I stood behind the stone wall, my heart pounding in my chest as every sound convinced me I was about to be found out. I was supposed to be getting lunch with the crew in Crosbyton, but I’d gotten a message that told me to be here at this moment, a message that was a clear response to a note I’d scanned for Jack this morning. A request I desperately needed answered. It’d taken me a minute to decipher the message with the code Jack had given me—not just because of the code, but because the relief at seeing proof he’d gotten my request made my mind go blank for a moment—but I was sure this was the spot he’d told me to come to.

I was almost ready to give up when she walked around the corner, glancing over her shoulder as though she was afraid she was being followed.

“Whit.”

Her head came up, and her eyes brightened, her step quickening. But then she slowed down, remembering the way I’d chased her away the last time we met.

I went to her, sliding my hands over her face, touching her to make sure she was still okay, that she was uninjured still.

“They’ve been kind to you?”

“Very. Got me a room in this fancy hotel a couple of towns away. And they’re giving me information I can use in my article.”

“Good.”

“They told me you asked them to help me.”

“I want you kept safe.”

“Why? You were so angry!”

“I was angry. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”

Her expression was torn between relief and concern, with a little confusion thrown into the mix. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away.”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. I don’t want you to think that I was using you. I…I needed information, but I would have been perfectly happy if you had never told me anything. Which you really didn’t, you know.”

There was a little irritation mixed with the slight amusement in her voice. I shook my head, not sure if I wanted to kiss her or kill her myself. I settled on a kiss, pressing her back against the rough brick wall as I stole her lips. She relaxed against me immediately, her soft body wrapping itself around me. We clung to each other for a long few moments, our hands exploring, but the attention stuck strictly on that amazing kiss.

“I was afraid I wouldn’t see you again,” she whispered to me when I came up for a little air.

“You had to have known that wasn’t possible. We’re meant to be, remember?”

“I know that. I just wasn’t sure you did.”

“I’ve always known.”

She sighed, running her hand carefully over my cheek, her fingertip tracing the last of the bruises that were all but faded. “Promise me we’ll find each other again when this is all over.”

“I promise.”

She kissed me again, her fingers sliding between the buttons on my work shirt, her fingertips doing something indescribable to my chest just by brushing themselves against my heated skin. I was lost for a moment in her, in her touch, in her scent. But someone behind us cleared his throat, tearing me out of that little bubble of paradise.

I jerked around, pulling her behind me as I did, ready for whatever trouble might have found us.

But it was only Crispin.

“Sorry,” Whit said softly behind me. “I was supposed to tell you he needed a few minutes of your time.”

The tension took a second to leave my shoulders. I stepped forward and offered my hand to my former coworker.

“How are you, Crispin?”

“Good.” His eyes moved critically over me. “You look better than the last time I saw you.”

“Yeah. I, uh, I never got a chance to thank you for that.”

“No thanks necessary. That’s what brothers do for each other.”

I was touched that he called me his brother. I couldn’t remember a time when he’d included me in that train of thought before all this began. Maybe I’d finally won over his trust.

“Jack wanted me to thank you for the scans you sent over this morning. He said they’ll be very helpful in figuring out what the chemical is and how to counteract it.”

“The list at the back?” I reached behind me and touched Whit’s hip, pulling her closer to me. She moved up, slipping her arms around my waist. “Did he see that?”

Crispin lowered his head, a sober grimace moving across his face. “It’s a curious list. He was wondering if you had any idea how it was formulated.”

“I don’t. I know most of the names that appear on it. A lot of them are former members of the church whose actions in some way embarrassed or upset church leaders in some way. Some are outsiders the Guardians have made attempts to rid the town of. People they consider a nuisance.”

I ran my hands over Whit’s arms, slipping my fingers between hers.

Crispin nodded. “Alli’s name wasn’t on it.”

I hadn’t noticed until he mentioned it. “Maybe they have other plans for her.”

Crispin frowned, but didn’t remark on that.

“We’ve eliminated the name Malaika gave us. But we’re still hoping the outside access to the computer system will lead us to the real name.”

“What name?” Whit asked.

I lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “Now isn’t the time to be an investigative reporter, love.”

“I’m always an investigative reporter.”

“Then maybe you should go wait in the car,” Crispin suggested.

She shook her head, pressing her face against the back of my shirt. Crispin hesitated, but then continued.

“Your mother and Ruth made it to Memphis without incident.”

“Good.” Relief rushed through me that was belied by my reply. “Tucker threatened them again last night, saying they were still within his reach in Memphis. Though I’m not sure he knows that Mother is with Ruth.”

“That means he’s probably not got anyone following them. That’s good news.”

“But I think he might believe that Quentin and Malaika were somehow behind the decision to send Mother to Albuquerque.”

“I’ll let them know to be diligent.”

We stared at each other for a moment, both at a loss for what more could be said. Crispin dragged his fingers through his hair before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small package.

“Alli wanted you to have this. She said you would probably be in need of a little TLC.”

I took the package, removing just enough of the outer wrapping to see it was a stack of homemade cookies wrapped in saran wrap. It made my heart hurt a little to see it.

“Tell her thank you.”

“I will.”

“And tell Jack that they got a delivery of assault rifles last night. Tucker has me training a bunch of the Guardians with them. He keeps saying that we’ll need them in a few weeks for something that he hasn’t really explained just yet.”

Crispin turned slightly, anger flaring on his face.

“They’re serious about waging war on nonbelievers. And I’m afraid that it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.”

“We’re working as fast as we can to identify the guy behind all this. Once we find him, maybe we can cut off the head of the snake.”

“Yeah, well, if you guys don’t find him soon, I might find myself in a position to take out Tucker. Maybe that would slow this thing down a little.”

“Maybe. I’ll tell Jack.”

“Whoa!” Whit suddenly cried, pulling away from me so that she could move around and look me in the eye. “Are you seriously offering to kill someone?”

“I’m seriously offering to stop a madman who’s planning on waging war against innocent people.”

“But, Matthew, that’s insane! These people are intense, but killing people? You’re not a murderer.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect the people I love.” I stepped into her and took her face between my hands. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”

“He’s not going to kill me,” she scoffed. “I’m a public figure, a well-known reporter back in Austin. If I suddenly disappeared, people would stand up and take notice.”

“Do you think he really cares about that? He’s planning the murders of thousands of people. Millions, even. Killing one reporter is all in a day’s work to him.”

Uncertainty flashed across her face.

“As long as you stay with Jack and his team, you’re fine. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“What about you?”

“I can take care of myself.”

She touched my face, tracing the fading bruises again. “I can see that.”

I kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips. “I’m okay. You’re the one who needs to stay out of the line of fire. Promise me you’ll do everything Jack tells you to do.”

“I promise.”

I kissed her again. “I’ll try to see you again soon. For now, you need to go back with Crispin.”

She nodded, moving into me, clinging to me like she wasn’t sure she would ever see me again. At the moment, I wasn’t clear on that, either. But I was going to do everything I could to make this right and to ensure we’d have a future together.

I pushed her toward Crispin and watched them both leave the alley together. My paranoia expected to hear a gunshot or familiar voices as they moved out of my sight, to hear proof that Tucker and his men had found us and were taking one persistent problem off the table. But all I heard was the sound of a car engine starting up. A single engine.

I walked slowly to the end of the alleyway, Whit’s scent still lingering in my nostrils. I was relieved to see she was safe and well. And I was glad she no longer believed I was angry with her. But seeing her, hearing her voice, only made my fear for her grow.

This had to end.

I thought I might know a way.