lose her, too.”
“You won’t. She’s tougher than both of us.”
The cutter attached itself to Precious Memories.
“Get out of here,” Crisp said. “She’ll wring my neck if you get caught.”
“Show yourself,” a voice bellowed over a megaphone.
Crisp stood, hands raised. “We need medical attention.”
Hunter sneaked down the stairs to Erin. God bless her, she’d already packed everything. “Did I ever tell you you’re one smart woman?” Hunter said.
He hauled the duffel over his shoulder and led Erin to the galley.
“Aren’t we going on deck?” she asked.
“Not if we don’t want to be interrogated.” Hunter knelt below the table and pressed out. Sea air flowed in. He peered outside. Clear. The raft was right where Marty had described.
Within minutes, Hunter had the boat inflated. He bundled Erin and Brandon into the boat and tossed in their supplies.
He glanced at the shore. Thank goodness they were close. They paddled away from the boat and the flashing sirens.
“Where are we?” Erin whispered. She kept looking over her shoulder.
“South of Corpus Christi. Hopefully our ride will be here. We’re not that far off schedule.”
Hunter maneuvered the raft between boats. They’d made it. As covertly as possible, he hit the shore and crouched behind a building. Erin held Brandon.
Soon a sheriff’s car pulled up across the way.
Hunter held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
“Cops?”
“Not just any cop. You’re about to meet one of the few lawmen I can believe in. Blake Redmond. The sheriff from Carder, Texas.”
A soft rumbling noise sounded from a pier not far away. Hunter squinted toward the sound. He waited and watched.
No movement.
No nothing.
A bad feeling skittered down his spine. He grabbed Brandon. “We’re not staying here any longer. Let’s go.”
They ran to the sheriff’s car.
Hunter dove into the backseat.
“Go! Go! Go!”
Chapter Eight
The sheriff’s vehicle squealed away from the shoreline. Hunter ducked down and held Erin next to him.
When they’d cleared the majority of civilization, he raised his head.
“So, Hunter, wanna tell me what the hell you’ve gotten yourself into?” Blake asked.
“Not really.”
“Good thing I trust Hunter or I’d kick you to the asphalt.”
Blake turned on his lights and hit the accelerator. They made good time to Carder. Only about three o’clock.
They passed through both of the stoplights in Carder, Texas, and Blake pulled up outside a nondescript brick house Hunter had visited only a few months after Brandon had been born.
“Logan told me you had business with Exley,” Blake said once the vehicle stopped. “If you want it done today, we’re up against closing time. The old guy generally takes off around three.”
Hunter could tell the sheriff didn’t like not knowing what was going down in his town. Well, the local lawman would have to stay unhappy. “Thanks. We’ll only be a minute.”
Hunter turned in the seat. Brandon was asleep and hopefully would stay that way for a while. “I need you to come in with me, Erin.”
She nodded.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Blake offered.
Erin slipped out of the backseat and took Hunter’s hand. “What are we doing here?”
“I learned about Brandon soon after he was born,” Hunter said.
She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and stared at him. “How?”
“Do we have to discuss this now?”
She planted her hands on her hips. “I’m not walking into that office without an explanation.”
“I missed you,” Hunter said, trying to figure out how he could possibly explain leaving her alone to give birth to and raise their son by herself. “I came back and saw you when you were about seven months pregnant. I started keeping track, making sure you were okay.”
Erin shook her head and stared at him. “My God, do you know how frightened I was, how terrified? I was all alone in the world, with a baby and no family, and you were just watching?” She paced back and forth. “Why?”
“Because I knew that if I tried to be with you, I could get you killed,” Hunter said through clenched teeth. “You think I didn’t want to be there?” He gripped her arm. “I wanted you, Erin. I still want you, but in my profession I’ve made enemies. Powerful enemies. If they ever connect us, they could use you and Brandon to get to me. I couldn’t take that chance.”
He might have been able to take anger, but the hurt expression in her eyes gutted him to the core. “So you knew about us. Why are we here?”
“I wanted to make certain if something happened to me, you and Brandon were taken care of. I set up a trust for