By the time the sun came up, Colin needed a strong cup of black coffee more than he needed air. There was no way he was going to leave Melissa or the baby alone to get one, though. He woke with the last words spoken between him and Melissa fresh on his mind. Seeing her and the baby together,knowing Angelina was his, threatened to chip away at his armor and they felt like his family.   Colin couldn't believe his own stupidity. He'd started tripping down the road that could only lead to diaster with Melissa. He mentally slapped himself for momentarily forgetting just how burned he'd been before.    *Don't get too comfortable, O'Brien* Darkness loomed on the horizon and Colin needed to focus all his attention on keeping his daughter and Melissa safe.    At least the storm had abated, if only for a little while. He'd checked the weather and it w

 Melissa didn't want to look Colin in the face or let him see that she was about to cry.   "Don't run away from me, Melissa", he said. "Not this time". "Low blow, Colin", she shot back ,trying to regain her equilibrium.      "Is it? You keep running and I'm just trying to help you",he said. "You're not telling me everything. I still know you well enough to know that. And that's fine if you don't want to talk to me. I get that there are things between a husband and a wife that other people don't need to Know. I can see that you don't trust me. You didn't before and that's most likely why you walked out in the first place". Melissa sucked in a burst of air.    "You don't think I believed in you" she fired the words like buckshot. "In us? After everything I've told you? You still don't get it?" "Don't worry about it. I'

She didn't immediately answer.     "What do you mean?" She finally asked.   "You hear my question",he said.      "We're getting off track here", Melissa said.   Colin paused before asking,, "Tell me more about the Colorado deal".      "One of his buddies planned to sell the hotel to him and they kept talking about using offshore accounts and a dummy company". Richard had set up several networks to help other criminals disappear. Any one of the men he'd harbored would help him in a heartbeat if asked.   "It would be a very good way to launder money",Colin said. "Isn't that one of his forms of income?"      She nodded. It was one of many illegal activities that Richard managed to keep a hand in.   "Maybe we should start there",Colin said. "I have to say that I don't like the idea of ge

COLIN HAD BEEN driving for more than two hours before he'd said it was safe enough to run through a fast-food chain's drive-thru. He'd already been in touch with Dallas to arrange to meet.   "I never thought a plain cup of coffee could taste so good", Melissa said,enjoying every drop of that first sip.    The tension was starting to break from their earlier run-in with Richard's men. Colin had been too focused on making sure they were far away to get too comfortable. His grip on the wheel had been tight and his gaze intense on the stretches of highway in front of them. He'd made several defensive maneuvers,moved from Highways to roads and back before exiting and then pulling under the golden arches.     Since then,the baby had been changed and fed,and slept peacefully. She was safe. For now. Those two little words wound through Melissa's mind.  They sat in the parking lo

Melissa wrapped her arms around him,holding on like tomorrow was a question instead of a guarantee. Reality said that that was true. There were no more certainties while Richard was free. And the pain of being away from her daughter nearly impaled her. She tightened her grip around Colin.   "She's safe", he said,his lips moving against her skin. "He won't get to her. No one will ever hurt our daughter". It wasn't the first time he'd spoken those last two words together. But this time was different. In them,there was hope for a future for the three of them. No matter what happened in the coming hours or days, Melissa would cling to that thought___the one where Angelina grew up with loving parents who were able to set aside differences and always put her first.   All they had to do was live long enough to see her again. They said there for a moment that stretched and extended around them. Car