Ronan shook his head. “Man, I don’t think Jesse’s here. Let’s go. Mendez can handle this. I’ll give him a call when we get back. That idiot’s not going —”
A different person yelling cut Ronan off.
Dark hair trailed behind Lisa as she ran full speed across a shallow branch of the river. Water sprayed around her as she pumped her arms. She didn’t care about anything in her way or even that she was alone and immediately soaking wet.
Ryan, Robbie, Ronan, and Slate pulled back as if one person at the anger tightening her features.
She bared her teeth, arms outstretched as she approached Charlie. He spun at the sound of her voice but couldn’t move quickly enough as she fell upon him. “How dare you? Where is he? Where’s Jesse?” She struck him, once, twice, three times and then suddenly they were no longer standing.
He straddled her as she lay in the dirt, her dark brown hair camouflaged with the ground. Charlie leaned down and licked her cheek. “I knew you’d come back, sweet Lisa. You need your lessons. That pansy Noland can’t give you what you need.”
She wiggled under him, pushing at his waist as she tried rolling from side to side. “Get off me!” Her shrieks rebounded off the trees, competing with the sounds of the water.
Charlie laughed. “No. Stop moving.” She didn’t, only fought him harder. His eyes darkened and he lifted his hand. “No one here to stop me now.” And he drove his fist into the side of her face.
Red split across Ryan’s sight. Before he could stop himself, he lunged out of the trees from behind the protection of the rocks and hurtled himself into Charlie, knocking him from Lisa.
Her whimpers fueled his rage and Ryan pounded into the flesh above Charlie’s belt.
A gunshot gave him pause. Arm cocked back to deliver another blow, Ryan glanced toward Robbie who held his shotgun out with the muzzle pointed up. “Ryan, we need him to tell us where Jesse is.”
At least one of them had his head on straight. Ryan climbed off the whining drunk and extended a hand to Lisa who huddled on the ground, holding her cheek.
She stood, fitting into the curve of his arm. They faced Charlie. Robbie yanked him to his feet. Blood dripped down his chin and from a split in his eyebrow.
Ronan shoved his shoulder with the tip of the gun. “Where’s the kid? I won’t ask again.”
Charlie tilted his head back, lifting his chin and bringing his bleeding cocky smile up. “I ditched him in the river. No one believed I would do it. But I did. He wasted too much of my time and energy. Too heavy. Kid is long gone.” He smirked again, his eyes sparkling as he met Ryan’s gaze.
Before he could move, Lisa pulled from under his hold and swung her foot up into Charlie’s groin. The smile disappeared from the man’s face and he fell to the ground in the fetal position.
Hands on her hips, Lisa thrust out her jaw. “Let’s find Jesse.”
Lisa
Chapter 19
Lisa glared at Mendez as he walked gingerly across the shallow water. “Of course, wait until the dirty work is done.” She huffed, turning away from his crap-eating grin and found her gaze locked with Ryan’s. Something in his eyes… what was it? Worry would be too easy a guess when her own hands shook with concern over Jesse.
That shot to the groin felt good enough she wanted to take another.
“Where’s the kid?” Mendez rolled his sleeves up to elbow level and drew handcuffs from a back pocket.
Charlie hadn’t risen from the ground. He groveled for something, his words slurred and incoherent.
Ryan’s face flushed and he stepped forward, flicking the end of a whip around his feet in a soft snappy figure-eight. Slate, Robbie, and Ronan rushed to cut him off from reaching Charlie.
“Hey, we need him to find Jesse. He says he threw him in the river, but Jesse’s heavier than that piss-ant can just manhandle. How far do you really think he could toss Jesse? My bet is he didn’t get up this way very far with him.” Slate jerked his thumb over his shoulder and glanced around the circle forming around the fallen would-be abductor. “Let’s split up and look for him. Lisa, do you think you could get back to Ryan’s and tell the police where we are? The boy’s mother is there, but she has no idea where we are.” He pointed at Mendez. “No offense. I’m just not sure you’re enough to handle all this by yourself.”
Inclining his head, Jason opened his hands and met Lisa’s gaze. “I’ll catch up to you.”
Ryan stepped between Jason and Lisa. “Why do you need to catch up with Lisa?”
“Because she gave me a ride and I’m not walking back to town.” Mendez knelt and slapped his handcuffs on Charlie’s wrists with quick, short movements. He slipped a long nylon rope from his jacket pocket and tied a knot securely on the chain connecting the bracelets and wrapped the opposite end around his wrist. To Charlie, he spat out. “Get up, Childress. We have a ways to go and I’m not dragging you.”
“Why don’t you wait here for the police? They’ll have cars and horses to help you get in and out easier. Let Lisa lead them back this way.” Slate shooed Lisa off.
“I’ll watch as I head back.” Lisa approached Ryan who coiled his whip impatiently, scanning the scenery. She rubbed his upper arm and lowered her voice. “Jesse’s a tough kid, Ryan. He’s been improving more than you know. Trust me. He’s strong. He’s going to be fine.”
His answering nod was tight, controlled.
Lisa pressed her lips together in an attempt at a reassuring smile. She patted his shoulder and broke into a jog to the river and across the same point she’d flown over before. Chilly water filled her tennis shoes and resoaked her jeans up to her knees as she trampled through the few-inches deep rapids.
On the other bank, tall grasses reached and pulled at her, leaving little flecks of themselves on her wet clothing. She ignored the rub of the roughly wet denim and held her pace dodging low hanging branches and tree roots coming up from the ground.
Getting to the end of the road wouldn’t take as long as it had with Jason trailing her. For a man who seemed masculine and knowledgeable in the ways of the outdoors, he’d swatted more at invisible flies than she ever had at real mosquitoes.
Before immersing herself completely into the forest and out of sight, Lisa turned back for one more glimpse of Ryan. All four men had approached the edge of the river, and called out to each other and to Jesse as they searched the banks.
The worry on Ryan’s face melted the little bit of resistance left in Lisa’s heart. What kind of a guy that cared so much about his son could be bad? Maybe, if he’d let her, she’d try doing that date thing again.
First, she had to get back to the ranch and direct the police. Honestly, she should probably let Wanda know how the search was going. Although, what right Wanda had to any information after abandoning her family so long ago was beyond Lisa.
Still jogging, she reached the truck and climbed into the unlocked vehicle. Revving the engine, she shifted out of park and turned the wheel to pull out of the roundabout style cul-de-sac.
Barreling down the street, Lisa picked up her phone and dialed Mary. The woman picked up on the first ring.
“Have you left yet?” Lisa didn’t mince time or words.
“I’m not coming, Lisa. You’re not going to snap your fingers and I’ll come running. Not anymore.” Mary’s firm tone didn’t faze Lisa.
“Enough games. Get your butt up here. I found another link in Devlyn’s chain. If you’re not here to see it, you’ll regret it the rest of your life.” She waited for the silence to do its job.
Mary hung up without another word. But Lisa didn’t doubt Mary would be there faster than a stallion through the gate to pasture. Not that time. When it came to Devlyn Caracus, Mary’s whole world rotated on a seemingly perfect pedestal.
How tragic it would be to bring the idol crashing to the ground.
Lisa turned the truck into the drive of Noland Ranch. She grimaced at the presence of the Honda Civic positioned in an angle across the drive. Like
she owned the place. Jeesh.
Parking, Lisa climbed out and shut the door. Hopefully Wanda wasn’t crying or anything because she was so worried. Lisa didn’t like overly emotional women – or men – why discriminate? And she wasn’t equipped to deal with one, if Wanda was like that.
Where were the police?
She strode past the car into the back yard.
Stretched out on a lounger, Wanda took advantage of the afternoon sun with her sleeves rolled up and her shirt lifted to show a flat tan stomach. Bent at the knee, her lower leg dangled, kicking the ground every time it hit the low part. She hummed a random song.
The woman hummed!
Lisa couldn’t even focus on anything solid for more than ten seconds because of worry and there the boy’s mother was… well, she was… “What are you doing? Aren’t you worried about Jesse?”
Wanda flitted her fingers in the air. “Nah, that boy’s father will take care of it. I’m just waiting to see if I can get Ryan to sign these papers.” She sat up and tilted her sunglasses down her nose and peered at Lisa. “Do you think he’ll be back soon? I want to see Jesse, but I have other things I need to get to.” She glanced at a slim gold watch on her wrist. “Besides, this is boring. I didn’t have this in mind when I came out here today, you know?”
Flinching, Lisa shrugged. “Oh, I’m sure Jesse didn’t plan on getting kidnapped and inconveniencing you. Poor girl.”
Standing, Wanda pushed her lips out and stomped toward Lisa until she was inches from Lisa’s space. “I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m going to get my life back. You’re here entirely too much and once I get Ryan to reconsider things, I’m going to make sure you’re not here anymore. Do you understand?” She poked her finger into the center of Lisa’s chest.
“You want them back? You don’t even care where Jesse is.” Lisa rolled her eyes. She didn’t have a response for any of it. Sure, Wanda had confirmed her worst fears, but was she surprised?
What woman with half a brain wouldn’t want Ryan or Jesse in their lives? Wanda had left them, true, but she was back and had more of a stake in them than Lisa did. That truth hurt more than getting kicked in the gut by a PMSing mule.
“Excuse me. If the police show up, have them wait. I’ll be right back.” Lisa muttered, turning toward the barn.
“Oh, they came already. I sent them along. They wouldn’t stop asking me questions.” Wanda flipped her hair to the side, daring Lisa to do something.
In shock at the selfish move, Lisa bit the tip of her tongue and ran to the barn. Calling the cops back and redirecting them would have to come before the restroom.
If Ryan wanted to fire her, he’d have to call himself. But she wouldn’t get in the way of Jesse having his mother there and possibly having Ryan and Wanda back together. If her own father had been interested… well, Lisa and her mother took him back, even when he hit and kicked and fought.
Why would Ryan want anything to do with Lisa anyway? Wanda was his child’s mother – albeit a simply terrible one. Lisa wasn’t much of anything besides a headache. She knew it and the faster Ryan knew it, the sooner they could all move on with their lives
In the barn, she leaned her forehead against the grainy wood and picked up the phone.
She wasn’t the type of woman to let Wanda win the man. Lisa had more guts than that and her first inclination was to run inside, guns blazing, and tolerate nothing less than everything.
But she refused to break up a family that wanted to be together – no matter how dysfunctional.
Ryan
Chapter 20
The four men crossed the prairie after scouring the woods. Ronan veered off to inspect the lower basin of the valley where the river emptied.
Ryan rushed home to check on Search and Rescue’s estimated arrival time. His phone had shut down because of a low battery shortly after Lisa left.
He refused to believe his son had settled somewhere in the river… dead. He shook his head, tightening his hands on the reins. Not Jesse. Not his boy. His throat tightened and he pushed the horse faster. The rescuers could get helicopters and dogs – resources Ryan didn’t have immediate access to. He just hoped any efforts like those weren’t too late. Luckily the weather hadn’t cooled and Jesse wouldn’t be fighting the elements as well as potentially drowning.
Rage pulsed in Ryan’s veins. That stupid man, Charlie. If Mendez hadn’t stopped Ryan, who knows how many times the whip would’ve licked Charlie’s flesh.
He reined in the horse, pulling it to a stop outside the barn. Wanda sat at the picnic table, tapping her fingers and resting her chin in her other hand.
Lisa’s truck announced her presence.
For the first time since he’d gotten the call from Charlie, Ryan’s certainty solidified. He’d talk to Lisa. She always had a plan. She’d burst headlong into that clearing with Charlie, hadn’t stopped. And she hadn’t been afraid of her ex – even with their history. Something about the situation – maybe the utter hatred in her eyes – comforted Ryan that she wasn’t into the child abductor.
Ryan ignored his ex-wife and dashed to the barn. Lisa wouldn’t be in the house, not alone. For some reason, she always chose the barn. He burst through the door, searching the immediate interior for her dark hair.
She lifted her head from the table where she’d laid on her crossed arms. Wiping at her cheeks, she half-stood. “Did you find him?”
There was no question about her concern for Jesse. To have someone else worry with him – well, it almost felt like he wasn’t alone in his role. The sudden emotion welling inside him for Lisa choked him to where he couldn’t reply. He shook his head.
She set her jaw and stepped toward him, taking his arm. “That boy is stronger than you know. Get on your horse. I’ll grab one here. Let’s go find.” Lisa looked into his eyes, her blue determined and hard. “Together.”
Together. Sounded a whole lot better than she knew.
He nodded, taking to pacing while she attached the bridle to a sorrel mare. He stepped toward her. “Don’t you need a saddle?” It’d take a little longer, but he moved to help her lift one into place.
She held up her hand. “No, I’m fine bareback, thanks.” She led the horse to a step-up and climbed onto its back. It danced to the side until it too grew accustomed to the alien sensation of a rider with no saddle. Then it settled and Lisa followed Ryan.
Exiting the still open doors, Ryan and Lisa’s horses fell into step together.
Wanda hadn’t moved, like her butt appeared to have become one with the wood of the bench and she obviously didn’t want to offend it by leaving.
Ryan ignored her as she waved. Irritating woman.
Lisa called to him over the plodding of the hooves on the packed dirt. “Let’s head toward the forest downstream from where Charlie was. If Jesse got out, he’d be more that way than closer to the road.”
But where? If Ryan had the courage, he’d face the fact that his son – who could barely walk – had little chance when thrown in the rushing water. And they expected him to escape the water and what? Walk out of the woods? A sick realization tightened the muscles in his back and upper thighs to a painful limit. Ryan was looking for a dead body. He wasn’t looking for his son.
A hand to his forearm drew his attention. He lifted his gaze to Lisa.
She’d stopped their horses somehow and held his eyes. She spoke, softly but firmly. “You need to quit thinking those thoughts. I know it’s bleak, but give Jesse some credit. Please.” She squeezed his arm and then turned toward the forest which climbed onto the mountain three hundred yards ahead of them. Kicking her heel against the flank, she bolted forward.
Ryan followed, too tired emotionally and mentally to do much more than mimic her actions. He focused his line of sight between the towers of the horse’s ears ahead of him.
Fifty yards behind them, Lisa suddenly drew to a halt and motioned for him to slow down. “You know what I just realized? Charlie said he threw him in the r
iver. That’s not possible, right? How did Charlie get him that far into the woods? He didn’t have a horse with him and he had all that gear to pack in. Jesse’s wheelchair is still on the deck and the walker wouldn’t make it out here – even over the prairie. How did Charlie get him to the river to throw him in, in the first place?” She lifted her hand to shade her eyes and scanned in a semi-circle before turning the opposite way and doing the same thing.
“Okay, but the fact is, Jesse isn’t at the house and Charlie said he had him.” Ryan just wanted his son. He couldn’t pinpoint why her logic made sense, just that Jesse wasn’t safe and Ryan needed him to be.
Resisting Redemption (The Redemption Series Book 3) Page 11