Wilde Horses

by Jannine Gallant

  “I may have banged your head against the doorframe getting you into the car. You’re more awkward to move than I expected.”

  Whatever the hell that means. “Look, I won’t have you arrested if you cut me loose and take me back to the ranch. We have a long history together, so I’ll forgive you for this. You need help, Pris.”

  “No, you need help. My help. Eden will ruin your life and make you miserable. I’m not going to let that happen. Once you see I’m right, I’ll free you to be with me.”

  He opened his mouth, then shut it. From the tone of her voice, she was in no frame of mind to listen to reason. Maybe losing Josie, or all those years of caring for her sister, had been too much. Something in Pris’s mind had snapped. He’d have to wait until she untied him and then overpower her. Getting free was only a matter of time. He just hoped Eden wasn’t freaking out, wondering what had happened to him.

  “Where are we?”

  “We’re in Idaho, about halfway back to Blue Valley. You were out for quite a while. We should be home by early morning.”

  What the hell did she give me?

  His gaze focused on the dashboard clock. Two-thirty. No wonder it was darker than the inside of a cave with only the stars overhead to impinge on the blackness. Pris must be hopped up on something to drive all night without falling asleep, which would explain why she was so talkative. He tuned her out as she chattered away about how much fun they’d had together when they were kids and how they could reclaim those good times just as soon as he realized she had his best interests at heart.

  Pris had always been a little odd, but he’d tolerated her as a teenager since she was Josie’s sister. After the car crash, he’d had nothing but sympathy and compassion for her, which had grown into admiration for her determination to continue her sister’s home care after their mother died. Now, studying her profile and the flash of animation visible in her eyes when they passed the occasional overhead light at an exit ramp on the freeway, he could only assume she’d turned a corner into the realm of bat shit crazy.

  “So, your intention is to take me back to your house and keep me there indefinitely?” He broke into her monologue. “Don’t you think your neighbors will find it strange you’re holding me captive? Because, believe me, Pris, I have no intention of staying quiet.”

  “I don’t expect full cooperation right away. I’m not stupid, and I realize convincing you I’m the right woman to be your wife may take a little time.”

  Her laughter jarred across his nerves.

  “Never fear. I have everything worked out. Once I decided this was the only way to convince you we belong together, I put in a lot of hours to make the Jansens’ old barn comfortable. You’ll be able to yell to your heart’s content, and no one will hear you.” Her tone softened. “Do you remember when we used to go out there to swing on the rope tied to the rafters? What fun we had together.”

  “Yeah, I remember.” His gut tightened.

  She’d obviously been plotting this for some time. The dilapidated old barn had been about ready to fall down twenty years ago, and half the kids in town had believed it was haunted since it creaked and moaned in a strong breeze. He could only imagine its current condition, but the abandoned building was well off the beaten path, and he doubted anyone went near it anymore.

  “None of this would have been necessary if my earlier plans had worked out.” Her voice took on an edge. “But those got all screwed up.”

  He stiffened in his seat as understanding dawned. Damn but the drugs she’d given him must have messed with his mind, or he would have realized the obvious sooner. “You were responsible for all the accidents that happened to me on the ranch and in Malibu.”

  “Well, of course. Who did you think was the instigator?”

  Blake grimaced. He and Eden had never considered Pris as a suspect. “I don’t understand why you tried to injure me.”

  “The chisel I left in the hay was a spur of the moment decision meant to cut that bitch, Kara. The woman is married, yet she spent more time drooling over you than she did paying attention to her own husband.” Pris let out a lengthy sigh. “I couldn’t stand the thought of you rolling around with her, practically naked. How was I to know she’d be the one on top? It just figures a slut like that would want to be in charge during sex.”

  “We weren’t having sex, for Christ’s sake. We were filming a scene in a movie.”

  “Close enough. I was sorry you got cut. Then, Eden started sniffing around you like a bitch in heat, and I had to teach her a lesson.” Her voice shook. “That stupid director told you to switch horses, and I was scared out of my mind you’d get killed.”

  “You could have stopped the accident from happening by speaking up before I rode Flint.”

  She shook her head. “No, you would have sent me away, and I couldn’t let that happen. Luckily, your injuries weren’t too bad.”

  His stomach turned. Listening to Pris describe how she’d tried to harm two women just because they’d shown an interest in him made him sick. “If you thought the drain cleaner in my shampoo bottle would disfigure Eden instead of me, your logic was damn faulty.”

  “No, that one was intended for you. I was pretty angry at the time and may have acted rashly. I figured if I hurt you badly enough, you’d see the rationale in coming home with me where I could care for you the way I did Josie. It would get you away from Eden before you did something asinine like falling for her. I thought you had better sense, but obviously I was mistaken.”

  “So, when that little trick failed, you followed me home to Malibu?”

  “That place isn’t your real home. Oregon is. You belong in Blue Valley with me where you’ll remember what’s important in life. We can visit Josie’s grave together.” Her voice grew breathless. “Maybe have kids when we’re ready for a family of our own.” Anger crept into her tone as her mood seemingly switched. “My plan was to talk to you, convince you I can make you happy, but then Eden showed up. I had to drug your dog with a sedative in some ground beef to get in through the gate. I hope he was okay afterward.”

  Blake gritted his teeth. “Duke recovered.”

  “That’s a relief.” Pris’s voice was high and whiny as she continued. “Those gasoline soaked briquettes should have taken out that slut when they exploded, but, oh no. You had to light them that evening instead of her.”

  “Watch your mouth!” He closed his eyes for a moment and controlled the urge to shout at her. Taking a calming breath, he spoke, “You need to release me, Pris. I know you think I’ll forget about Eden once we’re in Blue Valley, but I won’t. I love her. I want a life with her.”

  “No, you don’t.” Her voice rose in a screech. “Don’t say that. Don’t you ever say that!”

  “It’s true. Eden is the woman I want for my wife, not you.”

  “I refuse to listen to your lies. If you won’t shut your mouth, I’ll shut it for you.” The car swerved as she dug in the purse sitting on the console between them.

  When she pulled out a syringe, his eyes widened. The sight of the needle made him lightheaded as he jerked against the restraints. “No, Pris. Be reasonable. You don’t want to do that.”

  Steadying the car with one hand on the wheel, she stabbed the needle into his arm with the other. Her eyes glittered in the light of the dash. “Want to bet?”

  Chapter 24

  Eden paced the living room, unable to sit still despite the exhaustion weighing down her steps. She wanted to scream just to relieve a little tension, but her parents were already worried enough about her. She’d finally convinced both them and her grandpa to go to bed after the sheriff left, but for her, sleep was impossible. She glanced across the room to the couch where Tripp and Hannah lay sprawled out, drowsing off and on. When Cookie whined and leaned against her leg, she stopped to stroke the dog’s soft fur and blinked back tears.

  “Making yourself crazy isn’t going to help him, you know.” Hannah pushed Tripp ov
er against a pillow and sat up straight. “Hopefully the authorities will be able to track down Blake’s cell phone.”

  “If they had, don’t you think they would have called us by now? Surely it can’t take this long to triangulate the signal, or whatever it is they do.”

  “Didn’t the sheriff make it clear he’d personally notify you as soon as they had information?”

  Eden sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Yes, so I can only assume they don’t know anything yet. Blake didn’t wander out onto the prairie to get lost like they theorized. He wasn’t delirious when he left the party, for heaven’s sake. And if he was out there, the search parties would have found him.”

  “The only alternative is someone drove away with him.” Hannah frowned. “You think it’s the same person who tried to injure him, taking their vendetta to the next level?”

  “What else can I think? He sure didn’t leave of his own free will. Of that, I’m certain. I’ve wracked my brain to figure out who could be responsible, and I’ve got nothing. None of the people we originally suspected of engineering the accidents is anywhere near Wyoming right now.” She slammed her hand against her thigh. “I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

  “Maybe you should try to get some sleep. You won’t be any use looking for Blake tomorrow if you don’t.”

  “Looking where?” Eden’s voice broke. “Maybe the sheriff thinks it’s unlikely foul play is involved since there was no sign of a struggle and no call about ransom, but I’m betting he’s so wrong.”

  “If we knew why someone would want to kidnap him if it isn’t for money, maybe we could figure out who did it.”

  “But we don’t.” Her shoulders slumped. “You should wake up Tripp and take him to bed. There’s no point in the two of you getting no sleep.”

  Hannah glanced over and smiled. Tripp’s long lashes fanned against his cheeks, and his steady breathing filled the silence. “Why wake him when he can obviously sleep through anything?”

  “Lucky him.” Eden let out a sigh. “I’m just glad the newlyweds left before they knew Blake was missing. I would have hated to ruin their day.”

  “Don’t you think they’d want to know?”

  “Yes, but I’m not going to worry them, not yet anyway. I’m still hoping I’ll have a flash of genius and figure out where he is before too much longer. Except my brain feels like mush.”

  “Then go to bed.” Hannah stood. “I’ll go up with you.”

  “I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I think I’ll take a walk to see if the night air clears my head.” When she snapped her fingers, both dogs scrambled up from the floor to follow her.

  “Do you want company?”

  “Not really, but thanks for offering. I won’t be gone long.” Eden headed into the entry then out the front door onto the porch. Overhead, a wealth of stars lit up the night sky. If Blake were standing beside her, she’d revel in the beauty. As it was, all she wanted to do was cry.

  Cracker gave a low woof then thumped his tail on the floor boards. Cookie charged down the steps, tail wagging.

  “Eden?”

  She wiped a hand across her damp eyes and let out a shuddering breath. “Yes.” When the speaker moved closer, blond hair glimmered in the starlight. “What are you doing up at this hour, Roman?”

  “I had a sudden thought, and when I saw the light still on downstairs, I figured you couldn’t sleep. I don’t know if this will help, but I wanted to tell you, anyway.”

  “Something about Blake?” Her chest expanded on a wave of hope.

  He climbed to the step just below her. “The timing might be right. When I left the party to go change, I took a call in the bunkhouse. I was probably in there twenty minutes before I saw you in the barn.”

  She clenched her fists at her sides. “What are you talking about?”

  “That friend of Blake’s who stayed here while they were filming the movie was just leaving the wedding when I headed out during the bouquet toss to change my clothes. If she was in the driveway when Blake walked around to the front of the house, maybe she saw which way he went.”

  Eden drew in a sharp breath. “Do you mean Pris?”

  Roman nodded. “Yeah, that’s her name. I couldn’t remember. Anyway, she was just getting into her car.”

  “What the heck was she doing here?” Eden shook her head and stared back at him. “You didn’t see Blake with her?”

  “No, of course not, or I would have told you. But he could have passed her, even spoken to her a few minutes before I walked by.”

  “Pris wasn’t invited to the wedding. Are you sure it was her? Because Blake mentioned one of the servers with the catering company looked like Pris.”

  “She was wearing black pants and a white shirt like the catering staff, now that I think about it.” He frowned. “Still, I could swear it was his friend.”

  Eden’s heart pounded so hard she could barely breathe. “Are you certain Blake wasn’t in the car with her?”

  “I would have noticed him in the passenger seat.”

  “But not if he was lying down in the back?”

  “No, I wouldn’t have seen him if that were the case.” He touched her arm. “What are you thinking?”

  Her voice rose. “That maybe Pris left with him. Nothing else makes sense, not if the woman you saw really was Pris.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “I don’t know. I think she’s totally in love with him, but no sane person would stalk someone and haul them away from a wedding.”

  Roman shrugged. “The chick gave off kind of a weird vibe. I remember Jack said he asked her out, but she turned him down flat. Said she already had a boyfriend. Who knows, maybe she’s a little looney.”

  “I’m calling the sheriff.” Eden turned to push open the door. “Thanks, Roman.”

  “You bet. I hope it helps you find Blake.”

  “Me, too.” Leaving the dogs outside, she ran back into the living room to scoop her cell off the coffee table where she’d left it.

  “What is it?” Hannah bolted upright on the couch. “What happened?”

  “Roman thinks Pris was here. I’m calling the sheriff.”

  Tripp stretched and yawned then blinked. “Who the hell is Pris?”

  “Blake’s old girlfriend’s sister. Long story.” She tapped her phone then held it to her ear as it rang.

  A groggy voice finally answered. “Yeah?”

  “Howard, I’m sorry to wake you, but I think I might know what happened to Blake, and I need your help.”

  “Eden, is that you? Jesus, it’s four in the morning. What’s going on? Did someone call about ransom?”

  “No, nothing like that.” She took a deep breath and then repeated what Roman had told her about Pris.

  “What reason would this woman have to kidnap Blake?”

  “I don’t have any idea.” Her voice rose. “But then, I’m not crazy. She had opportunity, and that’s all I care about.”

  “Calm down. You said this woman was dressed like the catering staff. Priscilla Lewis wasn’t invited to the wedding, and you didn’t notice her earlier. Are you certain Roman really saw this Pris person?”

  Eden clenched her fists. She had no intention of calming down. “Blake mentioned one of the staff resembled Pris, but he saw her from a distance and had no reason to suspect she’d actually be here. Maybe she was just hanging around with the caterer’s crew, waiting for a chance to grab him.”

  The sheriff let out a long breath. “Seems a little far-fetched to me, but we’ll check it out.”

  “Is there a way to call her cell phone? I don’t have the number, and if she left here with Blake around eight, she wouldn’t be home yet, if that’s even where she’s headed.”

  “Where exactly is her home?”

  “Blue Valley, Oregon. Can you call the local police there to have them check her house in a couple of hours? Even if she drives like a bat out of hell, she couldn�
��t get there this fast.”

  “I still think you’re seeing conspiracy theories where none exist, and we’ll find Blake somewhere on the prairie as soon as it’s light. My guess is he fell and twisted an ankle or something.”

  Eden focused on not shouting at Howard, whom she’d known since he and Sawyer were in grade school together. “And if you’re wrong?”

  “I’m not going to be able to do a damn thing from my bed. But since I’ve always liked you, Eden, I’ll get up now to see if I can contact this woman. I’ve gone hunting around Blue Valley, and I don’t think they even have a sheriff’s office in the town. I’ll get in touch with the nearest law enforcement and have them pay a visit to Ms. Lewis to see what she has to say.”

  “Thank you. Once you’ve talked to her or have found out if she’s actually in Blue Valley, can you call me on my cell?”

  “Why, are you going somewhere?”

  “I’m taking a road trip to Oregon. My gut tells me that’s where Blake is now.”

  “Let the police do their job, Eden.” His tone was sharp.

  “Oh, I plan to. Once they find Blake, I’ll be there to take him home.”

  He grunted. “Fine. I’ll be in touch.”

  She stuffed her phone in her pocket and turned to face Hannah and Tripp. “Will you tell Mom and Dad I left for Blue Valley? I don’t want them to worry about me.”

  Tripp rose to his feet and pulled Hannah up beside him. “You can call in a couple of hours and tell them yourself. We’re going with you.”

  Hannah nodded. “You’re exhausted, Eden. The last thing I want to hear is you fell asleep and crashed your car. We’ll take turns driving.”

  “What if this is all a wild goose chase? What if my gut is wrong?”

  “Then we’ll keep you company and figure out what to do next.” Hannah stepped around the coffee table and hugged her tight. “Either way, we’ll find Blake.”