Page 38 of Maverick

“Maybe,” he conceded, and shoved another bite in his mouth. “But this is too good to be nice about.”

Sophie’s response was to eat much faster than normal.

“Thanks for that,” I said to Slate, who only laughed. “So helpful.”

Slate stuck around well after lunch, waiting until Mabel and Sophie were both down for their afternoon naps, before he took advantage of our alone time. “So, Grace,” he began with a sigh.

I turned to face him with my arms crossed over my chest. “Is this the part where you threaten me unnecessarily? I already told Maverick I was leaving as soon as he finds another caregiver for Mabel.”

“No. I’m just curious about what you saw last night. A body type. Eye color. Anything that might help find him. Or her.”

“No,” I sighed, feeling utterly useless. “I heard the intruder first and then the breaking glass. When I got down here, all I saw was a dark figure running away. Barely even that since they broke the overhead light on the porch.” I held myself as the memories flooded along with the fear, palpable and visceral. “I didn’t see anyone clearly. I swear.”

“I believe you,” he said easily, calmly. “I’m just trying to figure out where to start.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s all right, Grace. We just met.” He smiled, still picking at the food. “This brisket is fucking delicious.”

“Thanks.” I cleared the dishes from the table and started to wash them, waiting for Slate to say whatever it was he really came to say.

“I was gonna try to be sneaky about this, but you’re skittish as hell and I’m not sure we have time for me to sweet talk details about your life out of you.”

I turned from the sink. “Um, thanks?”

He laughed. “You’re welcome. I’m just saying that if you tell me your full name or your ex’s name, I can track him to see if he’s close or still back wherever you left him. It’s easier and faster this way.”

“And what if your research only alerts him to where we are?”

“That won’t happen. I’m damn good at what I do, Grace. I could erase his existence if I wanted to, but right now all I want to do is figure out where he is.” I wasn’t convinced, and he could tell. “Look, we need to figure out if that was him last night, or someone else. It’s important.”

“Who else could it be?”

He grinned. “You’re not the only one with enemies.”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter where he is because Sophie and I will be gone in six days. We won’t be anyone’s problem anymore.”

“You aren’t a problem right now, just a woman Maverick feels compelled to rescue.”

“I didn’t ask him to help,” I insisted, feeling defensive.

“That doesn’t mean you don’t need our help. It’s better to know how close he is to finding you, Grace. Trust me.”

That was the part that didn’t come easy to me, trusting strangers of the male variety. “How are you going to find him?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“Credit card purchases, email, and any other digital information that will tell me where he’s been and what direction he’s moving. For all we know he’s going in the opposite direction.”

“Or he’s already here in Nevada.”

“All I need is a name, but I’ll take a social security number if you have it.”

I wasn’t ready to trust him, but his words were appealing. If he could find Trent, then maybe I would learn that he was still back in Ohio, that he’d moved on and found someone else. “You promise it won’t bring him here before we leave?”

Slate nodded. “I promise, but what’s the hurry?”

“No hurry, but it’s better for everyone if we’re gone sooner rather than later.”

“I can help slow him down, give you and the kid enough time to get a good lead on him. I can even misdirect him if I knew what or who I was looking for.”

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