“He’s not wrong.”
Samantha swallowed.
“I’m not running from police.”
“That wasn’t what he said.”
She looked from one man to the other.
The room remained quiet.
If she lied and they discovered it later, she would be gone.
Maybe worse.
So she gave them enough truth to make a decision.
“My husband has connections.”
Grizzly’s face did not change.
“What kind?”
“City government.”
A man in one of the booths muttered something.
Samantha continued.
“He doesn’t like being told no.”
Wyatt’s eyes moved briefly toward the bruise near her cheek.
“Did he do that?”
Samantha did not answer.
She did not need to.
Grizzly leaned back.
“You want us to hide you?”
“No.”
That answer surprised him.
“I want a job.”
“Why here?”
“Because every motel clerk in town can be bribed.”
The room went quiet in a different way.
Samantha continued before courage disappeared.
“And because if he sends somebody looking for me, this is probably the one address they’ll think twice about entering.”
A few men exchanged glances.
Grizzly almost smiled.
Wyatt did not.