Fugitive

by Shirlee McCoy

  “Laney?” Logan touched her cheek, his fingers grazing over chilled skin, his warmth sinking down deep.

  “I’m okay,” she managed to say because the worry and grief in his eyes tugged at her heart and made her want to reassure him.

  “You’d better be. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he said, the words tickling the fine hair near her ears, something clinking as he moved. Cold metal brushed her cheek.

  Handcuffs?

  She touched his wrist.

  “Are we back where we started?” she asked because she wasn’t sure if they’d gone back to William’s mountain cabin or if they’d ever actually left it. Maybe they’d never escaped the mountain.

  “Not quite.” His lips grazed hers, his tenderness filling up every bit of emptiness in her heart, and she was helpless to stop it.

  This was Logan.

  Her past.

  Her present.

  She could let him be her future if she were brave enough.

  She wanted desperately to be.

  She wanted to hand over every piece of herself, give him the tiny sliver of heart that no one else had ever owned.

  “I—”

  “Why is he near my client? He should be in the back of a police cruiser with his buddies.” Chris appeared behind Logan, his hair slicked down by snow and moisture, his bathrobe hanging open, his hands cuffed.

  Good.

  They were getting it right this time.

  Laney wanted to close her eyes. Wanted to just sink back into the blackness, but something in Chris’s eyes kept her grounded in the moment.

  “We’ll get this all straightened out down at the station, Chris. For now, how about you just chill?” Officer Parsons put a hand on Chris’s shoulder, and Laney tried to tell him to be careful. The words stuck in her throat, carried away by the awful dizziness and pain.

  “Look what he did to her!” Chris demanded.

  “He didn’t—” she tried to say, but he edged in closer, his face tight with rage, his voice drowning hers out.

  “She’s not even in her right mind. If she were, she’d be screaming.”

  Could Chris really be so arrogant? So sure that he’d be believed that he’d lie right in front of her?

  “We’ve got transport on the way, Tanner. If you want to take the prisoners in, that’ll be fine.” Officer Sharo checked Laney’s pulse and frowned.

  “That’s a good idea. I suggest that you take it.” Chris edged even closer to Officer Sharo, his eyes blazing with the same fevered light Laney had seen before he’d TASERed her.

  “Watch ou—”

  Christopher knocked the officer sideways and dragged her gun from its holster. She scrambled forward, but he swung the gun toward her, toward Tanner, then pressed it against Logan’s temple.

  “One move, and he’s dead,” he said.

  He was dead anyway, Laney thought. If someone didn’t do something.

  If she didn’t.

  She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the TASER. Shifted.

  Tanner shifted, too, his hand dropping to his service revolver.

  “Don’t do it, Tanner. I’d hate to have your blood on the ground, too,” Chris said and the gun swung away from Logan.

  Logan’s gaze dropped to Laney.

  “No!” he mouthed, but she was already moving, her body leaden and uncoordinated as she threw herself toward Christopher.

  TWENTY-THREE

  The gun exploded, the sound reverberating through the forest and through Logan. He fell back, Banks falling with him. Metal clanged against metal. He shoved at Banks’s dead weight. He didn’t know if the guy had been shot, he didn’t care. He just had to get to Laney and make sure she was okay.

  She lay crumpled on the ground. Still as death, blood seeping from the back of her head, staining the white snow.

  “Laney?” He touched her cheek, his heart shuddering with fear.

  “I’m okay. I think I just hit my head on something earlier,” she responded but didn’t open her eyes.

  “That was too close,” Tanner said, keys jingling as he unlocked the cuffs on Logan’s wrists.

  “You should have had your officer take Banks to the cruiser with Seth,” Logan snapped, his voice thick, his hand shaking as he felt for Laney’s pulse. She’d said she was okay, but the blood spilling onto the ground said differently.

  “I wanted to give him the opportunity to show his true colors. He wouldn’t have gotten that sitting in my cruiser.” Tanner nudged Banks with his foot. “What’d she do to him?”

  “I don’t know.” He just knew that if Laney died, he’d never forgive himself.

  “TASER. I dropped it.” Laney’s eyes opened, her face colorless.

  “It’s here. Sorry about the gun, Tanner. I thought Randal was our biggest threat.” Officer Sharo handed the TASER to Tanner.

  “Lesson learned, and you’d better keep it in mind, rookie. Get the prisoner up on his feet and get him down to the patrol car.” Tanner crouched on the other side of Laney, his gaze on Logan. “I knew you were innocent from the very beginning, and I’ve been trying to prove it for eight months.”

  “You think you have the proof now?”

  “Danvers started singing like a jaybird about three minutes after we showed him those emails your friend sent and photocopies of his bank statement. Ten thousand dollars deposited in Danvers’s account the same day as he had those meetings didn’t look good. Danvers knew it. He’s willing to throw Banks under the bus if it means a lighter sentence.”

  “So Logan is free?” Laney’s words slurred, her eyes drifting closed.

  “We still have some investigating to do, but I think there’s a good chance all the charges will be dropped and the conviction overturned. That may still mean time in prison, you know that, right, Logan? As much as I want to skirt the law for you—”

  “I know how things work, and I’m not going to fight it.” Logan lifted Laney’s hand and kissed her knuckles.

  “We already have things in motion. We started the process as soon as we had Danvers’s written confession. They’ve been after you for years. The way he tells it, Mildred Mackey has been gunning for you since the day she got out of prison.”

  “I’m sorry, Logan. It seems as if all my family has ever brought you is trouble.” Laney’s voice broke and a tear slipped down her cheek.

  “They brought me to you. That makes it all worthwhile.” He kissed her tenderly and felt her smile against his lips.

  “Will you still be saying that a year from now?” she asked, her hand sliding into his, their fingers twining as EMTs moved toward them.

  “Do you want me to be?” he whispered, and she looked into his eyes, looked deep and hard as if every dream she’d ever reached for might be hidden in the depth of his gaze.

  “I want you to be saying it every day for the rest of our lives,” she said, her hand sliding up his arm, then cupping the back of his neck, the connection between them as strong and real as any Logan had ever felt.

  “I’m glad,” he said, “because that’s exactly what I plan to do.”

  EPILOGUE

  “One more coat, I think,” Stan said over the sound of buzz saws and hammers.

  Laney stood back, eyed the whitewashed porch and nodded. “I agree.”

  “That’s the thing that I like about you, kid. You’re always agreeable. And you’ve given me a pretty nice place to stay.” He grinned, his face shaded by a sun hat and his arms tan from spending a week painting the exterior of the house.

  “The house is too big for just me. Besides, you make a killer lasagna.” She dipped her brush into the paint can and smoothed it over the railing that her great-great grandfather had fashioned. They’d start on the back porch once the co
ntractors were finished there, but for now, she was happy with what she saw. Happy with the life she was bringing back to the Mackey house.

  “It won’t be just you for long. We’re five days out from the wedding. You may want me to move back to Seattle once you and your guy get back from the honeymoon.” Stan smiled again, but Laney heard the question in his voice. Like her, he longed for family. He and his wife had never had children, and with Mildred back in jail, he had no one to go home to in Seattle.

  But then, Seattle couldn’t be his home. Not with his family in Green Bluff.

  “Don’t be silly. Who’s going to watch the kids when I’m out with clients if you’re not here? Who’s going to teach them to fish and play chess while Logan is out chasing bad guys?”

  “There are going to be kids?”

  “Of course, and you’ll be Grandpa Stan.” She slung her arm around his shoulder and pretended she didn’t see the tears in his eyes.

  “Hey, now! You’re not moving in on my wife-to-be, are you, Stan?” Logan rounded the corner of the house, and Laney’s heart reached for him before her arms did. He looked so good. So strong and sturdy and trustworthy in his uniform, and he was so happy to be wearing it again. It had been three weeks since he’d finally been cleared to return to the force, and he glowed with the joy of it.

  “If I were a couple of decades younger, I’d think about it, but seeing as how I’m an old man, I guess you have nothing to worry about. Now, if you two will excuse me, I need to go check on those contractors. Make sure they’re not slacking. We need this place shipshape by Saturday.” Stan hurried away, and Logan smiled into Laney’s eyes, then pulled her into his arms.

  “I missed you,” he whispered as he trailed kisses up her neck.

  “You saw me at church last night.”

  “And I haven’t seen you since.”

  “We talked on the phone this morning.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, melting into the embrace.

  “I still missed you.” His lips found hers. “I can’t wait until Saturday, you know that?”

  “Me neither.”

  “And you’re sure that you don’t mind the entire town coming to our wedding?”

  “I think it’s fitting. It’s like we’ve all come full circle together.”

  “The church will be bursting at the seams and the gossips probably won’t stop discussing the nuptials and everything that led up to them for decades,” he murmured, his fingers threading through her hair.

  “Let them talk,” she responded, pulling him down for another kiss.

  “The house looks good.”

  “It’ll look better on Saturday. The caterer is going to set everything up in the backyard, and the church ladies insisted on bringing extra food. The reception will probably go on half the night.”

  “And when it’s over, I’ll have you all to myself.” Logan grinned, and Laney’s heart swelled with joy and longing.

  “I’m only sorry it can’t be for longer.” Three days was all the time they had before Chris’s trial. Laney and Logan were both testifying.

  “Me, too, but we’ll be coming home to this, Laney. Coming home to us. That’s a pretty powerful thing.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tenderly kissed her again.

  And she knew that he alone held that little piece of heart, the one that she’d always kept so carefully to herself.

  He held it gently, reverently.

  He held it as if it were the only thing that he’d ever wanted.

  God’s plan.

  She knew it was. Knew it had always been.

  Nothing by chance. Everything by design. All the years together and apart finally leading them to this place called family.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt fom Tracking Justice by Shirlee McCoy.

  Dear Reader,

  In the darkest hours of our lives, in the times when we can’t see beyond the pain of the moment, it is easy to question God’s purpose and plan. Psalm 55:22 assures us that we can cast our cares on Him and that He will sustain us. That is a verse that Laney Jefferson must hold on to when her childhood friend suddenly reenters her life. Logan Randal was her defender and protector when she was a kid, but Laney isn’t a kid any longer. A widow who has lived through more than her share of heartache, Laney’s been struggling to hold on to her faith and to protect her broken heart. But Logan needs her help more than she needs to be safe. What begins as an effort to repay a friend turns into a struggle for survival, and Laney must learn to trust in God’s promises and to believe in the power of love and second chances.

  I hope you enjoy reading Laney and Logan’s story, and I pray that, through the good and bad times, you will know the truth of God’s love for you.

  Blessings,

  Questions for Discussion

  Logan Randal has been through plenty of difficult times in his life. Where does he find the strength to keep fighting for what he knows is right?

  Laney Jefferson ran from a difficult childhood and created a good life out of the ashes of something horrible. What did she learn from her troubles? How does it affect the way she views the world?

  Describe the bond that ties Laney and Logan. How is it different from or the same as the bond Laney had with her husband?

  Do you think there can only be one great love in a person’s life, or is it possible to find love more than once? Explain.

  How did losing her husband change Laney’s heart toward God?

  Logan is running for his freedom and his life. Even in the midst of his trials, he knows that God is in control. Have you been through great difficulties in your life? How did it affect your faith and your relationship with God?

  Laney lived a lie during her childhood, covering up her parents’ abuse. How does that shape her values and beliefs as an adult?

  How does her relationship with her parents shape her relationship with God?

  Laney feels that she owes Logan for the help he gave her when she was a child. Is that the only reason why she helps him? Explain your view on this.

  Would you ever help a fugitive? Why or why not?

  Logan remembers Laney as a scared young girl. Seeing her years later, he discovers that she’s grown into a strong and capable woman. What is it about Laney that appeals to him?

  Laney isn’t looking for a second chance at love. Her heart was broken when her husband died, and she’s not willing to risk it again. Have you ever had your heart broken? How difficult was it to open up again?

  Even in the darkest times, God is with us, offering refuge and help during our times of need. Describe a time in your life when you have cried out to God and found comfort and help in Him.

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

  You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.

  Enjoy four new stories from Love Inspired Suspense every month!

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  ONE

  Police detective Austin Black glanced at the illuminated numbers on the dashboard clock as he raced up Oak Drive. Two in the morning. Not a good time to get a call about a missing child.

  Then again, there was never a good time for that; never a good time to look in the eyes of a mother or father and see terror and worry or to follo
w a scent trail and know that it might lead to a joyful reunion or a sorrowful goodbye.

  If it led anywhere.

  Sometimes trails went cold, scents were lost and the missing were never found.

  Knowing that didn’t make it any easier to accept.

  Austin wanted to find them all. Bring them all home safe.

  Hopefully, this time, he would.

  He pulled into the driveway of a small, bungalow-style house, its white porch gleaming in exterior lights that glowed on either side of the door. Just four houses down from the scene of a violent crime and the theft of a trained police dog the previous afternoon. An odd coincidence.

  Or maybe not.

  Two calls to the same street within nine hours? Not something that happened often in a place like Sagebrush, Texas.

  Justice whined, his dark nose pressed against the grate that separated him from the SUV’s backseat. A three-year-old bloodhound, he was trained in search and rescue and knew when it was time to work. Knew and was ready, even after the eight-hour search they’d been on earlier.

  Austin jumped out of the vehicle and started up the driveway, filing away information as he went. Lights on in the front of the house. An old station wagon parked on the curb. Windows closed. Locked?

  A woman darted out the front door, pale hair flowing behind her, a loose robe flapping in the cold night air as she ran toward him. “Thank God you got here so quickly. I don’t know where he could have gone.”

  “You called about a missing child?”

  “Yes. My son.”

  “The dispatcher said that you don’t know how long he’s been gone?” Austin had heard the call go out shortly after he’d left his captain’s place. Hours of searching for Slade’s stolen police dog, Rio, had turned up nothing but a dead-end scent trail and mounting frustration. Austin had been exhausted and ready to go home. Now he felt wired and ready to hit the trail again.