The Marshal's Hostage. Delores Fossen

“Ignore him,” Dallas told her.

      She did. Joelle moved when he moved, and they darted behind the next set of trees.

      “Joelle?” the guy repeated. “I know you can hear me. So can the marshal. And I don’t think you’re going to want him to hear what I’m about to say.”

      “Yeah, yeah,” Dallas grumbled under his breath, and he got ready for their next round of evade and escape.

      “I’m supposed to give you a message, Joelle,” the man continued, his voice practically echoing through the woods. “Come back to the church with us now, or I’m to tell the marshal your dirty little secret.”

      Damn, the guy wasn’t giving up.

      Dallas immediately dismissed what the man said. But Joelle didn’t. She sucked in her breath hard, and her eyes widened. She shook her head.

      And Dallas’s stomach knotted.

      Obviously, there was something to the dirty little secret threat. Part of him really wanted to know what had caused the color to drain from Joelle’s already too-pale face. But the other part of him didn’t want the guy to be able to use whatever he was trying to use to get her to cooperate.

      “Let’s go,” Dallas insisted.

      Joelle didn’t argue. She practically leaped up from the ground, and even though she was still shaky, she ran as if her life depended on it. She didn’t stop at the tree cluster, either. She kept moving and used the trees to help her stay on her feet.

      “Running won’t help,” the man yelled. “One way or another, the marshal will find out what you did.”

      Joelle looked over at him, the tears shimmering in her eyes. “Don’t ask, please,” she said when Dallas opened his mouth.

      Oh, hell.

      This couldn’t be good, but it was the worst possible time to push for information.

      “The marshal will find out your secret,” the man shouted. It was harder to hear his voice now, but Dallas seemed to have no trouble making out every word. “And if you think he’ll protect you after he finds out what you did, you’re wrong, Joelle. Dead wrong.”