Lost in thought, he didn’t respond. Two bikers knew Kara was with him at the Florida motel, maybe even saw him with Kara and Dylan when they all met, since they’d put a tracker on Dylan’s bike.
They could have easily taken him at several intervals. Yet they did not.
Now, Kara was in danger. Rafe made sense. If he was the target, then he couldn’t remain on the case.
“Fine.” He shook his head at the waitress as she asked about a refill. “I’m taking Kara out of here tomorrow, first thing.”
“I need to know where you’re headed.”
He gave him a level look. “You said not to trust anyone, Rafe. I’ll check in when I get there.”
Chapter 18
Kara agreed to accompany Jace the following morning. She didn’t even care where they went. Still numb from the attack, she struggled to find direction.
Maybe Jace couldn’t keep all his promises, but he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Surely, she was safer with him.
Jace insisted on her calling her father, who would worry if she wasn’t there at the jail to meet him when he brought Dylan’s attorney.
She tried to sound cheerful and reassuring as she talked with her father. Then she simply couldn’t put on the act anymore. Jace took the phone from her and said he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
“An FBI agent will want to sit and talk with you, go over a few things about Kara to see if we can determine why Lance targeted her. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to her. She will check in from the motel when we arrive for the night.”
When he hung up, he helped her pack and loaded their backpacks into an agency-issued SUV.
As he drove northward, she thought about how she’d awakened in a panic during the night. Her pulse racing, feeling groggy and disoriented, all she could remember was Lance’s leering grin as he advanced.
Kara had wanted to bolt from the room, run away, and then she’d snapped on a bedside light and seen him.
Jace. Curled up near the door as if guarding it in case one of Lance’s buddies managed to slip inside. Seeing him there, his big body acting like a doorstop, gave her the peace of mind she needed to slip back into sleep.
Kara closed her eyes, not caring where he took her. Someplace safe, he’d promised, where they could spend the night and figure out a plan.
Stopping only for a couple of rest stops and to get lunch through a drive-through, Jace made good time on the road as she dozed off. He stuck to the interstate and finally they arrived at a motel right off of it.
He checked them into a ground-floor room at the end, far from the office. She texted her father to let him know where they were.
Kara didn’t say much during dinner at a local chain restaurant, but he filled the conversational gaps by talking about music and movies he’d enjoyed. They had a quick dinner and returned to the room. Small, with two queen beds, and faded carpeting and drapes, but clean at least.
Bone-weary, she longed for a shower and glanced at her toiletries, still in the suitcase. Unpacking seemed fruitless and she didn’t want to get comfortable.
Jace, sitting on one of the beds and checking his gun, glanced at her. “Go ahead and shower. I’ll be right here.”
“Thanks. I...keep hoping the anxiety will vanish.”
His deep blue gaze filled with understanding. “It will fade in time, babe. I’ve got things under control.”
After showering and dressing in bright pink sleep shorts and a tank top, hoping the colors would cheer her up, she sat on the other bed. “Where are we headed to next?”
“I can rent a place through Jarrett. He has safe houses for women and children they help through SOS.”
Kara shook her head. “I don’t want to take up residence in a place he might need for those he helps. I have a better idea. My uncle Phil, you know the one you found out about?”
He didn’t blink. Jace had a poker face. “Go on.”
“Phil has a cabin in a remote area of western North Carolina. Not easy to find and he’s family.”
“Family.” Jace’s expression clouded a minute. “Yeah, I can see how you’d trust your family.”
The bitterness in his remark startled her out of her mood. “You can’t? You never did talk about yours.”
“My family isn’t trustworthy or someone you’d turn to in an emergency. Call him. I’m hitting the shower.”
He grabbed clothing and toiletries and headed into the bathroom. Kara called her uncle, who was happy to loan her the cabin. When she hung up, she kept wondering what Jace meant by that remark.
Jace was up at dawn, but in the other bed, Kara still peacefully slumbered. He made coffee in the little pot the motel provided. Tasted like old dishwater, but coffee was coffee.
Less than an hour later, they went to the motel lobby for breakfast. Basic, but decent, and the coffee here was stronger and more flavorful. Jace ate quickly, glad she did the same, and they filled their cups to bring more coffee back to the room.
While Kara showered again, he sat outside. He knew what she was going through—saw it in other victims. Showering to wash away the stench of their attackers, scrubbing their bodies to rid themselves of scent and memory. His stomach roiled as he thought about what might have happened if Kara hadn’t struck Lance and gotten away.
Clouds thick with rain hung in the sky, promising an afternoon downpour. Humidity hovered in the air, thick as a wet blanket. Jace sipped coffee, watching sleepy people making their way to the lobby for the free breakfast. His mind whirled with thoughts, trying to make sense of what happened.
Slowly, it seemed the puzzle pieces were falling into place. Problem was, he couldn’t see the big picture—what it all meant.
Big Mike had seemed very interested in Kara when he caught Jace in bed with her. Lance seemed interested in her. Why?
All his instincts went on overdrive. What if they’d targeted her store for a different reason?
