Free Her Forgotten Betrayal by Anna DeStefano Page A

then. Which means…”
    “This is either a fascinating coincidence and that knife broke on its own, which is entirely possible…” Cole laid the drawer on the floor. His gaze cut to her, suddenly hot with fury. “Or you’re no more a raving lunatic than I am. How long have accidents like this been happening?”
    “What are you saying?” She needed to hear it. She needed to hear him believe out loud the possibility that she suddenly didn’t want to accept.
    “Maybe your doctors are right. You being alone up here in the middle of nowhere with no distractions might help you remember. Then again, it might be making you a sitting duck, if someone’s really trying to hurt you.”

Chapter Seven
    There still wasn’t a credible enough threat for Cole to authorize a site team investigation, not when a crew swarming the place would further agitate a witness who was supposed to be kept calm.
    Not that he gave a damn at the moment about what he could or couldn’t authorize.
    Even if he hadn’t already committed to spending more time in the mansion, he’d be dug in now. His gut told him that the things happening to Shaw were anything but random, even if he couldn’t yet prove it. And he always listened to his gut.
    “Stay here,” he said, retracing his steps to the storage room’s back door.
    “Wait.” Shaw set down the cat and ran after him. She tripped on the threshold between the two rooms, stumbling into his arms. “Stay with me.”
    His breath caught.
    Every time they touched, her bright eyes and the fear she kept bravely fending off pulled him in deeper. His rising compulsion to protect her was quickly eclipsing his misgivings about staying. But being this close to her also felt as if someone were stabbing vicious holes into the part of his heart that remembered what they’d once been to each other.
    When their childhood friendship had first progressed to puppy love, then in high school to the kind of combustible, unstoppable force that should have lasted a lifetime, he’d sworn he’d never let her go. It had taken her brother’s death and her subsequent betrayal of Cole to drive him away. He’d thought permanently. Now she was oblivious to the destruction they hadn’t saved each other from as teenagers. She’d thought the charm he’d given her when they’d been little more than kids was beautiful enough for a queen. She’d hung it around her beloved pet’s neck, so she’d have it with her daily.
    She was undeniably the Shaw who’d once cared for him, making this assignment even more personal to Cole, and more painful, than it ever should have been. Despite the hurt and the years they’d lost, how could he not safeguard the only woman he’d ever loved? The federal justice system was planning to chew her to pieces. Even with memories of their long-dead affair ripping him apart inside, he had to do everything he could to stop that from happening.
    “I’m not going far.” He pulled her arms from around him, catching her hands together between their nearly touching bodies.
    He wanted to kiss them, which was ridiculous. He wanted to kiss her , which was dangerous. He needed to strengthen her trust in him, not finish scaring her to death. All while he was out-and-out lying to her. Not only about his presence on the mountain, but that all they’d ever been was friends. Both fabrications were exactly what she needed to hear to stay calm and focused on the work she had to do at High Lake. As soon as she learned the truth—on either count—she’d run as far and as fast from him as she could. But, as with all his undercover roles, his job was to play this one to perfection.
    He made himself step away.
    “I won’t be gone long,” he said. “I’m packing a bag, that’s all. Lock the door behind me. The rest of the place is secure, even though I think your alarm system is toast. I’ll be back in half an hour.”
    “Packing?” She swallowed as if the word were caught in her throat.
    “To stay