Christmas Haven. Hope White

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      Morgan sipped his coffee. Studied her. It surprised him that she still felt a connection to Port Whisper. He figured she’d put this quaint little town behind her when she’d moved to the city.

      “Judging from your behavior, I’m assuming someone’s after you?” Morgan asked.

      “I think so. After I reported the abduction I noticed someone following me on the way home from work. I’ve also been getting threatening calls. I got one this morning.”

      “Where’s your cell? Maybe we can trace the call.”

      “I threw it in the Sound in case they could trace the GPS signal.”

      “Smart girl.” Thinking defensively would go a long way to keeping her safe.

      “Then there was the break-in at work,” she said.

      “What did they take when they broke into your office?”

      “Files, mostly.”

      “Your files?”

      “Some, but I keep others at home, as well.”

      “Continue.”

      “I felt like I was being followed yesterday, so after a dinner meeting I hopped the ferry. Then I got a text—I see you. A guy I’d given directions to on the street was looking at his phone, then he looked at me and smiled.” She closed her eyes and shuddered.

      Morgan wanted to slide into the booth next to her and put his arm around her. He took another swig of coffee.

      “You were running away from him on the ferry. That’s when you tripped and fell?” Morgan said.

      “Yes.” She glanced at him. “And you were there.” A content smile played at the corner of her lips.

      He ignored it. “Do you think he’s a part of this?”

      “I don’t know.”

      Neither did Morgan, but as a precaution he’d kept a close watch on his rearview mirror last night to make sure no one had followed them from the ferry. “Supposing someone is after you, what do they want?” Morgan asked.

      “I don’t know.”

      “Jules,” he said, in a warning tone.

      “I really don’t, Morgan. I don’t even know who these people are. I can only guess it’s related to the boys.”

      “Tell me a little about them.”

      “I can’t. It’s a confidentiality thing.”

      “Tough. You need to confide in me so I can save your life.”

      There, he said it. He knew the endgame in these types of situations was often murder. One of her clients was missing, perhaps dead, and another had been kidnapped right in front of her. What did she think was going to happen if the mysterious “they” found her?

      “I really need to catch that bus,” she said.

      “For where?”

      “Port Angeles.”

      “What happens when you get to Port Angeles?”

      “I’ll get a job, I guess.”

      “What about your counseling job?”

      “I left town without telling anyone, so I’m sure I’ll be out of a job by the time I get back. If I ever get back.”

      “You can’t run from your problems, Jules. They always find you.”

      She stirred cream into her coffee, circling the edges of the cup with her spoon. Morgan opened three packets of sugar and poured them into her mug.

      She cracked a smile. “You remembered.”

      “I remember a lot of things.” Like her hurtful words when she’d tried to break it off with him. He’d thought he’d talked her out of it. He hadn’t.

      “What do you remember about the night you witnessed the abduction?” he asked.

      “I really don’t want to—”

      “Look, you’ll never outrun these guys and they won’t stop until they get what they want. We need to figure out what that is.”

      “I think they want me dead.”

      Sure, he’d thought the same thing, but hearing her say it made it more real. He leaned back in the booth, fighting the panic knotting his gut. “Why do you say that?”

      “I filed the missing-persons report for Andy. I witnessed Dane being abducted.”

      “But the police hit a dead end. They’ve closed that file. No, there’s something more going on here. What is it?”

      “I don’t know, okay!” She closed her eyes.

      Anna poked her head around the corner. “Need a refill on those coffees?”

      “We’re good, thanks,” Morgan said.

      “I’m sorry,” Julie whispered.

      A part of him wished she were apologizing for abandoning him instead of the outburst.

      “Look, if I’m going to keep you safe, you need to be completely honest,” he said.

      She glanced at him with fear in her eyes. Why? What else was she hiding?

      “Do you have any files with you now?” he asked.

      “Yes, in my backpack.”

      “Good, we’ll start there.”

      “Start what?”

      “Trying to piece this together.”

      “I don’t want to involve you in this.”

      “Why, because you care about me?” He wanted to snap the words back the minute they left his lips. He wasn’t cruel by nature, but he was frustrated that he might not be able to protect her because she was fighting him every step of the way.

      Silence stretched between them. He clenched his jaw and stared out the diner window.

      “Morgan?” she said.

      He glanced at her.

      “I am sorry,” she said.

      He knew she wasn’t referring to the current threat. Tough. He couldn’t deal with that right now. “Let’s focus on the present situation. Forget the past. Ready to go?” He slid out of the booth and waited.

      “Sure.”

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