Stacking the Deck (Redemption Club Book 1)

by Anne Marie Becker

  Jared. He’d lifted Tiger from her and tossed him aside. He aimed a gun at Tiger’s head as the man glared up at him through his mask.

  “I dare you to move,” Jared growled. “You okay?” he asked Skye over his shoulder.

  “Look out!” Skye shouted as the man lunged, his eyes crazy with bloodlust. Jared fired as Tiger leapt on him. The struggle continued until a moment later, the fight suddenly went out of the hunter and he crumpled to the ground.

  Jared felt for a pulse. “He’s gone.”

  “Three down. Three to go.” She stood on shaky legs, grateful when they held her. “That guy was on something. Nothing could have stopped him but a bullet,” she assured Jared.

  His gaze swept over her, checking for injuries as he closed the gap between them. He pulled her against him, pressed his nose to her neck and inhaled deeply. After a brief moment to regain their composures, he pulled away. “God, when I saw him on top of you—”

  She put a hand on his mouth to stop him. There would be time for processing and comparing notes later. She was just glad he was here, on her team. “Did you hear the scream?”

  “I thought that was you.”

  She sent him a look. “Really?”

  He shot her a wry grin. “Sorry. What was I thinking?”

  She bent to scoop up her bow, quiver, and backpack, which had scattered when Tiger pounced. “It had to be Chelsea or Loretta. They’re out here, too, and there are three hunters left. Let’s go.” Without waiting for him to reply, she led the way in the direction from which she thought the scream had originated.

  It was almost too easy. Ryan hadn’t had enough time hunting in the wild to know how to cover his tracks, or to have the intense focus necessary in a game with these high stakes. But Finn had. So when he took a page from Skye’s book and backtracked, and found Ryan following his trail, he knew. As he’d known all along.

  And when a woman’s scream sounded from the distance, Finn took advantage of Ryan’s distraction.

  Finn stepped out from behind a boulder, gun drawn. “Thought you’d sneak up on me, huh?”

  Ryan froze and raised his own gun. His cocky grin slid into place, but there was wariness in his eyes. “This is a hunt, after all.”

  “The question is what game are you after?”

  A flicker of doubt crossed Ryan’s features, but he didn’t lower his weapon. “I don’t want to do this, man. My father—”

  The sound of the gunshot ricocheted off the trees, but the bullet’s path was true. It ripped into Ryan’s chest before he could finish his sentence.

  Finn walked over to his friend and kicked the gun from his hands before crouching over him, his hand cupped to his ear. “Your father what? I didn’t catch that.”

  Ryan’s mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried to form words.

  Finn grinned. “Guess it doesn’t matter. I’m in charge now. You were never as fearless or ferocious as me.”

  With bigger game to hunt, Finn rose and left Ryan to die.

  Skye and Jared followed the women’s trail as fast as they could in the waning light. A helicopter hovered overhead, but she couldn’t see the details through the tree cover.

  “It would be just like those rich playboys to have a chopper to hunt us with,” she whispered to Jared. But it kept going to the east and she dismissed the threat from her mind.

  “I think it belongs to the sheriff’s department,” Jared whispered back. Suddenly, he raced forward and positioned himself behind a tree several yards ahead.

  “Jared!” she hissed. Her gaze swept their surroundings, looking for a threat, but she saw why he’d thrown caution to the wind. There were two women about fifty yards ahead. And Tristan. He had an arrow notched and aimed at two women.

  “Back away from them,” Jared shouted. His voice was firm, commanding, and Skye could hear the military policeman he once was, as well as the confident bodyguard who’d found her on that rooftop and tried to intimidate her with a look. He was using the trunk of a pine for cover, his gun aimed at Tristan, who was fifteen yards from him, armed with a sleek, modern bow and arrow like the one on Skye’s back. For efficiency, she stuck with the gun as her primary weapon.

  “You’re interrupting our conversation,” Tristan called back, his aim still on Chelsea as he shifted so he could see Jared, but he couldn’t see Skye in her hiding place. “Your sister was just going to do a special little dance for me, to see if I’d spare her life. Weren’t you, sugar?” He sneered at Chelsea.

  “Shoot him!” Chelsea shouted to Jared.

  Tristan laughed. “If he does that, you’ll die too. I’ll have time to release this arrow.”

  As Jared kept Tristan talking, she searched for a position where she could defend the girls and support Jared. Loretta was on the ground and Chelsea was standing in front of her. Behind them, the shallow creek ran slowly. The soft sound covered Skye’s footfalls as she darted from tree to tree, circling around and flanking the group.

  But time was of the essence. Tristan’s muscles would fatigue over time and he’d release the arrow whether he meant to or not. Her entire body shuddered with the need to act. She took position behind a tree, raised her gun and aimed. “Tristan! Put your weapon down.”

  Tristan darted his gaze toward her to assess the threat, but kept his weapon pointed at Chelsea.

  Jared cast her a quick sideways glance as well. “Skye, look out!”

  The chill of someone else’s presence behind her crept up her spine before she could react.

  “Sorry to spoil your plans.” Finn pressed his knife to her throat. “Drop the gun.”

  Skye swallowed as she felt the blade skim the side of her neck. “I didn’t take you for the type to wield a knife, Finn. Too messy for a pretty boy like you.”

  She felt the length of his body stiffen against her back. “Funny, but I thought you’d be tougher to trap. Though I do appreciate how you handled Coyote and Cougar.”

  “And don’t forget Tiger. Looks like you’re out one menagerie.”

  Finn’s laughter rumbled against her back. He leaned close. “You still haven’t dropped the gun.” The knife pricked her throat and she felt warm blood seep down her neck. “Now, Skye.”

  She dropped her gun. Jared was watching them, but was caught in a standoff with Tristan.

  “You, too,” Tristan ordered Jared. “Drop it.”

  “I can handle this guy,” she shouted to Jared, wanting to keep everyone’s attention off of Chelsea’s subtle progress. Jared’s sister was creeping closer to Tristan, almost close enough to reach out and grab the bow. Loretta was still on the ground, unmoving.

  “I know you can,” Jared said. She heard the pride in his voice and wanted to end Finn and Tristan right now so she could run to him and kiss him senseless.

  “Now!” she yelled. She reached up to grab Finn’s wrist, hissing as the tip of his knife scraped her neck. She twisted the weapon away as she sent a backward kick into his knee, followed by an elbow to his ribs. He howled in pain as she whirled to face him and kneed him in the groin. He went to the ground as her hand went to one of her pockets and pulled out the large hunting knife.

  Forty feet away, in her peripheral vision, she saw Chelsea grab the bow and jerk it to the side as he released an arrow. It shot into the ground a few yards away. Jared hurried toward them and wrestled with Tristan until he got the upper hand. He forced Tristan to the ground and jammed his knee into his back as he pulled some zip ties out of his pocket and secured Tristan’s wrists. The moment Jared regained his feet, Chelsea launched herself into his arms. He held her close, stroking her hair. She was shaking as she wound her arms tightly around him as if she’d never let go again. He pulled back enough to press a kiss to her forehead and pushed her hair back from her wet cheeks.

  “You’re okay,” he said.

  “Can we go home now?” Chelsea released a half-sob, half-laugh.

  Skye watched the reunion with bitter
sweet emotions, but turned to face Finn again as, in her peripheral vision, he regained his feet. “I was hoping you’d come at me again,” she said. “Give me an excuse to do to you what I did to your friends. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay down. The authorities will be here soon. You can’t win this time.” She could hear the chopper close by.

  “Taking you down would be good for me.” He limped a little as he stepped toward her, trying to close the four-foot gap.

  She backed away and held up her knife. The gleam in his eyes shifted to maniacal and he roared and leapt toward her. She flipped the knife so that she gripped it by the blade and threw it at his throat as he lunged. He landed on her, pinning her beneath him and pushing the knife deeper. Finn’s eyes lost focus, the crazy vaporizing as he slumped against her. His warm blood soaked her arms and shirt.

  She was heaving for breath as Jared ran to her side, pulled Finn off her and tossed his body to the dirt. He reached for her and she gripped his hand so he could haul her to her feet. But instead of steadying her, he yanked her against him and held her close.

  “I’m all bloody,” she said.

  “I don’t care.” His body was shaking, which was a normal reaction, she supposed, since so was hers. “As long as it’s not yours.” He pulled away enough to search her eyes.

  “Just the scratches on my neck.”

  His concerned gaze went there, but she didn’t want sympathy. She’d survive those wounds.

  “It’ll be fine,” she assured him. “Chelsea?”

  “Remarkably uninjured, but Loretta’s leg is pretty bad.” He slid his hands to the sides of her face and planted a hard and fast kiss on her mouth. “Sorry. That couldn’t wait.”

  The sound of someone tearing down the slope, through the brush from the ridge to the east, had Jared’s muscles bunching, bracing for a fight. He raised his gun.

  “Stop right there!” Jared shouted. “You’re in my sights, and this will be your only warning to drop your weapon and lay down on the ground.”

  “Bennigan?” a voice shouted in return. “It’s Sheriff Anderson.”

  Jared leaned his forehead against hers. “The cavalry is here.” He turned to shout back. “All clear here.” The sheriff approached quickly but cautiously.

  Skye continued to tremble against him, the aftermath of her adrenaline. But they weren’t free and clear yet. “What about the sixth hunter?” she asked Sheriff Anderson as he approached.

  “We found a guy in the woods. He’s still alive, but barely. Says his name is Ryan Stone and Finn Tucker shot him.”

  “Finn shot Ryan?” Skye asked. “Do you think Ryan was the sixth?”

  “Makes sense,” Jared said, holstering his gun and pulling her against his side. After a quick kiss on her hair, during which she could have sworn she’d felt him inhale deeply, he pulled her toward his sister.

  Chelsea ran for Jared. Skye stepped away as he released her to scoop up his sister and hold her again while she cried into his shoulder, clutching him like a lifeline.

  This was family. This was what Skye had always wanted. People who fought for each other, through thick and thin. Through life’s crazy times, and the sane ones. But all of her family was dead. Her throat tightened and her vision of the trees grew suspiciously blurry as she remembered how she’d left Tom at the cabin. He hadn’t been the model father figure, but he’d been enough. And now he was gone.

  Sheriff Anderson started directing his men to take over the scene.

  “These girls need medical attention,” Skye told him, pointing to Loretta and Chelsea. “And Tristan needs a prison cell,” she said, nudging the dirtbag on the ground with her boot.

  “There’s a chopper on the way from Flagstaff Medical Center,” Anderson said. “Search and Rescue medics will release the trap and splint her leg. As for Tristan Floyd, he’ll be in our custody.”

  Jared released his sister to look into her eyes. “We’ll be home soon. This will all be some nightmare and you can move on. And I won’t bug you anymore about dancing, if only you’ll come home, at least while you recuperate.”

  “Home,” Chelsea said and sighed. “Your house is perfect.”

  “Our house,” Jared said. “For as long as you want to be there.” His gaze met Skye’s over Chelsea’s head and he frowned. In that moment, Skye’s heart stopped and cracked open. As much as she wanted to be with him, she wasn’t sure it was the right thing for either of them. He had doubts, too. She could see it.

  These words, this family… It wasn’t for her. She was the outsider. But Jared, with his protective streak and loving ways, would never tell her that. It was up to her to leave. So, even though the image of home that fluttered through her mind was not, surprisingly, the ranch, but Jared’s house in Vegas, she turned away. Jared hadn’t offered her anything to cling to other than his passion and his affection, and he shouldn’t have to stick around for her sake. He had enough obligations to manage. She’d once hoped he could see her in his life, but hope was just as powerful a weapon in this twisted game as her knife or gun.

  “They think they’ll be able to release Chelsea in the morning,” Jared said as he stepped out of his sister’s room and found Skye waiting in the hall. Chelsea was dehydrated and slightly malnourished, but she was safe.

  He rubbed at his tired eyes, and saw the same lines of fatigue on Skye’s face. Her hair was damp, tied back from her face. A nurse must have helped her locate a shower and a set of fresh scrubs. He’d managed a moment to change his blood-soaked shirt, at least. And someone had bandaged the wound at her neck. He wanted to pull her into his arms, into his bed, and give her peace.

  They hadn’t had a moment to talk since he’d left her at his house in Vegas that morning, before everything went down. Now, it was after midnight, but the Flagstaff Medical Center, where they’d headed the moment Sheriff Anderson was done with his questions, was infinitely more welcoming than the Hunting Grounds had been.

  “That’s wonderful,” Skye said. “I’m so happy you have her back.” Yet there was a sadness in her eyes, the same sadness he’d seen when he’d been comforting Chelsea at the Hunting Grounds. “Family is important. Family that will be there for you, that is.” A shadow fell over her face, and he knew she must be thinking about her uncle.

  He wanted Skye to be a part of his family, too, but her expression was so guarded that he wasn’t sure how to approach her, other than to remind her of what she’d be missing if she returned to her old life. “When I called to tell Haley the news, she wanted to come see Chelsea right away, but I made her wait until morning when Jane could drive her. Haley mentioned wanting to see you, too, and the ranch.”

  Skye looked away and didn’t respond. Definitely not a good sign.

  “How’s Loretta?” he asked.

  “She’s having emergency surgery on her ankle and leg, but the prognosis is good. It’ll take some time to heal, for both women. Your sister—both your sisters—will need you more than ever.”

  “I suppose so. How’s Viper?”

  “He was awake, so the nurse let me talk to him for a few minutes. I told him about Uncle Tom’s death.” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and he almost reached for her. But her eyes snapped open again and she squared her shoulders, emitting a clear back-off vibe. “We’ll both be digesting that tomorrow, when it sinks in.” Her expression was lost, and a little lonely. So much loss—her uncle, her ranch, her entire lifestyle. Or maybe she was hoping to rebuild, without him. Maybe this was her way of distancing herself.

  “I’m sorry about your uncle.” He’d heard what she’d learned from Tom about the original Redemption Club, and Tom’s part in it, as well as Stone’s alleged involvement, from Sheriff Anderson.

  “It was a shock, but deep down, I knew there was a dark secret in his past. What about Stone, and his son?”

  “Ryan’s being treated here, too, for a gunshot wound to the chest. His condition is touch and go. Robert Stone arrived b
y private helicopter not long ago. Apparently, he had their family lawyer and a new bodyguard in tow.”

  “And what about Robert Stone’s involvement in the Redemption Club?”

  “Now that you’ve told your story to the authorities, that’ll be for them to sort out. If he hasn’t been involved in twenty years, it may be hard to find proof, but we’ll keep after him. If he was co-founder of the original Redemption Club, he has some serious crimes to answer for. It would help if we could find the ledger.”

  She snorted. “I doubt it still exists. If Stone’s smart, he burned it. It’s awfully convenient that my uncle and the other man responsible, Wilson, are dead.”

  He’d thought so, too. “And the hunters you killed? How are you feeling about that?” He was worried she’d blame herself for killing men who’d been out to kill her. It was self-defense, and so far there’d been no words about filing charges against her, but it was her mental wellbeing he worried about.

  She still wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I’ll deal with it. It’s not your problem anymore. I’m not your problem.”

  He read the good-bye in her expression. “Don’t run away from me again. I thought we were past that.”

  Her chin lifted. “I’m not running away. I’m going home.”

  “I want you with me, in my home.” He reached for her and she stepped back. When she only shook her head again, he dropped his hand. This had to be her choice. He’d put himself out there, and she was still tossing up roadblocks. “You know where to find me when you stop lying to me, and to yourself. When you’re ready to stop running, come find me.”

  Then he did the hardest thing he’d ever done. He turned and walked away.

  Chapter Twenty-six