Hiding Jessica by Alicia Scott Read Free Book Online

schoolteacher, we’ll have to work on that. I should have an answer for you in a couple of days.”
    She nodded. “New England, maybe? I like the area.”
    “Yeah, well, the scenery won’t mean much if Les is on your doorstep by morning. New England’s just too close.”
    “Perhaps,” she said simply.
    “Washington—start thinking Washington state or other places on the West Coast. We look for a good-size city, a place where a new person would attract little notice. We can discuss it when we know for sure.” He threw in the last statement because he had the distinct feeling they were going to discuss it. He had only to look at the determined slant of her chin to know that for whatever reason, she wasn’t keen on leaving the area. Rather strange, he thought, for someone who said she had no friends or family around.
    And all of a sudden, he realized why he still wasn’t feeling comfortable about all of this. As agreeable and intelligent as she seemed, Mitch was willing to bet money she had other ideas on her mind. It was the only explanation he could find.
    So then the question became what were those ideas, and how much would it cost him to find out? He wasn’t joking when he told her they would all bear the price of her mistakes. He’d seen it happen too many times before.
    Someone made a mistake, but somebody else died.
    Somebody close, somebody you cared for.
    He pushed the thought away.
    “Do you understand what our agenda will be?” he asked now, his voice curt as he once more scrutinized her with his eyes.
    She nodded.
    “I want to get an early start tomorrow. Let’s say 7:00 a.m. Meet me downstairs. And dress warm—we’ll be outside for part of the day. Do you have a proper coat?”
    “No.”
    He frowned. “I’ll have to see what I can do about that.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s midnight now. You should probably get some sleep.”
    You? What was he planning on doing? She didn’t feel like asking, though. It had been a long day. There was just one thing she needed to get settled.
    “How much freedom do I have here?” she asked, doing her best to sound casual.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Before, I was never allowed near windows, never allowed outside by myself. I’m assuming this location is safer than the hotels. Can I go outside by myself?”
    He considered the matter for a moment. “You can probably have more freedom,” he conceded, understanding how hard it must have been to be cooped up like that. “However, we need to know your whereabouts at all times. If you go out, find myself, Bill or Jamie. Tell us exactly where you’re going and when you’ll be back. And never wander off the perimeters of this site. You can tell that by the yellow property markers on the trees. That is the safe zone. Beyond that, we can’t cover you if there’s trouble. In all honesty, there is no reason for you to have to go farther. All supplies have been provided, and even then, the nearest town is a good twenty miles from here. Other than the occasional stray hunter, this area is completely isolated.”
    She nodded, her face expressionless even as she felt her heart sink in her chest. The nearest town was twenty miles from here? How would she ever make that? Especially considering the only vehicle she knew of was the sedan, and that would be easy to track. She would have to give this more thought.
    If she could even just call.
    It would make such a difference.
    “I think I’ll go upstairs now,” she said abruptly. “I could use a good night’s sleep.”
    He nodded, rising from the table. She watched him with wary eyes.
    He truly was such a large man. Irritated that he loomed so far above her now, she also rose from the table. But her five-ten height still only reached his shoulder. After all those years of towering over men—even Les—to find herself still having to look up was disconcerting. He gestured with his hand for her to go first. Reluctantly she began walking.
    She could feel him