Page 49 of Mountain Man Protector

“I know that I’m a civilian now, but don’t treat me with kid gloves, okay? I have experience, and I know how to handle myself with shit like this.”

“Yeah, but it’s never been your girl that’s been the one who was kidnapped before, has it?”

I couldn’t argue with that, even if I had been the one to find my mom’s body as a kid. “Fine. Just call me when you have an update, okay?”

“Will do. We were just getting ready to put out an alert for—”

“No, don’t do that.”

He was quiet, and I had to wonder whether he might be getting ready to lecture me on telling him how to do his job, but he didn’t. He just waited for me to explain my reasoning.

“He’s too reliant on the fact that he’s book smart, but he’s a dumb criminal. He probably took her back to his hole that he’s been staying in, and if we put out the alert, then it could tip him off, and he’ll end up moving her. I want him to be comfortable and complacent.”

He was quiet for a second. “You know, if you ever wanna come out of retirement, I think we could find a place for you at the PD.”

I snorted. “I’ll be waiting for your call.” I hung up without another word before turning back to Hank.

“Good updates?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Time will tell.” I walked over to the bedroom and called for Bucky who we’d picked up from Hank’s on the way back to the cabin. He came to me immediately. “I’m gonna take him for a walk, but will you pick up the phone if it rings?”

He nodded, looking at me worriedly.

I took my dog out, doing my best not to think of the fact that with every minute that passed, Alex had another opportunity to hurt Macy.

* * *

A few hours later, after I hadn’t been able to settle enough to do anything but pace and fill Bucky’s food bowls, I heard my phone ring and dove for it.

“Jim?”

“We got a ping on the cell phone number. He’s made a few calls out of the Smokey Inn heading west out of town, on the way to Nashville.”

“Okay. I’m heading out there right now. Wanna meet me there with your guys?”

“Yep. On it. I’m sharing my location with you now. But Dillon, don’t even think about going in on your own.”

I grunted a noise in response, both of us knowing there was no way in hell I’d actually agree to that.

I turned to Hank, who was sitting at the island where he’d been for hours and looking at me with concern.

“You don’t have to come, you know. Just give me a ride back to my truck before you go?”

He rolled his eyes. “Of course I’m coming with you. I’m in this just as much as you are.”

I felt the gratitude rush through me, coupled with shame, as we walked out to his own truck. I put in the information for the inn, and we headed out toward it.

Initially, we sat in silence, because I didn’t know how to say everything I was feeling for him. But, then again, if being with Macy had taught me anything, it had been not to overthink what I needed to say, just in case.

“Listen,” I said, turning to him, “I know I haven’t been that good a friend since I came back from Nashville. I know I’ve been distant, even though you and Nadine haven’t been anything but good to me, and I’m sorry for that. But after Neil—”

“You don’t have to apologize, Dillon,” Hank said, keeping his eye on the road as he headed down the hill. “Nadine and I knew that something had happened, but we just didn’t know what it was. All we ever wanted you to know was that you had us if you needed us.”

“That’s the problem,” I said, my throat closing up. “Just when I allowed myself one more person, she got swiped from me. What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Find her,” he said. “Find her and tell her everything that you’ve been holding back.”

The words sunk like a stone into my belly as I thought of everything I’d been holding back from her. We passed the rest of the drive in silence, and when we got to the inn, I was relieved to see that Jim and his guys were already there, ready and waiting for us. I nodded at them as I went into the lobby and rented a room for us to use during the day.

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