Dakota shook her head but laughed. “I’m serious.”
“So am I,” Blade replied. Did she even know how stunning she was?
“You’re going to get us both killed if you continue like this.”
Blade had no intention of letting that happen. They were still looking for Austin, and they were being careful. Once they found him, Blade would do what was necessary. There was nothing wrong with having a little fun until then.
“I’ll never let anything happen to you,” Blade said. “You’re stuck with me now.”
In the distance, Mrs. Cassidy’s buggy turned right onto a road leading away from the stores. Blade and Dakota followed, making sure to keep a safe distance. They had been busy searching for Austin when they overheard a conversation in the general store. The store owner had asked a woman, whom he called Mrs. Cassidy, how her husband was doing. Mrs. Cassidy then proceeded to tell the store owner that her husband, Austin, was doing really well and had gone fishing with some friends.
There were houses on both sides of the road, and it was clear that the people who owned them had money. These weren’t the type of houses that normal folks lived in. They were built for the wealthy. Knowing how Austin made his money sent a flare of anger through Blade’s body. He welcomed the feeling. It was what he needed to fuel him for the fight that lay ahead. Mrs. Cassidy stopped at a house that was so fancy, it even stood out among the others.
As they watched Mrs. Cassidy carry her groceries into the house, Blade wondered if she knew who her husband was. He doubted it. Austin was an evil man, but he wasn’t dumb. He hadn’t run one of the largest gangs in America while staying anonymous for the last seven years by telling people his secrets.
“What do we do now?” Dakota asked.
“Austin isn’t here, and I don’t believe for a second that he has gone fishing, but I do believe he is hiding somewhere with his friends.”
“How do we find him? If he lied to his wife, she wouldn’t be of any use to us.”
“We look for horse prints,” Blade replied as he slowly started steering Africa forward.
“And how exactly are we going to figure out which of these prints belongs to him?” Dakota asked with a frown. “People use this road daily.”
It was true, but he doubted that any of the wealthy folks left town on horseback. They would likely have buggies. There were a lot of horse prints in the road, though, so they would have to rely on a little luck.
“The houses only stretch to where the woods begin. I bet if we continue down this road, the horse prints will get fewer, and we’ll be able to see if anybody left town recently.”
Turned out luck was on their side. As Blade had thought, the horse prints became less and less as they headed further down the road. By the time they reached the woods, there was only one set of prints.
“Remind me to never doubt your tracking skills,” Dakota said, looking at him proudly. “You really think these belong to him?”
“I do,” Blade confirmed. “But there is only one way to find out.”
As they followed the tracks, they found more and more. Men had come from different directions and paths, but they were all heading in the same direction. The road they were on grew narrower, and the woods surrounding it grew thicker. There were many smaller roads and paths leading out from it, but the horse prints continued on. Then suddenly, they disappeared.
Blade brought Africa to a stop as he scanned the surrounding area. At first, he didn’t see it, but then, between two big trees, he spotted an overgrown path. It was narrow and had been long forgotten, but it was the only way they could have gone.
Slipping off Africa’s back, he walked over to the path and crouched down. Pulling the long grass to the side, he saw horse prints. They were definitely on the right track.
“They headed through there,” he told Dakota as he made his way to her. “I think we’re close.”
Dakota nodded. “Then what are we waiting for?”
“I don’t know about you,” Blade replied seriously, “but I’m waiting for my woman to give me a kiss.”
Dakota shook her head and rolled her eyes but leaned down anyway. Holding onto his shoulders for balance, she gave him a peck and then pulled away with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Blade stared up at her. “Unbelievable.”
Dakota laughed, clearly pleased with herself, but then surprised him by grabbing his shoulders and crashing her lips to his. The second kiss lasted much longer, and when they finally parted, they were both out of breath.
“Better,” Blade said, feeling satisfied. “That’s the kind of kiss a man needs before a fight.”
“This woman needed it too,” Dakota teased. “Now, how about we go kill these bastards so that we can do it again?”
Blade liked that idea a lot. “Sounds like a plan.”
