She coughed as her gaze swept over his nakedness beneath the water. “Have you?”
“You seem to be the expert.”
“Just using my common sense.” She tapped the side of her head.
“Might as well get it over with.” Hunching forward, he reached for his towel, steam rising from his back and buttocks, water coursing over the intricate design of his tattoo and his hardened muscles.
Scarlett’s lashes fluttered and butterflies claimed her belly. However things turned out with his man, she’d have no regrets about this night.
Jim toweled off his upper torso and then stepped from the hot tub to finish the job. He wrapped the towel around his waist and pulled on his jeans beneath the towel.
“You’re right.” He dropped the towel and shook out his T-shirt. “This feels a lot better than wearing wet boxers.”
“Looks a lot better, too.” She winked.
He held out her towel. “You going to float in there all night ogling me, or are you going to get dressed?”
“I could do just that, Jim Kennedy, but I’m going to do more than ogle when we get up to the room.” She shimmied out of her underwear and stood up on the top step.
Jim stepped between her and the door to the pool area. “Just in case someone decides on a late-night swim.”
“Oh, is that what people do in here?” She snorted and dried off her body.
Jim came up behind her and yanked her T-shirt over her head.
She copied him by wrapping the towel around her waist and putting on her jeans. She squeezed out her wet underclothes and rolled them up in the towel. “There. Now we won’t have our wet stuff seeping into our dry stuff.”
“It won’t take us long to get back to the room, anyway.”
“I’m going to make a stop at the bar for a glass of wine, if that’s okay with you.”
“As long as you get it to go.” He flipped the ends of her damp hair over her shoulder. “Because I’m not waiting another minute for you, Scarlett Easton.”
Leaning forward on her tiptoes, she pressed her damp bundle into his arms and kissed his lips. “Do you mind taking my clothes to the room? I’d hate to have them fall out of the towel in the middle of the bar.”
“That could definitely be awkward.”
When they stepped into the hallway, leaving the humid atmosphere of the indoor pool, Scarlett shivered. She’d felt safe and protected in the hot tub with Jim, and the cool air in the hallway was like a cold dose of reality. She hugged herself. Soon they’d be wrapped in each other’s arms making love...and she’d feel safe again.
They paused at the elevator bank and Jim stabbed the button. “Do you have money?”
“I’m going to put it on the room—three eighty-two, right?”
“That’s the one. Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you or wait here? You know I can be in a bar and not go crazy?”
“I know that. You can lay out our clothes so they’ll be dry by tomorrow morning, and maybe get a hot shower going.” The elevator dinged as it settled at the lobby level. “I’ll be right up.”
She waved to him as the doors closed and then spun around toward the lobby. She crossed the room, making a beeline for the dark bar in the corner, which was emitting live folk music.
Who knew Timberline had an actual nightlife? Evergreen Software really had changed the town.
She walked to the entrance of the bar, her bare feet sinking into the carpet. A couple deep in conversation didn’t even look up when she entered. The lone guy at the bar gave her a quick glance before turning his attention back to the silent TV screen, and a woman seated in front of the musician gave Scarlett a dirty look and put her finger to her lips—must be the folk singer’s girlfriend. So much for Timberline nightlife.
Scarlett ordered a glass of red wine from the bartender and then stuffed a pretzel in her mouth while tapping her foot to the beat of the song.
The bartender delivered her wine. “Do you want me to open a tab?”
“No, I’m taking this to my room. You can give me the check now.”
Once he delivered the bill, she scribbled her signature on it and then raised her glass. “Thanks.”
As she left the bar, a group of people in front of the elevator exploded in laughter. Suddenly self-conscious about her lack of underwear, her bare feet and the glass of wine in her hand, Scarlett pivoted toward the stairwell. She could handle three flights.
She slipped through the fire door and had started climbing the first set of stairs when the fire door behind her swung open. Looked like she couldn’t avoid people even if she wanted to.
A whisper floated through the stairwell, and she slowed her steps. Had she stumbled upon another couple looking for a private spot for an intimate encounter?
The whisper turned into a lowered male voice. “We can’t do it again, not with those two snooping around.”
“I’ll make it worth your while, just like last time.”
The other speaker snorted softly. “Didn’t work out that great twenty-five years ago.”
Scarlett’s muscles froze and she held her breath.
“Not my problem. I can take care of her, but you gotta get rid of him—and it all has to look like an accident.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard. He’s got that gimpy leg and I heard he’s kinda messed up in the head.”
She backed up one step, the hand holding her wineglass, trembling.
The fire door above her burst open and Jim called down. “Hello?”
Terrified Jim would say her name, she spun around, taking the first step. Her toe hit the edge and she dropped her wineglass.
It shattered into a million pieces and broadcast her presence in the stairwell—loud and clear.
Chapter Fourteen
Jim jumped when he heard the crash of broken glass echo in the stairwell. Taking a step forward, he drew in a breath to call out to Scarlett. A split second later she appeared before him, her face white, a finger held to her lips.
Then he heard it. Heavy footsteps from the floors above.
Jim widened the door and grabbed Scarlett’s arm when she reached him and pulled her into the lobby.
She gasped out one word: “Run.”
If they were running from the people coming down those stairs, they wouldn’t get very far. Jim pulled Scarlett in his wake as he careened down the hallway, looking for an out.
A supply room door stood open and Jim pushed Scarlett into the small room and yanked the door closed behind them. He braced his shoulder against the door in case it didn’t lock and shoved his hand in his pocket and withdrew his Glock.
With his other arm, he held Scarlett against his chest where her heart pounded in rhythm with his.
His muscles coiled when the door to the stairwell crashed open, and Scarlett’s body stiffened in his arms. He put his lips close to her ear, the damp tendrils of her hair tickling his nose. “Shh.”
The carpet in the hallway muffled the footsteps heading their way, but to his ears they sounded like a herd of elephants.
He didn’t know what the hell Scarlett had been running from, but the panic on her face told him everything he needed to know.
As the footsteps drew near, Jim licked his lips, his trigger finger tensing. The door handle went down and stopped with a click.
A bead of sweat traced Jim’s hairline and dripped off his jaw.
Scarlett’s warm breath permeated his T-shirt, but she didn’t let out one sound.
The footsteps moved away, and Jim wedged his finger beneath Scarlett’s chin and shook his head.
Would the men be waiting for them in the hallway? Did they know he and Scarlett had ducked into this closet? He pressed his ear against the door, barely discerning a murmur of voices. He and Scarlett w
ould camp out in this little room all night if they had to—not the end to the evening he’d been anticipating.
With his back to the door, he slid to the floor, taking Scarlett with him. The maid’s cart and the shelves stacked with towels gave him just enough room to sit with his knees bent.
He pulled Scarlett between his legs, and she rested her back against his chest, her head falling onto his shoulder. He kissed her temple and whispered, “Are you okay?”
She nodded.
He tightened his arms around her. He wanted the whole story, but he wanted to keep her safe more. They had time and he was patient. Hadn’t he waited for his death in a filthy prison for nine months?
Over an hour later, Jim nudged Scarlett. “Are you sleeping?”
“Dozing. Can we talk now?”
“I think it’s safe to leave our self-imposed captivity.”
Twisting around, she placed her hands on either side of his face. “How are you doing? No flashbacks? No seizures?”
“Not even a twinge.” Bracing one hand against the door, he rose to his feet and stretched as much as he could. He helped Scarlett up and rubbed her back.
“Just stay behind me while I open the door.” He pulled out his gun and leveled it in front of him.
“Do you think they could still be out there? Waiting? Watching?”
“I think they went out the side door, so maybe they think we ran outside. I haven’t heard any noises on this end of the hallway, but keep yourself hidden behind me.”
He pushed down on the door handle, holding his breath. Then he eased it open a crack and peered through it.
“I think we’re good.” He widened the door and stepped into the hallway, gripping his gun at his side. “We’re taking the elevator. Just keep moving and run if I tell you to run.”
He jabbed the elevator button to call the car and let out a breath when the doors opened immediately on the lobby floor. He urged Scarlett into the elevator ahead of him and crowded her into the corner until the doors closed.
For several more tense minutes, they rode the elevator to their floor and Jim didn’t take another breath until he slammed the door to their room behind them.
Scarlett collapsed, throwing herself across the bed, one arm flung over her face.
He sat on the edge of the mattress and rubbed her foot. “What happened in the stairwell?”
She took a few more shaky breaths and hoisted herself up on her elbows. “Two men are planning to get rid of us.”
Jim hardened his jaw but didn’t stop massaging Scarlett’s cold, bare foot. “What men? Did you recognize them?”
“I couldn’t see them. They were whispering and talking so softly, I couldn’t distinguish their voices. The only reason I heard what they were saying was because of the acoustics in the stairwell.”
“Why do they want to get rid of us? What else did they say?”
“Because we’re meddling.” She sat up and dug her fingers into his biceps. “They’re planning more kidnappings.”
“What?”
“They said something about repeating what they did twenty-five years ago. We have to tell Sheriff Musgrove. We have to warn everyone.”
His hand moved up her leg and stroked her calf. “If they just put a target on your back, you’re getting out of Timberline. Maybe I should’ve let them catch up to us so we could’ve identified them.”
“They may know who I am, anyway.” She fell back on the bed and hugged a pillow to her chest. “I dropped that glass of wine. They don’t have to be rocket scientists to trace that back to the bar.”
“Did you know the bartender?”
“No.”
“So, if he tells them anything at all, he’s going to say a woman with dark hair bought a glass of wine? Not a lot to go on.”
“We don’t have a lot to go on either, do we? Have you heard anything about Dax’s condition?”
“I called the hospital when I was waiting for you to get your wine, and he’s the same.”
“Why did you come downstairs to find me?”
“You know, it’s funny. I had a feeling something wasn’t right, or maybe I wasn’t happy with the idea of you wandering around on your own after everything that happened.”
“Maybe I’m rubbing off on you. I’m the one with the ESP. How’d you even know I was in the stairwell?”
“I had just stepped off the elevator and saw you go through the door. There were a bunch of people waiting for the elevator, so I couldn’t get your attention.” His hand slipped up to her thigh. “And you’re definitely rubbing off on me.”
“I—I think one of the men was my uncle.”
“How are we going to prove that? How are we going to prove anything?” He stretched out beside her. “Maybe it’s time to call that FBI agent and tell him what we know.”
“Which isn’t a whole lot.”
“Maybe he knows something that can make sense of what we’ve been grasping at. He’s the one that made the connection between the Lords of Chaos and the drug trafficking.”
“I’ll call him tomorrow.” She yawned. “This was supposed to be a relaxing getaway. I don’t even have my glass of wine.”
He trailed his hand up her body and slipped it beneath her T-shirt. He cupped one of her bare breasts in his hand, swiping the pad of his thumb across her peaked nipple. “I have ways of relaxing you that don’t involve hot tubs or alcohol.”
She sighed and her eyelashes fluttered. “We do have some unfinished business, don’t we?”
“The thought of that unfinished business is the only thing that kept me sane in that supply closet.” He rolled up her T-shirt and flicked his tongue inside her navel.
She combed her fingers through his hair. “Do you know what would relax me right now?”
Rolling his head to the side, he looked up at her through narrowed eyes. “Don’t tell me watching TV.”
She scooted out from beneath him and pushed him onto his back. Then she straddled him, yanked up his T-shirt and dragged her fingernails along his chest.
As she rocked against his erection, she whispered, “Forget TV. I have all the entertainment I need right at my fingertips.”
He closed his eyes and let her entertain him.
* * *
SCARLETT KICKED THE tangled covers from her legs and rubbed her eyes. Through the closed bathroom door, she heard the shower running.
She scrambled from the bed. If Jim planned to boot her out of Timberline, she planned to get her fill of him first.
She crept into the bathroom, filled with citrus-scented steam, and whipped aside the shower curtain.
Jim grabbed her and pulled her under the stream of warm water.
She let out a yelp, and he laughed. “If you thought you could surprise an army ranger sniper, you’ve got another think coming, woman.”
She kissed away a rivulet of water sliding down the flat planes of his chest. “Why did you sneak away?”
“Sneak?” He ran soapy hands down her back. “I got a call from the hospital about Dax and figured I’d better get ready.”
“Is it bad news?” She dug her fingers into his sides.
“No. Not good news, either. He’s still unconscious. They just called to tell me he’s been moved to the main hospital.”
“Are you going to visit him today?”
“Yeah. Like you said last night, he might be aware of what’s going on around him.” He kissed her. “I’ll leave the shower to you.”
She finished showering by herself, but it had gotten a lot cooler without Jim...and a lot less interesting.
By the time she got out, he was dressed and looking at his phone with his eyebrows drawn over his nose.
“Is it Dax?”
He looked up. “A strange text
from an unknown number.”
“Really?” She tucked her towel around her body. Coming up behind him, she stood on her tiptoes and peered over his shoulder. “What’s it say?”
Find the drugs, stop the kidnappings. Begin at the beginning.
“What?” She dropped to her heels. “Who sent that? What does it mean?”
He pulled out a chair and sat on the edge, tapping his phone against his chin. “Let’s think about it for a minute. The Lords of Chaos were selling drugs back then. Even Gary Binder was involved at a low level and he was eliminated.”
“And that drug trade had something to do with the kidnappings.”
“The Lords had to be getting the drugs from somewhere because they weren’t producers, and they had to be getting the money to buy the drugs from somewhere.”
“Other criminal activities?” She massaged her temples. “How do the kidnappings fit in?”
Jim snapped his fingers. “Or the Lords paid in trade.”
“What does that mean?”
“The Lords were doing something for the drug providers in exchange for product.”
“Like what? Fixing their bikes?”
“Like kidnapping.”
Scarlett clutched the towel around her waist. “Do you think the Lords of Chaos kidnapped those kids in exchange for the drugs?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“A-and who supplied the drugs?”
“Think about it.”
“My uncle.”
“Bingo.” Jim pressed the tip of his index finger in the middle of her forehead.
“But that would mean he ordered the kidnappings. Why? Why would Uncle Danny want to kidnap three children?”
“I don’t know, but the conversation you heard in the stairwell last night indicates that he wants to do it again.”
“Oh, no.” She shook her head, the wet ends of her hair flicking droplets of water here and there. “This town can’t go through something like that again. When Wyatt Carson kidnapped those kids, it just about tore Timberline apart at the seams.”
“So, back to the text.” He drummed his fingers on the credenza. “It sounds like there are some drugs missing.”
Army Ranger Redemption Page 16