“Add in the fact that the pregnancy was a big shock to them…yes. What about you? You said you had older brothers?”

“Four and six years older.”

“Any contact?”

Harper glanced at her. “They try.”

“And your parents?”

“We talk occasionally. They’re not quite sure how to handle the topic of Jan, so we sort of dance around it. It’s just this big elephant in the room that we ignore.”

“You should go see them. Reconnect.” Harper gave her an incredulous look and Dani laughed. “I know, I’m a fine one to be offering advice, aren’t I?”

“My parents are younger. Yours are what? In their seventies?”

Dani nodded. “My dad was fifty when I was born so yes, he’s seventy-eight, seventy-nine.” She turned to Harper. “I haven’t seen them since that day I left home. I was nineteen. I remember thinking how old they were then, how out of touch they were with me…with life.”

“Ten years?”

“About, yes. I’ve changed a lot in ten years. If not for the gay thing, they might actually like me better now.” She reached across the console to touch Harper’s arm, letting her hand rest there. “Are you okay doing this on our own?” she asked, changing the subject.

“I wish we had some backup, but I can’t blame Reid for not wanting to get his ass busted just because I decided to take off with you—unauthorized.” Harper raised her eyebrows. “Are you okay with it?”

“I trust you.”

“Why? I almost got you killed.”

“Because you’re concerned about me. You’re not concerned with proper protocol or saving face if something goes wrong. Your only interest is protecting me.”

“So many things could go wrong, Dani. This guy, whoever he is, knows what he’s doing. He’s a pro at this. Our only advantage is that we now know how he’s tracking us.”

“Meaning the locket will be used as bait, not me.”

“Exactly. It’s still risky.”

“If we had gone in, would they really have brought in the FBI?”

“Yes.”

“And you would have been off the case?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Even against my wishes?”

“A cop was killed. They don’t care quite as much about you as they did before,” Harper said bluntly.

“Which is why I’m glad I’m with you and not them.”

She squeezed Harper’s arm where her hand had been resting, then pulled it away. Were they on the run now? Was it like a bad movie? Now that her stalker had resorted to killing a police officer, were they even concerned where she and Harper were? Were they truly on their own?

“Second thoughts?”