Elizabeth Goddard - Fugitive Trail

“I don’t have any inside scoops for you. I don’t know what’s going on with BPD.”

She glanced at him. That didn’t sound good. “Why don’t you know what’s going on?”

“I’m not working with BPD anymore.”

Okay. That surprised her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m telling you now.” He winked. “I’ve been a private investigator for a year now. That and working security.”

She nodded, taking it in. “That had always been your dream.” She remembered that much. “Good for you, Bryce. I’m glad.”

Bryce held her gaze captive for a few breaths longer than necessary. There was so much more she could say to him.

He approached her and, in two easy steps, he stood much too close. Samson, who had stuck by Bryce’s side, decided to wag his dinosaur tail and it thumped against her leg.

“Just so you know, I’m here until Raul is back in prison. I’m here for as long as it takes.”

Sierra stared into his eyes. If only she could send him away. It would be safer for her heart. But his proclamation had the strange and unbidden effect of reassuring her that she would be safe as long as he was here. Between Samson and Bryce, no one would get to Sierra. And maybe it was okay to accept his help. After all, it had been only yesterday when she’d looked into Damien’s vengeance-filled eyes right before he died. Only yesterday she’d seen Raul watching her.

Bryce suddenly took her hand. “Breathe, Sierra. It’s going to be okay.”

She hadn’t been breathing? She slowly drew in air along with the hint of his musky cologne. “Is it? You didn’t see what I saw.” She hadn’t meant to show him how scared she was. She didn’t want to be scared. But this situation made her anxiety impossible to ignore. “You didn’t see the hate in his eyes. He wasn’t even afraid of the fact that he was about to die. All he cared about was getting to me. His last words were nothing more than evil. His brother is no different than him, and Raul succeeded in getting to me before.”

And both she and Bryce had almost died.

A shudder rolled through her.

She tried to hide it but Bryce didn’t miss the effect Damien’s words had on her. Without a second thought he wrapped his arms around her. As a friend. Nothing more. Someone who cared for her deeply—and platonically.

“It’s going to be okay. I hope some part of you knew that I would come. We’ve been through so much together. We faced off against Raul before. If he comes for you, we’ll face him again and win—together, Sierra. That’s why I’m here. To face him with you if it comes to that.”

Though uncertainty about his decision to come had plagued him, now Bryce was more than glad he’d decided to head to Crescent Springs. Whether she had realized that she needed him before, he didn’t know. But the way she held on to him now told him she would accept his presence, at least for the time being.

He eased away and gripped her arms. “I’m here for you.”

In her eyes he could see that she didn’t want to need him. He took a step back even as she did too. “See you at dinner?” he asked.

She nodded. “Okay. Sure.”

“How about the Crescent Springs Café just across the street.” That should be easy.

“It’s going to be crowded.” She shrugged. “We could eat here.”

“We could. But then your father would hear our conversation.”

She nodded. “Right. I don’t necessarily want him to know all the danger I’ve had to face or am facing now. I haven’t even told him the worst part about yesterday.” She rubbed her arms. “I need him to know. He needs to be safe and remain cautious, but I know how much it will hurt him to learn all the details of what I went through before, and that it followed me here.”

“I’ll be praying for you,” he said.

Her eyes widened. “Looks like you have a lot to share with me, then.”

Right. He’d found God. Or rather God had found him since Sierra had left Boulder.

“So the café it is.”

She smiled. “I’ll call and let them know to save us a table. I’m friends with Miguel, the owner.”

“Sounds good.” He left her standing in the kitchen petting the gentle giant he’d given her four years ago. She’d remained in Boulder for three years. When Samson had been old enough she’d trained him for K-9 work. Just before Samson had become an official part of BPD, Sierra had moved to Crescent Springs. Bryce got the feeling that the timing wasn’t a coincidence. Sierra hadn’t wanted to put Samson in harm’s way or lethal situations.

He headed out through the toy store and gave a small wave to her father and the young woman Bryce assumed was Jane. She didn’t look a day over twenty. As he exited the toy store, he realized the anticipation he felt about tonight’s dinner with Sierra felt so much like a date when it shouldn’t. She’d hurt him before, and he knew Sierra well enough…she would hurt him again if given the chance. Regardless, Bryce was only here to keep her safe. Sierra was in danger. That he found himself wrapped up in protecting her against a Novack brother again seemed surreal. But he would see it through until the end.

If only he could shake the feeling that it wouldn’t end well. They had survived the last time. Could they survive this time?

He hesitated before crossing the street and leaving the toy store. But he reassured himself that while Sierra was at the toy store and surrounded by people, she should be safe. He walked the growing crowds to see if he spotted any familiar or unwanted faces and called his old boss from the Boulder PD on his cell.

“Bryce.” The man was breathless. Traffic resounded in the background. “Good to hear from you. Since the Novack brothers’ escape, we’ve been trying to find out everything we can. Where are you?”

Three steps ahead of you. Bryce leaned against a storefront and watched the toy store across the street while he talked. “Crescent Springs, Colorado.”

“Oh, you’re staying close to Sierra then. You obviously know about the plane crash.”

“Yes. And I’m here with her until this is over.”

“Don’t forget that you sent them to the penitentiary too. You could be in as much danger.”

“I’m well aware of that, don’t worry. But I don’t think that I was their primary target since they headed straight for Crescent Springs.”

“But now that you’re there, it’s easier for Raul to get at both of you. That said, I don’t blame you for being concerned about her.” A car door opened and shut. “You’re a good man to make sure she’s all right. I’ll stay in close communication with Sheriff Locke there in Crescent Springs as the state and NTSB work through this so we’re all on the same page. I don’t need to tell you to watch Sierra’s back, but please watch your own.”

“I will, don’t worry. I’m sure someone will spot Raul soon. He couldn’t have lasted long in the elements so my guess is that he would have made the closest town.”

“Crescent Springs.”

“Which is hopping right now for a local ice festival. If he’s hanging around, someone’s going to see him.”

“On the other hand,” his old boss said, “he’s smart enough to know that, with the plane crash, we’re onto him. He might get as far away as he can rather than trying to get to Sierra.”

“Whatever the case, let’s hope he doesn’t get to Sierra.” The state was searching and local law had been called in, as well. Sierra wasn’t out there searching for the criminal for obvious reasons. Bryce was glad that Sheriff Locke hadn’t involved her.