Page 20 of Montana Rain

“Just let us know when you’re in,” Lucas said. “We’ll find you something to do. Even if it’s more sparring.”

“I won’t say no to that,” I laughed, waving as I headed to the truck. I was tempted to head home, but the signal wasn’t as good up there, and I didn’t want to wait. I drove over to Deja Brew and headed inside. Lena smiled at me as she served me coffee, but there was a rush, so we didn’t have a chance to chat.

Pulling out my phone, I called one of my only remaining friends in the Seattle field office. He answered right away. “Jared Warwick, Seattle field office.”

“Jared, it’s Cole Phillips.”

I heard the creak of his chair leaning back. “Cole Phillips. Hey, man. Been a bit.”

“Yeah.”

“Heard they kicked you out of Chicago.”

I laughed once. It did feel that way, but I wouldn’t let it show. “More like a voluntary leave of absence. Everything will be fine.”

“I’m sure. Anyone who thinks you did anything wrong has another think coming. But I’m guessing since you’re calling from your voluntary exile, you need something.”

“Just a curiosity more than anything else. And obviously, I’m not asking for anything classified. Just curious if there’s something actually happening in Chicago.”

“Other than you getting kicked to the curb?” Jared was teasing, but there was also an edge to his voice.

“Yeah, other than that.”

“Why? What do you know?”

I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “Nothing. Just heard a rumor, was curious if I was missing anything fun.”

A long pause stretched on the other end of the line. “Look, Cole, this is serious. If you know anything about what’s going on there, I need you to tell me, okay? It’s not a joke.”

“I’m not joking,” I said. “I don’t know anything.”

And more than anything, it answered my question. His wasn’t the reaction you got if everything was business as usual.

I flipped the phone to speaker and opened the web browser, keeping the volume low. “Yeah,” Jared said. “You don’t strike me as the kind of guy to go poking with nothing in his pocket. Especially with everything that happened.”

“Jared, I’m in Montana. I’m going a bit stir-crazy, and it hasn’t even been a week. How the hell would I know about anything happening in the Chicago field office while I’m in the middle of nowhere?”

It was my mistake not to Google this before calling him. The stories were everywhere, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. I didn’t know why Rayne was connected to Thomas Peretti, or how, but the brand-new stories about a mafia-related murder in Chicago were the only reason I could think of she would go straight to Resting Warrior. And more, that she would look the way she did. Drawn and nervous.

One of the things I loved about Rayne was how solid she was. She didn’t let anything rattle her—or rather, she tried not to let anything rattle her. Including me. I knew, too, a vulnerable woman protected beneath the shell.

What I’d seen this morning wasn’t vulnerability. It was terror, pure and simple. Rayne was afraid, and that was the last emotion I wanted her to experience.

“Just because you’re in Montana doesn’t mean your connections are dead. You’re calling me, right? You could have called other people.”

“Jared.” I scrubbed my hand over my face. “I was curious, okay? It’s not a secret about the murder. It went public. I was just in Chicago. I don’t know anything. I just wanted a little news. I’m dying out here.”

Telling him I knew someone who might know something? That wasn’t going to happen. Not until I knew what was going on—and why.

Rayne would probably be pissed at me for digging when I shouldn’t have been. But she could be pissed at me all she wanted. You didn’t play with the fucking mafia. If there was any chance at all—

I slammed a metal door down on those thoughts. Not now. Not while I was on the phone with Jared. Not until I could get a clear head.

Jared sighed. “Sorry, man. It’s just… I can’t tell you anything, and you already know that. But people are spooked over there. So if, for whatever reason, you end up knowing something? Don’t hold it back. It would only be a good thing for you.”

“Noted. Thanks for taking the time.”

“No problem—and, Phillips?” He paused. “Try not to get lost in the woods, okay? They might not be able to show it, but there’re plenty of people here who miss you.”

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