Guardian

by Terri Reed

  “I’m going to walk the perimeter and check on the horses,” he said as he backed toward the door. To True, he said, “Stay here. Guard Alicia.”

  The confusion and the hint of hurt in her eyes chased him out the door as he escaped as quickly as he could. He headed straight for the pasture gate and whistled. Three dark shapes materialized from the gloom. He dug out the bag of carrots he still had in his pants pocket and offered one to each horse.

  “What am I going to do?” he asked out loud. How was he going to leave Alicia and Charlie behind when it came time to go?

  They’d wiggled under his skin, found the hole in his heart and had quickly filled it.

  He hoped he could walk away when the time came. Because he really had no other choice.

  The horses still had hay, so Leo walked around the charred barn and the two other outbuildings that housed the big equipment needed to run a ranch. A mower, a front-end loader, an ATV and a snowplow.

  Though his gaze was alert, his mind kept turning over all the possibilities of how he and Alicia could have a shot at anything together and continually came up empty. Even if he was willing to risk his heart, to risk letting someone close and risk failing them, how could he leave his job? How could she leave the ranch?

  He was being ridiculous even contemplating a romance with the pretty widow. He wasn’t sure how deep her feelings went. And knew he shouldn’t trust her feelings. She’d been through several traumatic events the past couple of days. He was an easy target for emotions that were running too high.

  As he passed the Chevy truck, the slight scrape of metal against metal was the only warning he had before a stunning blow connected with the back of his skull. Grunting, he went down to his knees. He twisted toward his attacker, blindly reaching out to grab his assailant. His nails dug into muscled flesh. A looming shadow brought down a large object to crash into Leo’s temple.

  The last thought he had before the world went dark was that he’d failed Alicia. He’d failed the woman he loved.

  TWELVE

  Alicia curled her feet beneath her on the couch as she waited for Leo to return from his patrol outside the ranch house. She’d changed from her earlier outfit into jeans and a flowered top. Charlie was upstairs asleep and Dad had retired for the night a little while ago, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Her mind was abuzz with the revelations she’d learned tonight. There was so much to take in and process.

  Leo had had a rough and tragic childhood. He carried an undue burden from his neglectful parents. No child as young as he’d been should have been made responsible for the care of an infant or toddler. Why had God allowed such tragedy?

  Alicia sighed. She knew blaming the Lord wasn’t warranted. God gave humans free will.

  The fact was, Leo’s parents chose to put him in such a horrible position. They chose to mistreat their children and their carelessness cost a child her life, and Leo was still paying the price for that decision all these years later.

  Alicia’s heart ached with sorrow for a life cut short, her veins pulsing with anger at Leo’s parents and her eyes burning with grief for Leo.

  And to top off his burdens, Leo held himself responsible for his fellow agent’s abduction. How messed up was that?

  He didn’t see that he couldn’t have prevented Jake from being taken. Leo could have been the one kidnapped or, worse, killed trying to protect his friend.

  Her insides twisted in knots at the thought of anything happening to Leo. She couldn’t take it if he was injured while protecting her.

  He was such a good man, a kind man. A man who didn’t think he deserved happiness, because of his past.

  The need to comfort and soothe away his pain gripped her tightly. But how could she console him? How could she ever alleviate a pain so deep?

  She thought of her father and mother’s love story. Dad walking into the mercantile, all swagger and bluster at nineteen. Mom had said it was the self-assurance that had caught her eye and drew her to him.

  For Dad, Mom had been the prettiest girl he’d ever laid eyes on. She was working behind the counter in her father’s store and had smiled at him. That was all it had taken, Dad had said.

  Her mind jumped to that moment in the chief’s office when Leo had turned around and she’d met his green-eyed gaze. And then he’d smiled. Something had altered in her heart, her life.

  She gave herself a shake both physically and mentally.

  Silly sentiment. Attraction, that was all.

  Her father’s voice echoed inside her head. Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.

  True’s low guttural growl sent a shudder of alarm over her. The dog stood staring at the front door. His silky brown ears were slanted forward and his pointy tail stood straight up and vibrated with the force of his agitation. Even River was disturbed.

  The puppy had joined True in facing the front door. Only the puppy’s ears were back and his tail tucked between his legs. He let out a high-pitched bark.

  Adrenaline surging, Alicia jumped up from the couch. “What’s wrong?”

  Shaking her head at the silliness of asking the dogs a question neither could verbally answer, she moved to the window and peeked out through the curtain. The moon’s glow shone on the Settler’s Valley police car sitting dark in the driveway. She couldn’t detect movement inside the car.

  Dread filled her stomach and a knot of fear formed in her chest.

  Where was Leo? He’d been gone a long time.

  She grabbed the phone and called his cell. It rang then went to voice mail.

  Her breathing grew shallow. Something was wrong.

  She dialed 911.

  “Settler’s Valley police station. What’s your emergency?” the woman on the line calmly asked.

  Feeling anything but calm, Alicia forced her voice to stay even. “This is Alicia Duncan. I’m not sure this is an emergency.” She told herself she was panicking for no confirmed reason other than the horrible sensation that something wasn’t right. And True’s behavior supported her fears.

  “There are two police officers sitting out in their car providing protection for my house,” she said. “Would you mind contacting them and asking them to come knock on my door? I’m a bit spooked.”

  “One moment, please,” the operator said and then clicked Alicia over to music while she held on.

  A few seconds later the woman came back on. “Ma’am, are you safe?”

  “Yes. I think so.” Not liking the hint of intensity in the operator’s tone, Alicia glanced up the staircase and vowed to protect Charlie at all costs. “What’s happening?”

  “We don’t know, ma’am. The officers assigned to your protection are not responding. Chief Jarrett and more officers are on their way.”

  Her stomach sank. Alarm flooded her. “The FBI agent staying with us went outside and hasn’t returned.”

  “I’ll inform the chief,” the woman said. “Please find a secure location inside the house and wait for officers to arrive.”

  True’s growl turned into a deep bark filled with menace. He clawed at the door. He, no doubt, wanted to get to his partner. Or was the killer outside the door? She wasn’t sure what to do. Did she let True leave? Or keep him close? Was Leo okay? Her heart caved in on the last thought. What if he was hurt and needed medical attention?

  She ran to her dad’s den and urgently tapped on the door. She heard Dad’s shuffling feet, and then he yanked open the door.

  “Why are you waking me up in the middle of the night?” he grumbled as he blinked at her with sleep in his eyes.

  It was barely 10:00 p.m. but there was no point in arguing with him. “I need a gun.” She pushed past him and hurried to the safe. Then tapped her foot in impatience.

  Instantly, her dad’s grogginess vanished. “What’s happened? Where’s Le
o?”

  “He went outside to walk the perimeter and hasn’t returned. The dogs are going nuts. The officers in the patrol car are not responding. I have to find Leo and make sure he’s—he’s okay.”

  With a scowl of concern, Dad worked the lock on the safe and flung open the door. He grabbed his shotgun and then handed her a stainless-steel Walther .22 LR pistol. “Do you still know how to work this?”

  “Of course, Dad.” She palmed the weapon. He’d taught her how to use the handgun when she was young.

  Since Wyoming was an open-carry state, he’d insisted she learn to shoot and that she take it with her when she rode alone, whether on the ranch or off, as a defense against predators. Though the mountain lions and coyotes that roamed Wyoming didn’t normally attack unprovoked, it was wise to be prepared.

  Dad put his robe on over his T-shirt and pajama bottoms, then slipped his bare feet into shoes. They hurried to the living room. True’s agitation worsened. His barks grew more frantic. River whined. Alicia’s tension increased tenfold. She sent up a silent plea that God would protect Leo.

  Before opening the door, she said to her dad, “Keep Charlie safe.”

  “No. You stay here,” he argued. “I’ll go find Leo.”

  The man could hardly walk faster than a snail. There was no way she could let him go out there. But he was an accurate shot and could guard her son.

  “I’m going. Your job is to keep my son safe.” Carefully, she opened the front door and True shot out like a rocket, followed by River.

  She moved to go after them when Dad grabbed her by the arm. “Caution. You don’t know what’s out there.”

  Taking a deep breath, she nodded and turned out the interior overhead light and the porch light. Moving into the shadows, she plastered her back against the exterior wall of the house and listened. Faintly in the distance she heard sirens.

  The sound of True’s growls and barks echoed all the way to the mountains. The dog was just to the right of the porch. Frightened, her knees weakened and her resolve to find Leo wavered. She should wait for the police.

  But what if he was dying? He’d be angry with her for putting her life in danger. And she’d be no good to her son if she got herself killed.

  Knowing the rational and smart thing to do was wait inside and pray, she shifted toward the door, intending to dart back into the house, but before she could slip through the doorway, a commotion broke out. True’s snarls and barks filled the air.

  A man’s yelp, followed by a coarse curse, made her shiver. He was close. Too close for her comfort. And it wasn’t Leo’s voice.

  She edged along the porch toward the uproar. A hulking man swung a stick, fending off True and River. Both dogs’ jaws snapped as they attempted to bite the man.

  With the weight of the .22 in her hands, Alicia ducked behind the railing and aimed toward the dark figure fighting with the dogs. She couldn’t shoot at the man, not with the dogs moving in and out of her line of fire.

  The police sirens were closer now. Just a few more moments, she thought desperately. If the dogs could keep the intruder from escaping, the police would be able to capture him and then normal life would resume.

  There was a loud crack as the swinging stick struck True in the head, sending the dog flying and giving the intruder the opportunity to flee. River snapped at the man’s feet and he kicked at him. The dog yelped and hopped back.

  Alicia jumped up and yelled, “Stop or I’ll shoot.”

  The assailant barely glanced back as he sprinted into the dark and disappeared from her view.

  She ran down the porch stairs to where True had staggered to his feet. Glad to see the dog up and alive, she knelt beside him. “We need to find Leo,” she told the dog. “Find Leo.”

  True lifted his nose to the air then whirled in the opposite direction and raced away. Alicia ran after him with River close at her heels. She’d lost sight of True. Then she heard his bark and followed the sound to the other side of Dad’s old Chevy truck.

  A dark form lay on the ground. True lay down next to him and whined. Leo. Anxiety twisted in her gut as she fell to her knees beside him. Please, Lord, let him be alive.

  She couldn’t stand the thought of losing him when she’d only just found him. She knew in her heart that she had fallen in love with this man. Her feelings defied logic. Defied her own sense of self-preservation even. Maybe it was a family thing that true love struck at first glance. Whatever the case, she wanted a chance to tell him. To find out what the future held for them.

  Hoping against hope, she nudged his shoulder. “Leo. Leo, can you hear me?”

  He didn’t respond. Tears slipped down her cheeks. Would God deny her request?

  With trembling fingers, she felt for a pulse at the side of his neck and her heart leaped when she found one. He wasn’t dead. Joy burst through her and she slumped with relief. Thank You, God.

  She attempted to move him but he weighed too much for her to budge him. She popped to her feet and ran toward the house, where Chief Jarrett and several other officers scrambled out of their cars. The headlights from the many vehicles shone on the house.

  “Help!” she cried. “Agent Gallagher is hurt. Over this way!”

  She ran back to Leo’s side. The chief and another officer hustled over.

  “Call for an ambulance,” the chief instructed the officer. He put a hand on Alicia’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, fine. The killer, the one I saw at the river, Garry Pike, was here. He hurt Leo and True. But he fled east, that way.” She pointed in the direction the man had gone.

  “I’ll send officers to pursue,” the chief said. “Hutchins, you stay here with Ms. Duncan and Agent Gallagher. Accompany the agent to the hospital.”

  The officer nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “What happened to the two officers that were sitting outside the house?” she asked, half-afraid to hear the answer. Considering how many people Garry Pike had already killed, Alicia doubted two more would faze the criminal.

  “Alive. The driver was Tasered and handcuffed to the steering wheel. The other was choked until he passed out. Seems the perp somehow got into the backseat and assaulted the officers.”

  Her dad, with Charlie in his arms, shuffled out of the house. Alicia couldn’t let Charlie see Leo like this. Torn between wanting to stay with the unconscious agent and needing to protect her son, she felt ripped in two. But her son won out. “I’ll be right back,” she whispered to Leo, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, before she hurried to intercept her father and son. River raced alongside her while True kept watch over Leo.

  Charlie reached out his arms for her. Swallowing back a sob, she took his familiar weight into her arms and held him snug against her chest. She breathed in his clean scent and closed her eyes, cherishing the moment, thankful for his safety.

  “You okay, sweetheart?” her dad asked gruffly.

  She met his gaze. “Yes.”

  “Agent Gallagher?”

  “I don’t know.” The sting of tears had her blinking rapidly. “Can we take Charlie back inside?”

  Her son leaned back to look into her face. “Police cars, Mommy.”

  “Yes, honey. We need to get out of their way,” she told him. “They have a job to do.”

  She carried Charlie back into the house and got him a glass of water. And then settled River back on the blanket she’d laid out for him earlier.

  Dad entered a moment later. Concern creased his brow. “An ambulance has arrived.”

  She nodded. “Can you stay with Charlie and River? I’m going with Leo.”

  “Of course. Call when you know anything. I’ll answer.” He took his grandson from her. “Come along, pal. Let’s read a book.”

  Alicia watched them settle on the couch with a book. River moved to
lie at Dad’s feet. Grabbing her purse, Alicia rushed outside in time to watch the paramedics lift the gurney carrying Leo’s unconscious form into the back bay of the ambulance.

  Before they could shut the doors, she jumped inside next to Officer Hutchins and on the floor lay True. The paramedic shrugged and shut the doors.

  The ride to the nearest hospital took all of fifteen minutes. Leo remained unconscious the whole time. His handsome face was pale. Blood matted his hair. For such a big man, he seemed so vulnerable and exposed. Alicia held his hand and prayed.

  Prayed that Leo would have no permanent damage from his injuries. That True would also not suffer any long-term effects from the blow to his head. She also prayed that Garry Pike would be found before anyone else was hurt.

  * * *

  Leo awoke with a splitting headache. He opened his eyes to the glare of overhead fluorescent lights and the annoying beeping of a machine hooked up to his chest. He immediately realized he was in a hospital. It took a full three seconds before memory rushed in.

  He’d been attacked from behind. He’d been inattentive and distracted by his feelings for Alicia. And because of that he hadn’t been alert enough to his attacker’s presence. It was a move that could have cost him his life.

  Alicia!

  Oh, please, Lord, don’t let my mistake have had dire consequences for her.

  He ripped out the IV stuck to the back of his hand and yanked off the chest probes attached to the machine. The heart monitor signaled a loud alarm. Leo swung his feet over the side of the bed and stood. The room swayed. The door burst open, banging against the wall.

  “What are you doing?” Alicia stormed into the room and grabbed him by the arm. A nurse and doctor were right on her heels.

  His knees buckled as relief to see her unharmed flooded his system, washing away the spike of adrenaline that had prompted him up and out of the bed.

  “You’re okay?” he whispered in wonder.