“I’ll see what I can do from this end. I know someone in the governor’s mansion who’d be very interested in this story.” Joe’s voice jerked his thoughts back to the problem at hand. “I’ll text you as soon as I have something. Check in again . . . say eighteen hundred hours.”
“You got it. Thanks, Joe. I owe you.”
“The hell you do. Watch your back, Brady.” The next instant Joe was gone.
Brady clenched his fist around his phone, still studying Mac. Her secondhand clothes looked like a million bucks on her. The jeans encased her hips like a second skin, and the long-sleeved, sunflower yellow top he’d chosen looked beautiful against the auburn tones of her hair. He should have picked something more neutral in color for blending in, but when he’d seen that yellow, he’d known he had to get it for her. Hopefully, she liked the pale yellow lace bra and panties he’d found new and hanging on a rack by the checkout stands.
She blushed as though he’d said it out loud, and a warm smile drew him in. “I couldn’t help overhearing. Who were you talking to?”
“Friends who’ll help us get out of here when we’re ready.” He slid his cell phone onto his belt and sat on the bed, leaning back against his elbows. “You look great.”
“Thanks. Everything fits perfectly.”
Brady patted the bed beside him. “Come here and sit for a minute. I want to talk to you.”
Wariness sprang to her eyes, but she moved slowly toward him.
When she stood in front of him questioningly, he motioned to the bed again. “I want to make sure we understand each other.” He eyed her patiently, almost feeling bad about her discomfort. Clearly, she expected his topic to be his offer of sex and companionship. He’d let that one settle for a while. They’d be spending a lot of time alone together. If she was interested, he’d know . . . and she’d know what the parameters were.
She finally flopped down beside him.
“I know you want to find out why Callahan was killed, and you think Maria might know something.” He rushed on, holding his hand up to forestall her interruption. “I want to help you. Maria will help too. I don’t know her very well—only that she’s a good person. But I need you to do something for me.”
“What?” Mac slanted a glance at him.
“Let me do what I think is best to keep you and Maria alive.”
She dropped her gaze. “This safe house you asked your friends to find—are we going there?”
He nodded. “You and I will stay there until I hear from Maria. Then we’ll meet up with her and get out of Dodge.” He cocked his head. “We’re all going together, Mac. You have to trust me.”
“I do . . . it’s just . . . faith in my fellow man has taken a beating recently.” She threw him a crooked grin.
“Been there—done that. It makes a comeback eventually.”
A smile sparkled in her eyes. “You’re . . . different. I’ve never met anyone like you before.”
Brady snorted a laugh. “Uh-oh. Good different or bad different?”
“I feel safe with you, so that must be good, right?” She shifted sideways to face him. “Very few of the men around here are secure enough to laugh at themselves, and respect for women can sometimes be in short supply.”
“Well, the men around here obviously didn’t have my mother because she would have thumped them upside the head for even thinking disrespectfully about women.”
Full, honest laughter spilled from Mac, and it made Brady smile.
“It’s a man’s world up here. More than a few are running from something—the law or ex-wives. For others, drinking is the favorite pastime, and fighting. I can say that because it’s quite likely I’ve dated every loser in town. Don’t get me wrong. There are some good ones, of course.” Sadness crept into her voice. “Paddy used to tease me about being a magnet for narcissistic alpha males, and he was right. I gave up on men and the whole dating scene after Douglas, my last unfortunate choice.”
“Seriously? That sounds a little rash.” And that was something he probably should have known before he offered her a no-strings-attached tour of his bed a few minutes ago. “Ever thought of moving to the lower forty-eight?” Apparently, Callahan had been just a friend as she’d claimed. Had he been involved with someone else? Or gay? If he was available and the great guy she professed him to be, why hadn’t she gone for him?
Why did it matter? Brady pushed the thought away.
“Since Paddy died, that’s all I’ve thought of, but I have to take care of something first.”
“Revenge?”
She didn’t answer.
“You’re not a killer, Mac. You’re not equipped for it. You asked for my help, and I’m happy to give it, but we’re going to do it my way.”
“I know. Your first priority has to be finding Maria. That’s why you’re here, and there’s a good chance she may be in some kind of trouble too. Believe me . . . I want you to find her just as badly. Everything depends on it.”
Brady felt the weight of her despair and had to shove his hands in his pockets to keep from taking her in his arms. It was the only way he knew how to comfort her, but words would have to do until she gave any indication that something more would be welcomed. “I’ll find her. There’s no option on that one. I gave my word to a five-year-old kid, and I won’t go back on that promise. As soon as I locate her, we’re getting the hell out of here. I know a place where you’ll be safe, where I can teach you whatever you’d like to learn. I’ve got connections that can help us find out what the hell went down with your friend Callahan.” When she was ready, they’d come back and clear her name, but not until they knew what they’d be walking into, and they wouldn’t come alone. Brady held his breath, half expecting her to tell him she didn’t need one more alpha male in her life.
It was a long time before she said anything. “Why would you do that? I stuck a gun in your back yesterday.”
He laughed. “I haven’t forgotten.” Brady shrugged one shoulder. “You’ve set a course for yourself that I’m afraid will get you killed if you’re not prepared, and I don’t want to see that happen.”
Again, there was an extended silence before she spoke. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“We’ll think of something, I’m sure.” Brady winked and chuckled when her eyes narrowed. “But right now, we have to go.”
He held out his hand to pull her to her feet, and she returned to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she reappeared in a pair of leather hiking boots and a brown canvas jacket, carrying the black bag with the clothes she’d slept in peeking out from the top.
“We may have to do some walking, so I opted for more sturdy footwear. Hope you don’t mind.” Brady liked the way her muscled calves flexed when she walked.
“You’re right. These are much more practical. I’ll pay you back for the clothes when I can.”
“Forget it. You don’t owe me anything.” Brady grabbed his duffel and held out his hand. “Ready?”
She handed him her bag, and he led her to the door. When he was satisfied the parking lot was deserted and all was quiet, he slipped outside and rushed her to his car. He opened her door and waited until she slid inside to close it behind her. Quickly, he circled the car, threw the bags in the back, and dropped into the driver’s seat.
“Stay down until we make sure no one follows us.” He pulled out onto the street.
Mac laid her head on the console, and Brady was tempted to fist his hands in her silky hair. He reached for the rearview mirror instead, adjusting it to get a better angle on the road behind them.
Shit! Here we go. A jacked-up, black truck eased away from the curb and matched their speed.
“Hang on, Mac.” Brady accelerated to twenty miles per hour over the speed limit and slid sideways around the next corner. A few seconds later, the black truck did the same.
“Somebody wants to play.” His gaze darted between the rearview mirror and the front windshield as he accelerated again.
“
What is it?” Fear strained her voice.
Brady gripped her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Nothing to worry about. We just picked up a tail. You can sit up, but stay low.”
“Who are they, and how did they find us?” Mac peered over the back seat and through the rear window.
“That’s a good question. What d’ya say we find out?” He stomped on the gas pedal, and the car lurched forward. Apparently caught by surprise, the other driver took a few seconds to increase his speed and catch up.
Brady floored it again and careened onto the highway leading out of town. The turnoff he wanted was about a mile from the city-limits sign. He’d stumbled on it yesterday afternoon while killing time before the meeting. He found it with no problem now, and the familiar one-lane dirt road wound through the densely treed park, following the base of a rocky hill around a tight turn where the edge of the road dropped off dangerously on the passenger side. Brady threw the car in reverse, hit the gas, and spun the wheel. The tires tried for traction but couldn’t get any in the loose sand, and the car slid at a ninety-degree angle until it sat sideways, blocking the road. The rear of the car sunk in the soft sand as Brady slammed on the brakes. He threw open the door, stepped out, and took cover behind it, his .357 lying over the top, leveled at the spot where the strange truck would appear.
Mac, apparently afraid of heights, peeked from behind her hands, which she’d thrown up to cover her eyes when he’d gotten a little too close to the drop-off. She scrambled over the console and driver’s seat, followed him out and pushed against him until she had enough room to crouch beside him, her friend’s state-issued semiautomatic pistol braced atop the window next to his.
He glanced at her, his brows raised in question.
Her lips curled fleetingly. “What? I’ve got your back this time.”
A smile stirred, and he turned away so she wouldn’t get the mistaken impression he found her loyalty humorous. Nothing could be further from the truth. Something moved within him—possessiveness . . . protectiveness . . . pride—maybe all three. The one thing he did know for sure was that Mac’s gesture of complete trust had touched him deep down inside where no one had been for a very long time.
He was just about to slide his arm around her waist when the truck raced around the curve, and the driver hit the brakes, sending the vehicle sliding toward the side of the road. It came to a stop with two tires on the dirt lane and two buried partway in sand and shale.
Brady couldn’t have planned it any better. The driver of the big truck could spin his wheels and try to jockey himself out of there all day. All he’d do is bury his front end deeper. The poor sap was stuck, unable to go anywhere without a tow, and that wasn’t happening unless Brady said it was.
“Stay here.” He lowered his sidearm and stepped around the open door.
“Brady? What are you doing? You can’t go out there.” Her eyes pleaded with him.
He stopped. Again, pleasure in being valued stole over him, and he couldn’t hold back a smile. “We have to find out who it is. I’ll be fine, Mac. You’ve got my back. Remember?”
“But I’m no—”
Brady waited, curious to know what argument she’d use this time, but her gaze flew toward the black truck. He whipped around in time to see the driver’s door swing open and someone drop nimbly from the cab of the jacked-up vehicle.
Chapter Seven
MAC’S GAZE SNAPPED from Brady’s reassuring grin to the open door of the black truck that leaned awkwardly off the edge of the road a few feet away. Whoever had followed them from the motel apparently wasn’t hiding any longer.
Her mouth fell open as the slender, petite form emerged and dropped to the ground. Long, black hair, drawn back in a ponytail, bounced from side to side as the figure swung toward them. A woman? Mac hadn’t been expecting that.
Brady swore quietly and incredulously. Apparently, this wasn’t who he’d expected either. He shoved his weapon in his waistband, and with a frown furrowing his brow, he stomped toward the woman.
She was pretty, dark skinned, and exotic looking. Fashionable black slacks, a light blue sweater, and knee-high black leather boots that matched her jacket drew attention to the fact she wasn’t from around here. Brady obviously knew her. Was she a friend? A girlfriend who hadn’t followed his rules about not getting involved? There’s a shocker . . . with someone who looked like Brady. In any case, Mac wasn’t going to miss this. She wedged Paddy’s handgun in her bag and hurried to catch up.
“What the hell, Maria?” Brady stalked to within two feet of her.
Mac stumbled over something unseen in her path as her gaze darted to the pretty woman’s calm face. “Maria?”
Both of them glanced Mac’s way, and exasperation was written all over Brady’s fatigued features. “I thought I told you to stay at the car.”
Mac jammed her hands on her hips. “Does everyone do what you say all the time?”
Brady rubbed his brow with the fingers of one hand. “Hell no. You’d have been the first.”
A snicker escaped before Mac caught it. The scowl he leveled on her said it all—there was nothing funny in his corner of the world. To be fair, she could understand his frustration. He had done everything possible to find Maria, and she had tailed them from the motel as though playing a game.
Maria’s eyes sparkled as she bit her bottom lip, apparently schooling her expression to something more serious. A slight nod acknowledged Mac as Maria turned and retrieved a bag and her purse from the floor of the truck, then looked toward Brady.
“Come on. Let’s get the hell out of here. You can explain this stunt later, right after you give me a good reason for standing me up last night.” Brady took the bag from her and motioned toward the car.
Maria skirted around him and headed straight toward Mac. “I’m Maria Alverez.” She offered her hand and smiled. Her Hispanic accent was thick and melodic, but her English was perfectly understandable.
“Samantha McCallister. Everyone calls me Mac.” Did she imagine that Maria caught her breath and searched her eyes for a second too long? Maybe, but Mac didn’t think so. She’d be willing to bet that Maria had recognized her name.
“Let’s go. We can get acquainted later.” Brady hurried them toward the car, opened the front and back doors, and let them situate themselves while he tossed Maria’s bag in the trunk and jumped behind the wheel.
Mac resisted the urge to cover her eyes this time as he jockeyed the car back and forth and managed to get it pointed back in the direction they’d come. He visibly relaxed once they left the park behind.
He was clearly still annoyed with Maria, however, if his testy mood was any indication. “Where the hell were you last night? Do you realize your son is already afraid you’ve forgotten him?”
A soft gasp came from the backseat, and Mac turned in time to see Maria wipe away a tear. What was Brady doing? Maria didn’t deserve that.
Without thinking, she glared at him until she caught his eye. “That’s enough, Brady. Did that make you feel like a big man?” Anger flared within her, and she wasn’t about to remain still and let him use Maria’s son to punish her further.
Brady flinched as though he’d received a blow. His gaze swept slowly over Maria’s face in the rearview mirror, and his expression revealed regret. “Aw, hell. I’m sorry, Maria. Don’t pay any attention to me. I’m an asshole. If you don’t believe me, just ask Mac.”
“No, you’re right to be angry. I was late getting to the house on Gardner. A friend was supposed to drive me and then watch the street so no one surprised us. He didn’t show up, and by the time I made arrangements to borrow that truck and got to the house, there were state troopers at the front door. I wasn’t sure who I could trust, so I tried to stay out of sight—quite a feat in that huge truck. I still don’t understand why the troopers were there. I used to work with the man who owns the house, and he assured me it was a safe, private place to meet. I’m sorry to have caused you trouble.”
; “Distrust of the police around here seems to be an epidemic.” Brady glanced sideways at Mac curiously.
Maria continued as though she hadn’t heard his quiet words. “I didn’t see you leave. When the officers finally pulled out, I drove around for a while trying to figure out what to do. But I knew I had to make contact with you to be reunited with Marco. I had no choice. I’d been to your motel once already after talking with Joe . . . and left you the note. So I parked on the street and followed you when you left.” Maria shrugged.
Mac fisted her hands in her lap, still considering the mention of Maria’s friend. It had to be Paddy, but a giant lump in her throat kept her from asking. She sensed Brady’s gaze on the side of her face but didn’t trust herself to look at him.
“Who are you running from? Who were you afraid was going to show up at the house? Why were you avoiding the law?” Brady’s cell phone chirped, and he reached beneath his jacket to unhook it from his belt. He glanced at the display briefly and set it on the seat beside him.
“A man I used to know in Mexico City. After almost four years, he found me in Anchorage. I still have friends in Mexico who were able to warn me that he’d learned where I was, and I slipped away just in time. That meant I also had to give up on meeting you at Señora Bree’s house as we’d planned, so I called Joe, hoping you would follow me. Now, I’m afraid I’ve put both of you in danger. This man will stop at nothing to find me again.”
“Does this man have a name?” Brady glanced over his shoulder.
“Sí. Raul Hernandez.”
The breath caught in Mac’s throat, momentarily choking her, and Brady reached to touch her leg in obvious reassurance. Hernandez was looking for Maria? Why? The only connection Mac and Maria shared had been Paddy. What was Maria’s relationship with Mac’s best friend? Why wouldn’t he have told Mac about this woman? She knew all of his other friends. They were her friends too. The questions piled up on her tongue, leaving a bad taste in her mouth, but Mac wasn’t ready to share Paddy yet.
Tempt the Night Page 8
