Page 48 of Scent of Evil
“No, it’s great. I’m sure Cami doesn’t mind.” Raine sounded relieved that they weren’t going too far away.
“It will be nice to get cleaned up, eat some lunch, and figure out our next steps.” Justin felt self-conscious about the fact that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He hadn’t realized it until he’d pulled Raine into a hug. He probably shouldn’t have hugged and kissed her, but he’d been so thankful to be safe that he’d needed to. He grimaced at his foolishness and tried to focus on more important issues. “Trevor, do you have extra clothes I can borrow?”
“Of course.” Trev flashed a grin. “But I’m not giving you anything until you take a shower. Hate to point out the obvious, but you both reek like smoke.”
Justin didn’t take offense. Not when he knew it was true. He glanced back at Raine to find her staring blindly out at the passing scenery. If she’d heard and objected to Trevor’s comment, she didn’t show it. She appeared lost in thought, and he wondered what was going through her mind. Raindrops still pounded down on the roof of their car, but he didn’t mind. The fresh clean scent coming in through the vents was welcome after being in thick smoke for so long.
No doubt she was already planning their next steps. His expression softened as he saw Stone was sleeping on the seat beside her, his head resting near her thigh. She kept her hand on the dog’s back as if to comfort him.
Stone was a great tracker, but if Justin was being honest, he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of heading out with his K9 to track Decker anytime soon. The explosion and the subsequent forest fire were more than enough excitement for one day.
Unfortunately, it was barely noon.
Fifteen minutes later, Trevor pulled up in front of Camille’s home. His brother glanced over as he put the gearshift in reverse. “You and Raine can head inside to get cleaned up. My overnight bag is in my SUV, help yourself.”
Justin paused in the act of opening the passenger-side door. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll take the horses to the Lucky Charm to groom them.” Trevor flashed a grin. “I know you’d like to know the horses are well cared for.”
Justin always had an affinity for the animals, especially the horses. And his brother was right. He’d do the job himself if he could. “Okay, do you want me to take Archie inside?”
“No, he can hang with me.” Trevor gestured to the back seat. “Stone looks like he could use more rest anyway.”
“Thanks.” He pushed out the passenger door and was instantly soaked from the rain. Yet the cool water felt nice, especially on his back. He turned to open the rear door so Raine and Stone could come out.
Stone jumped down and lifted his nose to the air, as if recognizing their location. It never ceased to amaze him how smart their K9s were. “Come, Stone. Raine, are you okay?”
“Fine.” Raine was drenched too. But she didn’t seem to mind. “Feels good after the fire, doesn’t it?”
“Oh yeah.” He walked with her up to the house, then stepped back. “I need to grab Trevor’s bag. You and Stone should head inside.”
“Okay.” When she entered the house, Stone didn’t immediately follow, looking back at Justin as if waiting for a command.
“Go on, boy. I’ll be there soon.” He turned and jogged back to Trevor’s SUV that was still attached to the trailer carrying the four-wheelers. As he dug in the back for the duffel, he wondered if they should switch to using the ATVs.
They were louder, but maybe at this point that didn’t matter. Their attempt to sneak up on Decker at the cabin had backfired big time.
It stung to know the convict was one step ahead of them. Even more so that Decker had other creeps willing to help him.
Even at their own peril.
He slung the duffel over his shoulder and hurried back up to the house. The tangy scent of pepperoni pizza greeted him when he entered. Stone thumped his tail on the floor in greeting but didn’t come out from beneath the kitchen table.
“Smells great.” He was suddenly famished.
Camille glanced up at him. Griff, Cami, and Ginny were already making a dent in the pie. “Don’t worry, I have another one I’ll cook for you and Raine.”
“Thanks.” He stood for a moment, water running off his clothes in rivulets. “I guess I need to borrow your shower when Raine is finished.”
“She’s in my room. You can use the guest bathroom.” Cami jumped up from her seat. “I’ll get you a towel.”
He watched Griff working on the computer as he ate. His brother-in-law glanced over and gave him a nod. “I’m still working on Kluck. Should have something soon.”
“Good.” They could use a lead that was more than knowing Decker was somewhere in the mountains. When Cami returned, he toweled himself off the best he could, took off his boots, and padded down the hall to the bathroom.
The shower felt wonderful, especially the cool water sluicing down the pink skin of his back. He hadn’t realized a fire could act like the sun, although it made sense. A burn was a burn regardless of the source.
Thankfully, Trevor also had a spare pair of jeans along with a shirt in his duffel bag. Justin dressed and carried his smoky, wet clothes out of the bathroom. He stopped abruptly when he nearly ran into Raine.
