Under the Lawman's Protection. Laura Scott
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for the moment.
She peeked over at her son. Ben’s eyes had drifted closed, as he was no doubt exhausted after his crying jag. She was glad he was able to get some rest. “What did Caleb want to show you?” she asked in a low tone.
Isaac’s eyes briefly met hers in the rearview mirror. “Evidence.”
“Of what?”
There was another long silence. “A bullet hole located in the Jeep’s fender.”
She swallowed hard. Suspecting that the tire was shot on purpose and knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt were two different things. All because someone wanted to get to her and Ben? Why? What in the world had Shane gotten mixed up in? “We need to talk to my brother,” she murmured.
“I know. I tried to call him earlier, but he didn’t pick up, and there wasn’t a voice-mail box set up on his phone, so I couldn’t leave him a message. I’ll try again later.”
She was surprised to note it was only about ten-fifteen at night. For some reason, the hour felt much later. Or maybe it was just that so much had happened in such a short time. “Are we still going to the Forty Winks Hotel?”
Isaac shook his head. “No, I’ve decided to go to a different place Deck suggested. Both Caleb and he have used the Forty Winks before, and right now I’d rather go someplace with fewer ties to the SWAT team, just to be on the safe side. Deck has reserved two adjoining rooms for us.”
Adjoining rooms? She hadn’t thought much beyond getting to the hotel, but now realized she should have known that Isaac wouldn’t just leave her and Ben there alone. Of course he’d want to stay close at hand, especially after this latest close call in the Jeep. Two attempts to shoot them in less than two hours must be some sort of record. She was glad she wasn’t going to be totally alone. And having adjoining rooms would provide some modicum of privacy.
She watched the street signs, trying to familiarize herself with the area. Most of the Wisconsin-winter snow had melted, leaving a slushy, muddy mess in its wake. A quarter moon hung in the sky, but the stars were faint and difficult to see, no doubt because Isaac was driving them closer to the city.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of a place called the American Lodge. She thought the Forty Winks Hotel sounded better, but obviously she wasn’t in a position to argue. The Lodge wasn’t very big, but there were two stories. She leaned forward and tapped Isaac’s shoulder. “I’d rather be on the ground floor if possible,” she said. “Ben is at the age where he climbs everything, and I don’t want to risk him going over the balcony.”
“No problem,” Isaac murmured. He drew up in front of the lobby. “Stay here and wait for me, okay?”
She nodded and rested against the seat cushion, wishing she had a change of clothes with her. Her jeans were splattered with mud from their mad dash to the trees. Hopefully, Isaac would ask for some basic toiletries at the front desk.
Ben was still asleep in his booster seat and she wished she didn’t have to wake him up. After everything they’d been through, he deserved a little peace.
Isaac returned from the lobby with two key packets in his hand. He handed one to her and then drove around the side of the building. “We’re in rooms 10 and 12, last two on the first floor.”
“Okay.” She turned, released the seat belt and eased Ben out of the booster seat.
“Do you want me to carry him inside?” Isaac offered.
She hesitated, but then nodded. The adrenaline rush had faded, leaving her feeling shaky and weak. Her muscles felt sore, as if she’d run some sort of marathon rather than a short sprint to a grove of trees. She climbed out her side of the vehicle while Isaac opened the other back door.
He gently lifted Ben out of his car seat and carried him toward their room. Leah pulled the plastic key card out and unlocked the door. After flipping on the light, she stood back so that Isaac could set Ben on one of the two double beds, choosing the one closest to the bathroom.
The room was clean, but smelled a bit musty, as if it hadn’t been used in a few days. Still, she was grateful to be here.
“The clerk at the desk provided a few toiletries for us.” Isaac fished the items out of his coat pocket and set toothbrushes, toothpaste and a comb on the dresser. Then he crossed over to the connecting door. “I need you to leave this unlocked, okay? I’ll open my side, as well.”
She nodded wearily. “I understand. Thanks again, for everything.”
Isaac stared at her for a long moment, his dark eyes intense. The strange awareness between them unnerved her and she took a step backward, as if more distance would help. He looked as if he wanted to say something more, but then he turned and strode toward the door. “If you need anything at all, let me know.”
“I will.”
When the door closed behind him, she felt a momentary flash of panic. Ridiculous, since he was only going right next door. She crossed over and opened the connecting door, listening for sounds from the other room. It didn’t take long for Isaac to unlock and open his door.
“Are you okay?” he asked when he saw her standing there, obviously waiting.
She forced a smile, hoping he wouldn’t notice her blush. “Yes, of course. Good night.”
“Good night.”
She left a one-inch gap in the door before making her way over to Ben. Carefully, so as to not wake him up, she removed his winter coat, hat and shoes. She left his long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans on in lieu of pajamas. Setting the outer clothing aside, she bent over and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, thanking God once again for keeping her son safe.
Ben wiggled around, muttering something incomprehensible before burrowing into the pillow. She pulled the covers up over him and then made her way to the bathroom. She washed her hands and face, then dabbed at the mud splatters on her jeans with a soapy washcloth. She used the toothbrush and toothpaste, but didn’t bother with the comb, since her naturally curly hair would be better served with a brush. She went back into the room and sat on the edge of her bed, cradling her head in her hands.
She needed to get some sleep, but couldn’t make herself crawl in between the sheets. Instead, her mind whirled with questions. Where was Shane? What had he stumbled into? Was he hiding? Hurt? Or worse?
After a brief internal debate, she stood up and went back over to the connecting doors, tapping lightly to get Isaac’s attention.
“What’s wrong?” He leaped to his feet, instantly on alert.
“Nothing,” she quickly assured him. “I can’t sleep.”
Isaac nodded and sank back down on his seat. “I know. I tried calling Hawk again, but there’s no answer.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” she said with a frown.
“He knows how to reach me,” Isaac pointed out. “I’m sure he’ll get in touch soon.”
She stared at him for a long moment, trying to gauge his mood. “I feel like we need to do something to help him. Something more than sitting here.”
Isaac gestured to the chair across from him and then rubbed his hand across the shadow of his beard. “Do you have any idea what your brother is investigating?”
She sank into the chair, trying to remember anything Shane had said. “Not really. He doesn’t talk about his job very much. I know he was assigned a new partner about four months ago, some guy by the name of Trey.”
Isaac’s eyes lit up. “Do you know his last name?”
She pressed her fingers against her temples, trying to remember. “Something like a tree,” she murmured, thinking back to the conversation she’d had with Shane. “Birchwood. Trey Birchwood.”
Isaac leaned forward. “What else did he say? Did