“That’s fine.Like I said, she’s busy with her computer stuff here in your kitchen.She’s excited.Talking about bringing down some sort of organization.”
Tanner winced.They were trying to buy time, not cause the Organization to bomb the ranch.
Noah was spoiling for a fight.Wanted them to send out the troops.
That was fine, because so was Tanner.
“Just keep her in my house until I can get home.Make sure she doesn’t run off again.”
“Will do, bro.Since nobody knows she’s here, I’ll just be back and forth between my place and yours.”
“Okay,” Tanner said.“Just keep an eye out.I don’t want her running off again until we get some answers.”
“Roger that.”Noah disconnected the call.
Tanner looked at Ronnie but didn’t hand him back his phone.
“Holy hell, boss.What exactly is going on?”
“Let’s go out back and have a cigarette.”
Before Ronnie could respond that neither of them smoked, Tanner held a finger up to his lips in a gesture for quiet.
He threw the other man’s phone in a drawer and led him outside.
Ronnie looked all sorts of confused.“Do you really think your phone is bugged?”
“I think it’s way more than that.And I’m going to need your help.”
“Providing backup at your ranch?Do you think Steele might make an attempt for Bree?”
“We’ve got much bigger problems than Bill Steele, or whatever his name is.And Bree is not at my ranch.”
“But you and Noah just said—”
“I said that specifically for the ears that were listening.And those ears are listening toanycell phone, off or on.I don’t have time to go into the details right now.You’re just going to have to trust me.”
Ronnie nodded.“What do you need me to do?”
Tanner was thankful he and Ronnie had been working together for so long.“Bree is at the Sunrise.I need you to watch over her while Noah and I do some hunting.”
“Sure, I—”
They broke off from the conversation as Scott walked outside and saw them.
“You letting him in on it?”Ronnie muttered softly.
Tanner gave a short shake of his head.It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the kid; as a matter of fact, Scott had been almost more ferocious in the search for Steele than anyone.But Scott was leaving soon, and Tanner didn’t want to put him in any unnecessary danger.
Scott gave them a friendly smile as he joined them.“Hey, somebody told me you were out here.I’m just about done with everything and will be heading out this afternoon.I’m just missing one laptop to place the final training software on.It’s an older one, and no one seems to quite know where to find it.”
That would be because Bree was currently using it to try to work her magic.But Tanner didn’t have time to come up with a reasonable lie.He needed to get to the ranch since the plan was already in motion.
“Honestly, I’m not sure where that thing is.I’ll just install the update myself once it’s located.”
“Oh, okay.”Scott shrugged and gave a half smile.“Well, then, I guess this is goodbye.I’m moving on to Colorado Springs today.”
“Thanks for your help this past week.I know I wasn’t the best of company, but I appreciate you trying to help us track down Steele.That went above and beyond what you were here to do.”
