She gulped down a sob as she stood. “I’m all right. Jace, it was terrifying.”
As she relayed what happened, he folded her into his arms, glaring at the curious night clerk who was staring at him. Shaking, Kara took fistfuls of his shirt, clinging to him like a life raft.
Shouldn’t have let her go alone. Damn, I promised her mom I’d watch out for her.
Sirens wailed outside. Jace glanced as two local sheriff’s deputy units pulled up to the office door and four men climbed out. He gently disentangled himself from Kara.
“Babe, you have to give them your statement, let them know everything that happened. This guy is still out there,” he murmured.
Kara nodded.
As they entered the office, Jace told them about the attack. One of the deputies had a sergeant’s patch on his uniform. The sergeant sent the three deputies to investigate the ground-floor motel room, while he remained in the office.
“Can you tell us exactly what happened, miss...?”
“Kara, please, call me Kara.” She turned around, her composure regained, though she still looked far too pale.
Relaying every detail, including the man’s physical characteristics and how he sported ink that sounded suspiciously like a Devil’s Patrol tat, Kara stayed calm.
The deputies returned from the room.
“We checked the room and others. There’s a blood trail leading out the door to the parking lot. Whoever broke in is long gone. Probably a thief.” The deputy shook his head. “A beautiful woman alone in this area, kinda rough.”
“He wasn’t after my purse. He wanted to kidnap me. It was Lance, the leader of the Devil’s Patrol.”
The sergeant gave her a dubious look. “Kidnap you? For what?”
Jace’s heart nearly stopped.
With remarkable control, she wiped her eyes and spoke in a steady voice. “I don’t know. He said someone special wanted me.”
Jace’s blood ran cold. He clasped Kara’s arms. “Did he say anything else, babe?”
“Other than swear at me after I clobbered him with the toilet tank lid, no.”
“Good job,” he said softly, rubbing a thumb along her damp cheek, his mind racing. “You sure it was Lance?”
Kara nodded. “There wasn’t much lighting in the room, and I’ve seen him only once, but I’ll never forget his ugly face from the Tiki Bar.”
His heart skipped a beat and dread shimmied down his spine. Why did Lance want Kara? Was the gang leader hoping to use Kara to reel in Jace? Use her as a hostage? Or get Dylan to remain silent by using her as a hostage?
He gently squeezed her hand. “I have to make a call. Sit tight.”
Outside the office, he called Rafe and relayed the news. His boss swore in Spanish.
“Talk to the man in charge, tell him what you’ve learned and to get a BOLO out on the bastard. He can’t get far. He’s wanted for two federal charges now, attempted kidnapping and interstate transportation of stolen property.” Rafe hung up.
Kara was his main concern now. With Lance on the loose and after her, he wasn’t taking any chances.
Leaving the sheriff’s office to the investigation and advising them of what Rafe told him, he told her he was taking her to his hotel room. She did not argue.
In his car, Kara sat quietly after he’d loaded her suitcase into the trunk. Jace couldn’t leave the parking lot fast enough.
He glanced at her. “Toilet tank lid, huh? Good thinking.”
She took another unsteady breath. “I was hoping I’d either knock him out or he’d suffer a terrible allergy attack from the black mold on the toilet tank lid.”
Jace laughed. She was going to be okay.
His laughter died. Yeah, okay for now, but Lance tried to kidnap her. Possibly assault her. Squeezing his fingers tight on the steering wheel, he felt his blood pressure rise. Someone had tried to hurt Kara.
It didn’t make sense. I’m the one they want to harm.
“You’ll be safe at the hotel and surrounded by agents. We have rooms on the same floor. If anyone tries anything—” he hissed out a breath “—they’ll have to go through me. I won’t let that happen.”
An hour later, Kara was asleep in his room, one arm tucked beneath her, her face smoothed out. Jace sat on the bed, stroked her hair. He’d dropped the ball with her. Wasn’t going to happen again.
Right now, he needed to find out why the hell Lance wanted Kara. His cell buzzed and he walked into the hallway to talk to Rafe.
“We found him. Son of a bitch broke into a drugstore to steal first-aid supplies. Local LEOs arrested Lance and he’ll be arraigned tomorrow.”
Should have felt relief, but Jace didn’t.
“Did he say anything?” Jace asked.
“Wanted a lawyer. Said he would talk if he got a deal, but only after the lawyer gets here. His lawyer can’t be here until tomorrow, during arraignment, so he’s spending the night courtesy of the local jail. We’ve got him on federal charges, and he’s scared.”
They had Lance in custody. Dylan as a witness. But Kara’s attack didn’t fit the puzzle pieces. He knew something else was up.
