Lawson picked her up the next morning and drove her to the Sanderson Hotel. She opened her purse and pulled out her wallet. The picture on her driver’s license stared back at her, mocking her struggles to recall anything about her life before yesterday. The image was definitely her, but the name seemed wrong. Ashlee Taylor. And the address was foreign to her. She didn’t recall ever living at that address...or anywhere else for that matter.
Lawson pulled an overnight bag from the back of his pickup. “I hope you don’t mind, but my mom sent over some of my sister Kellyanne’s clothes.”
“Won’t she mind?”
“She’s not in town. She keeps some things here, but she lives in Dallas. She’s a social worker, so most of the clothes she leaves here are jeans and ranch outfits.”
“Thank you. And please thank your mother for me.”
She was grateful that they had thought about providing her with some clothes, otherwise she would have had to go out today to buy something. She still needed some personal supplies, but she wasn’t up for shopping. She was too worn out—from the attack and from her inability to sleep last night for fear of the man who’d attacked her returning. How she’d wished for Lawson to be with her last night. But that was silly. He was her ex-fiancé. She’d run out on their wedding. He’d already been nicer to her than she deserved. She had no right to ask for anything more. She could make do on her own until she figured things out.
They went inside and checked in. Ashlee slipped a credit card from her wallet and handed it to the hotel clerk, hoping it would clear. For all she knew, her card was maxed out and her accounts empty. She would have to figure out how to find out that information, but that would mean recalling passwords and log-on information that were a complete mystery to her. Even answering the security questions banks always asked to recover account information would be difficult. Unless the information was her name or address or the name of her first love—she blushed thinking about that when she glanced up at him standing beside her—she wasn’t getting into those accounts. Thankfully, the charge went through and the clerk handed her a plastic key card and told her she was in room 312.
Lawson walked her to the elevator, rode up with her, then opened the door and checked the room as she stood at the threshold.
“It’s clear,” he said.
She stepped inside. It looked like every other hotel room she’d ever heard of. A double bed in the center of the room, carpet on the floor, a TV on a dresser, and an attached bathroom. It wasn’t much, but she realized she wasn’t expecting much. Was she used to five-star hotels and restaurants? She didn’t think so. This level of accommodation felt more her style—if she even had one.
“At some point, we’ll need you to come down to the sheriff’s office and give a statement, maybe look through some mug shots to see if we can identify the guy who attacked you.”
“I’ll try. But like I said, I don’t remember much. It all happened so fast.”
He nodded. “I didn’t get a good look at him, either. No one did. Even the security footage isn’t great. He was careful.”
She leaned against the dresser. She’d also spent the night trying to come up with a scenario that would explain the bullet holes and the money. Had she stolen it from that man? Was she a thief? Was that her life? It didn’t sound good. Somehow, she’d gotten into trouble with someone dangerous enough to try to kill her face-to-face. He’d tracked her to the hospital. Would he also track her to the hotel?
She shivered as she looked at her reflection and Lawson placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Is it?” She glanced at him through the mirror over the dresser. “You don’t know what’s coming and neither do I. How do I know my attacker won’t find me here?”
“We’re increasing patrols around the hotel and security has been alerted. You’ll be safe, Ashlee. Just lock the door and make sure you don’t open it for anyone.”
She was a prisoner in this room, she thought as she turned to face him, and she didn’t even know why.
“I should go.”
She wanted to ask him to stay, but that wasn’t fair. She wasn’t his problem and hadn’t been since she’d walked out on him. Outside of the obligations of his job, it wasn’t fair to expect him to help her. He’d already done so much.
“Thank you, Lawson.” She kissed his cheek and he shuddered. She shouldn’t have done that. It was too personal, too intimate, but he was all she knew, and she felt a pull toward him.
“I’ll call you later to check on you.”
He walked out and she locked the door behind him. She looked around the hotel room and shuddered. She didn’t know what else to do now.
She opened the bag of food they’d picked up and ate, then stretched out on the bed. She needed rest. Maybe if she got some, her memory would return. But even when she turned out the lights and closed her eyes, her mind wouldn’t quiet down. She kept mentally replaying the events of the past day and she couldn’t make any sense of them. They were like a puzzle that needed putting together, but she was missing most of the pieces. If only she could remember!
Agitation bit through her and she jumped to her feet. Pacing felt more like her style. Her mind wasn’t going to give up the necessary information, so she would just have to figure it out for herself.
She grabbed her purse and dumped it out on the bed. She opened her wallet. She had no cash in the billfold, so either she didn’t carry any or everything she had was inside the duffel bag the police had confiscated.
She pulled out a ticket stub. A single ticket to a movie with a title she didn’t recognize. Was she a movie buff?
Her wallet also contained several credit cards as well as business cards imprinted with her name. They were for an accounting firm called Brooke and Stephens. Could the danger she was facing have something to do with her work?
She picked up the phone and dialed the number on the card, but the call went straight to voice mail. It was odd hearing her own voice on the outgoing message, but she shook that off. At least she recognized it. She dialed zero and connected to an operator.
“Brooke and Stephens. How may I direct your call?”
Fear rustled through her. If this was all about something that had happened at her firm, should she be calling? Would she make things worse by contacting the people who might be targeting her? She decided she had to risk it for answers. “Hello? This is Ashlee Taylor.”
“Good morning, Miss Taylor. How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling fine. Thank you.”
“Mr. Stephens told us he received a message from you saying you were sick and would be off for a few days.”
So she’d made plans to be away from work. “I’m better, thank you. Is Mr. Stephens in the office? I’d like to speak to him.”
“I’m sorry. He left for Las Vegas this morning for that conference. I’m sure you can contact him on his cell phone.”
She didn’t have that number and wasn’t sure if she should ask. She had no clue what she was doing or even what she hoped to accomplish. “I seem to have lost his cell phone number...” She searched her memory for a name for the operator, but it didn’t come.
“Anna,” the girl replied.
“Of course. Anna, thank you. Can you give me that number?”
Anna recited the number and Ashlee hung up and dialed it before she lost her nerve. She still didn’t know what she was going to say. Was she even close enough to this man to call him up?
“Hello?” a man’s voice bellowed above loud background noise.
“Mr. Stephens? It’s Ashlee Taylor.”
“Ashlee! Is everything okay? Are you feeling better?”
“Not really. Something has happened and I need to ask you some questions.”
“Hold on.” The background noise softened as she waited for him to return to the call. “I had to leave the conference room. I could barely hear you. What’s going on?”
She explained to him how she was back in her hometown with no memory of how she’d gotten there or why she’d come. “Do you have any idea what I was doing here? Did I say anything to you?”
“No, Ashlee. I’m sorry to say you didn’t. The last time I saw you was when we were having dinner together. You left early, claiming you weren’t feeling well. You’ve been working so hard so I assumed you were just worn down. I encouraged you to take some time to recharge. When you didn’t show up for work the next day, I assumed you had taken my advice so I told everyone you were sick and were taking a few days off. Honey, are you okay? Do you need me to come pick you up? I can get a plane out in a few hours.”
The intimacy of his tone surprised her. “Are we...? I’m sorry to have to ask this...but are we involved?”
Silence at her question told her the answer was yes.
“You’ve lost more than a few days, haven’t you? I should have known something was wrong when you called me Mr. Stephens when I answered the phone. What do you remember, Ashlee?”
She closed her eyes and tried again to push past the mental block in her mind. Nothing. “I don’t remember anything. I don’t remember you. I don’t even remember me.”
He took a few moments to process that, then answered. “We’ve been going out for a few months now.”
“Is it serious?”
“I think so. Or at least, it’s headed that way. I’m worried about you, Ashlee. I’ll check the plane schedules and let you know when I’ll be in town.”
“No, you don’t need to come.” She couldn’t imagine how Lawson would feel having her new boyfriend fly in. But why was Lawson her first concern rather than this man, whom she appeared to be dating? It was normal for him to be worried about her, wasn’t it? Shouldn’t she be pleased to have a boyfriend who clearly cared about her?
“I’m coming, Ashlee. Now, is this the number of the hotel where you’re staying?”
“Yes.” She gave him the hotel information including her room number.
“I’ll see you soon.” He hung up and she wasn’t certain if she was glad he was on his way or not.
She hated the feeling of uncertainty that had taken over her life. He could be feeding her a line when it came to his description of their relationship, but he had sounded concerned about her. She wished for a computer where she could look up the company and at least have an idea of what to expect. Her face warmed as she realized she didn’t even know the man’s first name!
The hotel probably had a business center where she could use the computer, but Lawson had told her to stay put.
She remained in place, anxious and still, until her need for information overrode her sense of fear.
She took the elevator downstairs and found the business center. They had two computers and both were available.
She keyed up the browser and typed in Brooke and Stephens. A web site popped up explaining that it was an accounting firm. She clicked through the employee list and found her photo. She was listed as an account manager. Nothing about her job description seemed familiar. She kept clicking through, hoping that someone’s photo would trigger a memory. She finally found the photo of Stephens. His first name was Jake and he was a good-looking man, probably a few years older than she was. The web site listed him as a founding partner in the firm.
She tried to imagine this man putting his arms around her the way Lawson had. Nothing. No memories or sense of familiarity at all. It didn’t make any sense to her that a man she hadn’t seen in six years was more familiar to her than the man she was currently dating. But that might change when she actually saw Jake Stephens in person and not just as a photograph on a web site.
Ashlee checked her social media accounts next. She didn’t know her log-on or password, but whoever had used the computer before her had failed to log out and she was able to use their account since she didn’t seem to have any privacy locks on hers.
She was able to view photos of herself in her apartment, out with friends, posing with her cat—apparently named Mel. There was also a recent shot of her and her sister taken just last week, according to the date on the post. It was eerie to see her and her sister together. Lawson had said they were twins, but they were shockingly identical. Even their hairstyles were similar.
She wondered where Bree was and if she was trying to reach her. She clicked on the link and wrote out a message for Bree to contact her at the hotel. She didn’t go into details, only mentioned that something had happened and she needed to speak with her. Since she was using a stranger’s account, she wished she had some inside knowledge to prove to Bree that it really was her, but those memories wouldn’t come. She pressed Send and had no choice but to hope her sister would see it soon and respond.
She flipped through Bree’s social media pages and found the same photo posted on the same day. But the other photos in her profile were of Bree with a man, and their poses were more intimate with captions like “Me and Travis” followed by several heart emojis.
Must be Bree’s boyfriend—or maybe her ex?
The most current photo with Travis was dated over six months ago. It was possible they’d since broken up. Reaching out to him, too, might be a risk, but Ashlee decided to take the chance. She quickly typed a message to Travis with the same info and asked him to have Bree call her if he saw her. Then she hit Send. A sense of unease gripped her as she stared at the photos of Travis. She must not have liked her sister’s boyfriend much, but hopefully, he could be of some help to her in reaching Bree.
Ashlee shut down the computer and returned upstairs to her room, securing the locks behind her. She hoped someone would reach out soon. She needed answers about what was happening in her life to have caused all of this. She needed to know. Lawson hadn’t seen her in years, so he had no idea what she’d been doing. Ashlee could only hope that Bree would know, or maybe this Jake Stephens.
She took a shower and tried to wash away the fear and worry that had overtaken her since yesterday. She slipped into a hotel bathrobe and was towel drying her hair when she stepped out of the bathroom and someone grabbed her from behind.
She gasped as he pinned her arms behind her back with one hand and pressed a knife to her throat with the other. She glanced up. It was the same man who’d attacked her yesterday. “What...what do you want?”
“Where is it?”
Fear rustled through her. “Where is what?”
“The money! Where is the money?”
“The police took it. They have it. Please, please don’t hurt me.”
“If you don’t have my money, then you’re no use to me anymore.” He dug the knife into her throat and she screamed out as it sliced through her skin. But the blistering pain also pushed away the fear that had kept her paralyzed. In that moment, she knew one thing about herself with absolute certainty.
She wasn’t the type of person to give up without a fight.
She headbutted him and he cried out. Ignoring the mix of blunt pain to the back of her head and the sharp jab from the knife’s edge, she headbutted him again, then kicked and struggled until he stumbled backward and lost his balance. They both hit the floor and as the knife fell from her neck, she slipped out of his grip. He swore and reached out to grab her again, but not before she snatched a lamp from the nightstand and slammed it over his head.
Blood ran down his face and he’d dropped the knife—but he wasn’t unconscious and he’d gotten back to his feet. She had to run.
Ashlee lunged for the door, turning the locks and rushing into the hallway. She reached the elevator just as it opened, and as she hurried inside, she saw her attacker stumbling out of her room. He spotted her and headed her way. If he reached her before the doors closed, she was dead, but she decided staying put was the best choice of action.
She was right. He reached the elevator just as the doors closed.
She nearly doubled over in relief at the near miss, but reminded herself that she wasn’t safe yet. He would still be after her. He was probably rushing down the stairs to meet her at the bottom and she willed the elevator to go faster. When it stopped and the doors slid open, she crept to the opening and scanned the lobby and the people milling about. He wasn’t anywhere in sight. She had no idea where he was, but surely he wouldn’t be brazen enough to come after her with all these witnesses.
She bolted for the front desk and the clerk on duty. “Help me! I need help.” Adrenaline fading, her legs gave out and she crumpled to the floor as the desk clerk rushed around to help her.
Two attacks in two days.
And she was all alone.
Lawson received the call from Cecile about the attack. Immediately, he jumped into his truck and headed for the hotel. He knew he should just let Cecile handle it, but he had to make certain for himself that Ashlee was all right.
He reached the hotel and found her huddled in a chair in the manager’s office, her white robe covered in blood and Kyle Deaver, a two-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, standing watch over her.
Kyle spotted him and turned to Ashlee. “I’ll go call Cecile and let her know Lawson is here.”
“Thank you, Deputy Deaver,” she said, giving him a forced smile of gratitude.
Lawson thanked him, too, then took the chair beside Ashlee, reaching for her hand. It was still trembling with fear. “What happened?”
“A man. He was in my room when I got out of the shower. He put a knife to my neck.”
He spotted the bandage where she’d been cut. That accounted for the blood on her bathrobe. “Did he say what he wanted?”
She put her hand over her mouth as if holding in tears before she answered him. “He wanted the money. He said it belonged to him. What does that mean? Did I steal it?”
That made no sense to him. The Ashlee he knew wasn’t a thief. But he forced himself to acknowledge that he didn’t really know her anymore. “Have the paramedics been here?”
“Cecile called them, but I refused to go back to the hospital. They just left.”
“You should get checked out.”
“I’m fine. He cut my neck, but it’s not deep. I don’t want to spend another night in the hospital. I don’t need to.”
The elevator dinged and Cecile stepped out carrying the suitcase Lawson had brought for Ashlee when she’d checked into the hotel.
Lawson and Ashlee both stood to meet her. “I thought you might need this,” Cecile said, handing over the case. “I noticed you hadn’t unpacked and I figured you could use a change of clothes. Plus, I’m going to need that robe for evidence.”
Ashlee glanced down at the red stains on the robe. “I’ll run into the bathroom to change.” She hurried into the attached bathroom and closed the door.
Lawson turned to Cecile. “Did you find anything?”
She nodded as he took his seat again. “Blood on the lamp and the floor from where she hit him. We’ll run it for DNA to see if we have any matches. We’re also fingerprinting the room, but it’s a hotel, so getting a good lead with fingerprints will be tough.”
He hated to think this guy might get away clean again. When Ashlee returned, now dressed in a pair of jeans and one of his sister’s button-up shirts, he had more questions for her. “How did he get into your room? Were the doors locked?”
“Yes, I locked them. I even had the bolt latched—I’m sure of it because I had to unlatch it when I ran out. He must have gotten in when I came downstairs to the business center.”
Irritation bit at him. He’d told her to stay locked inside her room and she’d done just the opposite...just like she always had. “Why did you do that?”
“I found my business card in my wallet. I wanted to look up the company, see if it would trigger any memories. I also spoke to my boss and found out I’d taken time off from work.”
“Was he able to tell you about anything dangerous you might have gotten into?” Cecile asked her, cutting off any further questions Lawson was going to ask. She shot him a glance that told him plainly that now was not the time to chastise her, but to get answers.
She was right, of course, and he was glad she was the one assigned to Ashlee’s case.
Ashlee shook her head. “No, he really believed I was sick. He’s getting on a plane to come here as soon as he can.”
That struck Lawson as odd. “Why is your boss coming here?”
“Because apparently he’s also my boyfriend. We’ve been dating a few months.”
Her words rocked him like a punch to the gut and nearly sent him to his knees. Her boyfriend was coming here. Someone she would rather be with than him. He stood and tried to regain his bearings after that blow. He didn’t want to know this man and he didn’t like the idea of his arrival, but it was right that the man do so, wasn’t it? He was her life now, not Lawson. He had more reason to worry about her than a six-years-past ex did.
“At least we know the money is in play. This guy was after it. Did you tell him the police have it?”
Ashlee nodded. “I told him. He said he had no more use for me then. That was when he tried to slit my throat.”
Lawson shuddered at how cold that sounded. His blood was boiling at the idea that someone had placed a knife to her throat and was ready to use it to kill her. And if the attacker’s behavior at the hospital was any indication, he wouldn’t have hesitated, either. She’d survived because she’d fought back. But what if her efforts hadn’t been enough? This man was strong. Determined. And lethal. She’d become a target of a killer’s wrath.
Cecile took out her phone. “I’m going to call the evidence room to alert them in case this guy decides to try to retrieve his money.”
“When can I go back to my room?” Ashlee asked Cecile.
“We’re still processing the scene. It may be a while. I’m sure the hotel can arrange for another room for you.”
Lawson glanced around, astounded at the lack of security in the place. How could he have left her here unguarded? He’d mistakenly believed she would be safe with the locks and the increased patrols and the security staff. He would have a conversation with the management later.
Still, it was clear to him that she wasn’t safe here. This guy knew where to find her and she was a sitting target in this hotel. Somehow, her assailant had tracked her, possibly by the use of her credit card—or maybe he’d followed them from the hospital. Whatever the case, she couldn’t stay here and she wouldn’t be any safer in another hotel. It would only be a matter of time before he tracked her there, too.
Lawson realized they were playing a race against time game. Could this guy get to her before she regained her memory?
But how could she work her way through amnesia when she was under so much stress, in sterile, impersonal environments? She needed to be someplace familiar where something might spark her memory. Plus, the closer she was, the easier it would be to keep her safe.
“I think you should come stay with us at the ranch.”
Both Ashlee and Cecile turned to stare at him.
Ashlee protested first. “I don’t know.”
“Look, I know it’s not the place you want to be, but it’s secure and no one will find you there. My brothers are in town, so they’ll be around to help protect you. Plus, it’s a familiar place. You were there a lot once upon a time. Maybe it will help to spark something.”
Cecile gave a resigned sigh. “Much as I hate to admit it, I think it’s a good idea. With your brothers in town, plus you and Josh and your dad, it’s probably the safest place in town for Ashlee.”
He saw the look of concern on Cecile’s face. She and Josh had been friends for years. She knew the history with Ashlee and knew Josh, always the overprotective brother, would not be happy with Lawson’s suggestion. But it was Lawson’s home, too. In fact, he handled most of the day-to-day operations of the ranch. He had a right to bring whomever he liked to stay there.
“I’ll tell Josh. You finish up here.” He glanced at Ashlee and hated the hesitation he saw on her face. She couldn’t even remember him or their past, yet her dislike for the ranch was clearly evident with or without her memories.
“I don’t want to be a burden,” she said.
“You won’t be.” He steeled himself against the rejection in her tone for the place he loved so dearly. He consoled himself that she couldn’t remember how much his family’s homestead meant to him. She wasn’t intentionally putting him down. But Silver Star was in his blood. It had been in his family for six generations and he was thankful to be able to call it his own and work the land every day. He’d never wanted anything else in his life...except for Ashlee. But he hadn’t realized he couldn’t have them both. That had been his downfall.
She finally gave in. “Okay, I’ll go.”
He walked her outside to his truck, but he didn’t get right in. First, he had to alert Josh and the rest of his family that he was bringing her. He didn’t want to blindside them.
He made the call, got in behind the wheel, then stopped by a local pharmacy to let Ashlee pick up a few necessities. On the way home, he drove around for a while, taking the back roads and watching his mirrors, making certain they weren’t being followed.
The danger she was in had him worried, but he told himself everything would be fine. There was no way anyone would connect her to the ranch. She hadn’t been a part of their lives in a long time. She would be safe.
He was far less certain about the safety of his heart.