The Escape (US Marshals #1) - Lisa Harris Page 0,44

of the place.

“Extremely.”

“Makes it tempting to forget why we’re here. My father used to make trips out to southern Wyoming or Colorado to go hunting with his brother every other year or two. He loved the Northwest, but always said some of the best hunting he’d done was out here.”

“What did he like to hunt?”

“Typically elk,” Madison said.

“What about you?” Jonas enjoyed the momentary distraction. “You said you did some hunting with your dad growing up. Did you ever come out here with him?”

“He never took me on one of those trips. I think my uncle didn’t want a kid hanging around. And now that my dad doesn’t hunt anymore, I lost my partner.”

“Sounds like he was quite a man.”

“He was.” She paused. “He is. It’s tough watching him forget.”

“You should bring him back here. No matter how much he’s forgotten, I bet it would make him happy.”

She smiled. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before. I have been thinking a week’s vacation in the wilderness sounds like a bit of heaven. But I’m not talking about hunting. I’m talking about a roaring fire, snow falling outside while I’m cuddled up in a thick blanket, reading a good book. Hot chocolate and takeout.”

A picture of her snuggled next to him in front of a fire in one of these cabins surfaced unexpectedly. Legs pulled up beneath her. Hair down around her shoulders. He’d always been impressed with her work ethic, but he’d only seen her on the go. She’d always been professional and focused, but today he’d seen another side of her. The side that didn’t see her job as a simple checklist but truly cared about the lives that had gotten tangled up in the situation. And it had left him realizing that she was the kind of person he simply enjoyed being around.

He shoved away the image. There was nothing personal about his relationship with Madison, nor did he ever intend there to be. They were too similar—too driven and too focused on their careers—and would end up driving each other crazy. And he knew the danger of falling for people he worked with. That was something he wasn’t going to let happen again.

“Michaels said we’d make a good team,” he said.

“Really?”

“With my experience and your ability to read people. He was right.” He shifted his thoughts, trying to keep them professional only, but realized he was failing. “I saw you with Mary Margaret. You had both the patience and insight to finally get her to talk.”

“Did you just give me a compliment?”

“Just say thank you.”

“Thank you.” She smiled. “I have to say, it’s hard not to feel sorry for the girl. She clearly made some really bad decisions. She seems so lost and empty and for whatever reason thought Barrick was going to be able to fill that void.”

“That seems to happen a lot. But on the other hand, she chose to lie to us. You can’t blame that on being naive. She wasn’t thinking about what was right, only about saving him.”

“I know, but she just seemed so vulnerable. He used her, and even she has to know that this isn’t going to have a happy ending. Either he goes back to prison, or he spends the rest of his life on the run. Neither is something she should be involved in.”

“I’ve never understood it either, but these men become a project that women want to fix.”

“It’s just sad. I have a feeling Barrick will use anyone he can to make sure he doesn’t get caught.”

Which was exactly what had him worried. As far as he was concerned, Mary Margaret was nothing more than a pawn in Barrick’s game. He’d have no problem using her and then disposing of her. And from what he’d seen, the girl had no idea just how dangerous a situation she’d wound up in the middle of.

“We’re here,” Jonas said, pulling up behind the sheriff’s vehicle.

Any talk of hot chocolate and roaring fires vanished. The cabin sat off of a windy dirt road on the top of a slight rise, giving whoever was inside the house the advantage. They parked the car in a heavily forested area and made their way single file along the edge of the house, wearing bulletproof vests, their weapons ready.

The key element in any raid was surprise. Being prepared was crucial. They were already geared up and ready to move in as Jonas stepped up onto the wraparound porch while the other officers