“She wouldn’t do that.”
She scrolled down the sheet displayed on her device. “Claims she had no clue he was underaged. The kid was a high school linebacker—he was huge and he had a fake ID, but ignorance isn’t an excuse in the eyes of the law.”
Cage knew exactly who was responsible for putting that kid in a fight. The fact Elaine still put her faith in him was indeed criminal. She wasn’t an innocent party to his poor judgment. That excuse had expired long ago.
“Point is,” Reaper said, bringing everyone’s attention back to him. “She’s a skip. The judge was a friend of the kid’s parents so he hit her with a big bail. She missed her date with the judge over a week ago. The clock’s tickin’.”
Lacey nodded. “I’ve already set up cameras and motion detectors around her house in Dillon. If she tries to go back there, we’ll know.”
Dagger leaned forward. “And I’ve been watching her brother’s apartment, also in Dillon. He’s not been seen in over two weeks. They’ve gone to ground together.”
“Not hard to do when you’re in that world,” Cage said. “They’re likely staying with friends—fighters or managers. They run a lucrative business. Lots of money. No one wants her behind bars.”
All gazes went to him. “So, how do we proceed?” Lacey asked. “What’s the likeliest way to find her?”
Cage drew a deep breath. “I don’t know who’s still playing in that world. I imagine most of the guys I fought are already done. Bareknuckle fighting takes its toll on a body. So, I haven’t a clue who they might have hit up for a place to stay. We’ll have to look for the next fight.”
“And how do we do that?” Dagger asked. “They don’t exactly post the events in the newspapers or on Facebook.”
Cage smiled. “Yes, they do. You just have to know what you’re looking for.”
Reaper leveled a look on him, his expression serious. “Well, if you can locate the fight, we can handle the takedown.”
Cage shook his head. “We locate the fight, the only way in, since it’s invitation only, is if someone’s there to challenge their champion. I’m known in those circles. They’ll let me past their security if I say I’m there to fight.”
Reaper sat back and crossed his arms in front of him. He didn’t speak for a long moment, just stared at Cage. Then he sighed. “Cage, are you gonna be up for this—not the fighting part, but the taking down your ex-wife part?”
“I’ll admit, I don’t relish the thought of going back to that world, but I won’t have any problem at all hauling Elaine’s sweet ass to jail.”
Lacey gave an exaggerated shiver. “Damn, that must have been one hell of a messy divorce.”
Cage shook his head. “Nope. I made it easy. I left with nothing. Told her she could keep everything. I even paid off the credit cards all on my own.”
Lacey held out her hand for the iPad, which Fig slid across the table. After staring for a long moment, she said, “She’s pretty,” then slid the tablet back to Fig.
Elaine was more than pretty. She was a fucking knock-out. But pretty wasn’t enough to make a marriage work. Sex, even the kind that left you shattered it was so good, wasn’t enough. Trust and loyalty were everything. And those things weren’t something Elaine had been willing to give him.
No, even though he’d kissed his marriage goodbye, he was starting to get a warm feeling inside at the thought of seeing her again. Locking handcuffs on her slim wrists would be worth the three years of trying not to dream about her every night. Maybe, this time, he could truly get her out of his system.
Reaper’s cellphone buzzed on the tabletop. He scowled on the screen. “Gotta take this.” He stood and walked to the closed door at end of the room and let himself through the door.
Once he was gone, Cage glanced around the room at his new “teammates”. Jesus, he was fucked. Other than Dagger, not a one of them looked the part to get into a venue that lured society’s dregs or big spenders out for a thrill.
“So, what’s she like?” Fig asked, her gaze still on her tablet.
“Who?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. A gesture completely wasted on her, because she wouldn’t look up.
“Your wife.”
“Ex,” he said, gritting his teeth.
“Yeah, her,” she said, tapping Elaine’s picture on the screen.
He drew a deep breath. “Hard-nosed. Driven. Stubborn.”
“So, perfect for you.” A dark eyebrow arched, giving him a hint of fearlessness he hadn’t seen before.
Cage shook his head. He’d thought Elaine was perfect once upon a time. That her loyalty to her brother was admirable. But she’d blindly defended him, at Cage’s expense, and contrary to all the evidence. She’d been Brent’s enabler. Once Cage had conceded that he’d never be able to draw her away from her brother’s influence, he’d made the hard decision to leave.
He’d fallen for a dream, not the real, flesh and blood woman.
“Elaine’s pretty savvy. She knows how to work connections, all the most unsavory ones. She’s a negotiator, knows when to give and how much she can take, with just a look.” His glance went around the table. “She’ll see what doesn’t fit. It’s how she’s managed to keep the fights she arranges under the radar.”
“If she’s so good,” Dagger said, “how come she got nailed by the cops?”
Cage grimaced. “Her brother’s her weakest link. He thinks he knows more than he does, and he’s a greedy bastard. Likely, he set up the kid to fight, knowing full well he was underage. He’s got an eye for flash and what draws a crowd, but he’s got no common sense.”
“Sounds like you two didn’t get along,” Lacey said.
“Brent’s day in court’s been coming for a while. It’s a damn shame Elaine’s taking this bullet for him.” Apparently, she still hadn’t learned, just like she hadn’t bothered to stop Cage when he’d hit the door on his way out of her life. The last time he’d seen her, Brent had hold of her hand, pulling her back inside the warehouse that had hosted his last fight. She’d glanced at Brent, and then firmed her pretty mouth into a straight line and told Cage to go ahead and go. She didn’t need him anymore. There hadn’t been a tear in her eye, and her mouth had remained a thin straight line. Brent had given him a smile Cage had wanted to wipe right off his face with his fists, but busting his jaw would’ve given Brent even more ammunition to turn his sister from Cage.
No, he’d left and never looked back. Though he’d never forgotten her…
The door at the far end of the trailer opened, and Reaper walked out. His gaze went to Dagger and Lacey who must have seen something in his expression because they sat straighter. Then his gaze moved to Cage. “Buddy, you ready to break your cherry with a little hunt?”
Cage gave Reaper a nod. “I’m game. Was that what the call was all about?”
“Yeah, my wife, Carly, called. Said a skip out of Jackson Hole is in Butte, and seeing as how we’re close by, did we want a piece of a 30k bounty?”
“Fuck, yeah,” Dagger said, grinning.
Lacey polished her nails on her pink hoodie. “Ooh, what will I wear?”
“What’s this guy wanted for?” Cage asked.
“A couple of felony aggravated assaults and some lesser drug charges. She’s sending Fig the charge sheet.”
“Got it,” Fig said, rising from her chair and moving toward the smaller table where the printer sat. “I’ll print up some copies while you guys get your gear together.”
Reaper lifted his chin toward Cage. “Bounty hunters don’t have to be licensed in Montana, but you’re my apprentice until I deem you fit to work on your own.”
Cage was okay with that. He didn’t know shit about bail bonds or what a hunter could legally do. “I’ve got my conceal carry permit, and I have a Glock in my glove compartment.”
“I’ve got extra gear in my SUV. Bring the Glock.” He narrowed his gaze. “How much time do you need to head home and pack? We may be gone a couple of days.”
; Cage felt as though he and his SEAL brothers were getting a dig from the former Marine. Did he think a SEAL didn’t know how to prepare for the unexpected? “I packed a go bag before coming here.”
Reaper grunted, but then gave him a smile. “Cage Morgan, you might just work out.”
Chapter 3
Fortunately, Ardell Forman stayed true to form. A nice break for the hunters who’d spent the previous day and well into last evening canvassing every bar in Butte, all forty-something of them, making sure the bartenders and waitstaff knew that a tip would get them a crisp hundred. While they’d convoyed from Dead Horse to Butte, Fig had called Ardell’s mama to find out about his personal habits. The woman had been eager to help because she’d mortgaged her house to get her son out of jail.
Lacey, who’d been a brunette yesterday, but was back to blonde today, was the one who got the hot tip this night about Ardell’s whereabouts.
Now, they were on their way to Micky’s Tavern, where the bartender said he’d keep Ardell in whisky until they got there.
Dagger snorted the second she ended the call. “He just wants to make a good impression so he can slip you his number,” he said, scowling at Lacey.
Lacey’s laughter trilled. “Can you blame him?”
Cage sat in front with Reaper and saw him grin. He guessed Dagger’s jealous comment was just part of the couple’s usual banter. He and Elaine hadn’t had that kind of easy relationship.
Reaper parked his SUV in a shadowy corner of the parking lot surrounding the saloon. Dagger made a quick recon around the building while the others moved to the back of the vehicle. Reaper handed Cage a vest, which he quickly donned. Then Cage checked his Glock and slid it into his holster which rested against his thigh. Reaper handed out radio ear buds and they conducted a quick check to make sure everyone could hear each other.
Dagger came jogging back. “Besides the front door, there’s a door in the back and one on the right side, leading into an outdoor patio. Patio’s empty. Eight tables just outside the door with a brick wall surrounding it. All the action’s inside.”
“My guy said he’s at the bar, getting hammered,” Lacey said.
Reaper gave a nod to Cage. “You cover the back door. If Ardell comes out, you make sure he doesn’t make it to his vehicle. Otherwise, you don’t move from that back door unless I call you inside.”
Cage nodded while Lacey drew off her pink hoodie to reveal a skin-tight tank top that dipped low in the front, revealing a good portion of her curvy chest. She pushed down the pink tracksuit bottoms she wore to reveal a pair of tiny shorts that barely covered her ass.
Dagger gave a low-pitched growl.
Lacey laughed and patted his cheek. “Let me do my thing, babe.” Then she donned the brunette wig she’d worn the day before. “I’m ready.”
“Okay, Dagger, you follow her in, but don’t get too close,” Reaper said. “She’ll try to lure Ardell out the patio door. I’ll be there waiting. Anything goes sideways, you just say something about strawberries,” he said to Lacey, “and we’ll all converge inside.”
Cage circled to the back of the bar, climbed the wooden steps, and tried the door, hoping he wasn’t setting off any internal alarms, but wanting to know whether he could get inside if he had to. No alarms went off, so he gave a quick glance around. Then he ducked back down the steps and hid in the shadows beside the stairs. “I’ve got the back covered. Inside the door, storage room to the right, restrooms down the hall,” he said, figuring they’d want to know more about the floorplan of the building.
“I’m on the patio,” Reaper’s gruff voice sounded in his ear.
“I’m inside,” Lacey whispered. “And I see our guy. There’s an empty seat beside him.”
“Wag your ass again, and I swear…” Dagger growled.
She snickered. “Don’t worry, baby. It’s all for you.”
Cage shook his head and settled in, leaning against the split log siding, listening through the radio and trying to imagine in his mind’s eye what was happening inside. From what he was hearing, Lacey was pretty fearless. He couldn’t imagine letting his woman walk into a bar and get near a felon, let alone flirt with one.
“Hi there, Ray,” Lacey said in his ear. “Can you mix me up a Sex in the Woods?”
“Anything for you, sweet pea,” the bartender said, his voice sliding into a sleazy drawl.
The sound of rustling filled his ear.
Then, “That’s too much for the drink, girl,” the bartender said, amusement in his tone.
“I like to pay my bill up front,” she said.
Cage smiled as he imagined her handing the bartender the promised hundred-dollar bill.
The sound of a glass clinking followed by a satisfied moan from Lacey told him she was putting on quite a show.
“You from around here?” she said.
“Naw,” came a rather breathless reply.
Cage would have bet anything she’d turned her chest toward Ardell to show him her cleavage.
Ice rattled, and he guessed she was twirling her glass. “It’s hot in here, don’t you think?”
“Don’t know how that’s possible. You’re not wearin’ much.”
She giggled. “Must be the alcohol. It went straight to my head. Makes me…hot,” she said, dragging out the last word in a breathy whisper.
Cage rolled his eyes. Was Ardell really buying this?
“Damn, girl, you’re pretty. You gotta boyfriend who’s gonna kick my ass if he sees us like this?”
Dagger growled in his ear.
Lacey laughed, the sound like tinkling bells. “My boyfriend’s a long-haul trucker, and he’s somewhere in Iowa.”
“Um, that’s good. Real good,” Ardell said.
“You like these?” she asked.
Cage narrowed his eyes. Was she drawing the man’s attention to her breasts? He couldn’t imagine Dagger keeping his seat much longer.
“Prettiest tits I ever did see.”
“You know, my boyfriend says my tits look like twin ice cream sundaes with cherries on top.”
“Cherries?” Ardell said, his voice tighter now.
“Yeah. Says they ought to be in a magazine.”
“Damn center page, I bet.”
She chuckled, and her voice dropped, “Wanna see?”
“Hell, yeah. Restroom’s straight back,” Ardell said quickly.
She tsked. “Told you I’m hot. How about the patio?”
“What if someone comes outside?”
“Do you really mind if someone sees?”
“Bathroom’s better. I can lock the door. Open the window.”
Cage heard the stubborn edge in his voice.
“That’s okay, Lace,” Reaper said. “We’ll be right there. Cage?”
“Roger that,” Cage said, jogging up the stairs. “I’m at the back door. Lacey, you get to the door, say strawberry, and I’ll be right there.”
“Okay…” Lace said. “Bathroom, it is.”
The sound of movement and music blaring louder then growing more muffled filled Cage’s ear.
“What’s your name, by the way?” Lacey asked, likely doing her best to keep his gaze on her rather than their surroundings.
“Ardell.”
She laughed. “Gonna ask me mine?”
“Yeah. Sure. What’s your name?”
“Barbie,” she said, “because…well, you can guess.”
“Goddammit,” Dagger huffed under his breath. “I’m just passing the bar.”
“We goin’ in the men’s?” Lacey said.
“Ladies,” Ardell said. “Smells better.”
“Good idea. Oh!” Her laughter tinkled. “It’s the second door.”
“Damn, I can’t wait…”
“Um, Ardell?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Oh! You do have some busy hands…. Can I do a little something before we get busy? Pee maybe? Make sure no other girls are in there? Then I’ll let you inside?”
�
��You’ll be quick?” he said, his voice likely muffled because he was already pressing up against her.
“Oh, baby, do you think I can wait a second longer than necessary? Just think about these.”
“Cherries. Yeah. Hurry.”
“More like strawberries,” she muttered.
The sound of a door opening then closing came through his earpiece.
“He’s all yours,” Lacey whispered.
“Right behind you, Dagger,” Reaper said, “We’ll run him toward you, Cage.”
Cage backed up from the door and stood to the side. “I’m ready.”
“Fugitive Recovery Agents!” came Reaper’s shout.
“Goddammit!”
Then the sound of booted feet running came closer to the door. He braced.
The door flew open, and a figure burst through it.
Cage shot out a foot, and Ardell tripped, bouncing down the steps face-first. When he pushed up from the ground to run again, Cage was already there. He thrust an arm beneath Ardell’s chest and the other through his legs, picked him up sideways, and slammed him onto the ground. While Ardell wheezed, trying to draw in a breath, Cage caught his wrists and pulled them behind his back.
He glanced up. “Someone got cuffs?”
Reaper stood over him and gave a short huffing grunt. Then he unclipped handcuffs from his web belt and handed them to Cage who took his time slipping the cuffs over the man’s wrists. He was used to applying zip ties to prisoners when he was a SEAL.
“You’ll get the hang of it.”
“Yeah, practice on a girlfriend,” Lacey sang out.
Cage shook his head and glanced her way. The woman was incorrigible. “Dagger, does she talk like that all the time?”
Dagger chuckled. “24/7. And I get plenty of practice with my cuffs.”
“Are they really like cherries?” Ardell wheezed.
Cage rolled his eyes and pulled the man to his feet. “What now?” he asked Reaper.
“Pat him down, and then we’ll load him into the SUV. We’ll drop Dagger and Lacey with their vehicle, then you and me will head to Bozeman to turn this one over to the jail. After that, we all get paid.”
Cage (Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT Book 1) Page 2
