Dagger

by Delilah Devlin

  Dagger just grinned.

  Chapter 4

  Dagger pushed back the blanket he’d wrapped around himself, flicked a button to bring his seat upright, and gave a noisy yawn. When he looked toward Lacey, he saw her frame outlined by the golden light coming from the tall sentry lights inside the RV park across the road; everywhere else around them was pitch black. Coming back to her, he noted her arms were folded over her chest, and he could hear her toe tapping. “I take it you gotta pee?” he drawled. Her low throaty growl had him pressing his lips together to hide a grin.

  “I took care of it already,” she muttered.

  Earlier, he’d parked across the highway from the Happy Campers RV Park. After taking a stroll through the park, pretending he was a resident heading to the community restroom, he’d spotted Butler’s Avion trailer. Ruts showed in the snow in the short driveway beside the trailer, evidence that their target had indeed visited the place recently. A neighbor taking out the trash had interrupted him before he could break into the trailer to look for clues of Butler’s whereabouts. After making a hasty retreat out of the park, he’d rejoined Lacey in his quickly cooling car and announced he was taking a nap. She had first watch.

  He’d popped the trunk and waited while she’d climbed out of the car and retrieved heavy wool blankets he kept for just such an occasion. Better she learned now that bounty hunting wasn’t for wussies.

  His back was tight, so he rolled his shoulders. He rubbed a hand over his face then scratched at the stubble that sprouted on his cheeks. “You call the places his girlfriends work to see who might be on shift tonight?”

  “Lila Burch clocked in an hour ago at the Burger Barn.” She gave him a pointed glare. “If we’d split that list, we could already have been there.”

  “Trainer—” He pointed at himself then at her. “Trainee. No sign of Butler?” he asked, canting his head toward the park.

  She shook his head. “Or his poor mama’s Nissan.”

  Dagger yawned again and stretched his neck side to side. “Guess we should go check out the Burger Barn.” He reached for the ignition button then paused. “You need to pull out that suitcase and give yourself a new face?”

  Her fingers drummed on the armrest. “Won’t do us any good when I’ll be walking in with you.”

  Her tone held a hint of acid. He squinted. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She shrugged. “Just sayin’.”

  When he continued to hover his finger over the ignition button, she huffed a breath. “I’m just saying that it doesn’t matter what I look like walking in. You look like exactly what you are—a bounty hunter, or an undercover cop, or The Rock’s body-fucking-double. They won’t talk to us.”

  He arched a brow. “I suppose you’ve got a better idea?”

  She cleared her throat and gave a prim nod. “I should go in and act like I’m applying for a job. Maybe hang out and interview with the boss. Then I’d have an excuse to ask Lila questions. In between asking her about the tips and whether the boss gives us smoke breaks, I can let her know I’ve got a badass boyfriend who’s worried about customers chatting me up.”

  Dagger blew out a breath that filled his cheeks. Sounded like they’d be in there for hours. He ran through the plan again, looking for holes, but came up empty. Truth be told, he was hungry. He pushed the button, and the engine roared to life.

  “What?” She turned a wide-eyed gaze his way. “You aren’t going to even tell me my idea’s crap? Just gonna ignore me?”

  She was making him nuts. Kind of like the old days. “Like I said before, don’t you have to change faces, seeing as you’re applying for a job waiting on tables?”

  Lacey was silent for a second, and then pounded a fist on top of the dashboard and squealed.

  A sound that pierced his eardrums. “How’s that even humanly possible?” he said under his breath as he eased open his jaws to pop his ears.

  She pulled down the sun visor and opened the vanity mirror. The light came on instantly, and she bent over the box at her feet and began rifling through her goodies. “Smoky or neutral… Or neutral with a little smoke… No! Sparkle!”

  While she happily applied her makeup for the third time that day, he couldn’t help smiling. Some things never changed. Lacey had always been into makeup and careful to match it to the occasion and the lighting. Something she’d learned from her mother at an early age. Dorothea Brownfield-Jones’s makeup and wardrobe were always immaculate and tasteful. It must have pained her to no end that her daughter had been more adventurous, rebellious even, sometimes wearing thick eyeliner like a rock star or gluing Indian bindis to her forehead. She wasn’t afraid to experiment and had often set trends in their high school. After the first time she’d shown up to a pep rally wearing bindi stones that matched the team’s colors, all the other cheerleaders had to wear them, too.

  Her adventurous spirit had extended past her makeup and wardrobe. She’d been just as eager to explore all the wicked possibilities during sex—once she’d gotten over being shy when naked.

  And his mind did not need to go down that slippery slope... Glancing over his shoulder, he made a lane change. He shifted in his seat and cussed under his breath, because his cock was beginning to fill, and his jeans felt too tight.

  Damn, she’d been a wonder. Back then, he’d thought he was the luckiest guy on earth the first time she’d gone down on him.

  “Maybe you should wait in the car.”

  “Why?” He dragged his attention back to the woman he no longer knew sitting beside him.

  “So, I’ll have room to play—without you scowling at my every move.”

  “I don’t scowl.” His grip on the steering wheel tightened.

  The breath she huffed jerked her chest. But she was nearly done, sliding on a pretty red lipstick with lots of sparkle across her plump mouth.

  How many times had he admired the shiny rings her lipstick had left around his dick?

  Abruptly, she turned in her seat and went to her knees as she reached over the console to the clothes in their plastic bags. When she faced forward again, she held up something that looked like a black sleeve.

  Fascinated, he watched with sideways glances as the interior of the car heated and his libido experienced a similar rise while she unzipped her boots and kicked them away, then slid the “sleeve” up her legs and shimmied it over her hips. He blinked when she reached beneath the sleeve to tug down her leggings, leaving a creamy expanse of tanned leg bared. Then she pulled the top of the sleeve upward and over her breasts.

  When she began removing her pink camo top, tugging it from under the black, skin-tight tube, she gave him a frown. “Don’t suppose you’ll be a gentleman and look the other way…?”

  He chuckled and shook his head. When the Garmin chimed telling him to take another turn, he did so, hardly noting the tinny voice, he was so curious about what she was doing.

  With her gaze narrowed, she completed stripping away the rest of the outfit she’d worn for Butler’s mama and drew black straps he hadn’t noticed before over her shoulders. As it turned out, the “sleeve” was a very short, skin-tight black dress.

  Again, she went to her knees in her seat and reached into the back. This time, she pulled out a cropped jean jacket and put it on.

  “You’ll freeze your ass off in that getup,” he muttered.

  “I only have to get from the car to the front door,” she said, zipping up her boots. “So, be sure to park close.

  He dropped her at the door then watched as her toned backside barely jiggled as she strode away. And he was pretty sure she was wearing a thong because he couldn’t see a single panty line. Cussing under his breath, he drove around the crowded parking lot until he found an empty spot. Like hell, he’d wait in the car. Wearing that tiny little nothing of a dress, he was sure there’d be trouble tonight.

  Lacey drew a deep breath as she walked with as much aplomb as she could muster toward the bar at the far side of the large room. The B
urger Barn was a no-frills place, with rough-hewn wooden walls and peanut shells and dust on the plank floor. The smell of burgers and grilled steaks filled the air, and her tummy rumbled. She hoped she could convince Dagger to stay for dinner once she’d gotten the information she was after. She hadn’t eaten a bite since coffee and toast at breakfast.

  She noted the waitresses moving around the tables. When she spotted a brunette with thick blonde streaks, just like Mrs. Butler had described, she sighed her relief. Lila was everything she’d expected, down to her heavily made-up eyes, smacking gum, and poured-on jeans. Lacey continued to glance around the room while she clutched her purse against her side and pasted on a hopeful look. When her gaze came back to Lila, she made her move, intercepting the woman as she headed back to the bar with an empty drink tray. “Pardon me, miss,” she said, her voice breathless and little high.

  Lila blinked and gave her a sideways glance. “We don’t seat customers here. Just choose a table. Someone’ll be with you in a moment.”

  “No, I, uh, I’m not here to eat. I was hoping to talk to someone about a job.”

  Lila’s eyebrows rose. “Herman’s busy in the kitchen right now. You might have to wait a while.”

  “I don’t mind.” Lacey gave her a quick smile and slid her hair behind her ear. Girls who were unsure about themselves always fiddled with their hair—an action her mother had forbidden with smacks to her hands.

  “Well, you could take a seat at the bar,” Lila said, pointing to an empty stool. “I’m Lila. I’ll let him know you’re waiting.”

  “Thank you. By the way, my name’s Lacey. Do you think I could get something to drink while I wait?” she asked, knowing she needed to keep Lila’s attention. “Oh, and I need to place an order to go,” she added as an afterthought. Better not leave it to Dagger to decide when they ate.

  “Sure, what can I get you?” She propped an edge of the tray against her waist.

  “A beer. Whatever’s on draft.” Then she ran her finger down the sandwiches and pointed to a picture of a bacon-burger with curly fries. “And this—two of them.”

  “Won’t be a minute with the beer.” Lila flashed her a smile and disappeared through a set of double-swinging doors. A few minutes later, she returned and drew a beer from the tap. She slapped a cardboard coaster on the bar in front of Lacey and set down a frothy glass. “He said he’ll talk to you as soon as he gets through the orders.”

  “No worries,” Lacey murmured. “I’ve got nothing but time.” She cleared her throat. “So, how’s it working here? Are the tips good?”

  “They’re great, Thursday through Saturday. Place stays pretty busy around the weekend.” Lila leaned a forearm on the bar. “But if you’re hired, you’ll likely get the lunchtime shift.”

  “Well, that’d be a start.” She took a sip of her beer and smiled. “I’m new here in Libby. Moved from Bear Lodge, actually.”

  “Bear Lodge to Libby?” Lila laughed. “Not much of a step up.”

  “Well, I had to leave. Needed the space.” She shifted on her seat, while she wrinkled her brows into a little frown. “Needed some distance between me and my ex.”

  Lila nodded. “I hear you.”

  Lacey leaned over the bar. “My ex wasn’t exactly the faithful kind,” she said, keeping her voice low. “He liked to see other women, but all hell would break loose if he even thought I was stepping out. When I tried to break it off, he got…creepy.” She deliberately cast down her gaze. “Always showing up where I was and just watching me.” She shivered. “It was time for a change.”

  “Well, good luck with Herman,” Lila said, her tone warming. “We’re short-handed. Can’t see why he wouldn’t hire you. Whatever shift he offers, take it. Once you’re in, you can work on softening him up to get what you want. He may look like a bear, but he’s a marshmallow inside.”

  Lila’s wink made Lacey smile. “Good to know.” She took another sip, working on how to broach the subject of Lila’s boyfriend. “You’re so nice to offer me some hints. Have you ever had a problem with a jealous boyfriend?”

  Lila grimaced. “I thought I’d shaken one off, but he’s back in town again.” She leaned close. “Don’t suppose you know of anyone looking for a waitress in Bear Lodge?”

  Lacey laughed. “Wish I did. But like you said, that wouldn’t be much of a step up. Is he that bad?”

  Her cheeks billowed as she let out a deep sigh. “A while back, he got on the wrong side of the law. Not sure how he’s not in jail right now. Truth is, I’m a little scared of him. But when he showed up at my doorstep, asking for a place to store his things, I was too frightened to say no.”

  Lacey raised her eyebrows. “He just arrived out of the blue and expected you to let him waltz right in? That’s rude.”

  She glanced around then gave a quick nod. “Said he already had a place to stay, but he demanded I give him a key, so he could get to his things when he needed them.”

  “Things…?” Her heart beat faster. She wasn’t sure what she and Dagger could do with the information, but she figured this might be an important clue.

  Lila shrugged. “Everything was in boxes, and I didn’t have the nerve to search them when he left.”

  “Do you think he might be storing something dangerous?” For dramatic effect, Lacey let her jaw drop.

  Lila’s brown eyes reflected unease. “Could be. I’ve been walking around on tenterhooks, worried about when he’d show up again. But then, I saw him with an old buddy of his, from a bike club he used to be a member of. I’m guessing he might be holing up at his place.”

  “Lila, are you really scared of this guy?”

  The waitress’s face was pale, and her mouth had thinned. “I wish he’d just leave me the hell alone. I’ve been talking to a nice guy, a fireman. After my ex showed up, I’ve been dodging his calls all week, and as cute as my fireman is, I know he won’t wait around for me to be free.” Lila’s gaze swept the room then stilled on something behind Lacey. A frown dug a line between her brows. “That boyfriend you mentioned, the stalker. What does he look like?”

  “Why do you ask?” she whispered back.

  “There’s a guy I’ve never seen before, and he’s staring holes through you. Surprised you can’t feel it burning your backside.”

  Casually, Lacey twisted on her barstool, just far enough to see Dagger sitting at a table nearby. Dammit. Was he trying to ruin her ruse? “Oh, him,” she said, giving the other woman a smile. “That’s someone I just met.”

  Lila ran a cloth over the bar. “Seems pretty possessive for someone you just met.”

  Lacey wrinkled her nose. “He’s worried about me. I told him all about my ex.” She frowned. “He’s some kind of law enforcement type, don’t know what exactly. You know, you might want to talk to him about your boyfriend problem. He might be able to help.”

  Lila frowned, but her gaze went back to Dagger. “He seems…strong.”

  “He’s all muscle.” Even between his ears. Dang, she was going to have a talk with that man when she got him alone. “He can take care of himself. Might be willing to help you, too. If I ask him nice.” She let the corners of her lips tilt upward.

  Lila gave her a quick glance then straightened. “I’m not sure how he could help.”

  Lacey had to caution herself to go slow. She didn’t want to seem too eager. “For starters, he might like to look through your guy’s stash, and see whether he thinks he’s up to no good. You might be worrying about nothing.”

  Lila nodded. “I could give you a key…” She broke off and laughed, shaking her head. “This is crazy. I don’t know you from Adam, and I’m trusting you—”

  Lacey reached out to touch the other woman’s hand. “Lila, believe me, I know what it’s like to be scared and not have anyone you can turn to. You can’t tell your fireman because you don’t want him hurt, but my guy…” She glanced around at Dagger and gave him a quick, charged glance. “My guy’s the real deal. He’d move heaven and earth to help
out someone in trouble.” Lacey realized she didn’t have to pour it on to be convincing, because she knew what she said was true. “If you’re scared, let us help.”

  “Us?” Lila’s gaze shifted to Dagger and back.

  “Well, I can’t have him going into some other lady’s house without me. And he’ll need a lookout in case your guy comes back while we’re there.”

  Lila shrugged. “It’s not like I have anything worth stealing.” She moved toward the doors to the kitchen and disappeared inside. A minute later, she returned with a brown bag filled with food and a keychain. She handed her the food but dangled keychain. “The red key is to my front door.” While Lacey dug into her jacket pocket for money, Lila pulled out her pad, quickly scribbled with her pen, then held out the paper. “This is my address.”

  Lacey gave Lila two twenties for the food. “We’ll go check out what he left, and then I’ll bring back this key. What time’s your shift over?”

  “Midnight.” Slowly, she extended the key.

  Lacey held her gaze, hoping she emoted trustworthiness. “I know this situation is crazy. But I swear, you’re doing the right thing.”

  Lila shrugged. “You might still get a chance to talk to Herman, later.”

  Lacey nodded, feeling elated by all that she’d accomplished. “Tell him I’ll be back.” She swiveled in her chair until she faced Dagger, whose dark gaze was riveted to her. Then she rose and strolled toward him, a slow grin stretching. She didn’t miss the flare of his nostrils, or the quick glance that slid down her body. Now that she knew he hadn’t left Bear Lodge without at least trying to keep in touch, she was feeling a lot less angry with his sorry ass. And if the heat in his gaze meant anything at all, he might be amenable to rekindling the old fire. Lord knew, she could use a little love, even if it wasn’t the forever kind. They were older and wiser, now. This time, she’d appreciate all that muscle.

  When she drew close, he stood, took the brown bag from her, then slid an arm around her waist. “You ready to go?”

  “I am.” She leaned in to whisper in his ear. “She’s seen Jason-Jethro. And she’s scared. I have the key to her place. He left behind some boxes.”