Baby On The Run. Hope White

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СКАЧАТЬ and fisted his hand to stop his fingers from trembling. Men like Matt didn’t tremble, and they didn’t let fear run rampant. Yet this was the first time he’d awakened with a chunk of his life missing, like it had never happened, and he was forced to rely on a stranger to fill in the blanks.

      Well, not a complete stranger. He’d done a background check on all the foundation employees to help identify which ones were the most likely to be involved in the money-laundering activity. Matt still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that all roads led to the small, quaint town of Cedar River, Montana, known for its world-class scones and snow sports, headquarters of the international and altruistic Broadlake Foundation.

      His supervisor had gotten Matt a job as the night custodian, and during the day he continued surveillance at the hot spots in town. They suspected money was being filtered through the foundation in the form of donations, only they couldn’t determine who was orchestrating the mystery deposits into the accounts. Everyone had been suspect, even the town’s police chief, who was on the governing board.

      If what Jenna said was true, it confirmed Chief Billings’s involvement. Matt didn’t remember seeing the murder, but Jenna had.

      Which meant she was a key witness—and her life was in serious danger.

      He’d always sensed wariness about Jenna, even though she covered it with a bright smile and polite manners. His job required him to pay attention to the little things, the way her shoulders jerked at unexpected sounds and how she’d clenched her jaw when a drunk, homeless man wandered into the center and refused to leave. Matt had come to her rescue that night, escorting him outside and waiting for Kyle to take the belligerent man into custody.

      Something had happened to Jenna North that didn’t show up on a routine background check. Yet it seemed like she’d lived an unremarkable life before moving to Cedar River.

      He tapped a closed fist against his knee. How could he remember details about Miss North’s background but couldn’t remember what happened to him in the past...what? How much time had he lost?

      “Can you please tell me what happened tonight?” he said.

      “What’s the last thing you remember?”

      He closed his eyes. “The Avalanche were winning. I was in my office listening to the game.”

      “You don’t remember Chloe screaming?”

      “No, ma’am.”

      “Or finding me outside with Eli?”

      “No. I need to figure out how much time I’ve lost.”

      She recounted what happened in the last hour, starting with her friend being strangled, Jenna asking Matt to drop her at the truck stop and then her coming to his rescue after he was assaulted in the parking lot.

      “That’s pretty much it,” she said.

      Not quite. “I left you at the truck stop when I knew you were in danger? That doesn’t sound like me.”

      “A misunderstanding.” She hesitated. “I thought you were a serial killer.”

      He shot her a look of disbelief.

      “What? You had a gun, zip ties and duct tape in your glove box.”

      “The gun and zip ties are for work. I used the duct tape to fix a broken hose.”

      “Oh, okay. Sorry,” she said.

      “Trusting doesn’t come easy for you, does it?”

      “I trusted Chloe,” she said quietly.

      Silence stretched between them.

      “Why were you working undercover at the community center?” she asked.

      How much should he tell her? He knew she needed enough information to make good decisions.

      “We think a drug cartel is laundering money through the foundation,” he said. “By taking a job at the center and assimilating into the community, my goal was to discover who’s involved.”

      “Assimilating into the community?”

      “Through work, volunteering, attending church.”

      “That seems hypocritical, to pretend to attend church.”

      “I wasn’t pretending. I enjoy church.”

      “Whatever.”

      He’d upset her but wasn’t sure why. He’d figure that out later. In the meantime, he’d call for backup. He searched his pocket for his phone but came up empty.

      “Your phone’s in the console,” she said.

      He looked at her.

      “You dropped it when they attacked you.”

      “Thanks.”

      “And here, you’ll probably need this.” She pulled his gun magazine out of her pocket and handed it to him.

      He took it, trying to figure out why she had it.

      “I thought you were a serial killer, remember?” she said.

      “Right.” He pulled the gun out of his waistband, shoved the magazine in place and put it in the glove box.

      “You’re not keeping it on you?”

      “It’ll raise questions in the hospital and I don’t want to jeopardize my assignment.”

      “Oh, right.”

      Matt called his supervisor, pressing the heel of his palm against his temple to ease the pain. It went to voice mail. “It’s Weller. I was assaulted and need backup. Send an agent to St. James Healthcare in Butte. I’m with a woman and child who need our protection.” He pocketed his phone and leaned against the headrest.

      “You don’t have to take care of us,” Jenna said.

      “Excuse me?”

      “We’re not your problem.”

      “No, you’re not my problem. You’re my responsibility.”

      She smirked and looked away. Why? She didn’t know anything about Matt. She didn’t know how he’d failed Sarah.

      “I’d like to find Chloe’s cousin to help us, not be taken into FBI custody,” she said.

      “I’m trying to keep you safe.”

      She shook her head, unconvinced. Man, what had happened to this woman?

      A few minutes later they exited the highway, and she turned into the hospital parking lot. “Do you want me to drop you at the main entrance?” she offered.

      “No, we should stick together until help arrives.”

      She СКАЧАТЬ