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Despite her resolve, a muffled moan slipped past her lips.
The footsteps came closer.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed he’d make it quick. Would he risk a shot in here? Or use some other means to—
“Tait?”
Marcus’s voice filtered through her terror a second before his hands grasped her shoulders to help her up. Clinging to him she tried to get her legs to support her, but they failed. Moaning aloud, she fell back to the floor.
“What is it, lass? What’s wrong wi’ yer legs?”
“Cr...cramps,” she managed, stretching her right leg and flexing her foot. “From being curled up so long. Where did you go?” she asked between gritted teeth as the cramp persisted.
Marcus knelt to massage her calf. “After I called the taxi, I saw those men come inside the lobby, showing yer picture around. So, I slipped out a side entrance and circled back tae the front as a bus full o’ lads—all wearin’ the same kind ’o shirt—was unloadin’. ’Tis amazin’ what fifty dollars will buy,” he chuckled. “I told one ’o the lads tae tell the tall blonde man that he’d seen ye runnin’ east, toward the buses. They mustae believed him because they took off runnin’.”
“They’ve been gone a while. At least it seems like it,” she winced, trying to put some weight on her leg. “Where did you go after that?”
“I trailed ’em tae make sure they dinnae come back this way. We caught a bit ’o luck. A bus was just leavin’ when they got there. Right now, they’re tailin’ a bus headed tae a place called Jackson Hole, thinkin’ ye’re on it.”
Easing her to her feet, he kept his arms around her until she could stand on her own. “It’s a tour,” she stated. “They’ll make a lot of stops. After the first one, they’ll figure out I’m not on that bus.”
“Aye, but by the time they get back here, we’ll be gone. The taxi told me ’twould be fifty minutes. I ken ’tis been almost that, already.”
“Already?”she echoed. “That was the longest fifty minutes I’ve ever spent. I’m okay if we don’t ever have to repeat it.”
Marcus brushed fallen locks of blonde hair from her face and looked into her eyes. “ ’Tis over now. I’m sorry I had tae leave ye. But let’s get ye out of here now, tae someplace safe.”
She nodded but kept her thoughts to herself. There was no need trying to explain that if a U.S. Marshall with Witness Protection couldn’t keep her safe, no one could.
She had to accept she’d never be safe again.
* * *
The rideback to the town of West Yellowstone seemed far longer to Marcus than the bus ride from there to Old Faithful. But he imagined it must have felt even longer to Tait. He’d watched her stiffen with every car they passed, coming or going.
There was no question her fear was real. He’d seen enough of the two blackguards pursuing her to know they wouldnae give up easily. He may have managed to buy a little time, but he wasn’t fool enough to believe it would last.
Though he and Tait hadnae spoken after entering the taxi, he’d noted her anxiety and reached over to cover her hand with his. In response, she’d curled her little finger over one of his but made no other gesture, keeping her worried gaze on the road.
As they came out of the park into West Yellowstone, Tait suddenly leaned forward to speak to the driver. “Is there a grocery store in town?”
“Two,” he replied. “The Market Place and the Food Roundup.”
She turned to Marcus. “Can we stop, please? I won’t be long.”
“Of course.” Marcus didn’t bother to hide his surprise. “You don’t have to ask, Tait. We’ll go wherever you need to.”
“Either one will be fine,” she said, sitting back as they turned the corner.
Marcus caught the driver’s gaze in the rear-view mirror. “Whichever one is closest to the One Horse Motel.”
A couple of turns later, they pulled to a stop in front of the Food Roundup. “Wait for us,” Marcus told the driver as he got out and held his hand out to Tait.
“You don’t have to come with me,” she said, sliding out.
“Pull yer hood up, lass. We’ll go in together while ye find what ye want, then ye can wait near the door or come back out here while I pay for it. The fewer people who can identify ye, the better.”
“You’re right,” she agreed, glancing around. “Let’s hurry.”
