“You have gum on your boots.”
She snorted.
“You’re coming to Howling, Hope.”
She didn’t speak again, and he closed his eyes. A nap was just what he needed before he resumed his battle with Hope, to get her back to Howling.
Newman opened his eye when someone touched his shoulder. Looking up, he saw one of the crew standing over him.
“We’ve landed, sir.”
His eyes went to the seat opposite, and saw it was empty.
“The young lady has already disembarked. She said not to wake you until it was absolutely necessary.”
“Shit!” Newman got himself vertical. “Thanks.”
Grabbing his bag, he left the jet, ran down the steps and into the small terminal. Sprinting down the corridor, he saw Tex, aka Ethan Gelderman III, big, well-built, and, Newman had to give him, handsome. Woman certainly thought so, if the looks he was getting as he approached were any indication. Dark haired and blue eyed, he was married to Annabelle, a friend, so now he was one too. He and his brother flew tourists about in their helicopters.
“Christ, tell me the other guy looks worse?” Tex straightened as he saw Newman approach, and held out a hand. They did a chest bump.
“I’ll explain, but for now can we ditch the bitch talk, because I need to find Hope. Did you see her come through here?”
“If I knew who Hope was, I may have,” Tex said in his slow drawl.
“Blue fitted dress, black lace-up boots, long black hair, and a backpack. She’s Militant’s daughter.”
Tex flinched. Hope’s mother was not one of Howling’s most loved citizens.
“She went that way about ten minutes before you arrived.” Newman followed Tex’s finger.
“I have to find her. She’s in trouble, and is the reason I needed to get back here via your uncle’s jet.”
“Okay, well let’s start looking.”
Newman and Tex ran out of the terminal seconds later.
“Cab?”
He shook his head. “She has no money, so she’ll be on foot.”
“Left leads to town, right leads out of it.”
Newman headed right.
After an hour of searching, he knew he wasn’t about to find her anytime soon. Frustration sat heavy on his shoulders as he stood on the main street of Brook.
“I’m gonna kill you when we meet again,” Newman said softly.
Worry for her was swirling like acid in his stomach. Would she end up drunk in another bar? Would someone take advantage of her kind nature? Would he see her again?
“Fuck,” he said softly, because the word fitted how he felt.
“So what’s the deal? Is she in trouble? Sick? A longtime lover? Why are you so worked up about not finding her?”
“We grew up together. I’m not sure about the trouble aspect, but pretty sure something’s riding her. She’s got no money or job, and I found her drunk in a bar dancing on a chair.”
Tex whistled.
