"Whyhere?"Iask over the sudden quiet of the dead engine. "Whynot theLodge?Orsomewhere with actual tablecloths?"
"BecauseJackpours heavy,"Danielreplies, shoving his door open. "Andthe town needs to see."
Herounds the hood and yanks my door wide before my fingers even brush the handle.Largehands span my waist, lifting me effortlessly from the high cab.Histhick thumbs press deep into my hips.Heholds me suspended there between the running board and the icy sidewalk.
"Seewhat?"Igasp.
"ThatIcaught you," he rasps, sliding my boots down to the concrete.Hekeeps me flush against his side, tucking my hand tight into the crook of his arm. "AndI'mnever letting go."
Thetavern air hits my face the second he pushes through the heavy door.Sawdustand stale beer coat the inside of my lungs.Thesharp tang of roasted peanuts hangs heavy in the suffocatingly warm, unapologetically local dive bar.Twangycountry music blares from a vintage jukebox in the back corner.
OldJackstands behind the scarred mahogany bar, aggressively wiping a glass with a clean rag.Asurprisingly large crowd fills the booths for aTuesdaynight.
Conversationdrops off sharply as we cross the threshold.Anoticeable, heavy lull spreads across the room, replacing the chaotic noise of the bar.Headsturn.Peoplestare.
Severalfaces match the surveillance feedsIhacked last week.Frankfrom the hardware store abandons an argument about toggle bolts to gawk at us.Christie, the barista from theCozyCup, sits frozen in the corner booth with a pint glass halfway to her mouth.
Herjaw practically unhinges at the sight ofDaniel'sarm wrapped around me.
"OhmyGod," she gasps, projecting the words clearly over the jukebox. "Isthat theTracker?"
Danielignores the rising murmurs.Hesteers my hips toward a high-top table near the back corner.Heclaims the seat with his back against the solid wall, locking his gaze on the main entrance.Paranoiais a survival trait that never truly fades.
"Sit," he orders, dragging out the tall wooden stool.
"You'rebossy,"Ichallenge, sliding onto the scuffed vinyl.
"Protective," he corrects.Heleans forward, bracing his thick forearms on the table to trap me securely in his personal space. "Getused to it,Mrs.Gunnar."
Thetitle sends a massive jolt of electricity straight down my spine.Mrs.Gunnar.Theconcept violates a dozen federal laws while fitting my new reality perfectly.
OldJackwanders over to slap two damp coasters onto the table. "Well,I'llbe damned.TheTrackerofGrizzlyPeakactually comes down from the mountain, and he brought company."
"Jack,"Danielgreets with a short nod. "Twobourbons.Pourthe good bottle."
"Celebrating?"Jackpresses, flicking his shrewd gaze to my face.
"Somethinglike that,"Danielagrees.Helocks onto my eyes, burning with a territorial intensity that forces the noisy bar to completely fade away. "Foundexactly whatIwas looking for."
Jackchuckles low in his throat and shuffles back to the bar.
"Youknow,"Imurmur, leaning forward to rest my chin in my palm. "Youkeep looking at me like that, these people are going to assume we're entirely obsessed with each other instead of just co-conspirators in massive identity fraud."
Hisharsh expression remains carved from stone.Hereaches across the small table, dragging his rough thumb along the sharp line of my jaw. "Whosays it's fraud?"
Mylungs seize. "Daniel..."
"Idon't do things halfway,Kaila," he grates out. "Ididn't burn my entire life down for a convenient cover story.Idid it for you.Thedigital paperwork just made it legal.Therest..."Hisdark gaze drops to my mouth, lingering there before snapping back up. "Therest is real."
Iswallow past the sudden lump in my throat.Mycoding skills, my defensive sarcasm, my carefully constructed walls all completely fail against this man.Heshattered my firewall the absolute second he kicked down my cabin door.
"Okay,"Ibreathe out. "Real."
Ididn’t realizeChristiewas already at our table until her phone suddenly vibrated at the edge of it. "Hi!Sorryto interrupt.I’mChristie.Imake the coffee down the street.Youhave to be the mystery woman.Didyou fix theWi-Fiat the public library?Frankswears someone rewired it remotely and now it runs faster thanNASA."
Iblink at the barrage of words. "Uh, maybe?Imight have tweaked a few nodes whileIwas bored on lockdown last week."
Christieflashes a brilliant, blinding smile. "Iknew it!You’rethe tech genius!Thisis seriously amazing.WelcometoPineValley!Youhave to come down to theCozyCuptomorrow.Firstlatte is completely on the house.I'lleven throw in a cinnamon roll ifKatiehasn’t sold out yet."