“I gotta bring him in,” Jase said. “I can’t wait any longer.” He hadn’t tipped the police because he couldn’t verify Harding’s location, and if the cops started sniffing around, Randy would skip and Jase would have to track him all over again.
But things had changed for the worse for Rosa, and there was Tommy Dieter to consider. The kid wouldn’t be safe until Harding was behind bars.
“I told him to stay on it,” Jax said. “Get a location and whatever else he could find. Told him it would be worth his time.”
“Definitely,” Jase said. “I owe you one.”
Ryker’s hard mouth tilted into a smile. “I think we’re probably even. You gonna need backup? I got a little time on my hands.”
Bounty hunters often split fees. Jax was officially a PI, but he was licensed for bail enforcement, and he was a former navy SEAL. He was top-notch and Jase trusted him.
“This guy’s bad news, so yeah. I’ll call you as soon as I work out the details.”
As Ryker sauntered away, Jase glanced over at Kate. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but—”
“You have to go to Waco.”
“I’ve got to go after Harding, Kate. I didn’t call the cops because I didn’t have enough info, and I didn’t want the bastard to run. But I can’t put it off any longer. The girl he’s living with? I know her brother, Paulo. He’s worried about his sister, and he has every reason to be. Rosa’s in trouble and I can help her. If I pick up Harding and take him in, she’ll be safe. I’m sorry for breaking my promise, but I can’t just ignore this.”
Kate looked up at him. “You have to help her. I wish someone had helped my little sister. Go to Waco. Do what you need to do.”
He brushed a finger along her cheek. He wanted to kiss her, but Mindy was watching. Across the room, Lissa Blayne, another one of the office PIs, had shrewd eyes and loved to gossip.
“Let’s go,” he said softly, and led her outside to the parking lot. As soon as they’d loaded into the Yukon, he slid a hand behind her neck and pulled her in for the kiss he’d wanted to claim earlier. It was long, thorough and deep.
“Thanks for understanding,” he said roughly when he pulled away. “I’ll take Ryker with me and head on down. If Jax’s info pans out, I’ll be back in a day or two.”
Her eyes remained on his face, her lips still moist from his kiss. Arousal stirred beneath the fly of his jeans. He wished it was dark outside.
“I have things I need to do anyway,” she said. “I have to catch up on work at the office, and my sister’s funeral is tomorrow morning.”
“You never said anything.”
“I know. I’ve been trying not to think about it. Besides, I didn’t expect you to go.”
Maybe not, but if he managed to get Harding locked up and Rosa out of danger tonight, he’d be there. “I’ll take you home. I need to go by my place and grab my gear before we head out. The sooner I get to Waco, the sooner I can get back.”
“Harper told me you owned a plane.”
He nodded as he drove the Yukon out of the parking lot. “Cessna Turbo 210. It comes in handy sometimes. But Waco’s only ninety-five miles away. If I drive, I won’t need to rent a car when I get there.”
And his extra gear, including a pair of tactical vests, was already loaded. Plus the restraints bolted into the sides in the back of the vehicle often came in handy, especially with a dickwad like Harding.
He needed the extra weapons from the safe in his apartment: short-barreled tactical shotgun, Browning 9 mil, his Ka-Bar knife in a thigh sheath and flash-bang grenades.
“I hope you find him,” Kate said. “I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.”
Amusement trickled through him. “I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”
Kate’s expression turned serious. “You’ve never disappointed me, Jason. The day I walked into your office and you agreed to help me was my lucky day.”
He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know why his chest felt strangely tight. Glancing away from the softness in Kate’s golden brown eyes, he hit the gas and pulled into traffic.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
As Kate watched the SUV drive away that afternoon, she felt an unexpected sense of loss.
She’d spent so much time with Jason she felt untethered without him. She tried to tell herself it was just the emotional stress she’d been under, but it was hard to convince herself.
