No Greater Hell (Lost and Found, Inc. Book 4)

by Jerrie Alexander

  “Yeah,” Nate spoke up. “He’s staying in Connersville as long as Chief Santos needs him.”

  “I’m sorry you’re not here with us,” Kay said. “But I’m okay as long as you’re in a safe place.”

  “To say we’re isolated is an understatement. Jake’s aunt is one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met.”

  Kay was silent for a second. “How is Jake?”

  That was the question Holly had been expecting.” Very different than you remember. Living in the country has been good for him. He’s muscled, matured, yet he’s not sure about having me underfoot. He’s friendly one minute and hates me the next.” Holly’s fingers touched her lips as the memory of his kiss rushed over her.

  “He doesn’t hate you,” Nate said. “He still hates himself.”

  “I’m sure of it. Sometimes he relaxes but then he pushes me away.”

  “The tone of your voice makes me think that you still care for him,” Kay said. “Am I right?”

  “Please don’t tell me I have Stockholm syndrome.”

  “Did he tell you that?” Nate’s question reminded her that he was on the other line. Heat rushed up her cheeks.

  “Not for a few years.”

  “Then don’t let it worry you.” Nate was like a big brother to Holly. She welcomed his advice. “Get through this situation and then you can figure out who or what you want.”

  “I’d better get off the phone.” She gave Kay the number, confident no one else would have it.

  “Remember, we’re here if you need us,” Kay said.

  “She means that. In the meantime, we’ll do what we can through Dalton.”

  “I promised to help out when the baby is born. If the police catch this crazy jerk, maybe I can keep my word.”

  “Then we’ll have to get this business done. Tell Jake to call if he needs me,” Nate said.

  “I will. Thank you.” Holly disconnected, went back to the kitchen, and handed Jake the phone.

  “How’s Kay?”

  “Great. She asked about you.”

  He nodded. “I’m glad you talked to her.”

  “They were both on the phone. Nate said to call him if you need anything.”

  “Good to know.” Jake carried the stack of phones to a kitchen drawer and put them away. He glanced down at her feet. “Are you riding with me?”

  She followed his gaze. “Oh, give me a minute. I left my boots on the porch.”

  “I’ll be in the barn.”

  ****

  Jake saddled Jazzy, a chestnut mare, for himself, secured his work belt to the back of her saddle using the leather ties, and led her to the hitching post just outside the barn.

  He saddled the gelding for Holly. Buster was shorter than most quarter horses, built more like a bulldog, but with a ton of patience. His only flaw was that he had to be warmed up before the rider gigged him in the flanks. He tied Buster next to Jazzy.

  “Which one is mine?” Holly said from behind him.

  He turned and froze in place as she walked toward him. Wearing boots and jeans with a light blue T-shirt, her hair back into a high ponytail, the old Holly smiled at him. She took his breath away.

  “Hello?” The laughing lilt to her tone snapped him out of his daze.

  “You look…” He decided against telling her she looked beautiful.

  “Look what?”

  “Like a cowgirl,” he said, attempting to laugh off his awkward moment of stupidity. “Alice’s saddle should be perfect for you, and Buster will give you a good ride.”

  “Buster,” she repeated, running her fingers through the horse’s mane.

  “Climb aboard and I’ll adjust your stirrups.”

  Holly put her left foot in the stirrup, swung her right leg over Buster’s back, and smiled down at Jake. She’d mounted with ease and grace with a smile intended to remind him she knew how to ride. He moved from the left side to the right, making the necessary adjustments. His skin prickled under her scrutiny, but he refused to meet her gaze. He slid on the headstall and handed her the reins.

  “He has to be warmed up. Walk him around for a few minutes.”

  “Thank you.” She backed Buster up a few steps.

  “For what?”

  “Saddling my horse.” She pushed Buster forward into a walk. “And for staring at me like you think I’m hot.”

  No way was he taking that bait, so he slid the bridle on Jazzy, climbed on board, and then walked her to the gate. He leaned to the side, flipped open the latch, and swung the gate wide. Then he watched and waited as while Holly rode past him.

  A lone diamond-shaped patch of white hair grew right in the middle of Buster’s forehead. That damn horse seemed to know why people stopped and admired him. With Holly on his back, he seemed to be walking extra proud.

  “You look good on him. He’s a little touchy. Don’t kick…”

  Her heels connected with Buster’s flanks. The horse lunged forward. His back bowed, and he ducked his head straight at the ground. Every time he jammed his hoofs into the ground, Holly’s ponytail flew straight out and flopped up and down. She grabbed the saddle horn and scrambled to regain her seat in the saddle, which was no easy feat since she’d lost a stirrup on Buster’s first jump.

  Jake couldn’t hold back the laughter. She was doing a great job of sticking to the saddle. Four solid bucks later, and Buster settled down, ready to work. He shook his mane as if to say, “See how cool I am?” Then calmly waited for Jake and Jazzy to join them.

  “Nice riding. I was trying to warn you when all hell broke loose.” Jake turned in his saddle and waited for her response.

  “You told me to warm him up.” Her face was flushed and a smile ran ear to ear. “I can’t believe I stayed on.”

  “He’s done stretching his legs. You can drop the reins on his neck, and he’ll wait for your command.”

  Holly did exactly that while she used both hands to put her ponytail back together. She patted herself on the shoulders, chest, and hips. “Just checking to make sure all my parts still work.”

  Her parts looked great to Jake, but he kept his thoughts to himself. “Let’s get this done before dark.”

  They fell into an easy pace as they made their way to the back of the pasture. Today was one of those rare south Texas days when the temperature and humidity honored some kind of peace treaty. A slight breeze made for an unusually pleasant morning.

  Jake stopped and tightened barbwire at a couple of places. Holly had been silent for the longest time, so he detoured to a small creek that ran through the property. The water had receded a few inches, but it still rushed over the normally exposed rock.

  “Let’s give the horses a drink.” He walked Jazzy to the water’s edge and stopped.

  “Buster’s won’t want to go swimming, will he?”

  “Not unless you walk him out belly deep. Then you’d better keep his head up.” Jake dismounted and dropped his reins. She’d been unusually quiet after her conversation with Kay.

  Holly did the same. She walked to a boulder and sat. “Join me.”

  “You’ve been working on something for a while. What’s up?”

  “Don’t think you can read my mind.” Her blue eyes flashed in the sunlight.

  “Your face is very expressive. Professional poker playing isn’t a career you should pursue.” Jake braced himself. “Spit it out.”

  She placed her hand on his arm. Heat seared his skin. He wanted nothing more than to feel that burn on every inch of his body. To make her melt into his arms. He stiffened his back and resolve.

  “Jake.”

  He swallowed, dug deep into his reserve, and turned to meet her gaze.

  “I kissed you. Don’t you think we should talk about that?”

  “No.” He wasn’t discussing the kiss, period. “I do not.”

  “Well, I do.” Her fingers dug into his skin.

  “You’re grateful. I get it. The kiss was a mistake.” He pulled his gaze toward the water, anything to
prevent her from seeing the lie in his eyes. “It won’t happen again.”

  “Look at me.” She stood and stepped between his knees. “Damn it. We have to put the past where it belongs. You didn’t find my kiss repulsive, did you? You kissed me back, and it wasn’t a we’re-just-friends peck. You care for me.”

  Jake longed to pull her against his chest. To admit to her that not seeing her for the past two years had done nothing to erase his feelings for her. But none of that mattered. She’d moved on with her life and was happy. Period, end of story.

  She pinched his arm. “Stop folding up into your own head.”

  “Hey.” He caught her wrist in his hand as laughter burst from him. “You actually pinched me.”

  “It seemed the only way to get your attention.” The corners of her mouth turned down. “This isn’t funny, so stop laughing.”

  Shit. He’d pissed her off. “That you pinched me is funny as hell. Our conversation is not.”

  “Our conversation? When did you decide to join?” She cupped his cheeks, leaned her forehead against his. “You think you get to decide what I want or need? Well, I have news. I’ve been able to make my own choices for a long time. If this is going to work—”

  “This?”

  “Yes, this.” She pointed at her chest and then his. “You have to step up.”

  “Step up?”

  “Stop with the questions. Why do you refuse to talk to me?”

  “I do talk. You don’t listen.” She opened her mouth as if to speak. “Hold up. You want this out in the open? Here it is. I live with the things I did every day. How can I not remind you of it every time you see my face? I don’t expect you to forget or forgive the monster I was.”

  “There you go again. Deciding what I will or won’t do. When I look at you, I don’t see a monster; I see the man who saved my life.”

  Jake stared at her face. Her eyes had always given away her true feelings. The look in them now melted his heart. Her fingers slid up his cheek to the scar behind his ear, where surgery had saved his life. He surrendered to her warm touch and leaned his head into her hand.

  “I remember a very sick young man in a lot of pain. He was confused and alone. In the end, the good in him won out. He touched my heart. Still does.”

  “Holly,” he whispered as she was slowly untying the twisted knots inside his head and heart.

  “I’m right here.” Her eyes turned the color of the deep blue sea, sensuous and beckoning. Lightning bolts shot in every direction, mostly in the direction of his groin. Her head lowered until her lips covered his.

  Emotions he’d kept buried deep in his soul roared to the surface. Jake dragged her onto his lap, returning the kiss, drinking from her as if his life depended on her.

  He was demanding, hungry, his muscles tightening like coils. She responded with a fervor that shook him to the soles of his feet, and her soft moan drove his need even higher. He had to show her what he couldn’t say in words. He pulled her to straddle his legs, cupped her head, and swept his tongue inside the sweetness of her mouth. Jake almost exploded when she slid back and forth over his erection.

  The throwaway phone in his pocket buzzed. Holly moaned a sound of frustration as Jake reluctantly released her. Her lips were wet and swollen, cheeks pink with desire, and her chest rose and fell rapidly.

  “You’ve never looked more beautiful.” He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, stood her up, and then fished the cell out. “It’s Alice.”

  “Maybe she has good news,” Holly said between breaths.

  “What’s up?”

  “Nate Wolfe said you should call Chief Santos.” Jake picked up on her fear rolling through the airway.

  “We’re on our way.”

  Holly had already gone to gather both horses. Trained to ground tie, neither had wandered off. She rode back, leading Jazzy. “What’s happened?”

  “We won’t know until I call Nate. Rey Santos contacted him.”

  Jake mounted and together they turned their horses toward home. He pulled his horse to a stop just as the ranch came into view. He scanned the yard, barn, and north pasture. Alice stood alone on the back porch, her hand shielding the sun from her eyes as she searched the horizon for them. From a distance, everything looked peaceful.

  “Jake?” Holly’s hand reached for his. The fear in her eyes stabbed his heart.

  “Don’t buy trouble. Maybe this is good news. But whatever has happened, we can handle it.” He kept his gaze trained on the road in front of them for fear she’d know he’d lied.

  They rode the rest of the way in silence. The closer they got to the ranch, the more he hoped for Holly’s sake it wasn’t more bad news. As they approached the ranch, they slowed the horses. Alice waved and went inside.

  Jake tied up both horses outside the barn, then walked with Holly to the house. Alice had three glasses of iced tea waiting on the table.

  “Have a seat.”

  “Where’s Claude?”

  “He had business in town to take care of.” Alice’s eyes were full of sorrow. “Have a seat,” she repeated, waiting until they were down. “Holly, your first name was leaked to the press.”

  “Damn it,” Holly muttered.

  “We kind of expected it. Jake agreed with Holly but played down his concern. “There were so many witnesses at that school.”

  “I promised Nate you’d call him as soon as possible.” Tears welled in Alice’s eyes. She lifted her iced tea to her lips but didn’t drink.

  Jake walked to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. The hair on the back of Jake’s neck crawled. “What else did Nate tell you?”

  “No.” Alice’s hand came up to grip Holly’s. “I’m so sorry. Suzanne Richards is dead.”

  “She can’t be.” Holly stood, shaking her head. “There must be a mistake. The last I heard, Suzanne was recuperating nicely. It can’t be her.”

  “It’s true. She, a doctor, and a duty nurse were killed last night.”

  The color in Holly’s face rushed south, leaving her ghostly pale. “Killed? You mean murdered?”

  Alice nodded. “Yes.”

  Holly’s fingers drifted across her mouth. Tears fell silently and she stared at the floor. “This is my fault. All my fault.”

  He quickly went to her, slipping his hands around her and pulling her into his arms. She leaned into him, buried her face in his chest, and sobbed. Her shoulders and chest heaved with her cries.

  “Let it out. I’ve got you.” He doubted she heard him speak. She was lost in pain, fear, and frustration. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and he felt utterly, completely, helpless.

  CHAPTER 16

  Holly clung to Jake, her soul crying for Suzanne. Not only had she lost an incredible friend, the world had lost a wonderful person. She’d survived a war only to have her life taken by a madman. The last few minutes of her life had to have been nothing but terror and pain. Holly cried harder, thinking of what Suzanne must have gone through at the hands of a madman.

  “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to go through this,” Jake whispered. He continued to hold her, support her, and allow her to grieve. The family’s loss sliced through Holly. Depression wrapped around her, heavy, like fog on the lowland.

  “Take this damp washcloth, Jake,” Alice said. “Holly needs to rest. I’ll turn down her bed.”

  “Thank you.” Holly closed her eyes while Jake pressed the cool cloth to her face. “I’m fine.” She backed out of Jake’s arms and walked to the front door. As she studied the pasture dotted with grazing horses and cattle, her sorrow was slowly replaced by anger. She dug her fingernails into her palms. “There has to be something we can do.”

  “There is.” Jake opened a drawer and pulled out one of the throwaway cell phones. “We’ll call Santos first and then Nate.” Jake dialed the number and put the phone on speaker.

  Worry lines were trenched around his mouth, topped by a frown burrowed between his eyes. By the fourth ring, he was pacing.
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  “Rey Santos.”

  “Donovan here. Holly and I got your message about Suzanne’s murder. Two other people were killed? What can you tell us?”

  “I understand a doctor and nurse are dead too. The scene must have been gory. This motherfucker cut their throats.” Rey paused. “Sorry, about my language.”

  “Not necessary.” Holly put her hand against the wall to steady herself. Jake quickly led her to a chair. “Tell us everything.”

  “I’ve seen some bad shit in my day. I’ve been through a war, have worked car wrecks with mangled bodies, and had a killer who painted his victims to look like dolls, but this was the worst. Goddamn, blood was everywhere.”

  “I don’t know how you do it.” Jake picked up the phone.

  “Leave him on speaker.” As horrible as this was, her friend was dead and she wouldn’t look away from it. Jake was not going to filter information. He shook his head. She stepped closer, crowding his space. “I have a right to hear.”

  She understood that he was trying to protect her, that he thought the information was too horrible for her to hear. But she stood her ground, and he returned the phone to the table where she pointed.

  “Go ahead, Rey.” The nerves in Jake’s jaws twitched as he spoke.

  “Holly, none of this is pretty. You may be a nurse, but—”

  “Suzanne was my friend.” Holly wasn’t backing down. “This involves me.”

  The chief cleared his throat. “She bled out pretty quick.”

  Holly caught Jake’s hand. “Go on.” Tears rushed to the surface and she battled them back.

  “The night nurse must have interrupted because her body was found just inside the door to Suzanne’s room.”

  “Has anyone contacted the Richards family?”

  “I spoke to her sister. Dalton gave me Nate Wolfe’s number, said he could reach you.”

  Holly closed her eyes, trying to imagine Suzanne laughing and happy. She’d never married. Instead, she’d spent her life taking care of other people. “Why kill her? What did that accomplish?”

  “I think the shooter wanted information on Holly,” Rey replied.

  Jake leaned forward. “Yeah. I agree. The shooter must have thought he was silencing the witness when he shot Suzanne.”