Justice Hunter

“The bus broke down and I was thirty minutes late.” She looked back again and saw the man in the suit standing just inside the door, looking right at her. What the...

He was tall and well built and now that she saw him close-up, blond with a buzz cut and a handsome face. Definitely not Jared Palmer. But had he been the man who’d threatened her before?

Hans put the drink before her. “Sorry, Rachel. You’re good peeps. You don’t deserve that.”

The stranger began to approach.

“That man followed me from the mall,” she said.

Hans looked to the man. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

“Sir,” Hans said to the man as he stopped next to her chair. “The lady says you followed her. Do I need to call the police?”

Hans to the rescue. She felt safe...for now. But what about when she went home?

“You’re very observant,” the stranger said.

Of all the things a dangerous man could say, Rachel didn’t expect that. She sensed nothing sinister about him, not as sinister as she’d felt the last time.

The ding of her cell phone indicated someone had texted her. She looked down and saw her boyfriend had finally answered her. What the text said made her pick up the phone.

Sorry. No easy way to say this. I met someone else. You’ve been great. Take care.

That effectively shifted her focus. Rachel read the text again to make sure it said what she thought.

“You’ve been great?” She scoffed as the insult began to mushroom. “Take care.”

Had she really dated someone this insensitive and clueless? Lowering the phone, she looked up at the stranger, who reached into his jacket for something while clips of the last six months passed in her mind. Her boyfriend had been fun to be with but now that she had a bird’s-eye view, his superficiality became obvious. She hadn’t known anything deep about him.

“I believe this is yours.”

Startled, she looked down at what the man had taken from his jacket. Her wallet. He put it down on the bar.

“How did you—”

“I’ll have what she’s having,” the stranger said to Hans as he sat on the stool next to her. “And put hers on my tab.”

“How did you get my wallet?” she demanded. Then she recalled what he’d said.

She backtracked what she’d done with her wallet. She’d had lunch and put it back in the zipper pouch. Hadn’t she zipped it shut?

“I saw you go into a shop at the mall. Your backpack bumped the door frame and your wallet fell out. I started to go over but I heard you talking to your boss.”

She had bumped the door frame. But had it been hard enough for her wallet to slip out?

“I’m Luke Bradbury.” He swiveled to face her better.

She looked down at his offered hand and then back up at his drool-worthy blue-gray eyes, crinkling with an all-out charm-packed grin. Now that she wasn’t afraid of him, she could appreciate his looks. He was a great package. Dressed as though he had money, too.

Ordinarily, a man like him would capture her interest. He did capture her interest. But something about this one had her holding back. No, not him. Her boyfriend had just broken up with her in a text message. He was a successful businessman like Luke must be. She’d dated a lot of men like that. Successful men attracted her. Their stability. They had what she wanted. But maybe her criteria needed some tweaking.

Beyond his attractiveness, Rachel began to wonder why he’d come to this pub.

“Why did you follow me here?” Why hadn’t he approached her after she left the shop?

“I confess.” More charm oozed from him. “You looked so upset. I didn’t want to intrude.”

Intrude? “You had my wallet.” Hardly an intrusion to return it...

While he didn’t frighten her the way the other man had after her affair, she had to be careful. She didn’t know who’d threatened her back then. And Jared contacting her may have stirred danger. She snatched up her wallet and put it into her backpack, this time making sure she zipped it shut.

“Yes.” His smiling eyes made a pointed journey down her body and back up. “A perfect excuse to meet you.”

She gaped at him. Was he for real? She kept going back and forth between seeing him as an attractive man and someone untrustworthy. “Not interested.”

His confident grin slipped as she turned back to her coffee and sipped.

“In what?” he asked, as if he didn’t know.

Seeing his genuine perplexity, she said, “Thanks for returning my wallet, but I’d like you to leave me alone now.”

“Uh...sure...okay.” He continued to look at her.

Rachel decided to hurry and finish her coffee and go.

“I’m sorry.”

She turned to him. Why was he sorry?

“I shouldn’t have come on to you like that.”

“That’s not the only reason I want to be left alone.” She didn’t know why she kept talking to him. She really did want to be left alone now. “My boyfriend broke up with me in a text message.”

“Is that the, ‘You’ve been great. Take care’ guy?”

Rachel reeled again from the callousness of those heartlessly chosen words. “Yes.” She leaned a little closer to the stranger. “Do you all do that?”

“No. I always break up in person. If I’m the one doing the breaking up.”

Rachel didn’t think that happened to him very often. And she didn’t want to hang around to be the next woman he broke up with in person. She stood from the stool, lifting her backpack and tucking her phone in the same compartment as her wallet, zipping it shut.

“You’re leaving?” Luke asked.

“Yes. I came here for company but now I need to be alone.”

As she put the backpack on, Luke watched her, reluctant to let her go.

“When will I see you again?” he asked.

“You won’t.” She waved to the bartender. “Thanks, Hans.”

Luke noticed her friendly exchange, and Rachel realized she’d just revealed she knew the bartender, which also revealed she came here regularly.

Luke stood. “All right. I’ll see you here again sometime, then.”

She stopped from turning to go and his towering height flustered her, as did his impossibly blue-gray eyes. “Will I have to avoid my favorite hangout?”

“You’d avoid it?” His flirty grin returned.

Rachel feared her unwanted interest had begun to show. “No. Just you.”

He chuckled. “Have dinner with me, then. Somewhere nice. Quiet.”

“I told you I wasn’t interested.”

“I could have kept your wallet. Thank me for returning it by having dinner with me,” he said.

“You’d have kept my wallet?”

“No.”

She started for the door with a “Goodbye” tossed over her shoulder.

He didn’t say anything. When she glanced back, he didn’t seem so confident anymore. She’d shot him down, and he couldn’t believe why.

Rachel smiled before going outside. Luke Bradbury wasn’t a man accustomed to being rejected. His tenacity flattered her, but the cautionary instinct that had reared up when he’d said he’d followed her remained.

Walking up the street in falling snow, she caught sight of a car parked across the street and a man sitting inside. He looked right at her. Another admirer? The way he just sat there made her think not.

She walked faster toward her apartment.

Chapter 2

Lucas’s stepfather slapped his hand down onto the wooden desk, more indignant animation than anger. “I can’t lie!”

Joseph Tieber owned Bozeman, Montana’s, busiest private air transportation and tourism company. A pilot for more than thirty years, he now sat behind a desk and employed several young airplane and helicopter pilots and numerous other staff. Lucas wasn’t the executive he’d personified for Rachel, but his stepdad did make a lot of money on his passion for flight. He and Luella had been young when their dad died and their mother married Joseph less than a year later. While the transition had been rough, growing up with Joseph had always been an adventure.

“Even for Luella?” Lucas hated lowballing, but his motive had a lot of bite.

His stepdad sighed, full of defeat. He lowered his head as sorrow weighed him down, running a hand through his hair.

After a moment he rested his hands on the desk and lifted his head. “If you want me to hire this woman, why not create a job for her?”

“I mean to win her trust. Offering her a job like this will go a long way toward achieving that.” He hoped anyway. He may have difficulty convincing her to take the job. He hadn’t believed how quickly she’d shot him down. He’d dangled a subtle money carrot and she’d gotten up and left, refused an expensive dinner.

“I may be able to get her to talk, too,” his stepdad said.

Lucas was relieved he was coming around to his way of thinking. “Yes.”

“What if she recognizes me?” his dad asked.

“There wasn’t much news about Luella’s murder. There was something about the search for her for a while but nothing that will lead back to me. And you never adopted us. Luella and I are Curran, not Tieber.”

“She may have looked Luella up after she found out about the affair.”

“Luella didn’t like social media. There isn’t much about her on the internet. I checked. The news didn’t mention her maiden name. Right now Rachel only knows Luella as Luella Palmer, not Curran. She might put it together, but not before I get what I need from her.”

After mulling that over a little, his stepdad said, “I’ll swear my assistant to secrecy and temporarily reassign her elsewhere in the company. But I’m only doing this for Luella. For the record, I don’t approve of your deception.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Lucas stood.

Joseph stood with him. “Before you go, I want to talk to you some more about this vigilante agency you’ve gone and joined.”

“On my own I don’t have access to databases or certain types of equipment. Dark Alley has everything I need and more. Kadin even arranged for my fake identity. I have a driver’s license and everything.” He’d be a believable Luke Bradbury for Rachel. “I can work anywhere, too. Right here.”

“Your mother and I are thrilled you came home, Lucas, but we’re concerned with how far you’re taking this. We’re wondering if you should leave the investigation up to the local police.”

“Her case is cold.”

“They’re going to be pursuing the affair just like you are. I don’t see why you have to get involved. You should be concentrating on your own life. When are you going to settle down? We didn’t raise you to be an ineligible bachelor the rest of your life. Your mother would like grandchildren. Are you going to take that away from her?”

This had become an issue after his sister’s murder. It had been a small issue before, but now his mother had grown anxious over her reduced family. She was lonely, Lucas supposed, and mourning, still, the loss of her only daughter. His mother had crumbled after Luella’s death. Lucas would never forget the call early one morning. Some hikers had found a body, and police believed it was Luella. She would never be the same woman. A lot of his dad’s light had dimmed, too. Once a vivacious man who yearned to explore, he now went through his days with less fizz.

His father had never been one to push this before. His mother must be having a rough time. That only gave him more of a reason to be involved. The sooner he solved his sister’s murder, the sooner they all could move on with their lives.

“I’m doing this for all of us, Dad. I’ll give Mom grandchildren.” Just not right now. His first marriage had ended badly. He wasn’t in a rush to try that again.

* * *

A few days later Lucas waited for Rachel to leave her apartment. He’d planted a listening device in her wallet, a small, thin USB-like wireless voice-activated transmitter with a range of more than fifty feet and long-lasting batteries. He’d tucked it into one of the pockets behind the credit card sleeves. So far she hadn’t noticed it. He’d followed her the few times she’d left her apartment and heard her working on a computer, most likely looking for a new job. She’d walked to the grocery store once. Now he spotted Jared Palmer’s BMW, and sat up straighter in the driver’s seat.

Jared parked along the street and walked toward the apartment building entrance, glancing around as though making sure no one saw. Lucas had purchased a car with tinted windows. He also had an SUV. When Jared’s gaze passed over his vehicle, he paused a second and then looked elsewhere before facing the doors. He disappeared inside and moments later, Lucas heard Rachel let him up to her apartment.

“What are you doing here?” she asked when she let him in.

“You haven’t returned my calls.”

Lucas heard them move into the apartment, which was small enough for him to hear everything.

“I thought we decided not to see each other anymore,” Rachel said.

“It’s been a long time since Luella died. I haven’t forgotten you, Rachel.”

The rustle of clothes indicated Jared touched Rachel.

She moved away, going into the kitchen and turning on water. Did she need something to do? Did she still have feelings for Jared?

“I love you,” Jared said, having followed her.

Still? After all this time? Lucas found that peculiar. Why hadn’t they kept seeing each other? His wife had been murdered, but if he truly loved Rachel, wouldn’t he find a way to keep seeing her? Maybe he had. Maybe no one knew.

Rachel turned off the water and didn’t respond. Did she love him back? Maybe she’d loved his money.

“I’ve apologized for not telling you I was married.”

“Yes, but it doesn’t change the fact that you deceived me.”

So his lie about being married had run her off. But her heart may still be invested in him, even if her mind wasn’t.

This, Lucas hadn’t anticipated. That Jared had lied to Rachel, that she might not have gotten involved with him if she’d known he was married.

“Enough time has passed,” Jared said. “We can be together again. For real.”

For real. Their relationship had been a secret, until now, if Rachel agreed with whatever he proposed.

Again, Rachel said nothing.

“I can make your life easier, Rachel. I’m not a poor man.”

Lucas heard something metallic falling into the sink. Rachel must have dropped a utensil.

“I don’t care about money.”

Didn’t she? Jared must have doubts, too, because he chuckled and said, “Yes, you do.”

“I used to. Now I can see it just brought me unhappiness. I need to figure out what I really want in a man.”

She continued to surprise Lucas. Was she telling the truth?

“No one knows about us,” Jared said. “We can say we just met.” Had they split up to avoid suspicion? Lucas found this conversation highly questionable, at least on Jared’s side. He wasn’t sure about Rachel.

“I need you to stop calling me and coming over here. You don’t know what finding out you were married did to me. You hurt me.”

“I know that. I didn’t mean to. I met you and...it just happened. I’m sorry. I told you that. I’ve never been unfaithful to anyone until I met you.”

“I did have feelings for you, but that doesn’t matter anymore. You should go. And don’t come back.”

“We can be together,” Jared insisted. When she again didn’t respond, he said, “Think about it. I’ll call you in a few days.”

“No. Don’t.”

Jared sighed hard, her rejection frustrating him. “Just think about what I’ve said. Think about how good it was with us.”

Before she’d discovered he’d cheated, the ultimate betrayal.

“Go. Please.”

After a long pause, Lucas heard him going to the door.

The door closed and Rachel sighed. A thumping suggested she’d let her head fall against the door.

How did she feel about Jared? Something in the tentative way she’d sounded made him think she feared him.

* * *

Rachel brought her laptop to O’Shuck’s and sat at a table with her diet soda, logged on to the free Wi-Fi, searching for work on an online job board. It had been more than a week and still no prospects. She’d hoped to be back to work by now so she wouldn’t have to dip into her savings.

“May I?”

Startled, Rachel looked up to see Luke standing at her table, indicating the chair beside her. Before she could say no, he pulled out a chair and draped his leather jacket over the back.

“I thought I made myself clear the last time.” Although she’d known he’d try to catch her here, she’d hoped he’d show up at the wrong times. Had he followed her again? Apprehension made her tense. Jared’s visit couldn’t be a coincidence. Could it? Was it all starting again?

“Yeah, but I know you’re at least a little curious about me.” He sat down.

Curious. In a scary way. A weird way. Wary of his true purpose, but not wary of the genuine attraction they had. He’d picked up on that hint. Maybe he thought he could use it to his advantage. She’d play along for now.

She noticed he wore jeans tonight. No suit. Leaning back against her chair, she said, “Dressing down tonight?”

He gave himself away when he glanced down at his chest—a very impressive chest in the snug black Henley. “Not working.”

“You work?” She deliberately goaded him. What was his story anyway? The way he’d waited to return her wallet, claiming to be attracted, felt true but something rang off about him.

He smiled in a staged way. “You don’t think I work?”

“I think you wore that suit for a reason, but I don’t think it was work.”

“Really? Why not?” He seemed impressed by her keen observation, and a little wary.

“Who goes to the mall in a suit at dinnertime?”

Leaning back, he propped his ankle on his knee. “Probably lots of people.”

“Not you.” She drank some of her soda, eyeing him with acute awareness.

After a few moments studying her, his smile smoothed into genuine sincerity.

“All right. You’ve got me. I’ve seen you before I found your wallet. I dressed in the suit to impress you. You losing your wallet presented me with what I thought was a perfect opportunity to meet you,” he said.

“So you’re admitting to spying on me.”

“No. I didn’t spy on you. I saw you at the mall when you were working. After I couldn’t get you off my mind, I went back.”

“So, you’re a stalker?”

He grunted a laugh. “No. I saw you in passing. I didn’t hang around to watch you.”

“Go to the mall often?”

“Men need clothes, too.” He put his foot down and sat relaxed in the face of her interrogation.

She eyed him, not completely buying his story. Maybe he had dressed in the suit to impress her, and when that had failed, he’d dressed as he normally did. Why the suit, though?

He may be sincere, but she still felt unsure of his true motive. Had he ever taken no from a woman? With his hot looks, she didn’t think so. Unfortunately for him, she’d had too many bad experiences with men to be interested in giving another a chance anytime soon.

“I told you before, I wasn’t—”

“I’d like to help you with a job,” he cut her off.

Offer her a...

“What?”

“I have a friend who runs a transport company. His assistant quit, and he needs someone to replace her.”

She scrutinized his face, looking for signs of falseness. She found none. He’d come here to help her find a job.

“I heard you talking to your boss. I heard her fire you. You’re beautiful. I wanted to meet you, but the timing seemed bad. I followed you and here we are.”

She bought that he’d been attracted. She also maybe bought her getting fired had ruined his plans to meet her. But she didn’t feel he’d given her the whole truth. Did she want to start something with him?

He might have a job for her.

“You must have other intentions,” she said.

He grinned. “Of course. I buy time to woo you out to dinner with me.”

By arranging work for her—with his friend—he’d have opportunities to come and see her, to try and get to know her, to try and...

She ran a look down his broad, muscular chest and back up to the tough planes of his blond, stubbled face. Maybe she should say no. Then she thought of her graduation, how close she was to achieving her dream. If she took this job, she didn’t have to date Luke. He couldn’t make her do anything she didn’t want to do.

“How do you know your friend would hire me?” she asked.

“I’ve already spoken with him. Do you know how to use Microsoft software?”

“Yes. I’ve actually...done that kind of work before.” She didn’t say where or for whom.

“Then it’s settled. All you have to do is call him.” He took out a card and handed it to her.

After staring at him through her uncertainty, questions racing over whether she should follow her impulse and trust him, she reached out and took the card. She read the name. Joseph Tieber, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Tieber Air Transport.

She moved her gaze to him, dumbfounded. He offered her a lifeline, this stranger who found her attractive. A thousand red flags waved in her mind, but if he was going to hurt her or threaten her, wouldn’t he have done so by now? The man who’d threatened her before wouldn’t have offered her a job. He had to be someone different. Luke wasn’t that man.

“Why are you doing this?” she finally asked.

He grinned, and she thought he looked a little triumphant. “Because I can. And I’ve told you, I have a selfish reason. I’d like to take you to dinner.”

Rachel placed the card on the table and rested her hand over it. She needed a job. Desperately. Her plans would be ruined without income. She patted her hand up and down on the card.

He reached over and put his on top of hers, stopping the nervous action. “Give it some thought.”

It was the second time in a short period a man had told her to think about something personal. She looked from his ringless hand to his muscular chest and strong biceps, up to his amazing eyes. Warmth zinged her unexpectedly, a purely physical reaction to a drop-dead gorgeous man.

Unsettled over her quick and passionate reaction that could get her into trouble, she said nothing as he stood.

“Wait.” She wasn’t sure why she stopped him. Something nudged her to get to know him better. He’d just offered her a job, a perfect stranger. She had to know why, and it had to be more than finding her attractive. What was his story? Why had he singled her out?

He turned back to the table, studying her and coming to some conclusion he didn’t share. Had she caught him off guard? Did he know she had questions about him and did he not like that?

Rachel prided herself on being street-smart. She could tell when someone wasn’t being completely open and honest, and this man fit the bill.

“Why don’t you have a soda with me?” She gestured to the chair he’d vacated.

He looked down at her glass as though surprised. “Soda?”

She smiled, content her tactic had worked. Distraction for extraction. Extraction of information, that is. “I always have soda when I come here. I only drank coffee the last time because I was fired that day and I was feeling reckless.”

He grinned, sitting down while she waved to Hans.

“One more for him. No diet, though.” She checked him to confirm and he nodded once.

She watched him settle back against the chair, eyes shrewd and onto her.

“All right,” he said, “now you’ve got me. What do you want to know?”

She held back the smile that pushed to spread. His sharp intelligence tickled her senses despite her reservations. But did he think she’d invited him to stay out of sexual interest or interest in his motives?

“I’d like to know more about the man who’s supposedly getting me a job just because he thinks I’m sexy.”

“Supposedly?”

“Nothing’s sure until it’s sure.”

He hesitated, seeming reluctant to continue, catching on that her interest was not sexual. “I recently bought some property outside of town. I’ve been working on it for a few months.”

That was something personal, all right. “A ranch?”