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“You okay with this?” he asked.
I swung around to face him, half laughing. “I wasn’t given a real choice in this. You know? There’s something they’re not telling either one of us.”
He squinted as he looked toward the sun. “Yeah, I kinda got that impression too. Be careful with this one, buddy. I have the same bad feeling you do. They’re keeping the media quiet on this one so as not to cause hysteria.”
“Translation, buddy. They don’t know what they’re dealing with. That’s why it’s quiet in the media.”
His laugh told me I was right. “You’re too good at this game.”
“Yeah, but you know how I hate games. By the way, I need a favor while I’d gone.”
As he lifted a single eyebrow, he grinned. The last time I’d asked for a favor, it was because I’d stolen a car. That was a lifetime before. “Shoot.”
“I’m trying to get Lily into a rental. She needs to get away from that motel. Maybe you could watch out for her. She got a job at Raunchy Ride.”
He studied me for a few seconds, his grin widening. “You like this girl.”
“Yeah, well, maybe.”
“No maybe about it. I didn’t find anything about her past that’s troubling.”
“Maybe I’m wrong and she’s just a private person.”
“I don’t know. Here’s the thing. I couldn’t find anything on her, period. Unless you want me to fingerprint her, which I take wouldn’t go over well, then she’s gonna need to be the one to tell you her business.”
Fuck. Fuck. I closed my eyes briefly, cursing under my breath. “Just keep an eye on her. She’s in danger. I feel it in my bones.”
“I’m going to give you a piece of advice. Take it or leave it. Don’t let this get too personal. I don’t like this tracking job any more than you do. You could get yourself killed.”
“That isn’t going to happen. The fucker will die before I do.”
“Remember what your assignment is. The marshals want him alive.”
“Fuck the marshals. I’ll do what needs to be done.”
I took long strides toward the truck, climbing into the cab then shaking my head as Sam crowded my space. “It looks like we’re going on an adventure, buddy.” A fucking dangerous one. So much for taking a few weeks off.
Before I could toss the shirt in the back, Sam went nuts, barking and clawing at it.
“Hey. You’ll get your chance, my friend.”
When he tried to climb over the seat, a strange feeling pooled in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t like this scenario at all. There was a chance I was being used, but for what purpose?
“Okay. Calm down, boy. I need to do a few things before we get going.”
He finally settled down, his tail thumping hard against the seat.
It was entirely possible Lily had seen the fugitive during her hike. I might as well find out what she knew. As I pulled out of the parking lot, heading toward the Yellowstone Motel, I thought about the gear I’d need to accomplish this feat. It had been a few months since I’d apprehended a criminal, albeit the last guy had been stupid about hiding out in the mountains, allowing me to catch him red-handed breaking into one of the vacant summer cabins. And I’d done it in record time. Somehow, I had a feeling Bruno had formed a plan a long time before his escape. Why Montana? Chicago was a hell of a long way. That meant he had a purpose in being here.
I debated stopping to see Lily. The last thing she needed was to be terrified that someone was after her, but that made catching the asshole imperative. Sam rode shotgun, stoic as he normally was when he knew I was preparing for a trek through the mountains. He’d been a godsend, more so than I’d originally wanted to admit, but after seeing what Snake’s dog, Apollo, had managed to accomplish, I’d been sold in getting a tracking dog.
Hopefully, the scent would be easy to hunt down.
Ten minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of the motel, glad to see Lily’s truck still parked in front of the room.
“Stay here, boy. I might be a little while.” I still wasn’t certain how to ask her what she’d seen, worried how she’d react, but I needed as much information as possible. When I knocked on the door, I took a deep breath, the ache in my loins returning. I liked this girl a little too much.
There was an old-fashioned chain on the inside of the door and Lily opened it tentatively, a look of relief flooding her face.
