Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Dana Mentink (novels to improve english txt) 📗

She sat on the adjacent couch and pulled the Aztec blanket over her.

They spent time going over what they knew. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a lot. They needed a break. Who was the man with the spiked hair and where was he hiding?

Two hours later, Hannah flicked on the TV. She needed to unwind and television would do it for her. An episode of Bones popped on the screen. “Oh, I love this show.” She curled her legs underneath her and gathered the blanket closer, ready to watch her favorite anthropologist. A scene of Brennan and Hodgins being buried alive boomed tension throughout the room.

Layke gasped, stood and grabbed the remote from her hand, turning the station. “I can’t watch that.” He plunked himself back in his seat.

Hannah uncurled her legs and leaned forward. “What? Why?”

He bit his lip.

An uncharacteristic action for the fierce policeman. Definitely not the Superman image she had of him in the little time she’d gotten to know him. “What’s wrong?”

He turned off the TV. “I had an incident in my childhood that sparked a fear of being buried alive.”

Her mouth fell open. Not what she expected. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t—”

A thud from down the hall was followed by a bloodcurdling scream.

“Gabe!”

CHAPTER SIX

Hannah threw off the blanket and bolted from the couch. She raced down the hall with Layke at her heels. Lord, help Gabe to be okay. Had they found them? Had they somehow gotten in through the back entrance? She swung the door open. It banged against the wall, the thud resonating throughout the small room. Hannah winced and turned the light on. Gabe rocked in the corner and whimpered with his thumb in his mouth. Not an action for the more mature eight-year-old she’d seen earlier.

Layke entered with his weapon raised.

She gazed around the room and found no one. However, something had scared the boy. She reached over and put her hand on Layke’s gun, lowering it. “You’ll scare him.”

He nodded.

Hannah walked over to the boy and knelt beside him. “What is it, Gabe?”

He pulled his thumb from his mouth. “He. He. Found. Me.” The boy’s stuttered words made no sense.

“There’s no one here, sport.” Layke had stuffed his gun in the back of his jeans and joined them on the floor.

“But I saw him.”

Layke glanced at Hannah.

The boy must have been hallucinating. Could intense fear cause that to happen? First, the face in the window and now this?

Layke scooped Gabe into his arms. “Let’s get you back into bed.”

Gabe squirmed. “He’s coming for me.”

Layke tucked the covers all around him, creating a cocoon-like effect as if shielding him from an unknown assailant. He sat on the bed.

Hannah plunked herself down on the other side of Gabe and hoped their combined presence would help him feel protected. She rubbed his cheek. “It’s okay, Gabe. You’re safe here.”

Was he? Could they guarantee that?

Layke stood. “I will search the rest of the cabin just to make sure.”

Exactly her thoughts. “Check the back door, too. I’ll stay with Gabe.”

He exited the room.

“Do you want to pray with me?” Hannah asked.

“Yes.”

She got up, turned the lighthouse lamp on and flicked off the overhead light, dimming the room. She sat back down. “That’s better. How about you close your eyes?”

He obeyed.

She took his little hands in hers. “Father, be with Gabe right now. Help him to go back to sleep knowing he’s in Your hands. Protect us and help us to have a good night’s sleep. Amen.”

The wind howled as if in response to her pleading prayer. She smiled.

They could still rejoice through the storms.

Why couldn’t she find joy through her current turmoil? Was she that terrible a Christian to allow doubts to creep in? She needed to give herself a stern lecture, but right now she had to focus on the boy.

Gabe opened his eyes. His earlier wild expression had disappeared and he now looked peaceful.

Thank You, Lord.

Moments later, Layke returned and sat on the bed. “All’s clear. No signs of anyone.”

“Mr. Layke, can you tell me a story?” Gabe asked.

Layke snapped his gaze to hers, his eyes widening. “But we don’t have any books.”

He’d never made up a story before?

She reached over and grabbed his hand, ignoring the spark from the simple touch. “Use your imagination.”

He grinned and squeezed her hand. “I’ll try.”

She pulled away and folded her arms. Anything to take her mind off the electricity surging between them. Or was it just her imagination?

Layke stared at the ceiling. “Let me think. Hmm…where shall I start?” He snapped his fingers. “I know. Once upon a time…”

Gabe giggled. A sound she now loved. How had she become attached to this boy so quickly?

“Once upon a time, a young knight named Richard the Lionheart mounted his horse and—”

“What color was his horse?” Gabe asked.

Layke tapped his chin. “White like Shadowfax in Lord of the Rings.”

“I love that movie.” Gabe’s eyes sparkled in the dim lighting.

Hannah smothered a grin. She also loved the Tolkien series.

“Me too, sport. The young knight mounted Shadowfax and galloped across the kingdom in search of the missing princess, Marian.”

Hannah snorted. “Marian and Richard? Is this a Robin Hood story?”

Layke shrugged. “Only names I could think of. Stop interrupting.” He winked and turned back to Gabe.

A thought raced through Hannah’s mind. If only this moment would last.

“Princess Marian had been missing for two days and the King had offered her hand in marriage to the knight who rescued her, so he was determined—”

“What does determined mean?”

“Resolved.”

Gabe wrinkled his face.

“Serious. Strong willed.” Hannah punched Layke in the arm. “Use words an eight-year-old can understand.”

“Knight Richard was serious and wanted to win Marian’s hand in marriage. After all, he’d been in love with her since the second grade. She was the reason he became a knight. To protect her and her father’s kingdom.” Layke scrunched his face. “But Knight Arthur had caught Marian’s attention with all his wins in the competitions.”

“I don’t like Arthur.” Gabe crossed his arms.

“Richard didn’t either, so he snuck out of