I felt lightheaded. Mason was a sitting duck.

He grabbed my upper arms and leaned down into my face. “I’m gonna make sure you’re protected.”

I shook my head. “I’m more worried about you, Mason.”

He pulled me close and gave me a slow, gentle kiss. “Sweetheart, I’m fine. I promise.” He opened the side of his coat to show me a gun holster strapped to his chest.

My eyes widened and rose to his. “Does Joe—”

“Know?” he finished. “He’s the one who suggested it.”

“Mason, I’m beggin’ you to tell me what’s goin’ on.” I knew I sounded whiny, but I didn’t care. I was scared for him.

He cupped my cheek. “I’m sorry. You have every right to know what’s going on. Tonight I’ll tell you every last bit of it. I promise.”

“Everything?” I wanted to tell him everything too. I considered telling him about the second journal now, but it could wait. It wasn’t like we could read it. Besides, it was a twenty-five-year-old mystery. Not much would have changed by nighttime.

“I swear it. Even something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about for a few weeks now. I wanted more information before I told you more about it.” He ran his hand through his hair, looking down in frustration before searching my face. “Dora might have been doing something illegal. But I wanted more proof before I told you about it. You’ve had enough shitty people in your life, Rose. You deserve someone good.”

A lump filled my throat. “I have you, Mason. You’re my someone good.”

He kissed me with an intensity that caught me by surprise, pushing me against the side of the truck. My hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. His desperation scared me, and worry slithered in my heart.

Suddenly it was all too much. The Lady in Black. Maeve telling me that Mason and someone else was in danger and I was supposed to save them. Hattie waiting for me at the Atchison factory with information that would probably change my life. It was all so overwhelming. All I wanted was to be with Mason without this constant fear looming over us.

I cupped his cheeks and lifted his head to search his eyes. “Mason, let’s just go now. Let’s run away from it all.”

Resignation and regret filled his eyes. “As much as I’d love to climb into this truck with you, pick up Muffy and never look back, I can’t. I have to at least finish out today, then I can let the chips fall where they may.”

“What happens today?”

“I have a meeting at six.”

My breath caught in my throat. “What’s gonna happen at this meeting?”

“Rose, you have to promise me that you won’t tell a soul. Not even Neely Kate.”

“I promise.”

“Joe and I are presenting evidence to get the DA indicted for taking bribes and misuse of power.” Hope lit up his face. “I’ve convinced someone from the state capital to come and let us present our case.”

Mason had been digging into J.R. while he was in Little Rock, but I had to wonder if he’d been instigating this too. “Then what?” I asked.

“Hopefully, he’ll get removed from office and I’ll be free to protect you from J.R. Simmons. It seems the best path at the moment—clear out the man who’s most likely to overrule me when I dismiss J.R.’s trumped-up evidence.”

I shook my head. “Do you think it’s gonna work?”

“It’s only a short-term fix, but it’s a good stop-gap until we can reach a more permanent solution.”

“The trouble brewing next week…”

His eyes hardened. “I’ll take care of it. One way or the other.”

“Mason, don’t do anything to get yourself into trouble.”

He winked, but his eyes didn’t hold their usual sparkle of playfulness. “The only trouble I want to get into is with you this weekend at my uncle’s cabin.”

I forced a saucy grin. “Then I better pack that little black thing.”

His hand slid from my waist to my hip and around to my butt, pulling me flush against him. “I love your little black thing.”

I pressed my mouth to his. “You’ve never seen this little black thing.”

He grinned against my lips. “Even better.”

I kissed him again, my fear mingling with the love I had for this man. He was far from perfect, but he gave me more love and acceptance than anyone else ever had. I knew I wasn’t an easy person to live with, but he took everything in stride and accepted the chaos that followed me like hail in a summer storm. I couldn’t lose him. “I love you, Mason.”

He wiped a tear that trailed down my cheek. “I love you too. Now I better get going.” He turned to the road. “What are you doing out here?”

I looked around, surprised but thankful Jed hadn’t shown up yet. “I’m going on a consultation.”

“Here?”

I scrunched my nose. “Not here. I only pulled in when I saw your car.”

“I thought you were staying in town today.”

“This was a last-minute thing that was too good to pass up.”

He studied me for several long seconds. “Do you have the Taser Joe gave you?”

“In my purse.”

“Get it out.”

“Okay…” I opened the door and grabbed the weapon out of my bag.

“Did he show you how to use it?”