Mountain Secrets by Elizabeth Goddard (good books to read for teens txt) 📕

“Not while Nick is still out there. Be realistic. You might need to think about witness protection.”

“I’m not giving up the life I’ve built here.” She stared at the ceiling for a moment. “Can’t you stay with me until they catch him?”

“I don’t know,” Jason said. “I think you need more protection than I can provide.” Guilt washed through him. If he had been paying attention, Nick wouldn’t have been able to strangle Isabel.

Her eyes became glassy with tears. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I don’t want you to die. I’m saying the best thing is for you to move to another town with a new name.”

She shook her head. “I thought... I don’t know. That something was happening between us.”

He took her empty plate. More than anything, he wanted to hold her. To tell her everything would be okay and that they could be together, but that might get her killed. He made his voice sound cold and distant on purpose. “I’m only thinking of your safety.”

“My safety?” A single tear rolled down her cheek. “I need to go brush my teeth.” She jumped off the stool and disappeared around the corner. The bathroom at least was Sheetrocked and had a door.

Jason put the plates in the sink and stared out the window. There were boot tracks outside, but he didn’t see the agent anywhere.

He could hear Isabel running the water in the bathroom.

Feeling uneasy, he put on his boots and slipped into his coat. He stepped outside onto the threshold, visually following the tracks that went some distance from the house. He took a few more steps away from the house. The footprints ended and were replaced by drag marks leading to another half-finished house.

Heart racing, he turned and sprinted back into the house. The agent could take care of himself. It was Isabel he was worried about.

Isabel splashed water on her face and stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. She pulled a strand of blond hair behind her ear. So that was it. She’d opened her heart to Jason, let herself feel something for him and he was pushing her away.

Of course, it wasn’t realistic that they go into witness protection together. They’d known each other less than a week, but he acted like he didn’t want to be with her at all. He’d kept her safe so far. Maybe he was just looking for an excuse to push her away. He could be scared of his feelings for her or he might have just been caught up in the moment when he kissed her. It didn’t matter. The point was she wasn’t going to open herself up to this kind of stinging pain. Not ever again.

She reached for a towel. The back door opened. Jason must have been coming back inside. She’d heard him step out earlier.

She patted her face dry, covering her eyes. Footsteps echoed down the hallway.

She wasn’t about to call out to Jason. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to him.

She replaced the towel on the bar, then realized she hadn’t heard the back door close. The bathroom door swung open. Before she could turn, a gun pressed into the middle of her back.

“Thought you’d get away from me, huh? You scream, I’ll shoot.” Nick wrapped his arm around her waist and pointed the gun at her head. “Lover boy is distracted right now. Don’t expect him to come rescue you.”

He pulled her through the door. Nick had her in such a tight hold, she couldn’t move.

He half lifted, half dragged her through the snow into one of the other incomplete houses. He pushed her onto the plywood floor and pulled a bandanna out of his pocket. Diving to the floor, he grabbed hold of her hair. “Hold still.”

Her head stung where he’d yanked on her ponytail.

In the distance, she heard Jason call her name. He sounded so very far away.

Nick must have heard the cry, as well. Panic filled his words. He pointed the gun at her. “Cry out and you’re dead.” The tone of his voice told her he wasn’t lying. “Give me your hands.”

She flipped over and tried to crawl away, knowing he would overpower her, but at least it bought her some time.

Jason and the agent would most likely go through the front door of the safe house and search there first. In the minutes it took them to find the tracks and drag marks at the back of the house, Nick would be able to escape with her if he had a vehicle nearby.

Nick pounced on her again, flipping her around and tying the bandanna around her wrists. He pulled her to her feet and pushed her through the empty house, their footsteps echoing on the plywood subfloor. He pushed her out the back of the house.

She heard the sound of a diesel truck before she saw it. Nick had left it running for a quick escape. He led her around to the side of the house and shoved her in the driver’s seat. “Scoot over.” And then he jumped behind the wheel.

The truck eased through the deep snow.

Isabel lifted her head to look out the back window. The truck bed was covered with a tarp.

“Stay down,” Nick barked.

She reached for the door handle, seeking to escape before the truck was going too fast. Though her hands were bound, she was able to wrap fingers around the door handle. Nick grabbed the collar of her robe and pulled her back.

“Don’t even.” He pulled a gun from his waist and pointed it at her. “Just in case you want to try that again.” Nick pressed the accelerator, trying to go faster, which only made the wheels of the truck spin. He cursed.

The truck gained some traction and he sped toward the road.

The Bureau had taken great pains to make sure they weren’t followed to the safe house. “How did you find me?”

“You pay someone enough