by Rebecca Deel
“Rod, process the scene. Rio, with me.”
“Yes, sir.” He pulled out his keys and handed them to Darcy. “Two choices, baby. You can either wait for me in the SUV or drive on to your house. Ethan or Rod can drop me off.”
“I’ll wait.” She walked to SUV, climbed in, and cranked the engine.
He glanced at the detective. “Rod, keep an eye on her.” A snappy salute was his answer. He shook his head. Smart aleck.
Ethan pulled out his powerful flashlight and set off for the woods, scanning the ground as he went, Rio following close behind, his own flashlight in hand. He’d heard rumors of the police chief’s prowess in tracking and was fascinated at the process as Ethan followed bent grass blades, broken limbs, scuffs of dirt, and partial footprints.
“From the kick out, he started running here.” The police chief pointed to the print. “Which means he probably took the shot somewhere right around here. Stay here while I search the area.”
“How do you know it’s a man?”
“Depth of the prints and length of stride. He’s around five-ten, over two hundred pounds.” Ethan was silent a moment. “Here’s where he took the shot. Take a look, Rio.”
He strode forward, careful to step where Ethan had walked. The chief pointed out the brass shell casing. Rio blew out a breath. “Rifle, .223.”
A nod. “Take me through what happened again, step by step.”
He complied, mentally backtracking when Ethan stopped him to ask questions and confirm details. “What are you thinking, Ethan? Was Lang the target?” he asked, his voice soft. His first instinct was a definite no. Knowing what Marcus had let slip, though, told him the preacher had a past he didn’t want to be questioned about. Was it possible something in Marcus’s past had caused the events of this night?
The police chief’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you assume someone was after Lang? Know something I don’t?”
Rio debated whether or not to tell Ethan what he’d learned. The preacher hadn’t made him promise not to tell about his previous injury, and Ethan needed every bit of information at his disposal to find the guy who took the shot. Besides, honor and integrity were ingrained in Otter Creek’s police chief. The previous injury wouldn’t make the grapevine if Ethan was convinced it had nothing to do with this incident. “Lang slipped and told me he’d been shot before. Wouldn’t give specifics, though. He said it was another lifetime.”
Ethan grunted. “That’s a surprise. I’ll check into it.” His friend inclined his head in the direction of the church where Rod had set up bright lights to work the scene. “You walked on Darcy’s right. After Lang locked the door, he called her name and asked her a question. She turned. The shot rang out. Lang went down. Visualize it in your mind. What do you think happened?”
Rio took his time recreating the scene in his mind. He frowned, checked the trajectory. A wave of rage rolled over his body. “Darcy was the target. Again. She turned to look at Marcus and moved out of position. The pastor was hit by mistake.”
“That’s my take on it even with the knowledge of Lang’s previous injury.” Ethan nodded toward the church doors where Rod was taking pictures. “An easy one hundred yard shot when you have a scope and there are a lot of hunters in this area. I’ll check if someone reported a stolen rifle. I’m not holding my breath, though. If we’re lucky, the shell casing will have prints.”
“Won’t do any good if his prints aren’t in the system.”
“It adds another attempted murder charge when we run him to ground.” Ethan’s face hardened. “And we will take him down, Rio. Never doubt that. This perp could have killed Lang. A couple inches difference and we would have transported our pastor to the morgue. I’m not going to forget that.”
“Do you need anything more from me or Darcy? I want to take her home.”
“Stop by the station tomorrow to formally give your statements.” A ghost of a smile curved his mouth. “I know where to find you if I need you. How’s Mason?”
“Adjusting. We had dinner with Liz and Aaron earlier this evening.”
“Yeah?” He chuckled. “I can imagine how that went. Liz is a force to be reckoned with.”
“Mase didn’t know what hit him. Liz wiggled under his defenses and stole his heart.”
“She did that to me, too.”
“Same with all of Durango.”
Ethan squeezed his shoulder. “Go, take your girl home. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Tell Rod to bring me an evidence marker.”
“Yes, sir.” Rio trotted back to the church, delivered the message to the detective, and grabbed his mike bag which he stored in the cargo section of his SUV. He climbed into the driver’s seat and glanced at Darcy, whose gaze was fixed on the crime scene. “You okay, baby?”
“The bullet was meant for me, wasn’t it?”
He thought about lying to her. Couldn’t bring himself to do it. Knowledge was power. In this case, the knowledge of yet another attempt to harm her might save her life. “Yes.”
“Will your pastor be okay?”
Rio put the vehicle in motion. “He’ll need surgery to repair the damage to his shoulder, but he should make a full recovery.” He twined his fingers with hers. “It’s not your fault, sweetheart. The blame falls on the man who pulled the trigger.”
She turned his direction. “Man? Did you see him?”
“I heard him. No visual. Ethan found his tracks in the dirt. No question it was a man.”
“Could it have been one of Sutton’s crew?”
“It’s possible.”
She was silent a moment. “What are we going to do?”
“Keep moving ahead, track down leads. Although Nick and Rod are very good at what they do, even the best of us can use a little help now and then.”
“I guess we talk to Schiller next.”
“That’s right.” His fingers tightened on hers. “Trent and I have a surprise for you.”
“What is it?”
“The guy who provides our armor plating and bullet proof glass has an SUV ready for you.”
“Is it like this one?”
He smiled at the excitement in her voice. “A sister to mine and the other members of Durango.”
“That’s great. When will I have it?”
“Tomorrow afternoon if you want to go with me to pick it up. I know your piano is supposed to arrive. Trent can tell the movers where to place it. We also need to go by the police station tomorrow morning to give our statements.”
A couple minutes later, he parked in her driveway. The lights were off in the house except for the living room. Rio checked his phone for the security code in case the alarm had already been set.
Unlocking the front door, he was surprised to find Trent in the recliner and Mason on the couch, both reading books. One look at Darcy’s face had Trent setting aside his book and climbing to his feet.
“Darce? What’s wrong?”
Rio took her coat and watched as she stepped into her brother’s embrace.
“Rio’s pastor was shot as we left the church.”
Trent’s face hardened, his gaze shifting to Rio. “Details.”
He summed up the facts, careful not to speculate too much.
“Was Lang the target?”
His lip curled. Leave it to the other Fortress operative to get to the point. “Not likely.”
Trent’s dark gaze glittered as he set his sister away from him. “Get packed, Darce.”
“Why?”
“I’m sending you to Nashville. You can stay in my apartment while Rio and I flush these guys out. When it’s safe, you can come home.”
Rio stiffened. He objected to his friend ordering Darcy to leave though he understood the drive to get her out of harm’s way. Still, Trent should know better than to issue an order to a woman with a mind of her own.
The woman in question folded her arms across her chest. “Are you planning to leave Otter Creek until it’s safe?”
Her brother scowled. “I ca
n take care of myself.”
Darcy’s gaze dropped to his stomach, then to his leg. “Is that right? Sorry, bro, but you haven’t been doing a good job of that lately.”
“You’re fighting a losing battle, Trent,” Mason said.
“He’s right.” Darcy jabbed her index finger into her brother’s pectoral muscle. “Sutton’s crew is not making me turn tail and run, Trent. This is my house. My new career is on the line and I already committed to Julia’s concert. I’m staying.”
“You can practice in Nashville and come back for the concert,” her brother argued. “It’s not safe for you here.”
“Look at me, Trent. I’m not leaving. I trust you, Rio, and Mason to keep me safe while we hunt for these guys.”
“They’re getting desperate if they took a shot at you. You could have been killed,” Trent yelled. “How do you think that would have affected me?”
“Don’t go there,” Darcy snapped. “I feel that way every time you leave on a mission, yet I don’t pitch a fit to get you to stay home where it’s safe. All I can do is take precautions. I can’t carry a gun, I don’t know any self-defense techniques, and I refuse to hire a bodyguard like a celebrity. But I will promise to use my brain and not take chances. That will have to be good enough, bro. The rest will be up to you three.”
“Do you have to be so stubborn?”
“Looked in the mirror lately, Trent?”
He growled in frustration, his expression acknowledging he’d lost this battle. “You watch your back, Darcy. Promise me.”
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed her brother’s cheek. “I promise. You do the same.”
Mason stood. “Unless you need me to stand watch or something, I’d better go to bed. I need to finish up the floor in the morning.” He said goodnight and left the room.
“That reminds me, Trent. Bear called. He has an SUV for Darcy.”
Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. “Excellent.”
“I’m taking her with me to pick it up tomorrow afternoon.”
“Even better. The sooner she has a reinforced ride, the better for my peace of mind.”
His, too, though he was smart enough not to voice the words out loud. When her cheeks flushed a bright red, he said, “Didn’t you say you wanted to call Nick?”
“Hope he won’t be an overbearing lout like my brother.” She stalked off toward the kitchen.
Rio whistled softly. “Buddy, you need to learn tact.”
“You can’t tell me you feel any better about her staying here than I do.”
He dropped his voice. “Of course not. I don’t know her as well as you, but I do recognize that stubbornness of yours in her and a tendency to do exactly the opposite of what she’s told.”
“Hey,” Trent protested.
“Truth hurts, doesn’t it? Bet you’ve been contemplating telling Maddox you’re ready for duty in the next week or two.” The other operative clamped his mouth shut and refused to answer. He didn’t have to. Rio already knew the truth. None of the Special Forces operatives he worked with liked the length of the healing process. “Darcy’s smart. She won’t take chances with her life.” He stepped closer to Trent. “And neither will I. We’ll all watch over her. One of Sutton’s crew could follow her to Nashville and get rid of her permanently. At least this way we’ll be close if they come after her again.”
His friend glanced toward the kitchen, expression softening at the sound of his sister’s quiet laugh. “You might be right.” He turned, limped toward the hall. “I’m going to bed before I stick my foot in my mouth one time too many.”
And that clued Rio in to the fact that Trent wasn’t as healed as he wanted to be. Normally, the other operative was an avowed night owl. With Darcy still in deep conversation on the phone, he returned to his SUV, grabbed his bags, and dumped them in his room. He dug out the Valerian root. She had to be exhausted after clearing one of the rooms today and she still hurt from the accident. Maybe the combination of Valerian, over-the-counter pain meds, and a warm bath or shower would help her rest.
He found her in the kitchen as she ended her call to the detective. “Everything okay?”
“As good as it can be under the circumstances. I’m not sure I’ll be able to play everything I had planned for Julia’s concert. Something I’ve learned over the last few months is how to adjust my expectations.”
Rio sat on the stool next to hers. “What does Nick have to do with this?”
“Madison told me how much Julia loves Nick and his music. Did you know she has all his CDs?”
“He’s going to help you with the concert.”
She nodded. “I’ll play a few pieces alone. Nick will play, then we’ll play together on the fun pieces Julia asked for. Having Nick play alone in the middle section of the concert will give my hands a break.”
“A win-win for everybody. That’s brilliant, Darcy, and sure to make Julia happy.” He placed the Valerian root and pain meds in front of her. “For the body aches.” He stilled. “Did I hurt you earlier when I took you to the ground?”
“Better another bruise than a bullet, Rio.” She smiled. “What’s one more bruise among the scores I already have?” She swallowed the pills with water.
“Wish you had a Jacuzzi or whirlpool tub in this place.”
“Me, too. I think I’ll ask Brian about installing one in my bathroom.” She leaned into Rio and kissed him, a long, lingering kiss full of heat and promise, one that had his heart rate soaring by the time she drew back. “Goodnight, Rio.”
He secured the front door and set the alarm before completing his own preparations for bed. He’d just turned out the light when his cell phone signaled an incoming text.
Rio piled the pillows against the headboard and settled against them. Zane. He called his friend. “What do you have for me?”
“Santana filed his report on Sutton’s murder.”
“What did you find out?”
“Otter Creek’s computer security is at least ten years out of date.”
A snort. “Besides that.”
“Santana questioned you about Sutton’s murder, didn’t he?”
Rio stilled. “How did you know?”
“Easy. He made a note in his file about your relationship with Darcy. Fast work, by the way. Be good to her or you’ll answer to me.”
“You know that’s not even a question. What pointed Nick my direction?”
“He found blueprints of Darcy’s house at the crime scene along with pictures of her around town. Several of those pictures feature both of you. Sutton was watching her, cataloging her moves. A few of the pictures had a red X across her face. No question Darcy is a target of these clowns. I don’t know what they want from her, but they’re determined to get it, even if they have to get rid of her and you to accomplish the goal.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Darcy tugged her Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt over her white turtleneck and lifted her hair free of the collar. Some of her muscles protested. Overall, she was pleased with her improvement. Her lips twisted. The SUV driver had done nothing more than cost her a car she’d been thinking about getting rid of anyway. A last glance in the mirror and she turned away to grab her shoulder bag, also sporting the Cowboys’ logo. A girl’s accessories had to match, after all.
In the kitchen, Rio was waiting for her, screwing the lid on a travel mug as she walked into the room. “How did you sleep?”
“Okay.” When she could sleep, Darcy kept seeing Marcus Lang fall against the church doors, blood pouring from his shoulder. And there was that nausea which had been plaguing her for hours. She refused to give in. Rio and Trent dealt with this all the time without barfing. So could she. Maybe. The churning in her stomach grew worse.
“Liar.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Do I look that bad?”
“Never. Just tired.” He leaned down and took her mouth in a gentle kiss. “Do you want your shake before we leave?”
Just contemplating it made he
r stomach lurch. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
He lifted his free hand and trailed the back of his fingers down her cheek with a feather-light touch. “I thought that might be the case. I made you some chamomile and mint tea this time. Serena Blackhawk swears this mixture is the cure for upset stomachs. If you’re up to it, we’ll go to the police station and take care of the statements before we tackle anything else.”
Oh, joy. Recount the night’s events another time. Maybe writing down what happened would help her process it. Her sense of humor surfaced. If the tea didn’t do the trick, she’d have grounds to ask for a soft drink.
In Rio’s SUV, she asked, “How is your pastor?”
“Surgery was successful. He’ll make a full recovery.” He sent her a wicked grin. “And all the single ladies in town will be stocking his freezer with casseroles and baking desserts he’s not supposed to eat to aid him in his recovery.”
Darcy laughed. “Oh, my. Poor man.”
“Yep, but it’s fun to laugh at his plight.”
She turned, speculation growing. “You’ve been the recipient of these ladies, haven’t you?”
He grinned. “Maybe.”
“How many of their hearts have you broken?”
The medic sobered. “None, baby.”
“You weren’t interested in any of them?” She had a hard time believing that. He seemed to make friends easily, a characteristic she envied.
He shook his head. “They weren’t you.”
With that statement, Darcy fell a little bit more in love with Rio Kincaid. Butterflies flew in bomber formation in her stomach. Whew! How could any woman resist him? “Rio,” she murmured. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Tell me you’ll give us a real chance, Darcy. That’s all I want to hear.”
“I don’t know where this relationship is going, but I can’t wait to find out.”
He raised her hand and kissed the back of it. A minute later, he parked in front of the police station.
Nick was waiting for them at his desk. He stood as Darcy approached, his dark eyes studying her face. “How are you, Darcy?”
“Fine.” When one of his eyebrows rose, his skepticism obvious, she added, “I will be.”