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“Let’s change that, shall we?” He presses the phone to his ear. “Yeah, Sawyer, I need your help with something.”

As he begins talking on the phone, Mrs. Marooney grabs hold of my arm. “Tell me, are there more men like him where you found that one?”

I snort and shake my head. Of course she’d be commenting on Ryker’s looks at a time like this. “They’re all married.”

“Shoot.” She smiles at me, though it’s lacking her typical spark. “I might be scared for my life, but I’m not dead yet.” I can’t remember when, but I have the faintest feeling I’ve heard her say something similar before.

Shaking it off, I shift my focus back to the present. Why are they coming after her now? Is it because of what she saw that night? Or the things she says that she knows?

A dark SUV speeds out of the parking lot on the night I supposedly stole medicine and disappeared without being spotted on the cameras?

Beefed up security?

Valium in Mrs. Marooney’s medicine cup? None of this adds up. Why would anyone do any of this?

And how am I involved?

“Thanks, Cable Guy.” Ryker ends the call and turns to me. “Do you have any family, Mrs. Marooney?”

“I do not.”

“Then there won’t be any issues there.” He shoves the phone back into his pocket.

“What issues?” I ask, looking from him to Mrs. Marooney, who seems to have caught on if the grin on her face is any indication.

“We staging a jailbreak?” she whispers to him.

Ryker grins. “Something like that.”

“But what about your meds?” I ask. “You need your heart medication.”

“We’ll get it taken care of. Trust me.” Ryker stares straight at me, and it hits me: I really do trust him.

I barely know him.

Four days ago, he was a complete stranger.

But—I trust Ryker Granger with my life.

And apparently with Mrs. Marooney’s, too.

“Mrs. Marooney!” someone calls out.

Ryker glances around, then takes my hand. “We’re coming back for you tonight. Get anything you need, and be ready, okay?”

Mrs. Marooney nods.

“I don’t like leaving her here. Someone is clearly coming after her.” Panic thrums through my veins. What if she ends up like Mr. Prescott? Or me? What if someone kills this sweet woman?

“If we leave with her, it’s going to look like we abducted her. They’ll have our faces all over the news.”

“You don’t think they’re going to come after us, no matter what?”

“Oh, they will. But there will be no proof,” Ryker replies. “Midnight, okay?”

“I can last that long,” Mrs. Marooney replies. She turns to me. “Dear girl, go. I’ll be fine. If you can believe it, this isn’t the first attempt on my life.” She winks at me. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”

As we hit the highway headed back to Stormwatch Landing, it’s all I can do not to lean out the window and hurl. I’ve never been one for violence of any kind. Honestly, I can barely even stomach action movies.