His large hand slid to the small of her back, and he gave her a gentle push toward the door. “She gave you her key?” he said beside her ear.
She fought to suppress a shiver as his breath whispered against her cheek. “We girls have to stick together. I told her you were law enforcement, kind of, and that she needed our help. But I still have to get back before midnight to apply for that job, or she’ll stop trusting me.”
He nodded. “And so she’ll keep talking to you if she sees Butler again.”
“Exactly.” Nearing the door, she reached up and laid her hand against his cheek. “I told her you’re the real deal. That you’ll help someone in trouble. She’s in trouble.”
His gaze searched hers. Then he bent slowly toward her.
Lacey didn’t let herself think, she simply lifted her face. His kiss was hard and over way too quickly. Shaken, she gave a little laugh. “Well, that should convince her you’re my boyfriend.” Outside, the frigid air wafted up her skirt. “Damn, it’s cold.”
“That’s what you get for wearing a damn sleeve.”
Even though they were out of sight of Lila, he kept his arm around her, hugging her against his side, which warmed at least that small area.
“You learn anything else?” he asked, while guiding her down another row of cars.
“She said he’d been talking to an old buddy of his, someone in a biker gang.”
“You get his name?”
“Nope. Didn’t want to seem too nosy.”
“Know the name of the club?”
Her shoulders dipped with disappointment. “Nope. But we have her key. Maybe we’ll learn something once we go through those boxes.”
Chapter 5
As they drove to Lila’s apartment, Dagger had to admit his new “partner” surprised him. She’d managed, in minutes, to winnow her way into Lila Burch’s confidence. And he was sure the pretty little dress or the makeup wasn’t what had convinced the woman Lacey was just like her, another woman who knew all about bad relationships. Lacey always had an open, winning personality and the ability to draw people to her. Although the woman who’d cussed him in her driveway that morning had appeared lacking in both of those qualities, at her core, Lacey was a nice person. Maybe a little shallow and ditzy—okay, maybe a lot—but she wasn’t a person who set out to deliberately hurt someone else. She’d handled Lila as easily as she had Mrs. Butler, the chameleon costume changes perhaps only giving her confidence.
If not for the fact there was no way in hell he’d ever let her become a full-fledged bounty hunter, risking her pretty neck to bring bad guys to justice, she might actually have made a great one.
“You’re quiet,” Lacey said, around a mouthful of burger.
He’d finished his food inside a minute once they’d reached the car. “Just thinkin’.”
“Mad because I didn’t get the friend’s name?”
“Would have been helpful, but you do have to weigh the need for information against causing your mark to become suspicious. You did good.” Her quick, startled glance and smile warmed his chest. “How much those burgers set you back?”
“Forty,” she said, crumbling the burger’s wrapper into a ball and tossing it into the open brown bag at her feet.
“Keep track of your expenses. Brian will reimburse you.”
“But we have to eat anyway.”
“You’re on the job.” He lifted a hand from the wheel to jerk a thumb at his chest. “I pay my own expenses, because I get a cut of the reward money. But you’re on salary.”
“Okay, when we go back to watch the RV park, I’ll make a note.”
Dagger cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking. After we search Lila’s place, we’ll make a quick drive-by of the RV park. If he’s not there, I say we get a room somewhere.”
She half-turned in the seat. “As in some place with a bed and a shower? Because I could be all over that.”
He’d figured she’d like that. And as cold as it was getting outside, he doubted any movement would happen around Butler’s trailer. Not tonight.
Of course, his mind leapt ahead to when they found that motel room. Would she want her own room or be willing to share? Of course, he’d ask for two beds…
Mentally, he cursed himself. He’d been there. Done that. Had the scars to show. What the fuck was he thinking? That damn sleeve of a dress muddled his brain. “Think maybe you ought to change?”
She sighed. “Not if we’re heading back to the Burger Barn for that interview.”
“Get that fluffy coat ready. You’ll freeze your ass off outside.”
“Worried about my ass, Dagger?”
The sexy drawl of her voice made him hiss softly between his teeth. “Since I’m pretty sure you’re wearing a thong under that thing, aren’t you?”
“You noticed,” she said then chuckled. “I still don’t like panty lines. But since I don’t send my underwear to the dry cleaners, I’ll be going commando from here on out. That make you nervous?”
Why the hell was she teasing him? Didn’t she remember he didn’t have a very long fuse when sexy talk started? “Better be careful…” he said softly.
“Or…?”
He cast her a quick sideways glance and noted the little smile she wore. Blood raced through his body. Again, he cleared his throat. “When we get to her place, I’ll want you watching the street for any cars that pull up close-by.”
She gave a two-fingered salute. “Yes, boss.”
Thankfully, the Garmin interrupted their conversation with the next direction. Dagger pulled into a narrow parking lot in front of a row of apartments. Not a large complex, just a line of five connected units with narrow walkways leading from front doors straight to the curb.
“There’s Apartment 4. That’s hers,” Lacey said, tapping the window and pointing toward the next to the last unit.
He parked midway down the building. She was out of the door before he could come around to open it for her, something he’d been letting her do, but now the act bothered him a bit. Probably because, deep down, he was pretty sure he was getting some of that nice firm ass. Shaking his head, he paused to open the trunk to grab his Beretta and followed, strapping his holster to his thigh as she made her way toward Lila’s door. There, she fumbled with the keys until he pulled out his own set and clicked on the small flashlight that served as the fob.
She found the key and opened the door, stepping over the threshold and automatically flipping on the lights.
He reached past her and turned them off. “We don’t want anyone thinking she’s home.”
“Right,” she said slowly, her brows lowering.
Which told him she didn’t have a clue what his statement meant. “If Butler shows up, we don’t want him to know we’re inside until it’s too late for him to get away.”
She gave a nod and stepped deeper inside.
He pushed closed the door and shined around the flashlight. He aimed it toward the tiny kitchen which faced the parking lot. “Turn the blinds and watch for anyone who approaches. If we get company, find a place to hide.”
He waited until she adjusted the strings to turn the shades then walked briskly down the short corridor. The first door was her bedroom. No boxes. Across from it was the bathroom. The last door was a room the size of a closet with four boxes sitting in the center of the floor.
Dagger set his flashlight on a rickety shelf and hauled the first box off the stack. Thankfully, it wasn’t taped. He pulled apart the crossed flaps and shined his light in the interior. He stuffed his hands inside and sorted through balled-up tees and underwear. At the bottom of the box, his hand met something smooth. He pulled out a wallet and checked the ID behind the plastic. The picture wasn’t Butler’s. Neither were the credit cards. The folded pocket had been emptied of any cash. What a dirtbag. He tossed back the wallet and closed the flaps.
He moved to the next box, then the next, finding more clothing—jeans and a jacket. He turned all the pockets inside out an
d found a receipt for an oil change for his mother’s car—the garage was here in Libby. Worth checking out. He stuffed the receipt into his pocket and moved to the last box. Bending over it, he opened the flaps then leaned back and ran a hand over his hair. Inside was a small stash of weapons: two handguns and a variety of knives from pocket-sized to long hunting blades.
“Dagger! We’ve got company!”
He glanced toward the door and saw headlights crawl along the wall. In the distance, he heard a car door slam. Quickly, he closed the box and stacked the other three on top, then darted into the hallway, hid behind the bathroom door, and quietly eased his weapon from his holster. None too soon. He heard the scrape of a key, the snick of the lock in the front door as it opened, and hoped like hell Lacey had followed his instructions and found a good hiding place. If Butler was returning for his stash, things might turn ugly.
Before the guy entered, Lacey quickly flicked on the hall light and positioned her hand so she was sliding hair behind her ear the moment the door opened. She knew the guy coming through the door wasn’t Butler, so she’d made a split-second decision and hoped like hell Dagger let her play this through. They needed clues to Butler’s location, and this guy, who’d arrived in a pickup with Lila’s key, was a big damn clue.
As he stepped inside and spotted her, he froze.
Although her heart fluttered like hummingbird wings, she bit her lip and continued sliding her hair behind her ear. “Hi there,” she said, raising the pitch of her voice to something between bubbly cheerleader and breathy stripper.
The man was burly—not as tall or broad as Dagger, but scary just the same. His bald head shone in the overhead light, and his dark, fuzzy-caterpillar brows furrowed like he was ready to charge. “You must be a friend of Lila’s,” she blurted then licked her lips.
The man’s gaze dropped to her mouth then slid deliberately down to her boobs and bare legs. “Who the hell are you?”
“Your mama didn’t teach you better manners?” Inwardly, she winced at her comeback, guessing insulting the big man’s mama wasn’t the best way to play this, but it wasn’t like she had experience talking to big, scary dudes.
He grunted. “Didn’t know his chick had a friend staying here.”
“Whose chick?” When his gaze narrowed, she continued. “If you’re talking about Lila, we go way back. I’m new in town. From Bear Lodge. She’s helping me out with a place to stay.” She glanced at her watch and forced her eyes wide. “And I’m supposed to be interviewing with Herman in a few. Is there something you needed me to pass along?”
“No. I’m here for her boyfriend’s things.”
“Didn’t know she had one.” She stepped into the doorway of the kitchen as though to skirt around him as she headed toward the door.
He took a step closer and blocked her way.
With her heart still skittering inside her chest, she raised her chin. “I said I have to leave. You’ve got your own key. Help yourself.”
He reached out and gripped her forearm. “Jay didn’t say she had a friend.” His gaze moved past her into the house. “Maybe you’re the one who doesn’t belong here.”
Schooling any sign of panic from her expression, she reminded herself Dagger was only a shout away. She raised her eyebrows and tugged her arm, but he didn’t let go. “You can call her. She’ll vouch for me. Like I told you, she invited me to stay. I was just using her facilities to make sure I look good…for the interview.”
His gaze swept down again. “You don’t look like a waitress.”
Anger rose quickly. How dare he say that? She’d nailed the cheap waitress look. “Well, I’m not. Yet. And for sure, I won’t get the job if I’m late.”
His green eyes narrowed again, but he slowly unwrapped his hand from around her arm. “I’ll be looking for you.”
He’d dropped his voice to a growl. Was that supposed to be his sexy tone? She barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she arched a brow and rubbed her arm. “I’ll expect a helluva big tip.”
His chuckles followed her as she walked to the door and stepped out into the frigid air, pausing once to look back before she closed the door. He stood in the same spot, likely watching her ass.
Now, what was she supposed to do? Dagger had the keys to his car. She knew he’d moved out of the back bedroom, because she’d heard him shuffle to one of the rooms midway down the hall. But she wasn’t going to worry about him. He was a bigger boy than the bald-headed idiot who thought menacing a woman was another form of flirting. She pulled her fuzzy coat around her torso and stomped toward the Challenger. She’d hide behind it if she had to, but damn she didn’t want to duck down, because her ass would turn into a popsicle.
Although waiting felt like an eternity, Butler’s friend was only inside for a few minutes. He strode out with a single box and placed it on the passenger side of his truck. As he pulled away, she noted the lettering on the side of the pickup—Apehanger’s Service and Repair. She snorted. How appropriate. After he’d left the parking lot, she began walking back to Lila’s door.
Dagger stepped outside, his expression set. “Get back to the car. We’re following him.”
She turned on a heel and jogged back toward the car. “He works at a place called Apehanger’s—”
“Service and Repair. I know,” he said, raising his key fob.
She ignored his biting tone and let herself into the passenger seat. So, he wasn’t happy she’d confronted the guy. She’d been safe the entire time. She’d known Dagger wouldn’t let anything happen. He was armed. Built like a brickhouse. She hadn’t been worried. Much.
He turned out of the parking lot and followed the direction the pickup truck had taken. They caught up with him at a traffic light. Dagger slowly drew up behind the truck. When the light changed, he took his time pulling into the intersection to follow then allowed a couple of car lengths of distance to stretch between the two vehicles.
“What part of hide didn’t you understand?” he said.
His tone was so soft, so she knew he was seriously pissed. “The pantry closet wasn’t roomy enough to close the door over my boobs. And I thought—”
“How long have you been a bounty hunter?”
“Well, actually, I’m not ye—”
“Fucking right, you’re not. Do you know how dangerous that guy was? Did you see the knife on his belt? The bulge at his ankle for his holster?”
Her insides quivered. She hadn’t, but she wasn’t about to admit it. “We needed information. He had it.”
“God dammit, Lacey,” he shouted then slapped the steering wheel. “Do you ever fucking listen?”
Obviously, the question was a rhetorical one—not requiring an answer. She pressed her lips together and remained silent, counting her breaths to slow her heartrate. “He’s turning.” She pointed toward the windshield.
They slid past Apehanger’s. The front office area was dark, but light shone around the closed garage door. The scary guy entered a side door, carrying the box he’d taken from Lila’s.
“Did you get a chance to see what was inside the boxes he stashed at Lila’s?”
“Yeah. Fucking weapons.”
She blew out another breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t follow orders.” Not really, but he needed to hear her say the words.
“No, you’re not.” He pulled off the road, parking next to an all-night laundromat then turned in his seat. “This arrangement isn’t going to work.”
“You keep saying that. Like I’m not cut out for it. But you know that’s not true.” She leaned toward the console and poked her chest. “I have good instincts.”
“What did you learn from that little stunt?”
“Nothing, but I did get him interested. If we hadn’t been able to track him to Apehanger’s, he would have found me again.”
Dagger gave a sharp shake of his head. “You are never the bait.”
Lacey folded her arms over her chest and frowned. “If another bounty hunter had
played the situation that way, would you still have a problem?”
His mouth firmed into a narrow line.
“Thought so. The issue’s just me.” She lifted a finger and pointed it, and then tapped his chest right over his heart. “The problem is you don’t want me as a partner. Well, you can rest assured, I don’t want you either. But now that I know how this job works, I can hire on somewhere else where my skills will be appreciated.”
He snorted. “What skills? The ability to give a bail jumper’s mom a facial? Quick-change artist?”
“I’m damn good talking to people—better than you.” She tapped him again, and his hand snaked out to grab her finger.
In the next breath, he grabbed her waist and pulled her halfway over the console. His mouth slammed against hers.
Lacey tasted blood. She bit his lip and jerked back her head.
His chest rose fast, his nostrils flared.
Without breaking from his gaze, she unclipped her seat belt and climbed over the console to straddle his lap, bumping into the gear shift and the steering wheel. At this second, she didn’t care about any bruises. She had to be close, had to spread her legs over his lap, and had to move against him, because she knew he was hard, and she had to feel the proof against her sex.
She gripped his shoulders and ground against him, yelping when he clapped his big hands on both sides of her ass then slid his palms under her skirt. The scrape of his calluses over her tender backside sent a shiver down her spine. Moisture filled her channel.
She kissed him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth to stroke his, and began to move, grinding forward and back.
The seat moved beneath them, easing the pressure of the steering wheel, and she smiled against his mouth. His hands slipped between their bodies, and she lifted just enough to let him reach his zipper.
Still, she kissed him, because she wanted their mouths sealed—no chance of either of them saying the wrong thing and ending this encounter. She had to get him inside her.
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