it, with the opposite directions we have on it?"
Alex was already bent over his desk, scribbling on a piece of paper. "Done," he said, holding it up for them to see. "I'll call Harley too. If he could bring some muscle, maybe we can stop this guy."
"No!" Betsy held a hand up in the air, a panicked look on her face. "You can't call Harley until after Derek's been here. He can't know I'm still on the ranch.
"Some jerk is trying to catch you and you won't let me call Harley? Come on, Betsy," Alex pleaded. "I can't let someone like that just come in here without doing anything. He could hurt someone. You really want to just let that happen?"
"I--well--" Betsy stuttered, and Ian slid a hand lightly around her waist, gratified when she relaxed the tiniest bit against him.
"Call him," Ian said, pulling Betsy toward the door. "Whatever you have to do to catch this guy. We'll deal with the fallout later." Unlocking the door, he shook his head at Betsy when she looked up at him to argue. "Don't," he said, guiding her into the hall. "Let's go - we need to keep moving. He's still out there."
For a minute he thought he might have to toss her over his shoulder, but finally she moved past him, dropping her gaze. She didn't speak until they reached the front door and peered out the window.
"Which way is north west?"
He stepped up close behind her, feeling the heat radiating off her body as he pointed over her shoulder. "That way," he said, reading the signs on the facades across the street. "Looks like we're headed into the jungle, eh?"
Betsy wrinkled her nose, and he fought the urge to bend down and kiss it. "That could be awkward. Jane hates me. I sort of inadvertently slept with her boyfriend a few years ago."
Chapter 7
"I'm not sure I want to hear that story," Ian said as they began walking toward Jungle Jane's. "I'm not sure I want to meet her boyfriend either."
Betsy glanced warily toward the Sultan's Palace, tugging on Ian's sleeve. "Should we just walk down the street? What if Derek got out? He might see us." She looked around, not really sure what she was looking for, but barely suppressing the urge to run between the two closest buildings.
"I thought we should count our steps to make sure," Ian said, looking at the palace as well. "But you're right. The clue is pretty straightforward, I think. Let's go over there," he pointed across the dirt road, "and use the ally entrance to the Jungle."
Betsy didn't need any further urging. She jogged between the Saloon and the biker bar, not stopping until she reached the narrow gravel strip in back. Ian was right beside her, and they walked quickly toward Jane's.
"So do I need to worry about you and Jane going at it with claws bared when we get inside?" Ian teased. Betsy shook her head, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.
"I doubt that," she said, trying not to smirk. "But considering I owe her, don't be surprised if she..."
"If I what?" Jane said, materializing from the space between her building and the next as Betsy and Ian passed the corner. Betsy gasped, grabbing Ian's arm and he stepped in front of her, feet apart in a protective stance. Jane laughed, the sound too loud for Betsy's comfort.
"Damn it, Jane - what are you doing out here? And keep it quiet, will you?"
Jane looked Ian up and down, her eyes lingering here and there like she was admiring a piece of art. "I came out for a quick break," she said, clearly distracted by the man in front of her. Betsy couldn't really fault her for that. "And I'll keep quiet if you introduce me to this stunning creature. I don't believe we've had the pleasure..."
Ian pulled Betsy out from behind him and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side. "We have met, actually," he said, sounding a little perturbed to Betsy. "I'm the minister at the chapel. We've said hello at least a dozen times in passing, Jane."
The woman frowned, tossing her long blond hair behind her
Alex was already bent over his desk, scribbling on a piece of paper. "Done," he said, holding it up for them to see. "I'll call Harley too. If he could bring some muscle, maybe we can stop this guy."
"No!" Betsy held a hand up in the air, a panicked look on her face. "You can't call Harley until after Derek's been here. He can't know I'm still on the ranch.
"Some jerk is trying to catch you and you won't let me call Harley? Come on, Betsy," Alex pleaded. "I can't let someone like that just come in here without doing anything. He could hurt someone. You really want to just let that happen?"
"I--well--" Betsy stuttered, and Ian slid a hand lightly around her waist, gratified when she relaxed the tiniest bit against him.
"Call him," Ian said, pulling Betsy toward the door. "Whatever you have to do to catch this guy. We'll deal with the fallout later." Unlocking the door, he shook his head at Betsy when she looked up at him to argue. "Don't," he said, guiding her into the hall. "Let's go - we need to keep moving. He's still out there."
For a minute he thought he might have to toss her over his shoulder, but finally she moved past him, dropping her gaze. She didn't speak until they reached the front door and peered out the window.
"Which way is north west?"
He stepped up close behind her, feeling the heat radiating off her body as he pointed over her shoulder. "That way," he said, reading the signs on the facades across the street. "Looks like we're headed into the jungle, eh?"
Betsy wrinkled her nose, and he fought the urge to bend down and kiss it. "That could be awkward. Jane hates me. I sort of inadvertently slept with her boyfriend a few years ago."
Chapter 7
"I'm not sure I want to hear that story," Ian said as they began walking toward Jungle Jane's. "I'm not sure I want to meet her boyfriend either."
Betsy glanced warily toward the Sultan's Palace, tugging on Ian's sleeve. "Should we just walk down the street? What if Derek got out? He might see us." She looked around, not really sure what she was looking for, but barely suppressing the urge to run between the two closest buildings.
"I thought we should count our steps to make sure," Ian said, looking at the palace as well. "But you're right. The clue is pretty straightforward, I think. Let's go over there," he pointed across the dirt road, "and use the ally entrance to the Jungle."
Betsy didn't need any further urging. She jogged between the Saloon and the biker bar, not stopping until she reached the narrow gravel strip in back. Ian was right beside her, and they walked quickly toward Jane's.
"So do I need to worry about you and Jane going at it with claws bared when we get inside?" Ian teased. Betsy shook her head, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.
"I doubt that," she said, trying not to smirk. "But considering I owe her, don't be surprised if she..."
"If I what?" Jane said, materializing from the space between her building and the next as Betsy and Ian passed the corner. Betsy gasped, grabbing Ian's arm and he stepped in front of her, feet apart in a protective stance. Jane laughed, the sound too loud for Betsy's comfort.
"Damn it, Jane - what are you doing out here? And keep it quiet, will you?"
Jane looked Ian up and down, her eyes lingering here and there like she was admiring a piece of art. "I came out for a quick break," she said, clearly distracted by the man in front of her. Betsy couldn't really fault her for that. "And I'll keep quiet if you introduce me to this stunning creature. I don't believe we've had the pleasure..."
Ian pulled Betsy out from behind him and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side. "We have met, actually," he said, sounding a little perturbed to Betsy. "I'm the minister at the chapel. We've said hello at least a dozen times in passing, Jane."
The woman frowned, tossing her long blond hair behind her
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