"Yeah, I ran into one of them not too long ago. The fancy guests didn't like the loud noise, so they found a way to taper it off. Now one can be right up your ass before you even know they're there."
"As soon as they get back with the horses, I'll take a ride over to the new resort and poke around. I don't want to leave you here alone just in case my poking sends the bad guy this way."
"This girl got to you, didn't she?"
Colton nodded. "She did. And I promised to keep her safe, and so far, I've failed." He gestured to the new horses. "How'd we make out with these guys?"
By the time Tyson had given him all the rundown on the new trail riders, Drake and Logan were back with Diva and Roscoe. Colton took the lead and unsaddled Roscoe. "Everything okay up there?"
"Yep," Logan answered. "And we took a look at the fire damage. It doesn't look too bad."
Colton agreed. "I got it out before the accelerant burned anything else." He gestured to his brothers. "Now that I have all three of you here, I wanted to ask you to be more diligent around the ranch. Someone is trying to hurt Ellie, possibly us, but either way, we're in the crosshairs. Ellie seems to think it might have something to do with the paparazzi at the gate. Or perhaps the stalker has ingrained himself with the photographers. Either way, we need to be on our toes until I figure out who he is."
Once the horses were cared for, Colton took the truck and headed for the resort. He still didn't know what he was looking for, but he was determined to find anything that he could.
Colton studied the outside of Active Assets from the parking lot. Just like its name, everything about the place was a reflection of great assets while being active. Top of the line ski retail, snowmobiles, spas. It was literally like a fancy country club resort more than an active outdoorsy place. The outside of the building itself looked like a Swiss Chalet and to him, it just seemed to have money written all over it. He had never looked into the prices himself, but he had heard through his mother and sister that the rates were extremely high.
And now he was going to bust in like the poor boy from next door and demand to know who had rented a quiet four-wheeler. He adjusted his hat as he stepped out.Yep. This will go over well.
The girl at the front desk seemed like she felt as much out of place there as he did. He smiled at her, and when she smiled back with that charming smile, he knew that if he played his cards right, she'd tell him whatever he wanted to know.
She gestured for him to come closer. "Can I help you, Sir? You look a little lost."
"Well, yes, ma'am, you can." He turned on the charm. "This place is a little too fancy for me, but I'm trying to get some information for a friend."
"How can I help you?"
He had read the flirty look right. Her tone matched it. "My friend is... well, let's say high profile. And he likes getting out in the wilderness sometimes to pretend that he's Davy Crockett or something, but in modern times. But he likes to take pictures of the wildlife, so he doesn't want anything loud to scare them off. I heard that your facility here has vehicles that go in the woods but don't make any noise. Is that true?"
She leaned closer and he humored her by doing the same. "We do. Our four-wheelers have special mufflers that hide all the noise usually associated with the recreational vehicles. You can sneak up on a deer all day long."
"Have you ever driven one of them?"
"Not yet, but I hope to." She glanced around. "And actually, we only have two of the things, and they're both reserved right now."
"Is someone out on one that I could observe?" Colton held his breath. This might be easier than he thought, if, for once, he got lucky.
She glanced at her screen and typed a few keys. "Hmm. Looks like Suite 401 turned theirs in, but Suite 504 has one of them checked out." She looked back up at him. "Maybe you could sit on the back deck and watch for it?"
He winked at her. "Are you getting off work anytime soon?"
She pouted her lip. "Not until tonight."
He dazzled her with a smile. "Maybe next time."
He hurried away, anxious to check out Suite 504.
Chapter Eighteen: Betrayal
Ellie Dampier
Ellie heard music in the dark. It woke her from a light slumber; she found it impossible to get comfortable in the box. There was no way to stretch out unless she was standing. Time meant nothing to her anymore, and she had no idea how long she had been in the box. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't even figure out what the box was.
Anger rose at the way she was being treated. No food. No water. Not even a peep. She had no idea why she could hear music now when all she had been exposed to was silence.
There has to be a door.The thought sprung into her head as the sleepy fog lifted. They had put her in there. There had to be a way out. She shifted to her knees and started to feel along the walls. Her hands were sore and swollen from the zip ties, but she still had enough feeling in them to try and find a door.
Inch by inch she felt along the velvet, scraping with her nails to find any discrepancies in the soft material. After she made the first pass, she fought tears as she found nothing. They couldn't have just built a box around her, so she stopped and tried again, but a little lower this time. Once again, she found nothing.
