Night Is Darkest by Jayne Rylon (books recommended by bts .TXT) 📕

She nodded but the frown lines marring his striking features didn’t fade.

“What’s up?” Mason strode from the other room with a towel wrapped around his waist as though he had some kind of sick radar that monitored her stress level.

“Nothing. Relax, boys.” Lacey brushed off their concern as she exited the huge bed. When she bent to unzip her duffle in the hunt for some decent clothes, Mason groaned.

“Give a guy a break here, doll.” He sauntered close then tugged her upright until he could envelop her in a bear hug from behind. He kissed her cheek then murmured in her ear. “I want to put some distance between me and this place before I use the sat phone we borrowed to check in with the department. But I’m not going anywhere until you spill. What’s wrong?”

Their stubbornness precluded any lie. At least she didn’t have to look them in the eye when she admitted her insecurity. “I was scared last night was another amazing fantasy or some kind of delusion.”

“Son of a bitch. Lacey, I know we fucked up. Me especially.” He spun her around to face him. Tyler crossed to bracket her between them. “But you never have to worry again. We’re not going anywhere without you. We love you.”

She refused to cry. She’d had enough of that to last a lifetime. Instead, she nodded then laid her head on his chest while Ty settled his cheek on Mason’s shoulder to kiss her nose. He broke the tension as though nothing momentous had just passed between them.

“Looks like it’s you and me for a while. I’m going to cook us some breakfast, then we can sample some of the facilities. Want to try horseback riding? Maybe go for a hike?”

“That sounds like a plan. Except, if you truly love me, you’ll let me cook instead of subjecting me to burnt toast or more Spaghetti-O’s. They just don’t sit well for breakfast.”

Mason barked out a laugh. “Good point. I could go for an omelet right about now but you should put some clothes on first. It’s still a little chilly in here.”

He smacked her ass then swung her bag onto the bed for her. When she unzipped it, Rob’s gun glinted in a shaft of golden sunlight. Mason’s breath hissed out.

“You can’t be carrying that around, Lace. It’s not a toy. You don’t have a permit.” His cop face returned in an instant. “Hell, you’ve probably never held a freaking gun before this one, have you?”

She blushed. “No. I-I’m not sure why I grabbed it. It just felt right to have something of his nearby.”

Tyler stepped between them, shielding her from the brunt of Mason’s displeasure. “I agree with one thing. If you’re going to have it on you, you better know how to use it. After we eat, and Officer Hardass leaves, I’ll take you to the target gallery for a quick lesson. We can get you the proper paperwork when we get back to town, okay?”

“Thank you.” Something in her chest felt lighter, though she couldn’t say why it meant so much to keep the relic. Rob had seen the weapon as a tool of his trade, nothing more. Yet, for some reason, she felt compelled to keep it close.

“Fine,” Mason grumbled. “Am I doomed to a lifetime of getting overruled by you two?”

“Nah, we compromised.” Tyler winked at her.

“Whatever.” He grabbed his jeans and a navy crew neck sweater then tugged them on. “Let’s get going. I want to hear the latest.”

***

Tyler savored the delicate weight of Lacey’s hand in his as they strolled through the dappled patches of sun on the forest floor. They shared a companionable silence while they made their way to the range he’d spotted on the map of the grounds. He carried both his and Rob’s guns in the waistband of his jeans.

Birds whistled in the branches overhead while animals disturbed by their presence rustled the brush. The air smelled like damp leaves and pine. The crisp morning had forced them to shrug into hoodies but didn’t require the bulk of heavy jackets yet. He could stay in this paradise forever. The prior evening would remain burned in his memory until he died and maybe beyond. To the depths of his soul, he understood his relationship with Lacey and Mason was fated.

They rounded a bend in the rough dirt trail. Up ahead, a weathered wood stand sat at the top of a long, narrow clearing. A row of multicolored targets and an assortment of animal forms stretched into a line at the other end. A shed, covered in flecking maroon paint as well as a healthy dose of vines, perched at the entrance to the practice area.

Ty fished out their room key to disengage the padlock. He jimmied the door until it creaked open. The dim interior overflowed with stacks of compound bows and hunting rifles. Shelves lined each wall of the storage space complete with neat stacks of ammunition in a variety of calibers. He selected a box of .40 Smith & Wesson cartridges.

“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea, Ty.” Lacey worried that poor spot on her lip again. “We could just keep walking or head for the stables.”

“Don’t be nervous, little one. There’s nothing sinister about a gun. You just have to respect it and get comfortable with it.”

She inhaled then nodded. “Okay, show me what I need to know.”

They squeezed into the first wooden cubby together. Tyler pulled the guns from his pants and set them on the counter in front of him. “Most important. This lever is called a safety. When it’s flipped on, the gun won’t fire. You should always check its position first. With a semiautomatic you didn’t load yourself, like this one, there’s no easy way to tell if it’s loaded. Assume that it is.”

He knew hers wasn’t since Rob would never leave it lying