Dreaming of a Hero (Heroes Series Book 2)

by Lyssa Layne

Mallory struggled, but she wasn’t any closer to loose than she’d been ten minutes ago.

  Alan handed the shovel to Shelby and picked Mallory up, slinging her over his shoulder like a bag of grain. She twisted, but he held her fast. Shelby ran ahead of him and opened the back door of the Suburban. Alan tossed Mallory in and she landed on something soft.

  She thought she’d moaned, but she realized it was not her when another soft whimper came from under her. Shuffling sideways, Mallory managed to move off the lump. Dianna, trussed up in the same fashion as she, with her mouth duct-taped shut, lay facing Mallory with wide, frightened eyes.

  “You okay?” Mallory asked.

  Dianna nodded once.

  “We’re going to get out of here.” Mallory tried to sound brave, but she was shaking like a leaf. Alan and Shelby had murdered at least two people. They had already said they were going to throw her into Canyon Lake. They meant business. If she and Dianna didn’t find a way out of here pretty darn fast they were going to be fish food.

  ~*~

  Mike skidded to a stop at the old courtyard.

  No one was in sight. He jumped out and ran, his heart and pulse pumping. Someone had continued to dig where he’d started that morning. A rusty metal box lay in the sand. Several pairs of footprints marked the sand. They led to a set of vehicle tracks. Those tracks led straight into the desert. He knew the old wagon road eventually ended up near Tortilla Flat, close to Canyon Lake.

  He leaped back in the SUV, glad he’d brought the four-wheel drive, and ripped up the road, praying he wasn’t too late. He tried to tell himself Brent was wrong, that Shelby wouldn’t hurt anyone. But his gut told him different. The pieces were beginning to fall into place and he couldn’t deny their stark evidence. Shelby had Mallory. And she was a killer.

  His mouth went dry and he punched the gas pedal.

  If he was too late…

  Burning around a turn, he almost slammed into the back of the Suburban. Stuck in deep sand, right in the middle of the road, the big SUV looked like an abandoned stagecoach. All the doors were wide open, but nobody seemed to be in it.

  Mike nearly fell in his haste to get out of the Durango. Forcing himself to slow up, he approached the Suburban with caution. His heart pounded so loud he figured they could hear it in Phoenix. Edging alongside the Suburban, he peered through the tinted windows. No one.

  Again, he looked to the sandy earth for directions.

  ~*~

  “That’s far enough,” Alan ordered.

  Mallory stumbled to a stop, and Dianna fell against her. Her hands were still bound. Alan had untied their feet, but left their hands securely tied. He’d ripped the duct tape from Dianna’s mouth, leaving a bright red streak across her lips and cheeks.

  “Look at me,” Alan ordered.

  Dianna turned and fell to the ground.

  Her mind racing, Mallory faced him. This was the end. There wasn’t any way out. So long, everyone. She hadn’t expected to die in the desert like a lizard or a road runner. Tears formed in her eyes. She’d just found Mike. At least she had found out what love was all about before she died.

  She closed her eyes and focused on Mike’s face.

  “Mike,” Dianna muttered hoarsely.

  Mallory opened her eyes to glare at Dianna. It was really past time she gave up her crush.

  But Dianna was staring at a figure in the distance.

  All of them turned to look.

  Mallory’s heart sang.

  Mike.

  “Don’t come any closer or I’ll kill them both,” Alan shouted and waved a small handgun.

  Mike kept walking toward them. “Take me, Alan. You don’t want to hurt the women.”

  Shelby snorted.

  Mike moved within talking distance and held up his hands. “Give yourself up, Alan. You’re done. We figured it out. The sheriff is on the way.”

  “That fool couldn’t figure out a crossword puzzle,” Shelby muttered.

  “Maybe not, but I did,” Mike said. “The pieces all fell into place this afternoon.”

  “Is that right?” Shelby crossed her arms over her chest. “Do tell.”

  Mike pinned her with a cold gaze. “I don’t know how, but you somehow found out about Skeeter’s map and decided to take it for yourself. But you had to get rid of Skeeter, so you stole some of Brent’s insulin and injected it under Skeeter’s toenails. Then, after he died, you stuck Cholla in his skin, thinking it would cover up the marks. Older people sometimes contract diabetes.”

  “You’re a nurse, you’d know those Cholla needles would be easy to cover up needle tracks.” Mallory twisted her wrists. If she could get loose, she’d slap Shelby’s face off.

  Alan smirked at them. “Yeah, and it would’ve worked too, but she” —he pointed the gun at Mallory “—had to come along and mess things up.”

  “Your plan was messed up before Mallory ever came along,” Mike reminded them. “You were one step behind Wendell Wallace. He was a CNA at Apache Park nursing home and he discovered the map old Gentleman Jim Weeks had. When you found him digging in the desert, you thought he’d beaten you to the treasure and you hit him over the head and killed him. The thing was, he hadn’t found anything. He was way off. Who knows why, but he was nowhere near the treasure.”

  “You killed him for no reason,” Mallory said. “All of this was for nothing. And you could have killed me, too, when you stuck the cactus under the saddle and cut the cinch.”

  “We didn’t do that,” Alan said. “That was Dianna, trying to get rid of her rival for Mike’s affection. She thought if you had an accident, you’d go home.”

  Dianna hung her head and didn’t speak.

  “Shut up,” Shelby screamed. “Alan, let’s tie them up and get out of here.”

  “Where are you going to go?” Mike waved a hand. “Mexico is too far and you don’t have water, or supplies to get you there. A chopper will spot you out here in about ten minutes flat. You’re caught.”

  All the fight seemed to go out of Alan. His shoulders slumped and the gun dropped from his fingertips. “There’s no treasure. It was all for nothing.”

  Shelby dived for the gun and aimed it Mallory’s head.

  “I want to know how you found out about my dad’s map,” Mallory said. “You owe me that much.”

  She shrugged. “What the hell. I’m a nurse, and when the SRPL put us all out of work, I went to Apache Park and applied for a job. I knew Gentleman Jim Weeks from his days as the head wrangler out here at The Cholla, and I stopped in to see him. He was fading fast and he let it slip that he’d given a treasure map to Skeeter. I waited until Skeeter came in for some R and R. He made it too easy because he had pneumonia. When he passed out, I injected him with the insulin. Easy.”

  Mallory lunged at her with no thought of danger. “Why?”

  Shelby sneered. “Didn’t you hear me? We’re out of work. Mike’s losing his ranch. Killing an old man nobody cared about was an easy way to fix it all.”

  “You’re insane,” Mike shouted.

  Someone screamed.

  The gun went off.

  Mallory half expected to feel searing pain from the gunshot, but nothing. The bullet had gone by her. She struggled to rise, and managed to flounder up on her knees when she saw Mike. He lay a few feet from her, a dark red bloodstain seeping from his shoulder.

  Mallory screamed, but the sound was drowned out by the sound of a police helicopter approaching overhead. Bodine hung out the side, rifle in hand, trained on Shelby.

  Mallory scrambled to Mike’s side. “I love you,” she cried.

  He grinned feebly. “I love you. Will you stay and take care of me?”

  She fell over on him. “Count on it.”

  EPILOGUE

  Mallory looked at Mike again.

  He caught her worried glance and said, “Quit fussing. I’m fine. I’ll be back on my feet in time for next season. Thanks to you, I have my life and my business back.”

  “I only told t
he truth,” she said.

  “Yes, but it was your credentials that convinced the judge to take off the injunction,” he said.

  She squeezed his hand. “What you and the other outfitters do doesn’t harm the environment.”

  He was silent for a moment. “I’m so sorry for what Shelby and Alan did.”

  She nodded, unable to speak for a moment. “I know. They’ll be going to prison for a very long time.”

  “I just can’t believe my very good friends would do something like that. And murder Wendall Wallace, too.” He shook his head. “Insane.”

  Mallory changed the subject. “I can’t believe my dad found so much gold.”

  Mike grinned at her. “The old fox. Stowing it away in a bank the whole time.”

  In spite of herself, Mallory giggled. “He left me enough so I can do whatever I want, that’s for sure.”

  “And what do you want to do?” Mike reached for her hand. “Go back to teaching at UNLV?”

  She shook her head. “No. I was thinking I might see if there’s an opening at The Cholla.”

  “What position are you interested in filling?” Mike began stroking her wrist.

  Mallory swallowed. “Um, I’m not sure.”

  “I have an idea,” Mike said. “It would involve a big commitment, though.”

  “It would?” Mallory’s voice squeaked.

  “Uh-huh.” He leaned close. And looked into her eyes. “It would mean changing your name...if you want to, of course.” His eyes darkened. “It would mean wearing a ring.”

  Mallory couldn’t find her voice. She stared at Mike with wide eyes. “Wha—what are you saying?”

  He took her hand and held it gently. “Will you marry me, Mallory?”

  Happy tears filled her eyes. “Yes. Oh, yes.”

  “I love you, lady.” He smiled widely, then tugged her close and covered her lips with his.

  ~The End~

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Falling in love with romance novels the summer before sixth grade, D’Ann Lindun never thought about writing one until many years later when she took a how-to class at her local college. She was hooked! She began writing and never looked back. Thirty-two manuscripts and numerous awards later, she is an Amazon bestseller! Romance appeals to D’Ann because there's just something so satisfying about writing a book guaranteed to have a happy ending. Her particular favorites usually feature cowboys and the women who love them.

  D’Ann loves to hear from readers! Please contact her at:

  dldauthor@frontier.net

  http://dlindunauthor.blogspot.com/

  https://www.facebook.com/DLindunAuthor

  https://twitter.com/DLindun

  http://www.amazon.com/DAnn-Lindun/e/B008DKL9TU

  Street team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/838870409506195/

  Beach Desires

  A Wilder Sister Novella

  Melissa Keir

  Other Books by Melissa Keir

  Wilder Sisters Series:

  Forever Love

  Beach Desires

  A Christmas Accident

  Coming Home

  *

  Charming Chances:

  Charming Chances (print of combined ebooks)

  Second Time’s a Charm

  Three’s a Crowd

  *

  Pigg Detective Agency:

  Protecting His Wolfe

  Protecting Her Pigg

  *

  Magical Matchmaker

  Chalkboard Romance

  One Night in Laguna

  *

  Box Sets

  Cowboy Time

  Cowboy, Mine

  Cowboy, Yours

  Cowboys, Bulls and Buckles

  Cowboys Forever

  Holding a Hero

  Summer Heat: Love on Fire

  *

  The Way to the Heart (recipe book)

  Love, Bake, Write (recipe book)

  We’d Rather Be Writing (recipe book)

  Musings of a Madcap Mind (memoir)

  Beach Desires

  Copyright © 2017 Melissa Keir

  All rights reserved.

  DEDICATION

  To my dad and sisters for seeing the best in me

  To my children for making me laugh J

  To Mark for keeping me sane- xoxo

  CHAPTER ONE

  I packed my bag, including my bikini, workout clothes and sunscreen, also a few other things just right for a five day work-free vacation in the sunshine. Those late nights finishing my numerous projects were worth the two weeks of stress. Wanting to spend as much time on the beach as I could get, I booked a direct flight from Baltimore’s Thurgood Marshall Airport to Myrtle Beach Airport. One of the benefits of being a frequent traveler, I snagged a seat in first class and brought my ereader to enjoy on the plane. I’d already downloaded the latest romance novel by Liz Crowe, excited to read what my favorite bar characters were up to. When we finally touched down in Myrtle Beach, my trip was near its end. After an hour or so drive, I’d be on the beach, lying in the sand.

  Clutching my bag, I stepped off the airplane into the warm, humid temperature at Myrtle Beach’s airport. After picking up my rental car, I would be on my way to my own slice of heaven. Garden City, South Carolina nestled away on a peninsula only one road wide suited every beach lover’s dream. Nearby, Myrtle Beach resembled a beacon for those who liked to dance or party. Depending on where you stayed, you could see the beautiful ocean or the calm peaceful serenity of the inlet. Fishing boats went out daily from the marina to catch the local seafood for the restaurants in the area.

  A two-bedroom condo on the inlet at Marlin Quay Marina awaited me. The brochure for the room boasted not only a view of the inlet but also of the ocean. While I longed to rush to the condominium then hit the beach, I realized without food and drinks, I wouldn’t survive long. I had planned to try some of the local restaurants but eating alone wasn’t fun. Would I ever find someone to share my life with?

  The sun just began to set as I pulled into the parking lot of the tall white stucco building. Grabbing the bellman’s trolley, I unloaded my rental car then started up to my new home for the next five days. Taking the elevator to the fifth floor, I could see the expansive beach beckoning me. I felt eager for a run along the pristine shoreline.

  With impatience, I unlocked the door of condo five-oh-two. I quickly stored the groceries away, then threw on my running shorts and a T-shirt. The door locked behind me, as I decided to take the stairs rather than the elevator. The stairs were a superb warmup for my muscles as I crossed Waccamaw Drive before navigating the dunes to the beach. With the sun slowly sinking below the horizon, I began to head north, listening to the churning of the waves.

  The beach was peacefully quiet with only a few other couples walking along the shore where the waves crested against the sand. The warm, muggy weather caressed my skin but felt exhilarating. It’s always more fun to run in a real environment than on the treadmill at home. After running for about thirty minutes, I turned back. The sun had fully set, bathing the beach in the soft glow of the moon. Delicious smells coming from some of the homes on the dunes told me it was dinnertime. Occasionally the sounds of children laughing or music playing drifted down to me. Heading back toward my condo, I waited for cars on the road.

  This was a busy time of night as people headed out for dinner or parties. Heavy traffic flowed into the restaurant next to the marina. People got out of the cars laughing journeying in for dinner. Looking at everyone enjoying a wonderful time, I felt a little lonely without someone to share my vacation.

  Should I call Jasmine or invite her to visit? No, that’s not a good idea. As much as I miss her, we broke up for a reason. It’s better for us to go our separate ways.

  My stomach rumbled. I remembered I had beer and shrimp waiting for me back in the condo. The pang in my stomach urged me to skip the stairs and settle for the elevator. Pushing the button, I noticed a car pulling into the parking area. I stared with
envy at one of the sweetest muscle machines known to humankind—a dark red Camaro convertible. I’d love to have a gorgeous Camaro like that, I thought with a smile on my face.

  The car parked. A striking petite blonde opened the door and climbed out. Tanned like she spent all day in the sun, her short hair stuck up from her head in a way which made me think she’d just climbed out of bed after an amazing night of sex. Her full and pouty lips had a smile on them, showing brilliant white teeth. Wearing a pink T-shirt and blue jean shorts, she looked innocent until you got a glimpse of her eyes. Her passionate gaze sparkled with secret knowledge.

  Feeling like a desert had begun to grow in my throat, I licked my lips. She must have noticed I was staring, because she waved at me. I returned the gesture, embarrassed to be caught ogling.

  “Hello. That’s an amazing car! What year is it?”

  “A ‘68. I got it for graduation from college from my dad. She’s my baby,” she replied as she patted the back end. She opened the trunk and lifted out a wheeled suitcase. Then she grabbed another bag, setting it on top of the suitcase. Finally, after three more trips into the trunk, she had quite a pile of luggage sitting next to her magnificent Camaro.

  “Do you want some help?” I hollered. “Looks like you have more things than you can carry.

  I’d be happy to help.”

  “Sure. I could use a hand.” She stretched out her left hand, introducing herself. “I’m Mandy Kenzie. I’m staying in my family’s condo this week. Of course I packed up my whole closet for this trip.” Her eyes twinkled with her joke.

  Taking her hand in mine, electricity sizzled up my arm. “Ouch. Must’ve picked up some static electricity. I’m Stacey. I’m staying here on vacation for the next four days.” I grabbed some of her bags and caught a whiff of her perfume. Recognizing the smell of my favorite cologne, the one Jasmine wears, my heart sped up. I headed toward the elevator, trying to ignore the seductive thoughts running through my head. “What condo are you staying in?”