Page 21 of Burning Secrets

She looked away, though, as if shaken.

He went over to her, again touched her shoulders. “It’s going to be okay. Please trust me.”

She looked back at him, shook her head, stepped out of his grip. “You ghost me in Copper Mountain, and now you kiss me in the middle of a war camp. I think aside from running away screaming, trust is my only choice.”

Right.

“What’s going on, Crew?”

He stepped back from her and leaned on the small table. “Welcome to the Sons of Revolution.”

“The what?”

“It’s a group of militia who want to bring America back to the early days—no electricity, live off the land, Wild West law.”

“And you’re with them?” Her voice rose a little, and he held up a hand. She went back to a whisper. “Seriously?”

He cut his own voice low, almost inaudible. “No. I’ve been embedded with them for over a year, trying to figure out what their larger plan is.”

“Embedded? Wait—you’re?—”

“One of the good guys.” His mouth made a grim, tight line. “Or trying to be.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked around the cabin. “What is this, the dungeon?”

“It used to be an old camp. I think it was a Christian camp—there are quite a few verses cut into the logs, and the old chapel is our barracks. This used to be a campers’ cabin. Now it’s the guest quarters. I talked Viper into letting you stay here.”

“I’m not staying here.” She rounded back to him. “My team is going to get worried.”

He had perched on the table, leaning against it, his hands folded. “I’ll figure out a way to get you out. It’s just going to take some creativity. But I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you.” He kept his tone soft, maybe a little earnest, and perhaps it found her, because she sighed, released her tight hold on herself.

Then, “Creativity?”

“They’re rather paranoid about anyone knowing where their camp is.” He raised an eyebrow. “If you’ll remember, the last one went up in flames.”

Her mouth opened. “Right.” She looked at her attire. “I came straight from a fire.”

“Clearly.” He ran a hand across his mouth. “You probably want a shower.”

She looked at herself. Met his eyes. “Only if it doesn’t involve getting ogled by a camp of men.”

“I think I can guarantee privacy.” Or he hoped so. “I didn’t see a fire. Where is the rest of your team?”

“It was north of here about ten miles. Small. We got it, and they choppered out about four hours ago. I got a ping from Peyton about Cleo and the pups and asked to be dropped off. I’ve been looking for them ever since.”

Of course she had. “Just tromping around the woods in the middle of the night.”

“It’s not the middle of the night, and Hammer said he’d pick me up. I wasn’t that far from the road.”

“Hammer?” And he didn’t like the way the name sat inside him, a boulder.

Hello, shewasn’this girlfriend, and he should probably remember that.

“A guy on the team. I was supposed to walk out to the road and radio him when I needed pickup.”

“Tonight?”

She shook her head. “I told him I’d probably sleep in the rough. I had a backpack before your guys took it from me.”

---