On the Hunt

“She’s quite safe with Belson, Kira. I guarantee it.”

“I’d feel better if I was there myself. I shouldn’t have let anything else interfere.”

“And you’re nervous and you want to be sure.”

She nodded curtly. “That about covers it. I have some thinking to do. I’m angry and frustrated, and I want to be certain that she’s okay and nowhere near Taylor.”

He waved his hand and gestured for her to leave. “Then I’ll see you in a few hours. Though I assure you that Taylor isn’t anywhere nearby. But I agree that you should definitely do some thinking. I don’t want you to attack me again without good reason…”

She lightly snapped the reins to push Domino into a fast trot and headed toward the manor.

But she went past the manor and took the first trail toward the forest again.

She had to stay here in the woods and think about what she needed to do and how she might be able to save Sarah from any other attack engineered by Taylor, if that was possible…

What was she thinking? Of course that was possible. She just had to figure it out. Yet the threats had also been specifically aimed at Fiona and Harlan in that latest note. She would just stay here in the dimness and make certain there were no mistakes in her plans. Start with what she had to do and then move forward to keep Taylor at bay…

CHAPTER

6

Darkness had already started to fall when she saw Harlan driving up the trail in his jeep with Mack sitting beside him on the front seat. He put on the brakes and stayed in the vehicle while he waited for Mack to see her and then dash out of the jeep and run toward Kira in a delirium of joy.

He watched while she got her usual greeting and then got out and strode toward her. “I thought you might be ready to take charge of Mack and let me escort Domino back to the stable. It was clear Mack was missing you.”

“I doubt it. He’s far too well trained.” But she was kneeling down to give the retriever a hug anyway. “And Domino and I are getting along just fine at the moment.”

“Then maybe I was the one who was missing you,” Harlan said solemnly. “Of course it could be mere curiosity that brought me running after you. You’ll have to decide that for yourself. But you have to admit, your exit line back at the jailhouse was intriguing.”

“Intriguing enough to cause you to send a couple of your men running around to check on where I’d gone? Don’t you think I realize when I’m being followed? I knew that the first day in Colorado, when you started to follow me in the mountains.”

“And I was aware that you knew. I thought you’d feel more secure if you believed that you had at least a modicum of power.” He grinned. “I realized you had far more than that by the end of the first day. But by then I was too interested to stop. You were too good at what you did. It was fun just to watch you. It had become a game. I thought you might have had the same idea.”

She was silent a moment. “I was just doing my job.”

“Truly? I don’t think so. We were both annoyed and both determined, but there were too many elements of chance in the chase not to intrigue us both. Yes?”

She shrugged. “Perhaps.” But she wasn’t going to give up entirely. “That isn’t why you sent your men to hunt me down here in the woods today, though.”

He shook his head. “Guilty as charged. But I told them not to disturb you. And you have to admit that I had a right to be concerned about your safety at this particular moment.” He paused. “And what decision you might make while you were brooding out here by yourself.”

“I don’t brood,” she said curtly. “And I can take care of myself… if that’s what I want to do.”

“Ah, but you’ve left me an opening there.” His eyes narrowed. “Haven’t you, Kira?”

“Yes, I’ve left you an opening,” she said. “I told you that I had to think about what I wanted to do. I only agreed to spend three days with you. Do you want to know what I’ve decided?”

“I can hardly wait.” He started to gently stroke Domino’s jaw. “But wouldn’t you rather go back to the manor where we’ll be more comfortable?”

“No, I like the woods. And I’m not sure I want you to be too comfortable. Because I’ve decided that I might need you. If you turn me down, I might have to work out some other way to accomplish the same end.”

He shrugged. “I try my best to be irreplaceable, so let’s hear if you succeeded.” He dropped down and leaned back beside her against the pine tree, crossing his arms over his chest. “By all means proceed.”

“That’s my intention.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her notebook. “You know what was in that letter. Well, I won’t let Taylor use me to do his dirty work. But there could be a problem. I might need a partner who wants to get rid of Taylor as much as I do, but also has influence and unlimited funds since I have neither.”

“And you’ve chosen me? I must admit you’re not the first to so honor me. But it does come as a surprise. One, I’m not looking for a partner; two, you’ve indicated in no uncertain terms that I wouldn’t be your choice in the next thousand years or so; and three, if I did choose a partner, it would be one who brought something into the game that appealed to me.”

She nodded. “I thought about all that while I was sitting here, but I think I’ve found solutions for both of us.”