Witness in the Dark (Love Under Fire #1)(68)

Chapter Fifty-Four


Sam didn’t feel actual danger was imminent. But Garrett was not acting like himself. He was cold and distant, like a total stranger. He was cutting himself off from her.

After the overheard conversation last night, that worried her.

She gathered her things and wiped down the room as usual. “The room’s clean.”

“Thanks.” He sat on the edge of the bed and lowered his head. “We need to stop on the way and get supplies.”

“Okay.” She had expected that since they were changing houses and had no food. She wasn’t sure why he needed to make an announcement.

He nodded and stood, not making eye contact.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“No. Let’s get going. It’s a long drive.”

It was a long drive. A long, silent drive. As each mile passed, she became more nervous.

Garrett was lying to her.

They weren’t getting supplies. They had passed ten stores. Not to mention they were heading back in the direction of the house they’d left.

When he stopped for gas the next time, she moved her Glock from the glove box to the back of her jeans and covered it with her sweatshirt. It was uncomfortable pressing against her spine, but she’d rather have discomfort than be unprepared.

She didn’t like not trusting Garrett. But something was definitely up.

That phone call, and his behavior. It was all pointing to the unwelcome truth—she was in big trouble.

A few hours later, he pulled off the highway and down a lane to a lumber yard which, according to the signs, was out of business.

The parking lot was empty, but a black SUV was parked at the back of the building. Garrett pulled in next to it. “This way,” he said as he got out of the truck.

She didn’t move. She scanned the area, expecting ten men in black to descend. She looked up at the roof of the warehouse anticipating a sniper, but there was nothing. Nothing she could see, anyway.

Garrett opened her door, his gaze not lifting from the ground. “It’s going to be okay. It’s safe,” he said.

Right. She’d heard that before. The very fact he’d felt the need to say it was safe, told her it wasn’t. So far, everything that was supposedly safe turned out to be the exact opposite.

It was like déjà vu. She’d known something was up at the first safe house because Wendy had been too nice to her. Now Garrett was being quiet and remorseful with her. As if he didn’t want to do what he had to do, but—as he’d said—he had no choice.

She reached for the glove box, forgetting for a moment that she already had her weapon, but Garrett put out his hand.

“No. Leave it. You don’t need your gun.”

Wow. Something was definitely wrong.

Since the first night she’d learned to shoot it, Garrett had made her tote that gun around everywhere. Even to the bathroom. Now he wanted her to leave it behind? Oh, hell no.

She was glad it was already in the back of her pants.

Her mind started working out a plan as she slid out of the car and followed him toward the building. He didn’t know she had a gun. He trusted her enough to walk in front of her. That was her edge. That, and the fact she knew he was wounded.

Whatever—or whoever—was waiting for her inside that building were wild cards, but she knew she could at least take down Garrett.

But if it came to that, could she really kill the man she loved? No matter how terrible his betrayal?

With that question burning in her mind, she swallowed down the uncertainties, and followed him into the building.





Chapter Fifty-Five


As soon as they walked inside, Sam heard footsteps approaching.

Her heart sank like a lead weight. Garrett had actually done it. He’d double-crossed her.

Even as she pulled the Glock from the back of her jeans, she couldn’t believe it. She punched him in the arm, right where his new stitches were, then kicked him in the crotch, causing him to drop to the floor.

Take that, Magic Kingdom.

She put her foot on his neck and aimed the gun at his head.

A man and woman rushed into the room, saw Garrett, and immediately held up their hands, showing they had no weapons.

Garrett moaned. “What the hell, Sam?”

“Don’t ‘what the hell’ me, asshole. You’re the one who slept with me, then turned me over the bad guys.”

He struggled to sit up. “You’re—”

She pressed the muzzle into his scalp. “Don’t move! Don’t any of you move! I swear, I’ll shoot the first person who so much as twitches!” Okay, she sounded like a bad movie, but it wasn’t an empty threat. She was really going to do it. “Give me your damn keys.”

“I’m not giving you my keys,” he said firmly, though wincing in pain.

That stumped her for a split second. Fuck. Now what? Did she really want to shoot him?

As she tried to come up with an alternative, an older man stalked in behind her. “You slept with my daughter?” he snapped, glaring at Garrett.

Wait. What?

She whipped around so she could aim at any one of them. She was so confused.

Garrett looked up at her and rolled his eyes. “Just shoot me now. It’ll be easier that way.”

Her brain took another second to process what was happening. It didn’t help. But one thing had stuck in her mind.