by Rita Herron
“Jesus, what a cluster,” the sheriff said. “First Joleen, then the fire and now this.”
“It has to all be related,” Alex said. “Killing Joleen was a diversion, then the fire was set to draw Mia out. She took a blow to the head.”
“This is some determined fucker,” Sheriff Leonard muttered. “I’ll send one of the techs and Dr. Ponderson over there.”
“Good. I’ll wait here until one of you arrives.” Even if the dead man couldn’t talk, identifying him could help solve the case.
If he’d murdered Joleen, her family deserved to know and have closure as they laid her to rest.
MIA SANK DOWN ONTO THE GROUND AND LEANED AGAINST THE tree, her head spinning. She couldn’t believe all this was happening. Twenty-four hours ago, she’d thought she was safe. She’d been happy riding across the ranch.
Now Joleen had been injured, the farmhouse might be lost, and another man was dead.
All because of her.
“This has to stop, Alex.”
Alex knelt beside her and squeezed her hands between his. “We will stop it, Mia. Just hang in there, okay?”
She nodded numbly, although she desperately wanted to turn back the clock. Leave the Crossties before anyone else she cared about was hurt.
The McCauleys were the closest thing to family she’d ever known. She hated that they’d been drawn into her problems with her sick, twisted ex.
Alex walked over to the man’s body, dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a wallet. He flipped it open and checked the ID. “Man’s name is Farr Olander. Do you recognize the name?”
“I’ve never seen or heard of him,” Mia said, averting her eyes from the gruesome bloody scene. Although she had a feeling she’d be seeing his shattered head in her nightmares for years.
The sound of a car screeching up to the house echoed from the dirt road down the hill, and minutes later the sheriff and ME approached them.
Smoke still curled in the sky above the house, but she didn’t see flames anymore. Hopefully the fire fighters had contained the blaze before it could spread through the house. But there would be smoke and water damage.
The sheriff ambled up, eyes narrowed as he spotted the dead man on the ground. “Well, this is a helluva day. Who is he?”
“His name is Farr Olander.” Alex handed the sheriff the man’s wallet. “He probably works for Jones, but let’s verify that and find out everything we can about him.”
A crime tech strode toward them, and Alex explained what had happened.
“I’m going to make sure the medics examine Mia while you guys handle transporting his body to the morgue.”
“You shot him?” the sheriff asked.
Alex shook his head. “No, the shooter was up there in the woods. He got away. Look for bullet casings. Maybe we can match them to the gun that killed Joleen and connect the dots.”
Mia’s heart ached as she thought of Joleen. Joleen’s daughter and grandchildren would be devastated when they heard she was gone.
Alex returned to her side, held out his hand and helped her to stand. “Come on, Mia. You need to get checked out.”
“I’m fine,” Mia said although she felt shaky from the ordeal, relented and allowed herself to lean on Alex as they walked down the hill back to the house. The scent of charred wood suffused the air, but at least the house was still standing.
It looked as if the firefighters had contained the blaze to the front of the house, but there still was extensive damage.
Poor Joy and Henry. She’d have to figure out a way to pay for the repairs.
As soon as she saw Joy on the stretcher beside the ambulance, she let go of Alex and ran toward her. Regret mingled with relief.
At least Joy was alive. But she never would have been hurt if not for Mia.
Henry hovered beside his wife, his face ashen with fear for Joy.
Mia stopped by the stretcher and looked down at her friend. “Joy, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yes, honey, are you?” Joy ran her fingers over Mia’s face.
“Yes. But I’m so sorry, Joy. You’re hurt and your house is damaged…I’ll try to pay you back…”
Anger and sorrow surged through Mia. The McCauleys didn’t deserve this.
“Our house is just a house,” Joy said. “You are far more important, dear,” Joy whispered.
Tears blurred Mia’s eyes, and she looked up at Henry, expecting to see anger, but compassion and love shimmered in his expression.
Henry wiped at his teary eyes. “She’s right, as long as you girls are okay, everything else can be replaced.”
“What happened?” Joy asked.
Alex had come up behind Mia, anger radiating from him. “There were two men,” Alex said. “We think they were working for Jones, and that they set the fire to lure Mia outside.”
He paused. “The man who attacked Mia was named Farr Olander. I caught him, but someone else in the woods shot him before I could bring him in. The shooter escaped.”
“This is crazy,” Mia said. “I can’t go on like this.”
“It’s going to be all right,” Alex said in a deep voice. “We’ll find him, Mia.”
Mia shook her head. “Let me go on TV. I’ll make a plea with Geoff, agree to meet him if he’ll leave everyone else I care about alone.”
Joy and Henry both shook their heads in protest, eyes alarmed. “No, Mia,” Joy said.
“We can’t let you do that,” Henry said at the same time.
Mia turned to Alex. “Please, Alex. I can’t live with myself if anyone else is hurt because of me.”
THERE WAS NO WAY ALEX WOULD LET MIA PUT HERSELF IN DANGER. No damn way.
But she was reacting in shock and running on emotions, guilt topping the list along with fear.
He summoned a low, calming voice. “We’ll talk about a plan later. Right now, the paramedics need to examine you.”
“I told you I’m fine,” Mia protested.
“Humor me,” Alex said softly.
Her gaze met his, a dozen feelings warring in her eyes. He hated her ex more than ever. How dare Jones say he love her and torment her like this.
The bastard deserved to die.
He glanced at Henry and Joy. “You two okay?”
The couple clasped hands and nodded. “We will be,” Henry said. “Now I know my Joy is safe.”
“They want me to go to the hospital overnight for observation,” Joy said.
Henry’s brows furrowed with worry. “I’ll be there with her all night.” He leaned toward Alex. “You take care of Mia.”
“Don’t worry, I intend to,” Alex said, hating the icy terror that gripped him at the thought of Jones touching her again. “I’ll assign a guard to your property tonight.”
Henry thanked him, and Alex conferred with the ME while the medics tended to the cut on the back of Mia’s head.
“We’re transporting Olander to the morgue. The sheriff will notify his family, if he has any.” Dr. Ponderson frowned. “I just talked to the CSU team. They’re ready to release Joleen as well.”
Alex stepped aside and called the lieutenant. “Call me once you compare bullet casings, and on any forensics you find. I want someone combing the woods for the shooter and any evidence he left behind.”
The man agreed, and Alex straightened as the fire chief approached. “The fire’s contained, but it was definitely arson.”
Alex gestured toward Mia. “Mia said someone tossed an object through the window right before the fire started. If you can find whatever that was and lift prints, it would help.”
“We’ll sort through the ashes once things cool, and I’ll let you know what we find.”
“Thanks.”
Alex called the sheriff who’d remained with Olander’s body and asked him to send a deputy out to the Crossties for the night. He didn’t want any more damage done to the McCauley home than had already been done.
The fire investigator turned to Henry and explained about th
e arson. Alex was amazed at how calmly the older man handled the situation. But he obviously loved his wife and had his priorities in order.
Which made Alex think about Mia and how he’d always put work first.
Dammit to hell. He cared about her. He had from the minute he’d met her. He’d admired her guts in standing up to her bully of an ex and taking him to court.
And if he admitted the truth to himself, he’d wanted her a year ago when he’d met her.
He wanted her even more now.
But he wanted to comfort her, to hold her and keep her safe, even more than he wanted to make love to her.
To show her that not every man was brutal and possessive and twisted like Geoff Jones.
The medics were finishing with her by the time he made it back to the ambulance. “Are you taking her in for observation, too?” he asked the paramedic.
The medic shook his head. “No, she refuses to go. She claims she’s all right.”
“Her vitals are normal, especially for what she’s been through,” the other medic said. “The cut on her head wasn’t deep. She has some bruises, but no broken bones or signs of internal injuries.”
Alex studied Mia, knowing she’d fake being well to avoid anyone hovering over her. “How about a concussion?”
“I am okay,” Mia said, cutting off the conversation. “Now let them take Joy to the hospital.”
Alex knew she was far from okay. But he didn’t argue.
He wanted to take her away from the place as soon as he could, back to his cabin where he could make sure Jones couldn’t get his hands on her tonight.
“GOD DAMMIT! WHAT WAS THAT AGENT DOING HOVERING SO close to Mia? Was he fucking her?” Geoff squinted through the binoculars, every fiber of his body on alert just as it had been when he’d been locked in that infernal cell and he’d lain awake worried some asshole was going to try to kill him — or screw him — in the night.
He’d had to make friends fast. Exert his power. Find protection.
Those friends had served him well during his incarceration and had aided in his escape. They were loyal followers who would receive their payoff in the end.
As would Mia and that agent who had attached himself to her like a second skin.
His hand itched to pull the trigger again, and this time put the bullet between Sgt. Townsend’s eyes. Blow his brains out and let Mia see how pretty the asswipe looked when he was dead.
But there were too many people around. Medics, the sheriff, deputies, crime scene techs.
No, he had to be patient.
Another skill prison had taught him.
Shooting Townsend right now would bring a dozen men breathing down his neck before he could escape.
He’d wait for the perfect moment. Lure the man away and make him sweat.
Make Mia suffer for even looking at the Ranger twice.
Then he’d kill him and force her to watch before he made her his again.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
EXHAUSTION PULLED AT MIA AS SHE AND ALEX RETURNED TO HER cabin.
“Pack a bag, Mia. You’re not staying here tonight.”
Mia planted her hands on her hips. “I won’t allow him to run me off, Alex.”
“Be reasonable, Mia. He’ll do anything to get you. You need rest, and I doubt either one of us will sleep well here.”
“But if he breaks in, you can catch him.”
“No.” A muscle ticked in Alex’s strong jaw. “Putting yourself in danger will only reward him.” He touched her arms, his eyes beseeching her. “Trust me. We’ll find him, but offering you up is not an option.”
Emotions clogged Mia’s throat. She hadn’t trusted anyone since her disastrous marriage, not even herself.
But she did trust Alex.
He might be big and tough, gruff even, but he was an honorable man. He used his power and strength to save and protect others, not to force women to do his bidding.
She conceded with a weary sigh. “All right, give me a minute.”
Mia ducked into the closet, removed an overnight bag, tossed in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved white t-shirt for the next day, then went to her lingerie drawer.
The lacy underwear that Geoff had left for her mocked her, and she began to shake.
She slammed the drawer. She refused to wear anything that vile man had chosen for her. Instead, she’d ask Alex to stop at a discount store and she’d purchase some new underwear herself.
Something practical and sensible.
Except for a brief second, she glanced at Alex and wondered what he’d like her to wear.
Don’t go there, Mia. He’s protecting you because it’s his job.
Frustration knotting her shoulders, she rushed to the bathroom and packed her toiletries, then decided to toss in an extra shirt and her denim jacket along with her pjs — boxers with a tank top.
Nothing that would look provocative or like she was trying to seduce Alex.
Seduce Alex…the thought held more appeal than she would ever have imagined. After being with Geoff, she never thought she’d want another man to touch her, much less make love to her.
And she’d certainly never imagined trusting a man.
“Are you ready?” Alex asked, his intense gaze raking over her as she joined him in the den.
She nodded, then remembered the revolver she’d bought and added it to her purse. If Geoff came for her or tried to hurt Alex, she’d shoot him without blinking an eye.
Alex didn’t comment when she slipped it into her purse.
He placed his hand at the small of her back as they left the cabin, offering her comfort and confidence even though he perused the property in case of an attack.
On edge, Mia glanced down the road at the farmhouse as they drove away. The scent of smoke lingered in the air, reminding her of the earlier violence, of Joleen’s death, and that Joy was in the hospital.
All because of her.
Hell, she hoped Geoff did come after her. She’d kill him for hurting her friends and for murdering Joleen.
ALEX SAW THE TURMOIL IN MIA’S EYES AND KNEW SHE WAS BLAMING herself for what had happened tonight.
A dangerous mindset that could make her more vulnerable.
There was no way on God’s green Earth he would let her offer herself as bait to catch her ex. The man should be rotting in jail for what he’d done.
And he would go back there soon.
Or to his grave.
Prison would be more painful, but as long as he was alive, Alex had no doubt he’d come back for Mia. Time and time again.
Death was the only way to stop him.
Adrenaline pumped through Alex. If he had to kill him, he would. He’d do anything to keep Mia safe.
Mia turned to look out the window at the smoke and charred front of the farmhouse as they passed, and Alex scanned the perimeter to make sure the deputy was still guarding the place. Not that he expected Jones to return tonight.
The man was too smart and knew when to retreat.
He — or his hired goons — had achieved their purpose by driving Mia from the house into Olander’s clutches. But in doing so, they’d already drawn too much attention to themselves for one night.
Although Geoff still hadn’t gotten what he’d wanted. Mia.
By God, he wouldn’t either.
Not as long as Alex had a breath left in him.
He flipped on the radio to find some music, hoping to soothe Mia, but a special bulletin about the prison escape was airing.
“All three prisoners are to be considered armed and dangerous,” the newscaster said. “Women in the area need to be especially cautious. Robert Simpleton was a serial killer and targeted brunettes in the Austin area.”
Mia tensed, and Alex flipped the radio off, allowing the silence to fill the air. The last thing Mia needed was to hear more details about the prison escape. Even worse, she fit the profile of Simpleton’s victims.
A cold knot of fear gripped him at the thought of her being hur
t, and he sped up, veered onto the main highway and hightailed it toward his place. But just as he made it onto the highway, a dark sedan raced up behind him.
Alex heard the engine accelerate then headlights blinded him. He pressed the gas, wondering if the driver was drunk or if he was the shooter from the woods.
The driver increased his speed, closing the distance, and Alex glanced in the rearview mirror, straining to see the driver’s face. But the windows were tinted, the headlights so bright that he couldn’t make out a damn thing.
Suddenly the sedan sped up and rammed into them.
Mia cried out and gave him a panicked look. He jerked the wheel to try to maintain control, but his tires screeched and the ditch loomed in front of them only inches away.
The driver rammed them again, sending his vehicle into a spin, then suddenly the car raced up beside him and a gunshot rang out.
He pushed Mia down. “Stay low!”
She ducked her head into his lap, and he yanked his gun from his holster and fired back just as the car shot past. His SUV spun out of control, and he had to force himself not to fight the spin or they’d roll.
The other car screeched ahead, did a one-eighty, then the driver gunned the engine and roared straight toward them. Mia glanced up and screamed.
Alex cursed, swung his weapon outside his window and fired at the sedan. The sedan swerved to avoid the bullet, and he fired another round. Glass exploded and the vehicle skidded toward the embankment.
It spun in circles, then flipped, metal screeching as it slid across the road and careened into the ravine.
“Alex!” Mia cried.
He yanked the SUV to the right, his breathing rasping out as he wrangled for control. Finally the brakes kicked in and he spun to a stop. He cut the engine, keeping his eyes trained on the embankment in case the driver surfaced.
“Stay here.” Alex shoved her purse toward her. “And get that revolver out. If anyone approaches, shoot.”
Fear streaked her face, but she nodded and caught his arm. “Be careful, Alex.”
Touched by the concern in her voice, he gave her a quick nod, then pitched her his cell phone. “Call the sheriff and tell him what happened.”