Saving His Soul (Serenity Springs Series, #3)

by Dawn Sullivan

  “It didn’t raise any red flags when they did a background check on you?”

  Rayna shook her head. “After what happened to my family, everything in my past was completely erased and my files buried deeply, so deeply only the U.S. Marshals would know the truth. They gave me a whole new background, all the way back to my birth. Some of those computer programmers on staff are geniuses. They can work miracles.”

  “What about when you took the lie detector test?”

  “They didn’t ask me anything that I actually had to lie about. There is a way around everything.” It had been much more difficult to get past that test than she was letting on, but she’d managed it. “The U.S. Marshals tried to get me to quit when they found out what I was doing, but I refused.” Looking down at the table, Rayna slowly tapped her fingertips against the dark wood. “You know, when I was younger, I had my life all planned out. I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. I even knew who I wanted to marry, and how many kids we would have. My life has turned out nothing like I planned. The accident that night, what Diego Cortez did to me and my family, changed everything. I worked hard to become the person I am today, so that I could bring that bastard down not only for what he did to my family, but for what he has done to so many other innocent people. And now, I am getting my chance.”

  “Why Serenity Springs?” Nathan wanted to know.

  “He’s been looking for me,” Rayna admitted. “There’s a leak here in the office.” She held a hand up to stop the questions she knew were coming. “I don’t know who it is, but I do know there is one. I’m going to draw Diego back to Serenity Springs, without letting him know that I am. I have started to leave subtle hints about who I used to be, and who I have become. I want him to find me. Originally, my plan was to take a leave of absence from work. I bought the house my family lived in before the accident, and I was going to lure him back to Serenity Springs. I knew it could take months for him to show up, but I was willing to wait.”

  “What made you think the FBI would take you back if you went rogue like that?” Kayla asked incredulously.

  Rayna returned the other woman’s gaze steadily, but did not reply.

  “She didn’t think she would be coming back,” Nathan said quietly. “She planned on following through with her plan, whether she ended up dead or alive.”

  Rayna nodded, “I figured I would jump that hurdle if I got to it. I had no idea how long my mission would take.”

  Running a hand through his thick, dark hair, Nathan said, “Talbot told us that you were going in to draw Cortez out. He never gave us the full story behind it, and we were trying to figure out why he thought you would be able to attract the mob’s attention. Now we know.”

  “The assistant director said he was sending two agents in undercover with me. Is that you?”

  “Not me,” Kayla replied. “I don’t do that kind of work anymore. I tend to stay in the office, with the occasional offsite field work. Nathan will be going, along with Lyssa Taylor.”

  Lyssa Taylor, Rayna thought. She was a newer agent, but a very good one who held a lot of promise.

  “Where will the two of you be?” she asked Nathan.

  “I’ll be working at a place called New Hope Ranch. It’s a few miles outside of town and close to your old farm.”

  “I know it,” Rayna responded, surprised he would choose New Hope to stay at. “It’s a home for troubled kids run by Harper Daley. She started it after her husband passed away a few years ago. Harper’s going to let you work there? I would think she would be worried about putting the children in danger.”

  “They won’t be in any kind of danger,” Nathan promised, sliding his chair back from the table and standing to stretch. “And Harper has no idea why I will be there. She thinks I am just a rancher looking for a job. Our people gave me a good resume. It’s iron clad. She has no reason to suspect I’m there for anything except to work with the horses, and sometimes the children.”

  Rayna sighed, “You better hope so, Brentworth, because I can tell you right now, if anything happens to one of those kids, Harper will string you up by your balls.”

  Before he could respond, Kayla interjected, “Lyssa will be working at Mac’s Diner as a waitress. She starts tomorrow, and is staying in an apartment above the diner. Both she and Nathan will blend in nicely, and I will be here with eyes on Cortez.”

  Nathan stalked to the door, opening it before looking back, “Be here tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. sharp. We have some major planning to do before we send you in.”

  Rayna sighed deeply, as she watched him go. He was right. If they were going to pull this off, and she would or die trying, then they needed to go over every detail, piece by piece. Even if that meant that she would arrive in Serenity Springs a few days behind schedule.

  Chapter 5

  Ryder removed his Stetson and wiped the sweat from his brow with the shirt he’d stripped off over an hour ago. The sun was out in full force and it was only midmorning. He had been fixing fence since 4 a.m. to try and beat the heat, but it wasn’t working.

  Walking back over to where his gelding stood waiting patiently, Ryder removed a bottle of water from the saddlebag and took a long drink. Tilting his head back, he dumped the rest of the water over his face and down his body to try and cool off. After replacing his Stetson, he put the empty bottle back in the bag and went back to the fence to gather up his tools. He was supposed to report for duty at the station in an hour, and he desperately needed a shower first. Ryder knew he was cutting it close, but some of the cattle slipped through the fence a couple of days ago and he’d spent the majority of the day before rounding them up. After moving them to the south pasture, he had been too tired to do anything else. It was times like these that he regretted his decision to help his brother out at the police station. He would never tell Creed, but working as a deputy, along with taking care of the ranch, was starting to take a toll on him. He was always exhausted now, but forced himself to push through daily.

  After quickly putting his tools away, Ryder gathered up the reins and slipped them over Cochise’s neck. Family always came first, he reminded himself as he swung up into the saddle. Without family, you had nothing. He would do what needed to be done for his, without complaining. Turning the Palomino toward the ranch, he let the horse set his own pace home.

  Forty-five minutes later Ryder walked through the doors of the police station, a box of donuts in one hand and a tray with four coffees in the other. Grinning at the receptionist, Claire, he set the donuts down on the counter in front of her and removed one of the coffees. “Good morning, Miss Claire,” he said in greeting, smiling widely when her pale cheeks blushed a pretty shade of pink. “I brought you breakfast.” The girl was way too young for him, but there was nothing wrong with some harmless flirting. Besides, she was adorable with her long dark, blonde hair and wide, hazel eyes. Not only that, but he also enjoyed annoying the hell out of Cody when he was around because he knew the kid had a crush on her. Ryder chuckled softly when he saw a dark glare aimed his way from across the room. Yep, he had successfully managed to piss the deputy off.

  “Thank you, Ryder,” Claire responded shyly as she accepted the coffee. Shaking her head when he opened the donut box, she told him, “I already ate breakfast.” Ryder frowned, but closed the box deciding not to press it. Recently Claire had begun losing weight rapidly. No one knew why, and she refused to discuss it. Ryder tried to get her to talk to him several times, but she would always immediately close up and turn back to her work.

  Shrugging it off for now, he grinned, “That’s okay, Claire. I’ll eat yours too.”

  Claire giggled in response, but Ryder noticed the laughter didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Creed and Katy are waiting for you in Creed’s office,” she told him, as she took a small sip of her hot beverage. “Thanks again for the coffee.”

  With one last look at her once again pale complexion, Ryder picked up the rest of the coffee and donuts and made his way to Cree
d’s office. Kicking the door shut behind him, Ryder nodded to his brother and sister as he placed their breakfast on Creed’s desk. “Dig in,” he offered before grabbing a blueberry-filled donut and sinking his teeth into it, groaning as the sweet taste hit his tongue.

  Katy laughed as she leaned forward in her chair to look into the large white box. “You do realize it’s almost lunchtime, right?” Selecting a cherry-filled pastry, she moaned as she bit into it. “Sinfully Delicious has the best donuts, but don’t you dare tell Dottie I said that!”

  Ryder chuckled as he took another bite. Dottie was one of the waitresses over at Mac’s Diner. They all loved to eat at Mac’s place, but if you were looking for donuts or baked goods, Sinfully Delicious was the place to go.

  Creed leaned forward and snatched one of the coffees out of the tray. Scowling, he took a drink before saying, “Take a seat, Ryder.”

  Raising an eyebrow, Ryder lowered himself into the other chair in front of Creed’s desk and asked, “What has you all pissed off so early in the day?”

  Katy’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she quipped, “Sloane’s out of town at a book signing in Arizona. He’s probably a bit frustrated.”

  Shaking his head at them, Creed groused, “It has nothing to do with Sloane being gone. She was excited to meet some of her favorite authors and hang out with others she knows, and I’m glad she made the decision to go. Besides, she will be back tonight.”

  “Well then, what’s wrong?” Reaching for her coffee, she closed her eyes, sighing in pleasure as she took a sip. “Are you having issues with the town council again?”

  “No,” Creed sighed heavily. “I almost wish I was.”

  Well, shit, Ryder thought as he finished off his donut and took a drink of his coffee. In the last few months, the people of Serenity Springs had been put through hell. It started with a crazy bastard stalking Sloane and then infiltrating the elementary school, endangering the lives of several children and almost killing one of the teachers. Then, just recently, another lunatic went after Lacey Donovan, the town coroner. He murdered two other local women before attempting to end his killing spree with her. What else could happen to their small town?

  Deciding he wasn’t ready for the answer to that question just yet, he grabbed a chocolate, cream-filled long john and took a bite before asking, “When does the new deputy arrive?”

  “He’s not coming,” Creed said, running a hand through his thick, dark hair in frustration. “He decided small town living wasn’t for him and accepted a position in Dallas instead. I’m sorry, Ryder. I know it has to be kicking your ass working the ranch and then having to patrol several days a week on top of it. I promise to get you out of here as soon as I can find a replacement.”

  “It’s fine,” Ryder replied, his hand tightening around the thick Styrofoam cup he held. If they really knew what he went through on a daily basis, they would be pissed that he didn’t ask for help. But he wouldn’t, that was just how he was. Ryder was the first to step forward and help anyone in need, but the last to ask for it for himself.

  “What’s really going on, Creed?” Katy asked quietly, leaning back in her chair and cradling her coffee cup with both hands. “Why are we in a closed door meeting? What has you looking so worried?”

  Taking a closer look, Ryder realized his sister was right. Creed obviously was not happy, but something had him shook up as well. “Talk to us, brother,” Ryder said, keeping his eyes trained on Creed.

  Sighing deeply, Creed leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. “I got a call from an Assistant Director Talbot with the Federal Bureau of Investigation yesterday.”

  “Linc?” Katy whispered in fear. Creed had told Katy and his brothers about Linc’s involvement with the FBI, but they were keeping it quiet from everyone else, including their parents. It was the only way to ensure their brother’s safety.

  “No,” Creed replied, rubbing a hand over his face. “This has nothing to do with him.” Ryder breathed a sigh of relief as Creed went on, “It seems one of their agents has purchased the Andrews place and will be moving in soon.”

  Katy cocked an eyebrow, a slow grin forming on her lips. “Does this agent need a job?”

  A short burst of laughter slipped past Creed’s lips. “I wish. I would give her one in a heartbeat. I can tell you, Rayna Williams has guts, that’s for sure.”

  Rayna Williams. Ryder turned the name over in his mind. He liked it. It was both strong and sexy. He wondered what she looked like. Then Creed’s words sank in. She was buying Olivia’s old house. The Andrews had purchased it after Olivia and her family died in a car accident just over twelve years ago. Olivia...his best friend. They were inseparable after she moved to Serenity Springs with her family in the third grade. Over time, Ryder’s feelings grew stronger, and the night of their graduation he decided to tell her how he felt. That was the night of the accident. He never had the chance to tell her that he loved her. There was no funeral, so he never even got to tell her goodbye. There had been no closure on his end, and it had always haunted him.

  “From what Talbot told me, Agent Williams is moving here to draw a known mob boss from D. C. out of hiding. He wouldn’t give me very much information, but he told me he was sharing what he did as a common courtesy.”

  “Bullshit,” Katy interrupted. “Since when does the FBI play nice with small town cops? He has an agenda.” Katy was young, but she had more knowledge regarding law enforcement than others with twice her experience. She was very intelligent, and absorbed information like a sponge. “What did you tell him?”

  “I told him I didn’t want his agents in my town causing trouble. That we’d had enough of that over the past few months, and didn’t need any more.” Raking his hand through his hair once more, Creed admitted darkly, “By the end of the conversation, he had me eating out of his fucking hand. He made it clear that Rayna Williams was coming here no matter what any of us wanted, and we could either support her or ignore her. He promised to keep us informed on the situation and I told him he had our full support.”

  “Which was exactly what he wanted,” Katy guessed. “He didn’t call to play nice. He called because he wants help looking after his bait.”

  “This doesn’t make sense to me,” Ryder interjected, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Why would they place one of their agents here in Serenity Springs to draw a mob boss out? Wouldn’t it be easier to do in his own city?”

  “I have no idea,” Creed replied, slamming his fist down on the desk. “All I know is that son of a bitch is sending his agent to my town and endangering my residents. And there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it. He made that part perfectly clear.”

  “When is she supposed to arrive?” Katy asked quietly. Ryder could see wheels turning in her head, but he was afraid to ask what she was thinking. Hell, he was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that someone new was moving into Olivia’s house. It had broken his heart when the Andrews bought it just six months after the accident, because it made him face the fact that the Johnsons really were gone.

  “I have no idea. It’s all a waiting game on our end now.”

  “I’ll keep an eye on the house,” Ryder volunteered. The Johnson residence, that was how he would always think of the small farm, was just up the road from the Caldwell ranch. It would be easy for him to drive by a couple times a day to check on it.

  “Hopefully Agent Williams will introduce herself when she comes to town,” Creed drawled as he stood, “but it’s a good idea to watch the old place just in case she doesn’t show us the professional courtesy of a meeting.”

  “Maybe she will stay clear of the station so that she doesn’t draw attention to herself,” Ryder suggested, although he had a bad feeling the woman wasn’t going to be worried about who saw her.

  “From what I gather, the whole idea is to get this guy’s attention. I don’t think Rayna gives a shit who sees her.” Placing his Stetson on his head, Creed motioned to the door. “Well, we can’
t just sit around and wait for the woman to arrive. We have jobs to do.”

  Ryder rose, tossing his empty coffee cup into the trash. “You’re right. There’s nothing we can do about Rayna Williams right now, but there might be something we can do for Claire. What’s your take on her? She’s still not eating, and I could tell something was bothering her this morning.”

  Katy’s eyes narrowed in concern. “She’s definitely not the happy young lady we hired a year ago. I’ve been watching her closely the past few days. She’s losing weight and the shadows under her eyes are becoming more pronounced. It might be stress related. I know she’s taking a lot of college courses, along with holding down a full-time job.”

  “Why don’t you try and talk to her this afternoon, Katy?” Creed suggested as he opened the door. “She might respond better to a female. If something is going on, if she needs help, I want to know.”

  Nodding, Katy stood and followed Creed out of the office. Ryder smothered a yawn as he followed. His day started way before dawn, and it was not even half over yet. He had his patrol shift first, then a pregnant mare to check on, horses to feed, stalls to clean, and he really needed to figure out what was wrong with the tractor he used to haul hay. He’d had a difficult time keeping the damn thing running lately.

  Calling out a greeting to Jace Walker, the deputy he would be riding with that day, Ryder pushed down his exhaustion and grinned. “Let’s go, Walker. I want to stop by Mac’s and grab a bagel.”