Page 58 of Montana Manhunt

“Give me good news, Grant.” Noah checked his mirrors. Still no sign of their tail. Excellent.

“Lost the tail. You?”

“Same. Go to the hotel and make sure we don’t have an ugly surprise waiting for us.”

“Copy that. If we see a problem, we’ll let you know.” The operative ended the call.

When Violet set the phone in the cup holder, Noah threaded his fingers through hers. They rode in comfortable silence the rest of the journey, both operatives alert for more trouble.

As a precaution, Noah took several detours. When he was satisfied they were still free of tails, he drove to the hotel, arriving an hour after Grant and Rayne.

Noah parked beside Grant’s SUV in the garage and sent his teammate a message, letting him know they’d arrived. A minute later, the other operative met them with their key card. “Any problems?” he asked his friend.

“The suite’s clear.”

Noah breathed easier. He wanted Violet to have a few hours to rest before they visited Camilla’s apartment. Knowing his lady, though, she’d insist on helping with the research into their key suspects’ backgrounds.

He and Grant grabbed bags from the back of the vehicle. Violet slung her mike bag over her shoulder and headed for the elevator.

“Fifth floor,” Grant said. He glanced at Violet. “I think you’ll like the suite.”

“Why?”

He smiled. “A baby grand piano is in the sitting area.”

Her breath caught. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, man. I can’t wait to see it.”

“Rayne says the piano is in tune.”

Noah wrapped his arm around Violet’s shoulders. “You want to play for a while?”

“I’d love to if we have time.”

“We can’t go anywhere until midnight. Too much traffic in and around Morrison to slip into town without someone noticing us.”

This was the perfect distraction for Violet, a way to relieve her stress without going for a run in the area. That was the last thing he wanted her to do. While he believed they had arrived in Carterville undetected, Noah couldn’t discount the possibility of the Morrison PD enlisting the aid of law enforcement in the surrounding counties to keep an eye out for his team. “I’m looking forward to hearing you play again.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Thanks.”

The car stopped at the fifth floor, and Grant led the way to room 556. He slid the card into the reader and opened the door. Rayne turned away from the French doors. “Good. You arrived just in time. Room service will deliver hot tea and coffee any minute.”

She smiled. “That’s perfect. Thanks, Rayne.”

“Anything to put you in the mood to play the piano.” Rayne motioned to the polished ebony baby grand sitting in the center of the room.

Noah took the mike bag from her shoulder when Violet headed toward the musical instrument.

“Oh, it’s gorgeous. Look at this, Noah.”

“The piano is beautiful,” he admitted. Not as beautiful as his woman, though. He made a mental note to take Violet shopping for a piano for his own house. If they planned to spend a lot of time together, he needed a piano for her to play at his home.

On second thought, he’d prefer surprising Violet with a piano in his living room. Her preferred instrument was a Steinway. If they broke up, he’d gift the piano to her.

But they wouldn’t break up. He was already gone over this woman. All he had to do was convince her he was worth the risk to her heart. Piece of cake. Maybe.

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