“Nothing,” the henchwoman said.
Truth.
I skidded to a stop in front of lying Mr. Laurent. “What did you tell him?”
He leaned back and shoved his hands in his pockets, a satisfied look on his face. “Why? Are you trying to go somewhere? Not with that vehicle, I hope. Especially after I asked you to stay in town last night.”
“Why are you trying to keep me here?” I snapped.
He tilted his head. “Why do I have the feeling you’re not going to stay put, Ms. Caine?”
I wanted to impale him with eye-daggers, but it was really difficult to be intimidating when I was barely balanced on my rollerblades. I leaned in carefully, trying not to flop on my face, and gave him the best glare I could muster. “Because people are trying to abduct me? That seems like a damn good reason.”
The vixen chimed in. “Mr. Laurent and I are trying to stop these abductions. You’re an important witness. We need you to stay in town until we can apprehend the people responsible.”
I took a step back. “‘Apprehend the people responsible’? Who exactly do you work for? I know it’s not Wisconsin DNR. You have Illinois plates, so nice cover there, idiots. You’re not cops, and I’m not telling you anything until you produce credentials.”
“We represent an interested party,” the woman said. It looked like she was interested in gutting me.
“FBI? CIA? ATF? Campbell’s Soup?”
Jaxson inclined his head, and I thought I saw a flicker of gold in his eyes. Whoever he worked for had power. Control. I could practically feel it radiating off him. That, and a deep, intoxicating scent of forest and cedar.
He spoke with a voice so low and rough that it excited the nerves under my skin. “You don’t need to worry about the details, Ms. Caine. While the authorities are doing nothing, we’re hunting your attackers down. We just need your cooperation.”
Honestly, when he said it like that, it made sense. Sheriff Kepler was a goddamned idiot, far past his prime and way out of his league. And so far, the state investigation had produced jack-shit. If I wanted answers, I was going to have to cooperate with the spooks.
At least they seemed marginally competent, if exceedingly suspicious.
“I’m not blind,” I said. “You showed up at the Taphouse right before I was attacked.”
Jaxson looked around. “We’re hunting the people who were hunting you.”
Truth.
“Fine. You want my cooperation? I need answers first. Do you believe I was attacked yesterday by the same people who are responsible for the other abductions?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
My heartbeat began to drown out the noise arou
nd me. Shit was getting real. “My assailants said, ‘She’s the one.’ Am I being targeted?”
“That is a possibility, which is why it’s safest if you just head home. We have people watching your back.”
Holy hell. I was under surveillance? My heart raced, and my skin turned cold, even in the hot midday sun. These assholes had to be FBI or the actual damned men in black.
“Who’s after me?” I whispered. “I need to know. Why am I being targeted?”
“I’m afraid we’re not at liberty to disclose the details of the case,” the woman said.
I glared at Jaxson. He’d said the same thing the night before—lyingly.
This was bullcrap.
I stepped forward on my blades, moving so close to Jaxson that I was sure he could hear my heartbeat. “If these psychopaths are hunting me, give me one good reason why I should stay put.”
My mouth soured, and I could almost taste the frustration radiating off him. Behind those shadowy eyes, there was a man struggling to maintain control. A beast, lurking below the surface. My muscles tensed, and the hair on my neck stood on end.