of her. If that’s what you’re trying to get at.”

“I’m just trying to get a better sense of the kind of man you are. Do you see a future with her?”

“I do,” I gritted out. “Not that it’s your business.”

I expected him to say more. To give me all the usualbreak her heart and I’ll have my agents kill youwarnings. But instead, he crossed his legs and went quiet. I thought about going back inside, but damned if I would retreat from this guy. I’d been enjoying the fresh air and the view before he barged out here.

A cigarette. That was what I needed. But when I patted around at my pockets, they were all empty.

“Ryker,” I mumbled. “Asshole made me lose my smokes.”

Stanford dug into the pocket of his windbreaker. And to my surprise, he pulled out a pack of Marlboros. Held them out. “Marie isn’t a fan of me smoking. So when I’m out in the field, I sometimes indulge.”

“I assumed you were an overgrown, uptight Boy Scout. Like most FBI agents.”

He chuckled. “Then you might be surprised.”

---