Her brows shot up. “You want me to lie? Good God, Roman, I’m pretty sure the court would frown on you talking to me right now, let alone—”
“You’re the only witness.” His voice cracked. “They’ll lock me up and toss the key down the shit hole right along with my life if I can’t prove I didn’t try to kill my father.” His ragged breathing echoed in her ear. “I contacted that reporter, Kennedy, and he swore he didn’t see anything ’cause he was taking a piss in the bushes. Then I looked up Charles Monahan. From where he claims he was on the trail, he should have had a clear view, but he was pretty adamant about not noticing me. You’re my only hope, and a flash of color isn’t a hell of a lot to go on.”
She pressed her fingers to her brow and rubbed. “Sawyer thinks I’m soft-hearted to believe you didn’t try to kill us, but for whatever reason, I think you’re innocent.”
“Then surely stretching the truth a little won’t hurt.” His voice wavered. “If you’d looked out the window of the plane, you would have seen me leaving the area right after Walton got back onboard. That jerk, Monahan, told me I could easily have snuck back out there after he went inside the terminal building. Shit, other than picking those stinking berries to dose Walton’s salad, I did nothing wrong!”
She held the phone away from her ear. “What does your attorney say?”
“The evidence against me is circumstantial, but because I freely admitted to the berries and grabbing Walton’s ankle in the water…” Roman drew in a ragged breath. “He says the chances of a conviction are decent unless your testimony sways the jury.”
“I’m not going to lie, but I’ll make it clear I saw your shirt down below me. Don’t you think that will be good enough to establish reasonable doubt?”
“I hope so. God, I hope so.” He let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry I bothered you so late.”
“Not a problem. Good luck, Roman.”
“Thanks. I have a feeling I’m going to need it.”
Chapter 25
Sawyer slammed on the brakes and swerved, skidding on loose gravel. Not soon enough. His front tire, and then his back, hit the board lying across the road. The truck jerked, and an ominous thumping sounded as he pulled to a stop. Getting out, he slammed the pickup door, rounded the front bumper and surveyed the damage.
“I’ll be a son of a bitch!” Both passenger side tires sagged as the air hissed out. Walking back, he picked up the five foot long two-by-four with nails protruding down the whole length. “Shit!”
Chucking the piece of lumber in the bed of the truck, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit the button for the ranch. When his mom answered, he growled a greeting.
“What’s going on? Didn’t you leave not ten minutes ago?”
“Yeah, I did. Some moron dropped a board with nails on the freaking road. Must have come from that load of scrap lumber we took to the dump after we tore out that section of old fencing.” He let out a breath and resisted the urge to swear. “I have two flats. Can you ask Dad to bring me the spare tire from the work truck? It’s the same size as mine.”
“He just rode out with Zane. I can leave in about fifteen or twenty minutes. I’m canning tomatoes, and—”
“How about Grandpa? You’ll get filthy getting the spare out from under the truck.”
“I’ll call him. Where are you?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “About five miles from the ranch.”
“What bad luck. Are you going to be late meeting Devin at the airport?”
“I will be if I don’t get the tires changed fast.”
“One of us will be there shortly.” She disconnected.
He tossed the phone on the seat and set to work releasing the spare. After jacking up the truck, he removed the damaged tire, replaced it, and then moved on to the second tire. He had it off and was waiting when his grandpa drove up.
He got out and slammed the door. “Two flats? How in the world did that happen?”
Sawyer pointed to the board in the truck bed then walked toward the rear of the work vehicle. “That damn piece of lumber was lying across the road. I swerved left but wasn’t fast enough to avoid it.”
“Your mom said it came from the discarded fencing we replaced?” His grandpa lifted out the two-by-four and frowned. “This isn’t from the corral. It’s not nearly as weathered as those boards were.”
Sawyer hefted the spare tire and returned. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Then how the hell did that piece of scrap wind up in the road? No one comes out this far but us.”
“Good question.” His grandpa’s blue eyes clouded. “Do you need any help changing the tire?”
“No, I’ve got it. Thanks for bringing me the spare. I’ll get both my tires patched in Cody.” He scowled. “That’ll take more time. I’m definitely going to be late meeting Devin.”
“Well, I’ll head back to the ranch, then. Have a nice time in Denver. That girl is sweet and funny. Don’t let her get away, Sawyer.”
“I’m doing my best, Grandpa.”
Sawyer changed the tire in record time and jumped back in his pickup. A glance at the dashboard clock told him he’d lost a good half hour. By the time he got the tires patched… He picked up his phone and pushed a button.
“Hey, there, aren’t you on the road by now?”
Just the sound of Devin’s voice eased some of his irritation. “I am, sort of.” He started the engine and hit the gas. Gravel spurted out from beneath the tires. “I ran over a couple of nails. I’ll haul ass once I get my tires fixed, but I’m still going to be a little late picking you up.”
“I can take a cab to the hotel…if I can find one that will agree to transport Tiny.”
“How about if I call when I get closer and know how late I’ll be.”
“Sounds good. Uh, Sawyer, don’t drive like a bat out of hell. Getting pulled over for speeding will slow you down even more.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. When do you fly out of DC?”
“Damn it, Tiny, move.” Her voice was breathy. “I leave for the airport in a couple of hours.”
He smiled, imagining her trying to shove her giant dog out of the way. “I’d better hang up and pay attention to my driving. I’ll call you later.”
“Okay. Stay safe.”
“You, too.” He dropped the phone then settled back against the seat. In seven hours, or maybe a little more, she would be in his arms again. He couldn’t wait.
* * * *
Devin sat on her upended suitcase resting on the sidewalk in front of the Rocky Mountain Metro Airport and held tight to Tiny’s leash while she pressed the phone to her ear. “How much longer?”
“Maybe forty-five minutes.” Sawyer let out a breath, sounding frustrated. “I got stuck in some heavy traffic. Sorry, babe.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll just hang tight right here. I’m way down at the end of the pick-up and drop-off area past the terminal. Tiny isn’t great with commotion. Thank God we didn’t fly into Denver International.”
“No kidding. Hauling that moose through a major airport would have been a scene. I’ll find you. Oops, cop up ahead. Gotta go. Bye.”
She stuffed the phone back in her purse. “Not much longer, Tiny. Just relax.”
The dog whined and jerked on the leash as a car whizzed by.
“You’re going to pull my arm out of its socket. Just sit still, for crying out loud.”
The dog ignored her and pulled even harder.
“I’ll fix you.” Devin looped the leash through the handle of the suitcase and knotted it tight, then flexed her sore arm. “Much better.”
When a white sedan slowed and pulled up beside her, she frowned. The passenger window lowered, and Tiny burst into a chorus of barks.
“Devin, is that you?”
“Quiet!” Rising from the case, she stepped to the side of the car and ducked to look inside. “Charles? This
is a surprise. What’re you doing in Denver?”
“Business meeting later today. I’m here to pick up a colleague, but his flight’s been delayed. Do you need a ride somewhere?” His smile was sympathetic. “Doesn’t look like much fun sitting on the curb with that monster, and I have time on my hands.”
“Tiny hates loud noise, so he’s not behaving well.” She glanced at her watch. Still over a half hour to go. “Sawyer is picking me up, but he’s late. If you really don’t mind, I’d love a ride to the hotel where we’re staying. It’s only a few miles away.”
“I don’t mind at all.” He put on the parking brake then stepped out of the car to come around to her side. Raising a hand, he adjusted the brim of the ball cap he wore. “You found a place that would take big dogs?”
“Thankfully. This is really nice of you. I’ll just call Sawyer to tell him he doesn’t have to come to the airport, after all.”
“You can phone him once we get out of here. I don’t want to block traffic.” He opened the rear door. “The dog can ride back here.”
Devin turned. “Okay, I—”
Pain blinded her, and she pitched forward…
* * * *
Sawyer frowned as he crept past the line of cars picking up people and luggage. There was some sort of traffic jam farther up. What the hell? The problem looked like it originated in the area where Devin had planned to wait. As he inched forward, he pulled out his cell to call her. After several rings, his call went to voice mail.
“I’m at the airport. Should reach you in a few minutes.” Dropping the phone, he nosed forward then whipped into a spot by the curb and got out of the pickup. He’d make better time on foot. After locking the door with the remote, he ran up the sidewalk.
People were clustered beside a county truck from animal control that was blocking a lane of traffic. When noisy barking erupted, Sawyer’s stomach knotted.
“Shit.” Pushing through the onlookers, he ran up to the man trying to slip a noose on the end of a stick over Tiny’s neck. “Hey, I know that dog. Where’s the owner?”
“He was abandoned tied to that suitcase.”
Where the hell is Devin? Sawyer forced himself to breathe. “I talked to his owner not much more than a half hour ago. She was right here with him.”
“Well, she isn’t now, and that dog dragged the bag out into the traffic lane and had the whole area jammed up. A concerned gentleman got him back to the side then called us. We’re taking the big brute in.”
“I’ll take Tiny with me. He belongs to my girlfriend.” Sawyer ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know where she went, and I’m more than a little worried. She wouldn’t leave her dog unless something was seriously wrong.”
The man retracted the catchpole. “Fine, but get him out of here now.”
“I’ll try, but he looks a little traumatized.” Sawyer stepped up onto the sidewalk. “Hey, Tiny, remember me.”
Head down, the mammoth dog barked a couple of times, deep and low, then backed against the suitcase, his whole body shaking.
“It’s okay, boy. You’re scared. I get that. So am I.” Moving closer, he stroked the Great Dane’s quivering neck. “Good boy, Tiny. Let’s go find Devin.”
After untying the leash, he grabbed the suitcase handle and headed back toward his truck. Once he reached it, he lifted the bag into the back then opened the door. Tiny jumped inside.
Sawyer heaved out a breath as he picked up his cell with a shaking hand to call Devin again. Voice mail. Pressing fingers to his forehead, he left another message. “Hey, I have Tiny, and I’m really worried. Where are you?”
“Excuse me.”
Turning, he glanced toward the speaker. A man in a suit holding a briefcase stood on the curb.
“Yes?”
“I saw a woman with that Great Dane earlier. My ride was running late, and it looked like she was waiting for someone, too.”
“Did she go somewhere, maybe back into the terminal? I don’t understand why she would leave Tiny.”
The stranger frowned. “I have no idea. A car pulled up, a white sedan, and a man got out. He was talking to her when I went back inside to wait at the bar.”
“You didn’t see her leave with him?”
“I’m afraid not. There were a couple of women waiting not too far away, but they seemed to be busy texting and not paying much attention. Both were gone when I came back outside after the commotion started. If anything out of the ordinary happened, you’d think they would have reported it.” He nodded toward Tiny. “That big guy is a beauty. So was the woman with him.”
“Damn it!” Sawyer smacked his fist against the side of the pickup. “Can you tell me what this man looked like?”
“I honestly didn’t notice much, just that he was fairly tall. I think he was wearing khakis and a tan jacket. He had on a hat, and his back was to me.”
“Did you get the make of the car?”
“I’m afraid not. Maybe a Ford or a Chevy. Something domestic would be my best guess. There was nothing distinctive about it.”
Sawyer took a few breaths, trying to stave off panic. “What time was this?”
“Probably about a half-hour ago. Maybe longer. I wasn’t keeping an eye on my watch.”
Sawyer drummed his fingers on the side of the truck. “Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.”
“Hope you find her soon.”
As the man walked away, Sawyer sat on the edge of the seat and gripped the steering wheel so hard his hands ached. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Picking up his phone, he tried Devin’s cell again but didn’t bother leaving a message when voice mail picked up. He shoved it in his back pocket. Wherever she was, she must not have any reception. The bathroom in the terminal, maybe? Had she felt sick and gone inside, deserting Tiny? His temples throbbed as fear pressed in on him. No way would she have driven off with a stranger without her dog. Not willingly, anyway.
He rolled the windows partway down and left Tiny in the truck then headed into the building. Finding the bathroom nearest the spot where Devin had left the dog, he stopped an older lady with fluffy white hair as she came out.
He pointed toward the restroom. “Did you notice a young woman in there with short, blond hair and blue eyes? Maybe she wasn’t feeling well?”
The elderly lady’s dark eyes sparkled. “Did you lose your wife, or are you stalking some poor girl who’s trying to get away from you? You don’t look like a pervert.”
If he hadn’t been so worried, her up and down perusal would have amused him. “I’m not some creep. The woman is my girlfriend, and she disappeared a half hour ago.”
“I’m sorry, but she isn’t in there. Just a brunette changing a baby’s diaper. That thing stunk to high heaven.”
“Thank you.” He turned in a circle, scanning the people hurrying by, hoping against hope Devin would rush toward him any minute now. No such luck. A sky captain caught his attention, and he walked over to the portly man then pulled out his cell. Tapping on his pictures, he pulled up one of Devin he’d taken on the river in Idaho, head tipped back as she laughed at something Jon had said. He held up the phone. “Any chance you’ve seen this woman?”
The man shook his head. “I don’t think so. Pretty girl.” He frowned. “Wait. Did she have a dog with her?”
Sawyer’s heart beat faster. “A Great Dane.”
“I saw her headed outside, pulling a suitcase with this monster dog dragging her behind him as he lunged toward the door. That was maybe an hour or so ago.”
“Did you notice where she went?”
“No, sir. I’ve been in here dealing with a luggage issue.”
“She didn’t come back inside the terminal, without the dog this time?”
“Not that I noticed, and I probably would have. She had on a bright pink shirt. That neon color stands out, even in a crowd, and it hasn’t been that busy today.”
Sawyer’s shoulders slumped. “Tha
nk you.” He turned then stopped. “Can you tell me where to find security?”
“Just down that way about fifty yards.” He pointed. “You should see the office. It’ll be on your left.”
“My truck is parked outside with her dog in it. Any chance you can keep an eye on my vehicle while I report my girlfriend missing. Getting towed…” He ran a hand across the back of his neck and let out a frustrated breath. “I don’t need that right now.”
The man nodded. “You bet. Go check in with the deputy on duty. Let’s hope security can track her down.”
Sawyer gave him a grateful smile then took off at a run. Five minutes later he’d explained the situation to the officer in charge, a thin woman with dark hair and gray eyes that didn’t miss a detail. She asked a few pointed questions then put out a call over the loud speaker and organized a thorough search of the area without wasting time. Sawyer took a seat on a brown plaid upholstered chair and clenched his hands in his lap while he waited for answers.
When the woman who’d introduced herself as Deputy Gerrard returned, he jumped to his feet. “Did you find Devin?”
“I’m afraid not. We’re checking video feed from the security cameras now, focusing on the area where she left the dog.”
He forced himself to breathe. “Do you think whoever was in that white car took her?”
“Maybe he was someone she knew. Possibly she changed her mind about meeting you at the airport.” The deputy turned away. “I’ll let you know what we find on the tape.”
The door closed behind her with a sharp click. When his cell rang, he snatched it out of his pocket, hope soaring… “Shit.” With a sigh, he pressed the button to connect. “What’s up, Walton?”
“I’ve been trying to reach Devin, but she isn’t answering her phone. I need to speak to her—”
“She disappeared before I got to the airport. Security is looking for her now.”
“Devin wouldn’t just take off!” Walton’s voice rose. “I’ll make some calls and light a fire under those people.”
“No need. They’re taking this seriously and are already searching video feed. I should know something soon.” With an effort, Sawyer steadied his voice. “I’m afraid someone grabbed her. I don’t know what else to think.”
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