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

by Jerrie Alexander

  Suzanne would have loved him. Holly’s anger subsided, replaced by sadness. She relinquished the bags, but the pain of loss didn’t cut her a break. “Thank you. I wouldn’t want both of us to be in trouble.”

  “Cut him some slack.” He referred to Jake with a nod of his head. “Men, in general, overreact when someone they love scares them. He’s worried about keeping you safe.”

  Holly laughed. Unfortunately, the sound was extremely bitter. He put her belongings in the back of the SUV and turned to her.

  Tank shrugged one shoulder. “I’m just saying.”

  “Thank you. You’ve been very kind. This ranch is very important to Jake and his aunt. I have a feeling you’ll take care of the place.”

  “Paul and I are both country boys. We’ll treat this place as if it belonged to us. If anybody asks, we’ve been hired on to help expand the ranch.”

  “Thank you. When did you go to work for Nate?”

  “A few months ago. It was time to get out of the military and settle down.”

  “You call working for Lost and Found settled?”

  “In comparison? Yes, ma’am. I guess I could have gone back to bulldogging, but this made more sense.” Tank took out a business card and a pen. He jotted a number on the back. “You put this somewhere nobody will look. Shit hit the fan, and you can’t find help? Call that number.”

  The big man shook her hand, then placed the card in her palm.

  “I will.”

  “I’ll load Jake’s things next to yours.”

  Holly opened the back door to the SUV and got inside. While Jake and Marcus were still walking back from the barn, she calmed herself.

  “You loaded and ready to go?” Marcus reached in and captured her hand with his.

  “As I’ll ever be. I wish there was another way.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Want to ride up front with me?”

  “No, thanks. I’m good right here.”

  Marcus closed the door and started the engine. The cold blast from the air conditioner was welcome. Jake said good-bye to Tank and Paul, loaded Daisy in the back with Holly, and then hopped in the passenger-side seat. In less than five minutes, they were driving through the gate and toward the highway.

  She wanted to reach forward, to grasp his shoulder and say she was sorry that he’d gotten involved. But she couldn’t for fear he would shrug her hand off. Deep in her soul, she ached that their time together was over. For a minute in time, she’d shared her heart with him. Maybe she’d given him a glimpse of true love.

  Together they’d created a memory that would have to last her a lifetime.

  ****

  Marcus stopped the SUV at the Lost and Found guard shack. “Gary, this is Jake Donovan.”

  Jake leaned across Marcus and shook Gary’s hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” Gary leaned down and looked through the driver’s side window.

  “Welcome home.” He winked at Holly. “I had coffee with Kay and Nate this morning. She couldn’t stop talking about you. She’s excited for sure.”

  “Thank you,” Holly said. “I can’t wait to see her.”

  Jake leaned back and tried to relax. The ride back had been long and tedious, leaving Jake time to second-guess his decision. If something happened to the ranch, he’d never forgive himself, but deep in his soul, he knew protecting Holly was worth any cost.

  Jake was familiar with the architectural plans for the Lost and Found compound, but the drive back to the compound showed him that major changes had taken place. The hot and dry Texas summer weather hadn’t managed to kill off enough heavy shrubs and trees to expose the layout of the business at first. The tree-covered road opened and Jake whistled. “The place is larger than the blueprints I remember.”

  “Wait until you get a look around,” Marcus said. “We’ve grown a lot since we moved out here, adding additional buildings within the first year. Nate’s established the company as the go-to place for solutions not only for individuals but the government.”

  “I’m guessing Dalton coming on board helped with Uncle Sam.”

  “No doubt, Dalton added to our credibility.”

  The road wound through the trees a few minutes before opening up at the mouth of a clearing. The plans Jake remembered called for an office building, a house, and a gym/training facility. A long, narrow shotgun-type building had been added to the back of the property.

  “That’s the gun range and a bunkhouse of sorts. It helps when there’s a big case and we’re in and out.” Marcus laughed to himself. “My wife doesn’t like it when I crash here, but sometimes, all I have is a couple of hours.”

  Jake understood why Nate had been so adamant that Holly would be safer here than just about anywhere. “The compound appears to be secure, but it’s never been really tested. Has it?”

  “Have we protected someone from an outside attack?” Marcus’s gaze slid to the rearview mirror. “No. But we can.”

  Holly leaned forward. “An attack?” Her surprise was evident in her tone. “It sounds as if you expect a small army.”

  “We always plan for the worst,” Marcus responded.

  Daisy stood and stuck her muzzle over the back of Jake’s seat. He leaned his head toward her. She rewarded him with a sloppy lick across his cheek. “You about ready to stretch your legs?”

  Marcus scratched her behind the ear. “She’s a good dog. I almost forgot she was with us.” He drove into the office parking lot and stopped. “There’s a huge fenced-in area behind the bunkhouse. Diablo loves it out there.”

  “How is he around other dogs?”

  “I have no idea. But if we handle it right, they’ll be fine.”

  Jake hoped so.

  The door to the office opened and Kay burst out onto the walk. About the same time, Holly exploded from the backseat. Within seconds, both women were in each other’s arms, laughing and crying at the same time. They turned and went inside as if there was nobody else in the world.

  Jake felt a giant boulder drop on his chest. Bringing Holly here had been the right thing to do all along. He’d been wrong to fight so hard against the idea. She had no family and these people were her friends. They loved her and would ensure her safety much better than he could. He watched as the two women linked arms and walked inside.

  He’d been so sure that nobody could protect her like he would. Had it been vanity or fear of losing touch with her completely? Had he allowed his desire to have her near him put her in jeopardy?

  “Jake, I don’t give advice readily, so tell me to shut up if you don’t want to hear what I think.”

  Jake would listen to anything that took his mind off Holly. “No way. You have thoughts. Let me have them.”

  “You’re a fool if you let Holly get away. She hasn’t been the same since you left…what is it, two years now?”

  “That wasn’t the kind of advice I expected.” Shit. Jake’s memories of his college days were fairly clear. He and Marcus had been good friends. Those were the good old days, now long gone. “Now if you have ideas how we’re going to stop this crazy motherfucker from killing her, I’m all ears.”

  Marcus held up his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying.” He nodded toward the office. “Looks like somebody is waiting for us.”

  Nate had stepped out onto the walkway. His dark, piercing gaze could cut a person in half, but today, even his eyes were smiling. He held out his arms as if frustrated. “Are y’all coming inside today?”

  “Be right there,” Jake said, walking to Kay and wrapping his arms around her. Her belly was big so he was extra careful.

  Jake and Daisy walked to Nate for a hug.

  “Damn, it’s good to see you.” Nate tugged at Jake’s hair. “Damn shame there aren’t any barbers in Murdock.” Nate looked down at the dog watching every move. “So this is Daisy?”

  “She’s a good dog,” Marcus said. “She needed a friend. Jake made that happen.”

  “You two attract animals.” Nate w
aved in the direction of the front door. “I have news.”

  Jake followed the two men through the expansive office area. Nothing resembled the small office in the strip center where Nate had first set up his business. Offices lined two walls and a huge conference room filled the back wall.

  “Jake Donovan.” Kay’s tone stopped him in his tracks. “I could use another hug.”

  He turned and swept his friend into his arms, lifting her off the floor. “You,” he said kissing the top of her head, “I missed.” He glanced at Nate and Marcus. “I can’t say the same for these ugly bastards.”

  “Liar,” she said with a laugh.

  “True.” He carefully put her down. “Are you feeling up to all of this?”

  “I’m better now that all my chicks are in the coop. All we need is for Ty to be here.”

  “I haven’t seen him since my surgery. How is he?” Jake felt Holly’s presence without turning. She was standing to the side, watching.

  “He’s great. We’ve accepted the fact he’ll never move back to Texas.”

  Jake told Daisy to sit. “Where’s Diablo?”

  “In the conference room. Let’s put…” Kay leaned over and patted Daisy. “Let’s put her in the yard. She can stretch her legs for a while before we put the two dogs together.”

  Jake followed Kay to a large, fenced grassy area. He led Daisy outside and removed the leash. She immediately put her nose to the ground and started exploring.

  “She’ll be fine.” Kay looped her arm in Jake’s and escorted him to the conference room.

  He paused at the door. These people were his closest friends, but he didn’t feel comfortable here. He remembered a great deal of the past and understood how they’d been inseparable in college, but he didn’t fit in anymore. Too many years had passed.

  Diablo sauntered over when Jake sat next to Kay. He sniffed Jake’s jeans and shoes, checking out Daisy’s scent, before returning to plop down on Marcus’s foot.

  Holly reached down and patted the dog. She hadn’t made eye contact with Jake in hours. She’d had a long time to think during the drive. Had she accepted that the city was her home, not some ranch in the country?

  “Sorry we’re late,” Kay said. “We decided to keep the dogs separate for a little while.”

  “You did the right thing.” Nate beamed at his wife. Jake felt a stab in his chest. Surely, love like Nate and Kay’s only happened every few hundred years.

  Nate said, “We heard from Sheriff Santos and Dalton today. The FBI ran the DNA on two unidentified men who were murdered outside of Connersville instead of waiting for the state. At first blush, they initially thought the murder of the older couple and these men weren’t related to Holly’s killer. Now they are not so sure.”

  “My killer?” Holly’s tone made it clear that she wasn’t going for that nickname. “You need to call him something else.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll let you come up with something.” Nate was abrupt, but he patted Holly’s back, indicating he meant no offense. “Santos sent a deputy out on a wellness check for an older couple whose daughter hadn’t been able to reach them. Three men and two women’s bodies were found.”

  “He told us that he was working a murder case.” Jake’s interest jumped. Had they found a lead? “He thinks that case might be connected to ours?”

  “The autopsy results provided a lot of information. The older male and female had been dead approximately a week prior to the two unknown men. The men’s fingerprints easily identified them as small-time hoods from Houston. The older couple’s daughter has never heard of either Lavon Kelly or RG Rogers. The thing that ties this together is the second female. She was identified as a reporter who’d been at the school the day that Holly was almost kidnapped. Add that to the stolen drugs found stashed in a horse trailer and the missing guns from the old man’s cabinet and the identity of both men became very interesting.”

  “They were some of the looters Santos was worried about,” Jake said. “Killed the older couple for a place to hide.”

  “But the reporter?” Kay said, shifting in her chair. “They thought she knew something?”

  “You are probably right,” Nate said, smiling at his wife. “Sheriff Santos has a friend who is a Houston police detective. He’s recovering from a gunshot wound and is on medical leave. I’m going to contact him. If he’s interested in some off-duty work, I’ll hire him to investigate both Lavon Kelly and RG Rogers. We need to know a lot more about them.”

  “Somebody in Houston knows why they were in Connersville,” Marcus added. “I can fly to Houston today and work with this detective.”

  “You might be needed here.” Nate looked at Marcus. “Dalton has done about as much as he can from Connersville. He can go to Houston.”

  Nate’s cell chirped, stopping the discussion. “This is the front gate.” He put the call on speaker. “What’s up?”

  “We have company. Monk spotted him during the routine perimeter check. The sun bounced off the guy’s binoculars and caught his attention.”

  “Can Monk get to him?”

  “He can try to circle back. He pretended not to notice and kept walking.”

  “Have our peeping Tom escorted to my office.”

  “Copy that.”

  Nate placed his hand on his wife’s arm. “You and Holly go to the safe room.”

  CHAPTER 21

  A chill raced up Holly’s back, creeping around her rib cage to her lungs. “This is the safe room-tornado shelter you told me about?”

  “Wait until you see it. There’s even a small TV.” Kay stood, leaned over, and kissed her husband. One of his hands cupped her cheek while the other rested on the swell of her stomach. Holly realized that she’d been so preoccupied, she’d failed to question Kay about her pregnancy.

  Jake got up and walked around behind Holly’s chair, his nearness engulfing her heart. His hands gripped her shoulders. “Nobody’s going to get hurt.” His voice sent tears to her eyes. “This is just a precaution.”

  “I’m going.” Holly stood as he pulled her chair back for her. When she turned, his gaze held hers for a long time. Was he trying to tell her something?

  “Be safe.” Kay took Holly’s hand and led her out of the conference room, past the offices, and into the break room. She opened the pantry, pushed something on the back of a shelf, and waited as the panel slid out of sight. Kay keyed in a code on a metal door, pushed the lever down and opened the entry.

  “Cloak-and-dagger stuff.” Holly walked inside and looked around. “Wow, I could live in here.”

  “I wanted somewhere we’d be safe if a tornado struck.” Kay stepped in and closed the door behind her. The thick door swung shut with a thud. “The keyword is football.”

  “Football?”

  “Nate and Marcus designed this room. Sometimes, they act like they’re still in college.”

  The room had a small couch, an easy chair, an apartment-size refrigerator, and the television Kay had mentioned. Holly opened a door and found a small half bath.

  “All the comforts of home.” Kay sat in the chair.

  Holly perched on the arm of the couch. “Now that we’re alone, put your feet up and tell me how you’re feeling. I want to know everything.”

  “I’m fine. Better than fine. We’re both healthy. The doctor says the baby is in position. He may come any day now.” Kay pulled the lever on the side of the chair and it lifted her feet, showing swollen ankles to Holly.

  “How long have your feet been swelling?”

  “A few weeks. It happens when I am up and about for long periods of time. It’s nothing to worry about.” Kay kicked off her sandals. “Come here.”

  Holly got up and stood next to Kay.

  “Put your hand right here.”

  Gently, Holly placed her hand on Kay’s belly. The baby pressed against his mother. Holly smiled, rubbing her palm in a circle. “Another football player.”

  “Kevin Nathanial Wolfe.”

  “You
r brother would like that.” Holly hesitated before asking the question on her mind. “Are your parents excited?”

  “Mom is over the moon. I never know about Dad. Even though I wasn’t driving, he still blames me for Kevin’s death.”

  Holly regretted bringing up Kay’s father. “I’ll bet Papa is pleased about the baby.”

  Kay chuckled. “Pleased doesn’t begin to describe it. Now that he’s fully retired, he can’t wait to spoil his first great-grandson.”

  Holly moved back to the couch. “I hope they catch that guy who’s watching us. Jake might just beat some answers out of him.”

  “I’m sorry you’re going through this. You’ve dealt with enough trauma and danger to last a couple of lifetimes.” Kay groaned softly as she shifted in the chair. “But it brought you and Jake together. That’s a good thing. Right?”

  “It’s proved once and for all that we’re not meant to be together.”

  “How so?”

  “His guilt is as strong as ever. He can’t or won’t accept that he wasn’t in control of his actions.”

  “So you talked about your relationship?” Kay’s eyes widened.

  Holly’s cheeks heated as the memory of their lovemaking flashed through her mind. “He opened up once but then slammed the door closed.”

  A sly grin spread across Kay’s face. “You two had sex.”

  Holly bit her lip.

  “You did.” Kay’s laughter filled the room. “Didn’t you?”

  “Once.” Tears filled her eyes.

  “Details. I need details.” Kay’s excitement was contagious, and Holly’s mood lightened. “What happened?”

  “I kissed him.”

  Kay laughed. “You just walked up and laid one on him?”

  “I did. Somebody had to open that door.” Holly was still shocked by her actions. “It was wonderful.”

  “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Don’t be. Before we left Murdock, he told me that a relationship between us wouldn’t work. If you think about it, he’s right.”