console as the SUV rolled along in the darkness. While he made evasive moves to be sure no one followed, Jessie brought up Expedia on the disposable phone and found a Holiday Inn and Suites that met their needs but was a little off the beaten path.
The suite Jessie had found was basic, just a bedroom, bathroom, living room, and small galley kitchen. The rooms were decorated with the usual hotel furniture, brown veneered tables, a dark brown tweed sofa in the living room that unfolded into a queen-size bed, a cheap pair of lamps.
Bran figured the sofa bed would be lumpy and uncomfortable, but at least the suite was roomy. They set up their laptops at opposite ends of the dining table, and both of them went to work.
Jessie had told him she made notes every day on the information they gathered. “I document everything, then speculate on what it might mean and decide what actions I should take next.”
“Sounds useful,” he’d said. And meant it. It was good to keep tabs on the investigation. Since Jessie was handling that part of the job, he didn’t have to worry about it.
So far she’d only grumbled a little about having to give up internet access on her laptop for fear of being tracked, while Bran’s was even more protected than his phone.
While she worked, he phoned Tabitha Love, The Max’s computer guru, a brainy female who knew the ins and outs of the internet like nobody he had ever met.
“Hey, Tab, I need a favor,” he said when she picked up.
“Hey, Bran, no problem. What can I do for you?”
“I need you to run a plate number. Got a hunch it’s stolen, but I need to be sure.” He rattled off the vehicle description and Colorado plate number EQZ-555.
“I’ll call you back,” Tabby said. Since she also did occasional work for law enforcement, she had access to all sorts of useful information.
“Who’s Tab?” Jessie asked from the far end of the table.
Bran noticed the faint slump in her shoulders. After the day she’d had, she had to be exhausted, but Jessie rarely complained.
“Tabitha Love. She’s a computer whiz who works for The Max.” Tabby wasn’t just smart, she was a genius, and distinctly her own person, with short black hair, shaved on the sides and moussed on top. She had enough silver in her nose, ears, and tongue to drive up the price on the stock market.
“She can get a name off the plates?”
“Maybe.” He could read the fatigue in Jessie’s face. Just thinking about the men who had come after her and what might have happened if he hadn’t been with her made his stomach burn.
Nothing he could do about it now. Shoving his concern for her aside, he went back to work on the keyboard, searching for information on paramilitary groups in the area, men who might be willing to hire themselves out for whatever dirty work paid the most. There were five militia units listed, each with dozens of members.
But something about the two men didn’t feel right. He wished he’d gotten a better glimpse of that tattoo. Dammit, they needed more intel. The trick was to stay alive until they got it.
He worked for a while, then looked up to see Jessie emerge from the bedroom in her short white terry cloth robe. Her legs were smooth and tanned, her softly curling, reddish blond hair clipped at the nape of her neck, her small feet bare. Bran felt a rush of heat that went straight to his groin.
“I’m totally dragging. Maybe a swim will perk me up.”
He shifted to get comfortable inside his jeans, and clamped down on his lustful thoughts. “A swim, huh? In case you’ve forgotten, tomorrow’s the first of November.”
She grinned. “This place might not be as luxurious as the last one, but it’s got something the other place didn’t have.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“An indoor heated swimming pool. I need some exercise. I won’t be gone long.”
Bran shoved up from his chair. “You won’t be gone at all unless I go with you.”
She just shrugged. “Fine. Grab your suit and let’s go.”
“I don’t need a suit. I’m on the job.” He plucked his pistol off the table and clipped the holster back onto his belt, crossed the room and pulled open the door. The corridor was clear. “After you.”
Jessie sighed. “This bodyguard thing gets old pretty fast.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve heard that one before. Best way to make it end is to find those