“I’m so sorry. I was being chased and—”

“Shhhh. It was just a nightmare. You’re okay. I’m here.”

Dante cradled her against his chest, rubbing her back. He ran his fingers over her hair.

Laurie wrestled with her emotions, choking back the sobs that stuck in her throat. When she calmed, he pulled back and held her hands.

“You scared me. You called out to me in your nightmare. I thought someone was in here with you.”

“I’m sorry. Someone was chasing me through the woods. I couldn’t find you. I ran toward your voice, but Kaimi was behind me.” She sniffled and looked away.

He nodded, brushing his warm palm against her cheek.

“Try to go to back to sleep.”

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Don’t be sorry. Go back to sleep, now.”

Laurie lay back on her bed, looking up at Dante. She felt foolish, but she didn’t want him to leave.

“Can you stay with me for a little while?”

He stared at her for a moment.

“Of course I can.”

He grabbed the chair, pulling it up beside her bed. He held her hand, running his fingers over her knuckles.

“Thank you.” She began to drift off.

“You’re welcome, Laurie. You’re welcome.”

***

Dante

Dante stared down at her tiny hand in his. Her delicate wrists and slim fingers. Her palms were still sweaty. He watched as her face relaxed into a peaceful sleep. He reached down with his free hand and brushed away the hair around her face.

She had scared him half to death. He had woken up out of a dead sleep to hear her yelling for him. He’d vaulted out of bed and entered her room with gun drawn only to find her wrestling with her sheets, whimpering and asking for him to help her.

He held her hand for a long time. He didn’t want to let it go. Not after seeing her face contorted with terror while she slept. She seemed so content for most of the day, laughing and teasing him. She had to be scared, and her fear was playing out in her nightmares. But that was one place he couldn’t protect her. So, he held her hand, keeping watch over her as she slept.

She didn’t move.

He hardly breathed for fear of waking her. After more than an hour, sleepiness stole over him. He released her hand, and returned to his bed, feeling powerless.

CHAPTER FIVE

The next morning, Laurie wandered downstairs. Dante was killing time waiting for her in the living room on his laptop. David stood in his favorite spot, watching the sweeping landscape. The sun streamed through the windows.

“Good morning.” She smiled, but the lines around her mouth were tight. “Did you both have breakfast yet?”

“Yes, ma’am.” David folded his hands together.

“Not yet.” Dante closed the laptop and got up from the couch. He stretched, following Laurie into the kitchen. “What would you like?” Dante walked over the fridge.

“I can make it.” She got out the eggs.

“You made dinner. Besides, breakfast is the only thing I cook that’s any good.” He took the eggs from her hands.

“Well, if that’s the case, I guess I should bow to your strengths.”

Dante chuckled as he set the eggs on the counter.

“So what should we do today?”

Dante turned toward her as he got out the bread.

“Well, it’s beautiful out. I thought we could go on that hike.”

Laurie winced, and he felt terrible instantly. He was trying to cheer her up, but he had forgotten the exact contents of her nightmare.

“Oh, um, sure.” She flushed and stared at the counter in front of her.

His mind raced, searching for something to fix what he’d just done.

“I’d like to show you something near Mauna Kea. I think you’ll like it.”

“What is it?”

She looked up at him again, a small smile formed across her lips.

Jackpot.

“Now, if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise when we got there.”

He flashed her a winning smile.

She returned it with one of her own. Her eyes danced as she gazed at him.

His heart squeezed in his chest and he almost dropped the egg he held.

“You have a surprise for me?” She glowed in the morning sunlight now, and he felt light headed.

“Yeah. I have a surprise for you.”

“Well, let’s go hiking then.”

“Good. It’s about a four-hour hike up, another four hours back. Can you handle that?”

“Are you insulting me?”

Dante looked over his shoulder. She was still smiling. He was still good. He raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“I’m not insulting you. I just want to make sure you can handle it.”

“I prefer full day hikes.”

“Well, then all you had to do was say ‘yes.’ ”

His gaze lingered on her a moment or two longer than it should have. He turned back to the business at hand. He fixed them both scrambled eggs, with cinnamon toast. Then he poured her a cup of coffee. Dante poured himself a cup and sat down with her.

“Thank you, master chef.”

Dante nearly choked on the bite of toast in his mouth.

“If my mother ever heard someone call me that, she’d die laughing.”

“Did you grow up here?”

Dante felt himself stiffen. He tried to relax. She asked everyone that question.

“No. I grew up all over. I think I hit most of the continental states by the time I went to college.”

“Why did you move so much?”

“Dad worked for the government, so we had to move a lot.”

“The military?”

“Something like that…”

Dante shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and was about to change the subject when Cheyn strolled in the room.

“Good morning, good morning. It is beautiful out today!” Cheyn went straight for the cabinets.

“Yes, it is. Dante’s taking me hiking. It’s perfect weather for it.”

Cheyn dropped the coffee cup he grabbed from the cupboard, and fumbled to save it.

Dante winced. He hadn’t relayed those plans to his team.

“Hiking, huh?” Cheyn looked at Dante.

“Yeah, are you coming?” Laurie turned to Cheyn, and thankfully missed Dante’s grimace.

“I didn’t know there was going to be a hike, so I don’t think I’m invited.” Cheyn smirked as he poured his coffee.

Dante frowned at him.

“I thought it was a nice day, and Laurie asked me about it yesterday, so I suggested it to her a moment ago.” Dante opened up his newspaper and realized it was yesterday’s newspaper.

“Uh, huh. What does the prosecutor have to say about that, boss?” Cheyn asked.

Dante’s frown turned into a scowl.

“Evan James and the DA don’t dictate what protected citizens can and cannot do.” He refolded the newspaper and dropped it on the table.

“Is hiking going to get you in trouble?” Laurie looked up at him, her eyes filled with concern.

“I’ll clear it with my boss.” Dante got up from the table.

He wished Cheyn had kept his mouth shut. It would have been fine. He left his breakfast half-finished. He took his cell phone out onto the back patio. He hit the speed dial, and the head of the Witness Security field office picked up the phone.

“Dante!” he exclaimed. “How’s my best deputy? How’s the girl?”

“She seems all right, Rick. She goes back and forth between being all right and being pretty terrified.”

“Understandable. I saw your report on the resort incident. Did she really knock out the guy with a lamp?” Rick asked.

“Yes, sir. I’ve informed her such actions could harm both herself and someone else. She understands she should never take that course of action again.”

“Good. She’s still amenable to testifying, right? We can’t afford for this one to get spooked.”

“Well, she’s pretty scared, being away from her friends and all. She lived at the resort for the last decade.”

“But do you think she’ll testify?”

Rick’s voice was half an octave higher now then when they started the conversation. The corners of Dante’s mouth curved up. He looked up at Mauna Kea. He almost felt the fallen leaves and twigs crunching beneath his hiking boots.