Hell on Wheels

by Karen Kelley

  When she closed her eyes, he unabashedly stared. Damn, she was so beautiful. The sun glinted off her hair, lending it a blue-black sheen. A tendril had come loose from her ponytail to caress the smoothness of her cheek. He wanted to reach out, see if the strands were as soft as they looked. Instead, his gaze lowered to the fullness of her lips.

  If he leaned forward, he would be able to kiss her. Hell, he wanted to do a lot more than just kiss. She opened her eyes. Their gazes met; she shifted hers away, toward the house, before closing them once again, but he knew she wasn’t thinking about Adam. She couldn’t be, not when he’d caught that brief spark of passion that flamed in her eyes for just a second. A second or a minute, it had still been there.

  But apparently she wasn’t interested in pursuing her sexual thoughts. He was a gentleman—most of the time. He could respect that even though she was putting them through unnecessary torture.

  Minutes ticked by. He had to do something or he was going to pounce. He didn’t think she’d like it if he pounced. She might even kick his ass.

  “Who’s Moji?” he finally asked. Anything to get his mind off sex. As if that would happen in this lifetime.

  She opened her eyes, a question forming in those passionate green orbs.

  He continued before she had a chance to open her mouth. “You mentioned him at my apartment, then you phoned him from yours.” He was more than a little curious. He’d never really seen Cody with anyone.

  Something unfamiliar crept over him. Jealousy? No, it couldn’t be. He’d known her for a few months now, but he didn’t know her. At least, not enough to be jealous. Curiosity. That was closer to what he was feeling.

  “He owns the gym where I work out.”

  He frowned when he noted how her expression changed and a kind of softness seemed to descend on her. What the hell was she thinking about? “Moji. Who would name their kid Moji?” Yes, he was being argumentative, and he didn’t really give a damn.

  “No one that I know. He came up with the name all by himself. It suits him.”

  “And you became friends.”

  She bristled. “Yeah, you got a problem with who I choose to like or dislike?”

  Now she was mad. He had a habit of pissing her off lately. That wasn’t his intent, but damned if he didn’t get hard looking at the fire flashing in her eyes.

  “No problem,” he told her, clearing his throat and glad she couldn’t read what he was thinking right now. “I just thought the time would pass quicker by getting to know each other a little better.”

  “I guess I’m not used to casual conversation.” She relaxed against the back of the tree again. “Moji is Moji. He almost defies description.”

  The guy owned a gym. Most women liked something different from what they were used to, and with that kind of name, he sounded more than a little different. A visual flashed before him. Bulging muscles, tanned skin, Cody and Moji entwined…

  No, he wasn’t even going there. Maybe the guy was really ugly or something. A big bruiser with his nose lying on the side of his face from all his fights.

  He could see this was going to bother him for the rest of the day. “Okay, so try.”

  “Try what?” she asked.

  “To describe him.”

  She shrugged. “Middle-aged, gay…”

  As far as he was concerned, the rest of what she had to say was lost on him as he inwardly smiled. Gay. He liked Moji already. Well, not exactly liked. He was just damn glad the guy didn’t have any romantic interest in Cody.

  “So, if we’re playing twenty questions, tell me about your nightmare.” She stared unblinking at him.

  For a moment, he’d let his guard down. He had to remember she wasn’t like other women. She played hardball. He opened his mouth to tell her that his demons were no concern of hers, but for some strange reason no words came out.

  Leaning forward, he picked up a small branch. “I would imagine you have a few demons of your own. No big deal. Sometimes I dream about mine.”

  He looked past her into the underbrush, and for a moment he was transported to another place, another time. Pain ripped over him. When he looked at Cody, he saw another woman—with darker skin, darker eyes.

  “But we’re not talking about my demons, we’re talking about yours,” she gently broke into his thoughts.

  He gave a brief smile. “So we are.” He drew in a deep breath. “I don’t think it was so much one incident,” he finally said. “More like a culmination of events, but this one was the one that tipped the scales. I discovered I couldn’t save the world because there are some people who just don’t want to be saved.”

  “And the person you tried to save?”

  “Didn’t want to be saved after all. She was living on a ranch, almost like a compound. I got her out, she went running back.”

  “And you feel guilty about it,” she stated in a matter of fact voice.

  The branch in his hand snapped. Surprised, he looked down, then tossed the two pieces away.

  “I guess I do. I always wondered if I could’ve said something different to convince her that she could have a better life.”

  “What happened to her?”

  “He killed her.” For just a second, he was back there, running through the underbrush, holding her hand, urging her to go faster.

  The cobwebs surrounding his mind cleared and he saw Cody, not the other woman. “We’d found a safe place for her, but she went running back. When we raided the ranch, I found her in the back room. Her neck had been broken.”

  “But it wasn’t your fault. She shouldn’t have returned.”

  He scraped a hand through his hair. “I’ve told myself that a thousand times. Like I said, it was just one incident in many that made me leave the force. Sometimes they haunt me. I’ll live.”

  Now he’d bared his soul. What was she really thinking? Crap, he hadn’t meant to spill his guts. He turned his head away and looked toward the house. Instantly, his confession was forgotten.

  “Van,” he said, nodding toward the house.

  Adam wouldn’t just drive up to the house. He’d have to know someone would be watching. There was a slogan on the side of the van, but he couldn’t quite make out the words. He grabbed the binoculars. “Pest control,” he read the words printed on the side aloud.

  “Legit?” she asked, sitting up and leaning forward.

  The van stopped and a man climbed out, tugging on the collar of his white overalls. “Steve Byers.”

  “Another recovery agent?”

  “Yeah. Ever heard of him?”

  Frowning, she shook her head.

  “Steve works mostly out of the Waco area, but I’ve crossed paths with him a time or two.”

  “And?”

  He shrugged. “Nice enough guy, but he hates losing as much as the next bounty hunter.”

  Steve glanced from side to side before strolling up to the house. Very casual, unconcerned, but Josh knew better.

  He aimed the binoculars toward the second floor and zeroed in on Sinclair’s sister. She put her book down and frowned as she looked out the window. A few seconds passed and she picked up the phone. Josh aimed the binoculars at the first floor. The other woman picked up a downstairs phone, listened, then nodded.

  “It might be harder than we think to get inside. His sister wasn’t born yesterday.”

  A few minutes later and Steve left, just like Turbo, but leaving behind less rubber.

  “Then maybe we should try something different.”

  “Like what?”

  “The truth.”

  “You want to waltz right up to the front door, ring the bell, and say, ‘Hi, we’re bounty hunters and we’d like to know if your brother might be hiding under a bed. Do you mind if we check?’” If she thought that would get them inside then she needed her head examined.

  “What do we have to lose? We sure as hell won’t get past the front door pretending to be something other than who we are, and we haven’t seen any sign that Ada
m might be here. It’s obvious we’re not going to be able to bluff our way inside.”

  For a mere second he considered her idea—then tossed it away. It would never work, but unless he came up with something different, she looked hell-bent on trying her scheme. “Let’s see what happens today, then go from there.”

  She glanced toward the house, then back at him. “Okay, we’ll do it your way—today.” She picked up the cards. “Your deal or mine?”

  He could tell by the way she shuffled the cards, stiff-like, that if something didn’t happen today, tomorrow she’d make it happen—with or without him.

  “Yours.”

  Cody hated just sitting there. She wanted to march right up to the front door and not wait until tomorrow. Damn it, time was wasting.

  Some of the wind left her sails. She knew Josh was right. It was better to watch and learn. Rodney had taught her that little trick, but it didn’t mean she had to like it.

  She dealt the hand.

  Two hours later and they were still playing cards. She’d even gotten tired of cheating. It wasn’t as much fun as it had been in the beginning. When she was the only one who knew she was getting away with something it quickly became rather tedious.

  Roughing it in the woods wasn’t all it was cut out to be, either. The toilet facilities were lacking in amenities—including toilet paper. Leaves just weren’t all that absorbent. She had a great deal more respect for pioneer women. She’d washed her hands in a creek that ran close by and that at least had made life a little more bearable.

  Until lunch. She’d be the first to admit she could pack away more food than any female she knew. But since neither had brought food, lunch consisted of a box of nonperishables that Josh kept in the trunk of his car for emergencies. Warm soda, chips, and a bag of cookies. This is the life, she thought as she dusted the crumbs off her hands. Damned exciting. Yeah.

  He broke into her musings. “What are you thinking about?”

  “How people depict bounty hunters in books.”

  “As in?” he prodded.

  “Dashing, daring, thrilling. Taking down skips and collecting fat rewards. James Bond stuff.”

  He leaned back against the tree. “You mean I’m not exciting?” A wicked grin curved his lips.

  Josh was back. After he’d told her a little about his nightmare, he’d turned pensive, communicating very little. Sure, they’d played cards, but she could tell his mind wasn’t on the game.

  That Josh was gone, though. The flirt was back. She liked him better this way. Serious Josh made her nervous. He made her…he made her care more than she wanted to admit.

  Something had changed. She wasn’t sure what it was, but there was definitely something different in the air. But was it a good different or a bad different?

  For lack of anything better to do, and maybe because she felt a little nervous, she scooped up the binoculars and scanned the area around the house. All was quiet. Her gut told her Adam had been here, but he wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon.

  The rest of the day slipped past until the sun began to set. Splashes of bright yellow and deep orange kissed the horizon good-bye.

  A sudden chill washed over her. Goose bumps popped up on her arms. It wasn’t that it was cool or anything, she just didn’t relish spending the night out here—in the dark. She wasn’t that fond of the country.

  “Don’t they have bobcats or something equally distasteful in these parts?” She slapped at a mosquito almost as big as her thumb. She missed, but she was positive he’d give her another chance to swat at him.

  “Ocelot is more common, but they eat small animals. I’d be more worried about rattlesnakes.”

  “Thanks for making me feel better.” Facing down six Leonards in a back alley looked a hell of a lot better than this. Why the hell had she traipsed out here to the middle of nowhere? Oh, yeah, right, to prove she was meant to be a bounty hunter.

  She slapped at another mosquito. Probably friends with the last one who’d told all his relatives about the easy pickings.

  “You might want to sit out here all night, but I’m going to at least move in for a closer look. See what’s going on inside. I’m getting eaten alive sitting here.” She stood.

  Josh came to his feet. “We’ll see if we can spot anything suspicious, and if not, let’s call it a night. I don’t relish getting eaten alive any more than you do.”

  She followed him, more than willing that he take the lead. She had no desire to step on a rattlesnake, although she was pretty sure they were supposed to rattle before they struck. Kind of like hearing the bullet before it hit you. Some warning that was.

  They crept up to the house and Josh peered into one of the windows. “Someone is coming down the stairs.”

  “Adam?” she asked in a breathless whisper.

  He ducked down, pulling her until she squatted beside him. For a few seconds all she could think about was how the warmth of his touch spread over her. How his hands could cause ripples of pleasure elsewhere on her body.

  “Female. Looks more like the woman who’s been answering the door,” he said, interrupting her thoughts.

  It took her a moment to remember she was hunting a criminal. He had a way of making her forget. Not good.

  She eased to the window and peered over the sill. He was right. A woman. Mean-looking, too. Damn, she’d hoped it was Adam. As if it could be that easy. Knock down a door, handcuff him, and take him to jail. She should’ve known better.

  She glanced around. “Let’s check the outbuildings. Maybe he’s holed up in the garage or something.”

  Except when they got there, the garage was locked up as tight as the toolshed. There was no sign of Adam, either.

  “Let’s call it a night.”

  “I’m more than ready. I’m not sure I have any blood left to donate.”

  They made their way back to the car, but it was slow with only the light of a partial moon to guide them. It would be a fool that turned on a flashlight for the home’s inhabitants to spot the beam. But she couldn’t help wondering if it was just as foolish not to see where they were stepping.

  Something inside her made her want to cling to Josh’s arm. Boy, all those carbs for lunch had really gone to her head. She needed something substantial in her gut. Like a big rib eye grilled to perfection.

  Thinking of her empty stomach made her forget they were traipsing across unknown territory. Almost.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when she slid into the passenger seat. Once they were on the road, headed back to town, all she could think about was a hot meal, an equally hot shower to wash off the layer of grime that seemed to cling to her body, and hot sex.

  No, not hot sex. Where the hell had that thought come from? Hot sex should have been the last thing on her mind.

  Too bad it wasn’t.

  Chapter 14

  Cody glared at the air conditioner in her motel room. The damn thing had begun to clunk when she’d lowered the thermostat. Clunk, clunk, clunk! It irritated the hell out of her.

  She pushed her covers away. It didn’t help. She was still hot and miserable. And she could add cranky to her list, too. Hot, miserable, and cranky, not to mention the film of sweat that covered her body.

  Another shower might help. The thought of cool water cascading over her body sounded comforting, but she knew after half an hour she’d be sweating again.

  Josh could’ve used a little more discretion when choosing a motel. She didn’t care if he’d stayed here before. The place was a dump.

  Okay, maybe not a dump. Things also broke down in five-star hotels. She glanced at the clock. Nearly midnight. There was no way in hell it could be repaired before morning. She should ask for another room. If they even had one. An hour ago, a bunch of college guys had registered. She’d glanced out the window and saw the jerseys they wore with the name of their college emblazoned across the back. Noise to go along with the heat. Great. They hadn’t quieted down yet.

  Her gaze automaticall
y moved to the door that separated her room from Josh’s. His room probably wasn’t any more soundproof than hers, but she’d bet her last dollar it was nice and cool. And he’d probably be willing to share his bed.

  “Damn.” She had to stop thinking about Josh…and heat…and sex. When he was around, all she could think about was sex. Sex with Josh.

  She was working. Her thoughts should be centered on capturing Adam Sinclair and bringing him back to stand trial.

  She closed her eyes and rolled onto her stomach. What made her so vulnerable to his seduction? And seducing was exactly what he was doing. It was driving her insane with desire.

  When she closed her eyes, she could almost feel his hands lightly caressing her body: skimming the surface, brushing across her sensitive nipples, sliding down her stomach, tangling in the curls that covered her sex.

  She moaned from somewhere down deep inside.

  Why keep fighting it? She couldn’t screw up the job when she was off the clock—sort of.

  No, no, no.

  But it was a good question. When had she ever been this stubborn about anything or anyone? If they had sex, her tension and frustration might be relieved.

  She glanced toward his door again, then closed her eyes. What would he do if she strolled right over and opened the damn door? Just stood there as naked as the day she was born?

  Her breath hitched in her throat as a deep longing spread over her. She wanted him. Why deny herself any longer?

  She reached over and flipped on her bedside light. It was now or never. Standing, she went to the door. Her side was locked—his wasn’t. Of course. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

  A blast of welcome, cool air washed over her. She was right, much better in his room. Her nipples tightened. Cold air? Or expectation? Probably both.

  Light from her room spilled into his. His bed was rumpled, but empty. Her gaze moved around the room. Josh stood in front of the window, looking out, a white towel draping his hips. Deep in thought, he apparently hadn’t heard the door open. She stared, wondering how looking at a naked back and bare legs could make her insides quake.