Page 61 of Hard Rain

“Yup,” Axel confirmed.

The woman immediately started yelling again.

The guy looked confused.

Axel wasn’t sure which one was more exhausting.

He suddenly needed air.

Axel stepped aside while the deputies moved in.

Four days, multiple warrants, numerous interviews, and they were still chasing Cutter.

Axel scrubbed a hand across his jaw.

The room stank. The lead was dead. There was nothing left to do here.

“Let’s go.”

There had to be a better lead somewhere.

Sunlight broke through the clouds overhead, glinting off wet pavement and flooded ditches as they drove away. Which meant the roads were only mostly trying to kill them now.

Axel rode shotgun while Whip drove.

Behind them, Tomas and Grady followed in a separate vehicle.

Grant rode with Knox.

The thought made Axel smirk.

Whip looked at him briefly before returning to the road.

“You smile like that and people assume you’re plotting something.”

“People? You mean you.”

“Fair.”

Axel stretched and settled deeper into the seat. Every muscle from his shoulders down reminded him they’d spent the better part of four days kicking in doors and chasing bad leads.

“Grady owes me twenty bucks.”

“For what?”

“He said Knox wouldn’t fall for the storage container trick.”

Whip snorted. “He almost didn’t.”

“That wasn’t my fault.”

“You locked him inside.”

“It was temporary.”

“It was four hours.”

“He had snacks.”