Stars Over Alaska (Wild River #4) - Jennifer Snow Page 0,8
brother, Eddie...”
Dawson touched her shoulder. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but Eddie’s not the right person to play the villain... He’s too much of a tattletale. He will run to your mom and rat us out every time we try something even a little bit dangerous. And besides, Levi here is huge.”
Leslie thought for a moment, eyeing him.
Levi, who had been a chubby, tall kid for his age and normally slouched to fit in, stood even taller. For once his size might be a good thing. Or at least not something he needed to be embarrassed about.
“Fine,” Leslie said reluctantly. “You can be in the movie, but Dawson is the star of the show.”
His buddy always was and Levi had never had a problem letting him have the spotlight.
Mrs. Powell touched his arm on the table. “Levi, you still with us?”
He blinked and nodded. “Yeah, sorry... I drifted off there for a second, but I’m back. Full attention. Focused,” he said.
Angelica smiled at him and damn if he didn’t wish that made him feel any type of way.
CHAPTER THREE
SIX HOURS AT the cabin and Leslie was losing her mind. Strategy was eluding her and she needed advice on what to do next. She’d never exactly been in a situation like this one. She pulled on her boots and a heavy coat from the closet.
“Where are you going?” Selena asked, coming out of the bathroom, where she’d taken the longest shower in history, despite Leslie’s warning that the water tank heated only so much at a time.
“Just outside for some air. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said, slipping out and closing the door behind her. She walked to the other end of the wraparound deck and took her cell phone out of her pocket. She hesitated, staring off at the heavy snow clouds in the darkening sky. Normally, she found the quiet stillness helped to bring clarity, but that evening it only made her that much more aware that she was completely alone in this.
Her next moves still unclear, she dialed the number before she could overthink it. She needed to tell someone that they were okay at least.
Her co-worker and...casual hookup answered on the first ring. “Oh my God—I’ve been going out of my mind. Where are you?”
Eoghan’s worry made her even more uncertain. She’d missed sixteen calls from him already and a dozen from the agency. Everyone was trying to reach her, but she wasn’t sure who to trust. “Can’t say.”
“Selena’s with you? You’re both safe?” he asked. His thick Australian accent usually made her smile but right now she only heard the seriousness of the predicament she was in.
“Yes. We’re out of LA.” That’s all she’d say for now. “I didn’t know what else to do. Her bedroom...” Leslie had seen some pretty messed-up shit working first as an officer of the law and now working high-end security, but the vulgar, disgusting message left for Selena a few days before had unsettled her like nothing else. Thank God Selena hadn’t seen it. Although maybe if she had, she’d realize the danger she was in.
“I know,” Eoghan said, his tone softening. “That was some heavy shit. You okay?”
“Yeah...of course.” If anyone could sense she was lying, it would be Eoghan. Working together for the last year and sleeping together almost as long, they were friends, co-workers, casual daters... But she refused to let him too close. After the tragic death of her fellow state trooper fiancé in a high-speed crash, Leslie was far from ready for another relationship.
She’d grieved. She’d moved on, but she wasn’t prepared to open herself up again.
Luckily, Eoghan knew her well enough not to coddle her. “Have you checked in with the agency?”
She caught the note of warning in his tone. “No. I wasn’t sure if I should just yet.” She wouldn’t admit her suspicions that there might be someone there she couldn’t trust. He’d think she was being paranoid.
Or not. “Good,” he said. “I’ll let them know you’re safe and will keep updating through me,” he said.
“Thank you.” It was a small relief to at least have someone with her on this.
“Of course. So what’s your plan?” he asked.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I have one.” Looking at the time on her phone, she disconnected the call. A minute or less would be the limit on her contact with the outside world until Selena’s stalker was caught.
Leaning against the rail, she stared at the dark mountains in the