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you.”
    “No, of course not.” Anger lent strength to her words.
    “You don’t want me to know a thing. You don’t even want me to say goodbye to my sister.” Her heart twisted.
    “Well, I’m going to Ruby’s funeral, and the only way you can stop me is to arrest me.”
    His silence, lasted for the space of a long breath. And then…
    “If that’s how you want it.”
    “You…” Surely he wasn’t really going to arrest her.
    “If you’re that determined to go, you’ll go. But I’m going with you.”
    “I don’t want you.”
    “I don’t doubt that.” His words held a determination that told her arguing would do her no good at all. “But that’s the offer. Either I go with you tomorrow, or I really will detain you.”
    She was astounded at the strength of her desire to throw something at him. She didn’t do things like that. Ruby was the one who gave in to impulse, not her. And if she did, he’d probably arrest her for assaulting a federal officer. Then she’d never get to the funeral.
    “All right.” She bit off the words. “Have it your way.”
    “I intend to,” he said, and it was as much a threat as a promise.
    The sun rose slowly, almost reluctantly, bathing miles of snowy emptiness with a cold, clear light. Jade glanced across the front seats of the truck at Micah. He’d picked her up in the predawn darkness, and they’d driven for miles without a word between them.
    Her first impression of his vehicle had been right on target. The truck was an older model, but spotless inside. Micah had shed his parka, revealing a woolly V-neck layered over a dress shirt and tie. The chocolate-brown of the sweater echoed the color of his eyes. He drove quickly and competently, managing the occasional patch of black ice or drifted snow without incident. A twinge of guilt pricked her into breaking the silence.
    “You must have had to get up in the middle of the night.”
    He shrugged. “No big deal.” He shot her a cautious look, as if wondering whether it was safe to talk after the way she’d responded to him yesterday. “I’m sorry for forcing my presence on you. I do know you’d rather be alone, but it might not be safe.”
    “Do you honestly think someone is after me?” Even now, she found the events of the past few days incredible, still felt half convinced that she’d wake and discover it all a bizarre nightmare.
    “Probably not, but it’s better to take precautions.”
    She didn’t know whether to be reassured by that or not. But he was wrong about one thing. “I know I didn’t want you to come. But I’m glad I’m not alone today.”
    “There’s not much anyone else can do when you’re burying a loved one, but it’s still better to have people around. When…” He let that trail off.
    She twisted in the seat to see him better. “When what?”
    He hesitated for a moment. “I was going to say that when my father died, I don’t know how I’d have coped without my mother and brother.”
    She’d never known a father, but someone like Micah had probably had the sort of childhood she could only imagine. “How old were you?”
    “Eighteen. My dad was a cop, killed in the line of duty.”
    “I’m sorry.” That explained something about him. He was following in his father’s footsteps, in a way. She’d always been determined not to follow in her mother’s.
    He nodded, as if in acceptance of her sympathy. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t able to tell you more about your sister. There really is a good reason for all the security. No one would testify against organized crime if they didn’t think they’d be protected. And even then, it takes courage to do what your sister did.”
    Her throat knotted, and she had to clear it before she could speak. “I know. I was proud of her. Ruby was always the brave one when it came to dealing with things.”
    Things like their mother in a drunken rage, or a landlord determined to evict them, or one of Mom’s boyfriends trying to take