She followed Drury to Gage’s desk. The call had come in through the landline, and Gage put it on speaker.
“Nicole?” Drury asked. “I’m Agent Ryland. Where are you?”
“Is Caitlyn Denson with you?” the woman immediately said. Clearly, she was ignoring Drury’s question.
“I’m here,” Caitlyn answered. “Are you the surrogate who carried my daughter?”
“I am.” A hoarse sob tore from her mouth. Too bad Caitlyn couldn’t see the woman’s face so she could try to figure out if she was faking that agony. “I swear I didn’t know what was going on. Not until it was too late.”
“Where are you?” Drury pressed.
“I can’t say. Not yet. Not until I’m sure I can trust you.”
“You can trust us,” Drury assured her. “But the real question is—can we trust you?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “I had no part in anything that happened. Like I said, I didn’t know what was going on until shortly before I gave birth.”
“How did you find out what was going on?” Drury again.
This time there was some hesitation. Several long seconds of it. “I overheard some things, and I was able to piece together what was happening.”
Drury huffed. “I’m going to need a lot more information than that. First, though, I have to make sure you’re safe.”
It sounded as if Nicole laughed, but it wasn’t a laugh of humor. “I’m definitely not safe. Someone tried to kill me in my apartment.”
“Yeah, I saw the photos. SAPD is there now. Is that your blood on the wall?”
“No. I hit one of the men who attacked me.” Another pause. “God, I was just trying to protect the baby.”
Hearing that robbed Caitlyn of her breath. Her daughter had been there with all that violence going on. Well, she had been if Nicole was telling the truth. Caitlyn had so many questions.
So many doubts, too.
“How do I know you’re really the surrogate?” Caitlyn asked her.
More silence. “The baby I delivered had a small birthmark on her right ankle.”
Bingo.
“She could be lying,” Drury whispered to her. “She could have just seen the baby, that’s all. Or could have been told about the birthmark.”
Yes, and it didn’t take Caitlyn long to realize why this woman would lie about something like that. She could be trying to gain their sympathy. Their trust. So she could use that connection to draw them out or find the location of the baby.
“How did you know the baby you were carrying was my daughter?” Caitlyn had so many more questions for the woman, but this might be the start to helping her understand the big picture of what had gone on at Conceptions.
“I knew something was wrong with the surrogacy arrangement,” Nicole said. “Too much secrecy, and they were paying me in cash. Each month a man would show up with the money, and sometimes he would move me to a different place.”
Yes, definitely secrecy.
“Then about two weeks ago I heard the man talking on the phone,” Nicole went on, “and he mentioned your name. I did an internet search. Internet searches on Conceptions, too. All the mess that went on there.”
There had indeed been a mess. Other babies born just like her own daughter, and all for the sake of collecting a huge ransom.
“Why are you calling exactly?” Drury came out and asked her. “Do you want me to arrange protection for you?”
“I want you to arrest the men who attacked me. Until they’re caught, I’m not safe. None of us are safe.”
That was the truth. Because even if Nicole was working for the person who’d orchestrated this, it didn’t mean her boss would keep her alive. If the attack in her apartment was real, then Nicole would have realized she was a target.
“Give me some information so I can arrest them,” Drury insisted.
Nicole sobbed again. “I can give you physical descriptions, but I don’t know who they are, and they were both wearing ski masks.”
“And they’re the ones who took the baby?” Caitlyn asked, though she wasn’t sure she actually wanted to hear the answer.
“They did.” Another sob. “I swear, I tried to stop them, but I knew if I stayed there and fought them, I’d lose. I’d just delivered the baby, and I was weak.”
Drury and Caitlyn exchanged glances, and she saw the skepticism in his eyes. There were holes in what Nicole was telling them. Because if she was indeed so weak, how had she managed to fight off two hired guns.
“What about the blood in my apartment?” Nicole continued. “There must have been blood. Was there a DNA match?”
“Not yet. The CSIs haven’t had time to do that. But they will.”
“Good. Maybe that’ll help you find them.”
“You could help with that, too,” Drury went on. “You need to tell me where you are so I can send someone to get you.”
“No! I can’t risk that. Those men could have tapped the phone lines.”
“This line is secure,” Drury assured her.
“Nothing is secure right now.”
Caitlyn couldn’t be certain, but it sounded as if the woman was crying. Maybe for a good reason—because it was indeed possible that nothing was secure.
“Nicole, you can’t stay in hiding,” Drury continued. “I can arrange protective custody for you with a team I trust. A team you can trust,” he emphasized. “All you have to do is tell me where you are.”
Silence. For a long time. “All right,” Nicole finally said.
The relief Caitlyn felt faded as fast as it’d come when Nicole added, “But I’ll do this under my own terms.”
“What terms?” Drury snapped. “Because meeting you had better not involve Caitlyn going out in the open so someone can shoot at her again.”
More silence from Nicole. “No. I won’t involve Caitlyn. She’s as much of a target as I am. Maybe more.”
“How do you know that?” Caitlyn couldn’t ask fast enough.
“I heard one of the thugs mention you by name. I heard a lot of things I shouldn’t have,” Nicole said in a whisper.
“What things?” Drury demanded.
“I’ll tell you all about it when we’re face-to-face. Let me find a meeting place. Once I’m sure I’m safe, I’ll call you.”
Drury groaned. “How long will it take you to set this up?”
“I’ll need some time. It probably won’t be until tomorrow. I’ll call you when I have things in place.”
Drury opened his mouth, no doubt to demand some of that info now, but Nicole had already hung up.
“Were you able to trace the call?” Drury immediately asked Gage.
“She was using a burner cell.”
Drury cursed, and Caitlyn knew why. There was no way to trace a burner or disposable cell. Obviously, Nicole knew that. It could mean the woman truly was in danger, or it could all be part of a ruse to make them think that.
“You want me to assemble a protection detail?” Gage offered.
Drury shook his head. “I’ll get Lucas to do it. You’re already spread too thin here.”
Gage didn’t dispute that, and he stepped away when one of the other deputies motioned for him to go into the hall that led to the holding cells.
“I don’t want you to have to wait around here any longer,” Drury said, taking out his phone. He fired off a text. “Once Lucas gets here, he can escort us back to the ranch. You can stay there with Caroline while I meet with Nicole. If Nicole calls back, that is.”
Yes, Caitlyn was skeptical, too. Even though the woman had reached out to them, it didn’t mean she would cooperate.
“Nicole could be part of the dirty dealings that went on at Conceptions,” Caitlyn threw out there.
Drur
y quickly agreed, and he led her back to the break room. Caitlyn was thankful to be away from Melanie and Helen, but she didn’t like that troubled look in Drury’s eyes.
“Nicole could have also called to pinpoint our location,” Drury said.
Oh, mercy. Caitlyn hadn’t even considered that.
“We’ll just take some extra precautions,” he assured her. But she must not have looked very assured because Drury hooked his arm around her waist and led her to the sofa. “I asked Lucas to bring a couple of the ranch hands with him.”
“But you’ll all still be in danger,” she quickly pointed out.
He made another sound of agreement. “It might not be any safer to stay put.”
Drury was right. Yes, this was the sheriff’s office, but there’d been attacks here before, and the office was right on Main Street, sandwiched between other buildings and businesses.
“Are we safe anywhere?” she asked, but then Caitlyn waved off her question. She already knew the answer. They weren’t.
The only silver lining was that, whoever was behind this, they seemed to be after her and not the baby. For now anyway. That could change if and when she was out of the way.
Caitlyn hadn’t realized just how close Drury and she were sitting until she turned to look at him again. Too close. Practically mouth to mouth. She glanced away but not before she saw something else in his eyes. Not just worry and concern.
But the attraction, too.
And maybe even something else. Because his forehead was bunched up.
“Are you okay?” she asked, automatically slipping her hand over his.
“I’ve been having flashbacks,” he finally said.
That wasn’t what Caitlyn had expected him to say, but she should have. Of course, this would have triggered the horrific memories of his wife’s death.
“The sooner you can distance yourself from me, the better,” Caitlyn reminded him.
A new emotion went through his eyes. Anger, maybe, but it didn’t seem to be directed at her. Judging from the way he groaned, he was aiming it at himself.
“Lily died right in front of me.” His voice was a ragged whisper. “Did you know that?”
She nodded and hated that her own flashbacks came. She had seen a man die. Her father. And those were images she’d never forget. It had to be even harder for Drury because Lily had been pregnant. He’d lost his wife and baby with one bullet from a robber’s gun.
“Yeah,” he grumbled as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. “We’ve both got plenty of emotional baggage.”
They did, and that seemed to be a caution to remind her that neither of them were emotionally ready to have a relationship. And they weren’t. That’s why she was so surprised when his mouth came to hers.
There it was. That instant slam of heat. The one that could chase away the flashbacks. But that heat could also cloud her mind and body. Definitely not something she needed right now, but Caitlyn didn’t stop him. Nor did she stop Drury when he upped the contact and deepened the kiss.
He slipped his arm around the back of her neck, easing her closer and closer. She didn’t resist. Couldn’t. Drury certainly wasn’t the first man she’d ever kissed, but no man had ever drawn her in the way he did.
Caitlyn slid her arm around him, making the contact complete when her breasts landed against his chest. Now she got memories of a different kind. No flashbacks of violence but rather of the times they’d been together.
In bed.
Like his kisses, Drury had her number when it came to sex. She doubted that had changed, but she didn’t want this need she felt for him. Didn’t want the ache to build inside her. It complicated things and would only lead to a broken heart.
That didn’t stop her, though.
She melted into the kiss. Melted into Drury until they were pressed against each other. Until the fire sent them in search of something more. And more wasn’t something they could have. Not right now anyway.
Drury pulled back, and as if starved for air, he gulped in a deep breath before going right back to her again. This kiss wasn’t as deep, but she could still feel the emotion. Could still sense the fierce battle going on inside him.
“I should regret that,” he said with his lips still against hers. “I want to regret it,” he amended.
“Same here.” But she didn’t, and judging from the way he groaned, neither did he.
“The baby,” he added a moment later.
Caitlyn braced herself for Drury to tell her that he couldn’t get involved with her because of the baby. Because Caroline would always trigger memories of his own child that he’d lost. Plus, Caroline would always be Grant’s daughter, which would give Drury another dose of memories that he didn’t want.
But he didn’t get a chance to add more because Grayson opened the door.
“A problem?” Drury immediately asked, and he got to his feet.
“Possibly a solution. Ronnie just said he wants to cut a deal. Information in exchange for reduced charges.”
Of all the things that Caitlyn had thought the sheriff might say, that wasn’t one of them. “Why the change of heart?”
Grayson lifted his shoulder. “Maybe he thought his thug cronies wouldn’t be able to break him out of jail as easily as they got him out of the hospital.”
True, but she was still suspicious, and she definitely didn’t like the idea of a man who’d tried to kill them getting a lighter sentence. She wanted him behind bars for a long time.
“What’s he offering?” Drury wanted to know.
“The name of the person who hired him.”
There it was. Probably the only thing Ronnie could have put on the table that would have made this impossible to turn down.
“Of course, we can’t begin to start working out a deal like that until his lawyer gets here,” Grayson went on. “And the DA will have to be the one who approves it.” He paused. “It could still fall through.”
And it could take time. In fact, Ronnie could drag this out so long that there could be another attack. And this time, it might succeed in killing them.
Drury’s phone dinged to indicate he had a text message. “It’s Lucas,” he said, glancing at the screen. “He’s just out the back door with Kade. Two ranch hands are behind them in a truck.”
Kade was another Ryland cousin. An FBI agent, and while Caitlyn was glad about having three lawmen for protection, that meant less security at the ranch.
“We can hurry,” Drury told her as if he knew exactly what her concern was. He stood, helping her to her feet.
“I’ll call you with any updates,” Grayson assured them while he punched in the security code to disarm the alarm on the back door.
Drury thanked him and got her moving. Of course, he was in front of her and had his gun drawn when he cracked open the door and looked out. Lucas was indeed there, behind the wheel of what appeared to be an unmarked car. Caitlyn hoped it was bulletproof.
“Move fast,” Drury reminded her.
He took a single step forward and then stopped cold. For a second anyway. Then he moved them to the side and peered out around the jamb.
Caitlyn couldn’t see what had caused him to do that, but Lucas reacted, as well. He, too, drew his gun, and their attention shifted to the park area just behind the sheriff’s office. There were clusters of trees and trails back there. Plenty of places for someone to hide, too.
“What’s wrong?” Grayson also pulled his gun and joined Drury at the door.
“Someone’s out there,” Drury said.
Those three words caused Caitlyn’s heart to slam against her chest. Please, no. Not another attack.
There were security lights on the back of the sheriff’s office. Lights on the trails as well, but there wasn’t enough illumination to see the whol
e area. Even though it wasn’t pitch-dark yet because the sun was still setting, it would be easy for an attacker to use that dimness to his advantage.
“Don’t shoot,” someone called out.
A woman. And it was a voice that Caitlyn thought she recognized.
Nicole.
Chapter Thirteen
Hell. This was not how Drury wanted this to play out. He’d wanted to get Caitlyn out of there before something bad happened. And maybe this wasn’t bad, but since it was unexpected, it had the potential to take a nasty turn.
Drury glanced at Caitlyn to make sure she was okay. She wasn’t. Her breathing was already way too fast, and it was obvious she was getting another slam of adrenaline. His body was also gearing up for a fight.
A fight that he hoped wouldn’t be necessary.
“Please don’t shoot,” the woman repeated. That voice sure sounded like Nicole’s, but that call could have come from someone pretending to be the surrogate.
“Step out so I can get a good look at you,” Drury demanded. “And put your hands in the air.”
Even though she was probably a good twenty feet away, he could still hear her gasp. “I’m not armed.”
“Then prove it. Put your hands in the air.” Drury didn’t bother to tone down his lawman’s voice. Better to be safe than sorry, and he wanted to make it clear to this woman that he would shoot her if she tried to attack them.
“Tell the other men to go away,” Nicole bargained. “I don’t trust them. And I want to see Caitlyn.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Drury assured her. “Not until I know you’re who you say you are. Step out now.”
Drury wasn’t sure she would. Not with four lawmen’s guns trained on her. He figured the ranch hands in the truck behind the car had their weapons drawn, too.
“I don’t want to die,” Nicole said, her words punctuated with sobs.
“Then come out so I can help you,” Drury offered. “You can come inside, and we’ll put you in protective custody.”
“No. That man is in there.”
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