Don’t Keep Silent

by Don't Keep Silent (epub)

  “The first forty-eight hours are critical.”

  “Right.”

  “I’m on it, Rae. You’ve done good work already, but you need someone working alongside you. I’ll let you know everything I find.”

  “Thanks.” She ended the call, but she couldn’t relax yet.

  If he could help, she’d owe Reggie big-time. He was about to help her uncover the truth about Zoey and her past, whether or not it helped her find her missing sister-in-law. An ache coursed through her. The things Alan didn’t know about his own wife had to be pure torture.

  “You warned me,” he’d said.

  With his skill set, Alan could have found out more about her by digging on his own. Or hired a private investigator. Something. But Alan didn’t want to know. Or had it been more that he feared knowing the past would somehow pierce their bubble of marital joy and happiness? He loved Zoey despite her secrets. His unconditional love for her was to be admired.

  Except now they could all be paying the price.

  She received a text. Reggie already?

  Are you worried about stepping into an active police investigation?

  She responded.

  I’m helping the search for a missing person. My brother needs me to do this.

  She left it at that and hoped Reggie would continue to help her.

  The police were only human. They made mistakes, and Rae couldn’t afford the kind of mistakes they sometimes made. She was human too, and she’d made awful mistakes that sickened her if she thought about them. Though contrary to what some believed, Rae’s drive had never been about the glory. Even now, she only wanted to find Zoey.

  She read another text from Reggie.

  Zoey Dumont’s birth name is Tawny Davidson.

  Startling her away from her cell, a face filled her vision. Handsome and rugged, but the eyes were cold and brown. And one thought gripped her heart—she would have died last spring if it hadn’t been for Special Agent Liam McKade.

  Rae fought to breathe.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Liam had never intimidated her.

  Until now.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Rae Burke. Meddlesome reporter and betrayer of hearts. “Why are you following me? I’m down and out for good. Don’t you know that? There’s no story here.”

  Her mouth hung open. A pretty mouth that he’d made the mistake of kissing before. That seemed like a lifetime ago. No. Another life entirely. He wasn’t the same man anymore. The incident had to have affected her as well, so she couldn’t be the same woman either.

  “What? I . . .”

  “Well?” Liam should just walk away and ignore her. He shouldn’t have approached her to begin with. He didn’t want any part of that life to come back and haunt him. Nor did he want the woman who had caused the massive dominoes to fall to enter his life again.

  He needed to think with his head this time instead of his heart.

  That she was speechless surprised him. I never wanted to see you again. He hadn’t thought he could ever be that heartless. But she’d stirred up all the memories he was trying to forget. At least he hadn’t said the words aloud. That would reveal entirely too much emotion. He didn’t want her sudden appearance to affect him so much. It was his problem that it did. But she didn’t have to know it.

  As it was, he’d already overreacted. It’s funny that this was his reaction to a woman he’d been willing to die for mere months ago. Hands on his hips, he released a shaky breath. Seeing her here had truly stunned him.

  He’d try a different tactic. “Let’s start over. You look good, Rae.” She wore her blonde hair shoulder-length now. Soft and . . . pretty. Her blue-green eyes were definitely bluer today and filled with passion. He couldn’t let the memories of her in his arms get to him.

  Hadn’t she caused enough trouble? Enough . . . heartache? “I don’t know how you found me”—he forced gentleness into his tone—“but I just need to move on. Okay?”

  Her brows slowly furrowed as she nodded.

  Okay. They were clear. She understood. He could walk away now.

  He turned and took a step, then another. Yes. He could do this. He was doing it. He was actually walking away. But she followed.

  She caught up to him and kept pace. “I’m not stalking you, Liam. At least not like you think, but I did hope to find you.”

  He heard the hurt in her tone, as if he had meant something to her. She had used him in the worst possible way, and he’d shown himself to be the fool. He stopped and slowly turned to face her again. How could she even say his name like that, as though she was hurt and cared about him.

  He tapped down the rising anger. “You found me. Now, what do you want? How did you find me anyway?” Oh yeah. Reporters were good at that. On the other hand, he thought the whole valley might be at this new resort for the grand opening.

  “I saw your name on the Emerald M Guest Ranch website. I admit, I kept tabs on you just to make sure you were all right after everything. So I drove all the way out there looking for you and met this wonderful lady. Evelyn. She was happy to tell me I could find you here if I hurried.”

  Oh, I bet she was. Liam ground his molars. Evelyn had no idea what she’d just done. Nor would she ever find out. Evelyn kept after him to find a nice young woman. He’d gone out of his way to keep what happened to himself, but Evelyn had some sort of uncanny matchmaking radar about her. And that didn’t bode well for Liam where Rae was concerned.

  “Liam, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t need your help. Someone’s life is at stake. Several lives, actually.”

  Her striking eyes had snagged him before at the worst possible time. He couldn’t let that happen again. “I think I’ve given you all I can give.” Months of his life after throwing himself in front of a bullet. “But I’ll bite. Whose life are you here to destroy besides mine?”

  Okay. That was rude. Much too harsh. She hadn’t destroyed his life. Not really. Maybe. Sort of. He squeezed the bridge of his nose and took a deep, calming breath. The last thing he needed was to make a scene in the very resort where he might become head of security. Or not. Plus, he represented Emerald M Guest Ranch wherever he went—how many times had Heath drilled that into his head?

  Rae blinked a few times. Blinking back tears? Oh, so the woman had a heart.

  Maybe she was playing him again. Regardless, he couldn’t stand behind his attitude. “Look, I apologize if I sound rude. Rae, please, just go. I’m sure I can’t help you.”

  There. He’d apologized, and now he would try again to walk away.

  She touched his arm as if a simple touch would stop him in his tracks. But his legs slowed despite his best intentions. He angled his head at her, waiting for her explanation.

  “For what it’s worth, I lost my job, Liam.” She fought the tears that welled in her eyes. Rae was strong and had seen more than most people—she’d been in the trenches just like Liam. They had that in common, and it had brought them closer.

  He wanted to be surprised to see any emotion from her at all because he’d wanted to think of her as coldhearted; that way her betrayal wouldn’t hurt nearly as much.

  “I never meant for any of it to happen, and I’m truly sorry you think I destroyed your life.”

  Liam didn’t want to see the sincerity in her eyes. His chest contracted. He nodded, letting her know he’d heard her and that was the end of this conversation. He turned to walk away again, and this time she didn’t follow. The truth was, she hadn’t destroyed his life. He’d wanted a reason to get out, and she had given him that. But the cost had been high. Maybe too high.

  He walked through the resort and forced his mind back to Brad’s offer of head of security. Austin’s offer to work with him in private investigating. Heath’s offer to remain on Emerald M Guest Ranch and help run the place and expand.

  But his thoughts drifted back to Rae in spite of his
efforts to stay on track. Rae. He loathed the sound of her whispered name in his head.

  At the exit, he pushed through the revolving door as he zipped his coat, then tromped outside where huge flakes of snow landed on him. Brad had done well for himself, but he’d come from a wealthy family with the kinds of connections to pull something like this off—all the legalities and paperwork and expensive real estate. Liam never doubted that Brad would do something big, though his friend had never had anything to prove.

  Liam turned around to take in the posh resort—just what this valley needed, another ski resort. With four stories, it almost looked like an apartment building. Liam considered Brad’s plans for expansion—at least what he’d read in the resort brochure—including adding private cabins and heli-ski tours. Brad could never expand unless he owned the land or made use of a forest service lease.

  Liam let his gaze slide down the roof and to the window, where he had the misfortune of spotting Rae sitting at a booth next to a panoramic window. She stared at her cell, then lifted it to her ear while she typed on a tablet.

  Whatever story she was after now—oh, wait, she said she’d lost her job. Hmm. Whoever she was trying to save now, he hoped she wasn’t digging into the dark underworld Liam had tried to protect her from before.

  She wasn’t good at that part of her job. Hadn’t she figured that out yet? He’d heard all about her father’s career going into war zones. What Rae didn’t seem to comprehend was that her father had also had a photographer along, as well as a few soldiers surrounding him. Rae might not have been on foreign soil, but she’d gone into war zones all the same—without trained soldiers to protect her.

  Who would save her this time? She was going to get caught. Liam just hoped this guy wasn’t as bad as those he’d had to protect her from before.

  Liam turned and looked at his truck sitting across the parking lot. All he had to do was keep walking. He shook his head at his rotten bad luck that she’d shown up. Then he turned around and walked back through the revolving door of the ski resort.

  He strolled into the café to find a seat, taking the same booth he’d shared with Brad. He hadn’t intended to follow her, and this would be the end of it. Still, he was curious about her next victim.

  A text came through. Liam glanced at his cell and his gut tightened.

  Heath.

  Are you still at the resort?

  Liam wished he knew how to dodge that question.

  Why?

  Oh, never mind.

  Confused by Heath’s question and reply, Liam started to ask his own questions. He glanced up when a foursome entered and headed straight for his booth.

  Heath grinned and slid in next to Liam, forcing him over. His new wife, Harper, squeezed in and sat entirely too close to Heath, red hair spilling over her white vest jacket. Liam was crushed against the wall. He grinned for their benefit. He could do this.

  Austin and Willow sat across from them. “Hey, bro,” Austin said. “Looks like we’re not interrupting anything. You’re not waiting for anyone, are you?”

  Liam kept his focus on Austin so he wouldn’t telegraph that he was there to shadow someone. “Nope.”

  “Good.” Austin smiled and pecked Willow on the cheek. The two had married early last spring, and Austin still couldn’t take his eyes off his new wife.

  “I hope it’s okay if we join you,” she said. “I know these guys can be overwhelming.”

  “I’m used to it.”

  Liam admitted she was beautiful, with her dark eyes and long dark hair. Her name totally fit. She was a forensic genealogist. He still wasn’t sure he understood everything that entailed, but apparently Austin’s new private investigation business worked well with her consulting business. He hoped the honeymoon phase lasted on both fronts—business and personal.

  They were leaving tomorrow morning to head home to Seattle.

  Heath and Harper were headed out too, only on their honeymoon. They married a few months ago in late fall but waited for the winter months when Emerald M Guest Ranch was free of guests before going on their official honeymoon in Hawaii—the exact opposite of the Wyoming mountains in the winter. After getting engaged, Harper moved back to Grayback and began working for Bridger County as a forensic photographer.

  Liam had never seen his brothers this blissful, like they both walked around in some sort of radiant heaven Liam had no way of entering. He couldn’t be happier for them, but their contentment only magnified the despair that hovered around him, so he’d tried to get away from them, if only for a few hours.

  He laughed inside. There was no escape. All the love, joy, and happiness he thought he’d fled earlier today had followed him here. While he certainly didn’t want the gloom to follow either, why was he struggling with how happy both of his brothers were? Jealousy had never been an issue for him before, but he had no idea how to get such happiness for himself.

  Still, there was good news. With both happy couples leaving tomorrow, he would have a few days of peace and quiet at the ranch. Heath had tasked him with running the place in his absence. It was winter. The guest ranch was closed. What could happen?

  A waitress came by and took their orders. Liam ordered coffee but no food. He tried to pay attention to his family while he kept his sights on Rae, who was focused on her tablet.

  Heath leaned forward and clasped his hands. “Well, I’ve got the news we’ve all been waiting for.”

  All eyes riveted on Heath.

  “What news would that be?” Liam asked.

  “I heard from the sheriff this morning. I’m glad he caught me before we left.” He squeezed Harper’s hand.

  Liam leaned in. “And?”

  “It has taken months, but we finally know that Dad wasn’t drunk when he was in the collision that killed the senator and his family. The medical examiner who signed the report had moved on, and it took time to track him down. By the time Detective Moffett found him, he was gone. Cancer. But she was able to talk to his sister, who told her that he’d carried a secret, a weight that had burdened him.”

  Heath paused and hung his head as if in pain. “Said he’d been paid to doctor the report to make it look like our alcoholic father was responsible. That the senator’s blood alcohol concentration showed he was the intoxicated one.” He looked back up at them. “Too many glasses of wine with dinner? We all know who paid for that report to be doctored—the same man who told me Dad hadn’t been drunk and the accident wasn’t his fault, right after he shot me. He was connected to the senator and his family, and he shifted the blame to Dad. And now, all involved parties are dead.”

  “And that means we can let go of the past and move on,” Austin added. “Good work making sure the department kept searching for answers. I know it wasn’t a priority for them.”

  “But it was a priority for us,” Heath said. “I had to know.”

  “Me too. I feel like a weight’s been lifted,” Austin said. “For years, I blamed myself.”

  “I think we all carried some of the blame,” Heath said. He and Austin looked at Liam.

  He lifted his hands as if in surrender. “I wasn’t even there when it happened.”

  “And maybe you can blame yourself for staying away for so long.” Heath grinned as he squeezed Liam’s shoulder. He hadn’t meant anything by the comment, but as the saying went, there was truth in jest.

  “Even though life was kind of hard, we made it. We took care of each other.” Austin put his arm across Willow’s shoulders.

  “Yeah, do you remember the code?” Liam asked.

  Heath snorted. “You mean, ‘How’s the fishing?’” He angled his head as he explained to Willow and Harper. “We had a code in place. Our way of watching one another’s backs. When Dad was on a bender, the fishing wasn’t good, and that meant to stay away.”

  “Only problem was, the fishing was hardly ever good,” Austin said.

  �
��But you built that fort.” Willow smiled. “You could go there.”

  Austin winked. “Yes. Yes, we could. I’m glad that’s all behind us now and we survived.”

  The waitress delivered their food, and the conversation moved on.

  One thing Liam knew was that his family could move on and leave the past behind, but Liam eyed the woman in the booth by the far window. His recent past had followed him here, and he couldn’t leave it behind just yet.

  While his family dug into their jalapeño burgers, sweet potato fries, and chicken fingers, they laughed together. Snuggled. Teased each other. Shared a few quick kisses.

  Liam listened to the two happy couples and let himself become invisible.

  He sipped his black coffee and watched Rae exit the café in a manner that let him know she was hard on a trail. Unfortunately, he had a bad feeling about her endeavor, which had required her to muster the courage to ask him, of all people, for his help. That should tell him something.

  And maybe Rae interrupting his day was Providence shining down on him, because he needed an excuse to get away from his syrupy family and the reminders of everything he was missing. His past had followed him here, and he couldn’t let it out of his sight.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Liam had excused himself, and he didn’t think anyone noticed. He’d been invisible just like he’d wanted. Though maybe he was lying to himself.