Chapter 17

J ace couldn't speed to the motel fast enough after Kara called him. He showed up at the office quicker than the local police. Seeing Kara in the office sitting on a chair, her blue eyes huge, her lovely face pale and sheened with perspiration, he felt a surge of pure relief.

Heart hammering, he searched her up and down, looking for injuries. "You okay? Did he hurt you? Kara?"

She gulped down a sob as she stood. "I'm all right. Jace, it was terrifying."

As she relayed what happened, he folded her into his arms, glaring at the curious night clerk who was staring at him. Shaking, Kara took fistfuls of his shirt, clinging to him like a life raft.

Shouldn't have let her go alone. Damn, I promised her mom I'd watch out for her.

Sirens wailed outside. Jace glanced as two local sheriff's deputy units pulled up to the office door and four men climbed out. He gently disentangled himself from Kara.

"Babe, you have to give them your statement, let them know everything that happened. This guy is still out there," he murmured.

Kara nodded.

As they entered the office, Jace told them about the attack. One of the deputies had a sergeant's patch on his uniform. The sergeant sent the three deputies to investigate the ground-floor motel room, while he remained in the office.

"Can you tell us exactly what happened, miss...?"

"Kara, please, call me Kara." She turned around, her composure regained, though she still looked far too pale.

Relaying every detail, including the man's physical characteristics and how he sported ink that sounded suspiciously like a Devil's Patrol tat, Kara stayed calm.

The deputies returned from the room.

"We checked the room and others. There's a blood trail leading out the door to the parking lot. Whoever broke in is long gone. Probably a thief." The deputy shook his head. "A beautiful woman alone in this area, kinda rough."

"He wasn't after my purse. He wanted to kidnap me. It was Lance, the leader of the Devil's Patrol."

The sergeant gave her a dubious look. "Kidnap you? For what?"

Jace's heart nearly stopped.

With remarkable control, she wiped her eyes and spoke in a steady voice. "I don't know. He said someone special wanted me."

Jace's blood ran cold. He clasped Kara's arms. "Did he say anything else, babe?"

"Other than swear at me after I clobbered him with the toilet tank lid, no."

"Good job," he said softly, rubbing a thumb along her damp cheek, his mind racing. "You sure it was Lance?"

Kara nodded. "There wasn't much lighting in the room, and I've seen him only once, but I'll never forget his ugly face from the Tiki Bar."

His heart skipped a beat and dread shimmied down his spine. Why did Lance want Kara? Was the gang leader hoping to use Kara to reel in Jace? Use her as a hostage? Or get Dylan to remain silent by using her as a hostage?

He gently squeezed her hand. "I have to make a call. Sit tight."

Outside the office, he called Rafe and relayed the news. His boss swore in Spanish.

"Talk to the man in charge, tell him what you've learned and to get a BOLO out on the bastard. He can't get far. He's wanted for two federal charges now, attempted kidnapping and interstate transportation of stolen property." Rafe hung up.

Kara was his main concern now. With Lance on the loose and after her, he wasn't taking any chances.

Leaving the sheriff's office to the investigation and advising them of what Rafe told him, he told her he was taking her to his hotel room. She did not argue.

In his car, Kara sat quietly after he'd loaded her suitcase into the trunk. Jace couldn't leave the parking lot fast enough.

He glanced at her. "Toilet tank lid, huh? Good thinking."

She took another unsteady breath. "I was hoping I'd either knock him out or he'd suffer a terrible allergy attack from the black mold on the toilet tank lid."

Jace laughed. She was going to be okay.

His laughter died. Yeah, okay for now, but Lance tried to kidnap her. Possibly assault her. Squeezing his fingers tight on the steering wheel, he felt his blood pressure rise. Someone had tried to hurt Kara.

It didn't make sense. I'm the one they want to harm .

"You'll be safe at the hotel and surrounded by agents. We have rooms on the same floor. If anyone tries anything—" he hissed out a breath "—they'll have to go through me. I won't let that happen."

An hour later, Kara was asleep in his room, one arm tucked beneath her, her face smoothed out. Jace sat on the bed, stroked her hair. He'd dropped the ball with her. Wasn't going to happen again.

Right now, he needed to find out why the hell Lance wanted Kara. His cell buzzed and he walked into the hallway to talk to Rafe.

"We found him. Son of a bitch broke into a drugstore to steal first-aid supplies. Local LEOs arrested Lance and he'll be arraigned tomorrow."

Should have felt relief, but Jace didn't.

"Did he say anything?" Jace asked.

"Wanted a lawyer. Said he would talk if he got a deal, but only after the lawyer gets here. His lawyer can't be here until tomorrow, during arraignment, so he's spending the night courtesy of the local jail. We've got him on federal charges, and he's scared."

They had Lance in custody. Dylan as a witness. But Kara's attack didn't fit the puzzle pieces. He knew something else was up.

"So he said nothing about why he wanted Kara. Or who wanted her," Jace mused.

"Lance may have targeted Kara in order to keep Dylan quiet. Insurance, so he doesn't talk in case Dylan turned himself in." Rafe released a deep sigh. "Or you, Jace. Maybe the bastard figured out you're a Fed."

"Seems too elaborate for him. If Marcus is pulling the strings, he'd simply order a hit on Dylan. Or have taken him out before Dylan landed in our custody."

"How did he find you so fast?" Rafe wondered.

"He didn't find me. He found Kara." Suddenly, it clicked. "Dammit, I should have seen it. He put a tracking device on Dylan's bike. He's been following Dylan the entire time. Check out the bike and text me."

Less than an hour later, Rafe confirmed Jace's suspicions through a text and said he'd meet him at the hotel's lounge.

Leaving an agent on guard outside his room, he headed downstairs.

Low lighting and elegant wood paneled walls loaned the bar a feel of intimacy. Jace sat at a back table facing the entrance and ordered a bourbon and soda from the server. Dylan was safe, in custody. Lance had been arrested. A key part of this puzzle remained missing.

Darkling had to have intel. He texted her . Any more chatter on what Marcus and the DP plan to do for a public target and making a statement?

She responded, None. It's like they abandoned that plan.

Abandoned because the target was no longer viable? Or was it a diversion?

He texted Darkling again. What's your thoughts on this? Are they attempting something else? Or was it a ruse to draw our attention away from the real target?

Her response sent a chill down his spine, making gooseflesh break out along his bare arms, despite the morning warmth.

Ruse. All I've picked up are references ‘She's with him. Get her.' No details. That bit of intel was a slip because they've all gone dark since.

He signed off with thanks and set down his phone.

Get her. Then tonight Lance had attacked Kara.

Rafe joined him a few minutes later. Tie loosened, hair mussed, the normally urbane agent looked exhausted. He ordered a beer and waited until the server walked off.

"Simple tracking device hidden on the Ducati," Rafe said, his voice tight. "Should have seen it from the beginning. Lance knew where Dylan was at all times and even after we seized his bike and impounded it, it was only a matter of simple deduction for him to figure out we had him in custody."

"It doesn't add up. He knew he witnessed the murder of the other two kids. He knows who Marcus is. Why leave him alive?"

"Unless he didn't want Dylan. He wanted you." Rafe nodded thanks to the server and drank the beer the woman delivered. "You said you were going after Dylan and he could have been following you. You broke the bonds of brotherhood and he wanted revenge."

"Lance doesn't wipe his own butt without orders from Marcus."

"I know. Your old man told me. He knew Marcus."

Jace nearly choked on his drink. He set down the glass. "What the hell?"

"Remember that name that you spotted on Lance's phone?"

"PrisonerXYZ? Darkling tracked it down?"

"She found it on a few message boards and traced it. Guy thought he was being careful. Anonymous. But his ego is too big. He posted a fake photo, and she did a Google search and found it was fake, belonged to some photographer who shot photos at a bike rally."

Rafe's smile widened. "The same rally where Lance was shot. Photographer got a photo of Lance talking with another biker just before the fight broke out. Your old man told me he remembers PrisonerXYZ from prison. His name is Gerald, Gerry. Al said he's sure Gerry and Marcus are the same person."

"How can he be sure?" Jace snorted. "No one knows Marcus's true identity. The guy went deep into the shadows when supposedly he was released from prison. And my old man would say anything to beat the rap."

"Not this time. We checked out his story and did facial recognition, and found Gerald did time for armed robbery and got out of prison a year ago. Gerald got paroled same time Marcus emerged as the shadow leader of the DP."

"It has to be him. Damn."

"Your cover is definitely blown and you were followed."

Jace sucked down a breath and then drained his drink. "Not surprised. Someone saw Kara with me, figured things out."

"The bikers who followed you both from the Florida motel and the guy they had tailing you at the aquarium at Manatee Island. Lance admitted that much before clamming up."

"What Lance knows, Marcus knows."

"You're not safe, Jace. These guys play rough." Rafe traced the bottle's label. "What if Marcus wanted Kara because she's your girl and he planned to smoke you out into the open? Kidnap Kara in exchange for your life?"

"Maybe. But they had plenty of chances to take me out before this. Seems too elaborate."

He considered. "And the moment I leave Kara's side, she gets attacked. I don't believe in coincidences."

Rafe drank more beer, wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. "Doesn't matter. I want you to vanish, Jace. Too much at risk, especially your life. Kara's in danger, and maybe she knows something she doesn't even know she knows. Kara could be an essential witness as much as Dylan is and she needs protection. Take her someplace safe until we nail Marcus."

"And until then? You'll work with my old man to bring Marcus down?" He laughed without humor. "My old man, an ex-convict, to save the day."

"Jace, I won't lose you. You're good and in deep, and you did great. But it's too risky now. You can't keep the cover."

Lost in thought, he didn't respond. Two bikers knew Kara was with him at the Florida motel, maybe even saw him with Kara and Dylan when they all met, since they'd put a tracker on Dylan's bike.

They could have easily taken him at several intervals. Yet they did not.

Now, Kara was in danger. Rafe made sense. If he was the target, then he couldn't remain on the case.

"Fine." He shook his head at the waitress as she asked about a refill. "I'm taking Kara out of here tomorrow, first thing."

"I need to know where you're headed."

He gave him a level look. "You said not to trust anyone, Rafe. I'll check in when I get there."