She put the photo aside and picked up one that was just Cass and a young, handsome Adam. Adam must have been about fifteen when the photo had been taken.
Her heart stuttered to a stop. The ring that Dillon had told her about...the ring he believed belonged to the killer. It was on his finger. She looked closer, wondering if she was seeing things. No, it was there...a gold ring with a black onyx stone.
Oh, God...it was Adam. Adam was the killer. He wore the damning ring that had wound up in a grave of murdered boys. How else would the ring have found its way into the bottom of a grave?
She didn’t know how long she sat staring at the photo as chills raced up and down her spine. Had Adam locked her into the shed and then rescued her to take any suspicion off himself?
It was hard to believe he’d been the one who had broken into the house and swung an ax into the walls as he’d come up the stairs, terrorizing her before he intended to kill her.
She stood on shaky legs and with a heart that raced. Adam. His name rang in her head with a deadly clang. Why had he killed those boys? And why did he now want to kill her?
Since she’d arrived here he’d been so patient and kind to her, and she had responded with friendliness and care. So, what had gone wrong?
A loud knock sounded from downstairs, pulling her from her horrified reverie. She grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand and went down the stairs, hoping it was Dillon and he couldn’t see the keypad in the dark to let himself in.
It wasn’t Dillon. It was Adam. Oh, God, she’d thought he’d gone into town with the other men. He was probably here to give her the nightly ranch report. She couldn’t let him inside. She needed to get rid of him. She desperately needed to call Dillon and tell him what she’d discovered.
Adam smiled at her through the window, wearing the same pleasant expression he always wore when she was around him. But it was a lie. That smile...that handsome face was only a facade of pure evil.
Her heart thundered. She couldn’t let him see her fear, her utter revulsion. She had to appear perfectly normal. Sick. It definitely wouldn’t be hard to fake that she was sick to her stomach.
She shut off the alarm and then raised the window next to the door an inch. “Adam, I’m really not feeling well right now. Can you check in with me tomorrow night?”
“Sure,” he replied easily and then frowned. “Is there anything you need that you don’t have in the house?”
“No, it’s just a bit of an upset stomach. I’m actually on my way to bed.”
“Okay, Cassie. I hope you feel better,” he replied.
“Thanks, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She closed the window and relocked it, set the alarm and then turned to go back up the stairs, eager to call Dillon to let him know about the picture she’d found.
She was on the second stair when a loud crash came from the kitchen and the alarm began to shrill a warning. She screamed and raced up the stairs as another crash resounded. And another...and another. The sound of splintering wood galvanized her into action.
“Cassie!” Adam yelled, letting her know he was inside the house.
She reached the top of the stairs, and instead of running to her bedroom, she ducked into the room where Dillon slept. Frantic with fear, she slid under the bed and dialed Dillon’s number.
He answered and she didn’t speak a word, afraid that Adam would hear her voice. She simply hoped Dillon heard the scream of the alarm and would know she was in trouble.
“Cassie, it’s time to die!” Adam’s voice was horrifyingly close, and she turned her phone off so he wouldn’t hear Dillon’s response and discover her hiding place.
Still, she knew there was no way Dillon would be able to get here in time to save her. She was on her own with a man who wanted to kill her, and her gun might as well be a million miles away.
The sound of slow, deliberate footsteps coming up the stairs tightened her breath painfully in her chest. Beneath the low-hanging bedspread she peeked out and saw his boots just outside the room.
She squeezed her eyes closed and pressed her lips tightly together and prayed for him to walk on by. For what seemed like an agonizing amount of time he remained standing in place as silent, frantic tears chased each other down her cheeks.
Finally he went straight down the hallway to her bedroom, and she quickly slid out from beneath the bed and ran down the stairs. The upstairs of the house would be a death trap with no means of escape.
“Cassie!” She heard his voice above the din of the ringing alarm and knew he was coming after her.
She ran through the great room and into the kitchen. She exploded out of the broken back door and into the cold night. She had no plan, but fled into the darkness with sheer panic.
Chapter 15
Boomer was happily wagging his tail as Dillon fed him not one, but two hot dogs. He’d already let the dog outside to do his business and had filled his water bowl.
He planned on coming by first thing in the morning to let the old pooch out once again. Hopefully, by sometime in the afternoon. Leroy would be back home again.
Just as it had been the last time Dillon had been inside the house, the windows were all covered with sheets of aluminum foil and the walls were filled with framed pictures.
Most of the pictures were of Loretta and Leroy...a testimony to the fact that love lived on even after death. There were also photos of Dillon’s mother and father and an embarrassing number of Dillon as a young boy.
Yes, Leroy had loved and he’d loved well, and the memory of that love was what warmed Leroy’s life now. And in the end wasn’t that all that really mattered?
He’d just placed the rest of the hot dogs in the refrigerator when his phone rang. He saw Cassie’s number and answered.
He instantly pulled the phone from his ear as a shrill scream resounded from the device. “Cassie?” he yelled. She didn’t reply but the sound of the alarm was enough to move him into action.
He left Leroy’s house with his heart thundering in fear. If the alarm was ringing then somebody had breached the security. Dammit, the killer had obviously known she was alone in the house and had taken the opportunity to strike.
He got into his car and gunned the engine to life, then with lights swirling and siren screaming he took off. Gravel and dust spit up as he stepped on the gas, every muscle in his body rigid and a knot of tension tight in his chest.
Despite his speed there was no way he could get to the Holiday ranch fast enough. He tightened his fingers on the steering wheel as his heart beat a frantic rhythm in his chest.
He tried to call her again, but it rang and rang. She didn’t pick up and it kept going to voice mail. Oh, God, why didn’t she answer? What was happening right now? Was it already too late? Was he already too late?
Why hadn’t he thought more carefully about leaving her all alone? Because he’d gotten sloppy. He’d just assumed with the security system nobody would attempt to break in again. He’d once again underestimated his foe.
Visions of Sam Kelly swam in his head, along with a picture of seven skeletons. A faint nausea rose up in the back of his throat as he thought of Cassie in the house with the man who had killed all those people.
He couldn’t drive any faster and he couldn’t magically transport himself to get to her. Dammit, this was all his fault.
He hated that it was possible the last words she heard from him was that he loved her and he didn’t like it. He did like it and he wanted to continue loving Cassie for as long as she wanted him to.
He had to get there in time. She had to be okay. He had to believe that he would get there before something terrible happened to her.
The night was unusually dark, with the moon hidden beneath thick clouds. Thankfully, he met no other cars on the road, for he was flying at a high rate of speed and he didn’t want anything to slow him down.
Finally, he turned into the ranch’s long drive and skidded to a stop at the back door...the door that hung in chopped pieces. Once aga
in nausea churned in his stomach. He quickly punched in the code to halt the alarm from ringing.
He pulled his gun and stepped into the house. An ominous silence greeted him. Was he already too late? Had the killer already committed his act of madness and fled?
His chest ached in a way it had never hurt before. He gripped his gun firmly, unsure what he might find. “Cassie!” he yelled loudly and then waited for a response. There was none...not a gasp, not a whimper...nothing.
He checked the downstairs, only slightly grateful he saw nothing that would indicate a struggle had taken place. Slowly he climbed the stairs, dread filling his heart.
Whirling into the bedroom where he slept, his breath whooshed out of him as he saw nothing amiss. But his relief lasted only a minute as he spied Cassie’s cell phone under one of the twin beds. He was afraid to speculate on how it had gotten there.
He slowly moved down the hall and stepped into the spare bedroom. Nothing in here, either. His heart was beating so fast, so frantically, he could hear it inside his head. Nothing in the bathroom or in her workroom.
There was only her bedroom left to check. His gun hand trembled slightly as he gripped the gun tightly. Despite the coolness of the house, a bead of sweat worked its way down the side of his face.
He was terrified he’d find her in bed, the back of her skull split open. He was petrified that he’d find her body stuffed in her closet.
He stepped into the room and only breathed a sigh of relief after he checked the adjoining bathroom and the closet. She wasn’t here. She was noplace inside the house.
He flew back down the stairs and to the back door. He stared out into the darkness, where the silhouettes of the outbuildings were visible.
Was it possible somehow she had managed to get out of the house and had run to one of the outbuildings to hide? Or had the killer taken her somewhere and her disappearance would just be another mystery related to this cursed ranch?
* * *
Cassie ran as fast as she could when she left the house. She didn’t even feel the rough ground beneath her bare feet or the cold night air. Her brain was in a fog of terror, making it difficult to know where to go or where to hide.
She gasped with her exertion, crying out as she tripped and fell to the ground. Her knee hit something sharp and as she scrambled to her feet pain battled with her fear.
She was vaguely aware of the warmth of blood sliding down her leg from her knee. She shot a glance over her shoulder. Adam was in sight, stalking her with an ax swinging in front of him. Any pain she might have felt was usurped by the sheer terror that rushed through her.
For a moment she thought about running to the cowboy motel and knocking on the doors. Maybe one of the men had stayed behind when they’d all left for town.
But there wasn’t time, and it wasn’t a gamble she was willing to take. Surely if anyone was in one of the rooms they’d be able to hear the scream of the alarm coming from the house.
Instead of running toward the cowboy motel, she headed for the barn. Her only hope was to hide somewhere and hope that Dillon got home quickly.
She ducked inside, where the darkness was profound. She had no idea if she’d made a mistake or not, but there was no time to change her mind.
All she wanted was a corner to hide in, a place where Adam wouldn’t find her until Dillon could get here. And she prayed Dillon had answered her call, heard the alarm and knew she was in danger.
She bumped around in the darkness and tried to visualize the barn interior in her mind. Adam’s office was to the right and that was the last place she wanted to die.
There on the left, hay bales were stacked high and deep. Maybe she could burrow down in the hay and be safe. She could no longer hear the house siren ringing. In fact, there was nothing surrounding her but a silence broken only by her ragged breathing.
“Cassie,” Adam’s voice boomed from the barn door.
She stuck her fist in her mouth to staunch the sound of her breaths. She had to be quiet as a mouse, otherwise he would know where she was and she wouldn’t survive this night.
“I’m sorry, Cassie, but it has to end this way.” He slammed the ax into something and every muscle in her body jumped. This was a nightmare and there was no hope of waking up and being safe.
“You were mine. We were meant to be together, but you betrayed me.” The sentence was once again punctuated with another whack of the ax.
What was he talking about? He was obviously delusional. She’d never given him any indication that she was interested in him romantically. But it didn’t matter what was reality. All that mattered was his reality.
“Whores have to die, Cassie. I learned that from my mama. She was one and I took care of her. From the time I was just a baby until I strangled her to death she’d take me with her to meet her lovers and leave me in the car while she had sex in cheap motel rooms. I killed her when I was fourteen and buried her body in the woods. Everyone thought she’d run away with one of her many lovers.”
A new horror swept through Cassie. He’d killed his own mother? Oh, God, why hadn’t she seen the evil inside him before now? How had he fooled her so completely?
“I’ve only loved one woman before you, Cassie, and that was your aunt. She was an angel and that’s why I had to kill all those boys. She was giving them all a chance at a new life, but they were nothing but losers who didn’t have her best interests at heart.”
His voice came from the opposite side of the barn and she nearly gasped when she saw a beam of light. The darkness had been her friend, but with a flashlight he would eventually be able to find her.
“One of them was a thief. I cut off his head and his fingers. Three of them were dopeheads so they had to go. And the last three were just looking for a free ride and didn’t want to work, so they weren’t what Cass needed.”
His voice was closer now and she fought her need to scream. She wanted to bury herself deeper in the hay, but she was afraid if she tried he’d hear her rustling around.
“When Cass died I thought my life was over, but then you arrived and I knew it was destined that we marry and run this place together. I was your protector, Cassie. I killed Sam Kelly for you. He said something very crude about wanting to get you naked and alone in the hay.”
A new sob threatened to spill out of her. Sam had been killed because of her. And now she was going to die, as well, and the secret of all the dead people would die with her.
The flashlight beam hit her in the face, blinding her. “There you are,” Adam exclaimed triumphantly. She skittered backward in an attempt to escape him.
He grabbed one of her ankles and yanked her toward him. Finally, as he dragged her across the barn floor, she released the scream that had been trapped inside her since the moment he’d broken into her home.
* * *
Dillon had just checked the stables and called for backup when he heard Cassie’s scream. A wild elation battled with a horrifying panic. She was alive...but in deep trouble. The barn. The scream had come from the barn.
He ran across the ground faster than he’d ever run before. The elation of knowing she was alive lasted only a second, but it was fear for her that fueled him forward.
Gripping a flashlight in one hand and his gun in the other, his heartbeat raced painfully fast. He had to get to her in time. She couldn’t be another statistic on his desk.
He flew into the entrance of the barn and froze at the sight of Adam dragging Cassie across the floor, his ax held in his hand.
“Adam!” he cried.
The man turned to look at him and smiled, and then hefted the ax high above his head. Cassie screamed and Dillon fired his gun.
The bullet hit Adam dead center in his chest. Still he held the ax in a position of attack. Dillon fired once again. This shot took him down and the ax clattered to the floor next to him. Adam didn’t move.
Dillon kicked the ax across the floor and then raced over to Cassie, who was curled up in a fetal ball and sob
bing uncontrollably. “Cassie, it’s okay. You’re safe now.” He crouched down beside her. He aimed his flashlight beam first at her pale white face and frightened eyes. As he scanned downward the sight of blood pooling from a jagged cut in her knee jarred him.
“Cassie...you’re hurt. We need to get you to the hospital.” Dillon’s stomach churned. “Did Adam hit you with the ax?”
She shook her head. “No... I fell... I was trying to get away... He was after me.” The words came between sobs. “He killed them, Dillon...he killed them all.”
Sirens sounded from the distance, coming closer and closer. It felt like it had been hours since he’d called for backup. Yet, everything had happened so fast.
“Come on, Cassie. Let’s get you out of here.” He helped her to her feet and she cried out in pain as she tried to put weight on her bloody leg.
Dillon swooped her up in his arms and carried her out of the barn. “Ben,” he called to the uniformed man running toward them. “Adam Benson is in the barn. Make sure he’s dead and take care of things here. I’m taking Cassie to the hospital.”
“Cassie, are you okay?” Ben asked.
“I’ll be fine.” She began to shiver and hid her face in the crook of Dillon’s neck. The warmth of her breath against him filled him with a deep contentment. She was alive. Thank God she was wonderfully alive.
She clung to him as he carried her to his car. Although he was curious as to what Adam might have said to her, he didn’t want to ask her any questions until she was ready to talk. She had been through a horrifying trauma. He might be the chief of police, but at the moment he was just a man tending to his woman.
He gently placed her into the passenger seat and took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. He then ripped off his shirt and told her to hold it to her still-bleeding knee. He hurried around to the driver’s side of the car and got in.
Killer Cowboy (Cowboys of Holiday Ranch) Page 18