There was no sign of the large black truck, though. Dom frowned, wondering where the shooter had left it. Two police cars were heading toward the hotel, red and blue lights flashing.
“Do you think you hit the shooter?” Kendra asked once they were headed in the opposite direction from the police. “He stopped when you returned fire.”
“Maybe.” Dom tried not to think about the possibility he’d killed someone. He’d only fired in self-defense, without taking the time to think it through. Now he dropped the gun in the center console as if distancing himself from the weapon would make him feel better. He swiveled in his seat, glancing around to make sure there was no black truck following them. Satisfied, he settled back. “My goal was to force him to back off.”
“I’m glad you jumped into action.” Kendra held his gaze for a moment. “If not for your quick response, we wouldn’t have had time to escape.”
He nodded, knowing she was right. Logically, he knew it wasn’t his fault someone was trying to kill him. Not that he wanted to be responsible for someone’s death no matter the circumstances. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I left that message for the US Marshals Service and an hour later the gunman showed up at our hotel.”
Kendra frowned. “I think we need to reach out to Justin’s wife, Raine. She can help us figure out who to trust.”
The last thing he wanted to do was drag more innocent people into this nightmare. Yet what other choice did they have? It seemed that this gunman was able to track him down no matter where they went. If he didn’t know better, he’d think he had a tracking device implanted on his body.
Worst of all, he hated how Kendra and Smoky were in danger too.
“You can call Raine for her input.” He sighed, then added, “Maybe she can head out to pick you up. This latest incident proves you need to return to the ranch.”
“Stop trying to get rid of me.” Kendra’s tone was sharp with irritation. “I’m not leaving you alone.”
“Kendra, your concern for me is admirable, but what if one of those bullets had killed you?” He turned to stare at her. “Do you have any idea how terrible I’ll feel if you die because of me?”
“Same goes.” She glanced at him, then turned her attention back to the road. “I would feel awful if you died because I left for the safety of the ranch. Besides, it’s a good thing I was with you since you ended up using my gun to return fire.”
Dom sighed, then decided to give up. Kendra was the most stubborn woman he’d ever known. Yet she had a point about the weapon. At least they weren’t entirely helpless.
He looked around again, relieved that Kendra had gotten away from the hotel without drawing attention. They’d need to talk to the police at some point too.
“Do you have a destination in mind?” he asked, changing the subject. She seemed to be driving randomly through town, making several turns. “I don’t think we should head to another hotel.”
“I agree another hotel wouldn’t be smart.” She frowned as she made yet another turn. He understood she was trying to avoid being followed. “There’s a cabin northwest of Cody that I rented for my brothers a few months ago. We need to see if that’s available.”
“Is that why you grabbed the computer? So you can find a rental property?”
“Yeah, and we still need to dig into Stuart Ramsey’s background.” She wrinkled her nose. “The problem is that I don’t want to pull over to use the computer now. I figure I’ll simply drive to the cabin, see if anyone happens to be there.”
“What if there are people staying there?” He wasn’t sure just showing up was a good idea. “Then we’re back to square one. We can’t just drive around all night.”
“It’s possible.” She shrugged. “I figure it can’t hurt to check it out. If it’s not open, we can pull over and try to find another place to stay.”
He shifted, trying to get his legs into a more comfortable position, then reached for the laptop she’d tossed on the floor. “I’ll see if I can find something.”
They rode in silence for several minutes. He’d barely started his search when his disposable phone rang, startling him. He pulled it from his pocket and eyed the number. Was this the US Marshals Service returning his call? He didn’t think anyone else had this number. Kendra had used her phone to call her family. He hadn’t contacted anyone other than the marshals.
He debated ignoring it but then realized that answering while on the move was probably better than waiting until they were settled in someplace. “Yeah?”
“Is this Dominic Lakeland?” the male voice on the other end of the line asked.
“Yep.” Feeling Kendra’s curious gaze, he made a circle with his index finger, indicating she should keep driving around. “Who are you?”
“This is US Marshal Andrew Levy. Your call was routed to me since the marshal who originally relocated your father twenty-four years ago has retired.”
Hearing the news was like a sucker punch to the gut. His father really had been relocated to Montana in the witness protection program. Even though that had been his theory, it was a whole different thing to hear it spoken by someone in charge.
“Dominic? Are you still there?” Levy asked.
“Yes.” He glanced at Kendra. “I’m here. I need some answers about why someone keeps trying to kill me.”
“Where are you now?” Levy demanded.
