his heart against the hurt reflected in her eyes. But he refused to let his emotions sway his decision. Putting Mallory in a safe house was the right thing to do. “Because you need to be safe, no matter what.”
“Oh, yeah?” Her blue eyes narrowed with suspicion. “And what about you?”
He looked away. “Once I know you’re safe, I plan to head back to Milwaukee or maybe even Chicago so I can find hard evidence against Caruso.”
* * *
Mallory watched with helpless anger as Jonah went outside to make his phone call, obviously seeking privacy. She went over to the door but she was unable to decipher any specific words. Dejected, she went back to her own room, waiting in the connecting doorway for him to return.
What had she done to make Jonah so anxious to be rid of her? Apparently the closeness she believed might be growing between them was nothing more than her overactive imagination. No big surprise there. She couldn’t help feeling hurt by the idea he’d leave her alone in a police safe house while continuing his investigation without her.
Apparently, Jonah preferred to work alone.
Granted, she didn’t exactly have the skills or background that Jonah did, but she knew Anthony Caruso on a personal level. Certainly that knowledge alone gave her some value.
When Jonah returned to the motel room, his closed expression reinforced her deepest fears. She wanted to scream and yell that he couldn’t leave her alone in some safe house, but knew instinctively that theatrics weren’t going to sway him off course.
Through the open connecting doors between their rooms, she saw that he’d picked up the Bible. The way he settled down to read, as if he didn’t have a care in the world, made her seethe with frustration. What was wrong with him? Didn’t he have any feelings for her at all?
Of course he didn’t, she reminded herself sternly. She wasn’t the type of woman he could ever care about on a personal level. She didn’t believe in God the way he did, for one thing. And she was part of his case against Caruso. A woman he was responsible for protecting. Until he could hand her over to someone else.
“Mallory? Are you all right?”
His soft question pulled her from her thoughts. “No, I’m not. But why would you bother asking? Haven’t you already decided the next step without caring about what I want?”
When he glanced away, she knew her point had hit home. Being right didn’t make her feel any better, though.
Jonah was silent for several long minutes. “‘He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart,’” Jonah murmured.
The phrase didn’t sound the least bit familiar, but struck a chord deep within, nonetheless. “Is that really from the Bible? It sounds more like a poem.” She was intrigued by the lyrical words.
“In a way. The Book of Psalms reads like a book of poems.”
She was surprised to hear Bible verses actually read like poems. She’d always thought they were dry and preachy. Alyssa’s friends had been involved in church activities, but she’d resisted going along, no matter how much Alyssa tried to convince her. Reluctantly curious, she walked across the threshold into his room to see for herself. As she approached, she caught sight of Jonah’s car keys sitting on top of the dresser. Without giving herself time to consider the consequences of her actions, she silently swept them into her hand and stuck them into the front pocket of her sweatshirt.
“Here, start at the beginning,” Jonah urged.
She took the Bible from his hands and tried to read but she couldn’t concentrate. The car keys were practically burning a hole clear through the fleece to her skin. Finally, she handed the Bible back to Jonah. “Sorry, it doesn’t really work for me.”
The flash of disappointment in his eyes shouldn’t have bothered her. She turned and tried not to rush as she made her way back to her room.
Once she was out of his line of vision, she paused long enough to take a deep breath. She looped her purse over her shoulder and tried to edge closer to the door.
She felt bad about leaving him here, but he’d called his boss, hadn’t he? Someone would be here soon enough to rescue him. By that time she’d be far out of reach.
She didn’t know how to explain to Jonah why she didn’t trust anyone but him. Partially because Gage and Alyssa had vouched for his integrity. Partially because he believed in God.
And most of all, because she liked him. She couldn’t remember the last time she had met a man she actually liked. A man she felt comfortable being around. She didn’t need to constantly have her guard up with Jonah.
She crossed to the door and silently turned the handle. Holding her breath, she opened it, slipped through and tried to shut it quietly behind her.
But she’d only gone two steps when Jonah’s door burst open. She was shocked speechless when he grabbed her hand, prying the car keys from her numb fingers. It happened so fast, she didn’t have a chance to react, to strike out with a roundhouse kick or a blow to his arm.
Or maybe she just couldn’t bring herself to hit Jonah.
“Nice try, Mallory,” he said in a patronizing tone.
A red haze of fury blinded her. “Let me go! I’d rather be out there on my own than stuck in some safe house with someone I don’t know!”
“Why?” he demanded, sliding the car keys deep into his pocket, far out of her reach. “I’m only doing this for your own good, Mallory. Can’t you understand I want you to be safe?”
She ground her teeth together, fighting the urge to pummel him with her fists. Were all men this annoying? She’d never been emotionally involved enough to find out. “You said yourself that there was a dirty cop working with Jefferson, helping him from the inside. How do you know there aren’t more? How do you know that Officer Crane, the cop who died, wasn’t working with someone?”
He stood there, staring at her uncertainly. Sensing she might have an edge, she pushed a little more.
“Jonah, think about it. Can you live with your decision, knowing there is a slim chance Caruso might find me and kill me inside the safe house?” She held her breath, hoping, praying he’d understand.
Because the last thing she wanted to do was go off on her own—without Jonah Stewart.
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