Rugged Defender

by B. J Daniels

  A few minutes after her sisters had driven away, she heard the sound of footfalls on the porch and smiled in anticipation and relief.

  She hurried to the door, her smile widening as she threw it open—and then fading as she saw that it wasn’t Justin at all.

  * * *

  JUSTIN STEPPED OUT of the sheriff’s office and walked back to where he’d left his pickup parked earlier. He’d had to pick up his costume and was running late, so he’d left the costume in his pickup and walked the two blocks to the sheriff’s office rather than drive through the deep snow. It was hard enough to find a place to park with the New Year’s crowds still out and about.

  Snow still fell in a silent white shroud. He stopped to breathe the icy air with expectation. He couldn’t wait to see Chloe and for this night to begin. It already felt magical.

  He’d hoped Drew and Monte’s killer would have been found and that all this was finally over. But he wasn’t going to let that spoil his evening, he told himself.

  As he neared his pickup, he saw at once that one of his tires was flat. He started to get out what he needed to change the tire, thinking it was only going to make him more late. He tried Chloe’s number. It went straight to voice mail.

  That seemed strange since he’d just talked to her. He noticed something he hadn’t seen earlier. Tracks in the snow where someone had knelt down next to the flat tire. Not just flat, he realized as he bent down to inspect it. The tire had been slashed. Heart in his throat, he turned and ran toward her house, praying he reached her in time.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Blaine?” Chloe said in surprise. He was dressed in a US Marine uniform. “I thought you were Justin.” She looked past him to the street, but didn’t see his vehicle. There was snow on his hat and the shoulders of his uniform. Had he walked from the dance?

  “Actually, Justin’s who I’m looking for. I thought he might be here. Looks like you’re headed for the dance. I’m meeting Patsy there. But I ran into some trouble.”

  “I expect him any moment. Is there something I can do?”

  “Would you mind if I waited for him?” Blaine said taking off his hat and shaking off the snow.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, come in out of the cold.” She stepped back to let him in.

  Blaine looked at his watch. “Your date is running late.”

  “He called just a few minutes ago and said he was on his way. Maybe he ran into trouble.” That thought did nothing to relieve her growing anxiety. She’d offered Blaine a seat, but he’d said he’d rather stand. He seemed nervous, making her even more so.

  She told herself he might be here to tell Justin something about Drew and the mining deal. If Blaine had been one of them, after Monte being killed, he would probably be rattled like the others. He might be running scared that the killer among them would be coming after him.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked, needing to do something.

  “That would be great. I’m just anxious to get to the dance. I don’t like to keep my wife waiting.”

  She could understand that. “Isn’t this something that can wait until after the dance?”

  “No,” he said, his gaze meeting hers for a moment. “I’m afraid it can’t.”

  When he said no more, Chloe went into the kitchen to grab a bottle of beer out of the refrigerator. She was thinking she could really use one too when she was relieved to hear footfalls on the porch. “Do you mind getting that?” she called to Blaine as she grabbed a second bottle. She figured Justin might want one.

  But as she turned to look back into the living room, she was shocked to see Kelly Locke standing there. She was even more shocked when she heard Blaine say, “You’re late. You take care of her. I’ll wait for Justin. Hurry. I want this fast and clean.”

  Chloe dropped the beer bottles as Kelly charged into the kitchen. The bottles hit the floor, beer going everywhere. She stumbled back, but Kelly was on her before she could even think about reaching for a weapon to hold him off.

  “Going to get what you deserve,” he whispered as he covered her mouth with a horrible-smelling rag. She didn’t even get a chance to scream let alone fight as the room began to blur. As she was drifting off, she heard Blaine say, “Your pickup out back? Take her that way. I’ll meet you as soon as I’m through here.”

  * * *

  JUSTIN RACED UP the porch steps. He didn’t bother to knock. All his instincts told him that Chloe was in trouble. Rationally, he’d told himself on the race to her house that it could have been kids acting up before the end of the year who’d slashed the tire. But in his gut, he knew better. A tire slashed tonight of all nights after what had been going on with them? No way.

  He burst in and came to a skidding stop. Blaine, dressed in his Marine’s uniform, was standing in the living room, clearly waiting for him, a gun in his hand. Chloe was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s—”

  “She’s safe. For the moment.” Blaine shook his head. “You should have stayed away.” He sounded sad.

  Justin felt his stomach drop. “I didn’t want it to be you.”

  Blaine shrugged. “If there is one thing I learned in the military it was that it has to be someone. I’ve been butchering cattle since I was a boy. After a while, death is no big deal.”

  He noticed that Blaine seemed to be favoring his left side. “But killing people—”

  “It isn’t all that different.”

  “You must have been the large investor,” Justin said. “Why? You’ve got your family’s big ranch.”

  Blaine chuckled. “You think I want to spend the rest of my life working that ranch? I’m sick of cows and driving miles to pick up tractor parts and feeding all winter not to mention calving in freezing weather.”

  “You could have sold and left.”

  “My father would never allow that. He’s down in Arizona with his new wife living off half what I make at the ranch. I had a chance to get out and your brother...” He shook his head. “Ancient history. Where’s Nici?”

  “In jail. Safe from you.”

  Blaine nodded. “So she’s already told the sheriff everything.”

  He nodded, letting the big cowboy think that the sheriff was now looking for him. Maybe he would run instead of finishing what he’d started. “Blaine, it’s over.”

  “Not quite. I just saw the sheriff. Nici didn’t talk. I can handle her. But the two of you...” Blaine shook his head again. “Let’s go.” The man motioned toward the front door with his gun.

  “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where Chloe is.”

  “Deputy Locke has her so I suggest we get moving. You don’t want him alone with her very long, do you?”

  Justin had no choice. “If he touches a hair on her head—”

  “Right. Maybe I’ll let you kick his ass before I kill you.”

  * * *

  “COME ON, BABY,” Kelly cooed next to her ear. “Wake up. We can have some fun before your boyfriend gets here.”

  Chloe kept her eyes closed. She’d already felt his hand on her breast over the top of her sweater. Fortunately, he apparently drew the line at raping her while she was knocked out. A scumbag with morals, she thought and tried not to shudder. She couldn’t keep pretending to be out. He wasn’t stupid.

  He lifted her sweater.

  “Ouch!” She let out a cry as he pinched her bare side hard and she tried to smack him.

  Kelly let out a satisfied laugh. “That’s what I thought. Blaine said the drug on the cloth only lasted for a little while. You’ve probably been awake this whole time.”

  She pretended to be groggier than she was as she sat up. “Where am I?” They appeared to be in some sort of makeshift building. There were cracks between the boards where she could see outside. It was still snowing. Some of the snow had drifted in to form shapes on the dirt floor.


  “Just a little lean-to Blaine keeps for this sort of thing, apparently.” Kelly glanced around. “I hope he hurries. I’m getting cold. What about you, sweetheart? Why don’t I warm you up?”

  Chloe found herself on a bench. She swung her legs over the side to lean back against the wood wall. She could feel the wind blowing in through a crack behind her. It was cold in here. She could see her breath and Kelly’s.

  As she sat all the way, she noticed that he kept his distance. Smart man. She would bet he was still sore from the last time. But not sore enough. “What have you gotten yourself involved in, Kelly?”

  “What’s it to you? You don’t give a damn about me.”

  She sat up a little. He took a wary step back. As she talked she assessed the inside of the shack looking for something she could use as a weapon. The only thing within reach was an old singletree horse collar. It was about two feet long, with a couple inches thick of hardwood with metal at the edges. This one, which looked like an antique, had a metal ball on the end of it.

  “You do realize that Blaine is going to kill me, don’t you?”

  “You only have yourself and Justin to blame for it,” he snapped. “You think any of us wanted this?”

  “You can stop this. You’re a sheriff’s deputy.”

  He scoffed at that. “It wasn’t that long ago you were making fun of me. Now you want me to save you?”

  “Save yourself. Do you really think he’s going to let you live with what you know?” she demanded.

  Kelly looked a little worried for a moment, but covered it with bravado. “Blaine and I are in this together. I was there for him when he called and said that bimbo Nici Kent had stabbed him. I was the one who got him the supplies he needed and helped stitch him up. We’re friends.”

  She shook her head. “You’re kidding yourself. A man like Blaine doesn’t have friends. This is all going to come out and when it does, you will go down for your part in it. Right now, you aren’t in that deep, but if you wait...” She thought she was making some headway with him. He looked nervous as if realizing she might be right.

  But then they both heard the sound of an approaching vehicle.

  Chloe cursed under her breath. At least she’d kept Kelly at bay. But that didn’t mean she was out of the woods. Now that she and Justin knew that he was behind Drew’s murder and Monte’s, as well...

  The door to the lean-to groaned open. Justin stumbled in, followed directly behind by Blaine and the gun in his hand.

  “Are you all right?” Justin asked, quickly moving to her.

  She nodded. “I’m okay.” But they both knew it was temporary.

  “I did as you said,” Kelly quickly told Blaine. Chloe could see that he was scared of Blaine and probably had been even without her warning him about the man.

  “Did Locke lay a hand on you?” Blaine asked her.

  She glanced at Kelly. He looked like he might pee his pants. The hand on the breast aside, she said, “No.”

  “Good. Then you don’t get to beat him up,” Blaine said to Justin.

  Kelly grinned as if he thought Blaine was joking. He looked almost giddy with relief, but also anxious to get out of this situation. He wasn’t that much shorter or stockier than Blaine and yet he seemed small next to him. In a fair fight, Kelly would lose. Just as Drew had.

  “I guess you’re done, then, Deputy Locke,” Blaine said.

  Kelly started for the door. Chloe saw the moment he realized Blaine wasn’t just blocking the door. The big cowboy wasn’t going to let him live. The look on his face was one of shock and disappointment.

  The report of the gun sounded like a canon going off in the small space. The second shot was on the heels of the first. Kelly let out a cry and grabbed his chest. He looked down at the blood rushing from between his fingers with both shock and alarm. Taking a step toward Blaine, he stumbled and fell face first to the cold dirt.

  * * *

  JUSTIN HELD CHLOE, his mind whirling as he frantically searched for a way out of this for the two of them. At the sound of the gunshots he’d taken a step away from her as if to rush Blaine. But she’d held him back.

  “Not now,” she’d whispered. He realized that she had pulled a singletree over to her side, the movement and sound covered by the gunfire. She kept the two feet of hardwood and metal hidden next to her.

  It had been impulsive even thinking of rushing the man, Justin realized belatedly. He had no doubt that he would have been shot. What was so terrifying was how cool and calm Blaine had been since the beginning. No wonder he hadn’t suspected him. He’d expected the killer to be more nervous in fear of being caught.

  Now he tried to find that same kind of calm. He would need it if he hoped to get Chloe out of this mess. When he’d come in, he’d taken in what there might be to fight their way out of this shack. He didn’t particularly want to die here and he really didn’t want to die until he’d kissed this woman.

  “I should have kissed you,” he said to Chloe. She sat on a bench. Under it, he’d spotted an old hay hook. Now as he moved closer to her, he moved the hay hook out some from under the bench with the toe of his boot.

  She smiled at him and reached up with her left hand to touch his face.

  “This is sweet, but I have a dance to get to,” Blaine said as he took a step toward them. “This is nothing personal.”

  “Then you don’t mind giving us just a minute to have a New Year’s Eve kiss,” Chloe said, sounding near tears. She stood up and started to throw her arms around Justin.

  He saw what she was planning to do and knew there was no stopping her. All he could do was hope that it bought them the time he needed.

  She came up with the heavy wood and metal of the antique singletree. He could tell that it was heavier than she’d thought. As she started to throw her arms around him, he ducked, bending down to pick up the hay hook as she swung the length of wood and metal with the large metal ball on the end.

  Justin heard it make contact at the same time he heard the sound of a gunshot boom. He grabbed the hay hook, shoved Chloe aside and swung around, leading with the deadly sharp hook at the end.

  The hook caught Blaine in the side and tore across into his stomach as Justin lunged for the gun. The cowboy let out of howl of pain and was distracted just long enough that Justin was able to get his hand on the weapon and wrench it free. He stepped back and raised the gun, fearing Blaine wasn’t finished.

  Blaine pulled the hay hook from where it had stopped at the middle of his stomach. He wavered for a moment before throwing the hook aside. Holding his already wounded side, he charged him like the crazed man he was.

  Justin fired three shots before Blaine dropped at his feet. It had all happened within seconds.

  A cold silence, like the snow that blanketed the world outside the shack, followed. He rushed to Chloe. She lay on the ground next to the bench. For a heart-stopping moment, he feared she’d been shot.

  He pulled her to him, thankful his prayers had been answered. As he wiped the tears running down her face, he held her tight as he called the sheriff.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The sun was coming up by the time the sheriff dropped Chloe off at her house. As she walked in, her sisters came careening down the stairs to wrap her in their arms. Until that moment, she’d held it together fairly well. But now, she let the tears come. They were tears of relief and sadness and exhaustion.

  “You never made it to the dance,” Annabelle said. “When we got the call—we were so scared.”

  She nodded as they led her over to the couch. Both of them were in their Christmas flannel pj’s—a present to the three of them from Willie, Dawson’s mom. Annabelle’s had reindeer on them. TJ’s had Santa and Chloe’s had adorable elves. She wished she had hers on right now, she thought as she wiped her eyes.

  “Tell us everything,” Annabe
lle said.

  “Can’t you see that she isn’t in any shape to talk right now?” TJ said. “She needs to get some sleep.”

  Chloe smiled at her sisters. “I am exhausted but I know the two of you. If I don’t tell you I’ll sense both of you waiting impatiently and I won’t be able to get any sleep.”

  She told them everything. They listened horrified and relieved. They hugged her again and insisted she go to bed. It didn’t take much encouragement. Upstairs she pulled on her flannel pj’s covered in elves and curled up under the down comforter. She had barely closed her eyes and she was out.

  Chloe woke to the smell of bacon and pancakes. She showered, dressed and went downstairs, her stomach growling. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate. Her sisters were at the table. They dished her up a plate and she ate as if she hadn’t eaten in a month.

  “It didn’t hurt her appetite at least,” TJ quipped.

  Annabelle poured her some orange juice, which she quickly downed after a murmured thank-you.

  It wasn’t until she finished, that she realized what day it was. “Oh no, it’s your wedding day!” She looked from one sister to the other and back. “I’ve ruined your weddings.”

  “Seriously?” TJ said. “You’re blaming yourself for almost dying at the hands of a madman?”

  “But your weddings!” she cried.

  “We put them off,” Annabelle said. “It’s just fine.”

  “It’s not.” Chloe looked at the clock on the wall. “There’s time. I can change. You can get into your dresses—”

  “We aren’t getting married today,” TJ said. “So stop.”

  “No, we can’t let this—”

  “We have another reason we want to wait,” Annabelle said trying to suppress a grin. TJ shot her a warning look and her youngest sister quickly sobered.

  “What’s going on?” Chloe asked searching their faces for answers and getting none.

  The doorbell rang.

  “I wonder who that could be?” Annabelle said and giggled.