Chapter 19

Later that night, Jenna got a call from her mom. “We’ve got a fugitive on the run. Everyone else is out on jobs. I’m so sorry, Jenna. I really wanted you to take the time to be with Sarandon.”

“Of course, I’m on it.” Jenna couldn’t go with Sarandon on his butterfly tour, as much as she wanted to. She’d even spent several hours last night reading up on the various butterflies they might encounter, so she’d appear to be as knowledgeable as everyone else.

“I should cancel on my tour and go with you,” Sarandon said as soon as she hung up with her mom.

She pulled him in for a hug and kissed him. “No, you can’t. You’re contracted to do this. It’s not good for business, and I’ll have this done in a couple of days. Then, if we don’t have another case in the meantime, I’ll join you.”

“The next one is a bird-watching group. They bring cameras and take pictures.”

“I’ll bring my cell phone and take pictures.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” Sarandon said, speaking from the heart.

“I don’t want you to either, but this can make getting together again even more special. Don’t you agree?” She didn’t really believe it. Being with Sarandon all this time had been like a beautiful honeymoon. What if when he returned to Silver Town, he felt at home—more so than when he was here with her, living next to her parents.

“You know I’m trying to get ahold of everyone on the tours to get them to agree to having a different guide. And I’m still trying to find someone who wants to take over the business as a whole.”

Jenna understood he couldn’t just advertise for someone to take his place. That person would have to be a wolf, if the guide was to live in Silver Town and work from there.

Sarandon smiled and pulled her into a tighter hug, kissing her deeply. “We’ll get this covered. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”

“Yes,” she said and tried not to show her distress at the notion that he was leaving her to return to his home and his pack and his family in the morning.

* * *

The next morning, Jenna took Sarandon to the airport and they said their goodbyes. She hated to see him go, as much as it appeared to be killing him to leave her.

“You’ll wear your bulletproof vest and be armed to the teeth? Tasers all powered up?” Sarandon asked, kissing her cheek and then her forehead.

“Always.”

“You’ll call me when you locate the suspect and after you’ve successfully taken him down?”

“Yes, I will.”

“You’ll call for backup if you run into any trouble?”

“Of course. Don’t worry, I’ve been doing this forever.”

“All right. While I’m back in Silver Town, or at least after I finish this tour and before I start the next one, I’ll try to get someone else to take over the rest. Be careful.” He kissed her deeply.

When he let her up for air, she tried to fight the tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t think she’d ever feel this way about another wolf.

He hugged her to his breast. “I’ll be back, Jenna. This isn’t forever.”

She had a job to do. A meaningful job. So why did she not care about anything but seeing Sarandon again? She knew when he left, he’d be taking her heart with him.

She kissed him back and let him go.

As soon as he was out of view at the airport, Jenna felt lost. She hadn’t felt that way since she’d lost her mate and unborn children. She had it bad where Sarandon was concerned.

She had to get her mind on the job. The man she was searching for was from Cañon City, which, of course, made her think of Burt and his pack. She knew the chance of running into Burt while tracking down Herman Schofield was miniscule. Herman was wanted for aggravated assault and battery, and her mom had been worried that Herman was more violent than most suspects Jenna had brought in. The man used his fists to terrorize people. He didn’t use weapons. But Jenna was carrying a small arsenal, knew how to use the weapons, and had no qualms about doing so, though she had to be careful to protect herself from being charged with a crime. She loved that Sarandon had bought her a body camera to protect herself from that.

As she drove out to Cañon City, Jenna couldn’t stop worrying about Burt. She couldn’t stop wondering why he had been prowling around their territory as a wolf, unless Alex’s supposition was correct and Burt hadn’t wanted Alex to turn himself in to Jenna.

Cañon City was small, and it hadn’t had any special meaning for Jenna before this. Now that she’d met so many people who were wolves living in the area, it wasn’t just another town. It was special. Important. Yet she kept wondering if the reason they hadn’t had any clues to Burt’s whereabouts was because other wolves in the pack were hiding him, covering for him.

She got a call from Sarandon, and she smiled. “Hey, you. Did you leave something behind?”

“You. And I’ve got this awful itch that needs scratching.”

She chuckled. “Hurry up and find someone to take your guided tours so you can come home.”

“I’m working on it. I have so many tours, and they’re so varied that I haven’t located a wolf who could handle all of them as a business who doesn’t already have a job. So where is your first lead on this guy?”

“He’s in Cañon City.” She was certain Sarandon wouldn’t be happy to hear it. “His whole family lives there. So it’s my best lead.”

“Cañon City.”

“Yeah.”

“Can you check with Monty and see if he has any idea what’s happened to Burt?”

She was surprised Sarandon wanted her to stir up that hornet’s nest when he wasn’t there with her. “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Okay, but if you get a lead on him—”

“I’ll call you.”

Sarandon growled. “Call law enforcement. Even though we wanted to handle Burt on our own, he’s a royal, and he can go to trial and jail. Better that happens than that he takes you down while you’re on your own.”

“I doubt Monty will know anything, or he would have notified us. I’ll be careful.”

“If you don’t call the local police, I will.”

“I will. Sheesh, Sarandon, you’re not here to do this job. I am. Let me do it.”

“I don’t want you getting hurt. Or killed.”

“I understand. I’m going to get off here and call Monty. I’ll be in Cañon City before I know it.”

“All right. Tell me what he says after you speak with him.”

“I will.” Jenna hoped Sarandon didn’t think he was going to tell her how to run her business, not after she’d been doing it on her own for so many years.

She called Monty next. “Do you have any idea where Burt could be? We haven’t had any leads. Sarandon asked me to check with you, though I told him you would have called if you’d known anything.”

“Yeah, I would have,” Monty said. “I haven’t heard anything to indicate Burt is here and staying with anyone. You don’t think he returned to see his boss, Stanton, for help, do you?”

“No. Stanton likes Burt and thinks he does a good job, but he wants this matter straightened out. Stanton wouldn’t have Burt working for him, if he knew what Burt had done to CJ. He’s married to Laurel, Stanton’s cousin, so they’re family by marriage.”

“Ah. I understand. So Stanton and his brothers are part of the Silver pack?”

“No,” Jenna said. “They haven’t asked to be part of the pack, yet.”

“All right. Well, I’ll check into this right away.”

She felt bad for Monty because he’d lost his mate, but she realized that if he couldn’t gain the confidence of his people or be strict enough that his pack members would tell him when there was trouble with any pack member, he should step down.

Monty called her back. “I’m going to call a pack meeting for two hours from now. Can you come to it?”

“Sure. I’ll be in town in a few minutes. I’m trying to track down another fugitive, and if I don’t locate him by the time you’re having your meeting, I’ll be there.”

“Good. Hope to see you soon.”

Jenna was glad Monty seemed to be taking over his pack again. Or he’d have to give it up to someone who would. Packs needed strong leadership.

She went to Herman Schofield’s home first. No one appeared to be home. She listened for any sign of movement inside the house, but there was none. Next, she asked at the neighbors’ homes. They seemed to be afraid to say. Because of the violent behavior that had already caused him trouble?

Next, Jenna drove to his parents’ home. They emphatically denied he was there or had been in touch, not for months. She didn’t believe them. Both of them looked way too nervous, the father casting glances at the mother, who kept pulling at a strand of hair as if she had a nervous tic.

Jenna gave them her card, then left. Herman had three grown brothers she was going to check out next, but the time had slipped away, so she went to Monty’s pack meeting instead.

Monty greeted her and said, “Alex is on a job in Colorado Springs, and two other families are on vacation, but everyone else showed up for the meeting. We haven’t had one of these in a while, so I wasn’t sure how the turnout would be.”

“I’m glad everyone showed up that could.”

“Well, of course, Burt didn’t, but his parents are here.”

“Okay, good.” She knew this had to be difficult for Monty and how hard it had to be for the parents. She wondered if Anton had told Sarah what had happened concerning Burt. Jenna hoped so.

Once everyone had something to drink in Monty’s large living room, he said, “Some of you know Jenna St. James. She was looking for Alex Dreyfus to help clear his name of charges pressed against him in the case of ID theft and other crimes. We’re grateful to her and her family and the Silver pack, who worked hard to help him out and successfully cleared his name.”

Christina was biting her lip, sitting across the room from Anton and Sarah.

“We have a new problem. Deputy Sheriff CJ Silver was taking Burt Dreyfus to Silver Town for questioning, on suspicion of him being involved in the actual theft instead of Alex. Burt knocked the deputy out, giving him a concussion, stole his weapon, clothes, and car, and ran. He’s still on the run. You know we can’t harbor a rogue wolf. He has to pay for his crimes. And if he was the one who stole the passports and credit cards and framed Alex for that, he’s also committed crimes against one of our own.”

Everyone was quiet until Monty mentioned that the wolf might be guilty of a crime against one of their pack members.

Several glanced in Anton and Sarah’s direction, and Jenna was certain that in deference to them, the other pack members were keeping quiet. There were a few mutterings among them, especially the ones further away from the parents.

“Not only that, but he accused another pack member, Alex’s mate, Christina, of committing the crimes. That’s a crime in itself. And that’s why Alex was willing to take the rap, to protect Christina. That’s what our pack members do for each other.”

Several nodded.

Jenna was surprised to learn Alex and Christina had mated. She was proud of him for doing so, even if his mother still wasn’t happy about it.

Anton said, “We’re devastated about this business, first that Alex would take the blame and have to defend himself, and now that Burt has harmed a member of another pack and potentially framed Alex for committing a crime Burt has done. As much as it hurts us to be here, baring our souls, we have to do what’s right for the pack. And ultimately, what’s right for Burt. His disregard for us shows in his actions. He has to be held accountable.”

“He needs to be held accountable by our pack leader,” a man said. “He’s part of our pack. The alleged crimes were committed against our pack members.”

Monty raised his hand for silence. “The serious injury that was done to the deputy was a crime against the Silver pack. Not only that, but for those who are unaware of the situation, the deputy is Alex’s half brother. As such, CJ Silver and his pack have welcomed Alex and his family as part of their own. Alex is as much a member of the Silver pack as he is of ours. The Silver family runs Silver Town. They have their own jail, but also have arrangements with a jaguar group that has facilities for long-term incarceration. Burt will be taken care of by our own kind, if it comes to that.”

“Jaguars,” someone scoffed.

“Yes. Most of us don’t have our own facilities to handle a matter like this. As much as we’d like to handle pack matters within the confines of the pack, Burt took on another pack, and it’s our job to hand him over to them if we learn he’s still in the area. Jenna is here to take him in. If anyone knows where he’s staying and doesn’t wish to speak up now, you can let me know after the meeting.”

Jenna understood why they might feel that way. Like they were a traitor to the pack.

She was surprised that Monty had a pizza party afterward. She needed to meet with Herman’s brothers, but to show her support of Monty and his pack, she had a bottled water and a slice of pepperoni pizza.

“Congratulations,” she said to Christina, wanting to acknowledge her for the mating.

“Thanks for helping Alex out. I’m sorry I lied about caring where he was when he was working. He told me you questioned him about that.”

“I understand the reasoning. You were protecting him.”

“I was. I would do anything for him, but, boy, was I mad he believed Burt’s lie. I wish I knew where Burt was. I’d hand him over in a heartbeat. The bastard.”

“I understand. Do you think anyone else knows where he is?”

Christina took a sip of her soda and glanced around the room. “They might. They won’t tell Monty here in front of everyone.”

“I kind of assumed that.”

“The older men who are talking to Monty right now are probably talking about anything but. I don’t suspect any of them would give Burt safe haven. He’s irritated a lot of people. He’s only tolerated because everyone likes Anton.”

“And Sarah?”

“She still doesn’t like that I mated Alex, but she’s going to have to come around if she wants to see the grandkids when we have them someday,” Christina quickly added. “She’s kind of like Burt, rubs a few people the wrong way. Some of our pack members do genuinely like her. Would she hide Burt?” Christina studied Sarah as she spoke to another woman in the group. “Probably. She is always dismissing his antics. This time, he’s gone too far.”

“I hope things work out between the two of you.”

Christina sighed. “For Alex’s sake, I do too. I lost my mother when I was young, so it would be nice if we could connect. If she sticks up for Burt after what he did to Alex and me…” Christina shook her head. “And the business with Alex’s half brother CJ is unforgivable. Burt could have killed him.”

Sarah began wiping the tears off her face, and Jenna felt bad for her. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a child who began committing crimes and then had to go to prison. If Burt had been made to pay for his earlier transgressions, would he have learned from his mistakes and mended his ways? Jenna wondered.

Still, from the sound of it, he harbored deeper-seated feelings against Alex, and this was more about that than anything.

No one approached Jenna. She assumed that if anyone did, it would be tantamount to saying they agreed with turning over one of their own to her, and they didn’t want to come forth. It was time for her to learn where Herman Schofield was. Hopefully, Monty would get her some leads on where Burt was hiding out. Though she also worried this could backfire, and if someone was hiding him, they might warn him to run.

She gave Christina a hug. “I wish all the best for you and Alex and hope everything works out with you and your new extended family.”

“I hope you catch the guy you’re after and he doesn’t give you any trouble.”

“Thanks. I always hope for that. I’ve got to say goodbye to Monty.” Jenna walked over to where he was standing and speaking to the same group of people, who were talking about having a celebration this fall. Christina was probably right. They wouldn’t discuss anything about Burt in front of the rest of the pack.

“Hey, Monty, I need to chase down another fugitive, which is why I had to come here today.” She glanced at the people he’d been talking to who were still standing there. “No one knows a Herman Schofield, do they? He’s not a wolf but lives here.”

Everyone shook their heads, and a few muttered no.

“Thanks for having me come to your gathering,” Jenna said and offered her hand to Monty.

He gave her a hug. “Thanks for making me wake up about my pack.”

Several agreed they were glad he was taking over again and showing some leadership. No one said what she needed to hear—where Burt was hiding out.

“I’m glad for you and your pack,” Jenna said and gave him her card again, in case he wanted to give it to anyone, if someone was inclined to contact her. She suspected anyone with information would contact their pack leader, since that’s the way it should go.

She left for the auto repair garage where two of Herman’s brothers worked. They both were holding wrenches as they stared at her wearing her fugitive recovery agent uniform, and she didn’t like their growly expressions. “You probably already know that I’m looking for Herman and need to take him in to stand trial.”

“It was a setup,” one of the men said, his hands and his shirt greasy. “And even if we knew where he was, we wouldn’t be telling the likes of you.”

“All right. Thanks.” They were hard-looking, muscular, unyielding men. They looked like they could have had some run-ins with people themselves and been the winners of the confrontations. She definitely didn’t want to take these guys on.

She left and drove to a service station to get some gas before she checked with Herman’s other brother and a girlfriend. She suspected if anyone knew about Burt’s whereabouts, Monty or the person would call later, after their pack meeting and lunch ended. They might have even had more of a discussion once she, an outsider, was gone.

She got a call from Sarandon and smiled. “Hey, are you almost home?”

“Yeah. I wish I was there with you. What’s going on with you and your case?”

“No luck on finding Herman yet, but Monty called a pack meeting and discussed the business about Burt.”

“Hell, that’s good news.”

“Yeah, no one came forward with information, but I’m looking into where Herman has escaped, and maybe someone will call me or let Monty know privately where Burt is.”

“After what Burt did to CJ, I don’t want you trying to apprehend him on your own.”

“I agree. I’ll call the local police if I think I’m going to find him.”

“Are you going to stay there for the night if you haven’t found Herman?”

“No. It’s not that far from home. I’ll just return home and come here again tomorrow, if I have leads for either man. Have you had any luck with getting anyone to take your group tours?” She knew he couldn’t have or he would have said so already.

“I’ve got someone to take the white-water rafting. All the guys love doing that. And I contacted everyone on the tour, and they were agreeable.”

“Good. That was this summer, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, well, that’s progress. That gives us a two-week break.”

“And I’m coming home.”

She smiled. “Good. Oh, got a call coming in. Got to go. I’ll call you later.”

“Okay, let me know if you have anything.”

“I will. Bye, Sarandon. Talk soon.” She answered the call from an unknown caller. “Hello?”

“You’re the agent who wants to take Burt into custody, right?”

“Yes, and you are?”

“That you don’t need to know. Monty’s had a rough time of it. We’re just glad to see him taking the reins again. Thanks for helping Alex out too. You promise Burt will get a fair deal? That you won’t involve the police?”

Now that put her on the spot. She had promised Sarandon she’d call the police if she had to take down Burt. She couldn’t lie to this man just to get his information. Her reputation and that of her family’s would be hurt in the wolf community.

“You have my word that if Burt comes with me willingly, I’ll turn him over to the sheriff’s office in Silver Town. Depending on if he’s guilty of the other crimes, they’ll decide the term of incarceration. He’ll be able to shift as a wolf while he’s in custody without any issues.”

“I have your word you won’t try to kill him.”

“If he doesn’t try to kill me when I go to arrest him, yes.”

“He wouldn’t do that to you. He’s been staying out at his grandfather’s old farmhouse. The place hasn’t been lived in for seventy years, no running water or electricity, shut off a long time ago. I was running as a wolf in the woods around there last night and smelled his scent mark around the area. Smoke was coming out of the chimney, and his SUV was parked in the woods nearby. Unless Monty’s meeting or someone else tipped him off, I’d check there. No police. Our kind need to take him into custody.”

“Can I get some help with it? Some of your wolves to come out and help bring him in?”

“You didn’t hear this from me. And if you tell anyone, they could very well tip him off. Not everyone wants to turn him over to another pack. Don’t call Monty about it either. He’s getting enough flak about it from those same people. We need more of a neutral person, you, to take him in.”

“Thanks.”

He gave her the directions, telling her GPS wouldn’t work. That reminded her of how she’d had the same thing happen while going after Sarandon. At least that had had a happy outcome. She worried about Burt and how he would react.

“No police. We don’t need humans butting into our business.”

“No police.” When she ended the call, she called her mom. “I’ve got a lead on Burt. A pack member said he was staying at his grandfather’s abandoned home. I’m headed there now.”

“Did you get ahold of the police?”

She explained to her mother what the man had said to her.

“What if it’s a setup?”

“It’s the best lead we’ve got. I have to do this before he runs off.” Jenna noted that her mother didn’t tell her to call the police again either. She knew how important it was to garner good relations with packs in the area, if they were going to have their cooperation in cases like this.

“I don’t like it. Can you ask someone in the pack to go with you?”

“I asked, and he said no. That, if I ask, one of them could tip off Burt.”

“When you get there, you call me and keep the line open. I want to know that you’re all right.”

“Okay, Mom. I’ll do that. It’s about forty minutes out there, and it’s located in the woods.” She just hoped she’d have cell reception. She was getting a sat phone, next thing on her agenda.

When she was a couple of miles from the vicinity, she pulled her car off into the woods. Armed and ready, she headed in the direction of the grandfather’s farmhouse, but when she finally reached the weathered, two-story building, moss growing on the roof, she saw no sign of Burt’s vehicle. Damn it. She didn’t want to get close to the house in case Burt returned and smelled her scent. She was afraid he’d run. Then again, he might not return.

She called her mom. “I’m here; he’s not. I’m staying in case he returns.”

“If he sees your car…”

“It’s hidden in the woods. I walked here. As long as he doesn’t run through the woods, I should be good. I didn’t check out the house, not wanting to leave my scent there. The man said Burt had been using the fireplace, but there’s no smoke now. And his vehicle isn’t here.”

“Call me if he returns.”

“I will. If I have to, I’ll stay the night in the woods. He might have been tipped off because of Monty’s pack meeting and left the area. If not, I need to stay here.”

“All right. Just let me know if he shows up.”

Jenna should have brought something to drink, but she didn’t want to chance walking back to her car and missing Burt if he showed up. She was about to call Sarandon but figured he’d be upset with her for doing this on her own. She sat down and leaned against a tree and listened to the birds singing in the trees until night descended and the air grew colder. Trying not to think about it, she kept fighting with herself about leaving her spot of ground to return to the car, for both her jacket and a bottle of water.

Her thirst finally won out. Except for the crickets chirping, she didn’t hear any other sound, so she moved quickly back to her car. As soon as she reached it, she wished she had turned off her overhead light so it wouldn’t come on when she opened her car door. She waited, listening, not hearing any sound of anyone, and unlocked her car door. She opened it and quickly grabbed her jacket to put on, as well as a backpack. She shut and locked the door, then headed back to the house.

There was still no one about, and she’d finally reached the place where she’d been watching the house before. No car there. She sat down and pulled out a bottle of water, then observed the house, dozing on and off when no one came. Stakeouts were a pain.

She was just about to drift off again when her phone vibrated in her pocket. Sarandon. “Hey,” she said, her voice quiet.

“Where are you?”

“On a stakeout. No one here, so I figure I’ll leave in the morning or by midafternoon if the guy doesn’t show up.” She didn’t say which guy she meant, but she figured Sarandon would assume it would be Herman or she would have said Burt. And she wasn’t telling him she was staying in the woods near an abandoned farmhouse either. At least she had cell reception.

They talked for a while, but she finally said, “I need to go. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”

“Night, Jenna.”

“Night, honey.” She ended the call and, about an hour later, nodded off. When she woke, there was still no sign of a car, smoke from the chimney, nothing. She was so disappointed.

Sarandon called her first thing in the morning. “Still on the stakeout?”

“Yeah, I think it’s a bust. I’ll stay here until noon, then I’m looking into other leads.”

“I’m about to take my tour group out, so if you learn anything, let me know.”

“Will do. Have fun with your group.” She ended the call with him and yawned. “Ugh.” She pulled out a granola bar, wishing more than anything that she and Sarandon were at her house, having a nice leisurely breakfast and then a wolf run after that. And making love to him every time in between.

She left her observation spot and was heading deeper in the woods so she could relieve herself when she saw Burt’s SUV hidden in the brush. Her heart began to beat harder, and she whipped around in time to see Burt aiming a gun at her and shooting.

And she went down.

* * *

The whole time Sarandon was on the butterfly hunt, he was having a hell of a time keeping focused while talking to his guests and showing them all the perfect wildflower spots where butterflies flitted about the flowers in profusion. Usually, he was too busy thinking about what he needed to say on his guided tour, but this time, all he could think of was Jenna, and he worried about whether she was okay. He didn’t like that she’d been watching for the guy all night without rest. Catnaps wouldn’t do it if she was faced with an aggressive suspect and had to react quickly.

No one had any word about what had happened to Burt either. Sarandon wondered if wolves were giving the guy refuge.

When he got a call from Jenna’s mom, he worried right away that something bad had happened. All he heard was, “She’s okay.” His thoughts went fuzzy, and he felt dizzy.

The people on his guided tour were so busy snapping shots of tiger swallowtails that no one saw his distress.

“Is it a tiger swallowtail?” one of the women asked Sarandon.

“Yes, it is.” Then he asked Jenna’s mother, “What’s happened?”

“Burt shot her.”

Sarandon saw red. He was ready to leave right then and there, but he had enough presence of mind to realize he couldn’t run out on his tour group. They probably wouldn’t find their way back to where they’d left their cars on their own. “You said she’s all right?”

“Yes. She was doing surveillance on Burt’s grandfather’s ranch. She called Monty for help, and he and several of their men went to her aid.”

She would have only called them if she’d been hurt so badly, she couldn’t do it on her own. And what the hell? She never should have gone after Burt without police backup, at the very least. She hadn’t once said she was after him either. Sarandon had assumed she was going after the other guy. “You said she was okay.” Sarandon would kill the son of a bitch.

“She was wearing her bulletproof vest, thank God, or she would have been dead. She’s bruised and sore. No broken ribs. I’d hoped you’d come take her to your home where she’ll be safe until she’s able to work again. She’s at our home, recuperating.”

“As soon as I can get someone up here to take my place on the tour, I’ll be coming for her.”

“She’ll be glad to hear it. Mate her, Sarandon. Keep her safe.”

He knew he’d be giving up his job to help her with hers. He loved what he did, but he loved Jenna more. And he couldn’t deny he enjoyed working with her on her cases.

“For now, she’s sleeping, or I would have had her talk to you. She’ll be thrilled to see you, though she’s worried you’ll be mad at her.”

He was. Hell, no way did he want her out there on her own, facing that bastard. “Tell her I’m coming.”

“I will. See you in several hours.”

He got on the phone to his brother Brett. “Hey, I’ve got an emergency. Jenna was shot. Burt shot her. Can you come out and be the guide for the rest of the tour? And find someone to take the next group out? I need to bring Jenna home for safekeeping.”

“Yeah, Sarandon. I’m already leaving a note with my boss, and I’m on my way.”

“Thanks.”

“What are brothers for? I know you’ve been trying to get someone to take your business over, but no one’s stepping forward.”

“I’ve got one guy to take my whitewater rafting group out. Just need to make arrangements for the other tour groups. I have to make sure the people who paid for the tours are agreeable to someone else guiding them.”

“We’ll get it worked out, Sarandon. If we have to refund money to anyone who wants to cancel because we get a different tour guide for them, then we’ll do it. I know you don’t want to do that, but Jenna’s too important.”

Sarandon kept thinking he only had to do this for six months, and then he didn’t have any more tours scheduled. He had breaks in between, and he planned to see Jenna every time he had a few days’ break.

“We’ll take care of it, Brother. The pack will. One way or another, even if we have different wolves taking over different tours. Jake can do the birding tour. He’s taken tons of photos of the Colorado birds, butterflies too. I’ll put a call out to him to help me with this. I don’t know that much about butterflies.”

“All right.”

“I’m on the road. Be there as soon as I can.”

Within the hour, Brett was there, relieving Sarandon of his job. Sarandon had already told his group what had happened. They’d all wished him well and were fine with his news reporter brother taking over, and they were eager to meet Jake.

Brett walked Sarandon to his car. “If you need any help, let us know.”

“I’m bringing her here where she’ll be safe from Burt or anyone else who might try to hurt her.”

“What about Burt?”

Sarandon rubbed his whiskery chin. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Call us. Don’t do this on your own. We’ll be there for you.”

“Yeah, I will.” If Sarandon ran into Burt on his own, he was taking him out.

He hit the road and couldn’t get Jenna out of his mind. He kept calling her number, but she wasn’t answering. He knew she had to be sleeping with her cell phone off, but he still wasn’t going to stop trying.

Four hours into the trip, he finally got ahold of her. “Hey, honey, how are you feeling?”

“Oh, Sarandon, Mom shouldn’t have called you to come and get me. I’m not leaving here to hide away in Silver Town with your big wolf pack.”

“Okay. Are you ready to mate?”

There was such a long pause that he knew he should have waited until he got there to ask her and maybe when she was feeling completely herself too. “Jenna?”

She laughed.

He smiled.

“It hurts to laugh.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I thought we were going to wait until all your tour groups are finished.”

“I wanted to make sure you didn’t consider some other wolf before I came for you.”

“Ha! As if that would happen.”

“So, it’s a yes? Right?”

“Yeah. It’s a yes. Who else would break their neck to find a replacement on their job and then drive all those hours to join me?”

“The wolf who loves you, though asking Brett to take my place wasn’t a hardship. We all do things for each other to help out. And I think the people on the tour were eager to ask Brett about the wildest stories he’d reported on. Jake’s joining them too, and he knows all about butterflies at least. How are you?”

“Sore, missing you, ready to kill Burt.”

“I am too. Tell me what happened. Your mother knew I was busy on this tour so she didn’t give me very many details.”

“I got an anonymous call yesterday from one of Burt’s pack members that led me to Burt’s grandfather’s abandoned farmhouse.”

“Hell, Jenna. I thought you were doing surveillance on Herman and were sitting in your car in town somewhere. Not out in the country alone.”

“Well, I didn’t think Burt was even there. Then, quite by accident, I discovered his car hidden a long way from the house. I hadn’t wanted to do a lot of walking around the area in case he went running as a wolf and discovered I’d been there. I heard him and turned but didn’t have enough time to pull out my gun. He shot me, knocked me out, and took off. He might have thought he’d killed me.”

“I’ll kill him.”

“You and me both. My whole family is ready to. I suspect if your family got involved, they would all try to take him down. The only good thing that came out of this, if you can call it that, is that Monty’s whole pack united over this issue. They were furious one of their own could have murdered me. If I hadn’t been wearing a vest, that’s just what he would have done. No one is going to give him a safe place to stay now. They were horrified he would resort to this. So what do we do? Hand him over to the cops?”

“No. We handle this wolf to wolf. The mystery of the passport theft will have to remain that.”

“I’m ready.”

He wanted to tell her that in no way did he want her near the bastard, but if she was going to be his mate, they were in this together. “What about the man you were supposed to take down before Burt took you out?”

“Herman? I didn’t have a chance to speak with his third brother, nor his girlfriend. He’s not a wolf, by the way.”

“Is anyone from your family looking for the fugitives?”

“Not yet. My dad and sisters are trying to apprehend other fugitives, though they were ready to drop their cases to come to my aid. I told them there was no need. My mate-to-be was coming to help me take them down.”

Sarandon smiled. “Hell. Yeah.” He hated that she’d been hurt, but he had every intention of taking one fugitive in and the other down—permanently. No one messed with his mate and got away with it. They talked for two hours, and he finally said, “I guess I have a new job and a new home to go to.” He wasn’t sure if that was what she wanted, but as her mate, he wanted to be with her no matter where she was or what kind of work he had to do. He suspected that if Jake’s wife decided to go back to being a bounty hunter, Jake would accompany her, making his photography business a side business.

“You have tours set up for half the year.”

“Yeah, but Brett’s helping me to get someone else to step in and iron out any problems we might have. Jake’s going to do the birding tour.”

“Are you sure? You’re not going to miss that?”

“Being in the wide-open spaces? I’ll do that with you instead.”

“Okay.”

“We’ll live where you want to live. I love you and want to be with you.”

“I wanted to be near my family, but I want to be with you. I’d already decided that if it meant living farther away from my family, I’d do it. You made me fall in love with you. I worried you might not want to be around my family that much.”

“Why would you worry about that, Jenna?” He thought he’d shown he really cared for them.

“My previous mate was a lone wolf, no family, and he didn’t want to live by them. I was afraid that when we had our child, he wouldn’t want to see them either.”

“No problems there, honey. I love your family. I’ve already adopted them.”

“My dad thinks you’re great. He’s already talking about cookouts with you, fishing, and hunting. It worried me that I might not see you again.”

Sarandon laughed. “You’ll come first. Always.”

“He was hoping we’d run as a pack some too. He worries about my sisters running together or alone. I think he’s really looking forward to having another male wolf in the family.”

“I’ll want time alone with you, but running with your family is fine by me.” He glanced at the car clock again, wishing the drive wasn’t so long. “So you want me to work with you.”

“My family will be thrilled. They’re excited to have a son. Living next door. You don’t have to make all the changes. I don’t want you to feel you have to give up everything. I could live in Silver Town with you.”

“We can take vacations there and visit with my family. They’ll want your family to visit also. They’re just as important to my pack.”

“Thank you. I had hoped you would say that. I want to start back on this job tomorrow though. I still want to check out the last two leads I have for Herman.”

“Are you sure you’re feeling well enough?”

“Tomorrow. I’ll feel fine by then.”

“I’ll let you get some more rest. I’ll be there in a little bit.”

“All right. See you soon.”

* * *

Ecstatic that Sarandon had asked her to mate with him, Jenna left her room in her mom’s house and found her on the phone in the dining room. Her mom glanced up to see Jenna and ended the call. “How are you doing, honey?” She hurried to rise from her chair.

“I’m fine, Mom, but I’m going back to my place.”

“You can’t. Wait until Sarandon gets here, and he can take you there.”

“We’re mating. I want to be there when he arrives.”

“Oh, heavens. He finally asked you! That’s great news. I’ll take you to your place right before he gets here. You can’t be alone.”

Jenna got a glass of water. “Okay.”

“You can’t mate right away. Not with the way you’re feeling,” her mom said.

Jenna smiled. She had no intention of holding off. She wanted this mating just as much as Sarandon did.

“What…what about your living arrangements?”

“Don’t worry, Mom. He’s fallen in love with the family and with me, of course. He wants to be part of our agency, and we’re staying right next door.”

Her mom was in tears and lightly hugged Jenna.

“It’s okay, Mom. When we start having babies, you can take care of them while I’m chasing down fugitives.”

“I’m so happy for you. And for us. What about a wedding?”

“We can discuss it later. Since Sarandon’s giving up his family in Silver Town, it would be nice to have the wedding there.”

“Okay, I agree. You rest up before he gets here. I know you’re not going to heed my words about taking it easy tonight. Not that I would either if I were in your shoes.”

Jenna agreed and spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping. When she got a call right before Sarandon arrived, she smiled. “I’ll see you in just a few minutes, honey,” he said.

Her mother hurried to drive her back to her house. “Don’t overdo it.”

“Mom.” Her mom gave her a big sigh, then got out of the car to walk her into the house. “I’m okay, Mom. You really don’t have to stay.”

“We’re not taking any chances.”

Both of them were armed with 9 mm pistols as they walked through the house, making sure it was clear. They heard a vehicle in the driveway, and Jenna’s mom hurried to see who it was. “Your knight is here. When does he want to start working? What about the business he’s in?”

“The pack is taking care of it. I hope you won’t be too rough on him when he applies to work for you, like you were on Dad.”

Her mom smiled and lightly hugged Jenna again. “He won’t have to apply at all. He’s already helped with several of your cases, so he’s been vetted. This is cause for a celebration.”

When Sarandon pulled up in the driveway, Jenna and her mom met him outside. Her mom gave Sarandon a hug. “Keep her safe and ensure she doesn’t overdo it.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Sarandon gently pulled Jenna into his arms. “You’re beautiful.”

They waved at her mom and then headed inside Jenna’s house. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. Even a couple of hours’ rest made me feel much better.”

“You have to take it easy. Your mom said.”

“There’s easy, and there’s easy. We’re mating, my sexy, hot wolf. And that’s not open for discussion.” She slipped her hand through his belt loop and pulled him into the house. “After what happened, and what could have happened, I’m not waiting.”

As soon as they were inside the house, his hot gaze speared her. She was ready to strip all his clothes off so she could admire his gloriously naked body.

He cupped her face and kissed her forehead, then pulled her into another light embrace.

“I won’t break,” she assured him. If he was going to delay a mating because he was worried she was hurting, she would scream. She wasn’t delaying this for anything.

“You have to know how I feel about this. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.” She tugged him to the bedroom and began taking off his clothes.

“You aren’t in a rush, are you?” He sat on the bed and pulled off his boots.

She removed hers, then slid her shirt over her head. “Aren’t you?”

He laughed. “I could hardly think of anything else but being with you again. I’m ready to make up for all that lost time.”

He stood, and they helped each other out of the rest of their clothes. Despite being in a rush, he continued to kiss her bare skin, taking it slow, checking her over, assuring himself she was all right. As much as she wanted to hurry things along, she loved how gentle he was with her, how concerned that he didn’t hurt her.

His gaze was smoldering as he paused to observe her, and she loved how he could look at her like that—like he could devour her, like she wanted to devour him.

“I want this. You. Me. Together.” She took his hands in hers, eager to make him her mate. Nothing was going to stop this from happening now. Not unless Burt walked in the door. She hated Burt for what he’d done to her and everyone else who had suffered at his hands, but she had to admit that if it weren’t for him and everything he’d pulled, she and Sarandon probably would never have met. She thought the world of Sarandon, and she couldn’t live without him in her life.

“I love you,” Sarandon said, kissing her, then lifting her onto the bed.

“I love you right back, Sarandon.” She couldn’t believe they were doing this, and not six months from now. She couldn’t have been happier.

Then he was kissing her again, his cheek rubbing against hers, his hands on her breasts, massaging, warming them. She was melting into the mattress underneath his touch, her blood hot with need, her feminine core screaming for attention. He rubbed her nipple, then moved his mouth lower to suckle it, licking and kissing it. She about came unglued and arched against his hungry touch. “Oh…my…God,” she said on a deep, throaty groan.

He lifted his face and frowned. “Are you all—”

She pulled his head back to her breast, directing his actions, breathing out a strangled, “Yes!”

He chuckled.

She combed her fingers through his hair and rubbed her inner thigh against his outer thigh, leaving her scent on him, wanting him deep inside her. He continued to suckle her breast, making her inner core tighten with desperate need. She was trying not to make a sound, fearing he’d think he was hurting her, and she didn’t want him to stop for any reason. Or to make her speak and lose her concentration.

He began kissing her mouth, then reached down to cup her mound. She held her breath in heady anticipation, waiting for him to touch her, to bring her to climax.

He slid his finger between the folds and began to stroke. She groaned, her whole body on fire. She felt his full erection stirring against her leg. She dug her fingers into his waist, dying for release, wanting, needing, craving this. Between his expert strokes, the scent of their arousal, and their pheromones cheering them on, she felt the scales of balance tipping in her favor. And then she was splintering into a million ecstatic pieces. Before she could gather her wits, he pressed the tip of his penis against her, seeking entrance, waiting for her agreement. God, he was so good for her.

She swept her hands down his buttocks and tugged at him to penetrate her. “I’m ready,” she said in case he needed the encouragement.

He nuzzled her cheek and whispered, “I love you.”

“Love you right back.” She wanted to tell him to get on with it. Instead, she spread her legs and pulled him to join her, needing this, the union between wolves, the act confirming they had chosen each other and no one else.

He obliged, pushing into her, joining her, thrusting as she rocked back and forth. She slid one of her feet over the back of his leg, caught up in the wonder of making love to her wolf. Her wolf forever and ever.

* * *

Sarandon couldn’t have loved the she-wolf any more than he did, and though he had worried Jenna would be too sore to make love, she wasn’t letting him get out of it. He hoped she wouldn’t regret it later. He was glad too, that she was feeling well enough after what Burt had done to her, but he didn’t want to think of the bastard and what he had done to Jenna right this moment.

He kissed her sweet, warm mouth, thrusting his cock between her legs, believing heaven couldn’t be any better than this. No woman would ever make him feel the way she did. Her eyes were hot with heat and need, and he had every intention of making her come again, with him this time. He licked her lips, and she parted them for him, her fingers stroking his ass, her touch stealing his thoughts, her tongue teasing his. This time, he sucked on her tongue, and she groaned against his mouth.

He pressed deeper, pulling her legs higher, wanting to go as far as he could, feeling her pelvis tighten around his cock. She felt damn good wrapped around him in a loving embrace, and he didn’t want this to end. But he was cognizant of her injury, and he didn’t want to tax her too much either, especially if she wasn’t being completely honest with him about how she was feeling.

“Oh, faster,” she said, the words husky and urgent.

He felt the climax coming but held off, straining to give her pleasure for a second time. Then rubbing against her and thrusting again, he felt her spasm, and she cried out, clutching his ass with her fingers. And he came, exploding inside her, the raw, animal pleasure pummeling him in a satiated way.

They were mated wolves now and forever, and he couldn’t have been more pleased.

He sank on top of her before he worried he might be hurting her, but then he moved off her and pulled her into his arms. For the longest time, she breathed in his scent, and he caressed her back with his fingertips, lost in the soft and warm feel of her body pressed against his. “Are you okay?”

She licked his chest and rested her chin there, looking up at him. “My mate just sent me to the moon and back. I’d say I was on top of the world.”

He smiled down at her. “About the bullet you took.”

She rested her head on his chest and sighed. “Since you made love to me, I don’t feel anything but delicious afterglow. And”—she stroked his chest—“if you want to do more of this”—she swept her hand down his waist—“I won’t stop you.”

He chuckled. “I can see you’re going to be insatiable.”

She looked up at him and frowned. “Aren’t you?”

He smiled. “Hell yeah.”

“You’re such a wolf,” she breathed against his chest, then licked him again and kissed him.

“You are too. And all mine.”

* * *

Early the next morning after making love a couple more times, and way too early for Jenna, her mom called and Jenna figured she had another case.

“I’m so sorry, dear. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, really, Mom.” It was more that Jenna was still cuddling with Sarandon after making love two more times last night. The bruise on her chest was completely gone. She was just tired from being up half the night with her hot mate. Not that she was complaining, except for having to work today.

“Maybe Sarandon can go after this man while you rest up a bit. You sound tired.”

“No, that’s okay.” Sarandon needed to rest up too, but it had all to do with them being newly mated wolves, for heaven’s sake.

“The man’s name is Haldon Jones. He skipped out on his bail, and this one isn’t paying his court-ordered child support or alimony. Are you sure you can do it?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Send me all the information, and I’ll track him down.”

Her mom sent her the mug shot and bond information. “I also need you to run to the police department and pick up another application. We’re going to start personally picking up these cases so we can smell the suspects in case they run.”

“And to learn if they’re a wolf,” she said, kissing Sarandon’s cheek. Neither had made a move to leave the bed. He was awake, listening, running his hand over her bare back.

“All right, dear. I’ll let you take care of it.”

“We should have it done in record time. Especially since I now have a wolf partner.”

“Your sisters are envious. Now they both want one too.”

Jenna yawned. “They’ll have to find their own. I’ve also still got to run down Herman.”

When they ended the call, she and Sarandon got ready to go.

“No chance for a wolf honeymoon, I take it,” Sarandon said, pulling on his shirt.

“All I’ve got to say,” Jenna said, slipping her boots on, “is we need to take care of these cases pronto, so we can get back to looking for Burt. Once we’re done with him, maybe we can get a break. Are you sure you can handle working as a fugitive recovery agent without the training?”

“Yeah, I’m still a part-time deputy sheriff anytime Peter needs me to be.”

“All right.” She thought he would be fine, but she’d still had to ask.

When they arrived at the jail, they got the paperwork for a guy who’d been arrested for writing a couple thousand dollars’ worth of bad checks. He offered to pay for his bail bond with a check, and Jenna said no to that. “Cash, postal money order, or certified check only.”

Once Jenna got a certified check from him, she and Sarandon ran into Officer Calvin Meissner. “Meet my new husband and partner in apprehending fugitives, Sarandon Silver,” she said.

Meissner’s jaw dropped for a split second. “So she didn’t tase you but married you instead? That’s a new one on me.” He shook Sarandon’s hand. “Congratulations to the both of you. I’m glad to hear you’ve got more help on this. I heard you caught Jeffries. Good job. We’ve never been able to locate Burt Dreyfus.”

“Neither have we. Maybe he left the country. Oh, and from time to time, we’ll be using a scent dog to try to track the fugitives down. We’ve picked up a couple of them, so you might see us with them when we attempt to apprehend these fugitives.”

“Sounds good. We’ll talk later. Got another call coming in.” Meissner’s phone was buzzing, and he answered it.

When Meissner left, Sarandon said to Jenna, “Scent dogs?”

“Wolves. Or dogs that look like wolves. I think we need to take a new approach with some of these fugitives. Especially if they’re running in the woods.”

“Like Burt?”

“Absolutely. Especially with Burt. The only thing we have to decide is who gets to play wolf.”

“Me,” Sarandon said, because he was taking Burt down as soon as they could track him.

She nodded and was looking up information on Haldon, who was right there in Colorado Springs. “Haldon has an ex-wife and a couple of kids at a location an hour from here. I thought we’d visit her first to learn if she might know where he’s hiding out.”

“I’m all for it.”

When they spoke to the ex-wife, she mentioned a woman who had dated him after they divorced. “Trixie Bigsby,” the ex-wife said. “If she knows what’s good for her, she dumped the bum.”

They located Trixie and called her up. “Haldon? I broke up with him a couple of weeks ago. He told me I was his soul mate, but I learned he was seeing two other women. Bastard. The drinking and DUIs made me call it quits. If I tell you where you might find him, do I get the reward money?”

They got so many calls like this when they offered a reward for information leading to the apprehension of the suspect. Even though they were always hopeful it was a good tip, the majority were false sightings, mistaken identities, wishful thinking.

“If the information you have on Haldon’s whereabouts directly leads to his apprehension, yes,” Jenna said.

“Okay, while we were dating, he took me to some of his childhood haunts and said sometimes he still returns to them. He’d go there when he got in trouble at home. He had an abusive stepfather, and his mother didn’t protect him. The final reason I called it quits with him was that he was driving with a suspended license because of a couple of DUIs. My dad was a drunken deadbeat, and I could see where our relationship was headed, same as my mom’s with my dad. My dad was having affairs with barflies. You name it. I drove by one of the places this afternoon on my way to the grocery store, and I thought I saw him entering a motel room with a disheveled blond. His hair is shaggier and he’s wearing a scruffy beard now, but I’m pretty sure it was him.”

“Give me the name of the motel and the list of other locations, and we’ll check them out,” Jenna said.

“You will let me know if you find him, won’t you?”

“We will.”

“I saw him at the Moonlight Motel on First Street in Colorado Springs. Yeah, I know. You’d think he’d want to get out of the city. He doesn’t have a car, totaled it while he was DUI the one time, and he doesn’t have any car insurance. I don’t know how he can hold down a job, but he’s always got one. The other places are motels just as seedy as the one I’m sure I saw him at.” She gave Jenna the list of names and locations. “Hey, you’re the one looking for Alex Dreyfus, aren’t you? Is there a reward for finding him too?”

“Alex Dreyfus? How do you know about him?”

“I work at a bar in Colorado Springs. His brother, Burt, was coming in there, bragging he was a cameraman for a TV show. Had my interest, believe me. That’s where I met Haldon. Anyway, I left with Burt after I got off work a couple of nights a week. He said his brother was in a bit of trouble and he had to help him out. That’s when I saw the reward offered for his brother, but I never knew where he was, and Burt wouldn’t say or didn’t know either.”

“Alex was cleared of all charges.”

“Oh, okay. Good.”

“Do you know where Burt is now? Have you seen him recently?” Jenna asked.

“No. He was supposed to meet me tomorrow night at the bar after I get off. Why?”

“Was there someplace special he was taking you?”

“He’d come to my place. Why?”

“If you see him or hear from him, let us know. He’s not on our case list, but he’s wanted in the case of identity theft and stolen passports, for injuring a deputy sheriff, and for shooting me.”

“Holy crap. Are you serious? See? That’s the problem I have with guys. I think one’s okay, and then I learn he’s the worst of the lot.” She paused. “If he’s not on your list, that means no reward?”

“Oh, there will be a reward. We need to apprehend him before he hurts anyone else. And thank you. We’ll let you know what we discover concerning Haldon.”

“Good luck.”

Jenna was already driving in the direction of the Moonlight Motel. “What do you think the chances are that Burt will try to hook up with Trixie tomorrow night?”

“Slim if he’s running scared after trying to kill you, but it’s worth checking out.”

“Do you think we’ll find Haldon at the motel?”

“I sure hope so. At least we have other leads to investigate if this one doesn’t pan out. Are you wearing your bulletproof vest?”

“Always. Dad got me a new one, hole-free. We can’t call the police in on the situation with Burt,” Jenna said.

“Right. Not after what he’s pulled. We have to handle this ourselves.”

* * *

When they reached the one-story, ten-room motel, the sun was hitting the grimy siding. Jenna wondered what it had been like and the kind of clientele that had stayed there when it had been brand new. It looked similar to the one where they had apprehended Jeffries—same approximate age, just as run-down. Three scratched and dinged cars were parked next to the rooms. She went to the office to present the pictures of Haldon to the woman inside and showed the manager her badge. Sarandon stayed outside, listening to their conversation but watching the motel rooms to ensure Haldon didn’t leave if he was still here.

“He’s staying in room five. Wait, is there a reward for his arrest? There is, isn’t there?”

This got dicey. If the manager had called their number to report him, that would be different.

“We have to apprehend him first. Did he register a car?”

“No.”

“And was he alone?”

“He was with a blond.”

“What was the name he used?”

“Jones.” The manager gave her a key to the room.

“Is there a back way out of the rooms?”

“No. The only windows are out front.”

“Thank you.”

Then Jenna moved outside, and she and Sarandon headed for the room. “I hope he’s still there.”

When they drew closer to the door, Sarandon said, “I hear someone showering inside.”

She hoped it wasn’t just the blond and Haldon was gone. She knocked on the door.

No one answered.

She used the key on the door and opened it, but Sarandon quickly moved forward, protecting her. She couldn’t appreciate him any more than she did.

“Out of bed now,” Sarandon said, advancing on the bed, and she saw the naked man sprawled across the mattress, the bedspread and sheets tangled up on one side of the bed.

The shower shut off.

The man in the bed didn’t move, snoring.

The place reeked of sweat, whiskey, and beer. Two empty whiskey bottles and a couple of six packs of empty beer cans were lying all over the floor.

The door opened to the bathroom, and a blond-haired woman in a towel shrieked to see them standing there.

“Sit on the chair over there,” Jenna commanded.

“Who…who…”

“I’m a fugitive recovery agent, and we’re taking him in to the police department. Haldon has an arrest warrant out on him.”

Sarandon picked up one of the empty whiskey bottles and filled it with water from the bathroom, then returned and poured it on Haldon’s face. The guy came up sputtering for breath.

“Get dressed,” Sarandon ordered.

“What the hell?” Haldon said, coughing and hacking.

“I’m taking you in to face your charges at trial. Hopefully, you’ll be incarcerated this time and not let go,” Jenna said. She glanced at the blond. “You don’t have any arrest warrants out on you, do you?”

“No…no.”

“Come on, man, get it together,” Sarandon said to the guy.

Haldon began to pull on some boxers. “What are you doing here?”

“Arresting you,” Jenna said. “So we’d prefer you were dressed when we left.”

After Haldon had a shirt and jeans on, he slipped his feet into a pair of flip-flops. Sarandon helped him to his feet, then tied his wrists behind him with plastic ties. “Okay, come on, Haldon. Let’s go to jail.”

“Is there a reward for his arrest?” the blond asked, looking like she thought she would have a chance at the reward.

“No,” Jenna said. And she got the car door for Sarandon. She called the woman who had given them the tip. “We got him, thanks. Once I’ve turned him over to the police, we’ll take care of the reward money.”

“Oh, thank you. He was bad news. I’m so glad something good could come of me knowing him.”

“I’m glad you knew where he was too. Thanks for all your help.” Then Jenna drove to the police department and called her mom. “We’ve got Haldon. We’re headed in to turn him over to the police. And, Mom, this woman gave us the information to take him in.” She gave her the ex-girlfriend’s name and number. “And the woman in the motel office identified him and the room where he was staying. So she might need some reward money too. Your call.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Jenna was glad they had caught Haldon, but Burt was still on the loose. “Trixie might be meeting with Burt at the bar where she works, so we’re hoping we’ll take him down then.”