by Leann Harris
Taking the phone, Rafe listened. A smile creased his lips. “I understand it was probably awkward explaining to the judge why you needed to see Nelson’s butt. But you got it? What time? All right. I’ll be there.” He hung up. “As you probably heard, we got both warrants. But we’re going to serve them at seven a.m. tomorrow.”
“Oh.”
He stepped close to her. “Why the sad face? If we get the blood evidence and the bite marks, it will go a long way to securing a conviction of Nelson for the murder of the deputy.”
“But it would be better if you found a body?”
“It’s always best when accusing someone of murder if you have a body. But if we don’t, what we have come up with is mighty damning.”
She looked at his shirt. “Could I come along?”
With a soft touch, he stroked back the hair from her face. “Of course. You have a big stake in seeing Nelson brought to justice, and you should be there.”
“Thank you, Rafe.”
“For what?”
“For believing in me. For wanting me to have closure to this nightmare.”
His fingers stroked over her cheeks, then along her chin. “You’ve been through a lot. It’s only natural for you to want to see this through.”
“No, not everyone would think like you do. And for that, you’ll always hold a special place in my heart.”
His lips brushed hers. “Why don’t we go back to your room, and I’ll show you in intimate detail how I feel?”
She couldn’t prevent the glow that suffused her skin. She grasped his hand and led him to her bedroom.
Rafe wrapped his arm around April’s waist and pulled her close to his side. Tasting heaven twice in one day was a heady experience—and one he wanted to repeat again and again.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The air was filled with the intoxicating smells of their lovemaking. And love was definitely what had passed between them. It went beyond the mind-blowing passion that had grabbed him since the first moment he’d laid eyes on April. No, this feeling filled him up, making him want to lay the world at her feet, to fight all her dragons for her, to cherish her and protect her. And to take from her the joy she offered.
And the order.
He grinned.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked. Her fingers danced over the hairs of his chest.
“How organized you are.”
She raised up on her elbow. “Me?”
“Wasn’t it you who went through my kitchen drawers, mumbling about the mess?”
“Well, they were terrible. I don’t know how you ever found anything in that kitchen.”
“That’s probably because I don’t use it. Maybe I need someone in my life who will fix that problem.” He waited with baited breath for her reaction.
“A maid could fix that for you.”
“I don’t want a maid. I want someone who will share my life. Who will be there morning after morning. Someone who will help me feed Callie and the cats. Someone who will listen to me rant about the latest stupid thing the government is mandating. I want a wife.”
Her eyes were huge.
“I’m asking you, April, if you’ll marry me.”
April stunned him by slipping out of bed without answering.
“April?”
“We need to get dressed and leave if we’re going to make it to Cameron to serve the warrants. I’m sure you’ll need to meet with the other Rangers and coordinate your raid.”
“April—”
“I’m getting dressed,” she threw over her shoulder as she raced into the bathroom.
Her reaction certainly hadn’t been the one he had expected. She had acted as if he’d asked her to jump off a ten-story building. As he slipped on his jeans, Rafe realized that maybe, to her, what he’d asked had been the equivalent of inviting her to make such a jump. After all, her only experience with marriage had been with Nelson.
Maybe there was something to her marriage that she hadn’t shared. The thought made him sick.
April’s hands shook as she buttoned her shirt and tucked it into her pants. Everything had been wonderful in. Rafe’s arms. Their lovemaking was incredible, like nothing she’d ever known. But when he asked her to marry him, fear had paralyzed her, draining her heart.
There was another demon hiding in her past.
She looked into the mirror and into her own eyes. Now with crystal clear clarity, she remembered. Tears gathered in her eyes.
She owed it to Rafe to tell him. The question she had was could she overcome the fear and tell him?
It was two in the morning when they left April’s house.
Rafe had called Steve and they had decided to rendezvous at a motel at the edge of Cameron. There would be two teams of Rangers, and lab techs to check the carpet in Nelson’s house and in his car.
Rafe glanced at April sitting quietly on her side of the truck. From the expression on her face, he knew she wanted to say something.
Rafe didn’t push. He wanted to know what was tearing her up inside, but she had to tell him on her own terms. The question was, did she trust him enough to confide in him?
The radio played softly—a love song about a woman who’d left her lover.
“When I was married to Nelson,” she began, “immediately after the wedding, I knew something was wrong. He was brittle. Does that make sense?” She glanced at him.
“He didn’t like change.”
“Yeah. He had to have things done in a certain way. The mayonnaise had to be on the side of the sandwich that was against the meat. The mustard on the other piece of bread. And never, never mix the two. At first, I thought it was a simple quirk. But as time went on, the days were filled with things I could do and things I couldn’t. And the things I did had to be done the way Nelson wanted them done. It was like he was draining the life out of me. Wearing me down with his constant, ‘You didn’t get it right. How many times do I have to tell you how to do it?”’
She shivered as the memories rolled over her.
“April, I’m here.” Rafe’s voice called her out of the wilderness of the past. She grasped his hand.
“One day, when I had put pickles on his sandwich, Nelson stood, told me what a damn idiot I was, and slapped me across my face.” Her eyes met his. “I knew then if I stayed that he’d hit me again. There was never any doubt in my mind. So when he went back to work that day, I packed my bags and drove home to San Antonio.
“When he showed up the next day, he was his old butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-his-mouth self. He said he was sorry and it would never happen again. I knew he was lying.
“But the thing that frightened me the most was the other things I knew Nelson was doing. He’d go out and be gone most of the night. When he came back, he had big sums of cash. Regularly, he would go on spending binges, buying me expensive presents. There was no place in Austin County where he could’ve gotten that much money legally.”
“You did the right thing, April.” Rafe’s voice was a calm place in this storm. “It took guts to leave him. Did he walk away, or did he give you trouble?”
“I told Nelson if he didn’t leave me alone, I’d talk to the Rangers about the extra cash that he always seemed to have. He called me some crude names and yelled several threats. Elena called the cops when Nelson started beating on my door. The patrolmen who came talked with Nelson. I don’t know what they said, but he left. He filed for divorce first—claimed I’d been unfaithful to him.”
“That SOB.”
“I was grateful that he chose to let me go. Being blamed was the least of my worries.” She stared out the window: “I hadn’t seen Nelson from that moment until the time I watched him kill that deputy.” Shaking her head, she turned to Rafe. “When you asked me to marry you, I went cold inside. Those times with Nelson crashed back like the surf in a hurricane, nearly drowning me.”
“I understand, querida. But you need to realize that you can’t let Nelson rob you of your life. You must h
ave the courage to go on, to have the courage to live again.”
“I want that, Rafe. I really do.”
“Then take it.”
She wondered if it were really that simple.
Chapter 14
They arrived in Cameron at close to four in the morning. Rafe drove to the motel on the outskirts, where they were to meet with the other Rangers. Rafe glanced over at April, sleeping against the door of the truck.
When he thought about what she’d endured being married to a bully like Nelson, it hardened Rafe’s resolve to get the bastard. Hitting a woman was only for cowards, and Nelson fit the bill perfectly.
Rafe glanced at the cars in the parking lot, located Steve’s gleaming silver Bronco, and pulled in next to it. The door of the motel room opened and Steve strolled out.
“See you made it in plenty of time,” Steve murmured.
“When was the last time I was late for a raid?” Rafe asked, slipping out of the cab.
Steve glanced at the sleeping April. “That the lady in question?”
Stuffing his hands in his back pockets, Rafe nodded. “She wanted to accompany me, to see us confront Nelson.”
“Can’t say as I blame her. From what everyone has said, this has been coming for a long time.”
“Is everyone here?” Rafe asked.
“No. We’re waiting on Adams. He’s bringing the luminol for the rug.” The chemical would tell them if there had been any blood on the rug, even if the sheriff had tried to clean it up.
April moaned, then sat up. “Rafe?”
He leaned down and glanced at her through the window. “I’m here, April. I’d like to introduce you to my boss.” He helped her out, then made the introductions.
“It’s nice to meet you,” April said, holding out her hand.
Steve’s hand swallowed April’s. “I’m mighty glad to make your acquaintance, April. Why don’t we go inside before we attract attention that we don’t want. We don’t want to tip our hand.”
They filed into the rented room. A man was inside sitting at the table, playing a game of solitaire. He glanced up and smiled when he saw Rafe.
“How’s it going, Rafe?” the man asked, standing. He nodded to April. “Ma’am. I’m Roger Steel.”
The man’s manner was cheerful and welcoming and April found herself smiling in return. “It’s nice to meet you, Roger. My name is—Lynn.”
“Ah, yes, the lady without a memory.”
April grimaced. “I unfortunately remember too much.”
“I’m sorry that you had to see that murder, but look at it this way, the Rangers welcome the chance to get rid of old Nelson. Guys like him give all law enforcement officials a bad name.”
Rafe slipped his arm around April’s shoulder. “I’ve gotten to know the lady as April, so we’ve just continued to use that name.”
“No problem,” Steve commented.
A yawn caught April by surprise. They hadn’t gotten any sleep before they left San Antonio. Rafe’s gaze locked with April’s and the sizzling awareness that was always there flared. “Why don’t you try to catch a little sleep, April. We’re going to wait on the last group to get here before we go in around seven.”
She glanced at the bed, then at him. “I think I might do that.” Stretching out, she turned on her side and fell asleep.
“I see you’re smitten,” Steve said quietly when Rafe joined them at the table.
Roger, too, eyed Rafe.
Rafe thought about denying it, but why? Steve and Roger had seen him through the bad days around his divorce.
“I’m that obvious, huh?”
Steve slapped him on the back. “Only to old friends.”
Shaking his head, Rafe said, “It kind of blindsided me. After Carmen, I wasn’t looking for anything long term.”
“Oh,” Steve muttered. “You’re thinking of marriage, again?”
He shook his head. “Yeah. But April is nervous about another law enforcement official.”
“Can’t blame her,” Roger threw in. “I’ve heard some stories about this Nelson guy. He’s the kind who enjoys being the boss and using his power.” He leaned forward. “But what I don’t understand is how he got bitten on the backside?”
Rafe laughed and explained what happened.
While they waited, and as Rafe listened to Roger and Steve discuss several cases they were investigating, Rafe’s mind turned to marriage. Both Roger and Steve had had trouble with their marriages. It had been tough going for both men. Steve had managed to work it out with his wife and save their relationship, but Roger hadn’t.
Looking at April, Rafe wondered if it was even reasonable to ask her to marry him. Hadn’t he learned his lesson with Carmen? She had hated his job and complained that it had taken all his time, leaving none for her. And when they had moved to Saddle, Carmen had a never-ending litany of complaints about the place. It was too lonely. Too flat. Too dry. Too boring. What made him think that April would be able to function there any better? April was a city girl. How would she fare out in west Texas?
Carmen had hated him, and had used his job as an excuse to leave him. Would that happen with April? Would he always wonder when he came home if he’d find April had gone the way Carmen had? Could he survive that?
A knock sounded at the door, bringing him out of his dark thoughts. The last group of Rangers had arrived. As they filed into the room, they glanced at the sleeping woman on the bed. She was a beautiful sight. They turned to Rafe, nodded, then began discussing the strategy for the arrest.
The sound of men’s voices greeted April as she woke. She didn’t open her eyes, but listened as the men talked about how they would execute the warrant, and who would do what.
As she listened, April was amazed that she had fallen asleep in the midst of these men. She felt at ease around these Rangers. Felt safe. The nightmare of her previous life with Nelson seemed a distant memory. She trusted these men, Rafe in particular.
It was stunning, the realization. Yesterday’s shadows were gone. Light filled her heart.
“April.” Rafe’s soft voice drew her from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
“Hi,” she whispered.
His eyes darkened. “It’s time. We’re going to execute the warrant. Do you want to come?”
She sat up. “Yes. I didn’t come down here to wait in the motel room.”
Rafe introduced the other Rangers that had joined them.
“Well, gentlemen,” Steve said. “We’ll stop by the jail first, and serve the warrant to the sheriff. I believe he’s already at his office there. Then team one will test Nelson’s car, while team two will test his house. I believe Rafe wants to be the one who examines Nelson’s person.”
April glanced at Rafe, and in spite of the tension, she grinned.
“Do you want to be there for that, too?” Rafe asked her.
“Naw. I’ve no desire to see any part of that man.”
The men around her laughed. It helped ease the tension that was creeping up her spine.
The three vehicles came to a stop in front of the jail. The five Rangers and April walked in the front door. The cells were set on the back wall of the large room. There were desks for the deputies in the center area. An enclosed office on the right side was Nelson’s.
One deputy stood and looked at April. “Lynn, what are you doing here?”
April remembered the young man as one of the followers who did anything her ex wanted. “Vince. I’m here with these gentlemen.”
The deputy turned to the Rangers. “Roger,” he nodded to the Ranger he knew. “What’s going on here?”
“You need to call Nelson out here,” Roger carefully explained. “We’ve got several warrants to serve.”
A murmur raced through the room. Vince walked to the sheriffs office and disappeared. Moments later, he reappeared with Nelson. The man was good looking in an artificial way, and his smile was broad as he walked into the room.
“Gentleme
n,” Nelson boomed. “What can I do for you?”
Steve handed the warrants to Nelson.
“What’s this?”
“We’re looking for evidence, Baker. We believe you were instrumental in the disappearance of Jeff Colby.”
“And who told you that story?” The words were snapped out. He looked at April.
“We have information that you shot Colby,” Steve answered.
Nelson’s gaze shifted to April. “I know where you got that misinformation. Well, let me tell you, I wasn’t the one who killed Jeff. It was that lady there. Lynn. She came by my house a couple of weeks ago. I heard her arguing with Jeff. The kid was coming onto her. They struggled over his weapon and she shot him. I didn’t report it because I wanted to protect Lynn.”
Rafe couldn’t believe his ears. He had to admit that Nelson was quick on his feet, spinning a story like that out of thin air.
April’s face drained of color. “That’s a lie,” she whispered. “It was Nelson who shot Jeff. They were arguing about the payoffs the coyotes were giving certain people in the sheriffs office.”
As quick as a rattlesnake, Nelson—his eyes sharp with hate—stepped close to April and grabbed her arm. He leaned close and whispered, “It’s too damned bad I missed.”
Rafe had had enough. Instantly, he was between Nelson and April. “Take your hands off her,” Rafe growled. He burned with a desire to wipe the floor with the bully.
Nelson correctly read the message and stepped back. “Hey, I’ll cooperate. And it’s my word against hers. I say April was the one who shot Jeff.”
Rafe moved between Nelson and April, completely cutting off Nelson’s access to her. “I think, Nelson, if a jury had to believe you or Lynn, it wouldn’t be any contest. I believe her. Every Ranger in this room believes her. Your exploits are well known in this area of the state, and I think a jury will find your story unbelievable.”
“I’ll take my chances.” But Nelson’s voice didn’t sound confident.
“Why don’t you step into your office, Baker, and I’ll do a personal examination of your backside—unless you want to expose yourself here in the main room.”