Savor the Danger
Page 90
“You did?” She sounded surprised, but with a lack of apology, said, “Couldn’t answer.”
“Why not?” Then it occurred to him that if she wasn’t returning his earlier calls, she had to have another reason. “What’s wrong?”
“The thing is, I don’t want you freaking out.”
Insulted, he paced to the window to stare down at the lake. “I do not freak out.”
“Yeah, right. Well then, I don’t want you going off on a killing rampage. How’s that?”
Determined to get to the truth, he asked softly, “Why would I want to do that?” Her sarcastic attitude always hid fear. As elusive as she remained, he knew that much about her. “Tell me what’s going on, Arizona. Now.”
She gave a long, dramatic sigh. “Okay, fine, don’t get your boxers in a bunch.”
“Arizona.”
“I lost the cell. That is, I lost the one you were probably calling on. I still have this one.”
Just as he, Dare and Trace each carried two cells, he’d given Arizona two, as well—one for true emergencies, and one for just talking. It was her “around town” phone—and to keep their relationship secret, she wasn’t supposed to use it to call him. “How?”
“Some guy I met in a bar—”
“Where are you?” She had used the phone to call him, so something had to be seriously wrong. Ready to go after her, he took a few steps, but he didn’t know where to go and it left him incensed. “I’m fine, Jackson. Honest. Geez, take a breath already, will you?”
He did, damn her. “You’re sure you’re all right?”
“I’m awesome, cross my heart. I’m not calling for backup. Now if you’ll let me finish—”
“You said you were in a bar?” He didn’t know any reputable bars that’d willingly serve an underage girl. But he knew plenty that would let in a girl who looked like Arizona.
She laughed. “Yeah, you’ve heard of them. Local drinking hole? Place for shitheads to get plastered and bimbos to get laid.”
“God help me,” he muttered mostly to himself, and then, “What bar? When? Where exactly are you now?”
“Doesn’t matter what bar, because I’m nowhere near there now. Happened last night and I’ve been on the road ever since. As for where I am now, I’m just crossing over from Ohio into Kentucky.”
“Highway?”
“Yep.”
So for now, she should be clear. Enough traffic remained on the main roads that it’d be tough for anyone to get to her without being exposed.
“What about the guy at the bar?” He studied the sky. It remained light ’til late, so he had plenty of time yet to get to her. He wanted to be moving, doing, but he needed facts first.
And getting facts from Arizona was enough to make him grind his teeth.
“Well, don’t blow a gasket, but I sort of tussled with this big dude who was there to… See, at first I mistook what he wanted. But, I dunno, maybe he was just there to scope out the scumbags, same as me.”
His hair nearly stood on end. Scope out scumbags? Tussle. His back to the room and voice low, he said, “Been playing vigilante again?”
“Call it whatever you like. Thing is, I don’t know why he was rousing the rabble, but I figured him to be different, ya know? Well, not that different.”
Fist on his hip, phone to his ear, Jackson dropped his head forward and groaned. “What happened?”
“He lusted, I laid him low, end of story.”
Of course he’d lusted. Arizona had that effect on most guys, which was probably why she had expected him to be the same. “If it was the end, why are you calling?”
“That’s the thing…he followed me. And the sticky-fingered SOB must’ve taken my wallet, too, when we…well…”
Squeezing his eyes shut, Jackson supplied her word back to her. “Tussled?”
“Yeah. That’s probably when I lost the phone, too.” A grin sounded in her tone. “But I can handle him, so that’s not why I called.” She paused, his anticipation built, and then she said, “It’s the silver BMW.”
Going rigid, Jackson snarled, “Silver BMW?”
That got Dare and Trace coming to attention, too.
“Yeah—the same one that tried to run you off the road. Different plates now, though.”
“The same…” How the hell did she know about that?
“Crying out loud, are you going to keep repeating what I say, or can you let me finish?”
Pissed off but with no recourse, Jackson stared at Dare and Trace. They stared back. Yeah, they couldn’t help him. Hell, when it came to Arizona, he couldn’t help himself.
He avoided looking at Alani and shook his head. “Is the BMW following you?”
“Not anymore. I lost them about an hour ago.”
Fingers of alarm clamped around his heart. “But it was tailing you? You’re sure?”
Another pause, and then, “Actually, know what? It’d be better if we talked about all this in person.”
Finally. “Hell of an idea. Tell me where you are and I’ll come get you.”
“No need. I’ll come to you.”
“Arizona…” He couldn’t give her Dare’s address. The trust issues went both ways. “It’ll be better if we meet.”
“Why not?” Then it occurred to him that if she wasn’t returning his earlier calls, she had to have another reason. “What’s wrong?”
“The thing is, I don’t want you freaking out.”
Insulted, he paced to the window to stare down at the lake. “I do not freak out.”
“Yeah, right. Well then, I don’t want you going off on a killing rampage. How’s that?”
Determined to get to the truth, he asked softly, “Why would I want to do that?” Her sarcastic attitude always hid fear. As elusive as she remained, he knew that much about her. “Tell me what’s going on, Arizona. Now.”
She gave a long, dramatic sigh. “Okay, fine, don’t get your boxers in a bunch.”
“Arizona.”
“I lost the cell. That is, I lost the one you were probably calling on. I still have this one.”
Just as he, Dare and Trace each carried two cells, he’d given Arizona two, as well—one for true emergencies, and one for just talking. It was her “around town” phone—and to keep their relationship secret, she wasn’t supposed to use it to call him. “How?”
“Some guy I met in a bar—”
“Where are you?” She had used the phone to call him, so something had to be seriously wrong. Ready to go after her, he took a few steps, but he didn’t know where to go and it left him incensed. “I’m fine, Jackson. Honest. Geez, take a breath already, will you?”
He did, damn her. “You’re sure you’re all right?”
“I’m awesome, cross my heart. I’m not calling for backup. Now if you’ll let me finish—”
“You said you were in a bar?” He didn’t know any reputable bars that’d willingly serve an underage girl. But he knew plenty that would let in a girl who looked like Arizona.
She laughed. “Yeah, you’ve heard of them. Local drinking hole? Place for shitheads to get plastered and bimbos to get laid.”
“God help me,” he muttered mostly to himself, and then, “What bar? When? Where exactly are you now?”
“Doesn’t matter what bar, because I’m nowhere near there now. Happened last night and I’ve been on the road ever since. As for where I am now, I’m just crossing over from Ohio into Kentucky.”
“Highway?”
“Yep.”
So for now, she should be clear. Enough traffic remained on the main roads that it’d be tough for anyone to get to her without being exposed.
“What about the guy at the bar?” He studied the sky. It remained light ’til late, so he had plenty of time yet to get to her. He wanted to be moving, doing, but he needed facts first.
And getting facts from Arizona was enough to make him grind his teeth.
“Well, don’t blow a gasket, but I sort of tussled with this big dude who was there to… See, at first I mistook what he wanted. But, I dunno, maybe he was just there to scope out the scumbags, same as me.”
His hair nearly stood on end. Scope out scumbags? Tussle. His back to the room and voice low, he said, “Been playing vigilante again?”
“Call it whatever you like. Thing is, I don’t know why he was rousing the rabble, but I figured him to be different, ya know? Well, not that different.”
Fist on his hip, phone to his ear, Jackson dropped his head forward and groaned. “What happened?”
“He lusted, I laid him low, end of story.”
Of course he’d lusted. Arizona had that effect on most guys, which was probably why she had expected him to be the same. “If it was the end, why are you calling?”
“That’s the thing…he followed me. And the sticky-fingered SOB must’ve taken my wallet, too, when we…well…”
Squeezing his eyes shut, Jackson supplied her word back to her. “Tussled?”
“Yeah. That’s probably when I lost the phone, too.” A grin sounded in her tone. “But I can handle him, so that’s not why I called.” She paused, his anticipation built, and then she said, “It’s the silver BMW.”
Going rigid, Jackson snarled, “Silver BMW?”
That got Dare and Trace coming to attention, too.
“Yeah—the same one that tried to run you off the road. Different plates now, though.”
“The same…” How the hell did she know about that?
“Crying out loud, are you going to keep repeating what I say, or can you let me finish?”
Pissed off but with no recourse, Jackson stared at Dare and Trace. They stared back. Yeah, they couldn’t help him. Hell, when it came to Arizona, he couldn’t help himself.
He avoided looking at Alani and shook his head. “Is the BMW following you?”
“Not anymore. I lost them about an hour ago.”
Fingers of alarm clamped around his heart. “But it was tailing you? You’re sure?”
Another pause, and then, “Actually, know what? It’d be better if we talked about all this in person.”
Finally. “Hell of an idea. Tell me where you are and I’ll come get you.”
“No need. I’ll come to you.”
“Arizona…” He couldn’t give her Dare’s address. The trust issues went both ways. “It’ll be better if we meet.”
