Free Her Heart-Stealing Cowboys [Hellfire Ranch 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Jennifer August Page B

touchy subject?”
    She shrugged. “Not touchy, it’s just uninteresting.”
    “Are you going to make me call bullshit again? I hate cussing in front of a lady, but you’re bringing it out in me today.”
    “I think that’s my cue to call bullshit on you.”
    Wade laughed. The hard curse sounded odd coming from her clipped, Yankee accent. Around Freedom bullshit had at least three syllables depending on the speaker. Some liked to elongate bull and others dropped a y in shit. Bull-sheeyut .
    “How about we go out to the bus and I’ll hold your hand while you donate? Then you can tell me all about your wicked childhood while you’re munching on your cookies and juice.”
    She tipped her head and the blonde ponytail swung tantalizingly. “You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”
    Wade rose and held out his hand. He couldn’t control his shudder of lust when she stood and took it.
    He tucked her into his side and walked through the restaurant. “What’s life without a little challenge?”

Chapter Five
     
    The man left the restaurant with an easy, slow stride as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He even nodded to a crowd coming in and held the door open for a straggling older gentleman. He kept a careful air of joviality around him as he walked along the sidewalk and headed for the Calico Queen.
    He was quite annoyed with himself. He should have known Fischer had taken a room in the hotel.
    Why didn’t I?
    The little man had taken great pains to hide his identity from the hotel owner and he probably hadn’t come out very often. That made sense considering his job in town. He also thought Fischer quickly realized just how fucking friendly the people of Freedom were. Stranger or not, every blasted citizen seemed to feel the need to hone in and ferret out information from anyone who crossed the city limits.
    Good thing he’d been well-prepped for his own mission. He imagined Fischer had been blindsided by the good people at least once and that probably sent him scurrying back to his room until he could skulk in the night.
    His lips twitched. “Serves you right, you little rat bastard.” Fischer was disliked by most people, himself included. But for whatever reason the boss had liked the dead man.
    Until he’d ordered him killed.
    He fished out his disposable cell phone and dialed.
    “What do you know?”
    No greeting. No small talk. The boss just got down to business. A shiver ran over him. He was the coldest, hardest man he’d ever run across. Getting mixed up in his schemes had likely been a bad idea, but the money was too damn good to turn down. And as long as he did his job, he was probably safe. Probably .
    “Fischer had a room at the hotel. Did you know?”
    “No. You get inside yet?”
    He waited at an intersection for the walk light to turn white and allow him to cross. He’d noticed everyone in Freedom obeyed the crosswalk instructions. Since it was vital for him to blend in as much as possible for a stranger—which admittedly wasn’t easy—he waited.
    “I’m on my way,” he said. The light turned and he walked into the intersection. A horn beeped and he looked up.
    Betty Wagner waved at him from the cab of her beat-up truck.
    He lifted a hand in return and pasted a smile on his face. The fake, wide grin made him feel like an idiot but they loved it here.
    God save me from country bumpkins.
    He made it across the street and picked up his pace. He figured the sheriff wouldn’t be leaving the Tin Star for at least another ten or fifteen minutes. Sadie could talk the ear off an elephant then move to the other side and keep going.
    He unlocked his rental car and dropped inside. The engine turned over and a wave of molten hot air blasted his face. He grimaced and opened the door again.
    Damn Texas heat.
    “Is there anything specific I should look for?” he asked the man on the other end. The worst of the heat dissipated and he put the car into reverse then headed for the