But he did know what the bastard looked like now. Tall, blond and attractive in that slick business-suit kind of way. It irked him that Brooke had ever been drawn to the man. What did that say about his chances? He was about as similar to Chris Franklin as steak was to tofu.
Approaching footsteps drew his attention and had him standing and walking to the edge of the porch. But it wasn’t Brooke who walked out of the dusk, but his mother, instead.
“Good, you’re here,” she said. “You need to stop pouting and do something about Brooke.”
“Hello to you, too.”
His mother stopped at the base of the two steps leading up to the porch. “I’m serious, Ryan. She just gave me her resignation letter.”
A giant kicked him in the chest. At least that’s what it felt like. “She’s leaving?”
“Don’t sound so surprised. She wanted to leave immediately, but I managed to convince her to stay until the end of the week.”
He shifted and braced his palm against one of the porch supports, digging his fingers into the wood. “Is it because of that guy? Did he find her?”
His mom crossed her arms and gave him a hard look. “He’s not the guy she’s been thinking about.” She slowly shook her head. “She’s not unlike you, at least how you were until she came here. She can be surrounded by people and still feel totally alone.”
“She said that?”
“No, but it’s obvious if you just look.”
Despite his desire to run to Brooke and beg her not to leave, he stood his ground. “Do you trust her?” He needed reassurance he wasn’t being blinded by his feelings for Brooke.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s in love with my son.”
He’d swear the earth shifted under him. Did Brooke love him? He needed to hear it from her, be able to look into her eyes and see the truth there as she said the words. And he realized he needed to say them to her.
And he couldn’t let her leave.
No more waiting. No more second-guessing. No more sitting in the shadows examining his feelings under a microscope. It was time for action, to be the man he’d been before that day in the desert.
BROOKE CLOSED ANOTHER box and stacked it on top of the others behind the couch. Another hour’s work and she’d be finished, ready to drive away as soon as the week’s end came. Well, at least she’d be packed. She didn’t think she’d ever be ready to leave this place, these people.
Especially Ryan.
She ran her hands over the table he’d made and debated whether to take it or leave it behind. Did she want to have something to remember him by, or would it be too painful to see it every day?
The sound of her cell phone ringing interrupted her internal debate. She dug in her purse and answered on the third ring, already trying to figure out how to tell Holly that she was running again.
“Hey.”
“He’s got the girls, Brooke.”
Brooke’s heart slammed against the confines of her chest as she heard the panic and tears in Holly’s voice. “What?”
Holly sniffed. “Chris took the girls. He called and said that he wouldn’t hurt them if you came back.”
“Oh, my God. Where is he? Did you call the police?”
“He said that I couldn’t call the police, that he would just deny everything and they’d believe him.”
He really was crazy, even more so than she’d feared.
“Okay, I’ll fix this, Holly. I swear to you, the girls will be fine. Where am I supposed to go? Is there a way I can reach him?”
Holly’s fragile grip on her emotions crumbled and she sniffed loudly. Her voice shook as she spoke. “All he said was to go where you went hiking, that you’d know what he was talking about.”
It took a moment for her spinning mind to fix on the meaning. “Okay.”
“Where are they?”
“You can’t go there, Holly. I have to do exactly what he says.”
“Where?” Holly was more insistent this time. “We have to stay here anyway. Chris calls every half hour and alternates talking to Clay and me, making sure we haven’t tried to follow him.”
Brooke’s hands shook as she tossed a few things in an overnight bag. “Shenandoah National Park. We went hiking there a couple of weeks after we started seeing each other.” Back before she knew he was evil in disguise.
Holly didn’t hold back her tears. “What do I do, Brooke?”
“Exactly what he says. I’ll get them back.”
“I hate myself for asking you to do this.”
“Don’t. This is my fault.” She slung the bag over her shoulder and grabbed her purse. “I’m leaving now. Tell him I’m getting there as fast as I can, to not hurt the girls. There’s no reason. I’m cooperating.”
“Okay.”
Brooke ended the call as she slipped into her car and started the engine. She glanced at the bunkhouse one last time before she backed away from it. Once again, she was running away and leaving everything behind. Only this time she was running toward Chris. But she wasn’t the same woman who’d fled from him. This time, he wasn’t going to win. Once Emma and Caitlyn were safe, she’d figure out a way to get away from Chris again or die trying.
And if he hurt the girls, she’d kill him.
RYAN TREKKED OVER the hills that separated his cabin from the bunkhouse, determined to find the right words that would make Brooke stay. Now that she’d awakened things in him he hadn’t known he’d been capable of feeling anymore, he couldn’t stand the thought of not being able to see her every day or hold her close at night.
If she’d just stay, they could work through anything.
As he topped the last hill, he saw that the parking space in front of the bunkhouse was empty. Had Brooke left her car at the main house for some reason? But then he noticed that despite the fact the last light of the day was waning, no lights were illuminating the bunkhouse’s interior. Fear that she’d left leapt up in him until he remembered Brooke had agreed to stay the rest of the week. And even though she’d told them all lies, his gut told him that her promise to his mom wasn’t another one.
But when he reached the bunkhouse and lifted his hand to knock on the door, his certainty faltered. Sticking out of the lock was the key. As his heart sped up, he knocked anyway. When no answer came, he stepped back and considered his options. He walked the short distance to the curve in the road where he could see his parents’ house. As he’d feared, Brooke’s car wasn’t there either.
Afraid of what he’d find, he retraced his steps to the bunkhouse and wrapped his hand around the doorknob. With a deep breath, he turned it and stepped inside, flipping on the ceiling light as he did so.
He exhaled in relief when he saw she hadn’t packed up and fled. At least partial relief. She had, in fact, begun packing her belongings in the boxes he’d helped her unpack such a short time ago. An empty box sat atop the kitchen table and he wandered over to it. Inside, on top of a pile of clothes, sat her beauty pageant tiara. He pulled it out and smiled. He’d have to ask to see pictures of that day.
Deciding to wait for her to return from wherever she’d gone, he planted himself in the living room chair where he’d watched her sleep that night when the dark had frightened her. Now he knew what she’d really feared.
With quiet time to think, he let his thoughts wander to a future full of Brooke. Waking up beside her every morning, making love to her, letting her fill up all the empty parts of his life. He loved her, plain and simple. And that’s exactly what he was going to say the moment she stepped in the door.
But she didn’t appear there, even as night fully fell on the ranch and one hour stretched into another. He tried calling her on her cell phone but got no answer. An ugly feeling star
ted building in his gut. Something was wrong. His thoughts flew to Chris. Had he somehow found Brooke and waltzed right onto Teague land to steal her back?
If he had, he was going to be sorry when Ryan got his hands on him.
With his nerves and anger warring for dominance, he dialed Simon’s number.
“This better be good,” Simon said. “I had a hell of a day and just fell asleep.”
“Brooke’s gone, and I don’t think she went willingly.”
“Ryan,” Simon said in that way of older brothers who thought they were wiser.
“No, something’s not right. She left everything behind, and she’d told Mom she stay until the end of the week.”
“She’s already lied more than once.”
“Not this time. Trust me, something is off.”
“Okay, I’ll do some checking.”
“I’ll meet you at the station in ten minutes.” Ryan hung up before Simon could disagree. With his heart pounding, he ran for his cabin, ignoring the jabs of pain shooting up his damaged leg. When he reached the cabin, he grabbed his truck keys and didn’t even pause to lock his door.
It wasn’t until he pulled into a parking space in front of the sheriff’s office that a sliver of doubt weaseled its way into his brain. What if Simon was right? What if Ryan was once again blind to the truth staring him in the face? Had Brooke played him all along?
He shook his head. No matter what she’d done or said, that thought just didn’t ring true. He slid out of the truck and went inside to find Simon at his desk on the phone. Ryan was surprised to see Nathan sitting opposite Simon. No doubt Simon had called him in as backup to deal with their little brother not seeing the truth.
Before he could ask Nathan what he was doing there, Simon hung up the phone. And one look at his older brother’s face told him he’d been right.
“What happened?” Ryan asked.
Simon sat back slowly. “Brooke’s car was found at the airport in Austin. She’s on a flight to D.C.”
“She traveling alone?”
Simon nodded, but the tense look tugging at his features told Ryan there was more and it wasn’t good.
“I talked with Brooke’s sister. She didn’t want to say anything at first, but I could tell she knew something. That Chris guy has Holly’s two little girls, is holding them until Brooke gives herself up to him. He told her not to tell the police, but she finally broke. I’ve notified the authorities in Virginia and Shenandoah National Park, where Brooke told Holly she believes he’s holding the girls.”
The overwhelming need to beat the Chris asshole to within an inch of his life swelled within Ryan. What he’d done to Brooke was bad enough, but to kidnap children to get his way?
“I’ll kill that bastard,” he said.
“No, you won’t,” Simon responded. “Even if I have to lock you up until this is all over.”
“You can try.”
“Stop,” Nathan said. “This isn’t helping.”
Ryan moved to leave.
“Where you think you’re going?” Simon asked.
“To find Brooke.”
“You’ll put those girls in danger if you go off half-cocked.”
Ryan stared at his brother and wondered if Simon would respond differently if he wasn’t wearing a badge. “You forget I have training. He’ll never know I’m there.”
Simon sighed and stood. “Well, hell. Looks like I’m going to Virginia, too.”
“You don’t have to babysit me.”
“I’m not. Just going to make sure we all don’t have to come visit you in the slammer from now on. I’m not against you giving this guy a good beating, but I’m not letting you kill him.”
Ryan didn’t argue. The quicker he got out of here without interference from his brothers, the better.
Nathan stood as if he was going, too.
“Nope,” Simon said before Ryan could. “I might go along with this clown jetting halfway across the country, but not you. I need you to go back to the ranch and make sure everyone there stays safe in case Chris has other ideas. Plus, Grace would skin me alive if anything happened to you.”
Nathan cursed and didn’t look happy about being left behind, but he didn’t argue.
Ryan turned and stalked out the door. He had to make sure Brooke was safe, that no harm came to her nieces. His fists clenched that she was going back to the man who’d caused her so much fear that she’d run from her life and even her identity.
One way or another, soon she’d never have to worry about Chris Franklin ever again.
Chapter Fifteen
Brooke’s stomach was in knots as she made her way toward the northern entrance of Shenandoah National Park. Not breaking the speed limit was the hardest thing she’d ever done, but she couldn’t risk being pulled over by the police. The phone call from Chris as she’d walked through the airport had convinced her that if she didn’t do exactly what he said, the girls were not safe. And he’d said no cops.
She knew what Chris had planned for her, but she didn’t have any choice. Nothing could happen to those precious little girls, and she had to believe that no matter how crazy Chris was he’d honor his promise to release Caitlyn and Emma if he got his way. If not, she’d fight to free them until her dying breath.
Once in the park, she fought off the fatigue brought about by being awake for more than twenty-four hours and drove to the Signal Knob Overlook. She parked there as Chris had instructed. She glanced at her watch and noticed she was a couple of minutes early. Gripping the steering wheel, she prayed that Chris hadn’t hurt the girls. She couldn’t face a world where she’d be responsible for that. She’d lose her sister, too, and she wouldn’t blame Holly for hating her.
At exactly 7:00 a.m., a familiar SUV pulled into the space next to her. Chris was confident enough that everyone would do exactly what he said that he didn’t even try to hide by using a rental car. That chilled her blood more than anything. The very real fact that she might not live to see the end of the day slammed into her, but she didn’t let him see that fear. Instead, she got out of her rental car and opened the passenger side of the SUV. Before meeting Chris’s gaze, she looked into the back of the SUV but didn’t see the girls.
“Where are they?”
“Well, now that’s just rude,” he said. “No hello or anything?”
She slowly turned to face him. “Where…are…they?”
The mildly affronted look on his face turned dark. “In a safe spot. Now get in.”
She hesitated.
“Get in or they might not be safe for long.”
For a horrible moment, she feared he had accomplices and that the girls might be held someplace she’d never see them. Feeling she was slipping past the point of no return, she got into the SUV and closed the door. She said nothing as he pulled out of the parking lot and drove farther into the park. After about five minutes, she couldn’t stand the silence anymore.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere we can be alone. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
Bile rose in her throat and it was difficult to swallow it back down. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because you have to be taught a lesson. You misbehave, you get punished.”
“But you didn’t have to bring the girls into this. They’ve done nothing to you.” Oh, how she hated him, was dying to wrap her hands around his neck and choke the life from him. But if she did that, she would have no idea how to find her nieces. If nothing else good came of this day, she would return the girls to Holly.
“They are, however, very good insurance to make sure you do what you’re supposed to. Not that I should have to prod you. After all we’ve meant to each other, I have to say it hurt to have you run away l
ike that.”
She ventured a look at him to see if he was joking. How could someone be that delusional? The fact that he looked as though he believed every word he said sent icy fear through her.
A few minutes later, Chris surprised her by pulling into the Jenkins Gap Overlook. She looked around but saw nothing but a little gray car. Chris parked and cut the engine.
“Get out.” Without waiting to see if she obeyed, he got out of the SUV and started walking toward the car.
As Brooke followed, she realized what was happening. Exchanging cars would help throw off any possible police pursuit. Her stomach churned when she thought about how much planning he’d put into this, had likely started the moment he’d discovered she was gone.
She didn’t speak as he pulled from the lot and retraced their route back out of the park then down a series of progressively smaller roads. Finally, he turned into a partially overgrown lane that led to a small, 1940s era house. Even before he’d turned off the car, she was flinging open her door and hurrying toward the house. She rushed inside and found the girls tied to two old kitchen chairs, their little mouths gagged. Tear tracks stained their cheeks. Caitlyn’s eyes went huge at the sight of her.
“Oh, girls.” She started to move toward them, but Chris grabbed her arm to halt her progress. She tried to jerk free, but his grip tightened painfully. “Let me go,” she said through clenched teeth.
“You are in no position to give me orders. And you have no right. I’m the wronged party here.”
Brooke bit her lip to keep from screaming at him and spitting in his face. “Please let me untie them.”
He evidently liked the change in her tone and let her go. She hurried toward them.
“I’ve done everything you asked,” she said. “We need to take them back to their mother.”
Cowboy to the Rescue Page 17