by Jenna Night
She’ll need a cowboy bounty hunter’s help to escape a criminal out for revenge...
After her cousin’s abusive ex-boyfriend jumps bail and threatens Ramona Miller for breaking them up, she’s determined to help the police catch him—if he doesn’t kill her first. Bounty hunter Harry Orlansky’s on the job when he saves Ramona from his mark. But Harry can’t protect her forever...and until he captures Ramona’s relentless stalker, neither of them will be safe.
“Is Darrin the one shooting at us?” Harry asked.
Eyes wide with fear, Ramona nodded.
The men tromped through the forest toward them. They couldn’t stay here. They’d be found.
He gestured at Ramona to stay quiet, then pressed his phone and truck keys into her hand. He leaned toward her, speaking close to her ear. “My truck is parked on the road. Run for it and drive out of here as fast as you can. The cops are already on their way.”
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’ll lead them in the other direction.”
She hesitated, so he gave her a little push. But before either of them could get moving, Harry heard the sound of several vehicles pulling up to a stop on the highway near where he’d parked.
“Cops!” one of the men in the forest yelled.
“This isn’t over, Ramona!” Darrin called out. “You better make sure you keep your mouth shut! If you don’t, I’ll find you. I’ll make sure you and your whole family keep their mouths shut. For good!”
Jenna Night comes from a family of Southern-born natural storytellers. Her parents were avid readers and the house was always filled with books. No wonder she grew up wanting to tell her own stories. She’s lived on both coasts but currently resides in the Inland Northwest, where she’s astonished by the occasional glimpse of a moose, a herd of elk or a soaring eagle.
Books by Jenna Night
Love Inspired Suspense
Rock Solid Bounty Hunters
Fugitive Chase
Last Stand Ranch
High Desert Hideaway
Killer Country Reunion
Justice at Morgan Mesa
Lost Rodeo Memories
Colorado Manhunt
“Twin Pursuit”
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.
Fugitive Chase
Jenna Night
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
—Psalms 91:11
To my mom, Esther.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eigth
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Dear Reader
Excerpt from Forgotten Secrets by Karen Kirst
ONE
“You can do this,” Ramona Miller whispered to herself.
Loose gravel crunched beneath the soles of her shoes as she walked along the edge of a crumbling asphalt road. Her heart thudded heavily in her chest and fear squeezed her lungs so tightly she could barely take a breath.
On top of that, she was freezing. The night was dark with only a sliver of moon in the black sky. She would much rather be at home watching TV instead of walking alongside the marshy grass and tall pines just outside the city of Stone River in northern Idaho. But she was pretty sure she’d located the man she was searching for and she couldn’t quit now. She just needed to get a glimpse of him and make certain he really was Darrin Linder, a fugitive from justice. Darrin had skipped his court date for charges related to drug dealing and assault. His bail bond had been revoked. He was a wanted man. And he had repeatedly threatened Ramona’s family.
She continued past the weathered wooden sign announcing the Western Trails Resort. The resort was a collection of small cabins scattered among the trees on the backside of Lake Bell. In the summer, the place would be packed with vacationers, but right now, in the chilly off-season of early spring, she could see lights only in the office building and three of the cabins.
She knew which cabin she was interested in, but she also knew this could be another false lead.
She’d thought she’d found Darrin a couple of times before and called the cops, but she’d been mistaken. The police had shown up for nothing. She was pretty sure they’d decided that she was a kook.
This time she would make certain Darrin was here before she called them again.
She crossed the road, using the forest for cover. It was a quiet night and she tried not to make any noise. She’d parked her car a short distance away so she wouldn’t draw anyone’s attention as she made her approach.
The windows on the cabin had tired-looking blinds with gaps between several of the horizontal slats. She would get up close and take a quick peek inside—and just hope he didn’t catch her in the act.
The drugs Darrin used and sold made him mean and paranoid—and extremely dangerous, far beyond what his limited criminal record would suggest. There were witnesses to Darrin’s dangerous, illicit behavior who were too afraid to speak out against him to the authorities. Among them was Ramona’s cousin, Jasmine, who also happened to be Darrin’s former girlfriend.
Ramona’s hand trembled as she patted her back jeans pocket to make sure her phone was still there. Then she continued her approach.
She just needed to get a glimpse of him or hear his voice. Then she’d call the police and report his location, all while hurrying back to the relative safety of her car.
Her mouth was dry as she moved closer. She crouched down, crept up to the window and listened. She heard voices, but nothing distinct enough to prove Darrin was in there. She peeked in and saw a man she didn’t recognize. He was skinny, with long, stringy hair.
Disappointment mingled with relief. She hadn’t seen Darrin, but at least the man who was inside the cabin hadn’t seen her.
Then Darrin walked across her field of vision, looking like the handsome young professional that Jasmine had fallen in love with and that their family had welcomed with open arms. Not at all like the monster they now knew him to be.
She had him. You’re not going to hurt anybody else.
She was elated, yet at the same time frightened to be this close to him. Her pulse pounded so hard in her ears that it drowned out nearly every other sound. For several long seconds she was frozen in fear and couldn’t move even though she desperately wanted to.
Finally, she forced herself away from the window. She reached for her phone as she turned toward the forest to make her getaway.
An arm shot out toward her and a hand clamped tightly around her throat.
Ramona’s mouth jerked open in surprise, but she couldn’t draw enough air into her lungs to scream. Fear sent icy tremors shooting throughout her body. She knew she had to do something, but she was too scared to think of anything.
Her attacker was a large man with a shaved head and tattoos of two wriggling snakes on the sides of his neck. From the little bit of light of spilling out of the window she could see his eyes. They had an oddly vacant look about them. He probably used the same drugs that Darrin did.
Desperation pushed past her fear and she clawed at the hand gripping her throat, frantically trying to peel away the man’s thick fingers. When that didn’t work, she punched and kicked at him. He seemed oblivious to the blows that landed on him, and
a wide grin crawled across his face.
“What do we have here?” he asked, sounding delighted that he’d caught her.
A slow, spinning sensation had Ramona feeling as if she were about to pass out, and she clawed even more desperately at the man’s hand. How could she have been so stupid? She knew the drugs Darrin used made him paranoid. She should have guessed that he’d post a lookout on the grounds outside the cabin.
In a lightning-quick move, the man let go of her throat and clamped his hand over her mouth. Then he grabbed her arm. “Let’s get inside so you can say hi to the guys.”
He dragged her around to the front door, opened it and pulled her in alongside him. “Found a snoop,” he called out.
The skinny guy Ramona had seen through the window snatched a handgun from the tabletop beside him and pointed it at her.
Her body trembled uncontrollably as her gaze darted toward the other side of the cabin. She heard the scrape of a chair moving over the floor. And then Darrin stepped into view.
From a distance, he looked like he used to—thick blond hair styled and gelled into place, wearing a crisp long-sleeved, blue-pinstriped shirt and dark blue slacks. Up close, he looked different. His eyes had the same emptiness as the bald guy who still held onto her. His face looked gaunt and was settled into an angry expression. The harsh, straight line of his mouth quirked upward at one corner as he took several swaggering steps toward her.
“She was looking in the window,” the bald man said.
Darrin glanced toward several gray duffel bags that were zipped up and stacked on the floor in the main room of the cabin. What was in them? Drugs?
Finally, the bald man removed his hand from her mouth, but he kept hold of her arm.
“I didn’t see anything,” Ramona quickly spat out, hoping that would encourage them to let her go.
“Ramona,” Darrin said calmly. “What a pleasant surprise.” His gaze raked over her from head to toe and then came back up to her face. “You really do look remarkably like your cousin. Are you here to take Jasmine’s former place in my life? I’m flattered.”
What? He thought she wanted to be his new girlfriend? Disgust made her recoil from him, but she couldn’t go far since the bald guy still held onto her.
“You know this woman?” Bald Guy asked.
Darrin nodded. “I know her whole family.” He stepped closer toward her. “So, why are you really here? And how did you find me?”
“I just wanted to see if we could talk. Maybe settle the tension between you and my family.” Her words sounded unbelievable, even to Ramona, but she was scared and she couldn’t think of anything better to say.
“Let her go,” he said to the bald guy.
The guy released her and Ramona quickly stepped away. Her lungs were still tight with fear, but she could breathe a little more easily now. And the added oxygen seemed to be prompting her brain cells to function normally again.
Obviously, she had to get out of here, fast. It looked as if she’d interrupted some kind of meeting. Which meant more bad guys could show up at any minute.
“You know I haven’t seen anything,” she said, her voice sounding shakier than she intended as she tried to reason with him. She lifted her hand and gestured around the room, ignoring the duffel bags. “There’s nothing for me to see. So, I’ll just get going.”
She had her phone. All she needed to do was get outside so she could call the cops.
Darrin pursed his lips together and looked at her thoughtfully. “I figured I might see some fireworks from Jasmine after she decided to go to the police instead of staying loyal to me. She was always a little wild. It was one of the things I loved most about her.” He smiled to himself. “But you were always the sensible one. Or so you seemed. I know you convinced Jasmine to leave me, to turn against me, but I never imagined you’d show up in person and cause me more trouble.”
“No trouble,” Ramona said, holding up both hands in a placating gesture. “I’ll just go.” She started to move toward the door, but Bald Guy blocked her path.
“What do I have to do to make you and your family shut up and mind your own business?” Darrin asked, sounding like a weary teacher addressing a problem student.
Without warning he snatched the front of her jacket and pulled her toward him. “Tell me how you found me.”
“Let go of me!” She tried to pull free and they grappled for a few seconds until he slapped her, hard. She was stunned. Her cheek felt numb from the impact. And then it began to burn.
“I’m not playing,” Darrin said in a low voice. “You, Jasmine and everybody else in your stupid family need to keep your mouths shut. Nobody talks to the cops. Nobody follows me again or you’ll regret it. And I will get you to tell me exactly how you found me.”
Jasmine was the one who had told Ramona where Darrin would be. She’d gotten the information through a friend of hers. If Darrin found out, he would kill Jasmine.
“Start loading everything into the cars,” he ordered his companions. “We’re going to have to move locations.” He cut his gaze to Ramona, glaring at her through eyes dark with hatred. “You’re lying. You saw the guns. You saw the drugs. You know what’s going on and you want to turn me in to the cops.”
Guns and drugs. So that was what was in the bags. She hadn’t seen them—but his words made it clear that he wouldn’t believe her protests. And now that he’d confirmed what was going on, there was no way he was going to let her go.
Behind her, Ramona could hear Darrin’s two cohorts grabbing the duffel bags, opening the cabin door and heading outside.
Darrin finally let go of her jacket, only to reach into Ramona’s back jeans pocket and pull out her phone. Her heavy heart sank even further. He must have felt it while she’d been struggling to break free from him. He glanced at the screen and then flung the phone against the wall. When it landed on the floor, she could see the cover was cracked and the screen had gone to solid blue.
He turned to her. “You’re coming with us.”
No. She was not going with them. She could guess how the night would end for her if she did.
Darrin stepped toward the dinette table in the alcove to reach for something she couldn’t see.
Ramona had a split second to make a decision. She realized she had nothing to lose by trying to escape, so she ran. Through the main room of the cabin, out the front door that had been left open by Darrin’s accomplices and across the grass. She didn’t look for the two thugs she knew were somewhere out there. She just kept her gaze focused straight ahead. Dear Lord, help!
Behind her she could hear Darrin, Bald Guy and Skinny Guy yelling to each other.
She headed for the cover of the forest, running between the tall pines, zigzagging as best she could. Her lungs were already burning so she pushed herself to keep going as fast as possible. She could still hear the men behind her. They seemed to have split up, fanning out to cast a wider net as they hunted for her.
* * *
Bounty hunter Harry Orlansky had just arrived at the Western Trails Resort. He’d cut the engine and was sitting in the darkened interior of his pickup truck ready to start conducting surveillance when a woman ran out the door of one of the cabins.
He’d already used his night-vision binoculars to check out the two men who’d come out a minute or two ahead of her and he’d determined that neither one was the bail jumper he was after. He hadn’t been there for long and he was already wondering if the lead that had brought him here was going to pan out when he saw the woman dart out of the cabin.
His target, Darrin Linder, was hot on her heels. And it looked like Linder had a gun. The other two men who’d been outside the cabin pulled pistols from their waistbands and also started chasing after the woman.
Harry’s heartbeat sped up and adrenaline flooded his body. That woman was fleeing for her life. He had to help her.
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He fired up the truck’s engine and pulled onto the narrow road, heading roughly parallel to the route he’d seen the woman running.
Harry knew this area well, and if the woman continued running in the same general direction, she’d eventually intersect with the curving highway that wrapped around the lake. He would speed down the road until he was certain he was ahead of her, then he’d get out of the truck and start working his way back through the forest toward her on foot.
As he shot down the road, it occurred to him that he recognized the woman from somewhere. But before he could worry about identifying her, he needed to report back to the rest of his team.
Harry was alone on this hunt since the rest of the team was following up on another, more dangerous felon. Linder faced drug and assault charges, but neither charge involved use of a deadly weapon, so when the tip came in regarding his whereabouts, the team had decided that Harry could capture Linder alone while everybody else went after the felon. Harry’s instructions were to check in with them at regular intervals and to call for backup if needed.
Harry made a call to his boss, Cassie Wheeler—the owner of Rock Solid Bail Bonds. She answered on the first ring. “Hey, Harry. What have you got?”
He quickly described the situation.
“Sounds to me like I better call the cops and have them head your way,” Cassie responded calmly.
“Agreed.” He steered the truck to the side of the road and stopped.
“Do you need anything else from me? Need me to stay on the line?”
“Nope.”
“Don’t get yourself shot,” she said before disconnecting.
“I’ll do my best,” Harry muttered to himself as he slid out of the truck. He strapped on a bulletproof vest over his shirt and holstered his pistol. He already had pepper spray and cuffs on his belt. He grabbed the night-vision binoculars.
He crossed the tree line into the forest, positioning himself at his best guess of where the woman might emerge.