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“So you drove out there on a whim,” he prodded, unable to curb his tongue.
“Not a whim. A hunch.” Anger flashed in her eyes again. “Look. I know we agreed to stick together, but you broke your promise first. Plus, I thought I’d be better at getting information out of the pastor. You do remember that my brother’s missing, right? Anything I can do to get this case solved quickly so we can find Jason works for me.”
Tai nodded. “That’s fair.”
So what? He didn’t care about fair. He cared about keeping Jane safe and finding her brother. In that order. His promise to Jason notwithstanding, Pastor Zack and his self-made problems were way down the list.
If he wasn’t doing a favor for Jay, he wouldn’t even bother cleaning this up. A good thing for the reverend that he’d never walk away from his duty to a friend.
Jane spread her hands. “Anyway, we’re getting off the subject. What’s our next move?”
Bridger speared a leftover bit of lettuce with a toothpick. “Until the sheriff’s department or the ATF come up with some clues on the bombing, we concentrate on the blackmail part. This guy’s been at it for a couple years, on and off. There’s got to be a clue somewhere.”
Jane considered that. “But the pastor came clean. Won’t the sheriff investigate now?”
“Sure.” Bridger slid his empty plate away from the edge of the table. “And he’s got what, two detectives?”
Jane shook her head. “One. Buster Ramirez. That’s it.”
“So your sheriff’s got one guy to investigate a major crime plus whatever else is going on in the county.”
Tai shook his head sorrowfully. “Let’s just say the good guys could use some help.”
Jane lifted a french fry from her plate. “The sheriff won’t like it.”
Tai snatched the last two. “The sheriff won’t know.”
“We’ll keep out of his way as long as possible,” Bridger added. Don’t ask, and they can’t say “No.” He’d learned that lesson long before the Consortium recruited him.
“Works for me,” she said.
Her response surprised him. He figured her for more of a rule-follower. But maybe that wasn’t fair. She was a Reilly.
Then she leaned on her elbows, her gaze intent as she lasered both of them with those pretty eyes. “Whatever it takes to solve this for Pastor Zack so we can get back to finding Jason.”
He found himself nodding. Tai, too.
“Yes, ma’am,” the big man mumbled.
Bridger sat back and folded his arms. The muscles at the back of his neck clenched. Trouble coming. He wanted to whisk Jane out of danger so badly, his gut ached.
And there was no way she’d agree. He’d have to keep her in sight and out of trouble.
He groaned silently. The elk stared him down. That thousand-yard glare gave Bridger the willies. He knew the feeling. Trouble was brewing. When it hit, it would come fast.
20
“What’s our first step?”Jane fired the question at Bridger and Tai the minute they got out onto the sidewalk.
She knew that if Bridger could whisk her out of town, he would. He hadn’t said as much, because he wasn’t an idiot, but his thoughts were obvious. The only way to deal with an arrogant, hard-headed man like that was to stick close and hang on. Not unlike many of the horses she’d ridden in her day. Grab a handful of mane…and pray.
Bridger shoved his hands in the pockets of those fancy tech pants and did a slow, 360. From his easy body language, a casual observer would assume he was checking out the scenery. But she knew better. She admired his acting skills.
“Let’s talk back at the store,” he said, and led the way back down the street.
Tai flanked her, discreetly sandwiching her between the two of them.
She had to hurry to match Bridger’s pace. “Not an admirer of the great outdoors?”
