Mike was ex-C.I.A., a rancher now, though Dash knew he still had enough contacts to get a line on any information he needed. There was something wrong with the situation as he knew it, Dash finally admitted to himself. Terrance Grange was a mean bastard, and a pervert, but he wouldn’t risk his whole organization for one little girl. Even one who had witnessed a murder. Not to this extent. He would wait. Wait until Elizabeth went to the authorities, wait until Cassie was in protective custody and in a place certain to allow him the opportunity to get to her. He wouldn’t be running her and her mother down like animals. The situation was growing more complicated by the day and it was making Dash more suspicious by the moment.
He had suspected, after no more than a month into the chase for Elizabeth and her child, that the complications were likely to build. He hadn’t expected what he was facing at the time. He had tried to accept that Grange was just an obsession freak, an animal that needed killing. Which was true to a large extent. But still, there was more. He could feel it in the deepest reaches of his gut. He called Mike as daylight turned to night and the worst of the blizzard had passed, at least enough to allow visibility in the Hummer. As he expected, Mike was waiting on him.
“Get on out here,” Mike ordered him briskly. “You need to get some rest while I follow up on some other information coming in. Your instincts were right, Dash. As usual.”
“What have you found out?” He kept his voice low. He didn’t want to wake Elizabeth or Cassie.
“Grange is a dirty bastard. And a pervert. But little girls Cassidy’s age aren’t his preference. Nor is spending this amount of money on tracking down one little girl who was likely too shocked to even remember who killed her father. Right now, the details I have are sketchy at best. I did manage to contact Kane Tyler for you, though. He’s waiting on you to get to the ranch for a secure transmission. Get your ass out here as soon as possible.”
He glanced toward the window. He wouldn’t leave until dark. It was much easier to hide the fact that he carried a woman and child in the Hummer with him after nightfall.
“Tonight,” he told him. “Expect us sometime after eight. I imagine getting this little pup Elizabeth calls a child ready to go will take a while. She has more energy than any kid I think I’ve ever seen.” She had bounced around for nearly an hour before collapsing on the bed to watch the cartoons. Mike laughed.
“Yeah, they’re like wild monkeys at that age. Take care, old buddy. I’ll see you tonight.”
Dash hung up the phone, wiping his hand over his face as he tried to pull together the fragments of information he had. There wasn’t much.
Dane Colder had been a very prominent doctor in the small California town. He had married Elizabeth when she was fresh out of high school. Ten years older than she, he had wooed her within months before
giving her an elaborate wedding. A year later Cassie had been conceived. Two years later, Elizabeth had divorced the bastard on grounds of incompatibility. Dash suspected other reasons. She had fought visitation, but Colder had been determined. He was awarded one week a month with the child. From that time forward charge after charge of abuse had been leveled against him by Elizabeth, only to be thrown out of court for lack of evidence by the judge. Colder had carried a lot of influence, and had some powerful friends. A year before his death, he had hooked up with Grange for some unknown reason. Six months later Colder had sued for custody of Cassie. It was rumored he would have received it if his body hadn’t been found in a dirty alley pumped full of bullets. There was something missing, though. Some piece of information that Dash knew would allow everything to finally fall into place. Until he had it, he was working blind, at least until he got his hands on Grange. Until then, he had to make certain no one could touch Elizabeth or her child ever again. Which meant they would have to head out soon and get to the ranch tonight. Moving to his feet, Dash laid out clothing and shoes for the mother and child before quickly loading the Hummer. Then he woke them up, waiting patiently as Elizabeth helped Cassie wash up, brush her teeth and comb out the mass of curls falling over her face.
Elizabeth didn’t take nearly as long getting herself ready as she took taking care of her child. She gave the racy black thong and matching bra a long look before picking them up expressionlessly and adding them to the jeans, socks and thick long-sleeved blouse he had laid out for her. Dash hid his grin. She was getting mad. He could see it in her face, feel it in the air around her. She didn’t confront him with Cassie watching them, though. She was careful to give the child every assurance that she was willing to work with Dash. Willing to do whatever it took to keep her safe. His respect only grew for her. She was a damned strong woman. Not many people, male or female, could hold their tempers around him for long. He watched her disappear into the bathroom, wondering how long she would wait before she blew up and confronted him over the decisions he was making. Decisions that hadn’t been passed by her first.
Cassie watched her, too. Dash caught the little girl’s expression as her mother went into the other room. It was equal parts deliberation and playful manipulation. Oh, she was going to be a handful for sure.
“Momma’s clothes are pretty.” Cassie bounced up on the bed beside him as he stuffed the small plastic bag Elizabeth had put their dirty clothes in into the bag he used to carry them. “Mine are, too.”
She ran her fingers down the soft gray velour sleeve of her shirt, then looked down at her new boots. It was obvious she was genuinely enjoying the feel of the outfit. Dash watched her admiring the clothes and couldn’t help but allow a smile to tilt his lips. She didn’t hold much back, and she had something on her mind she was ready to say. Dash just wondered if he wanted to hear it right now. He had a feeling Cassie would keep him off-balance every chance she had.
“Can you keep secrets, Dash?” she finally asked him carefully as she watched him zip the bag up. Dash looked over at her quietly for long moments. “It depends,” he finally told her gently. “If they’re secrets your momma should know, then I might have to try to convince you to tell her.”
She blinked, long thick lashes covering her eyes for a half a second.
“Would you tell her if I said don’t?” she finally asked.
Dash sighed deeply. “I don’t know, Cassie,” he told her seriously. “Secrets are big things. Little girls should always trust their mommas with their secrets. Even if they think it could get them in trouble.”
Cassie watched him silently. He could see her expression clearing, her eyes brightening a bit more than before.
“It’s a good secret,” she finally said. “A secret ‘bout momma.”
Now how could he resist? He grimaced. “Uhhh, Cassie, don’t tell tales on your momma,” he finally sighed. He was desperate to know anything she would tell.
She giggled lightly, knowingly.
“Momma might be angry with you, Dash,” she finally whispered, staring up at him with big, slate-blue eyes. “Be careful or she might yell at you. Momma doesn’t yell really loud, but boy, she can be scary when she does yell.”
Dash restrained his chuckle as relief poured through him. He wanted to know every soft inch of Elizabeth inside and out, but he didn’t want Cassie telling tales, either. This tale, he figured he could handle.
“What does she sound like when she yells?” he asked her, his voice just as soft as though it were actually secret. Hell, he knew she was pissed and getting madder by the second. Cassie looked at the bathroom door. “Like she might take away the candy bars for a week.” Cassie nodded solemnly, but Dash could have sworn he saw laughter lurking in the little girl’s eyes. “You better be nice to her or she might not let you have any treats.”
Dash almost winced. Yep, he agreed with Cassie, that might be a bad thing. Unfortunately, he had yet to know what it was like to be really treated by Elizabeth.
“I’ll get my own candy bars,” he confided with a grin. “What would she do then?”
Cassie evidently hadn’t considered that angle.
“Oh.” Cassie pursed her lips, considering. “Would you get me one, too?” Her curls seemed to bounce around her face as she smiled up at him sweetly. Pure innocence. Or so she wanted him to think. Dash snorted. Oh, she was a charmer all right.