Page 98 of Durango

“It’s me,” Axel yells.

He’s carrying two bags. “I grabbed some breakfast croissants from a place down the road.”

“Thank you,” I say.

Durango goes to the coffeepot and pours two cups, bringing one to me. I take it and give him a quick kiss.

Axel smiles. “I’m glad to see you two made up.”

“And I’m happy to hear you and Samantha getting along so well,” Durango says.

Axel stills and glances at Samantha, who is flushing red again.

“Apparently, they heard us,” Samantha says.

Axel smiles. “Hope we didn’t keep you up too late.”

Too late? I heard them this morning. Wait, were they up all night, too? I’ll ask Samantha about it later.

“We’re good,” Durango says, putting his arm around my shoulders.

Axel sits down after passing around the food. “We need to come up with a plan. Because we can’t hide out here forever.”

“Axel’s right,” Durango says.

“Durango, Harding called and said the guys who kidnapped you are still in custody,” Axel says.

I pause with the croissant almost to my mouth. “Wait, the guys are in custody? Did they tell you where Tyler is?”

Axel frowns. “Shit. Sorry,” he says to Durango.

Durango takes a bite of food and holds up a finger, indicating he needs a minute. I cross my arms and lean back in my seat.

“Someone is looking for me because of information I learned on my last assignment. I have since shared that information, so hopefully, word will get around and no one will want to bother looking for me again.”

“Tyler had nothing to do with you being kidnapped?” I ask.

He shakes his head.

“And why didn’t you tell me this?”

“I didn’t want to add to your stress. It’s not common for someone to follow me after an assignment, and I didn’t want you to worry any more than you already have been.”

“Not common?”

“It’s never happened before.”

I stare at the table as his words sink in. “Hopefully, word will get around?” I say. “That’s not very reassuring.”

“Our focus needs to be how to stop Tyler from coming after you,” Durango says.

“I have some ideas I’d like to run by you,” Axel says to Durango. “Let’s go outside.”

Since both have finished eating, they stand up and walk toward the back door.

“Hey!” I yell at them. “This is my life. I should get a say in it.”

Durango walks back and gives me a kiss on my cheek. “You will. We just want to talk through all the possibilities first.”

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