Page 118 of Simon Says

Marvin laughed. “Like you’d have the guts to do it.”

“She could have beenkilled.”

“Yeah, we both know for a fact how deadly stairs can be, don’t we?” Stupid Barnaby. He got so riled over things, even when they turned out for the best. “But she’s fine. I just saw her shopping.”

“You’re there? You’re following her?”

“Yeah.” Dakota had left her truck at the bar. She’d go back there. And then he’d follow her again, to her motel.

“Marvin, listen to me. She threatened to call the cops. Onme.But if they show up here, and realize I had nothing to do with it, they might—”

“What? Come looking for me?” Marvin curled his lip and added a dose of menace to his tone. “Now why would they do that?”

Defeated, almost whiny, Barnaby said, “I don’t know.”

“Exactly. Unless you shoot off your big mouth, which you know you’d regret, the cops wouldn’t even look at me. Besides, I have alibis, Barnaby, so don’t sweat it.”

“There’s no reason to hurt anyone else.”

“What makes you think I’d hurt Dakota?” He laughed as he said it. “Tell you what, Barnaby. You worry about getting Simon to cooperate before I run out of patience. Don’t make me tell you again.” He hung up the cell phone and put it on the seat beside him. Dakota couldn’t keep a bodyguard around all the time.

Sooner or later, he’d get to her.

She’d regret making him wait.

DEANwouldn’t let her out of his sight. He, Eve, and Jackie all went with her to her motel, waiting while she put her packages away, and then insisting she ride with them to the bar.

They walked her inside, too, and even hung around while Dean talked to Barber. The fact that Marvin had probably followed them to the mall had Dean more grim than the scratch to his car did. In fact, he’d looked annoyed when she offered to pay for the damage.

Barber wasn’t happy, either. He wanted her to go on home with Dean and Eve, rather than wait for him to have a late dinner, as they’d planned. But no way would she continue to impose on Dean and his family. And no one liked the idea of her returning to her motel room, as she suggested.

As it turned out, both Michael Manchester and Mitch McGee and a half dozen other fighters were at the bar, so Dakota hung out with them. She had a good time, too. The men were so funny, challenging her in a dozen different ways. Billiards. Darts. Even the mechanical bull. Dakota fared well on the first two and refused to take part in the third. That didn’t deter the men.

She laughed as hard as everyone else did to see big muscled hunks clinging to a mechanical bull. It proved a great distraction from her worries, and helped the time to pass so she didn’t miss Simon so much.

When Michael got thrown from the bull, the others ribbed him about landing so hard. The way he merely dusted himself off showed why he got the nickname Mallet. He was hard as nails.

A few minutes later, the band announced the last song and Dakota dismissed herself. “It’s been great, but I’ve got to go.” They cheerfully tried to convince her to stay, but she was ready for some quieter time.

Mallet joined her at the door. “You’re not leaving alone, right?”

“Nope. Barber and I are at the same motel now. We’re having a bite to eat, then we’ll head back to our rooms.”

Mallet walked with her to the main floor. Because she knew he was one of the men Simon had asked to keep an eye out, she looped her arm with his. It felt strange to have so many new friends. Before coming to Harmony, Barber was it, and with their weird schedules, they didn’t get to visit as often as she would have liked.

Now her whole life was different. Everywhere she turned, there was a friendly face. The thought of staying in Kentucky, near Simon and all the guys, with a job she liked, appealed to her a lot.

They stopped at the edge of the main floor so the band wouldn’t drown out their conversation. “I heard about Dean’s car.” Mallet looked at his feet, then at her. “I hate it that someone is bothering you.”

It always came back to that. Would Simon be so attentive if he didn’t fear for her safety? Dakota just didn’t know. “Sooner or later I’ll catch him at it. Then it’ll end.”

He lightly touched his knuckles to her chin. “Yeah, I’d put my money on you.” He dropped his hand. “But be careful, okay? Anyone that nutty can be unpredictable.”

Barber reached them, and Mallet said his farewells. As they headed out of the bar, Dakota considered what Mallet had said. Would she stand a chance against Marvin? His strength was in being a dirty street fighter, but she wasn’t without her own skills.

Yes, she needed some fine-tuning for sure. But maybe Simon had the right idea: with enough practice, she could confront Marvin and then cut him out of her life, the same way she had cut out Barnaby.

After that, she’d have only the future to look forward to.

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