Free Verifiable Intelligence by Kaitlin Maitland Page A

fiberglass hull of the train car or bury itself inside Ryan. But nothing happened and she began to wonder if someone was playing games with them.
     
     
    It was dim and quiet inside Miss Kitty’s costume storage area. Jace could hear laughs mingled with tinny piano music coming from the dance hall on the other side of the door. The air was thick with dust and the scent of old fabric.
    He wedged his big body between two enormous racks overflowing with Wild West costumes. It was a tight fit for his shoulders, but he gained a little extra room by sinking to the plank wood floor.
    He was honestly shocked that he’d managed to make it all the way to the saloon without being shot again. He knew his athleticism was considerably handicapped by the shoulder wound. The fact that he’d been able to avoid the shooter worried him.
    The most important detail was to figure out who the target was. Herrera had mentioned a contract on Dayne, but the possibility existed that Yuri was trying to smear Jace off the map in retaliation for his brother Kiryll’s assassination. Jace had decided from the beginning that Ryan’s kidnapping was designed to draw him into the open. There was no other possible reason to bother with the kid otherwise. Messing with Ryan had also involved the local authorities. And while they were more of an annoyance than a problem, it was still more publicity than these people usually liked to attract.
    “Jace?”
    Dayne’s husky whisper was accompanied by a view of her worried face peeking through the racks of clothing.
    “I’m here.”
    “You okay?”
    “I’m still alive.”
    She pushed all the way through. “I’ll consider that a bonus, then.”
    “Who is this guy after?” Jace asked quietly.
    She didn’t answer at first. Instead, she leaned down and ripped what was left of his T-shirt off. Shoving it into the farthest corner of the room beneath another rack of clothing, she began carefully probing the back of his shoulder.
    He tried to focus on the problem, the pain, anything but the way it felt to have her palms grazing his skin. It had always fascinated him that she could live the life she did and still have such soft hands.
    “It’s hard to tell what this guy wants, Jace.”
    He sighed. “Your contract or my history?”
    “Honestly, I don’t think we’re supposed to be dead…yet.”
    “What?”
    “Think about it. You were a sitting duck out there and he didn’t even wing you. I expected you to at least get a graze out of that.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Seriously, I’m not saying we aren’t in danger. But I think they’re trying to keep us off balance. It feels a little like being herded. Don’t you think?”
    He had to admire the clarity of her brain. She had a viable point. Then he noticed she was alone. “Where’s Ryan?”
    “He’s fine. I stashed him on the steam engine.”
    “You what?”
    “In fact, we really need to get a move on because we’ve got to grab him on our way out of here. Can you keep moving?”
    Jace was really in no position to rail at her for her actions. He was as dependent on her as Ryan was, for the time being.
    “You’ve stopped bleeding,” she said.
    “I can’t run around out there shirtless.”
    She slanted him a teasing smile. “To think I was looking forward to that.”
    Was she serious?
    A baggy, homespun cotton shirt hit him in the face. Jace arched an eyebrow and lurched to his feet using the racks on either side of him for support. He’d never been fond of the lace front look, but it wasn’t as if he had much choice in the matter. He could hardly expect to find many costumes that would fit a guy his size.
    “Wow, that’s a drop dead sexy look for you.”
    “Glad you’re noticing my desirability. Now can we get Ryan and get out of here?”
    Something about the twinkle in her gray eyes made him wonder if she weren’t enjoying herself a little too much. Dayne had always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie. He was well aware that she didn’t