Page 62 of Searching for Bristol
Bristol looked adorably confused. “What?”
“My phone. I need to get it.”
It took a second, but she nodded. The slide of her hands out from under his clothes made him groan. “Hold that thought, Punky.”
She gave him a lazy smile and nodded. Rocky lifted himself off her and sighed with the loss of her body heat.
He strode over to the table where he’d left his phone earlier and picked it up. “This had better be important,” he growled after he answered.
“It is,” Ethan said. “Simon called. We’re needed for a search.”
It took a moment for his brain to switch gears from desire to work mode. Rocky took a deep breath. “Right. Details?”
“One of the deputies pulled a car over for speeding and the guy took off into the woods. They were out near the Rock Creek Trail, but this guy’s not going to be following any trail, if he is who they think he is.”
“Shit. Who is he?”
“Theodore Lorenzo Allen.”
“Is that name supposed to mean anything to me? Except the fact that since you used his middle name, he’s probably extremely awful, because no one uses a middle name except if he’s a serial killer or something,” Rocky said. He was well aware he wasn’t making much sense, but he was still off-kilter from the adrenaline and passion coursing through his veins.
Ethan snorted. “Bad enough. If he was driving that car, and it’s likely he was, he’s got a warrant out of Norfolk for sexual assault of his eight-year-old stepdaughter. Simon thinks based on the amount of camping and survival gear in his car, he was heading for the mountains to disappear.”
“So he’s got experience in the woods,” Rocky said, running a hand through his hair. The more he heard, the faster the pleasure he was feeling a moment ago dissipated.
“Yup.”
“What’s the plan?”
“We’re going to meet where the man was pulled over. Raiden’s going to take lead with Duke. The officer didn’t chase him into the woods very far. Decided since he didn’t know why the man was running and whether he was armed or not—which he very likely is—that he wasn’t going to take the chance. You want me to pick you up?”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll be there in five,” Ethan told him.
“I’ll be ready,” Rocky reassured him.
They hung up without saying anything else. Rocky knew he needed to get moving. His search-and-rescue pack was in the closet by the front door; he always kept it ready to grab at a moment’s notice. He just needed to get changed.
But first…Rocky turned and saw Bristol sitting up, looking over the back of the couch at him. Her normally straight hair was in disarray on her head, her lips were slightly swollen from his kisses, and he could just see a bit of beard burn on her neck. She was so damn gorgeous—and it physically hurt to leave her right now.
“You’re going out on a search,” she said.
Rocky nodded and headed her way. He sat on the cushion beside her and cupped her cheek. “I’d stay if I could,” he said softly.
To his surprise, she frowned and shook her head. “I know, but this is more important. Go, Rocky. Do your thing. I’ll be here waiting.”
“I don’t know how long I’ll be,” he warned.
“I realize that.”
“Call Lilly. Or Elsie. Hell, or any of the other half dozen women you’ve befriended over the last couple of weeks. Finley, Khloe, Sandra…even Whitney.”
“Why?” she asked.
“So they can come be with you.”
“Rocky, I don’t need a babysitter. I can get around fairly well on my own now. I’ll be fine here by myself.”
