Preacher frowned.
Elaine shook her head. “No, she didn’t go anywhere near anything she could have laced poison in. Besides, we’re probably worried about nothing. I can’t imagine a woman beating another with a pipe.”
When Preacher went back inside, he waited in the living room with Dagger, who was playing a game on his console. “Never took you for a gamer.”
“I never get the chance, but since we’re here and mostly sitting on our asses, I thought, why not? I’ll take care of the outside perimeter checks. Lacey will get some shuteye. I’ll keep it turned way down, so don’t worry about the noise.”
“I’m not worried. I just really appreciate you being here. I owe you.”
“Yeah, you do,” Dagger said, giving him a quick grin. “I’m sure we’ll be on a hunt someday, and there will be something gross, like a slog through a pig pen or a mountain of horse manure, chasing some A-hole.”
Preacher grimaced. “I know—I’ll be ‘it’.”
“Yeah, and don’t you think for a minute I’ll forget.”
“Did you just say he owes you?” Lacey said, reaching across the back of the couch to slap Dagger’s shoulder.
“He did. But he’s right,” Preacher said. “I owe all of you.”
Lacey shrugged. “I can think of a couple of ways you could pay us back.”
Preacher narrowed his eyes. “Does it have anything to do with your TV show?”
Lacey smiled. “Maybe. The fans love seeing our hunter friends in action.”
As Dagger began laughing, Preacher rolled his eyes. “Jesus.”
Chapter 12
After Lacey and Dagger darted out to meet Ethan Palmer at his office at closing, Preacher performed a perimeter check then decided to do some housekeeping, thinking Laura might start to stress if she thought her home was getting trashed by the hunters.
He ran a quick vacuum and mopped all the tiled floors. Then he dug around in her pantry for wood polish and dusted every surface in the living room and kitchen. After tackling the guest bathroom, he checked on Laura.
Her eyes opened when he pushed open the door. “I’m bored.”
“And that’s okay. The doctor said you have to rest your head. No TV, no reading. He probably wouldn’t like knowing you’ve been entertaining guests.”
She snorted. “Me sitting in my pajamas at the table isn’t entertaining guests.” Her expression lost its spark of humor. “I heard you mentioning something about Edna.”
He walked to the bed and sat beside her. “She’s had some problems in the past with obsession. Stalker charges. Apparently, she haunted her ex-boyfriend to the point a judge had to issue a restraining order.”
“I’ve never heard anything about that.”
“It was a few years ago. Likely it all died down.”
“She’s been working for Bob for years. Surely, he didn’t hire her unless he felt comfortable having her around.”
Preacher reached out and cupped the uninjured side of her head. He rubbed his thumb over her temple. “We’re checking everyone we can think of. You aren’t to worry. Rest that brain.”
She turned her head and kissed his hand. “I’d like you to rub something other than my head.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. “And I’d love to do a lot more than rub something, but…”
She squinched her nose. “It’s so not fair.”
“Tell me about it,” he said, palming his dick because it was beginning to perk up.
“Will you lie down with me for a little while?”
“Only if you promise to try to sleep.”
She grimaced. “I promise.”
Preacher walked around to the other side of the bed and removed his shoes. Then he climbed onto the bed beside her.
She turned and rested against him.
When she drew a breath, he tapped her nose. “No talking. It requires thinking.”
“Ugh. You know that’s impossible.”
“It’s not impossible if you actually close your eyes and sleep.”
“Such a bossy man,” she muttered.
“Only when I need to be.”
“Or I want you to be…” she said, her tone sly now.
Preacher groaned. “Laura, you’re killing me.”
“How do you think I feel?”
“You have a headache. Great excuse.”
“But I’d love to think about something else.”
“Well, then think about this…”
Preacher started telling her about his life in Missouri, before he’d joined the Army. About his mom who’d died from cancer and the father who’d drank himself to death. Then he talked about joining the Army, “because it was the only thing I could think to do to get the hell away from my dad’s legacy.”
“I’m so sorry, Dylan.”
He smiled. “Now, that’s the first time you’ve called me by that name.”
She let out small, soft laugh. “That’s because Preacher fits. I tend to call out to God when you’re inside me.”
He chuckled. “Quiet. I’m getting to the really boring parts about all the schooling the Army gave me to make me into a warrior…”
When he’d finished telling her about jump school, he glanced down at her. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing deeply. After gently slipping out from under her, he left the room.
Preacher took the time alone to pack away his things in the guest room/office. Then he sat down and began to make calls to the folks on the list Fig had given him.
Frank’s cousin hadn’t seen him since the family reunion last summer and had no idea where he might be. Two more cousins parroted the story. His former wife said the same. As did his best friend since high school. Almost like someone had coached them as to what to say when anyone came nosing around.
He called the sister whose property would be forfeited should they not catch him in time. After she’d cursed her relatives, she admitted she’d lost touch with him even before he’d called from jail, pleading for her help to get him out. She’d regretted the good deed ever since, because he’d ghosted her that very day. When she’d called to invite him to her home for dinner for a chance to catch up and see how she might help him, the phone number he’d given her was no longer in service.
Preacher made notes of the conversations then pulled out a map and plotted the home addresses for everyone he’d contacted. Like Fig had said before, they were all located in either Bozeman or Pine Creek. And Pine Creek was very near the sister’s vacation home…
Preacher wondered if it was really that easy.
He texted Fig.
Anyone check Linda Cameron’s vacation home?
No
Then a moment later, Shit. I’ll ping Cage
Feeling like he’d accomplished something for the day, he closed the folder and sat looking out the window. Lacey and Dagger pulled up a few minutes later. He let them in then stood back. Lacey was carrying a large duffel bag.
“You planning to move in?”
“A girl never knows what she might need on hand. Plus, I thought if Laura felt up to it, I might give her a mani or a pedi. A little pampering might lift her spirits.”