Plain Refuge

by Dana R. Lynn

  For the briefest second, a soft smile flickered before it was replaced with a nonchalant expression.

  “Whatever.”

  Sophie rolled her eyes, then smiled at him. Electricity sizzled in the air between them. He pulled his gaze back before he got lost in it. But he still felt it. He needed to create some distance between them. As he walked past her, she reached out and squeezed his hand in silent thanks. He squeezed back before dropping his phone and starting off again.

  A new concern popped into his head. He had literally led these killers right to Levi’s door. Not only were Sophie, Celine and himself in danger, but now Levi was, as well, just by association.

  “Levi, what will you do? I don’t know if you can go back to your house now.”

  Guilt smacked him right in the face. And weren’t they now risking his neighbor, too? “Maybe we shouldn’t go to your neighbor.”

  “Naw. It’s gut. You guys can make some phone calls. We’ll think of a plan.”

  Aiden nodded, but his stomach clenched. A plan that included hiding a tall, beautiful redhead who would stick out anywhere and her sweet, very cute deaf sister. Without phones. And without being able to rely on his chief and fellow officers for backup.

  The situation seemed to grow more hopeless by the minute.

  SIX

  She wished she could take his hand again. It was an absurd thought. She didn’t even know Aiden. Only hours ago, she had been sure he was going to kill her and Celine.

  It was foolish thinking. She clenched her hands together.

  When he’d held her hand after she’d unthinkingly grabbed his shoulder back in the truck, it had grounded her in a way she couldn’t explain. The anxiety building up inside her had ebbed enough to allow her to draw in a full breath. She felt she’d been barely breathing since the moment her uncle had found her in his home. Aiden’s strong grip had made her feel protected. More than that, she’d felt cherished in a way she’d not felt since before she’d left home.

  But she was not going to grab his hand again. She had done it to say thanks when he’d talked Celine down from her outrage. That was more than she should have done. She would not encourage the attraction that was springing up between the two of them. Oh, she was aware that he was feeling something, too.

  She’d seen the way his eyes had darkened when he’d looked at her.

  She had also noticed that he had moved away like he’d been struck by lightning.

  Yeah, he felt it. And he didn’t want it.

  Well, neither did she. She’d ignored her sister to build her career for the past four years. She graduated from college and moved to Chicago without looking back. Her parents had been happy for her, and Brian had called her often. He’d even driven down to visit five or six times after he got his driver’s license. But Celine? She’d been away at the school for the deaf during the week and her parents wanted her at home on the weekends. And Sophie had been too busy to find the time to use the videophone and talk with her sister more than a couple of times a year. That was done. She had the chance to reconnect with her sibling and prove to her that she wouldn’t abandon her.

  A man was not part of her plan.

  They’d been walking for at least ten minutes before Aiden spoke again.

  “It’s safe. Let’s cross here. Levi says we’ll go around to the back of the house and knock on the door.”

  Aiden’s whisper broke into her contemplation. She nodded to show she understood and signed the instructions to her sister. Once they were all aware of the plan, they ran across the dirt road.

  Levi’s friend lived in a large yellow farmhouse that desperately needed someone to slap a fresh coat of paint on it. Not to mention the front gutters were in need of repair. Somewhere inside the house, a dog barked.

  When the dog continued to bark, she frowned. What if no one was home?

  “Aiden.”

  He turned at her whisper.

  “What if it was your actual phone call that told them where we were?” she asked, thinking out loud. “What if someone has your chief’s phones all tagged or bugged, or whatever? Even her private line.”

  He smiled briefly at her wording before falling serious again. That smile tangled up her emotions and kicked her heart into overdrive. She kept her expression bland. There was nothing to do about the heat flaring in her cheeks.

  He raised an eyebrow at her blush but didn’t comment on it.

  “I thought about that. It’s possible, but I doubt it. Very few people know where Levi lives. He’s been off the grid for a while now. I think it would have taken longer to find us. No, I think it’s more likely that they used the GPS on our phones. But I won’t call her from Levi’s friend’s house. We’ll pick up a burner phone, something that is hard to trace and I can dump after using, if necessary. But we do need a place to plan. And it’s going to storm, so getting out of the weather for the night wouldn’t hurt.”

  She cast a glance at the clouds forming overhead. She hadn’t even noticed the sunlight dimming. It was growing later, too. Soon they would be walking in the dark if they continued.

  Her legs shook with exhaustion and fear as they climbed the steps to the back porch. The screen was shut but the main door was wide open. A television set was blaring somewhere inside. Someone was home. Her momentary relief was dwarfed by a new worry. What if this friend refused to help? Or what if he thought they were lying and called the police?

  “Breathe, Sophie.” Aiden leaned in close, his breath fanning her face. She smelled mint. “I’m here, and I will protect you. I promise.”

  The warmth of his strong hand on her shoulder steadied her enough to smile and nod in response. “I’m okay. Just a little nervous.”

  His hand pressed down and then was gone.

  She could do this.

  Levi pounded on the door. Obviously, he had no intention of being subtle. She tugged on Celine’s hair affectionately when the girl snuggled up against her side. Then she blushed. Without realizing it, she had done the same thing to Aiden, pressing up against his left side, her hand gripping his forearm. Mortified, she shifted to create space between them.

  He gifted her with a lopsided half smile. Her face was on fire. She stared ahead and waited to see who answered the door.

  No one answered.

  “Is he home, you think?” Aiden mused.

  “Ja, he’s home. He wouldn’t leave the door wide open if he had left.”

  Levi pounded again. “Brad! Ya in there?”

  A loud yawn answered, followed by the creak of a piece of furniture. Leaning over slightly, Sophie saw a man of medium height rising from the couch he’d been on. She felt guilty, but still she silently urged him to hurry. Standing out in the open like this was like they were all easy targets. She could practically feel the bull’s-eye on her back.

  “Hold on. Where’s the fire?” Brad muttered as he shuffled to the door, yawning again. “Levi? What’s going on?”

  “I’ll explain in a moment. Can we come in?”

  Brad shrugged and motioned for them to enter. A handsome yellow Labrador next to him growled and barked at them even as her tail wagged. Sophie kept her distance. She didn’t trust big dogs.

  “Easy, Peaches. You know Levi.” The dog walked over to the small group. She especially seemed to take to Celine, who immediately crouched down and hugged the animal, burying her face in the canine’s furry neck. Peaches’s tail thumped on the ground in doggy joy.

  “Sorry to intrude on you, Brad. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

  “It’s all right. I was out late on a fire call. Didn’t get to bed until four this morning. I must have dozed off while watching the news.”

  A furious high-pitched beeping interrupted them.

  “Hold on.” Brad held up one hand. “That’s my department.”

  A dispatcher’s voice filled the room
. There was some static, so Sophie missed the first part of what the woman said. Brad scrunched his brow and tilted his head, listening.

  “...shots fired at 33491 Pless Road, the Burkholder residence...”

  His brows rose and he stepped back, glancing at Levi in alarm.

  “Are you in trouble, Levi?”

  Sophie could hear the hidden question in his words. Are these folks dangerous? His gaze grew less concerned as he took in Celine, still hugging his dog. Who could look at the petite twelve-year-old and think she was dangerous? And she certainly didn’t look like she was scared to be with Sophie and Aiden, so that probably helped to ease some of his concern.

  “Levi? You want me to explain?” Aiden’s deep velvet voice filled the tense silence.

  The other man nodded. “Ja. You can do it better than I.”

  What would he be able to tell the man that may convince him to help them? If he harbored any doubt about their sincerity, she had no doubt he’d be on the phone to the cops ASAP. He looked like the kind of man who took his civic duty seriously. And if he thought Levi was in trouble, or if he thought Celine was in danger, he’d act on it, no matter who Aiden said they were.

  * * *

  Sophie had stepped closer to Aiden again. He couldn’t see her, but the scent of her strawberry shampoo grew stronger. Not that he minded, but she was a definite distraction. He pushed his awareness of her to the corner of his mind and stared squarely at Brad. The man meant business, which he respected. Plus, he knew that someone who had spent hours working to fight a fire the night before was someone with integrity, someone who liked to give back to his community.

  Aiden could work with that.

  He started to reach for his badge and hesitated. Then he scoffed at himself. His cover was blown. Obviously, someone knew who he was, and it was reasonable to assume the secrecy factor was null and void.

  He flashed his badge. Brad’s eyes narrowed as he scoured the badge like he planned to memorize it. When he appeared satisfied, Aiden returned it to his pocket.

  “So, you’re a cop.”

  It was hard to read the inflection in his voice. Was that a statement or a question?

  “Yeah, I’m a cop. I’m trying to get these two—” he indicated Sophie and Celine “—to a safe place.”

  Brad’s entire posture stiffened as he pointed to Celine. “Someone’s trying to hurt that sweet little girl?”

  Celine frowned. She didn’t like being called a “sweet little girl” apparently. He held in a smile as Sophie flashed her a warning glance. Sulking, the girl looked away and resumed petting the ecstatic dog.

  How much should he tell the guy? Too much information could get him in trouble, too. However, if he didn’t give him enough, then the already wary man might call the local cops on them. He needed to find a middle ground between too much and not enough and hope the guy was satisfied with it.

  “Okay, Brad, I can tell you this much. Sophie and Celine are in danger. Serious danger. And I am—or I was—working an undercover operation. Levi here, well, he’s just a buddy who got caught in the middle when he agreed to help me out. He can vouch for me. We’ve known each other for years and even served together.”

  “True.” Levi nodded emphatically. “I would trust Aiden with my life. He’s a gut man, Brad. Gut and honest. If he says he’s in danger, I believe him.”

  After a few tense moments, the man shrugged. “If Levi says I can trust you, that’s good enough for me. I don’t have much room, but I’m okay if you need to bunk down for the night. My wife and my son are both away, so it’s good timing.”

  Aiden glanced at Sophie. She was blinking rapidly. He ran a hand up her arm, intending to comfort her. At his touch, her cheeks flared red. He removed his hand like he’d been shocked.

  What was he doing, touching her like that? She was almost a stranger to him. Except she didn’t feel like a stranger.

  All the adults grinned when Celine let out a huge yawn.

  Brad laughed. “I have two spare bedrooms upstairs. My daughter’s in college and my son’s staying at a friend’s house, so they won’t be needing them. The ladies can take the one that belongs to my daughter, and you men can make yourselves comfortable in my son’s.”

  As they headed upstairs, Aiden cast a quick look over his shoulder and saw Brad ambling back to the couch. He cleaned up in the bathroom as best he could. It wasn’t dark yet, but he knew that they were all exhausted. He wouldn’t mind getting to bed early and then heading out again right after breakfast. He still had no clear idea of where they could possibly go.

  By the time he reached the bedroom, Levi had already taken up residence on the futon and fallen asleep. Of course, that meant that Aiden had the bed. He sank down on the edge of the mattress. He should pray, he knew that. It was something he did every night without fail before he went to bed. Tonight, however, his mind was a tangled mass of disjointed thoughts. He couldn’t seem to focus on a single coherent thought.

  He settled for a heartfelt Stay with us.

  Exhaustion pulled at him. Without a conscious decision, he found himself stretching out the length of the twin bed.

  His eyelids were weighted down.

  Still, he couldn’t drift off without making sure all was well. With a soft groan, he pushed himself off the bed and walked out of the room.

  Brad was in the kitchen making himself some macaroni and cheese.

  “Hey. I thought you were all out for the night.” He nodded toward the elbow macaroni box. “If you’re hungry, I can put some more in the pot. It won’t be any trouble.”

  Aiden smiled and shook his head. “No, thanks. Just going to take a quick check around to make sure everything’s as it should be.”

  Skirting the edges of the house, he kept his hand on his service weapon. He wouldn’t pull it out unless he needed to, but he was ready. He paused, listening intently to the cacophony of country noises surrounding him. Crickets, the deep-throated croak of bullfrogs echoing from the pond, a dog barking in the distance.

  All normal sounds. Nothing suggesting that trouble was coming.

  Still, he knew that sometimes trouble came without warning.

  Finally satisfied that they were not being watched, Aiden returned to the front of the house and entered. Brad had apparently finished cooking and eating his snack and was back in the living room. The TV was again turned to a news channel. From where he stood, he could see their host flipping through a hunting magazine.

  “Night,” he called out. “Thanks for letting us trespass.”

  Brad waved him away. “It’s all good. I’ll see you in the morning. I don’t cook.”

  Aiden swallowed a chuckle. “We don’t expect you to wait on us.”

  * * *

  What had awakened him?

  Aiden slipped his legs over the edge of the bed and stood slowly, doing his best to be quiet. No sense in Levi waking up if he didn’t have to.

  Levi shifted, snorting loudly in his sleep.

  Aiden grinned. What was he worried about? His buddy could sleep through an explosion.

  He slid over to the window and peered out. Not quite dawn yet, but he could see the edge of the horizon beginning to grow lighter.

  The desire to see the sunrise moved him to grab his boots and let himself out of the room. In his socks, he stepped silently down the stairs and let himself out the back door onto the patio. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. He had been stuck in the darkness of his false identity for so long, sunrises were no longer part of his day. He had missed that.

  “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.”

  The familiar Psalm washed over him. It was a verse in Psalm 113, although the exact number escaped him. It didn’t matter, though. What mattered was that the truth that settled in his heart brought him peace. God was with him
, through all that had happened and all that was coming.

  While he stood in the dew-dampened air, he bent and put his boots on, keeping his face turned toward the horizon. The early morning was hazy, a sheer misty curtain between the horizon and him, but he didn’t mind. He wasn’t going to miss a second of the glory he’d remembered from the past.

  The door creaked open behind him. The scent of strawberries drifted past his nose. He inhaled deeply before he could stop himself. Sophie.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” He kept his voice at a low murmur, reluctant to intrude on the peace of the moment.

  “Nope.” Her voice was hushed, too. She moved to his side, her arm brushing his. A tingle shot up his arm. He should move a step or two away from her.

  He stayed right where he was.

  “My mind is going in a million different directions. Got tired of fighting it.” She reached up and pulled the ponytail holder out of her hair, letting it fall around her face. The fragrance of strawberries overwhelmed him.

  “Yeah. I get that.”

  “I should have made coffee.”

  He smiled. “That would have been nice.”

  Her gaze focused on the vision blooming before them. The space where the sky and the land touched glowed with pinks and purples. His own gaze was arrested by the awe and wonder reflected in her hazel eyes.

  He was in so much trouble.

  In the silence, he could hear her breathing as they watched the colors change and the light spill over the land. His fingers twitched, longing searing through him to take her hand in the intimate moment. He shoved both fists into his pockets.

  Their peace, and the tension between them, was shattered by loud, clomping footsteps inside the kitchen. Aiden put some distance between himself and Sophie before turning to gauge the situation.

  Brad was standing in his robe and sweatpants, making coffee. He nodded at Aiden but didn’t speak.

  Clearly not a morning person.

  The man left the room, and seconds later the sound of the morning news drifted through the screen door.