"What are fourteen-year-old girls?" asked Wyatt.
"Oh, you don't want to know." She laughed. "I think you sailed through with Jess. She's really in tune with other people's feelings, which makes her unique and special."
He caught her wrist and pulled her over to him, embracing her. She pressed her cheek against his bare chest and melted against him.
"I don't have to worry about the kids when they're at Banks' house." He pulled up the hem of her shirt and slid his hands underneath her panties to cup her butt. "I trust the Tarkio members around you and the kids."
"Does that mean a lot to you?"
"Yeah, it does."
She tilted her head and looked at him. "I get that they all ride motorcycles, but what is required of you if you join the club?"
He squeezed his hands. "Meetings, socials, and things I won't be able to share with you."
She leaned back. "Say what?"
"I'll be sworn—"
"I'm joshin'." She planted her hands on his chest. "I get the secrecy that's required. Did I ever tell you that my grandpa was an Elk member?"
"No," he said.
"When I stayed with him in the summer, I was able to go to the socials and hang out with the other kids. I also remember asking him about what happens at the private meetings he had to go to when he'd leave me with one of the older ladies at the apartment while he was gone for the evening. He never would tell me, and honestly, he made belonging to the Elks feel like a secret society, with a secret handshake, and blood oaths exchanged. Instead of worrying me, it was fascinating. For the longest time, I thought it would be cool to join...but alas, all the fun stuff is only for men." She shook her head in amusement and swallowed. "You know, I think you should join."
"Why?"
"Because I've seen how they helped you when Travis went missing and at the parties, you get along with them all. You're comfortable."
"Are you comfortable around them?"
"I liked the women that introduced themselves to me. I like Rabbit..." She snorted when Wyatt's gaze narrowed. "Oh, come on. He's a good pool player, and he's not a jerk about me being a woman who kicks his butt."
"So, you'd be okay if I joined?"
She nodded. "I'd be happy for you. I have my pool nights. You can have your bike, um, club nights."
His upper cheek twitched. He took the news with little reaction. His contemplation still hung around the edges of his mood.
"You already joined, didn't you?" she asked.
"No. Not yet." He inhaled deeply. "But I will."
"Why aren't you happier?"
"There's something I need to do before I give Tarkio my answer, and I need you to be patient with me and not ask too many questions because I can't talk about it." He kissed her forehead. "Can you do that for me?"
She would do anything for him. "Is it dangerous?"
"I'll be fine."
"Promise?"
"Yeah, tiger. I promise."
Chapter 32Wyatt
CLOUD COVER DARKENED the sky. Wyatt parked beside Curley under a pine tree in the middle of the block. It was Labor Day, and the extra traffic made it difficult to view who was in every car that went by.
Throughout the day, they'd staked out multiple spots around a mile radius of Mountain View apartments. If Dean came and went, he and six of the other Tarkio members hadn't spotted him yet.
"It's been hit and miss." Curley exhaled smoke from his cigarette. "This week is going to make things difficult. It's a holiday today, schools in the area start tomorrow, and the Grizzles have a football game on Friday. That always brings out-of-town guests into Missoula."
He wasn't planning on going anywhere. Until he caught Dean, Roddy and Carter would oversee Carr Construction.
"Does Tarkio have anything to do with the drugs distributed through Montana?" he asked.
Curley looked at him and refused to answer.
"I'm not asking your business. I want to know who Dean is connected to. Maybe I could pay a visit to a couple of his associates and beat some info out of them on where to locate him." He spit on the ground. "Tarkio seems to know how the drugs flow around here and who is responsible."
His hands were tied. He had no idea who Dean and Claudia had hung around with. Until her death, he hadn't even known that Dean was the one giving his ex the drugs.
Curley remained silent, scanning the area. Wyatt never expected an answer to his questions. Saying them out loud let Tarkio know he had an open mind. He knew their business leaned toward crimes. They were after Dean, afterall.
"Check out that guy coming out of the laundromat," said Curley.
Wyatt gazed across the street and up half a block. He took in the black hair, the baseball cap, slim build, and disregarded him. Dean had blondish red hair.
The man's gait caught his attention. He recognized the wide-spaced walk with the outpointed feet.
His pulse sped up. "That's him."
He started his Harley, checked for traffic, and cut across the lane. Once he got his eyes on Dean again, the noise of his motorcycle starting had alerted him.
"He's going down the alley," he yelled, motioning Curley to follow Dean, while he throttled the bike to the end of the block and went around the building, planning on cutting off Dean's escape route.
Adrenaline flowed through him. He could almost taste the end.
Getting answers meant nothing to him anymore. He wanted Dean gone and his family safe. Turning on the back street, Curley came into view, shaking his head. Damnit.
He counter-steered and turned in the narrow space. Racing back to the main road, he searched each side of the street. Dean couldn't have gone far. He was on foot, and there was no parking in the alley for him to have hidden a car.
Circling back around, he retraced his route, looking above the laundromat. There were rooms rented out on the second floor. All four windows had their drapes drawn. He
