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made the decision simple.
    A strip mall was coming up on his right and he turned off the highway without a second thought, easily finding a spot in the massive lot. Then, after a moment’s debate, he got out of the truck, went to the back door, and pulled it open, climbing in beside her.
    She didn’t move, her breathing heavy, deep and regular.
    For a second he indulged his curiosity, staring down at her. Pretty little thing, but he could see the lines of hardship around her eyes and mouth. Life hadn’t been easy on this girl, that was for sure. Then again, if she’d been caught running drugs, then that was a given.
    He frowned, reaching out to push a lock of silky black hair off her face. Yeah, so young. And there was nothing like sleep to make someone look even younger. Jesus, what the hell had she gotten herself into? And why?
    When that guy had burst out of the bar and started shooting, she’d looked terrified, which was understandable since the guy had clearly been sent to stop her from testifying. She’d looked terrified the moment she’d realized why Zane had come for her too.
    She’s not safe in jail either.
    The thought was an uncomfortable one. A complication he sure as hell didn’t need. Because if she wasn’t safe in jail, then what the hell was he supposed to do with her? Could he really turn her over to whoever held her bail bond? If it wasn’t Lone Star, that was, because sometimes they did bail bonds, sometimes they took on bounty hunting jobs from other bail bondsmen. Whatever, if he did turn her over, she’d have to go to court and maybe testify against some of the worst criminals in the state. And if she didn’t do that, then she’d go straight to jail.
    Ah, Jesus, why was he thinking about it like this? Situations like these never turned out well, and he of all people should know that. Besides, she was a skip. A criminal. A drug courier. He really shouldn’t give a shit what the hell happened to her.
    Annoyed with himself, he matter-of-factly grabbed the two halves of her torn T-shirt and tied them together so her bra was covered, all the while trying to avoid brushing her skin with his fingertips. She shifted as he did, murmuring something in her sleep as she turned her head and slowly tipped all the way over onto her side. The movement made the light, flowery scent of her wrap itself around him, tinged with the metallic smell of blood.
    Something cold shifted in his chest.
    He’d smelled that combination before. Charlie in his arms, her pretty blue dress soaking up all the blood, those luminous gray eyes dimming slowly, and he couldn’t stop the blood, couldn’t fix what had happened, powerless…
    Cursing under his breath, Zane shoved himself out of the truck, closing the door behind him and locking it the same way he locked all his bad memories away. Then, ignoring the cold feeling that had settled down inside him, he turned toward the mall stores.
    The shopping didn’t take him very long and he was back within twenty minutes. Iris was still fast asleep, and, unfortunately, he hadn’t come to any decisions about what to do with her, which was a problem. He was a guy who liked to plan and strategize, and he didn’t take too kindly to surprises who turned all his precious plans upside down.
    And she was one hell of a surprise.
    Irritated, he decided that in the short term the most pressing thing was getting that scratch seen to, though he didn’t particularly want to do it in the middle of a strip mall parking lot. His alternative was taking her to Lone Star and doing it there, but something in his gut was urging him to avoid going back there with her until he’d figured out what to do. His brothers would no doubt want her returned to Dallas pronto, and given his need to get back to Fort Bragg with the minimum of fuss, that would be the most logical action to take. She wasn’t his problem after all. Except the cartel didn’t take kindly to snitches, in jail or out. In fact,