man. Never let a man control you. She had to be strong and face her fear. Just because someone had scared her didn’t mean she needed to flee. “I’m not going to run away because of a man in a coffee shop.”
She’d told Sam what the man had said to her, but he hadn’t yet addressed it. He stepped forward, and she realized again just how big and hard he was. In spite of herself, a little flame leapt and curled in her belly. Sam McKnight. Still so handsome. Still so remote.
And still not interested in Georgie Hayes.
Not that she needed to be worrying about that right now, but it was somehow easier to concentrate on Sam and all her latent feelings than on the fact someone had threatened her just an hour ago.
“I wasn’t giving you a choice. Get packed.”
Something in his tone rubbed her the wrong way, making her think of days long ago. “I’m not twelve anymore, and you can’t tell me what to do. I have a life, a job.” She squeezed Belle, who started to squirm. “And my cat. I can’t just leave.”
“Take the cat with you. But you are leaving, Georgie. One way or the other.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
His eyes glittered with determination. “It means I’ll throw you over my shoulder if I have to.”
Georgeanne swallowed. She had to be sensible about this. Had to know she was doing the right thing. “Give me a good reason, Sam. Make me believe this isn’t just you being overprotective because you think you owe Rick something.”
He swore then, soft and low. “All right.” He put his fists on his hips, his legs spread apart. “You need to pack a bag, Georgie, and you need to come with me right now. Because I found Jake Hamilton for you—”
“You found Jake?” She’d nearly forgotten about Jake over the last couple of hours.
He nodded, his expression firm and unhappy at the same time. Dread took up residence in her gut.
“He’s not coming back, Georgie.”
“Something happened to him?” Her voice was little more than a whisper. She’d known it. Somehow, she’d known.
Sam nodded. “Yes.”
Her eyes filled with tears and her legs just sort of collapsed underneath her. She found herself sitting on a chair, looking up at Sam through a haze of tears. “I don’t understand.”
He’d been a young Army sergeant working on his college degree. He’d been an intense student, a good student. She remembered him sitting in her class, always on the front row, always asking questions and taking diligent notes. He’d been the kind of person she would have said would go a long way, because he was determined to do so.
Sam came over and hunkered down in front of her. He brushed the tears off her cheeks. “I need you to trust me, Georgie. I need you to pack some things, pack the cat, and come with me.”
She sucked in another breath and tried not to lose it. “I have no idea what’s going on. Do you think what happened in the coffee shop was related? Was that man talking about Jake?” She had no idea why anyone would think Jake had been her lover, but right now that was the only thing that made sense. And that thought chilled her to the bone. Jake worked for a secret agency and now he was dead.
And someone had threatened her—worse, they’d actually pushed her last night.
Sam looked fierce. “I don’t know, but we’ll find out.”
She shook her head. “I don’t see how. Jake’s gone, and I don’t know who that guy was. Or why he thinks I know anything.” She pulled in another deep breath. “I didn’t do anything, Sam. I don’t know what’s going on and… and I’m scared.”
He squeezed her hand. “I know people who can figure this out.”
She knew she should ask more questions, but she was just too upset. And she trusted him. That was the bottom line. “Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere safe.”
That wasn’t an answer and he knew it. And while she might have no choice in this, there was one place she didn’t want to go. “I won’t go to
She’d told Sam what the man had said to her, but he hadn’t yet addressed it. He stepped forward, and she realized again just how big and hard he was. In spite of herself, a little flame leapt and curled in her belly. Sam McKnight. Still so handsome. Still so remote.
And still not interested in Georgie Hayes.
Not that she needed to be worrying about that right now, but it was somehow easier to concentrate on Sam and all her latent feelings than on the fact someone had threatened her just an hour ago.
“I wasn’t giving you a choice. Get packed.”
Something in his tone rubbed her the wrong way, making her think of days long ago. “I’m not twelve anymore, and you can’t tell me what to do. I have a life, a job.” She squeezed Belle, who started to squirm. “And my cat. I can’t just leave.”
“Take the cat with you. But you are leaving, Georgie. One way or the other.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
His eyes glittered with determination. “It means I’ll throw you over my shoulder if I have to.”
Georgeanne swallowed. She had to be sensible about this. Had to know she was doing the right thing. “Give me a good reason, Sam. Make me believe this isn’t just you being overprotective because you think you owe Rick something.”
He swore then, soft and low. “All right.” He put his fists on his hips, his legs spread apart. “You need to pack a bag, Georgie, and you need to come with me right now. Because I found Jake Hamilton for you—”
“You found Jake?” She’d nearly forgotten about Jake over the last couple of hours.
He nodded, his expression firm and unhappy at the same time. Dread took up residence in her gut.
“He’s not coming back, Georgie.”
“Something happened to him?” Her voice was little more than a whisper. She’d known it. Somehow, she’d known.
Sam nodded. “Yes.”
Her eyes filled with tears and her legs just sort of collapsed underneath her. She found herself sitting on a chair, looking up at Sam through a haze of tears. “I don’t understand.”
He’d been a young Army sergeant working on his college degree. He’d been an intense student, a good student. She remembered him sitting in her class, always on the front row, always asking questions and taking diligent notes. He’d been the kind of person she would have said would go a long way, because he was determined to do so.
Sam came over and hunkered down in front of her. He brushed the tears off her cheeks. “I need you to trust me, Georgie. I need you to pack some things, pack the cat, and come with me.”
She sucked in another breath and tried not to lose it. “I have no idea what’s going on. Do you think what happened in the coffee shop was related? Was that man talking about Jake?” She had no idea why anyone would think Jake had been her lover, but right now that was the only thing that made sense. And that thought chilled her to the bone. Jake worked for a secret agency and now he was dead.
And someone had threatened her—worse, they’d actually pushed her last night.
Sam looked fierce. “I don’t know, but we’ll find out.”
She shook her head. “I don’t see how. Jake’s gone, and I don’t know who that guy was. Or why he thinks I know anything.” She pulled in another deep breath. “I didn’t do anything, Sam. I don’t know what’s going on and… and I’m scared.”
He squeezed her hand. “I know people who can figure this out.”
She knew she should ask more questions, but she was just too upset. And she trusted him. That was the bottom line. “Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere safe.”
That wasn’t an answer and he knew it. And while she might have no choice in this, there was one place she didn’t want to go. “I won’t go to
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