by Lexi Blake
“Hey, Henry.” One of the Harper twins strode up. “Did you get the news about Hiram? Got done in by a hooker and a sex swing. At least it was a hell of a way to go.”
Ah, Max. The Harper twins were perfectly identical to the eye. Totally different once they started talking. Rye Harper was the former sheriff and a completely reasonable man. Max was amusing. Most of the time. “Sex worker, please. They have dignity, too.”
“I heard about the position he was in from Zane, and I don’t know there was a lot of dignity to it. Though Hi did die with a smile on his face.” Max sighed. “I’m going to miss the old guy.”
“We all will.” Hiram Jones had been the mayor of Bliss for as long as anyone could remember.
Henry had sat in his office days after what had happened at Seth’s. Nate had decided that the mayor needed to be brought up to date on the potential threat to Bliss. Henry had been forced to sit in front of Hiram and admit what he’d done.
Hi had been told that a citizen had lied and now the town was in danger, and all he’d done was given Henry a hug and told him they would get through this the way they always did. Together.
Then Hi had told him to tell his wife.
He still wasn’t sure how to tell his wife. What would he do if she got upset and lost the baby? How would he ever take another breath? Caleb said Nell was healthy and sex was fine, that oftentimes women who miscarry have perfectly healthy pregnancies follow and they never knew exactly what went wrong the first time.
“Anyway, I wanted to come over and ask if I can borrow your drill. Mine crapped out and I don’t have time to go into Alamosa for a new one. The latch on my barn door finally rusted over and the new one came in. Rach will have my hide if I don’t fix it soon. That woman does not understand that preseason football is important.”
“Sure. I’ll bring it by this afternoon. I’ll even help you.”
“I appreciate it.” Max tipped his hat and started to turn.
“How did you get through Rachel’s pregnancy? The first one. I can imagine this one is easier. Were you scared?” The question was out of Henry’s mouth and he couldn’t take it back.
Max turned, his eyes going wide. “Uh, this is probably one of those times I should call Rye in, but I’m super curious now.”
“Can you not be an asshole and just answer my question?”
Max seemed to think about it for a moment. “I think asshole is my default state, but I can put it off for a few seconds since we both know you’ll end up fixing that door and I’ll drink a beer while I watch you. So, the first time Rach was pregnant I was pretty freaked out. Do not look shit up on the Internet. It will not ease your mind. I don’t know who said knowledge is power, but they have obviously never had a pregnant wife. Knowledge is scary as shit. I found it was best if I just let Doc give me a thumbs-up at the end of an appointment.” He glanced around as though wanting to make sure no one was listening. “You and Nell trying?”
Henry shook his head. “Forget I said anything.”
“I’m real good at forgetting things. Ask my wife. If you need to talk, I can listen and totally forget until such time as you think it’s good for me to remember.” Max sighed and patted Henry’s shoulder. “When you come over, I’ll tell you how I trained Quigley to let me know when Rach’s water broke. You need a dog.”
Actually, that wasn’t a terrible idea. A big nasty dog he could train to protect its mistress. Nell would love that.
Of course she would also love the fact that he’d told Max. He’d promised to keep it private until Nell was ready.
Max pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked down at it. He grinned when he looked back up. “Hey, congrats on the baby, man. Rach says she already knew but kept it quiet. Now I don’t have to forget.”
What had happened? “Rachel sent you a text?”
“Yeah, she heard it from Callie, who heard it from Marie, who heard it from Teeny.” Max’s phone buzzed again. “Oh, and it’s gotten to Mel. Has Nell recently been probed?”
God, it had been so long since he’d probed her. So freaking long.
“How did Teeny know?” He should find Nell.
Or she’d decided to tell the world and knew Teeny would be a good way to get the word out. She’d been on her way to the juice bar when they’d split up. Teeny was a sweetheart. She wouldn’t have started a rumor if Nell hadn’t told her it was okay. Well, Nell was in for a whole lot of beets. Luckily he didn’t hate them, and they might lower his damn blood pressure since he could feel it ticking up.
You wouldn’t be so on the edge if you got dirty with your wife.
You wouldn’t be so on the edge if you got honest with your wife.
Yep, he had an angel and a devil on his shoulder, and he didn’t want to listen to either one.
Max shrugged. “No idea. She has her ways. But again, congrats, and if you need it, I’ll loan out Q when Nell’s closing in on the finish line. See you later on this afternoon.” He turned and then Max was tipping his hat Heather Turner’s way. “Ms. Turner.”
The tall blonde gave him a snarky curtsy. “Mr. Harper.” She smiled Henry’s way. “I love a small town.” She had a backpack on her back and carried a small tote filled with veggies. “Hey, I thought you should know there’s a weird dude asking Nell all kinds of questions. I don’t think he’s from around here.”
Henry felt his whole body shift into fight mode. “Where is she?”
Heather pointed over her shoulder. “She was at the food court, but I had River save her. I think the guy’s still there. Not that it matters or anything. Just thought I’d warn you. I heard some of it. He was asking about Seth Stark. He might be a reporter or something. Nell’s such a sweetie. We all have to look out for her.”
Henry nodded, but his mind was already running through all the possible scenarios. He moved down the aisle, heading toward the food court that sat in the middle of the parking lot. Up ahead he could already see Nell moving away with River at her side. She was smiling at her friend, and he caught her say something about zucchinis.
Fuck. If he missed the asshole, there would be no way to find him. Bliss didn’t have CCTV cameras on every block. They had exactly one, and it had been used to prove to Mel that it had been a hungry bear that had knocked over the trash cans at city hall and not aliens attempting to steal DNA.
It was precisely one of the things he loved about Bliss, one of the things that had kept him safe, but now it could hurt his wife. He brushed past a couple buying potatoes and made it to the small courtyard.
It was empty.
“Henry, such wonderful news.” Teeny was smiling brightly. “I’m going to start on a baby blanket as soon as possible. Only organic cotton, and I’ll make sure it’s sustainably sourced.”
He didn’t have time to talk about baby gifts. “Teeny, do you know where the man who was talking to Nell went?”
“He seemed rather odd. Asked me if I knew where Seth lived,” Teeny said. “And then he didn’t even want a juice. A little rude if you ask me. He walked off toward the church. Is everything all right?”
He couldn’t tell her that the man might be an investigator for a drug cartel that wanted him dead. He could only imagine the text chain that would come from that admission. “I thought I recognized him from my professor days. I wanted to see if he was an old friend. If my wife asks, tell her I ran to the restroom and I’ll be back.”
He made his way toward the church in time to see a man dressed in black slip inside. The church kept its doors unlocked during the market to provide access to restrooms, but he happened to know the staff wasn’t working today. When he and Nell had a stall earlier in the year, they’d joined with the other sellers to ensure the church was cleaned after the market closed and they locked everything up.
He wanted a look at the guy. He would follow the man into the bathroom, get a good look at his face, and then see what car he got into. It would likely be a rental if he’d been sent to look for John Bishop, but Seth could w
ork miracles if he had a plate number.
He slipped inside the church and the world immediately went darker and colder. The air conditioner was running, giving the quiet space a hum. The bathrooms were to the left, and the feed store portion of the Feed Store Church was in front of him. The lights were out, and he didn’t hear footsteps.
He felt that instinct flare up again. It was too quiet. He’d seen the man come in. Unless he’d sprinted down the hallway, Henry should be able to hear him walking.
Cautiously, he stepped into the store. It was the only place to hide quickly.
Why would he hide?
Henry looked around, and nothing seemed to have been disturbed. There were big bags of feed of all kinds and aisles of tools. To his right was a display of various lawn care machines. He’d had his eye on a sweet leaf blower, but he suspected his wife liked the leaves to be free.
It was darker as he moved into the middle of the store.
What was he doing? He didn’t even have a gun. He turned, ready to check the bathroom and then get the hell out of here. He would sort it all out later. He could come up with some excuse and have Heather give him a thorough description of the man.
“Hello.” The man was standing right beside a big display of bird baths. He held a Ruger in his right hand, pointing it straight at Henry’s heart. “I suspect you’re the one Jones was looking for. You Bishop?”
Fuck. Henry held up his hands. He needed to get his head back in the game. “My name is Henry. I was just looking around. I don’t want any trouble.”
But he would have to make some because this man knew his face and if he was allowed to get back to the cartel, all hell would break loose. It seemed someone was looking for Jones and they’d found Henry instead.
“Cut the crap. I’ve seen your picture,” the man said with a sneer. “Fucking Agency assholes have to ruin everything. Jones was being cagey about where he was heading, but when he didn’t come back, I checked into things. He came here. I found evidence that he was looking into Seth Stark. Stark is working with you, isn’t he? I’m intrigued as to why a billionaire is working with a ghost. Did you kill Jones?”
“I don’t know a Jones.” It wouldn’t work, but he needed time and a whole lot of luck.
The man chuckled, an amused sound, as though he enjoyed this part of the game. “Maybe you didn’t catch his name. He would have come through town a couple of weeks ago with some of our associates. Big guys. Big guns. I’m trying to figure out what happened to them because they all went real quiet. Now someone sent all their cell phones to Los Angeles. Imagine my surprise when I get to the place in LA where their signals say they are and all that’s there are the phones that some asshole has helpfully kept charged.”
That had been his idea. He was certain whoever Seth had given the job to had thought the boss was running some kind of test on the phones and how easy they were to track. It had bought them time because even if he’d destroyed the cells, there would have been a way to track their last known locations. So he’d given them another one.
Henry started to back up. If he wasn’t mistaken, he was close to the shovels. They would be one aisle over. He would have one chance. He couldn’t let this guy get away. He knew far too much.
He had to hope the other man hadn’t had enough time to get a call out. “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”
The man’s hand had the slightest tremor. “We’ll see if you keep quiet when I get you back to our base. My boss is incredibly angry with you. You’re the reason he’s in the mess he’s in, and he will cover me in riches when I deliver you to him. I think I’ll bring your wife along and see if she can make you talk.”
The idea of his sweet Nell under this man’s thumb made him see red, and he knew he wasn’t going to make it to the next aisle. They were going to do this here and now.
Henry kicked out, catching the other man’s hand before he could get a shot off. The gun clattered against a riding lawnmower and Henry took a punch to the gut.
He didn’t even feel it. It registered, but not as anything close to pain. That would come later. Adrenaline pumped through his system as he focused fully on the task at hand.
He took another punch, but landed one of his own. The man flew back and his head hit hard against the floor.
That was the moment the knife made its appearance.
His opponent flipped up to standing and rushed Henry, knife at the ready.
Henry moved to one side, letting the heavier man’s weight carry him past. He wasn’t particularly skilled, but then Henry had found most of the cartel men weren’t well versed in hand to hand.
It was a mere moment before Henry had his arm wrapped around the man’s neck and heard the crunching sound that let him know his job was done. Nell was safe. For now.
The cartel man slipped to the floor without a sound.
But there was a gasp that let Henry know he wasn’t alone. He turned and his worst nightmare was standing there in her organic cotton dress. She was alone and her eyes went right to the body on the floor, the dead body he now had to find a way to make her understand.
“Henry?” Nell looked pale.
“I can explain.”
She dropped the bag she’d been carrying and then she started for the floor, her eyes rolling back.
He caught her and realized everything had gone wrong. He felt for her pulse. It was strong. Henry held her close and reached for his cell. He kept this particular number on speed dial.
“This is Wright.”
Nell was going to kill him. “Sheriff, I seem to have a problem.”
He hoped Zane Hollister’s freezer could handle another dead body.
Chapter Four
“I’m fine.” Nell said the words, but they felt dull coming out of her mouth. She was back in her cabin but it suddenly felt oddly foreign to her, as though all her familiar things had been transported to someplace new. She recognized the space, but deep inside she knew there was something wrong with it.
“Caleb said you need to rest. He, Holly, and Alexei are in Alamosa for the afternoon, but he can be here this evening. I could call Ty or Naomi.” Henry was the most familiar and yet foreign thing of all. Henry—the man she felt she knew better than anyone in the world—was now a mystery. He put a glass of water in front of her. “Caleb said it was probably the heat. He wants you to drink some water.”
She didn’t need water. For the first time in her life she truly understood why people who got mad thought they could solve their problems with vodka.
“He thinks I passed out from the heat because you didn’t tell him the whole story. I can handle the heat. It was watching my pacifist husband murder a man that made me faint.” She didn’t want to bother Ty or Naomi. Ty was one of the EMTs around town and Naomi was Caleb’s nurse. It was her day off and she didn’t need to be bothered with taking Nell’s blood pressure. Her current health situation wasn’t about pregnancy. It was about marriage.
Her marriage. To a man who killed someone.
Henry sank down onto their sofa, the very sofa where he often sat beside her at night, reading a book while she knitted and listened to podcasts or watched a documentary about climate change.
It was the sofa where at least twice a week, he turned from mild-mannered husband to dirty Dom and ordered her to take off her clothes or to drop to her knees and suck his cock.
Well, until recently.
How could she be so confused and mad and horny at the same time? One second she was on the verge of tears and the next she wanted nothing more than for him to take charge and tell her everything was fine, that she hadn’t understood what she’d seen and all she had to do was follow his lead.
“Nell, we should talk.”
He’d put her off for two hours. Not that she’d asked him anything. She’d come to in his arms. When she’d woken, she’d been on Henry’s lap and he’d been sitting on the riding lawn mower that had been on display at the Feed Store Church for over five years. For a second she
’d thought it was all a dream, but then she’d realized there was still a body on the floor.
With vacant eyes and absolutely no blood. If she hadn’t watched Henry snap the man’s neck, she would have thought the man had died of natural causes. But there had been nothing natural about what Henry had done. Graceful, predatory…but not natural.
She stood and paced because she was done sitting still. She’d sat while Henry had talked to Nate and Cam, while they’d closed the building up and taken the body out the back. Nate was talking to Pastor Dennis, who’d been surprised at the fact that someone had died in his church. She’d listened as Nate had covered completely for Henry. “Pastor Dennis thinks that man had a heart attack.”
His eyes came up and he watched her carefully. There was a stillness to Henry that belied the look in his eyes. “It was necessary to control the narrative.”
She put her hands on her hips, outrage rising. He sounded like people they protested. “The narrative? That wasn’t a narrative. That was a murder.”
“It was one hundred percent self-defense. I did not attack him. I followed him inside the building to see where he was going. Heather told me he’d been bothering you and he was asking about Seth. When I turned around, he was in front of the exit and he had a gun on me. We fought. I managed to get the gun from him but that’s when he pulled the knife. I had to fight for my life.”
“Why would he try to kill you? He was a tourist. Did anyone find his wife?” She hated the thought of that poor woman walking around looking for her husband while the Bliss County Sheriff’s Office was busy covering up his murder.
Henry sighed. “Honey, there was no wife.”
She wasn’t sure why or how he thought he knew better than she did. As far as she could tell, she’d had a much longer conversation with the man. All Henry had done was kill him. “He told me he had a wife. He’s staying in Del Norte with her. At least he was before you murdered him.”
Henry’s hands went into fists, but then he took a deep breath and his tone was patient. “He wasn’t vacationing. He was looking for me. The same way the men who nearly killed Seth were looking for me.”