“I’m sorry about last Saturday. I saw those guys with you and I…”
“You just keep on talking, Frank,” Maya whispered as she thanked her lucky stars she had on her sneakers. To make sure he would think she was still there, she yelled, “I told you it wasn’t working out between us! Hey! How did you know where I would be?”
“I got the address from one of your friends.”
None of her friends liked Frank, if they knew him. Realization hit her, and the fear and adrenaline dumping into her system felt like a cold chill. “You put GPS on my car, didn’t you? You tracked me here!”
Frank’s substantial body weight slammed against the door, and she knew she’d made a mistake. She should’ve eased him into a nice long speech about his love and devotion.
Oh Lord, please let Grace still be watching this! I should’ve said I needed help when I had the chance!
Frank growled threateningly through the door. “Let me the fuck in, you little bitch! I’m going to fix you just like I did Morgan. I plan to put a bullet between your eyes.” Fear gave her feet wings as she dashed through the house straight to the back door.
Where do I go? Oh, God. Did he just confess to killing Morgan? Don’t think! Just run!
She slipped quietly through the back door, closing it behind her as she heard the front door splinter the jamb and burst open. Since he didn’t know the layout of the house it would take him a few seconds to ascertain she was not hiding inside and to locate the back door. She leaped from the back porch. She could hear him slamming through the house like an angry bull. She reached the side gate and unlatched it, figuring the thick shrubs lining the backyard would provide the best cover. She couldn’t run to the barn because he’d catch her as she ran by the house, and he said he had a gun. She couldn’t chance it. She ran down the fence line, blessing Teresa for caring for the rose bushes, which were thick on the inside of the fence. He wouldn’t see her until she was already a distance from the house.
She could hear him still slamming around in the house and took a moment as she snuck down the fence line to check her phone.
“Dammit!” she whispered as she realized the text to Grace had failed. She’d never received the message. She retyped, “Frank Reeves. Has a gun. Running. Send help.”
Knowing she was running out of time, Maya hit the phone icon and pressed last number dialed. Richard’s number came up, and she pressed it.
“Please answer. Please answer. Please answer,” she panted as she began running away from the house, sprinting for the thick tree line in the distance.
Adrenaline dumped into her system, giving her greater speed as the back door of their house burst open. She glanced back and sent up a prayer of thanks she could not see the back of the house for all the shrubs. He couldn’t see her and would search for her in the yard first, at least until he found the gate.
She headed for the tree line, figuring the creek was the best option for hiding places.
Richard’s deep voice answered the call. “Hello, honey. We’re in the truck on our way home right now.”
“Richard! Oh, thank God! Richard, Frank Reeves is here and he has a gun! He said he would shoot me!”
“Did he hurt you?”
“He broke the front door! He’s chasing me!”
“Where are you, honey?”
“Headed for the creek!”
“Good. We’re almost home. What?” She heard muffled voices and then he spoke clearly again. “Grace is on the phone with Kendall. She’s called 911. Run to the creek, honey. Watch out for the—”
Maya felt a fiery pain shoot through her left arm and yelped.
“Maya! Maya! What happened? Maya!”
Hot liquid ran from her left upper arm, which tingled fiercely and suddenly felt powerless. She looked back, and her heart leaped into her throat as she saw Frank Reeves standing by the open gate, pointing his gun at her.
She knew Frank Reeves was proud of his marksman skills and his gun collection. She hadn’t heard a shot fired and knew if he had brought a gun with him during the day he would have brought a silencer so any shots fired would attract no notice.
“He’s shooting at me, Richard. He hit my arm.”
She ran as fast as she could, weaving as much as possible as he lifted the gun and took aim again.
“Run, Maya! Run! We’re almost there. Get to the creek. Run, honey!”
“I am. Richard, I love you. Tell Kendall and Boone I love them.”
The phone must have changed hands because she suddenly heard Boone’s voice. “Maya! Listen to me, okay, baby?”
“Yeah,” she panted and flinched when another bullet impacted the dirt right by her foot as she raced toward the slope that led to the creek.
“Where did he hit you?”
“My arm. It feels funny.”
“We’ll fix it. Just keep running. Stay ahead of him.”
“Okay.”
“Get across the creek as quickly as you can, and don’t get your phone wet.” A bullet zinged past her ear.
“Oh God! That was close!” She chanced a glance behind her. He was gaining on her.
Maya hit the slope, saw the barbed wire just in time, ass-planted it, and slithered under the barbed strands.
She could hear Frank’s heavy footfalls closing the distance. She prayed she’d reach the nearby tree line before he breached the slope. Putting the phone to her ear she sprinted as if ten thousand demons were on her tail.
“I’m under the fence. Almost there.”
“Good girl. Keep running, baby.”
She heard an ungraceful “Oof!” behind her and managed a happy grimace as Frank commenced to cursing. He’d hit the barbed-wire fence at full sprint. She heard the muffled report of the gun and yelped as pain bloomed in her left shoulder.
“I love you, Boone. I love you so much.”
“Don’t say good-bye to me, Maya. We’re gonna take care of that son of a bitch. We just got you. Don’t you dare tell me good-bye!”
“Boone, he said he killed Morgan. He said he’ll kill me, too.”
“No he won’t. I’ll kill him before I allow that to happen.”
Somehow she managed a smile at his authoritarian tone. Her eyes were grateful as she left the brightly lit slope behind and entered the heavily shaded area over the creek. In another few seconds he wouldn’t be able to see her at least until he freed himself from the fence and got over it, which was not going to be easy for a big guy like him.
She was thankful to whoever had built the fence taller than normal on this side of the creek. She heard another faint pop, and white-hot pain bloomed in her right side, causing her to gasp harshly.
“Baby? Baby, are you still there?” Boone’s voice was tinged with desperation. She was barely able to hold the phone to her ear.
“My side, under my ribs. He shot me again.”
“Get across the creek, baby. Do it, just get across it.”
She gasped as she plunged into the cold water. Her legs felt like they were lead weights, but at least the water only came to her waist at the deepest point along this part of the creek. It was much deeper and harder to cross farther down where they played.
“Good girl. I hear you in the water. Get across for me.” Boone was panting, and she hoped he was getting close. “Once you’re on the other side, run outside the tree line and keep going as long as you can. If you keep going you’ll eventually hit Rockin’ C property. Kendall called Chance and Clayton, and they’re coming along your side of the creek on horseback. They were already in the area working.”
She pulled herself from the water and gasped when a bullet lodged in the wet clay by her head.
“He’s shooting at me again.”
“Dammit! Get up that creek bank and outside the tree line, baby! Keep going!”
His steely-voiced orders energized her, and she leaped to her feet and scrambled through the tree line and out of sight. She crouched and ran as best as she could. Her legs were feeling a little
rubbery, and she knew blood loss and shock might be catching up to her.
She needed to find a hiding place because she wasn’t sure she could make it very far on the bank. She heard a splash in the water and a curse. Peeking through the thick brush she was relieved to see Frank had run down the creek bank, hoping to cut her off before plunging in. All he’d succeeded in doing was entering the creek at a much deeper place than she had. He floundered around, and she hoped like hell his gun got wet. That miscalculation on his part might buy her some extra time.
A rabbit darted out in front of her as she crawled along, giving her an idea. Gauging how far down the creek she was, she peeked through the brush again. Frank was still floundering around and not watching for her. He might have been an excellent marksman, but he couldn’t swim for shit.
Noting the terrain of the bank on her side, she went down another hundred feet or so and then, despite her deathly fear of moving closer to him, she carefully slithered through a space between two tightly spaced oak saplings and rolled into their trysting spot as quietly as she could. Leaves crunched and crackled under her, and she prayed he didn’t hear the noise they made as he continued splashing.
Knowing she couldn’t stay exposed, even though he wouldn’t be able to see her unless he was standing on the upper edge of the hollow, there was only one place to seek shelter. Noise from her phone drew her attention. She put it to her ear as she crawled toward the hollow tree. The splashing noise Frank made sounded no closer, so she whispered, “Shh, Boone. He’ll hear me.”
“Baby, be careful. Where are you?” Boone’s strong voice reassured her as though he was there holding her hand.
“Our spot down the creek. I’m going to crawl into the tree.”
“Please, please be careful.”
They had not explored the tree more thoroughly the last time they’d come to the creek, and now was no time to regret that fact.
The ancient oak was large in circumference. Maya cocked an ear to locate Frank and scampered into the tree as quickly and quietly as she could when she realized she no longer heard him in the water. She carefully backed from the large opening at the base of the tree until her back was against the other side of the hollowed area.
She pulled her feet as close to her as she could and was satisfied no sunlight shone on any part of her. The wounds in her arm, shoulder, and side set up a painful throb as she tried to calm and quiet her breathing. She listened hard but couldn’t hear well over the pounding rush of blood in her ears.
She bit her lip when she heard Frank growl from the edge of the creek bank. He was nearby. All she could do was pray that being a city boy, he wouldn’t see the track in the leaves she must have left behind as she’d rolled down the incline and that he wouldn’t notice a blood trail.
She jumped spasmodically when she discerned a slight, shifting sound to her right.
Oh no.
Maya held her breath, realizing she was not alone. The hollow tree had at least one other occupant. She heard the shifting again and the rustle of leaves. Frank sounded like he’d moved a few feet away as he muttered to himself. She knew no relief as she debated pointing the lit screen on her phone in the direction of the sounds.
She put the phone to her ear and whispered, “Boone, I’m in the tree. I don’t think I’m alone. Frank is nearby. Should I look?”
“It can’t be any worse than what is waiting for you outside. Whatever happens, we’re going to deal with it. Stay quiet and safe. Be my brave girl, okay? We’re on the other side of the creek now. He doesn’t even know we’re here yet. Fucking city boy doesn’t know anything about tracking. I can see the tree you’re in. He’s about ten feet down from you. Stay where you are. ”
“’Kay. Hold on.” Boone murmured in assent, and Maya slowly turned the lit screen on her phone to illuminate a bit of the interior of the tree at a time, hoping to not startle whatever occupied the tree with her.
A cold chill went through her as she looked into a small pair of reflective eyes. They blinked and the small animal shook its head. Whether it was better to be inside the hollowed tree or not was suddenly up for debate as she saw the sleek black coat and white stripes by the dim light of the phone as she slowly raised it to get a better look.
Papa skunk. I swear by everything holy that if you won’t spray me, I will never, ever, ever, ever invade your home again. I promise, I promise, I promise. Nice skunk. Please don’t be rabid.
Just as slowly she lowered the phone, making no sudden movements at all. She slowly crouched into a ball, hiding her face and suppressing a whimper as a sharp pain throbbed in her side. She put the phone back to her ear and whispered, “Boone?”
“No, it’s Kendall. You doing okay?”
“Yeah, but there’s a—”
“Maya? Sit tight. Hank and his deputies are almost here, and Ace Webster is also with us. I can see them coming. We’re keeping Reeves in our sights. He’s moving back toward you. Boone has gone down to the bend in the creek and plans to cross over, see if he can’t overpower Reeves. He couldn’t wait anymore.”
“Skunk,” she whispered.
“What, babydoll?”
“Sku—”
Just then, Maya’s phone made a very audible beeping sound. The noise startled the skunk judging by the sound it made, and the animal sprang through the opening. Maya realized it was possible for relief and terror to coexist.
“Oh no. My phone just beeped.” Panic began taking hold as she glanced at it. Low battery indicator.
“Stay put, Maya. He’s moving toward the tree. He must’ve heard it. Don’t move a muscle. We’re coming.”
Frank’s infuriated voice sounded above her on the creek bank. “Maya, I hear you, dammit! When I get my hands on you, after I get that key, I’m gonna—What the—”
Maya was confused by the sounds she heard until the noxious vapors reached her inside the tree. She realized what she heard was the sound of Frank Reeves gagging and vomiting. The skunk had sprayed him, evidently at point-blank range.
“Oh, fuck!” he yelled before vomiting some more.
Her own stomach roiled, and she put her hands over her nose and mouth. Stars shimmered in her vision, but she heaved a sigh of relief as that lily-livered city boy lost his lunch all over the creek bank, incapacitated by a little skunk spray. It might buy her men some time to save her.
There was a tussle, and Maya felt the vibrations as Frank rolled into the indentation outside her hiding place. Her breath caught in her throat as the gun fired again.
The stars that had been wavering in her vision increased, and her head felt like it was filled with static as everything went black.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Boone gritted his teeth against nausea and the stench as he pinned Frank Reeves to the ground, tightening his headlock and pressing down until Reeves quit fighting. He was disgusted by Reeves as he continued gagging and retching.
“Why? Tell me why, motherfucker. One day you’re professing your devotion and acting like a jealous lover and the next you’re trying to kill her.”
“Fuck you, Warner.”
“No thanks. But you let me know how that feels when you’re some seven-foot-tall inmate’s girlfriend, all right?”
Chance and Clayton Carlisle galloped up on horseback as Richard, Kendall, and Ace Webster descended into the bowl-like indentation and scrambled for the opening in the hollow tree.
“Maya? Oh God, Maya.” Richard reached into the tree and pulled out one little sneaker-clad foot. She didn’t move or make a sound.
Kendall sounded like he was barely holding it together. “Careful. She must be unconscious.”
Please, God, let her just be unconscious.
Frank struggled for a moment, and Boone landed a solid punch to his jaw and turned Frank’s face so he couldn’t watch as they extricated her from the hollow tree. Kendall felt for her pulse and nodded at them, relief evident in his eyes.
Chance and Clayton jumped from their horses, and Chanc
e rifled through his saddlebag and pulled out a first-aid kit.
He caught Boone’s eye and grinned. Holding up the kit he said, “Eagle Scout. Always prepared. Holy shit, but it stinks over here.”
Boone grinned and replied, “Yeah, thank God for that skunk, too. Otherwise Reeves might’ve found Maya before I got to him.”
Clayton pulled a length of rope from his saddlebag and threw it to Boone, saying, “Why don’t we hog-tie the son of a bitch for Hank.” Clayton pointed at the flurry of activity on the other side of the creek where several Divine Creek Ranch ATVs loaded with law enforcement and EMTs were pulling to a stop. Jack had also arrived in his SUV.
Boone hog-tied Reeves and left him for the sheriff’s deputies to take charge of. The men busied themselves checking her injuries and tried to stop Maya’s blood loss from the wound at her side. When the EMTs made it across the creek, after being directed to the shallowest point by Richard so their equipment wouldn’t get wet, they stabilized Maya. Kendall, Boone, and Richard personally carried her stretcher across the creek and rode with her in Jack’s SUV back to the waiting ambulance.
Boone helped to hold Maya’s stretcher in place and listened to Jack’s cell phone conversation with Grace as he tried to keep Maya from being jostled too much.
“That’s right, darlin’. Hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap. And a bucket. Meet us at the old horse trough out by the barn. One of the ranch hands can fill it for you. No running, okay? I love you, too, darlin’.”
Jack slipped his phone in his pocket and grinned at Boone and said, “Grace is bringing skunk remedy. No offense, Boone, but you stink to high heaven.”
Boone had become desensitized to it, but when he put his nose to his shirt and sniffed hard, the odor made him gag a little. He was distracted by Maya’s moan.
The two EMTs perched in the back of the SUV tended to her, and she looked over to Boone.
He held her hand as she smiled at him and murmured, “You’re okay. I was afraid you were hit when the gun went off. I–I must have passed out. What happened?”
Rainier, Heather - Maya's Triple Dare [Divine Creek Ranch 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 29