Page 33 of Montana Mystery

“You don’t want to play?” Max asked.

“I’ve lost enough money for one night,” a man in a leather coat said as he slung an arm around one of the girls’ shoulders. “Now it’s time for something I could never lose to you. Ass.”

Max laughed and turned to me. “I don’t need your ass, Greg. I have my own.”

“The fuck he does.” Noah’s voice was dark in my ear. I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t.

“Come on,” Max said. “I need another drink. So do you.”

“That’s okay.” I put on my best flirtatious smile. “I’m still working on this one.” But I followed him to the bar and watched as he slammed back another shot of whiskey.

His eyes were fully on me now. “You seem like a girl who likes darts.”

“I’ve never really tried.” That was the truth.

“Let’s go.” The next shot was ready for him, and he grabbed my hand, pulling me to the opposite side of the barn where a dart board that looked like it had been made in the last century hung off the wall.

It was everything I could do not to rip my hand out of his. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. Darts are fun. Especially when I get to teach you how.”

I was already imagining the way he planned to “teach” me darts. His hand on mine, probably pressed up against the back of my body so there was nowhere that I could go. Forcing a happy moment into my brain, I laughed. “Actually, I need to use the bathroom first. Where’s that?”

“Other side.” He pointed before tossing back the shot still in his hand. “Come back soon.”

“Okay.”

The bathroom was small and dark, but thankfully it was just one room, so I knew I was alone. “Noah, we need to call it off.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s nothing here. A few guns maybe, but you and I both know a couple of unregistered guns aren’t what we need. So having this place raided only puts Brandon in more danger.”

And me too, probably. But I didn’t say that part out loud.

“Yeah.” I heard the frustration in his tone, but it wasn’t directed at me. “You’re right. I’ll let them know it’s a bust.”

“All right. I’ll get out soon.”

“Be careful,” he said. “Max sounds like he’s ready to take you into a back room.”

Noah wasn’t wrong. “He’s drunk. Hopefully I can use it.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

I pushed out of the bathroom and went back to Max, watching him throw darts and missing the board completely. “It’s getting kind of late,” I said. “And I have a long drive back to the city, so I think I’m going to go home.”

The look he gave me sent a flash of fear rolling through me. He looked sober. Then he smiled. “That’s fine. I’ll be in touch.”

The way he said it made me anxious, but right now? I was going to take the win and leave. Aaron gave me my coat and let me out through the strange dark door back into the incredible silence of the Montana countryside.

Max hadn’t said anything about knocking money off of Brandon’s debt. But I hadn’t really expected him to. It was just an excuse to get me here.

Don’t run, I said to myself. Don’t run.

There wasn’t a reason to. Nothing in the barn had been awful. Well, not awful enough to call in the cops. It was still dangerous, and I knew that. I’d used up all the confidence I’d mustered, and now I wanted the hell out of here.

Noah paced near the car, clearly feeling the same nervous energy I was. As soon as he heard the crunch of my boots, his head snapped up. He didn’t wait for me to reach him.

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