“Somehow, I don’t buy that you’re lost.”
At this moment? Very,verylost because her mind turned blank.
And then Emberly’s warning flashed into her brain.They’ll hurt him to get to you, and they won’t care if an innocent man dies because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Emberly was right. The Bratva wouldn’t hesitate to use him as leverage, to hurt him to get to her. Nimue couldn’t undo the video, couldn’t unpaint the target on his back. But what could she do? The more she told him, the more danger she put him in. But with the set of his jaw and the way his blue eyes were narrowing—like he could peel back her lies layer by layer—Nimue suspected he wasn’t the type to fool easily.
Her mouth went dry, mind spinning for an escape route. “I’m not lost. I was…looking for you.”
His brows lifted. That bought her about thirty seconds.
Now what?
The door creaked softly as it swung open behind Liam, and another ranger stepped into the hallway. He was shorter than Liam by a few inches, with a stockier build, his auburn hair flopping into his eyes as he brushed past, seemingly oblivious to her presence. His uniform was rumpled like he’d been wrestling with sagebrush all day, and his boots left faint traces of red canyon dust on the floor.
“I asked around.” The new ranger’s voice carried the weight of frustration. “Nobody’s got anything new on those teens camped below the rim. It’s like they vanished into thin air.”
Liam nodded at the other guy, but his blue eyes flicked back to Nimue just long enough to communicate that he wasn’t done with her. He’d no doubt start firing questions the second this ranger walked away—questions she couldn’t answer. She needed to redirect the conversation, and fast.
“Teens camped below the rim? I saw them. In fact, that’s why I’m here.” Both rangers’ eyes snapped to her. “To report them.”
The shorter ranger—Teague, she assumed, based on the name patch on his uniform—seemed to notice her for the first time.
His brow furrowed as he studied her, dark eyes narrowing slightly. “What do you know?”
“Not much, but I did see them.” She needed to give them just enough to keep them engaged, but not so much that she’d entangle herself further.
Teague stepped closer, frowning. “You got any info on them? A good look at any of their faces maybe?”
“Better than that.” She shot Liam a quick glance, gauging his reaction before turning her attention back to Teague. “I have photos.”
Liam uncrossed his arms, his posture relaxing slightly. “You took their picture?”
Of course she had. Nimue had run facial recognition on every one of them—a precaution to ensure they weren’t a threat. They hadn’t looked like Bratva, but she wasn’t taking any chances with someone that close to her home base. Turned out they were just entitled rich kids from wealthy families, likely out here on a reckless adventure celebrating the start of their summer. But she didn’t need to share all that. Not now, not with Liam and Teague watching her.
Liam held out his hand. “Can we see them?”
Right.They assumed the photos were on her phone—because that’s where they’d be for the average hiker. But she’d taken them with her long lens Canon Mark IV with her 800mm telephoto. That would bring more questions. “They’re on my iPad at my trailer.”
Some people took photos on their iPad. Like eighty-year-olds. And by the looks on Teague’s and Liam’s faces, they were thinking the same thing.
Teague took another step toward her. “I can follow you right now if?—”
“Sorry, I’m on my way out.” Nimue raised a hand to stop him. “But I can bring them back here tomorrow. Does that work?”
Liam’s eyes were still fixed on her, though there was a flicker of curiosity in them now. “Tomorrow works,” he said. “We need to see them—those kids are in danger if they camp there again.”
Right.“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Teague gave a curt nod, already turning back toward the main area, his mind clearly on the teens.
Liam’s eyes lingered on her a moment longer. “Where are you camped?”
Oh. Um. Shoot!
“Oh, you know. The…uh, North Rim, uh, campground.”
His mouth tightened. “Okay.”