by Lynn Shannon
Ranger Redemption
Texas Ranger Heroes
Lynn Shannon
RANGER REDEMPTION
Copyright © 2019 by Lynn Balabanos
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by Maria Spada.
Scripture appearing in this novel in whole or in part from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Some secrets are worth killing for…
Criminal defense attorney Megan Hunt is determined to appeal her brother’s murder conviction. It’s a long shot, but she has to try—it’s her fault he’s in prison. After her aunt leaves a cryptic voicemail claiming she’s discovered new evidence, Megan returns home. She’s been warned to come quietly and trust no one, including her unforgettable ex-fiancé, Luke.
Texas Ranger Luke Tatum worked with the sheriff to arrest Megan’s brother using information she gave him. That one decision destroyed their relationship. Seeing her again rips open old wounds and ignites feelings he thought had long faded, but he won’t allow them to interfere with his investigation. Megan’s aunt was nearly killed in a car accident, and Luke suspects it was staged.
Determined to uncover the truth, Megan searches for the evidence and is attacked. She’s forced to accept Luke’s protection, even if being close to the handsome lawman threatens the carefully constructed walls around her heart. Yet the secrets surrounding the case are far more sinister than Megan or Luke imagined, and exposing them could prove deadly.
Also by Lynn Shannon
Available Now
Vanish
Ranger Protection
Ranger Redemption
Ranger Courage
Coming 2020
Ranger Faith
Would you like to know when my next book is released? Or when my novels go on sale? It’s easy. Subscribe to my newsletter and all of the info will come straight to your inbox!
This novel is dedicated to my parents. You taught integrity, perseverance, and a strong work ethic. Everything I’ve accomplished has grown from the seeds you planted. I love you.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-6
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
About the Author
One
Luke’s heart rate spiked as he steered his Texas Ranger-issued Suburban near the broken guardrail. Its jagged edges yawned toward the steep drop-off, and a foreboding cloud of smoke rose from the ravine. Acrid scents of burning oil and melted plastic overtook those of the wildflowers and grass. He radioed into dispatch. Backup was less than five minutes out. Judging from the plumes of smoke, any survivors in the vehicle below didn’t have that much time left.
The woman who’d waved him down ran up when he opened his door. “Thank goodness you’re here. I have my daughter in the car—”
“Were you injured in the accident? Anyone in your vehicle hurt?”
“No.” She swallowed hard. “I wasn’t involved. I was driving past and saw the break in the guardrail.”
“Good, then get in your truck and move half a mile down the road.” On the off chance the car in the ravine exploded, he didn’t want her anywhere nearby. “A sheriff’s deputy will come find you.”
Leaving the turret lights flashing, he pulled open the tailgate and snatched the first aid kit tucked between the crime-scene kit and the rifle. He also grabbed the fire extinguisher.
Lord, please don’t let me be too late. Give me the strength to help.
He raced to the road’s edge.
Below in the ravine, a sedan—or what Luke thought had once been a sedan—was now a hunk of twisted metal. Glass littered the rocks. Crushed vegetation indicated the vehicle hadn’t just gone over the edge of the drop-off from the winding country road; it had rolled several times before landing upside down. Flames shot out of the front end.
Luke’s chest squeezed tight. He hated fires.
He tore down the slope, smoke blowing in his face and obscuring his vision. His cowboy boots skidded along the gravel, and Luke slipped landing on his rear. The first aid kit jabbed him in the back. His hand, slick with sweat, nearly lost its grip on the fire extinguisher.
He righted himself and kept going. Smoke burned his lungs. His eyes watered. Luke held his breath, his pulse pounding in his ears.
The wind shifted. He took several deep breaths of fresh air and tasted ash on his tongue. Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he closed the last few feet with long strides. Heat from the fire seared him. He yanked the pin from the fire extinguisher and unloaded it.
Seconds. Precious seconds. But it might slow the fire down enough to get people out. In the distance, sirens blared. Tossing the empty fire extinguisher aside, he lunged for the opening created by the broken passenger-side window. A woman hung upside down in the driver’s seat. Blood ran from her head, coating the side of her face and her blonde hair streaked with gray. She was unconscious.
Luke sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, no.”
It was his ex-fiancée’s aunt, June. Megan could not lose the woman who’d raised her. Not like this. A stronger sense of urgency welled in his chest. He scanned the interior of the car. June was the only occupant. Ignoring the glass scattered along the roof, he drew closer. She moaned and her eyes fluttered.
“June, can you hear me?” He felt along her neck. The bones seemed intact. Still, moving her could be dangerous—it could kill her—but he didn’t have a choice. The fire wasn’t completely out and he smelled gas fumes. The car could be engulfed in a flash.
“No brakes,” she muttered.
“Let’s get you out of here.” He braced June with his arm and pulled a knife from his boot. He sliced through the seat belt. She fell onto him and moaned again. Heat warmed his back. A glance proved the temporary reprieve was over. The flames were back. And growing.
“This will hurt,” Luke warned. He wriggled out, pulling June with him. Glass scratched his hands and tore at his pants. June’s gaze met his and she stiffened. She clutched his arm. Her mouth moved, her eyes pleading and desperate.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. “Almost there—”
Her grip tightened, nails cutting into his skin. “Megan,” she whispered.
It was almost a prayer, and Luke’s heart stuttered.
“Find Megan. D-D-Dan—” June’s eyes rolled back in her head as her body shook violently.
Luke
looked up. Medics stood at the road’s edge.
He gathered June in his arms and ran.
Two
The hospital smelled like a mixture of bleach and disease. Almost midnight and the normal hustle and bustle was quiet, the lights dimmed to accommodate sleeping patients. Megan perched on the edge of the visitor’s chair and held her aunt’s hand like it was made of spun glass. June’s face was bruised, her petite body swallowed up by the stiff sheets. Wires, tubes, and machines crowded the space around the bed.
“June, you have to wake up and get better.” A tear slipped down Megan’s cheek.
Her parents were dead and her only brother was in prison. Her aunt was all she had left. She squeezed her eyes shut, the embedded urge to pray bubbling up, but she squelched it. Megan and God hadn’t been on speaking terms for a while.
“Miss, I’m sorry, but visiting hours are over.”
Megan opened her eyes to find a nurse standing at the bedside. The woman offered her a sympathetic smile. “You can come back tomorrow morning. ICU patients are allowed brief visits every hour.”
“And—” She swallowed past the lump. “If something happens during the night?”
“We’ll call you.” The nurse hung a new IV bag. “Your aunt is in critical condition, but she’s stable.”
Megan clung to the word stable. Any other alternative was too painful to consider. She bent and gently kissed her aunt’s cheek.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” she whispered. “I love you.”
She retrieved her purse and jacket from the chair and, on wooden legs, walked out of the room. Luke was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hall and straightened when he spotted her. It’d been three years since they’d last seen each other, and a world of hurt separated them, but her heart still skipped a beat when his gaze met hers. The crooked scar at the corner of his mouth and the slight bulge along the bridge of his nose—testaments to his troubled youth—were more evident by the short haircut and five o’clock shadow gracing his jaw. Mud spattered the legs of his khakis and cowboy boots.
“How is she?”
“She’s in a coma.” Her chin trembled, and she blinked rapidly to fight back a fresh wave of tears. “They don’t know if she’s going to make it.”
“She’ll make it, Megs.” Luke edged closer until he was standing in front of her. “Remember when June was breaking Remnant? Meanest horse in the county. No one else would touch him.”
“It took June weeks to even get close to him.” The corners of her mouth lifted slightly at the memory, even as she swiped at the dampness on her cheeks. “Everyone kept telling her it was useless, but she refused to give up.”
“Exactly. And she won’t give up this time either.”
She sucked in a deep breath. The temptation to take one step, lay her head against his chest, and cry a mountain of tears in his strong arms was compelling. Luke wasn’t just her ex-fiancé. Until their breakup, he’d also been her best friend and confidant. She lifted her gaze. A fresh scratch ran along his neck and disappeared into the collar of his wrinkled shirt.
“Thank you, Luke. For saving June. The doctor said another few minutes and—”
She would’ve died.
The words clogged her throat. He raised his hand as if to touch her arm but stopped halfway and dropped it. The fluorescent light caught on the Texas Ranger badge pinned to his chest. She willed herself to step away. Their relationship was like a shattered mirror, damaged and altered beyond repair. June’s accident, and Luke’s heroic actions, didn’t change that.
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Megs, we need to talk.”
Her gaze darted to the state trooper standing outside of June’s room and she nodded. Avoiding this conversation wasn’t an option. She couldn’t make decisions without understanding exactly what was happening.
He led her to an empty break room. An ancient fridge in the corner hummed. Plastic chairs were scattered around a scratched table, and a comedy show played silently on the television in the corner.
She set her jacket and purse on the table. “What do you know about my aunt’s accident?”
Luke stepped over to the coffee machine and poured the dark brew into two Styrofoam cups. He handed one to her and she took it, careful not to let their fingers brush.
“Why don’t you sit down?” He jerked his chin at a chair. “It’s been a long night.”
“I’m okay. Just tell me.”
“She was on old Kerrville Road and went off the embankment along a sharp curve.”
Megan flinched. The road was notoriously dangerous. What was her aunt doing there? And did it have anything to do with the voice mail she’d left this afternoon on Megan’s phone? She took a sip of coffee, and it swirled like battery acid in her stomach.
“June was conscious when I pulled her from the car,” Luke continued. “She muttered something about her brakes not working. I found evidence at the scene to support her claim. There were no skid marks and the rocks along the road’s edge were scraped away. Blue paint, a color consistent with June’s vehicle, was also found near the scrapes. I think she banged the car into the rocks lining the road in an effort to slow down. Had she been having trouble with her car?”
“No.” The room tilted slightly as her worst fears were realized. “Are you suggesting her brakes were tampered with? That someone attempted to kill her?”
“I don’t know for sure. I’ve had the car towed to the evidence shed and a forensic team will be out first thing in the morning.” His jaw tightened. “But if we were taking bets, my guess is yes.”
Megan’s legs jellied. She gripped the back of a chair for support, her knuckles turning white with the effort.
“Can you think of any reason why someone would hurt June?” Luke asked.
She closed her eyes, struggling with how to answer that question. June was a private investigator, and she’d made quite a few people mad over the years, but it seemed ridiculous to consider this could all be a coincidence. Her aunt’s instructions in the voice mail had been clear. Come home. Tell no one. Trust no one. Goose bumps pebbled her arms.
What should she do?
Lying went against her instincts and her morals, but she’d trusted Luke before and her brother had ended up in prison as a result. Even if she told him the truth now, would he believe her?
“Megs, there’s something else you should know.” Luke’s boots tapped against the floor and she felt, rather than saw, him come up next to her. “Your aunt begged me to find you. I think she was trying to tell me you were in danger.”
She sucked in a sharp breath and faced him. “She told you that?”
He nodded. “If someone tried to kill June, the perpetrator might make a second attempt once news she survived gets out. I can’t protect you or her from something I don’t understand. Whatever it is, you need to tell me.”
She wrapped her arms around herself. None of her choices were great, but she wouldn’t put her aunt’s life at risk.
“It’s about Wade, Luke.” She lifted her gaze to look him in the eyes. “June found proof of his innocence. That’s why someone tried to kill her.”
It took every ounce of Luke’s law enforcement training to keep his expression impassive, but his heart thundered like a stampede of horses. Overhead, the hospital speaker came on, announcing a Code Blue. Megan’s eyes widened and she froze.
He reacted instinctively, reaching out to grasp her arm. “It’s not June’s room. It’s the one next to hers.”
“You’re sure?”
The naked terror and pain on her face made his heart ache. Megan had lost her parents in a car wreck. June’s accident—horrible in its own right—had to be a cruel reminder.
“I’m positive, Megs. It’s not for her.”
He squeezed her arm gently. The desire to embrace her clawed at him, and memories he’d shoved into the far recesses of his mind rose like a tidal wave. She’d been his first love, the woman he’d thought he would spend his life
with. She’d also broken his heart.
He gave himself a mental shake. Their relationship, and its fallout, was in the past. It didn’t matter. Luke wouldn’t allow it to matter. He had a job to do.
He released her and took a step back. “Megs, what makes you think June’s accident has anything to do with Wade?”
She drew her spine up and adjusted her blouse. Tear tracks lined her cheeks and the faint smattering of freckles along her nose stood out against her pale skin, but her mouth hardened.
“June claimed to have found evidence of Wade’s innocence. She told me about it right before her accident.”
He stared at her. How was that possible? Wade had confessed to murdering his friend, Franny Dickerson, in a jealous rage. The act had been fueled not just by unrequited feelings but also with alcohol.
Megan seemed to hear his question before he could ask it because she held up a finger. “Hold on.”
She reached for her purse. Her hair, the color of hay dried in the sun, fell over her forehead. She shoved it out of the way. The scent of her shampoo wafted his direction. Honeysuckle. The flower was popular in Texas, and every time he caught its fragrance, he thought of her.
Megan pulled out her cell phone. “June called me this afternoon, but I was in a trial and couldn’t answer. I’d forgotten all about it until I was driving here from Houston. When I checked, I saw she’d left me a voice mail.”
She pushed something on the phone’s screen and turned up the volume. June’s voice spilled from the speaker.