“Hello?”
“Hey, Lainey, it’s me,” he greeted her. “How are you doing? Everything okay?”
“So far.” She sighed. “What about you guys? Have you had any luck yet?”
“Not yet,” he admitted. “But we’re working on it. We’re stationed along the highway now, all four of us, waiting for one of Granger’s men to take the bait. As soon as we have one in our custody, we’ll get back to you. We’re going to use him to get all the information we can about the man himself and his operation.”
“You be careful,” she warned. “They’re violent men, Lawson. They don’t hold anything back. He must do something to ensure their loyalty because they’re completely devoted to him.”
“I will be,” he promised her. “You don’t have to worry about us, Lainey. We can handle ourselves.”
“I just wish there was more I could do to help.” She sighed. “I hate hiding out here, having you and your friends risk your lives for me and my family.”
“You just focus on staying safe. Stay inside, keep your door locked, keep a look out for any trouble,” he told her firmly. “That’s the most important thing right now. And keep your phone close.”
“I will,” she acknowledged. “I just don’t like feeling useless.”
“You’re not useless,” he assured her. “If you hadn’t brought this to us, we would never have known who was causing all thistrouble, right? You’ve given us a break. And now, we can use it to bring these guys down for good.”
“I know you’re right,” she replied. “Just…look after yourselves, okay? I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to one of you for helping me out.”
“No worries, just stay sharp,” he reminded her. “I should go. I need to keep focused on what’s happening here. But with any luck this will all be over soon.”
“I hope so,” she murmured, and he could hear the smile in her voice at the mere thought of it.
“I’ll speak to you later,” he promised her, and they said their goodbyes, leaving Lawson in the quiet of the night once more. He tucked his phone back into his pocket, and pushed the door open another couple of inches. How long were these guys going to make them wait? They had laid out the perfect honey trap for them, and now, they just needed them to take the bait.
When he thought of all the women who’d been lured into this nightmare, all the girls who had been kidnapped and forced into doing God only knew what for that man, it was hard for him to keep his cool. He’d seen a lot of nasty stuff over the years, but this? This might be the worst of it.
But he could handle it. They all could if it meant stopping this criminal organization. His thoughts drifted back to Sarah, their kiss. He had something good going for him now. Lawson knew he’d do anything to protect her, keep her safe. No matter what.
No matter whom he had to take down in the process.
Chapter Eleven
A harried waitress greeted Sarah and the other women as she passed them with a loaded tray of drinks and food. “Welcome, gals. Have a seat wherever you can find one.”
“Thank you,” Sarah replied, then turned to Hannah. “I’ll see if I can find us a seat and you three get the drinks.” She nodded toward the bar, then glanced around the packed room before seeing a small group leave a table off to the side by the window, and hurried in that direction.
As she waited, Sarah tilted her head to look at the clear sky above her, lost in thought. The moon was half-full and glowing, not a cloud in sight, and the stars were twinkling in the distance against the dark backdrop of the night. She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to being this far out in the middle of nowhere, but it was worth it just for the scenery.
She was startled out of her gazing as Hannah, Bailey and River walked up to their table and set down the drinks.
“Oh, you grabbed a good spot,” Bailey cheerfully acknowledged as they settled around the table.
While Sarah and the others reached for their glasses of wine, River scooped up her lemonade. She’d volunteered to be their designated driver for the night, and Sarah was glad she was off the hook and could have a little fun. She wanted to talk to them about everything that had been going on in her head lately, and she knew that she wasn’t going to be able to muster up the courage until she’d had a couple of drinks.
“It’s a beautiful night.” Hannah sighed as she glanced up at the moon above them. Many of the patrons of the bar were sitting outside, enjoying the balmy weather. The low buzz of conversation was comforting to Sarah and she felt like she could finally relax for the first time in forever. She liked knowing that this place was full of people who really seemed to be enjoying themselves, so she wouldn’t have to worry about being overheard. She had a lot she wanted to share.
“Yeah, it really is,” River agreed. “Shame the guys couldn’t join us.”
“You know what they’re up to tonight?” Hannah asked.
Bailey shook her head. “No idea. As far as I know, they’re up at the lodge, making plans for something important.”
Suddenly, all eyes at the table turned to Sarah, like she might have a better idea of what was happening.
She cocked an eyebrow. “Why are you all looking at me?”
