Page 33 of Sackett
She might have only known him for two days, but she was confident that he’d like the place she had in mind.If he wanted to go.Two days.How had she only known him for less than forty-eight hours?It seemed like a lot more than that.Was it maybe because they’d spent so much of it together?She didn’t know and wasn’t sure it mattered anyway.
“Sure.I’m up for whatever you want to do, within reason.”
Selena waited until they were in the car, with the doors closed so they wouldn’t be overheard, then twisted in her seat to watch him.She wanted to be able to gauge his reaction as she questioned him.
“Define within reason.”
Sackett looked at her for several seconds, a scowl creasing his brow.“I’m not going to just follow you into a stupid situation, but if it’s reasonable, sure.”
“Define stupid situation.”She didn’t think he was trying to be difficult.Neither was she.But she wanted to be sure they were on the same page.
“I’m not going to let you walk into the compound where that assface kept you hostage and confront them.I’m not going to agree to you contacting them and setting up a meeting, even away from there.”He turned and stared out the windshield for a few seconds, then looked at her again.When he continued, his tone was harsher, more impassioned, “If you were to give me directions somewhere and we pull up outside and I think it looks too dangerous, I won’t agree and I’ll do my best to keep you out, because I’m here to make sure you’re safe.If I let you walk into a situation that I think we have little hope of getting out of, I’m going to try to prevent that.”
Selena blinked several times as it took that long for everything he’d said to register.
“I’m sorry.I didn’t mean to lose it like that,” he said when she’d been silent for several seconds.
“No.I mean that’s not what I’m thinking about.It never even occurred to me to go back out there, wherever they had me.Or to confront them.I’m sure they know I’m gone, especially by now.But if I can help it, I never want to see them again.”She shook her head, still blinking as she still processed everything he’d said before.“And I can’t imagine taking you somewhere you might deem unsafe enough to refuse to go in with me.”She wondered what kind of place that might be?What kind of place would he think wasn’t safe with him right there with her?She was afraid to ask.
“As long as it’s neither of those, lead on.You wanted to show me something?”He turned back to face the windshield and started the car.
Once she had the address put into the GPS, Sackett pulled out into traffic, and she sat there a moment, wondering if it would be okay to ask, then finally she couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“What kind of place would be too unsafe for you to let me go in?Other than that compound, that is.”
He glanced at her, his expression blank, then turned back to the road.“A rough bar, especially one that is the hang out of a club that I don’t know anything about or is a rival.A busy nightclub, where I couldn’t be sure I could keep track of you.Anywhere with a huge crowd where I might lose track of you.That kind of thing.”
She nodded, not feeling the need to reply as his reasoning was sound.While she might argue that she could take care of herself, her kidnapping and detainment was still too fresh in her mind for her to be able to fool herself into believing it.
“What is this?”he asked as he pulled up in front of the house that looked like it had been picked up from some plantation in the south and transported here straight out of the late nineteen century.
Selena grinned in anticipation as she watched a confused look come over his face.
“Is this someone’s home?”
“I’m sure it was once.But I don’t know who or exactly how long it’s been.Only that as long as I’ve known about it, it’s been like this.”She opened her door and paused before climbing out.“Come on.You’ll love it.”Outside the car, she resisted the urge to hurry inside, but only because she knew he would want to be with her.And she wanted to see his face when he saw what was inside.
She met him in front of the car and walked beside him up the walkway and then the stairs onto the wide wrap-around porch that was scattered with rocking chairs, wicker chairs, benches, tables and more.Selena opened the door and hurried inside so she could turn around and watch his face as he stepped inside and saw what had been done.
The foyer was lined with shelves, every shelf filled with oversized coffee table books.Books filled with images and interesting bits of lore.Moving farther into the building, the next room had a small counter to one side of the door, with a cash register, business cards and a few bookmarks in neat stacks on top.This room had several locked glass cases on the edges of the room.She knew what was in them but wasn’t going to spoil the joy of Sackett discovering it for himself.
He stepped inside and stopped, his eyes going first to her, then scanning the room.She watched the astonishment cross his face, and wondered what he was thinking when his gaze swung back to her.
“The whole place?”
She couldn’t help the excited grin she gave him.“The whole place.Each room is labeled what’s in there, and they’re all full.The bigger rooms have shelves in the middle of the room too.Enjoy!”She swept one hand across the room, as if inviting him to go adventuring.She was.She could only hope he loved this place as much as she did.As much as she hoped he would.
29
“DidIdogood?”Selena asked as they walked out of the two-story repurposed home, nearly two hours after they’d walked in, each carrying a bag.
“You did.”He shook his head, glanced at her, then scanned the area to make sure there was no one around who might be preparing to attack them or kidnap her again.He didn’t see anyone, but that didn’t mean there was no one watching them, waiting for an opportunity.
He wondered how she’d figured him out so easily, but didn’t want to think about it too hard, especially not right now.
“Any thoughts on what we want to do for dinner?”he asked as he hit the button on the key fob and unlocked the car.After setting his bag of books into the backseat, he got in, then looked at her, waiting for her answer.
“I hadn’t even thought about it.Are you hungry already?”
