Free Parker (Striking Back #3) by S. M. Shade

out.” I quickly pack what’s worth taking.
“You can’t take your laptop. He could’ve installed a tracking device. I’ll have
to take it to our techs, let them check it out.”
    “I
have sensitive documents on there, proprietary material.”
    “It
won’t be compromised.”
    Two
large security guards are standing in the living room when I return. That was
fast. “I don’t give a shit what you think is appropriate. We’re headed there
now,” Parker barks into his phone before jamming his finger on the disconnect
button.
    His
face softens as his gaze falls on me. I try my best not to look as terrified as
I feel. I’m not going to let him see me as weak. “Are you okay?”
    “Fine.
Where are we going?” Is he sending me out of state?
    “I’ll
tell you in the car. We need to move.” The men surround me when we walk to a
black sedan with tinted windows. Parker’s posture is tense, his lips pressed
together, so I refrain from asking questions until we pull into an underground
parking garage. “Come on, we’re switching cars,” he says, gesturing to the blue
car beside us. Its windows are also tinted too deep to see through.
    “Shell
game,” I murmur, climbing in.
    “Can’t
be too safe.”
    “Where
are we going?”
    “The
only place I know I can keep you safe. My house.”
    I
watch as the city lights fade, giving way to suburban neighborhoods, then fields.
Nearly an hour later, we pull into a long winding driveway, lined with trees. A
two story house looms, but it’s too dark to see much. Moonlit fields backed by
a thin forest surround the property. Parker walks me to the door, and I tilt my
head back to gaze at the spatter of stars across the ink black sky.
    “I’ll
bet it’s beautiful out here in the daylight,” I remark.
    “I’ll
show you around tomorrow. Let’s get you settled in.” The living room is warm
and comfortable, masculine, with a soft sectional couch and oversized leather
recliner. Opening the door to a spacious bedroom with pale blue walls, he says,
“This is the guest room. There’s an attached bath. I want you to make yourself
at home here.”
    “Thank
you,” I murmur. “But you don’t have to do this. You can move me out of state,
like you suggested.”
    His
fingers pinch my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. “I told you, I won’t
fail you again. I have a state of the art alarm system. Even if the bastard
somehow figures out where you are, he’ll never get in. I don’t want you to be
afraid.”
    “I’m
not afraid.”
    Parker
places my suitcase on the bed and runs his hands through his hair. “How about a
drink?” He looks like he could use one.
    “Sounds
good.”
     
    Parker
     
    If
it was hard to resist Macy before, it’s damn near impossible now. Having her
here in my home—where no woman has ever been—makes me realize I never want her
to leave. We have to catch this asshole soon. If not, she’ll be relocating out
of state and I can’t let that happen. Friends, we said, but I only intend to
honor that until she’s safe. As soon as Al is behind bars and she’s no longer
under our protection, she’s mine.
    Until
then, I have to keep my hands to myself and play along with this friend
agreement. Macy perches on the edge of the couch, sipping her wine, and I take
a seat across from her. “Was that Mason you were talking to before we left?”
she asks.
    “Yeah,
I had to let him know what happened. We need to figure out how Al found you.”
    “Mason
didn’t want you to bring me here.”
    “He’d
prefer we move you out of state, but I don’t think that’s necessary just yet.”
I’m lying and I know it. If it was anyone else, we’d have them on a plane by
now, but I just can’t. We have to assume the other local safe houses are
compromised since he found the last one, so it was either take her far away or
bring her here. I have to know she’s safe and that means I have to be with her.
    Dark
hair cascades over her shoulders when she flops