Page 49 of Defender

Summer smiled, feeling better all the way around.If Ashton was on his way to arrest Curtis Harper, then hopefully she and Chloe could go home soon.And with all the danger gone and no more secrets between them, maybe she and Ashton could just start completely over.Allow what was between them to grow into what it was supposed to be: something permanent.

She wanted that with a ferocity that surprised her.

She decided to take a shower and get some sleep until Ashton got there.She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in days, and it looked like tonight might be another semi-sleepless one.

Although for a much better reason than last night.

After getting out of the shower, she checked on Chloe, careful not to wake her, and closed her door.Summer lay down in bed, wishing she had some sort of sexy lingerie or nightgown or something to wear.All she had was the oversize T-shirt she always slept in and a pair of Snoopy pajama pants.

Nothing screamed, “Take me, you hot stud” like Snoopy pajama pants.

Oh well, he’d just have to peel her out of them.

She placed her cell phone and the baby monitor on the nightstand and rolled onto her side, pulling the other pillow close to her.

She fell asleep thinking of the ways Ashton might wake her up.

* * *

ASHTONWASSTILLsmiling about Summer’s text when he, Jon Hatton and Liam Goetz entered a bar named Crystal Mac’s on the north side of Colorado Springs.

“Why would someone name a bar as a spin-off of a drug known to induce paranoia?”Liam asked as they entered.“Not to mention be illegal as hell?”

“Moreover, who would want to frequent it?”Jon responded.

Evidently someone as stupid as Curtis Harper.

They were all in jeans and casual shirts, not wanting to draw attention to themselves as federal agents.Harper was certain to run if he knew law enforcement was coming through the door.

An anonymous tip-off had led them here, but Ashton didn’t care how they got Harper as long as they did.

He wanted this behind him.And thank God, it sounded like Summer did, too.

They opened the door and were immediately assaulted by loud rap music.All three men glanced at each other, rolling their eyes.

“I’ll take the bar,” Ashton told Jon and Liam.

Liam jerked his thumb towards the back area.“I’ll take the pool tables.”

“I’ll find any side doors and be watching.”

They swept the place thoroughly, but twenty minutes later it became obvious that Curtis Harper wasn’t there.

Ashton felt the frustration boil through him.Damn it, he wanted this over with.

“He’s not here, man,” Liam said.“Let’s talk to the bartender.”

Less worried now about people knowing they were law enforcement, Liam and Ashton showed the bartender their IDs and a picture of Harper.

“You seen this guy around?”

Bartender nodded.“Yeah.An hour or two ago, maybe.He took off with some woman.”

Ashton grimaced.“Does he come in here a lot?”

Bartender shrugged.“Not enough that I remember him.I only remember him today because his face was all beat up.”

Liam pulled out a card.“If he shows back up, give us a call.We won’t forget it.”

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