“I can’t believe your former mother-in-law tried to get you killed.” Beth leaned her shoulder against Brody’s, smiling softly at Tina. “My previous in-laws aren’t exactly role models for congeniality, but they never put a hit on me.”
Tina slid her hand into Chance’s, threading her fingers with his. It was hard to comprehend everything was over. Well, except for sweeping up all the pieces scattered across several states. The San Francisco police had picked up Jared, and he was swearing up and down he didn’t have an idea what his mother attempted. He also denied having anything to do with the threatening message left on Tina’s apartment wall.
Several hours had passed since her rescue. Rafe and Antonio were at the sheriff’s office, trying to make sense of everything and dealing with the fallout. Liliana had been arrested, and Antonio had contacted Derrick Williamson, his boss at the FBI office in Austin, because this case was going to be big news. The shock waves were expected to make national and possibly international news, because of the notoriety of the parties involved.
Chance hadn’t left her side for a second. They still needed to make statements, but Rafe agreed it could wait until he’d processed Liliana, Mr. Bad Dude AKA Mr. Jones, and Liliana’s driver. Wrapping her head around Liliana wanting her dead still hadn’t sunk in. Chance had explained his theory about Randolph being missing, probably dead, and his crazy supposition that Randolph had left her everything in his will.
Now, several hours later, pretty much everybody gathered at the Big House or were on their way. The love and support these people shared might be overwhelming at times, but it was the truest form of love she’d ever felt. Nobody cared they didn’t share a direct blood link; they had something better. Something stronger.
“Auntie Tina, can I get you some cookies? Me and Mommy made them and they’re really good.”
“Thank you, sweetie. I’d love a cookie.” Tina knew Jamie didn’t understand all the underlying tension filling the room, but she knew Tina seemed to be at the center, and in her own childlike way she wanted to make Tina feel better. She was such as sweet little girl, and she adored her.
When she came running back into the room, she clasped a cookie in each hand, handed one to Tina, and held the other one out to Chance. She nibbled her bottom lip between her teeth, concentrating hard on making sure she didn’t drop it.
“How about you eat that one, Jamie? I’ll share this one with Auntie Tina.” Chance winked at Tina, emphasizing the auntie thing, and she felt a little fizzle of awareness in the pit of her stomach. One of those if only moments.
“Okay.” She skipped away, after taking a huge bite out of the oatmeal raisin cookie.
“Here,” Tina passed the cookie to Chance. “I didn’t really want a cookie, but…”
“Eat it anyway, sweetheart. You haven’t had anything since this morning.”
She took a small bite of the cookie before asking, “What do you think’s going to happen now?”
“I suspect the FBI and the San Francisco police are going to try and locate Randolph. I hate to admit it, but I think he’s dead and has been for a while.” Chance’s voice was somber, and she nodded.
“I think you’re right. Randolph would never leave without letting his office know where he was headed, and make sure they could contact him. He was a very conscientious and diligent boss. Do you think Liliana had him killed?”
Another shiver ran down her spine because the whole ordeal was finally sinking in, the reality of how close she’d come to losing her life. Liliana had tried to order a hit on her. She’d wanted her dead. Even though they’d never gotten along from day one, she’d never imagined the depth of the other woman’s hatred. It defied explanation.
“I have no idea. Hopefully, Rafe and Antonio will have answers for us once they finish questioning her. I hope the feds plan on throwing the book at her.”
Tina made a scoffing sound. “She’ll lawyer up so fast, you’ll never get a straight answer out of her. Liliana will always think about herself first. Self-preservation will kick in. She’ll try and make a deal. And she’s got some powerful friends.”
“Who will probably scatter like rats abandoning a sinking ship the minute they catch a whiff of the scandal attached to Liliana now. I’ve seen it happen over and over. When you’re questioned by law enforcement, especially the feds, it doesn’t matter who you are or how much money you’ve got, people will turn their backs on you. It’s human nature.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder, and watched the others gathered at the Big House. Tessa had shown up around the same time as Brody and Beth. Even with all the drama, Beth seemed to glow. Was it only earlier today she’d heard the exciting news about the baby?
“Did Rafe say anything about Mr. Jones?”
“You mean the guy who kidnapped you?” At her nod, Chance scowled. “I haven’t heard anything. Chances are good the feds will take over. That’s gonna happen anyway, because of the family connection at the sheriff’s department, which is why Williamson is on his way.”
“I know it’s weird for me to say this, but he was actually nice to me. Even when I escaped, he didn’t—”
“Escaped?”
She ducked her head, hiding her eyes. Had she forgotten to tell them about that little detail? Oops.
“I’d been tied with zip ties. When he let me use the bathroom, I found a loose nail, and when Mr. Bad Dude, I mean Mr. Jones, was distracted, I used it to get out of the zip ties and ran. Made it all the way to the trees, but he caught me.”
“Tina, he could have hurt you.”
“But he didn’t. He fed me, gave me water, and he was actually nice. I think he was trying to make sure Liliana didn’t hurt me, if that makes any sense.”
Chance slid his arm around her shoulders, nodding when his father walked into the room, his momma coming in right behind him. She immediately crossed the living room, and sat down on the couch beside Tina, pulling her into her arms. Rocking softly back and forth, she didn’t speak, simply offered her comfort, and Tina let out a deep sigh. For the first time, after the whole crazy ordeal, she felt like everything was really over.
She was safe.
She was home.
“I talked to Rafe a few minutes ago. He thinks he and Antonio are going to be in town for the rest of the night. Randolph Webster is dead. They found the body in a freezer in a storage unit rented by Liliana Webster. SFPD didn’t see any obvious cause of death, but will have to wait for the autopsy.”
“I’m sorry. Randolph always treated me well. He was a good man.”
Tina looked around the living room of the Big House, at the faces of all the men and women—and even little Jamie—who’d become such an integral part of her life. So long ago, she’d felt alone, her only friends the people she worked with at the coffee shop, especially Renee. How her life had changed in a matter of weeks.
“What happens now?” Tessa asked the question, carrying in a tray overflowing with coffee cups and passing them around. “I realize there’s going to be all sorts of jurisdictional stuff to be straightened out, but can we relax, knowing Tina’s going to be safe?”
“I think so,” Chance answered, accepting one of the coffee cups and handing it to Tina, then taking one for himself. “It’ll probably take a long while, with a lot of legal wrangling, but she’s going to be fine.”
“Good. I want all my family safe.” Ms. Patti patted Tina’s back, and stood. “I’d like five minutes alone with Liliana Webster. I guarantee Tina wouldn’t have anything to worry about after that.”
Douglas chuckled. “Down, tiger.”
“I’m just saying, nobody messes with one of mine. Especially somebody who raises a lousy son like she did.”
The lighthearted banter continued for several minutes before Ms. Patti clapped her hands together and proclaimed. “Y’all settle in. I’m going to fix us something to eat.”
“I’ll help, Momma.” “Me, too.” “I could eat.” The women followed Ms. Patti into the kitchen, leaving Tina and Chance on the couch. Douglas and Brody sat in the two armchairs, resembling two bookends, seated but still on guard duty. She doubted anybody would be dropping their guard anytime soon, and a tinge of guilt spread through her.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?” She looked at Chance.
“You have nothing to feel guilty about. You didn’t ask to have an abusive monster for a husband. You didn’t ask for your former mother-in-law to turn out to be an even bigger monster than her son. Having a big heart and trusting soul doesn’t make any of this your fault.”
“He’s right, Tina.” Douglas’ deep voice drew Tina’s attention. Before he could say more, Shiloh and Renee walked through the front door. Tina sprang to her feet and ran across the living room, straight into her friend’s arms. Renee’s eyes were red-rimmed from crying.
“I’m so, so sorry. Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, I promise.”
“I still reeling from everything. Can you believe how much has happened to us in the last few months?” Renee couldn’t seem to stop hugging Tina. “How strange is it that both of us were running from our pasts, ended up working together, then wound up in Shiloh Springs?”
“Pretty big coincidence.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences.” Ms. Patti walked back in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a tea towel. “You were meant to meet my sons. You were meant to be a part of this family. Now, anybody who wants to eat, food’s ready. Get a move on before it’s all gone.”
“What’d you make, Momma?” Lucas gave an exaggerated sniff. “Is that lasagna?”
“Yes.”
“Outta my way. I’m starving.” With an arm around Renee’s waist, he shot Tina a smile, and headed toward the kitchen.
Douglas moved to stand beside Tina. “You’ll have to forgive my son. That one, he’s always been ruled by his stomach.”
“Dad,” came Lucas’ aggrieved response from the kitchen.
“You need to eat, Tina.”
“I will, Ms. Patti. I’ll be right there.” Tina gave her a tentative smile, not having the heart to tell Ms. Patti she wasn’t hungry. When Chance moved to stand behind her and slid his arms around her waist, she leaned back against him, simply allowing the feel of his embrace ground her.
A sharp rap sounded on the front door, and Chance stepped back to answer it. Tina gasped when she saw who stood on the other side.
Mr. Bad Dude.
Tina took a step forward, looking into his face. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you in jail?”
Chance drew back his arm, and his fist flew toward the other man’s face, and Tina bit back a scream. The punch never connected, as Mr. Bad Dude caught Chance’s hand inches from his face.
“No free shots, Boudreau.”
Chance glared at the other man, anger radiating from him. Tina had no clue what had set him off, but she’d find out later. Right now, she wanted to find out why Mr. Bad Dude had shown up on the Boudreaus’ ranch.
“I’m here to explain what’s going on, and my part in it, if you’ll listen, Ms. Nelson.”
Answers? Somebody finally has some answers for what I’m dealing with? Heck, yeah, I want to hear this.
“Both of you, no fighting. You really know what’s going on?”
Mr. Bad Dude chuckled and released Chance’s fist. “No fighting, but for the record, I didn’t throw the first punch.”
“This time,” Chance muttered under his breath. He stepped back, putting his arm around Tina’s shoulders, and motioned for the other man to enter.
“You’d better have a good explanation for snatching Tina from the diner. I don’t care that we’ve got history, hurt her again and I will end you.” Chance moved his hands to the top of her shoulders, his touch possessive and a clear indication to the other man to watch his step. Tina hid her smile at his macho display.
As Mr. Bad Dude stepped inside, he removed the buff-colored cowboy hat, and she caught sight of the beginning of a shiner around his left eye.
“What happened?” She pointed toward it.
“A misunderstanding. It’s been cleared up.”
Chance didn’t comment, but she couldn’t miss the smirk on his lips.
The sound of multiple voices, one talking over another, came from the kitchen and Tina caught the surreptitious glance the other man cast in that direction, an almost wistful expression on his face, before he quickly covered it and walked toward the living room.
He stopped in the center of the room and turned to face Tina. “My name is—”
“Brian?”
Ms. Patti stood in the opening of the living room, her hand in front of her mouth. Tina watched as tears filled her eyes as she struggled to keep them from falling.
“Hello, Ms. Patti.”
Without another word, Ms. Patti raced across the living room and flung her arms around Brian, wrapping them around his back, her head resting on his chest. His arms pulled her close, and Tina watched him swallow several times, his eyes closed. She’d bet if they were open, they’d be overflowing with a myriad of emotions.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” Ms. Patti pulled back and wiped at her tears. “I’ve always wondered—”
“It’s a long story. Maybe—maybe we can talk about it sometime?”
“Anytime you want, Brian.” Her hand crept up and cupped his cheek, the look of love on Ms. Patti’s face making her glow like she’d been lit from within. Tina had no idea who Brian was, other than the man who’d held her hostage, but apparently Ms. Patti knew him and cared about him.
Tina glanced at Chance when he let out an expletive. “Why, Newkirk? What’s going on? You haven’t been around for over fifteen years, and now you’re in the middle of this?”
“You know Brian?”
“Honestly, I didn’t recognize him at first. Wasn’t until I saw his name on his ID that all the pieces fell into place. Brian used to live here. We both came to the Big House about the same time. There were some problems, and he ended up not staying. Once he went back into the system, we never heard from him again.”
Ms. Patti sniffled and again patted Brian’s chest. “I never forgot you, not for one second.”
“Neither did I.” Douglas walked up behind Ms. Patti, placing his hands on her shoulders gently. “We’ve prayed for you every night.”
“I’m really confused. Brian used to live here?” Tina kept looking from Chance to Brian to Ms. Patti and Douglas. Was he one of the lost ones she’d talked with Ms. Patti about? She knew the Boudreau matriarch was heartbroken about the boys who’d ended up not staying on the ranch, not becoming part of their family. There weren’t many, but those few lost souls weighed heavily on her heart.
“I did.” Brian answered. “It was a long time ago, but I never forgot the Boudreaus.” He turned to Douglas. “I’m here to talk to Ms. Nelson, explain to her why I grabbed her out of Daisy’s place.”
“Yeah, I’d like to hear why you kidnapped her, drugged her, and scared her half to death. I doubt you’ve got a good enough explanation to keep me from prosecuting you. Oh, yeah, and ripping off your arm and beating you to death with it.” Chance’s aggrieved tone almost had Tina smiling, but she bit her cheek to keep from letting it show. He was cute when he got all defensive.
Brian reached into his jeans’ pocket and pulled out a leather folder and flipped it open, displaying an FBI shield.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Lucas let out a loud chuckle. “You’re a fed?”
Brian gave a sheepish grin. “Yeah.”
“I’ve got a hard time believing it.” Chance ran a hand through his hair. “When we were kids, I’d have pegged you as a candidate for Huntsville, not a job with the U.S. government.”
“I finally got my head on straight. Can we talk about that later? I don’t have a lot of time; I’m flying out in the morning.”
By this time, Renee, Brody and Beth were all standing just outside the kitchen, their whispered voices like buzzing bees in the background. Tina figured they were as shocked at seeing Brian Newkirk as Douglas and Ms. Patti.
“Everybody sit.” Douglas moved to an armchair and eased Ms. Patti onto it, and then sat on the ottoman positioned in front of it. The others poured into the room, filling up the rest of the chairs and the sofa.
“I hadn’t planned on talking with anybody but Ms. Nelson and maybe Chance.”
“You can talk in front of everyone. They’ve all supported me throughout this whole disaster, they might as well hear it firsthand.”
The corner of Brian’s lip kicked up. “I’m not surprised. Boudreaus are nothing if not loyal to a fault.” The wistfulness in his voice was poignant, striking a chord in Tina’s chest. Maybe he missed being a part of the Boudreau clan?
“I’m going to give you the Reader’s Digest version, because a lot of the information is confidential, part of an ongoing investigation.”
Chance rolled his eyes, squeezing Tina’s hand. “Get on with it, man.”
“The FBI has been looking at the Websters for several months now. Randolph Webster had some shady dealings with some overseas individuals, and a little matter of money laundering. During our investigation, it came to light that Jared Webster was obsessed with Ms. Nelson.”
“You might as well call me Tina. You did at the line shack.”
Brian gave a brief nod and continued. “We’ve kept a close eye on Dr. Webster, along with the less-than-ethical investigators he sicced on you. We’re also aware of your fraudulent identification. You’ll need to get that taken care of ASAP. Either change it back to your legal name, or have your name changed through the proper channels.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” she protested. “Having a new identity was the only way to stay one step ahead of him.”
“We’re aware. We’re also aware of Dr. Webster’s abuse. If you’d have gone to the authorities, reported him, we’d have been able ensure he couldn’t continue harassing you. Because there was no official record, our hands were tied.”
“Get back to Randolph Webster.” Lucas leaned forward on the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees. “International money laundering carries a pretty harsh penalty. How close were you to arresting him?”
“Close. Then he disappeared. Of course, we’ve had eyes on Liliana, too. What a narcissistic, sadistic female. Don’t get me started on her.” Brian gave an exaggerated shudder. “We intercepted a message that she wanted to find Tina. The amount of money she offered would have drawn out every low-life mercenary in the western hemisphere. Because we knew Tina had come to Shiloh Springs, I got shanghaied into coming up with a solution. They thought, and rightly so, because I was familiar with the terrain and many of the people, I’d be the best choice for keeping her safe.”
“I don’t understand. You kidnapped Tina right in the middle of town. How was that keeping her safe?”
“The FBI got wind of Liliana was getting desperate, and she planned to offer a huge bounty on Tina’s head, found dead or alive. I’d already taken the initial contract and kept feeding Mrs. Webster just enough bogus info to keep her on the hook. Something happened, because she became frantic, desperate in her efforts to find Tina. I’ll be honest, I don’t have any idea why she suddenly accelerated her timetable, but her recent messages were heartless and cold. There’s no humanity in that woman.”
Chance raised his hand. “We have an educated guess about why she needed Tina out of the picture. It’s an educated guess, but we think Randolph wrote Tina into his will.”
Brian’s eyes widened, and then he nodded. “Makes sense. It also explains why she offered me half a million dollars to kill Tina.”
A collect gasp swept through the room. “Is that why you called Rafe?” Chance asked.
“No, she didn’t make the offer until after she arrived at the line shack. I called Rafe because I wanted him to know where everything was going down in case Mrs. Webster pulled a fast one and showed up with hired guns.”
“Why didn’t you have back up?”
“I didn’t need any. I figured I had Boudreau brothers for back up. Why do you think I picked a building on your land to hold Tina?” Brian held up a big hand when Chance took a step forward. “Just kidding. There were agents in place. Surprised you didn’t catch sight of them.”
“I did.” Dane walked from the kitchen into the living room. “Course, nobody bothered to tell me they were feds. “You might want to collect the two guys I left tied up about fifty yards behind the line shack.”
Brian burst out laughing, his big shoulders shaking. “I knew I could count on y’all. I’ve kept tabs on everyone here, and I knew you’d circle the wagons to protect one of your own. Something your parents taught you well.”
Dane sighed, and turned back toward the kitchen. “I’ll go and turn ’em loose.”
“I’ll go with you, son.” Douglas stood and pressed a kiss against Ms. Patti’s forehead. “We’ll be back soon.”
She made a shooing motion.
“I need to go. Rafe’s got my official statement, as well as my FBI affiliation and involvement in the case. If you’ve got questions, I’ve left contact information with him.” Brian turned to face Ms. Patti. “It’s so good to see you again. I’ve really missed you. If you need anything—anything—don’t hesitate. I’ll come running.”
Ms. Patti stood and held out her hand. “The same goes for you. If you need me—need us—we’re here for you.”
Tina watched Brian swallow several times and sympathized. Being around the Boudreaus tended to be overwhelming, especially when they turned all their love and attention on you. If Brian’s reaction was any indication, living with the Boudreaus when he was younger, even though he’d been one of the ones who “didn’t stick”, they’d made an indelible impression that remained long after he’d left. She had the feeling it would be the same with her. She knew she’d never forget them.
Tina and Chance walked Brian to the door, while everybody else headed back into the kitchen. She overhead Beth whisper to Brody she was going to check on Jamie, who’d fallen asleep earlier. Stepping out onto the front porch, Chance held his hand out to Brian.
“Thank you.” He gave a half-hearted laugh. “Seems strange thanking you for abducting my girl, but you did keep her safe.”
His girl?
“Things will probably be crazy for the next few weeks, while jurisdiction gets straightened out and the autopsy on Randolph comes back. If you’re right about his will, who knows what kind of catastrophe that’s going to cause, especially if he was doing money laundering. Forensic bookkeeping is out of my wheelhouse.”
“I don’t want his money. I never wanted any of their money.”
“I understand, Tina. It’ll all get worked out, but you may be tied up for months getting this whole mess straightened out. At least you’ve got this big lug to help you out. Have him put his big brain to use. Seriously, he’s a good man to have your back.”
“I know.” Tina wrapped her arm around Chance’s waist, snuggling against his side.
Brian turned to Chance. “Take good care of her. She’s a keeper.”
“I intend to.”
Without a backward glance, Brian bounded from the front steps, climbed behind the wheel of the white Toyota Avalon, and drove off. She watched until he was out of sight, marveling at the turn of events the day had taken.
So why did she have the feeling the surprises weren’t over yet?