He wasn’t wrong.
“Do you believe you’re in danger, Morgan?” Michael said softly. As if he’d somehow sensed the chill that ran the length of her spine.
“Not at the moment,” she answered honestly. “But I do have a lot of questions I need answers to.”
She had a feeling they did too.
“Thank you again,” Morgan said, rising, before either Michael or Nicki put those questions in verbal form. “Both of you.”
Patrick didn't speakuntil they were back in the SUV and out of the lot, but his presence was doing wonders. Just having him around eased her in a way that was almost as scary as the idea that someone had sent a hit man after her.
Because she was pretty sure that was why Anthony Varro had come to Pine Ridge.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. I think so. Your family is… interesting.”
Patrick barked out a laugh. “Fair.”
“I can see why Michael became a doctor. He has a very calm, healing vibe about him. Out of curiosity, what does Nicki do?”
Morgan tried to sound nonchalant, but she really wanted to know. There was no way someone with that level of lethal intensity had a regular nine-to-five.
“Officially, she runs the garage in town with my uncle Sean.”
“And unofficially?”
Patrick smiled. “I could tell you but…”
“You’d have to kill me?”
“No, she’d kick my ass.”
It was Morgan’s turn to smile. The brief moment of levity didn’t last.
“Do you have any plans for the rest of the afternoon?” he asked, reminding her of the last time he’d done so. That had turned out okay.
“No, why?”
“I’d like to take you somewhere,” he said. “If you're willing.”
She looked at him, picturing another moving job. “Where?”
“Somewhere quiet. Away from town.” He checked the mirror, signaled a turn onto a road she didn't recognize. “When things get to be too much, I go there to put things back in perspective.” A pause. “It helps. Trust me.”
She did trust him, she realized. She wasn't sure exactly when that had happened.
“Okay,” she said.
The pavement ended and he switched to four-wheel drive. The world outside the SUV narrowed to unpaved trail and the close press of trees. They kept going until it was hard to believe the real world existed.
Her first thought? This would be a good place to hide.
Her second: This would be a good place to hide a body.
“This is as far as we can drive. We have to do the rest on foot.”
They got out of the vehicle. Patrick extended his hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world.