Page 82 of What a Wolf Wants

“Just don’t get caught speeding again.”

“Just have your badge handy.”

Halfway there, they saw flashing lights following behind Noah’s vehicle.

“Damn,” Ethan said. “We can’t get a break.”

“There must be a speed trap in here.” Noah pulled over onto the shoulder and parked.

The patrolmen waited in his car, probably calling in the plate number.

“Hell, this is going to take forever,” Noah said.

“The cost of being in a hurry.”

The patrolman walked up to their car and said, “Hey, it’s you two again. Do you need our help?”

It was the same officer—Jenkins.

“We’re still undercover but we’ve got a situation. We need to return to the homeowner’s house immediately,” Ethan said.

“Did you call up reinforcements?” the patrolman asked.

“Yes, bodyguards, so she’s safe, but we have a problem. Hey, how about you give me a lift to the house?” Ethan asked, thinking that might be the way to resolve the conundrum.

“Oh, that’s a great idea,” Noah said. “Then he won’t chance seeing me. I’ll be on the lookout for you while you head out with him and follow you without him seeing me.”

“Is that all right with you?” Ethan asked the patrolman.

Jenkins appeared to be eager to do that, since it was more interesting than stopping speeders and ticketing them. “Yes, sir.”

“Thanks so much,” Ethan said.

“Good luck,” Noah said to Ethan.

“Keep me safe,” Ethan said to him in return. To Jenkins, Ethan said, “No word to anyone about this. We don’t want the wrong people to learn of it or we’ll all be dead.”

“No, sir.” The patrolman hurried back to his car and Ethan went with him.

Ethan called Charlene once he was in the car. “Tell everyone I’m on my way back to the house. We have a change of plans. An urgent one. Renault is coming to the house to pick me up so I can go with him on a stakeout.”

“No. What if it’s an ambush?” Charlene asked, sounding worried.

“Noah’s backing me up.”

“He’d better keep you safe or else.”

“I know. I’ll have the patrolman, Jenkins, drop me off at the woods before I reach the house. I’ll slip in through the back door, just in case Renault shows up before I do. We”—Ethan smiled at the patrolman—“got stopped for speedingagain. Maybe I can get something out of Renault to learn what’s really going on.”

“Okay, I’m telling everyone now,” Charlene said.

***

Charlene was already dressed and hurried out of the bedroom to speak with the men guarding the house. “Ethan’s coming through the woods. Don’t show yourselves. Renault is coming to get him to conduct surveillance with him.”

“Hell, no. What if Renault’s working for Kroner?” Josh asked.

“Noah’s supposed to be watching his back.”