Defending Morgan (Mountain Mercenaries #3)(19)

Arrow had settled back on his haunches at the first touch of her hand. “Okay, although I’d rather cut off my own hand than do anything to hurt you, beautiful. And that includes anything that might emotionally disturb you.”

“I know. It’s fine. It’s just hair. It’ll grow back.”

“Don’t,” he ordered. “Don’t pretend this doesn’t bother you. You have every right to be worried about your hair.”

Morgan looked at him for a long moment before giving herself permission to nod. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me. You don’t thank me for anything I do to help you. One, it’s technically my job, but two, me helping you actually has nothing to do with my job. Now, come on, go get a shower. And be careful, it’s slippery in there.”

He smiled at the last bit, and Morgan couldn’t help but grin wryly at his reminder of last night, when she’d had her little breakdown. She wanted to ask him what he meant about helping her having nothing to do with his job. Did he mean that he didn’t usually help other women he rescued as much as he was helping her? But she couldn’t see that. Even knowing him just the short time she had, Morgan had a feeling he went out of his way to make every woman feel comfortable in his presence.

So she didn’t know what he meant . . . but she wasn’t sure she was ready for the answer. She hadn’t been free for two full days yet. She wasn’t feeling anything for her rescuer other than gratitude . . . was she?

Arrow respectfully turned his back once she was standing, giving her privacy. His shirt covered her down to her thighs, but it was still a thoughtful thing to do. She scooted into the bathroom and shut the door.

She avoided looking at herself in the mirror and quickly stripped and stepped into the shower. She knew she spent too long under the hot water, but it felt so good, and it had been a year since she’d been able to get clean without having to worry about who might burst into the room and catch her unawares.

Within twenty minutes, they were dressed and leaving the motel behind. Arrow hadn’t bothered to inform the clerk they were checking out, but he did leave a twenty-dollar bill under the remnants of the clock radio he’d taken apart. He’d told her he could’ve put it back together, but it would’ve taken more time than they had.

After several minutes, when Arrow didn’t say another word, Morgan asked, “Where are we going?”

He used his chin to point ahead of them. “Across the bay there. But first . . . lunch.”

Morgan knew it was past noon. They’d gotten to the motel in the early hours of the morning, and he’d let her sleep in. She was hungry, but she’d honestly blocked it out because she felt as if she’d been hungry for the last year. Her captors had given her enough food to keep her alive, but that was about it. She hadn’t even thought to ask Arrow for food because she’d gotten so used to being turned down or laughed at when she begged for something to eat.

Determined to break that habit, and to ask for what she needed when she needed it, Morgan said, “Tell me it isn’t seafood.”

Arrow stopped in his tracks and stared at her.

Feeling uncomfortable with his sudden scrutiny, Morgan did her best to meet his eyes and not apologize for the somewhat inappropriate joke.

Then his lips moved upward in a smile. His white teeth seemed brighter in the light of day. He said, “You got it, beautiful.” Then he squeezed her hand and started walking again. “While you showered, I got in touch with Meat. He did a search of the area and the route we’d be taking to get to Ball and Black, and he took it upon himself to order our food for us. It’ll be ready by the time we get there.”

“Seriously?” she asked. “Is that even possible?”

Arrow chuckled. “Anything’s possible with Meat. He’s a genius with that computer of his . . . not as good as Rex is, but then again, I’m convinced Rex has more clandestine contacts than the Russians do.”

“Rex?” Morgan was trying to keep the names of his friends straight, but it was tough.

“Yeah. Rex is our . . . leader, for lack of a better word. He’s the one who decides which cases we go on.”

“So he decided that you guys should come after Nina?”

“Exactly. Nina and her mom are from Colorado Springs. She’d heard of what we do and was desperate enough to contact him. He listened to her case, did some research, and agreed to help.”

“Wow. So she just called him up?”

“Nope. That’s not how it works. She got the detective investigating her missing daughter’s case to contact him. Rex is very well known in police and private-investigator circles. He doesn’t take every case. He only chooses the ones with the most solid information and the highest chances of success.”

Morgan let that sink in for a moment, then said, “You knew who I was the second I said my name. You said that my dad has been pushing to find me since I disappeared. Did he contact this Rex person? Was I deemed a bad risk, and that’s why no one came for me?”

Arrow stopped again so suddenly, Morgan would’ve run into him if he hadn’t turned and caught her shoulders. “No, Morgan. Absolutely not.”

She shook her head. “You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

He said the two words with such conviction, Morgan wanted to believe him, but couldn’t. “I’m so confused. My dad and I don’t really get along all that well. He cheated on my mom when I was little, and that’s why they got divorced. I saw him while I was growing up, but he was definitely a weekend kind of dad. He wasn’t really there for me. I don’t understand why he was the one who was on the news and pushing to find me when most of the time I wasn’t sure he really even liked me. But if he was as desperate to find me as you say he was, then wouldn’t he have explored every option? Wouldn’t the cops have told him about Rex? Was he lying the whole time, and didn’t really want me found but pretended he did?”