“I’ll light the place up real good for ya. What do you want to eat?”
“Surprise me.”
“Oh, by the way, I brought Spirit over to his own stall in my barn earlier. A ride after dinner sounds like a good idea to me. We both need a distraction. I can’t think of a better way.”
“Mmm, but maybe there is one better way,” she said, winking. “Can you bring your black horse, Jet, over sometime? Then we can ride together.”
“As soon as I get the second stall finished in a couple days. Zach’s handy to have around, and Davy did pop in for an hour. Get your stuff together. I’ll be outside.”
Randy sat on the porch step watching each car that drove by. After a few minutes, Roxanne came out with one bag. He cocked his head toward the driveway. “Come on, let’s get our butts out of here. Um, grab the package you received.”
Roxanne placed her hands on his shoulders and gave him a stanch stare. “You aren’t going to search for Nate, are you?”
He escorted her out and opened her door. “Who me? Nah, of course not.”
“I’m proud of you for the way you handled tonight.”
Because I didn’t kill him? “Uh huh.” He’d been a trigger pull away from shooting the psychotic bastard.
Chapter 13
A wavering mist of heat brought an eerie shroud over what he could see of the house. His headlights were the only light to guide him. The yard light behind the house must’ve burned out. Damn, I just replaced that thing. Randy took his handgun, a Glock 37 semi-automatic, from the console and stuck it into his hip holster.
He balanced the two boxes on his arm while searching for his house key. The door opened without the key. His mind must’ve been in a fog when he’d left last. No surprise these days. Inside, he set the food on the table and checked out the other rooms in the house, just in case. Then he grabbed his 6-Volt flashlight and went back outside. He’d told Roxanne he’d light the place up. His tallest ladder was in the barn where he’d left it earlier.
He slid the door open, but it wasn’t closed all the way. Instinctively, he turned off the flashlight until he investigated the reason the door had been opened. Of all doors, he would’ve remembered to close the barn to keep the horse in and other animals out. He surveyed the area when his eyes adjusted, and he listened before entering.
All was quiet except for a distant coyote’s cry and his horse breathing hard and pacing, straw crunching beneath his hooves. Randy removed the handgun from his holster and turned the flashlight back on with his thumb before entering. He flicked the overhead lights on inside, but flipped the switch two more times when nothing happened. No lights? He went on high alert. This was too much of a coincidence.
Hair stood up on his arms and the back of his neck. An icy chill drizzled over his body. Spirit whinnied and became more anxious. Randy bit on his lip. He stood in place a moment, visually checking corners while keeping his head still. It almost made him wish he hadn’t built that first stall. Now it hid the sign of any intruder behind it, whether four-legged, or two. He moved slowly toward where the ladder leaned against the loft. “What’s the matter, boy? You’re awful jumpy tonight. Miss your buddies over there at Dane’s?”
The door behind him creaked. He spun around, but it was too late. The semi-automatic got kicked out of his hand and went flying across the cracked concrete flooring. A punch to his temple caused him to stumble back. Damn shirttail got in the way when he attempted to pull his revolver from the holster at his back. He gripped the handle of the light then swung it at the face of the man coming toward him. “Damn you, asshole.”
Randy moved in closer, leaned forward, fist bared, ready to fight for his life. It’d been a long time since he sparred. He would’ve been able to take him if his arms hadn’t been pulled behind him by one of two other men hiding inside. The flashlight dropped from his hand. Shit, three against one. Instincts kicked in.
Randy used the culprit’s body behind him as leverage as he grabbed hold of the guy’s neck and lifted his feet to kick the first guy in the chest when he came forward. Randy flipped the guy behind him, over his shoulder, slammed him to the floor, and plowed his fist into his face. The other guy came in with a right hook to the side of his head, and he lost focus for a moment, long enough for the first guy to get off the floor. Two of them grabbed his arms to hold him back.
Again, Randy attempted to use the idiots behind him for leverage, but they jerked him back and let him go. He fell to the floor on his back with full force—the wind knocked out of him—in time for guy number one to stomp on his abdomen. “Need two guys to help, huh, sissy? Who sent you? Nate? Take him back a message,” Randy spat out. One of the guys heeled him in the mouth. This isn’t going down good for me.
“We don’t know who the hell Nate is, but we know Kim, and we don’t like what you did to her the other night. Drug and rape her! Uh uh, buddy. Nobody does that to her and gets away with it. Nobody!”
Randy muttered, “In her dreams. I never drugged or touched Kim.”
The one who seemed in charge pulled on a pair of leather gloves, his as a matter of fact, which meant they’d been inside his house. Bleeding from the mouth and nose, sore gut, and a headache making him dizzy, he managed to get up. He dove for number one guy, taking him down to the floor, and he punched him in the gut, then the face, until he drew more blood.
It took both of the other guys to drag him off. He was hauled to his feet. A rope went around his wrists and he laughed in their faces while struggling to free himself. “This isn’t what you think. Kim’s lying…” A foot in the small of the back took him down again, face first, and they pinned him. Shit!
Out of a swollen-closed eye, Randy glanced to the left in time to see the shorter of the two climbing up to the loft. He lifted his head to see him wrapping a rope a couple times around a beam. Knowing where this was headed, he struggled harder to get free. When the asshole with the foot on his back left, he turned over. Damn, he hurt bad everywhere, but he tried to get up. The one at the top tossed down the end of the rope and the other slugged Randy in the temple, the chest, lower, and below the belt.
A scream ripped from Randy’s throat, and he sat up, bending at the waist. They hooked the dangling rope to the rope tied around his wrists. The guy in the loft jerked Randy’s arms straight up above his head, enough that the toes of his boots were the only thing touching the floor. Taking advantage, he lifted his legs and slammed his feet into the chest of the taller guy who had held the rope end down below. He wriggled, not about to make it easy for them.
Head honcho came to stand in front of him. First, he busted him in the chest, but that wasn’t enough. Randy managed to drag out between coughs, “This isn’t over, asshole. I’ll hunt you down. Kim’s lying, I tell ya.”
He laughed. “Yeah, you do that, and for your information, it is over. For you,” and he slugged Randy in the balls one more time. “Come on, guys.” Before leaving, two of them took another punch at Randy’s gut.
Shaking his head when the barn door closed, he waited for them to start their vehicle. Spirit got antsy and reared up in the stall. His horse came down and used his hind legs to kick at the walls. “Whoa, whoa boy. Settle down, Spirit.” Oh, fuck! What’s that smell?
***
Roxanne stood outside taking in the evening with the Carlsons. Judy Carlson had also arrived with her man friend, Martyn, while the kids ran circles around them all. She admired the painted flag on the side of Dane’s barn. Pride overwhelmed her knowing Randy had painted the flag. “Randy’s probably back home now with dinner, so I’ll be seeing y’all tomorrow. “He must’ve forgotten to light up the place. Tristan, can you give me a refresher on which way to go. Randy said to drive—”
Tristan lifted his hand to point, but his eyes widened. “What the hell? Smoke!” Tristan trotted into the darkness. “Call 911! It’s Randy’s area.”
“What! No.” Roxanne rushed to her pickup.
“Come on, Roxanne.” She and Nora got i
n Tristan’s truck. Dane grabbed buckets from inside the barn to load into his truck bed. He, Jase, and Gracelyn drove in his pickup. Their mom yelled out, “I called 911.” She and Martyn stayed with the kids, but she stood wringing her hands when they all drove away.
Flames licked at the side of the barn. “His truck is here. Randy!” she called. “Honey, where are you?” She spoke to whoever listened, “Guys, Randy brought his horse over here today. He’s in the barn! We have to get Spirit out.” She rushed toward the barn to get the horse, but Tristan and Jase ran past her. Dane hustled to the outside faucet to fill buckets. Nora and Gracelyn uncoiled the hose on the side of the house. The horse inside whinnied rebelliously. The sound of hooves beating against the walls echoed through her ears like a bad nightmare. His horrendous wails were the worst sound Roxanne had ever heard, and she cried.
“Wait here, I’ll get him,” said Tristan, backing away to let the cloud of smoke out when he opened the door.
Inside, smoke rushed toward the ceiling. Roxanne dashed in behind him and spotted Randy amongst the smoke. “Randy! Tristan, Jase, over here. Oh, God, no! No. What did he do to you?” Tristan got the horse and ran him out, then hurried back to help. Grabbing on the rope tails, she hoped to yank it down. Smoke filled the loft, and she had no idea what the rope was tied on. She searched for something to cut him down. Jase hustled up the ladder.
She pulled her shirt up over her mouth. Windows burst. “Randy!” Roxanne grabbed a short stool, trying to reach the rope above his wrists. Her lungs and eyes burned. Blinking made them sting. She reached for a breath.
Each time something new caught fire, it made a woofing sound and scared her to death. “Jase, come down from there!” Timbers creaked and groaned. Sirens wailed outside. “Somebody help me get him down.” The smells were one hundred times worse than a smoking campfire. Chemicals or something from the storage room burned her throat.
Tristan returned, cutting at the rope with his knife.
Her eyes watered, but she didn’t know if it was tears or irritation. “Aw, damn, Randy, who did this to you?” She shook his shoulders. “Randy!”
Water from the hose sprayed down on them as Dane doused any remaining flames up top. Randy lifted his head, opened one eye, and went into a coughing jag.
“No, gawd, what happened to you?” Water, blood, and soot dripped from his face. Where his t-shirt lifted, bruises already covered his side. “Who did this to you?” She cried like a baby to see him this way.
“G-get me down,” he sputtered. He pulled and jerked on the rope to free his hands as Tristan sliced through the thick rope. Randy’s chest heaved, and Roxanne touched his abdomen, but he hollered in pain. Tristan cut through the rope, and Randy fell to the ground. “Ah, sonofabitch.”
They helped Randy up, and he rubbed at his wrists when he stood. All of them coughed uncontrollably. Randy spit out blood. Roxanne placed her arm around his waist, but he pleaded with her to get his horse.
Roxanne assured him, “He’s okay.”
Once outside, he dropped to the ground. “Where’s my horse?”
Tristan came out and grabbed a bucket from Gracelyn, but the worst of the flames were out now. Roxanne removed her top shirt and wet it in the hose. She dabbed it over his face, but he shoved her hand away.
He cupped his hand over his nose. “My nose might be broken.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Randy cleared his throat.
“Nate did this to you? I’ll kill him myself!” Roxanne cried but put a halt to her tears. No. You’re not doing this now. He needs me.
He spat out, “It wasn’t Nate.”
“Who was it? Someone Nate paid…like he’d done before? Randy?”
“Uh uh, it wasn’t about Nate. Kim. Kim lied.” Randy brought his knees to his chest. “Shit, I might not be able to have sex again.”
“Oh, no, not there, too.” Tears couldn’t be held back, and she cried for what they had done to him. “Dear, sweet, Randy. You didn’t deserve this. What do you mean Kim lied?”
“She said I drugged and r-rap… God, I don’t even want to say the word. Must’ve been the night I took her home.”
“No! I was there. I mean, you were only inside a minute or two.”
“Yeah? Convince Leon Thompson.”
“I will! As soon as he gets here.” Roxanne caressed his back and raised his shirt. Even in the dark the bruises on his back showed as well. Her heart beat in agony.
The fire department used their hoses to get any hotspots and hosed down the rest of the building. The EMT attended to Randy and tried to get the other three guys and him to the hospital to get their lungs and throat checked, but none of them considered it necessary. Randy looked up when Sheriff Thompson and Deputy Steve Ellis drifted over.
“What’s this about, Randy,” asked Leon. He came to a halt when he saw Randy’s face. “Who did this?”
Steve took out his notepad to take notes.
“We thought my ex did this to him, Sheriff Thompson. He’s a lunatic from hell. A sick bastard, but Randy said it wasn’t him.”
Leon repeated, “Who did this to you, Randy?” He glanced over to the barn. “Whoever this is, he’s going away for a long time.”
Randy bent forward to cough. He glanced at Roxanne. “Three of them. They had false information. I didn’t do what they accused me of doing.”
“Honey, don’t say any more,” said Roxanne, smoothing Randy’s hair back from his forehead. Jase brought him a bottle of water, and he swallowed what he could.
She wanted to comfort him in some way. She put her arm around his shoulder, maybe the only place he didn’t hurt.
“I have to stand.” Tristan gave him a hand. Randy went over to his horse and wrapped his arm around his neck, patted him with the other.
She couldn’t hear what he said to Spirit, but she was sure he apologized.
Leon eyed Roxanne. “One of you needs to explain what happened. Do it here, or come into the department.” He took her arm and led her to Randy. “Randy, start talking so we can get on this.”
Randy explained what the guys had said to him. Roxanne reiterated to Leon that she’d been with Randy the night in question. “Wait!” She hurried to her purse and removed the receipts, then rushed back. “Look. We stopped at the gas station before and after he dropped her off. Check the timestamp. We were only at her apartment for minutes.”
Sheriff Thompson held his flashlight up to read the receipts. “This might help, but we need to talk to the attendant on duty. Smart thinking, Roxanne.”
Dane came up to Randy and held his hand against his back. “You okay, dude?”
Randy gave an unconvincing nod.
“Gracelyn and I are taking off. Things are under control here.”
“Yeah,” said Randy. “I’m not even sure what’s going on.”
Jase peered at Randy. “We’ll get these guys.” He glanced at Leon. “I mean our skilled Sheriff’s Department will capture them.”
After their report, and it was clear the fire was out, two firemen stayed behind to watch for any flare-ups. Tristan and Nora went inside with Randy and Roxanne.
Randy kicked the door open, and they entered the kitchen. “So much for rebuilding my barn.”
Tristan stuck his foot onto a rung on the kitchen chair and nodded. “You want your own barn? Hell, let’s strip it down and start from scratch. We can get it done.”
Randy ran his hand over the top of his wet, matted hair. “I’m not getting nothing done for a few days.”
“It’ll give us time to get guys together. It’s been a while since we’ve had a barn raising around here. Not since Dane built his. I’ll call Jake and tell him to get the supplies stocked up. If the law calls you in for questioning, you better get a lawyer before you say anything.”
“Yeah.” Randy ran his bruised knuckles over his cheek. “We need to get this mess straightened out before a barn raising so it doesn’t happen again.”
“Good thinking. Any id
ea who did this?” asked Tristan.
“I’ve never seen them before. Kim’s friends, relatives, hell if I know. I never would’ve bet on her going this far. The bitch turned into a real lunatic. One of them kind of looked familiar, though.”
Tristan frowned. “Stay away from her. Don’t give her a reason to send these idiots back.”
Roxanne peered at Tristan. Randy was like their family member—like the fourth brother. “Thanks so much, Tristan. You guys are a godsend.”
“You’re the godsend, Roxanne,” said Randy, placing his bleeding and soot-covered fingers on her forearm at the table. “No one would’ve known about the fire in time if you hadn’t decided to come for dinner.”
She stared into space, mumbling, “Now, come to find out this wasn’t Nate. This kind of backs up his story.”
“Don’t be so trustful of him yet.” Randy coughed a lot again.
She closed her burning eyes. “I don’t know what to think.” Tonight, the sight of him alone brought out the fear from the words those awful men had said to her that night. But wait! It just dawned on her… She was the one to ask them if her ex-husband had put them up to it. They didn’t say outright it was Nate until she mentioned him. But tonight he had come to her house.
Though he hadn’t done this to Randy, she still had to believe he was guilty of what had been done to her. The nerve of him! Knowing he was in town and close enough to have killed her himself right on Main Street shook her senses. Then to find him at her house where he had every opportunity to finish the job robbed her of any security she might have found in her new home. Randy was right about not being too trusting yet.
Randy squeezed her forearm to get her attention. “Maybe you’ll listen to me now. Stay here with me. He didn’t do this, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t attempt to harm you. He could’ve tonight.”
“Maybe you’ll listen. You’re coming home with me tonight, and I’m taking care of you for the next few days.” She stood, stomped in place, and squared her shoulders. “I won’t take no for an answer.”
Lassoing The Last Dance (Double Dutch Ranch; Love At First Sight Book 4) Page 17