Hidden Prey (Lawmen)

by Cheyenne McCray

  When Tori relayed the information, Dr. Fallon nodded. “He passed out, which is the best thing for the stubborn ass. He should be fine.”

  The entire time the doctor worked on Landon, Tori’s whole body felt like it was buzzing. She was covered with Landon’s blood, her hands bright red. Dr. Fallon focused intently on her task.

  It seemed to take forever before Dr. Fallon finally removed the slug. “Here’s the little bastard.”

  When she raised the slug with the tweezers, Tori flinched. That small piece of lead had come so close to Landon’s heart.

  By the time Landon was patched up, pale sunlight lit the game room. Mr. Fallon relaxed in a stuffed chair after the IV was disconnected between him and Landon. Still out cold, Landon lay on the billiard’s table, but Dr. Fallon had given Tori a pillow to put beneath his head.

  “He’ll be fine.” The doctor seemed to notice the apprehension Tori felt. “He likely has a concussion, too, so you’ll need to keep an eye on him.”

  Tori washed up in the stainless steel sink in the kitchen, scrubbing away the blood from her skin and washing out the sink. When she finished, she found crackers, cheese, and a glass of juice for the doctor’s husband like she’d been asked to.

  Dr. Fallon went upstairs. While she was gone, Tori gave Landon a sponge bath, wiping away blood from his torso until it was gone. He did have a six-pack, she thought idly as she moved the sponge over the expanse of his muscular chest.

  He’d saved her life again. God how she wanted them to survive and she hoped that maybe they could have a chance at something.

  She mentally shook her head. That was no place for her mind to be going now.

  Her thoughts turned to the tracker on her phone. All this time, Gregory had been spying on her. She couldn’t say she was truly surprised. He’d always been so jealous of her that even when she was out with her girlfriends, he would show up.

  The doctor returned a short while later with her hair damp, smelling of soap with a light flowery scent. She was now out of her bloodstained robe and wearing a T-shirt and capris.

  Landon hadn’t woken during the time the doctor had been gone. She touched his uninjured shoulder. “He looks like he can use the sleep.”

  She directed her attention at Tori who still wore bloody jeans and a T-shirt. The shirt was now more of a crop top thanks to her tearing off most of the cloth to make a bandage for Landon. The doctor cocked her head to the side. “Does he have any clothes? Do you?”

  Tori shook her head. “Everything was blown up. We have nothing with us.”

  “Blown up?” Dr. Fallon glanced at her husband and back to Tori. “Maybe you should explain what happened now that things have settled.”

  “I’ll check the news.” Mr. Fallon pointed a remote at a large flat screen TV in the corner of the game room. A commercial was on and he muted the TV. “Anything that’s news will show up on this channel.”

  Tori was pretty sure that the adrenaline high she’d been feeling was keeping her from going into shock. That and the fact that so much had happened that she was almost numb from it all. When would it stop?

  Her gut clenched and felt queasy. The truth was it might never end.

  Another thought came to her that she hadn’t had time to think about.

  Were O’Donnell and Danson dead? They’d been in the house with Landon and Tori.

  Oh, my God.

  Dr. Fallon returned her attention from the muted TV to Tori. “I’d really like to know what happened.”

  “We owe you that much.” Tori swallowed and launched into a brief explanation but avoided mentioning why they both happened to be barefoot and why Landon wasn’t wearing a shirt.

  “I don’t think I can tell you everything, but it comes down to the fact that I witnessed something I shouldn’t have and now the cartel is after me. They’ve managed to track me down twice. Landon saved my life both times.”

  The doctor gave a slow nod. “Sounds like you could use a break.”

  “A really long break.” Tori rubbed her temples. “With all of the terrible things that have happened, there are no words to convey how truly awful it all is.”

  “It’s horrendous.” Dr. Fallon looked at Landon who was still asleep on the billiards table. “As far as something to wear, Landon’s a big man and my husband’s clothes would be too small for him.”

  The woman glanced at Tori as she continued, “I’m a lot taller than you, and I have a larger bone structure, so you’d drown in anything I have. The best bet is the twenty-four hour Walmart. Ted can go while it’s still early and pick up a few things for Landon and you to wear for now.”

  “You said Landon hotwired a truck. I’ll pull that into the garage, too.” Mr. Fallon raised a cracker. “Just as soon as I finish these crackers and cheese, and the juice.”

  The doctor gave her husband a fond look. “Thank you, dear.”

  “I don’t have any money to buy clothes or other things.” Tori hated this feeling of not having anything. She’d always been so independent and proud to pay her own way. “All of my ID and bank cards were stolen.”

  “Landon and I go way back.” Dr. Fallon brushed away Tori’s words with a wave of her hand. “We can work it out later. There’s a notepad and a pen on the bar that you can use to make a list of everything you need.”

  “Thank you.” Tori gave Dr. Fallon a grateful look. Tori scooted off the stool she’d been sitting on, grabbed the notepad and pen, and jotted down the bare necessities. She wasn’t about to have Mr. Fallon go on a complete shopping trip for her. They could make do with the minimum for now. The doctor told Tori to add dressing for Landon’s wound so that Tori could change it frequently.

  “Here’s the report.” Mr. Fallon drew Tori’s attention to the TV as he turned up the volume.

  Tori stared at the TV that showed the replay of firefighters dousing flames last night, followed by the scene as it was now, with nothing but the smoldering remains of the former two-story house left.

  A female reporter stood near the scene, in front of the mass of law enforcement and emergency vehicles. “Police are not saying what caused the explosion or if the house was occupied at the time.”

  So no one knew if the other two who had been helping protect her were dead. Not yet.

  Were they? She thought about the two agents, her chest squeezing with fear for them and sadness for their families if they had died.

  The station flashed back to the news anchor and Mr. Fallon muted the TV once again. “I’ll get your things.” He pushed himself up and out of his chair. “In the meantime you can shower. You’ll probably feel a lot better once you do.”

  “Most definitely.” Tori gave him a tired smile. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, young lady.” He took the list Tori had written then approached his wife and put his hand on her shoulder before giving her a quick but firm kiss on the lips. “I’m off on my quest.”

  Dr. Fallon reached up and squeezed her husband’s hand that was still resting on her shoulder. “Why don’t you bring home breakfast?”

  He nodded. “How about something from that fancy French bakery you love so much?”

  “Thank you, dear.” She patted his hand. “See you when you return.”

  When Mr. Fallon left, Tori turned to Dr. Fallon. “Thank you both so very much. Landon might have died if it wasn’t for you.”

  The doctor smiled. “It wouldn’t be easy to bring down a man like Landon Walker. Stubborn and determined as hell.”

  Tori’s mouth curved into a smile, too. “How do you know each other?”

  For the first time, Dr. Fallon’s cool appeared shaken, but she straightened and masked it almost at once. “My little sister was his fiancée.”

  “Stacy.” Tori hadn’t meant to say it aloud, it just came out.

  The doctor looked surprised, likely because she hadn’t expected a witness to know something so personal. Still, she continued, “Stacy was almost thirty when she died.”

  “La
ndon mentioned her.” Tori wasn’t sure how much to say. “He’s blamed himself for her death.”

  “I know.” Dr. Fallon glanced at where he still lay sleeping. “And I’ve told him countless times that it was not his fault.”

  Tori shook her head. “I’m so sorry about your sister.”

  “Yes.” The woman continued to look at Landon. “So am I.”

  Landon stirred and groaned.

  “He’s waking.” Tori hurried to the billiards table and gripped the side as she leaned over and looked at Landon who was blinking his eyes as if the sunlight coming through the window was too bright. She smiled at him as he turned his head and looked at her. “Welcome back.”

  He reached out his hand and grasped hers. For a moment their gazes locked and he said nothing. When he did speak, his voice was a little hoarse. “Thanks to you it looks like we made it.”

  “All I did was bust your butt to get you out of there with me.” She gripped his hand in both of hers. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like hell.” He moved his shoulder and grimaced. “But the pain means I’m still alive, so that’s what counts.”

  She lowered her head and kissed him without thinking twice about it. When she raised her head, her cheeks burned and she glanced over her shoulder at Dr. Fallon.

  “I—” Tori started, but fell silent.

  “So you’ve finally found someone.” Dr. Fallon’s smile looked genuine as she moved to the opposite side of the table. “It’s about time.”

  Tori shook her head. “We’re not—”

  This time Landon cut her off. “It took the right woman to come along.”

  Tori opened her mouth and closed it. She couldn’t think of anything to say, so she chose to say nothing.

  “Why don’t you go take a shower while I examine Landon?” Dr. Fallon gestured to the stairs. “There’s a clean robe hanging on a hook inside the guest bathroom. It will be big on you but it’ll be fine until George gets back with your clothes.”

  “Thanks.” Tori was grateful for the reprieve as Landon gave her hand one last squeeze before he let it go. She turned and left the room.

  Landon’s words echoed in her mind. “It took the right woman to come along.”

  Had he meant what he’d said?

  She shook her head. She was tired and in shock, and now was no time to start analyzing what feelings might be developing between her and Landon. It was definitely not the right time.

  CHAPTER 20

  It was a fine day. Diego leaned back in his lounge chair beside the swimming pool, the sun warm and pleasant on his bare skin as his granddaughter swam with his great-nephews and nieces, his brothers’ grandchildren. The crystal clear water shimmered in the sunlight as ripples splashed lazily against the edge of the pool.

  Yes, it was a fine day. Tori Cox was dead and Alejandro was safe again. A smile creased Diego’s face. Thanks to the man who had installed a tracking chip in the woman’s phone, Alejandro’s men had found her.

  Diego had wanted to smuggle the woman into Mexico and teach her a lesson, but eliminating her had a certain satisfaction to it as well.

  The fact that Pablo and John had been arrested was an issue still. The federal agents no longer had a witness to Alejandro murdering the federal agent—except for Pablo and John. However, they wouldn’t be released due to the large amount of illegal substances that had been found in the home they had been occupying at the time the warrants were served.

  Pablo and John were now loose ends, and he didn’t tolerate loose ends.

  But for now, Diego allowed himself to relax in the heat beating down on him. He had not relaxed for days. Now he could celebrate. Life was good.

  Angelina climbed out of the pool, water rolling down her slender form. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her shoulders as she walked toward him and then sat on the edge of a lounge chair beside him. She was so pretty, her hair in long wet ropes around her face, tiny water droplets on her dark lashes. His little girl was growing into a fine young lady, yet he still found it difficult to believe she was nearing her Quinceañera.

  She smiled at him. “You are in a very good mood today, grandfather.”

  He raised his sunglasses. “Who could not be on such a beautiful day?”

  “It is beautiful.” She tilted her head to the side. “Something has happened to make you so happy. What is it?”

  “I have the greatest granddaughter in the world.” He tucked a small outdoor pillow behind his neck. “How could I not be happy?”

  “As I have the greatest grandfather.” She looked at the long tables set up on the lawn not far from the pool. One table was set apart from the rest and was covered with serving pieces. “Josephina said everything is set. It is time to eat.”

  Diego breathed in the pleasing smells of their dinner. “Let us not disappoint her.”

  He eased his legs over the side of the lounge chair and got to his feet. He clasped his hands behind his back as Angelina accompanied him to the tables.

  When they reached the table with the food, Josephina, his cook, gave him a deferential bow. “I hope you find everything to your liking.”

  He let his gaze drift over the spread before he looked at her again. “It looks and smells fabulous, my dear Josephina.”

  She bowed again. “Thank you, Señor Jimenez.”

  Platters filled with grilled fish, pork, and chicken, were at the center of the table. Tortilla warmers held freshly made corn tortillas, and there were also tamales, empanadas, soup, frijoles, and rice. Bowls overflowed with mango, papaya, and pineapple. To the side, containers held diced avocados and pico de gallo, along with a variety of Diego’s favorite peppers.

  “Excellent.” He picked up a colorful plate. Local artisans made all of his dishes and serving pieces.

  Soon children and adults sat at the tables, which had been set up on the lawn. The only person missing was Alejandro, but he would be returning to Mexico soon, where he belonged. Diego would be pleased when his son arrived. It had been foolish of Alejandro to go to the U.S. to kill the federal agent himself. Diego would not allow such a thing to happen in the future and his underlings would handle such tasks as usual. They were expendable. Alejandro was not.

  Diego enjoyed the laughter and chatter of his large extended family. He wished his daughter could be here to see her beautiful daughter, and because he missed her as only a father could.

  When Diego looked at his own four brothers, he found himself wanting to frown. They worked for him and were in line to run the family business if anything should happen to Diego and Alejandro. Unlike his son and himself, two of Diego’s brothers were weak men. Diego did not like the idea of the family business falling into their hands. The youngest brother reminded Diego of his own son and he would have preferred that he be next in line than the three older brothers.

  His throat grew tight as he thought about his mother. She had disowned Diego and her other four sons many years ago, denouncing them when she learned of the cartel they had established. She had lived in Arizona for some years now, in that troublesome town of Bisbee. Diego still loved his mother, and it crushed him that she had turned her back on her five sons.

  But enough of that, he told himself. He focused on the here and now. Soon Alejandro will be home.

  Life was good.

  CHAPTER 21

  Little traffic was on the two-lane highway as Tori drove the rented white Camry with Landon in the passenger seat. She had finally stopped shaking from all that had happened this morning.

  The late afternoon sky was the color of famous Bisbee blue turquoise—a beautiful blue without the greenish hue of traditional turquoise. The sky was clear of any clouds and the day was warm.

  George Fallon had rented a car in his name at a car rental agency after they’d wiped down the truck and had parked it at a campground in the Huachuca Mountains. The truck would be found soon enough, but it had been a place where no one should have noticed them leaving it.

  Tori glance
d at Landon, whose left arm was in a sling, as they left Bisbee’s town limits. “How far is it to your ranch?”

  “Twenty miles from Bisbee and twenty-five from Douglas.”

  She looked back to the road. “You think we’ll be safe there?”

  “Right now it’s the safest place I can think of.” He watched her as he spoke. “Now that the phone with the tracker has been destroyed, I think we’ll be fine. How are you holding up?”

  “I should be asking you that.” Her stomach twisted. “You’re the one who’s injured.”

  “I’m asking you.” He focused his intense gaze on her as he repeated his question. “How are you holding up?”

  Tori’s dark hair swung around her face as she shook her head. “There are too many dead, and now you’re injured, just because I saw a man being murdered by the cartel.” A bleak feeling settled over her. “How much more is going to happen before I testify against Alejandro Jimenez and those two men?” She stared directly in front of her at the yellow centerline flashing past on the two-lane highway. “If I live long enough to testify.”

  “You’re going to be fine.” Landon gave her a reassuring look. “You’ll be safe at my ranch. No one knows you’ll be there. No one. Not even my superiors.” He looked grim when she glanced at him. “It should be impossible for the cartel to find you at my place.”

  Should be echoed in her mind.

  Landon added, “And as far as the cartel is concerned, we’re dead from the explosion.” He blew out his breath. “At least until they identify bodies and body parts, but that should take at least a day if not longer.”

  Tori shuddered. Dead. She and Landon could have died in that explosion like O’Donnell and Danson likely had.

  When they reached the turnoff to his ranch, she pulled the car off of the paved road and onto a dirt road. In the distance she saw sunlight glittering off metal. As they grew nearer, she realized it was the tin roof of an outbuilding near a good-sized ranch style home. Other buildings were nearby as well.