Monroe, Marla - The Edge of Night [The Protectors 3](Siren Publishing Classic) (22 page)

Jethro positioned himself at the side of the window, peeking around the drapes occasionally. Morgan was glad he’d called them in. They knew more about subterfuge than he ever had. They still worked for the government on occasion.

“Here they come now. They’re coming in the other room. I’ll be right back.” Jethro disappeared into the other room.

Morgan heard the other door open, then close, a few seconds later. There were muffled voices, and then the three men walked back into the room.

“What did you find out?” Morgan asked. He reached out and clasped Amanda’s hand when he noticed she was shaking.

“Well, we definitely have someone snooping around, but they don’t know what they are looking for,” Justin told them.

“Yeah, two men checked every car and truck and bike in the place. Hotel clerk said they asked about a redheaded woman, about twenty-eight, with bright blue eyes. Didn’t mention anyone else with her. The clerk told him she hadn’t seen anyone that looked like that and the only women they had there were with husbands. Since she hasn’t seen Amanda, she was telling the truth,” Tyler said.

“Okay, we move again tomorrow,” Jethro said. “We’ll hang back behind you and watch for cars or trucks that seem to be following. Let’s map out our route so we know where you will stop for the night in case we get separated.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Morgan agreed.

Jethro walked back to the other room and came back with a map. They spread it out on the little desk and plotted out the roads they would take and the little town outside Oklahoma they would stop in for the night. Convinced that it was the best they could do, he called it a night and said they should get some sleep. They needed to be up and out of the hotel by eight the next morning.

The twins nodded and said good night again before closing their side of the connecting doors. Tyler headed to the bathroom for a shower, and Morgan peeled off his jeans to climb into the bed with Amanda. He could tell by the way she lay staring up at the ceiling that she was spooked. He didn’t blame her. She had a shitload of people after her and all for one purpose, to turn her over to Guy.

“Amanda, honey, come here.” He pulled her against him until her head rested on his shoulder. Her hand snaked over to wrap around his waist.

“I’m scared, Morgan. I thought I could do this, you know, outrun him, but he’s not giving up.”

“He has a lot to lose. Until we have something we can hold over him, he stands to lose not only the bid for mayor, but also the fiancée he tried to compare you to. He just doesn’t know that he abandoned the wrong woman. You’re ten times more important than any socialite bitch with a cold heart and an even colder bed.”

“You’re just saying that. I’m not elegant or thin like she is. She’s poised and sophisticated. I can never be that way.” Amanda sighed.

He could hear the tears in her voice. “Amanda, why would you want to? Do you want Guy to want you back?” He stilled, waiting for her answer.

“God no. I never want to see that bastard again,” she said vehemently.

“Then don’t belittle yourself for not measuring up to the woman he’s engaged to. You’re worth far more than she ever could be.”

“I’ll try not to. I’ve been a no-one all my life. Always on the outside, in the drab middle. I thought when he showed interest in me that maybe I really could be someone. I’d belong somewhere and be important to them. How could I have been so stupid and not seen it? I mean, I knew he was seen with other women by the newspaper, but I just saw them as people he knew and traveled around with for his campaign. I was so naive.”

“You were young and vulnerable. You’re not to blame. He is for taking advantage of you. You were vulnerable, and he used that to string you along. If you hadn’t gotten pregnant, he would have tried to set you up as his mistress, and by then, you might have been so needy that you would have settled for that.”

“God, I’d like to think I wouldn’t have stooped that low, but maybe you’re right.” She swallowed and shook her head.

“Stop thinking about it and go to sleep, baby. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. You need your rest.” Morgan squeezed her and settled her more firmly against his side.

A few minutes later, he heard the bathroom door open, then Tyler pad across the room toward the other bed. He heard the bed squeak and the covers rustle, then a soft sigh. He knew his friend was worried. He’d seen it in his eyes earlier. They were in over their heads, but with the twins, he hoped they’d evened up the odds a bit. That was what he was counting on, anyway.

Chapter Seventeen

After breakfast the next morning, Amanda climbed on back of the bike once again. She couldn’t even remember how many days it had been since they’d first met, but she acknowledged the fact that she was falling for Morgan hard and fast. She had little doubt that once she was safe and the problem of Guy was out of the way, he would make sure she was set up, then leave. He wasn’t looking for anything permanent, especially someone with a baby by another man. She could only imagine how much her pregnancy reminded him of his own wife and child he’d lost.

“You doing okay back there?” Morgan called over his shoulder.

“Fine.”

“We’ll be going slower today than yesterday and stop a little more often so Justin and Jethro can watch for someone following us.”

“Okay. I’ll be glad for any chance there is to walk around and use the bathroom,” she admitted.

Their first stop was at a truck stop. The twins didn’t stop with them this time. Amanda climbed off the bike and waited for Morgan to do the same. Tyler walked up to them, looking around as he did.

“Anything?” he asked Morgan.

“Nope, haven’t seen anything. I’ll call the twins and see if they’ve picked up anything yet,” Morgan said. “Why don’t you take Amanda inside to the bathroom and get some water for us?”

Tyler nodded and took Amanda’s elbow. She felt much more comfortable around him than she had at first, but still preferred to stick close to Morgan. She looked back at him as Tyler led her inside the truck stop.

“Bathroom first?” he asked.

“Yeah, thanks.” They walked back to the restrooms. He stood outside the women’s bathroom until she came out. It felt good to know there was someone making sure she would be okay. As soon as she walked out, Tyler put an arm around her waist and walked her toward the cooler.

“Water and juice or just water this time?” he asked.

“Water is fine.” She took one of the bottles from him and followed him to the front to check out.

“Do you think he’s found anything out?” she whispered up to Tyler.

“Don’t know. We’ll find out when we get back outside.”

They caught up with Morgan pacing in the parking lot talking to someone. Amanda couldn’t tell if it were to the twins or to his friend Dodge. He looked grim. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his mouth was pressed together in a straight line. Her heart sank. This couldn’t be good.

“Okay, we’ll keep going and see what happens next then. If something’s wrong, call several times in a row. I’ll feel the buzz and know to look for an exit.”

Tyler and Amanda exchanged worried glances. If Morgan was worried and Tyler looked the same way, Amanda was downright scared. She hesitated to latch on to Morgan while he was on the phone, but she wanted to. Tyler seemed to sense her unease because he wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder.

“It’s okay. Everything is under control, or we’d be on the bikes already,” he said.

Morgan snapped his phone back on his belt and frowned at Tyler. His friend immediately released Amanda. She wasn’t sure what was going on.

“She’s scared, Morgan. What did you find out?”

“Three cars and one truck took the same ramp we did. Jethro and Justin didn’t follow, so they don’t know if they actually came here or not. Look around and try to remember the cars and trucks you see so we can check the next time we stop.” Morgan spoke while, the entire time, he was looking around them. “Did you have any trouble inside?”

“Nope, none.” Tyler handed Morgan the water.

“Have you talked to your friend Dodge yet?” Amanda asked.

“Not yet. I figure I’ll give him till this afternoon before I call.” Morgan turned up the water and drank half of it before stopping for a breath. “Okay, as soon as you finish your water, baby, we need to get on the road again. The twins are waiting on us about ten miles up the road.”

“I’m almost finished. I was thirsty.” Amanda quickly finished her water and dropped it in the trash.

Tyler finished his and tossed it from several feet away. Morgan did the same thing. Amanda wanted to laugh and tease them about acting like kids, but something sent a chill down her spine. It felt almost like someone was watching her.

“What is it, baby?” Morgan asked, dropping his hand to her shoulder.

“Nothing, I’m sure. I just felt like someone was watching me.” She shook her head and walked over to Morgan’s bike.

“Let’s go, Tyler. I don’t like that.” Morgan got on the bike and waited while Amanda climbed on behind him.

Tyler pulled up next to them, and the three of them headed back toward the interstate. Amanda couldn’t shake the feeling. She tried looking behind her to see which cars followed, but couldn’t do it and hang on to Morgan, too.

“Be still back there. You’re going to fall off.” Morgan’s voice sounded stern.

She stopped trying to see behind them and concentrated on watching for the twins’ truck instead. She never saw them pull back into traffic, so she wasn’t sure if she’d just missed them or if they were that good that she missed them.

Nearly four hours passed before they pulled over again. Amanda’s butt was getting numb again. She thought for sure that, after several days’ riding, she’d have a bike butt by now.
Better than the wide butt you’re going to have in a few months.

They pulled off the interstate at a small town that boasted two service stations, a Burger King, and a McD’s. They pulled into one of the gas stations to fuel up.

“Amanda, if you can wait to go to the bathroom, I figured we’d eat while we’re here. They’ll probably have cleaner bathrooms, too,” Morgan told her.

“Sounds fine to me. I’m hungry.”

She watched as they topped off their tanks, then climbed back on with Morgan. They chose Burger King for a change and made a meal out of Whoppers and a Whopper Jr. Morgan’s phone rang. He pulled it off his belt and held it to his ear.

“Yeah.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin and sat back in the booth.

“Okay, we’ll check and see. Interesting. Yeah, I’ll talk to you again in a little while to let you know.” He hung up and snapped the phone back on his belt.

“Okay, two of the same cars got off this time. Both of them had female drivers,” Morgan informed them.

“Why would a woman be following me? How does she even know me? I don’t look like myself anymore.”

“I don’t know, babe, but we’ll find out. Let’s look for the two cars. One is a fancy sports car, red. The other is a blue four-door Ford of some kind,” Morgan said.

They finished their meals and headed out the door. Parked right next to their bike sat a red sports car. There wasn’t a soul in it, so whoever it was had been inside with them the entire time.

“Fuck,” Morgan said.

“I’ll go back in and look for someone who might fit this car. You two go mount up and ride up to the service station again. I’ll join you when I figure something out.” Tyler nodded at them and walked back inside the Burger King.

“Come on. Let’s get going.”

Amanda climbed on behind Morgan. Why would a woman be looking for her? Unless, could it be Guy’s fiancée? Why would she follow her? Maybe she wanted her out of the picture for good.