the heat as she pulled off her gloves. When she glanced at him, she was breathless and her cheeks were rosy, but she said nothing.
Rae was probably thinking it through like he was.
“Let’s get out of here.” He backed out as far as he could, then turned the truck around to head home.
He wished he was working DEA again. He wished he could somehow go in undercover and figure this out. And in the process find Zoey for Rae.
“I thought . . . I thought it was Zoey. I guess I want to see her so badly that I thought that girl was her.”
“It’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up.”
“But I almost got us caught. If that guy hadn’t been called back inside . . .”
“He wasn’t a great security guard, which worked out for us,” Liam said. “But I have to wonder why they need a man with a big gun to stand around outside.” He’d let Sheriff Taggart know. They’d agreed to keep each other informed.
“To keep people out?” Rae asked.
“Or to keep them in.” Even though the threat of a family member being killed or harmed was often enough to keep trafficked people enslaved, a deadly weapon could work just as well.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Friday, 1:02 a.m.
As Liam drove, Rae peered out the window at the stunning night. The beauty could almost make her forget her search for Zoey. Adrenaline seemed to drain out of her as warmth filled the cab and the smooth hum of the truck threatened to lull her to sleep. But those women at that house—were they there against their will? Trafficked, as Liam suggested with his comment? How could they find out?
“I think my next step should be to call Astor. He told me he would talk to me. We could get the sheriff involved. I could go in wired.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I could meet him at a public place. You could be nearby. Set up surveillance or record it. Asking the hard questions, facing off with the right people, is what I need to do.” It’s what her father had done. She wouldn’t say that out loud because she knew exactly how Liam would respond—her father had been killed for his efforts.
Was Rae ready to die? To risk her life?
“Not saying it’s a good idea, but let’s talk about it in the morning. I’ll let Taggart know what we’ve come across. He might need to communicate with any trafficking task forces he belongs to.”
There. She had her next step. She would speak to Enzo Astor. If she got her chance, she needed to make the most of it. What would she ask him? How would she learn if he had anything to do with Zoey’s disappearance? She had experience and skills, but right now she felt so helpless and like none of it would make a difference. She closed her eyes.
“Rae . . .” His voice was soft.
Hands gently squeezed her shoulders.
Rae opened her eyes. Liam was standing next to the opened passenger-side door. “You fell asleep.”
“Oh.”
His face was close to hers. He studied her, his gaze roaming over her features. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” Her voice cracked with exhaustion. “But with the door opened, I’m cold.”
He lingered, and she wasn’t sure why. Rae lifted her hand and cupped his cheek, feeling the stubble there. “Thank you for this.”
“For what?”
“For . . . for tonight. For helping me.”
“You’re welcome.” He eased away from her—not that she’d wanted him to, which should disturb her. Rae slid from her seat and dropped to the ground, putting her even closer to Liam. He didn’t budge an inch.
She pulled her gaze from his intense stare to look up. The stars lit up the deeply black sky, and the moon that had shined so bright earlier was nowhere to be seen. “This place is magical.”
“It is.”
She could hear his breaths. Feel the warmth from his body as he pinned her in. She felt the draw of him and could no longer ignore her insane attraction to the man. Rae’s heart rate jumped.
Liam must have been drawn to her as well, otherwise, why did he stand so close? Maybe their thrilling escapade in the woods had knocked away all their barriers.
She hoped not.
Then again . . .
Would he kiss her here under the stars? After everything they’d been through, she couldn’t want that from him. That was her head talking. But her heart wanted that kiss. Her senses were already reeling.