The pounding, throbbing beat of the music matched the thrumming behind his eyes. Bam, bam, bam. Even the floor beneath his feet reverberated with the deep bass of the music. Flashing strobe lights illuminated the club’s dance floor, bodies gyrating to the techno song blasting from the speakers. At least, he thought it was a song. He couldn’t be sure, because there was nothing melodic about the clash of confusion and noise bombarding his eardrums.
Shiloh Boudreau stood close to the bar, nursing his bottle of water, wishing he’d opted for a beer instead. Couldn’t do that, though, because he was working. He scanned the crowd again, looking for his mark. Earlier, he’d spotted the woman he sought easing through a door leading backstage. When he’d tried to follow, one of the club’s security guards stopped him in his tracks.
So here he was, forced to cool his jets at the bar, waiting for her to reappear. Would she? The itch on the back of his neck, the one he got when something was about to happen, had the little hairs standing at attention. Acting on a hunch, because that’s all it was, he slid the half-empty bottle onto the bar and headed for the exit. The minute he was through the front door, he sprinted toward the alley.
Son of a gun, I’m too late!
He watched the city bus pull away from the curb, saw her shining auburn hair highlighted in the interior lights, as she took a seat toward the back. He’d missed her by mere seconds. Somehow, some way, she managed to stay two steps ahead of him. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear somebody tipped her off whenever he got close.
Too bad she’d didn’t know who she was messing with. He was a Boudreau, and they didn’t know the meaning of giving up. If she thought he’d simply turn tail and head back to Texas, she’d didn’t have a clue. This case wasn’t about a paycheck. It was a family quest, and he’d promised his brother he’d find Renee. Long-lost sister, separated from Lucas when they were youngsters, and put into the foster care system.
Lucas had been one of the lucky ones. He’d been placed at the Big House with the Boudreau clan. Renee simply disappeared into the system, and all records pertaining to her were mysteriously lost.
He flinched when she gave him a jaunty wave as the bus pulled away. No way could he manage getting back to his car and catching up to the rapidly departing bus. Parking had been a bear, and he ended up finding a spot several blocks away from the club. Some P.I. he was, he hadn’t even gotten the number off the bus to see what areas it covered.
Giving a heavy sigh, he started back for his car. Might as well head back to his hotel room, get a good night’s sleep, and start over in the morning. Renee O’Malley might be slicker than a greased piglet, but she’d find out soon enough she was dealing with a Boudreau. Quitting wasn’t in his vocabulary, and he tended toward being tenacious as a bloodhound once he scented his prey.
He made it to the hotel and unlocked the door. Reaching into his duffle, he pulled out the bottle of aspirin and shook two into his hand, downing them without water. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he rested his head in his hands, frustration making it head pound. He’d been so close this time. When he’d first agreed to head to Portland, he’d jumped at the chance, thinking he’d catch up with Renee, or as she’d been calling herself, Elizabeth. What a joke.
The woman gave new meaning to the term elusive. First thing he’d done was head to the address Heath’s newest recruit claimed he’d met Elizabeth Reynolds. After seeing a photo, everyone was convinced she was Lucas’ missing sister, Renee. Lucas would have come himself, but he’d been neck deep in an investigation in Shiloh Springs. If he’d pulled out, illegal gambling would have gotten an even bigger foothold in and around their home town.
All his cases lately bored him. Working as a private investigator might sound all fun and exciting, but mostly it was mind-blowing boredom, mixed with sporadic thrills. If he admitted the truth, he was getting burned out both mentally and physically. When Lucas called, it seemed like the perfect escape. A trip to Oregon couldn’t be considered a hardship, but more importantly, he’d be finding a missing member of the family.
Instead, he’d been chasing a ghost. A beautiful, elusive woman who intrigued him, without ever saying a word, which only made the chase more interesting. Let her run. He’d catch her. And when he did, she’d find herself in Shiloh Springs before she could say boo.
Scooting up on the bed, he put his back against the headboard and pulled out his phone, scanning his e-mail for messages. Nothing important enough to warrant his attention. On impulse, he dialed Lucas.
“Hello.”
“Hey, bro. Thought I’d check in, find out how things are in Shiloh Springs.”
“Do you realize what time it is, idiot?”
Shiloh winced when he remembered the time difference between Texas and Oregon. That couple of hours made it after midnight back home.
“Sorry. Just got back to the hotel and thought you might like an update on Renee.”
“You’ve talked to her? How is she? Does she remember me?” The excitement in Lucas’ voice struck at Shiloh like a knife to the gut. Now he had to tell his brother he’d struck out—again.
“Your sister is slippery as an eel. Every time I get close, she somehow manages to elude me. I got within about six feet of her tonight, at a techno club downtown. By the time I got across the stinking dance floor, she’d slipped out the back door into the alley, and jumped on a bus.”
“How’s she doing this? It’s like every time we get close enough to talk to her, she’s in the wind. I want to know why she’s running. To be this close, it’s killing me.”
“Dude, I almost didn’t call, because I hate disappointing you. This game of hide and seek is going to end. I’m not giving up until you are face to face with your sister.”
He heard Lucas’ sigh, and wished for the millionth time he had better news. Every time he called, he’d told him the same thing. Renee outsmarted him at every turn, which told him she’d been doing this song and dance for a long time. Nobody got this good at eluding a hunter, unless they were used to being hunted. The thought literally made him sick to his stomach. Who preyed on a helpless woman? He knew the answer, which didn’t help the overwhelming depression shadowing him.
“I know you’re doing everything you can. I feel like I’ve failed her. Every record I’ve searched trying to locate her for years has either disappeared, been destroyed, or leads to dead ends. I’ll rest easier once I know she’s safe and happy. Even if she doesn’t want me to be part of her life, I can accept that, as long as I know she’s not in trouble.”
“Yeah, me too. I’m going to start searching again in the morning. I’ve got another lead where she might be. I won’t give up. I promise.”
“Bro, I can’t ask you—”
“Stop. I’m here because I want to be. I don’t have anything else pending now, so this is a mini-vacation.”
“Liar. You’ll never know how much it means, you looking for Renee. The story’s coming out Sunday, so I may head up there right after that, and help you search.”
Shiloh knew his brother would be on the next plane out if he managed to run Renee to ground. “Listen, you’re in the middle of moving back to Shiloh Springs. You and Jill are starting a new life, a second chance to get things right. Focus on that, and I’ll handle things here. I give you my solemn promise, you’ll be the first person I call when I’ve found your sister.”
“But I can help you search.”
“Lucas, buddy, I’ve got this. I’m afraid if she realizes two strange men are looking for her, she’ll bolt. She’s done it before. When I catch up to her, we can both figure out who’s been chasing her and handle the problem.”
“I—okay, fine. Call me any time, day or night, when you find her.”
Shiloh rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, wishing the aspirin’s effect would kick in.
“I will. Get some sleep.”
“You too.”
Shiloh disconnected the call and picked up the TV remote. Might as well see if there was anything worth watching. It was going to be a long night.
Renee shivered beneath the vent on the bus, its icy blast chilling her to the bone. She drew in a ragged breath and pushed the hair out of her eyes. That had been a close call. Too close. Whoever this guy was, he was good. It had been sheer dumb luck she’d spotted him leaning against the bar, or he’d have caught her. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen him, and he was getting on her last nerve. Why couldn’t he leave her alone? She wasn’t hurting anybody. All she wanted was to have a little corner of the world to call home.
She was tired. So tired it was getting hard to think straight. Sleeping was as elusive as fairy’s breath on the morning dew, and the hour or two she managed at night was filled with dreams. Mostly nightmares, but recently they’d been filled with visions of the dark-haired stranger from tonight. Hot, sweaty, not suitable for work-style dreams.
Who did he work for? Darius and Eileen didn’t mind hiring freelancers. Thus far, she’d managed to elude her pursuers, but how much longer would her luck hold? She’d struggled to stay one step ahead of them, though this last time she’d cut it a little too close for comfort.
Cincinnati had been a blessing, a respite from living on the run. Who knew why, but they hadn’t caught up to her there for almost two years—the longest she’d managed to stay in one place.
Luckily, the bus only held a handful of people this late at night, for which she was grateful. Nobody sat beside her, so she didn’t have to make useless chitchat. When she’d jumped aboard, evading the stranger riding her tail, she hadn’t even looked to see where it was headed, her only thought to get away from the club, and him, ASAP.
Picturing the handsome stranger in her mind, she wondered how much Darius paid him to find her. Somehow, she had a hard time picturing him as a hired killer. Oh, Darius would make sure killing her was the last resort, but she’d bet it was on the table, especially if Eileen had anything to say about it. Eileen wanted her dead and in the ground. Renee wouldn’t be surprised if Eileen wanted the pleasure of being the one to put a bullet between her eyes personally.
She coughed as the stench of sweaty bodies wafted toward her, and caught the eye of an older man, huddled in a seat two rows ahead of her, wearing a tattered pea-green army jacket. His greasy brown hair held more than its share of gray and cascaded to the top of his shoulders, straggly and dirty. A dingy, faded duffle occupied the seat beside him, and she’d bet it contained all his worldly possessions.
Breaking free of his gaze, she glanced out the window, pleasantly surprised when she recognized familiar landmarks. Finally, one good thing from this horrible night had gone right. One of the few friends she’d picked up since moving to Portland lived only a couple of blocks away, and she knew Tina wouldn’t mind letting her bunk on her couch for the night.
She climbed off the bus, shivering against the chilly wind blowing from the north, and wished she’d stopped to grab her sweater, the one she’d left hanging on the back of a chair at the nightclub. Though calling the place a nightclub didn’t really do justice to the place. It was one step up from being a dive bar. Its only saving grace? Their dance floor, where people actually got out of their seats and danced.
It had been a foolish impulse, going to the club, but she’d craved human contact. The urge to simply be around others, even people she didn’t know, compelled her out into the real world. Even if she only made it through a couple of songs, maybe a dance or two, at least she’d feel something besides the loneliness plaguing her for so long.
Wrapping her arms around her to ward off the night’s chill, she walked faster, hoping to make it to her friend’s apartment before she turned into a human popsicle. Tina had worked with Renee at a local coffee shop, close to her old apartment. The charming spot wasn’t one of the big chain stores, more of a mom-and-pop shop, but it had a friendly and loyal clientele, and she’d liked the atmosphere and the people. Too bad she’d been forced to quit, the instinct that kept her out of trouble pinging louder and louder. Whenever that happened, she listened, knowing she’d be hitting the road sooner rather than later.
She climbed the three flights of stairs to Tina’s apartment, bypassing the elevator. Tina groused all the time about the unreliable monstrosity, Renee remembered, complaining it broke down more than it worked. And she really didn’t want to be stuck in an elevator between floors. Not tonight. All she wanted was to curl up beneath a comfy blanket and seek oblivion in sleep. Tomorrow, she’d assess her situation, and decide if she could buy a little more time, or if she’d be forced to hit the bricks.
She chuckled quietly as she walked toward Tina’s place. I must be more tired than I thought if I’m thinking in cliches. And really lousy ones. I sound like a flatfoot from an old 40s movie.
It took mere moments before she was settled onto Tina’s overstuffed sofa with its enormous cushions, sipping a cup of hot cocoa. Tina tossed her a pillow and spare blanket, and once Renee promised to explain things the next morning, went back to bed.
Yeah, right. I’ll have to come up with a believable story, not only for why I’m here, but why I’ll be leaving Portland.
Sitting quietly on the corner of the sofa, she stared out the window, watching the sunrise, her thoughts drifting to a brown-eyed man, wondering if he’d be the death of her or her salvation.