“I think I’ll just wait here for a second.”
She smiled. It was worth being knocked to his back to see her relax enough to smile like that.
“You know, I never thought it would work. The moves are so practiced and mechanical. This is really sort of cool.”
“Tell that to my back.”
“I’m so sorry. Are you going to be okay?” Her touch was cooling to his burning skin.
“All but my pride. If that’s an auto response, I’d hate to see what you can do when you’re deliberately provoked.”
“I’d probably freeze in my tracks.” She looked comfortable. His knees would be screaming sitting bent like that.
“Is that why you have a gun stashed back there?”
“What? How did you know?”
“Your reaction.” He rose to one elbow. “The way you keep looking in that direction. You almost twitched.”
Her blond hair framed her face as she leaned forward. “I can see that I need to practice my self-control.”
“Well you sure as hell don’t need to practice throwing a man to the ground. That was more than a little embarrassing.”
“Part of aikido is to react without thinking. Defending yourself without giving away what you’re about to do. I’ve practiced during class, but there hasn’t been any reason to actually use it here in Hico.”
“Until now.” He stretched his back, confident everything was still in one piece. “I didn’t mean to make you feel threatened.”
“The only thing you did was reemphasize my reality. I was fooling myself thinking things would change.”
She was retreating again. Talking behind her hand, wrapping the other around her waist. He wasn’t going to let her demonstrate more aikido to make her feel better. He pulled himself to a sitting position and leaned against the wall.
“Can you hand me that lotion? Maybe rub some on my back and shoulders before I go?”
“Okay, guy from down the street, you’re definitely ready to leave.” She tossed the bottle to his gut.
He trapped it, squeezed some of the green goo on his palm and slapped his shoulder. “I really could use some help.”
“You managed to get burned all by yourself.”
“You’re joking, but the reason I’m burned is because I was trying to impress you.”
She scooted on her knees to be next to him, extending her hand. He swiped the lotion onto her fingers. She squirted a lot more across his shoulders, the sudden chill made him wince.
What a change a couple of minutes made. She’d been so frightened that she’d flipped him to his back with a defensive move and now she was rubbing aloe on his shoulders. She’d also gone from petrified to smiling.
“My research might have given an indication of who we were searching for, triggering someone else’s search. I trust everyone who I’m directly involved with in this case. But some parts of it are out of my control. I didn’t mean to lead your ex-husband to you.”
The light rubbing across his shoulders slowed for a second. Kylie spread the aloe, remaining silent behind him with her face and expressions hidden. He didn’t want her to be nervous again. He preferred her smiling. So did his back.
“Your aikido. That was a great move. What’s it called?”
“Aiki otoshi. It’s a blending drop. I like it because you don’t have to lift or flip your opponent.”
“I noticed that. You hit my knees together and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop the fall. You’re good. That wasn’t a beginner’s move.”
She moved away, replacing the cap to the lotion. “Keep it.”
“Even though I didn’t mean to put you in danger, I think you need to come with me, Kylie. We can keep you safe.”
They were sitting on the floor. She’d created a corner where she could see both doors, but was protected from anyone looking inside by the couch and walls. He noticed the mirrors strategically hung on the wall and one on a bookshelf.
Kylie Scott had a lot of precautions in place. She’d studied self-defense and probably was a crack shot with whatever weapon she had hidden in her bathroom. But it still wasn’t a match for a man with endless resources and contacts like her ex-husband.
“You didn’t see anything while you lived in the house? Is there any place he might keep important files?” he asked.
“I don’t mean to be insensitive, but didn’t the murders earlier this year get you inside that bleak mansion?”
“Only relating to the murders. The Tenorenos’ lawyers made certain of that.”
“Look, Bryce. I know you think you can protect me. You may really want to. But we both know it’s just not true. At some point you’ll have to walk away and I’ll be alone. I can’t worry about other people. I have to think about staying alive.”
“Come to Waco. Let the attorneys run some questions past you. We’ll keep it confidential. No one will know, but you might be able to help us shut down their operation.”
“Stop it. I wasn’t around their daily deals with lowlifes. When I stayed there I was kept from everything. No one helped me. Isabella was such a nice woman, but never on my side. It was her son one hundred percent.” Kylie stood and pointed toward the door.
“You don’t have to face this alone.” He got to his feet, making one last plea. “We can help you put him away for the murders of your friends.”
She covered her face with both hands. She looked up with determination, shaking her head.
“You said Xander wanted to take over the business. He doesn’t need to find me to do that. He never believed in divorce and couldn’t stand the idea that I would leave him. Plain and simple, as soon as I left him, he wanted me dead.”
“I know she’s going to run. What do you want me to do about it?” Bryce had taken only enough time to change his clothes. The aloe on his shoulders helped the initial sting, but he should have worn a T-shirt. Now was not the time to be concerned about sunburn pain.
“Follow her,” Major Parker said firmly. “You’re certain she understands the consequences of rejecting our offer of protection?”
“Yes, sir.” He rubbed his lower back. “She thinks she can take care of herself.”
“It was good work finding her, Johnson. Real good work.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I just hope she doesn’t get killed.
Hico, Texas wasn’t large. It wasn’t even a medium-sized town. If Kylie Scott was headed out of town, she really was at a crossroads to head in any direction. She’d given him no indication where that might be.
Maybe he could rule out east to Waco. Northeast toward Fort Worth and an international airport? Northwest to Stephenville and too many small towns to name? Or southwest to Mexico? There wasn’t a warrant. No reason to detain her. No legal reason to keep her from running.
Whichever direction she decided, it would be today. He’d seen that look in her eyes. Panicked with a plan. She was leaving, all right. And it looked like her ride had just pulled up.
The old Chevy pickup stopped by Kylie’s house most afternoons. She worked two part-time jobs and the older man gave her rides. Bryce had met her at the Billy the Kid Museum downtown where she walked a mile to work three