“Thank you.”
Leo handed over the mug and sat beside Jane on the sofa. “It’s just tea.” Tea he certainly couldn’t stomach. Which was why he’d brewed a pot of coffee.
“That’s not what I meant.” She sipped from her mug, a bit of the color coming back to her cheeks. “I meant thank you for not pestering me with questions.”
“Well.” He shrugged, toed off his boots and stretched his legs out, all of which presented a picture of calm and contentment. A complete facade. Inside he was a roiling mess of emotions ranging from relief to panic to utter and complete dread. “Personally, I’m dying to know all about your second-grade teacher and whatever trouble you and Phoebe might have gotten into.”
“Mrs. Burke. And any second-grade mischief honestly pales in comparison to later entanglements. And you’re doing great not pestering me.”
He forced a smile. “You’ve got enough rolling around in that head of yours. No need to add me to the mix.”
“But you are.” She set the tea down and curled her legs under her. “You are part of the mix, Leo. A big part. Just because I can fill in most of those blanks now, that doesn’t erase you. Nothing can. I love you.”
And he loved her. More than he thought possible. Finally, because of Jane, he felt as if he understood his grandparents so much more. The way his grandmother would smile whenever Isaac would walk into the room; the way she’d pretend not to be waiting for him to come home at night, distracting herself with fixing dinner or cleaning or organizing his office. His grandfather’s words of advice, most of which had revolved around embracing love when it presented itself and the gifts it brought, the changes it caused. Changes for the better. He’d cherish these months he’d shared with her. Quite possibly for the rest of his life.
“Leo, talk to me.” The slight tremor in her voice broke through. “Please. This doesn’t change anything between us. I won’t let it.” She had slid across the sofa, pressed herself into his side as she stroked his hair, traced the side of his face. “I’m still who I was when I woke up in your arms this morning. I might have filled in the blanks, but there’s nowhere else I want to be.”
“Jane—” His chest tightened with the pressure of what needed to be said.
“No.” Her voice cut through his resolve. “No. Leo Slattery, you are not pulling away from me. Not now. Now when I need you the most.” She plucked his cup from his hand and set it on the table next to the sofa. The next thing he knew, she was over him, legs on either side of his thighs, hands planted on the sofa behind his head. “You’re not hearing me. I know who I am now. And it doesn’t change what I want. And I still want you. Promise me I can stay, Leo.” Her eyes darkened as his hands gripped her hips. “Promise me.”
He smiled, unable to resist temptation as his hands slid up and down her back. She arched against him, that low purr emanating from the back of her throat.
“No fair,” he managed. “You know how to get what you want.”
“Indeed I do.” She moved against him, shifting her hips enough to fog his mind and harden his body. “Say it, Leo.” Jane nipped at his ear, caught the lobe between her teeth and bit gently. “Promise me I can stay.”
He caught her face, brought her mouth to his and kissed her, hoping the distraction would be enough to push the request from her thoughts. But she pulled back, just enough, to silently pose the question once more.
There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her, he realized in that moment. Nothing she could ask that he would deny. She held his heart not only in her hands, but in every cell. In every look. In every smile. “I promise.” But that was all he said. There were no more words.
Not while she was kissing him and not, he thought later, while she made love to him. Or when he made love to her again in the moon-splintered darkness. But the words he couldn’t utter were still there, hovering behind the overwhelming desire to hold on to her.
And the knowledge that he had to let her go.
“Anything else you need in town?” Leo asked her the next afternoon as he motioned for Ollie to jump into the cab. The dog inclined his head, let out a bark, then circled back around to stand beside Jane.
Jane, who looked as radiant and perfect as she had every day she’d been on the ranch. Jane, who had her arms loaded with some of the plants he’d brought back from the nursery for her. Jane, who was currently frowning at him as if he’d lost his mind. “That’s the third time you’ve asked me that. No, we don’t need anything. Will you go already? The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back, and I need your help with dinner.”
“Don’t you mean I need your help?” The teasing banter normally made his heart lighter. But today, the words weighed him down.
“It’s amazing how well you know me.” She walked over and tilted her head up for a kiss, which he willingly did. But not the quick brush of lips she expected. He cupped her face, dived deep and committed the taste of her, the feel of her, the sound of her, to memory. “Now you really have to hurry back,” she moaned against his mouth, then pushed a hand against his shoulder. “Go.”
Ollie trotted after her, but not before tossing Leo a questioning look. Darned dog was too smart for his own good.
Leo watched as she disappeared around the corner of the house, no doubt on her way up to Gwen and Lacey’s place, before he climbed into the truck and drove into town.
He waited for the doubt to descend, for his conscience to kick in and tell him he was making the wrong decision. The guilt was there, hovering, but even that didn’t dissuade him. Nothing would. Because he knew he was doing the right thing.
He parked in front of the Lucky Diner, gave Miss D a quick wave as he locked up his truck. But instead of heading in for a cup of coffee and an order of pie, he walked across the street.
And into the police station.
It took over an hour and three trips from the house to the family cemetery, but Jane was finally ready to get started. The fencing outlining the area needed a coat of paint, but that would have to wait until after the weeding, the cleaning and the seeding next spring. She’d purposely requested late-blooming flowers so there would be some color to the area through the winter. Or at least until the first snowfall. For now, this would do.
It didn’t occur to her until she stood amid Leo’s family that there were five graves. She’d expected four: his mother, father and grandparents. But there was a fifth grave. A smaller marker stood between his mother’s and father’s. Gabriel Mitchell Slattery. Who had died the day he’d been born. The same day, Jane noted, as Leo’s mother had passed. Tears pricked her eyes as she sank to the ground, her heart breaking for the man she loved. A man who had every reason to be bitter and angry and yet spent most every day with a smile on his face.
Last night had meant everything to her. Not just because making love to Leo made her feel alive, desired and loved, but because now that her memory was intact, now that she knew what had come before, she knew, to the core of her soul, that she had never loved anyone the way she did Leo. What had he said about his grandparents? That they’d been tethered at the heart?
She tapped a finger against her chest and smiled. “I know just how that feels.”
Phoebe.
Guilt clanged deep inside her, as she debated for the hundredth time about reaching out to her twin, but she wasn’t ready for the questions, the suffocating attention. A few more days weren’t going to make that much of a difference. She’d needed last night with him; she needed today with Leo, just to solidify plans in her mind. So she could finally move on. With him.
And yes, that meant going to the police. It had to be frustrating Leo to no end believing she wouldn’t give in to that request, but once again, she knew he was right. The time would come. She knew it would. And he’d give her that time. He’d promised he would.
One thing she knew for absolute certain where Leo Slattery was concerned: he never made a promise he couldn’t keep.
“Can I help you?” the dark-haired deputy on the other side of the counter asked Leo, who had been admiring the polished wood railings and cabinetry in the reception area. He’d clearly watched too many cop shows growing up, expecting to find yellowed linoleum, ancient metal desks and whining computers that wouldn’t cooperate. Instead, what he was seeing was a streamlined, modern structure with attention to the town’s history, including etched glass windows from when the building had been a men’s fine-clothing department store. “Sir?”
“Sorry.” Leo managed a smile as he removed his hat. “I was wondering if I could speak with Deputy Daria Bloom?” The second the words left his lips he felt the course of his life tip. Even if Jane never forgave him, he was doing the right thing. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.
“Do you have an appointment?” The deputy’s cool expression didn’t change. His obsidian black eyes barely shifted as he focused on Leo.
“I’m afraid not, Deputy—” Leo glanced at the deputy’s badge “—Gates. But it is important.”
“I’m sure it is. Go ahead and sign in.” He gestured to the clipboard on the counter. “Can I tell her what this is about, Mr. Slattery?” Deputy Gates asked after Leo filled in his name, address and phone number.
“Um...” Leo hesitated.
“It’ll help determine if she sees you today or later this week. We’re a bit busy these days. You might have heard we’re working a serial killer case.”
“I did hear, actually. That’s part of why I’m here. But you can tell her it’s about a missing person case.”
“Missing person?” Deputy Gates’s eyebrows shot up and disappeared under his hair. “Sure. Have a seat. I’ll let Daria know right away.”
“Thanks.” Leo chose not to sit, and as the deputy disappeared into the depths of the station, he paced up and down the aisle, skimming the missing persons flyers, most wanted listings and community bulletin board.
“Mr. Slattery?”
Leo turned and found an attractive, determined-looking woman heading his way. She was a bit older than he’d expected given she was still a deputy, but he had no doubt this woman could hold her own in any situation. Her navy-blue uniform only boosted the air of professionalism and dedication he picked up from her. “Yes. Deputy Bloom?”
“Daria, please. I understand you have some information about an ongoing investigation?”
“Sure do. Can we speak in private?”
“Of course.” She nodded at Gates and motioned for Leo to follow. “Coffee?”
“Pass.” One look at the ancient coffee maker had him cringing.
“Smart man.” Daria grinned as she poured herself a cup. “Enough of this stuff and I won’t only stay awake, I won’t be wasting time blinking. Come on back.” She led him into her office. “Don’t mind the boards. It’s a work in progress.” She sat down and leaned back, eyeing him.
Leo set his hat on the chair and walked over to one of the whiteboards filled with photographs, dates and other forensic information for the Avalanche Killer. When he looked over his shoulder, he found Daria watching him. “I shouldn’t be seeing this, should I?”
“Depends. Anything we might have gotten wrong about anything up there, Mr. Slattery?”
“Leo. And only one that I know of.” He reached up and plucked Skye’s picture off the board. “She’s alive.” He dropped the picture onto her desk.
“So I heard.” Daria swayed in her chair. “I spoke with Kaitlin and Delaney Sommars yesterday evening after Delaney reported seeing Skye at Dr. Monroe’s. They also mentioned a well-mannered cowboy named Leo who was with her. Not many Leos around these parts, so I’m guessing that’s you.” She looked at him for another few seconds, then leaned forward in her chair, folded her hands on top of her desk. Tight enough he saw her knuckles turn white. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah.” Leo nodded and saw tension he hadn’t noticed melt off the deputy. “She is now. She wasn’t when I found her.”
“When was that?” She clicked open a pen and started making notes on a tablet.
“Late July.” Daria arched a brow as Leo sat across from her. “Don’t even say it. Believe me, I’m right there with you. She’d taken a pretty bad blow to the head. Didn’t have any memory of who she was. Where she came from. And she was scared. Terrified, actually. She’d been attacked.”
“Attacked how?” Daria’s eyes sharpened. “Raped?”
“She said no. But that’s all she remembered.”
“And you believed her.”
“I’m not sure I can explain it. I could just... I just did.”
“So she didn’t know what happened to her, but she did know she hadn’t been sexually assaulted.” Daria’s doubt was obvious.
“That’s what she told me. You can ask her about it yourself.”
“I plan to, thanks. I take it she’s still staying with you?”
“Yes.” There it was. The final thread to his promise had been broken.
“Why didn’t you bring her to us? Why didn’t you call the police?”
Leo could understand the accusation in her tone. He’d been expecting it. Didn’t mean he was ready for the spark of anger he saw in Daria’s eyes. “Because the mere mention of talking to the police sent her into a panic attack.”
“Did it?” Daria’s brows knit. “Explain.”
“The first time I mentioned the police was when I found her in my barn. Her clothes were ripped, torn and bloodied. She had cuts and scrapes and bruises along with the head wound. There was a welt on her cheek, from a ring I’m guessing. I could see the handprint.”
“Don’t suppose you thought to take some pictures.”
“Didn’t have a cell phone at the moment, so I didn’t think of it. No reception in my area. I did put the clothes in a paper bag, though. Just in case.”
“Smart. There might be some trace we can use.” Daria nodded. “Go on.”
Where did he start? “She’s had nightmares, almost every night since she’s been with me. Lights are always a part of it. Spinning red and blue lights. And a man in uniform. Dark. The last nightmare she had, she remembers a patrol car ramming her from behind, which sent her into a crash. She tried to get out the passenger side, but he broke the driver’s window, opened the door, grabbed her ankle. Hauled her out of the car. Next thing she woke up in a gardening shed at an abandoned property. She got herself free and ran. Ended up on my ranch.”
Daria listened without a hint of emotion flickering across her pretty features. “Any idea where this abandoned property is?”
“It’s Paul Preston’s place. A few miles from my spread. I took her back there. She didn’t remember being there, not specifically, but I’m pretty sure that’s where she was held. Her description of where she woke up fits.”
“Preston’s been dead going on five years now,” Daria said.
“A friend of mind suggested it might be the place.”
“A friend?”
“John McHugh Trapper. You might—”
“Oh, I know Trapper.” Daria actually grinned. “Cranky old coot, but he’s a good guy. Also a wealth of information.”
“Trapper thought the place she described sounded familiar so we checked it out. Preston might be long gone, but someone’s been using his place as a drug hub.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the scorched ID. “We found this in the fireplace.”
Daria looked down at what was left of the plastic card. “Levi McEwan. Well. That’s interesting.” She sat back in her chair, her frown increasing. Then the deputy shot to her feet and started shuffling through files on her desk. “When did you say Skye showed up at your place?” She yanked one free and flipped it open.
“Late July. The twenty—”
“Twenty-fourth?” She tapped a finger against the notes inside.
“Sounds right. What’s going on? What do you know?”
“Know? Nothing for certain. Yet. Hang on.” She picked up her phone and asked someone to bring in any updated information on Levi. When she hung up, she pinned him with another look. “So it’s because Skye was afraid of the police you lied to the deputy when he came out to your place looking for her?”
“I’m sorry?” Now it was Leo’s turn to frown. “When who came to my what? I haven’t seen anyone other than Trapper and Jane on my land in forever.” Trapper. Leo sat up straighter in his chair. “But Trapper told me about a guy in an SUV who was lost and asked for directions.”
“Jane?”
“Skye,” Leo said to clarify. “She didn’t remember her name so we’ve been calling her Jane.”
“Zero points on originality,” Daria muttered. “Thanks, Blue.” She accepted the file handed to her by a young female deputy. “Do me a favor and get the log for the door-to-door on Skye Colton? And do you know if the sheriff is back yet?”
“Sure.” She was so young and enthusiastic her ponytail actually bopped. “And nope on the sheriff. Want me to try his cell?”
“No. I’ll take care of it, thanks.” Daria flipped through pages in the file while Leo began fidgeting. “Relax, Leo. I’m just putting some pieces together. You’re absolutely sure no one came out to your place to ask about Skye?”
“I’m positive. Trapper would have told me if I’d been away, and there’s no way Jane could have hidden that from me. She still freaks out when I mention the cops.”
“Can’t say I blame her if a cop is responsible for what happened to her. Wait.” Daria glanced up and he could all but see the wheels spinning in her head. “She doesn’t know you’re here, does she?”
“No.” He shook his head and swallowed a new lump of guilt. “And believe me, she isn’t going to be happy when she finds out I came to you behind her back, but I figured you were a safe bet.”
“Me? Why?”
“Because whoever attacked her was a man. And you’re...not.”
“Who says ranchers aren’t observant.” Daria actually grinned. “For the record, no, I wasn’t the one who attacked Skye. So Levi McEwan was a small-time drug dealer in Roaring Springs. Coke, some meth, heroin occasionally. He’d been branching out, some new poison hitting the streets in the bigger cities. They found his body in late July, near a gas station. The same gas station Skye used to fill up on the twenty-fourth according to her credit card. The coroner puts McEwan’s time of death within that time frame.”
Panic of an entirely new sort swirled in his chest. “You think what happened to Jane is related?”
“I’m thinking I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Here you go.” Blue returned, the same eager expression on her face as she handed over a thick binder. “Anything I can help you with?”
“Give me a second.” Daria flipped through the pages. “Oppenhymer, Palmer, Preston, Pullman...Slattery, Leo.” She flipped the binder around, tapped the entry. “Right here. Deputy Gerald Gates recorded visiting your property. Even made note of the discussion he had with an elderly gentleman. No result.”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Leo said. “Like I said, the only person who’d stopped by was a guy looking for directions. Said he was looking at property in the area to buy.” That bubble of unease continued to build in his chest. Something wasn’t right.
“Blue, would you have Deputy Gates come in?” Daria asked.
“Oh, well, I would, but he just left.” Blue pointed behind her. “Said he had a family emergency come up and needed to take the rest of the day off. He asked me to mind the counter.”
Leo’s ears began to ring. “You said his first name was Gerald?”
“Yeah.” Daria’s gaze narrowed.
“GG. Skye’s nightmare last night. She remembered a name badge on the man’s chest. She couldn’t remember the name, but she did remember the initials. G and G.” Leo swore, and bolted for the door.
“Wait, Leo! Where are you going?” Daria raced after him, Blue right on her heels.
“He had me sign in. With my name and address. He would have recognized it, wouldn’t he?” He headed for the front door.
“How long ago did he leave?” Daria demanded.
“Maybe ten minutes?” Blue told them.
Leo was past listening. He needed to get home. He needed to get to Jane. This was his fault. If he hadn’t gone against her wishes, if he hadn’t thought he knew better, then Gerald Gates never would have found out where she was.
“Hold up, Leo.” Daria grabbed his arm and steered him away from his truck.
“You can’t stop me from going. I need to get home.”
“I’m not going to try to stop you. But we need to get there fast. Blue, call the sheriff, tell him we have a possible suspect for the McEwan murder and the assault and kidnapping of his cousin Skye Colton. We need backup out at the Slattery ranch ASAP.”
“Right.” Blue disappeared back into the station.
“You.” She pointed at Leo. “In the squad car.” Daria dug keys out of her pocket and ducked inside. “We’ll get there faster with sirens.”
Jane wasn’t sure what she heard first. Ollie’s low growl or the grinding of tires in the gravel beyond the house. Wrist deep in the new soil she’d put over the top of Essie’s resting place, she abandoned the plantings and pushed to her feet. She swiped a dirt-caked hand across her forehead, her fingers catching in the hair that had come loose from her braid. Tires ground in the gravel by the house. She’d been listening to that sound every day for months. The same sound that brought her a sense of comfort and excitement, and the promise of Leo walking through the door.
Whoever had arrived, it was not Leo.
“Come on, boy.” She smacked her hand against her thigh to call for Ollie to follow, then headed toward the house. She stepped carefully, quietly, as she drew closer and bent down to grab hold of Ollie’s neck. He growled again, and this time she took his warning seriously.
Whoever it was clomped his way around the front of the house. He—it had to be a he, as she’d never heard a woman stomp around like that—didn’t call out. He didn’t make a sound, which seemed all the more odd.
Jane stopped at the corner of the barn, kept Ollie at her side and leaned over to peer around. Her heart skipped more than a beat at the sight of the police cruiser. She gasped, covering her mouth with her free hand as she gripped the dog tighter. Her skin went clammy as fear descended, but she took a moment, tried to reason it out. One cop, one person, had been the one who drove her off the road. What were the odds...
His footsteps drew closer. She struggled for breath as Ollie strained against her hold. Her stomach pitched and cramped as she inhaled the sickening scent of cloves. She became light-headed. The world spun, and she braced herself against the wall to keep from pitching forward.
She squeezed her eyes shut, but all she could see was the glint of an arcing blade; all she could hear was the sound of that blade piercing flesh. All she could feel was the terror slicing through her, sharper than any knife.
Beneath the blinding fluorescent lights of the gas station, blood spewed, spraying over the foliage and shrubs beyond the line of sight. Just beyond the entrance to the station where she’d gone in to pay for her gas.
She’d stood there, frozen, caught between the horror of the murder she’d witnessed and the knowledge that the man responsible had seen her. A tall, dark-haired man wearing a navy-blue Roaring Springs deputy’s uniform. With a name badge reading Deputy Gerald Gates.
The same deputy who had started toward her, knife still in hand, blood dripping from his fingers. She’d run full-bore to her car, nearly twisting her ankle, panic making her hands shake as she opened the door, threw herself inside and peeled out of the station like the devil himself was on her trail. The sports car was fast, but the cruiser with spinning lights gave chase, growing closer in her rearview mirror as she fumbled to get her phone out of her bag. Why hadn’t she hooked up the voice control? She pressed her foot down harder on the accelerator as the cruiser closed the distance.
The steering wheel vibrated beneath her death grip. Could she make it to the police station in Roaring Springs? But it was the police behind her. Trey. Trey would know what to do. Trey could help her. Or...
Home. If she could just make it home, her family would be there. He wouldn’t even think about following her...
She screamed the first time he rammed her vehicle from behind. The sound of metal crunching against metal sent chills racing over her body. Her heart pounded so hard against her ribs she was afraid her chest would burst. Her car skidded one way, then the other, but she managed to get it under control. She pressed her foot harder. The car strained, but lurched forward just as he clipped her again. The outcropping of rocks closed in fast. She pulled her foot off the gas and braced for impact, but there was no preparing for the explosion of airbags when she hit. Time stopped and when it began moving again, everything shifted into slow motion.
Ears ringing, blood streaming down one side of her face, she’d struggled to stay awake. In her numbed state, she fumbled for the seat belt latch, straining against the belt as she heard a car door slam. Heavy footfalls headed her way. She whimpered, hating the helpless sound as she struggled and strained, unable to get any traction with her stilettos. She kicked them off, pressed her bare feet to the floorboards and pushed up. One more depression of the latch and the belt burst free, whipping back and catching her in the face. She dived across the gearshift, reaching frantically for the passenger door as her window exploded, showering her in glass.
His hand reached in, grabbing for her, but when he didn’t make contact, he unlocked the door and ripped it open. She kicked out, screaming, shouting as his hand locked around her ankle. He bent down, his dark eyes flashing in the dim glow of the overhead light of her car. Then, yanking hard, he pulled her almost all the way out. She thrashed, punching out with her fists, landing a few blows until he yanked her one more time. Her head slammed against the bottom of the car as he pulled her free. She lay there, stunned, amid shattered glass and her own blood, unable to do anything but watch him stand over her. Lean down. He backhanded her hard, across the face, the chunky ring he wore on his hand catching her skin before he hit her again. And then...
Ollie barked, dragging Jane out of the memory. She stood there, back against the barn, frozen, and watched her attacker step around the corner. Slowly. Deliberately. Carefully.
Dark hair. Even darker eyes in a face so pale he reminded her of death. The uniform seemed to sag around him, as if afraid to mold itself to his body. But now she remembered that sickly amused smile she saw on his face. The same face that had smiled down on her that night.
The same face of the man who had stopped here for directions a few weeks ago.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
Ollie strained against her hold, but she clung harder, afraid of what the man would do to him. She slid away, splinters snagging on her shirt as her mind raced for something—anything—to use to defend herself. “I’m not alone.” Her voice trembled. Ollie growled and barked so loudly her head hurt again. “Leo’s—”
“Slattery is in town. At the police station. How do you think I finally knew where to find you?” His right hand went to his holster. He unsnapped the safety on his gun and wrapped his fingers around the butt. “You remember, don’t you? I can see it on your face. You remember seeing me kill Levi.”
She felt the blood drain from her face. Leo was where? No. This man was lying. Leo wouldn’t lie to her. He wouldn’t betray her. He’d promised not to go to the police. He’d promised...
But looking at the deputy, she knew he was telling her the truth.
Leo had lied to her.
And that, more than any knife, any punch, any bullet, hurt.
“They’ll figure it out,” she told him. “When they find my body, they’ll figure out it was you.”
“If they find your body.” He pulled out his gun and aimed it, not at her, but at Ollie. He cocked the hammer.
“No!” She stepped in front of the dog, twisting her arm in such a way she felt the tendons strain as she held on to his collar. “No, don’t hurt him. I’ll do whatever you want, just leave him alone.” She needed to buy time, time for her brain to start working to find a way out.
“Then chain him up.” He waggled the muzzle. “Nice and tight. Then get in the car. We have unfinished business, you and I.”
An odd calm descended as she caught the mad look in the deputy’s eyes. The second she got into that car, she was dead. She knew that as certainly as she knew she loved Leo.
“Okay.” She took a chance and turned her back on the gun so she could get a better hold on Ollie. “Okay, I’ll tie him up. But the rope is in the stable. Over there.” She pointed to the building that had served as her safe haven all these weeks. “It’s either that or let him loose, and I’d put my money on him.”
“Move.”
Ollie growled again and for the first time struggled against Jane’s hold. “Please, Ollie,” she whispered. “Trust me.” She half hobbled him over all the way to the stable, the deputy right behind her. “He has a leash,” she lied. “Just there.” She pointed to the narrow wall separating Teyla and Bullet. Bullet. An idea formed, easing the fear bearing down on her again.
“Then get it,” Deputy Gates snapped.
“One question.” She dragged Ollie over to Teyla and reached for the lead rope hanging beside her stall. “Why did you kill him?”
“What does it matter?” Gates asked. “He was stealing from me. Taking more product for himself than he was selling. No one steals from me.”
“Noted.” She pretended to stumble and grabbed hold of Bullet’s door, slid the latch free as she pushed herself forward, dragging Ollie with her.
“Tie him up already, would you?” He glanced over his shoulder.
“Afraid you’re running out of time?” She looped the rope around Ollie’s neck and secured him to a nearby post.
Gates swung on her, advancing fast. She spun and yanked hard on Bullet’s door, pulling it open in one fast whoosh. The young stallion burst free, his feet catching the edge of the door and sending Jane sprawling to the ground. Gates cried out as the horse didn’t stop, knocking him to the ground so hard and so fast, his gun discharged into the roof. Jane jumped to her feet, grabbed a shovel and ran at Gates. She slammed the shovel down hard on his hand, dislodging the gun. She kicked it well out of reach, dropped the shovel and dived for the weapon, but Gates grabbed her around the ankle and sent her crashing face-first into the floor. She tasted blood. Her nose and mouth went numb, but she wasn’t giving up. She wouldn’t surrender. Not to this man.
She threw out her arms, searching with her hands, grabbing with her fingers as she found the handle of the shovel again.
Ollie was going mad, his barks so loud she could barely hear the screeching tires and slamming doors.
“Jane!”
Leo. Was she hearing things? Jane threw herself over, kicked out with her free foot, but Gates wouldn’t let go. The madness and rage swirled in his eyes as his other hand locked around her calf, dragged her closer as he hauled himself up. She readjusted her grip on the shovel and hurled it around, swinging like she was going for a home run. She connected with his shoulder so hard her own arms vibrated.
Gates screamed in pain and released her. Splinters embedded themselves in her palms, but she barely felt them. She struggled to her knees, never taking her eyes off the writhing figure before her. He reached for her again. More voices. More shouts. Dozens of them. Or maybe she was imagining things. Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her. She drew the shovel back, ready to hit him again.
“Jane, stop!” She was grabbed from behind, spun away as the shovel was pulled from her hands. “It’s okay. They’ve got him. Shh. They’ve got him.”
Leo. She clung to him, sank into him as he wrapped his arms so tightly around her she couldn’t breathe. She didn’t want to breathe. She didn’t have to. Not when he was there.
“Come on. I’ve got you. Let’s go outside.” He led her out of the stable, but she stopped him, shaking her head as she planted her feet. “Ollie. Where’s—”
“Here he is.” A young uniformed female deputy brought Ollie, rope leash and all, over to her. “I figure maybe you two are better off handling him than we are.” Ollie hopped up and around them over and over as they brought him along.
Once outside, Jane pulled herself free of Leo’s hold and dropped to her knees, hugging Ollie against her as she sobbed into his fur. “You’re okay, boy. You’re okay.” Ollie lifted one paw over her shoulder and seemed to be petting her back. “You did so good. So, so good.” She didn’t think she’d ever forget the manic look on Gates’s face when he’d aimed that pistol at the dog. If anything had happened to him...
“You need to tell me what happened,” Leo said as he crouched beside her. He reached out to brush her hair back from her face, but she pulled away, angry tears escaping her control. “Jane, talk to me.”
“You know what happened,” she said as he looked into her eyes. “You lied to me.”