by B. J Daniels
Russell could feel the clock ticking.
* * *
“WHAT’S WRONG?” NETTIE ASKED when her husband came through the door. She could tell by the slump of his shoulders that it wasn’t just the hour that had him dragging.
The sheriff shook his head as he lowered himself into a chair. “I’m just tired.”
“Frank,” she said as she sat down across from him and took both of his big hands in hers. “It’s more than being tired. What are you so worried about? Tiffany?” When he was down, the cause was often thoughts of his deranged daughter who had tried to kill him. Fortunately she was safely locked up where she couldn’t hurt anyone else.
“No,” he said with a sigh. “She’s someone else’s problem now. I’m riding up in the Crazies in the morning with search and rescue to look for Bo Hamilton and Jace Calder. Apparently he went looking for her and neither has been heard from since.” He met her gaze. “There’s a chance an escaped killer is up in those same mountains.”
“You think they crossed paths?”
“I certainly hope not. It’s big country. But it’s odd that neither Bo or Jace has returned when Jace went up there with every intention of bringing her back.”
Nettie shook her head as she studied the man she’d loved since she was a teen. “But that isn’t what’s really worrying you.”
He opened his mouth as if to deny it, then seemed to stop himself. “It’s one of my other cases. Hell, it’s not really a case just my own investigation, and I can’t get it out of my mind. Now I’m starting to question myself.”
“What do your instincts tell you?”
“That no matter what the state crime boys or the FBI says, I should keep investigating.”
She let go of his hands to sit back and study him. Her first thought was, Frank, what have you gotten involved in? But while she might worry about having a sheriff for a husband, she’d known when she married him that he was a lawman through and through. “If your instincts tell you to keep investigating, then you should. It must be something big for you to be this worried.”
His smile was sad. “You know I can’t tell you.”
“Even if it isn’t an official investigation?” Before he could answer, she laughed and said, “You don’t have to tell me. I already know. It’s Sarah Hamilton, isn’t it?”
“Lynette—”
“I’m no fool, Frank. Don’t you think I question why she came back right after the senator announced his candidacy for president?”
“It could be just a coincidence.”
“Posh! A woman who claims she doesn’t remember the past twenty-two years?” Nettie shook her head. “You need to watch her like a hawk. She’s hiding something, mark my words, and it’s more than some weird tattoo on her skinny ass.”
He laughed. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“If you’re just trying to change the subject—”
“I’m not,” he said and leaned back, looking more relaxed than he had in months. “I trust your instincts if not my own lately. You’ve been right about so many things.”
But not everything. She’d married the wrong man all those years ago. She ached to turn back the clock to relive all those wasted years that she could have been with Frank. She was with him now, though, she reminded herself, and she was worried about him.
“Why do I feel as if it is more than worrying about what Sarah Hamilton is hiding?” she asked.
He shook his head, then seemed to change his mind as if there was something he needed to get off his chest. “I’ve always gone by the book. But a few months ago, I took evidence without a warrant to get a suspect’s DNA. That’s not like me. I keep thinking it’s time for me to retire and let Dillon and Jamison take over.”
She shook her head. “If you stepped down tomorrow, would you quit worrying about Sarah Hamilton? That is who we’re talking about, right?”
He laughed, a sound that warmed her heart. “If only that’s all it would take.”
“Then stop talking nonsense. I’ve never understood our legal system anyway. Everyone but the crooks and killers has to follow the rules. Don’t you see something wrong with that?”
He smiled. “The problem is that I swore to uphold the law. If I can’t do that anymore...”
Nettie hated to hear him talking like this. She knew her husband. This kind of talk scared her. “What is it you’re so afraid is going to happen?”
Again he met her gaze. She felt a chill as he said, “I don’t believe that Buckmaster Hamilton will ever see the Oval Office.”
“Sarah coming back doesn’t seem to have affected his popularity. If anything, people admire the way he’s handled it, and others feel sorry for him. But you aren’t talking about him losing the election.”
Frank shook his head. “Unless something drastic happens, he’ll win the election. It’s Sarah. I know it sounds crazy, but if I’m right, she’s not working alone. I think her...mission is to stop him, one way or the other.”
For a moment, Nettie was speechless. “Her mission? You make her sound like she’s a paid assassin.”
He said nothing.
“Frank, why would she want to kill him?”
“I have no idea.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE SUN WAS rising in the east, a bright line of pale color, when Jace finally found a place he could stop. Exhausted, Bo had fallen asleep immediately. He’d had to loop a rope around the two of them to keep her from falling off the horse. But he knew she also needed food and medical attention. He had no idea what Ray Spencer had done to her.
Unfortunately, they’d had to keep moving. He didn’t know how badly Spencer was hurt. He couldn’t take the chance that the criminal might catch up to them.
As Jace reined in, Bo stirred and then straightened with a start. She instantly began to fight the rope around them, perhaps still thinking she was Spencer’s prisoner.
“You’re okay,” Jace said as he quickly untied them and swung out of the saddle. As he helped her down, she looked around as if half expecting to see Spencer. “You’re safe.”
He tried his cell phone again, noticing that his battery was low. As before, he couldn’t pick up any coverage and pocketed it again.
When he looked at Bo, he saw that she was still scared. “You didn’t happen to bring your phone, did you?”
She shook her head and glanced toward the dark pines. “You think he’s dead?” she asked, hugging herself. The morning this high in the mountains was cold. He could see her breath as she spoke.
“No. I don’t think he was wounded that badly.”
“But he’s probably taken off. He’ll know we’ll tell the sheriff where he is as soon as we get back to the ranch.”
Jace hesitated. “No, he’ll come after us.”
She cut her eyes to him as if she thought he must not have realized she was looking for reassurance.
He would have loved to reassure her, but he would have been lying. All his instincts told him that Raymond Spencer, who should have been trying to avoid getting caught, would be hot on their trail.
“Why would he do that?” she demanded.
Jace debated how much to share with her. Their chances of getting out of these mountains alive weren’t good. He didn’t want to scare her any more than she’d already been, but he also needed to be honest with her. The only chance they had was if they both knew the score.
“You have a gun,” she was saying. “He has to understand there might be others out looking for me. Why would he—”
“Before I shot him, he was going after you. I believe he’ll come after us to finish the job.”
She stared at him as if she hadn’t heard him correctly. “Because of me?”
“I need to know how badly you’re hurt.” He paused.
“Did he—”
“No! He didn’t rape me.”
“But he did hurt you.”
“If you hadn’t come along when you did, he would have forced himself on me. He talked about making me his. He wanted me to...like him. I swore I would survive no matter what happened, but fortunately it never came to that. If faced with him again... I’d use this gun on myself before I would let that happen now,” she said, touching the weight pulling down one side of her jacket.
“Let’s hope if it comes to that, you’ll kill him instead,” Jace said. “There’s a creek just over the rise. Clean your scrapes as best you can. I’ll bandage them when I get back.”
She looked down at her wrists then. The skin was raw and red, and she was clearly in pain. Her gaze went to her clothes. She was beyond filthy, her shirt torn in places. From her expression, he saw that it was the first time she’d noticed. She’d probably been too busy trying to stay alive.
“Wait,” she said as if just realizing what he’d said. “Where are you going?” He could hear that edge of panic in her voice. He felt the full weight of what she’d been through.
“I have some jerky in my pack,” he said. “The sun is almost up. I’m going to double back a ways to see if I can spot him so I know how far behind he is. Then we have to get moving again. There’s a storm coming.”
“What makes you so sure he’s behind us? If you’re right and he’s chasing us, he has my horse, and there is only one of him,” she said as she glanced toward the creek. Darkness still hunkered in the pines. The growing light on the horizon made the trees cast long shadows that seemed to move like dark ghosts in the breeze. “What if he got ahead of us?” she asked in a small voice.
He shook his head. “I wounded him. He would have to take care of that before he could come after us. I’m betting he’s behind us, but probably not far. As you said, he has a horse, and he’s the only one on it.”
Jace saw that she wasn’t convinced. “If I’m wrong and he’s waiting for you at the creek, then use the gun,” he said as he swung up on his horse again.
“If you’re trying to scare me...”
“I won’t be long. Be ready. We leave as soon as I get you bandaged when I get back. If you need me...” He met her gaze.
She stiffened her spine and placed her hand into her pocket, where she’d stuffed the pistol. “Just hurry.”
He nodded. “I will.”
* * *
BO WATCHED AS Jace disappeared through the trees, willing him to come back quickly. All her nerves on end, she looked through the dim light toward the creek. The moon still hung on the horizon, round and white. Behind her, the sun was starting to rise.
She could see well enough that if Ray approached, she would have a little time before he was on her. The thought of him sent a shudder through her as she moved toward the creek. Her movements were jerky, her body so tense the she almost jumped out of her skin when a hawk let out a cry high above the lofty pines. Closer a squirrel chattered down at her.
Everything seemed as it should have high in the mountains. Jace had mentioned a storm was coming in, but there was no sign of it this morning other than the cold. At the creek, she laid the gun on a rock within reach and pulled off her boots and socks, all the while watching the trees. Every shadow looked like Ray Spencer to her. Every sigh of the breeze in the pine boughs sounded like his worn boots coming toward her. Rolling up the legs of her jeans, she stuck the gun into her waistband and stepped into the water.
The snow-fed creek took her breath away. Her feet ached from the cold water. As she rolled up the sleeves of her ragged shirt, she looked around, half expecting to see Ray’s grinning face on the opposite shore. The sun fingered its way through the pines to throw a golden sheen on the creek’s surface. While it did little to warm the day yet, she turned her face up to it and tried to breathe. Where was Jace? He’d said he’d hurry.
Scooping up a handful of water, she splashed her face, gasping at the cold. The water made her ache even though her feet felt as if they’d gone numb. At the sound of a horse, she started and drew the handgun from her waistband to point it toward the pines.
“It’s me,” Jace called out a moment before he rode into view. He reined in and leaned on his saddle horn as he gazed at her. “Take off the rest of your clothing and wade in.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him as she stuck the gun back into her waistband.
“Not to worry. You’re safe with me.”
He’d saved her, and she felt grateful. Not that she’d forgotten what their relationship had been before, despite the current circumstances.
“I have a change of clothing for you,” Jace added as he swung down from the saddle. “They’ll be a bit too big, but they’re clean. I thought you’d feel better with a change of clothes.”
She was touched by that simple, kind thought. She watched him dig through the pack he’d brought and bring out a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans.
He carried them over to where she stood. “I have some rope we can use to keep the jeans on you.” His gaze met hers. “What are you waiting for?” With a curse, he set the clothes down and turned his back. “It isn’t like I haven’t seen you naked. But try to hurry. We aren’t out of the woods yet.”
“Did you see him?” she asked as she quickly stripped and stepped back into the icy water to wash.
“No, but he’s following us. All we can hope is that he’s hurt badly enough that he won’t catch us.”
She dunked her head under the water and instantly got a brain freeze. Closing her eyes tight, she waited for it to pass before she dunked her hair again and then squeezed out the excess water before climbing out of the creek. She dried off as best she could before she reached for Jace’s clothes.
He was standing over by his horse with his back still to her.
“I can’t believe you came along when you did,” Bo said, wondering again at why it was Jace Calder who’d rescued her.
“I didn’t just happen along. I came looking for you.”
She turned to stare at his broad back in surprise. “Why would you—”
“My sister told me what was going on and asked me to come find you.”
Her surprise turned to astonishment. “And you agreed?”
“I’ve been tracking you for two days.”
She couldn’t believe this. She’d just assumed his finding her had been an accident. “And what were you going to do when you found me?”
“Take you back.” His voice had an edge to it. “Emily’s been disappointed enough in this life. I didn’t want you adding to the list.”
She pulled on his shirt. It was huge on her. So the only reason he was here was because his sister had asked him to come find her. And the only reason he’d agreed was because he thought she’d run off. Bo Hamilton, the woman who ran when things got too tough.
“You thought I stole the money?” She couldn’t keep the astonishment out of her voice. Didn’t he know her better than that? As she rolled up the sleeves to her wrists, she repeated, “You thought I stole the money?”
“Not for yourself.”
She shot a look at his back. He thought she stole it for someone else? “A man.” Bo almost laughed. Even if there had been a man in her life... Angrily she pulled on the jeans, rolled up the bottoms and tied the rope he’d given her. She didn’t have to ask why he thought that. But it still made her mad. She wished there was a man in her life. That, too, added to the anger, since for the past five years, every man she met she’d compared to Jace. They’d all come up lacking.
As she pulled on her socks and boots, she said, “I’m the one who called in an independent auditor when I realized how much was missing.”
“How much is missing?” he asked, his back still to her.
She swallowed. “Close to a hundred thousand.�
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He let out a low whistle.
“I haven’t been on top of things lately,” she admitted. “My mother came back from the dead. Surprise. And my sister Olivia...” She waved a hand through the air. “I blew it, all right. But if I hadn’t been captured by some escaped criminal who wanted to make me his...” Her voice broke.
“I’m sorry,” Jace said, turning around. He took a step toward her, but she held up her hand to stop him.
She hated how close she was to tears as she met his gaze. If he gave her any sympathy right now, she would fall apart again. She couldn’t bear the disappointment in her that she’d heard in his voice.
“I just came up here to clear my mind like I always have,” she said. “Like I did when you and I...” The words broke up hung between them. She’d been the one who broke up with him after he’d asked her to marry him. “I would have made the meeting with the auditor. I will make it right, whatever—”
“Hey,” Jace said as he closed the distance between them. Taking both her shoulders in his hands, he waited for her to raise her gaze to him. “I’m sorry I brought it up. Sorry I thought... Right now, that’s the least of our worries.”
* * *
JACE EASED BO down onto a flat rock and went to get the first aid kit out of his saddlebag. He mentally kicked himself. Bo had been through so much. Worse, he couldn’t bear to hurt her, and he had.
But right now he had to get them off these mountains. The day had grown too quiet. No breeze. The sun still hadn’t topped the pines, leaving shadows at their base. He thought they had a good lead on Ray Spencer, but he couldn’t be sure of that. All his instincts told him they had to get moving.
As he walked back to where he’d left Bo, he saw that she had pulled herself together. He couldn’t imagine the horror she’d been through. Something like this could break any woman, even Bo Hamilton.
The cold creek water had put some color back into her face. That and the clean clothes and she looked a little stronger.
Pushing up the sleeves of his shirt he’d given her, he inspected the scraped, raw skin of her wrists and winced. Fury ran like a blaze through his veins at the man who’d done this to her, followed on its heels by gut-wrenching sympathy for Bo. He cut his gaze to her as he opened the tube of ointment. He’d always known that she was a remarkable woman, but this... He gently applied the salve to her scrapes. She flinched once but seemed to steel herself, even though he knew it had to hurt like hell.