Ranger Protector

by Angi Morgan

  “Honestly, it was one of the last places Dad was stationed, and I actually had a few friends here. Mom and Dad went back to England when I started college. I received my degree and immediately went into the San Antonio Police Academy and began a life here. There’s nothing much to it.”

  “School and field of studies? You’re skipping the details.” His phone began buzzing and he caught the number. Major Clements. “My company commander. I need to take this. Looks like you’re going to get that pit stop.”

  He let the phone go to voice mail while he pulled over at a convenience store. Even though it was an unscheduled stop, he checked the place for the SUV men and woman.

  “Lock the door and knock before you come out. I’ll be two steps away.”

  * * *

  MEGAN WOULD HAVE laughed off Jack’s precautions, but he’d been pretty accurate about safety.

  The questions didn’t bother her. She understood that she’d met his entire family and he knew little to nothing about hers. She’d rather be going through the points of the case and was antsy to follow the adventure through to the end. She normally didn’t get to do that.

  Okay, so she’d done it once in a much smaller, local venue. But this was different. Catching a murderer seemed more important than a kid with kerosene and a lighter.

  A glance at herself in the mirror made her wonder why Jack was interested at all. Everything she had was borrowed and would continue to be. It hadn’t really sunk in just how much she’d lost.

  These people had blown up her house, for crying out loud. Everything except a few mementos could be replaced. She knew that. But they were still her things. And each time she thought about it, she felt guilty because two people had died.

  Jack knocked again, and she tucked herself close to his side as they left the convenience store.

  “I told you before, it’s okay to mourn your loss,” he said once they were inside the car.

  “How did you know I was thinking about my house?”

  “For one thing, you’re not talking about me or my dad.” He shrugged. “You get a far-off kind of look where you don’t focus on anything. Only happened a couple of times. Mostly you don’t drift. You’re aware of your surroundings all the time.”

  “How do you...? You barely know me.”

  “Yeah, sometimes I amaze myself.” He caught her hand in his. “You worried about the insurance paying up? Or was something special there?”

  “My parents never owned a house. Don’t get me wrong—we had plenty of homes all over the world. But we were never in a place long enough for them to actually own it.”

  “So it was a first. I get it.”

  “I doubt you do. Your mother mentioned your ranch has been in your family for three generations.”

  “Yeah, one man’s dream...another man’s nightmare. The main reason my father wants me to follow in his footsteps is to take over the ranch. Tradition.” He shrugged as he had so often throughout the weekend. She was beginning to think that he wasn’t as casual about things as he let everyone believe.

  “And here I thought that not having any traditions was a problem. I guess you’re right. Hmm...that grass-is-always-greener thing may be true.”

  His phone rang. He let go of her hand to answer and steer the borrowed SUV. She immediately missed his warmth and reassurance.

  How long had it been since she’d felt reassured by just being with someone? Maybe since her parents had moved—at least on this comfort scale. She attempted not to listen, which was quite impossible in a vehicle.

  There were a lot of yes, sirs and no, sirs and right away, sirs. It ended with a “straight to their office. I understand.” The way that Jack dropped his phone in the cup holder didn’t bode well that it had been a casual call.

  “Should I ask?”

  “No need. I’ve been instructed to take you directly to the Dallas PD, then proceed directly to Company B headquarters.”

  “Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.”

  “That’s about right.”

  “Are you in big trouble for helping me? You aren’t going to lose your job or anything, are you?”

  “Not according to Dad. My commander made it clear he didn’t like a future senator in his job assignments. So it might depend on the state of my partner.”

  “Aren’t you going to your drop point? We could go there instead of taking me to the police.” She paused, letting him laugh and rub his chin. “Why are you laughing? Isn’t that what you called it?”

  “I was going there right after dropping you off.”

  “So you are a little rebellious.”

  “I call it being practical.”

  “Ah. So you think they’d send you back there, but it’s on the way?”

  “Yep.”

  “Is it on the way to Dallas police headquarters?”

  “I can see where you’re going with that, Megan. It ain’t happening.” This time his hand covered the entire bottom of his chin as he rubbed across his mouth.

  The ranger had a tell. That particular one meant his mind wasn’t made up. He was thinking about it. All she had to do was say the right thing that would convince him.

  Wade Hamilton. That was her way to keep from being sidelined. “Just throwing this out there, but what if the message at your drop is time sensitive? I can stay safely in the vehicle.”

  “No.”

  “Look, Jack, we could argue about this for the next half hour until we reach Dallas, or we could be using that time to make a plan.” Nope, nope, nope. Mistake. I promised to stay in the car. “I mean, just in case something goes wrong. But I’m sure nothing will.”

  He rubbed his chin again, considering it. Then he dipped it a couple of times. Not really a head nodding yes. Then it was.

  “Just for the record, I was already considering it before you made the suggestion. So don’t think you’re manipulating me.”

  “It just makes sense. Especially if it’s time sensitive.”

  “I already said yes. Mainly because you’ve been cleared of charges and I’m not sure why someone is insisting you be brought directly to the police. Company B has already been placed in charge of the allegations because it’s a Dallas city official.”

  “So why wouldn’t they want me to come to your office ASAP?”

  “Exactly.” He switched the blinker on and exited I-35. “Until I understand why...you’re safer with me.”

  “Is it that word-is-your-bond thing again?”

  “Maybe. But it’s more likely I want to finish a particular game of Battleship.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Jack approached the drop like a normal driver. He slowed enough to catch the red light and be able to look. Nothing seemed out of place. It wouldn’t. That was the point.

  “That’s a pretty wall. I love the building-sized bluebonnets. Can I help you look for something? If someone’s watching, I could go pick it up.”

  “No. You’re staying in the car. Give me your word, Megan.”

  “Sure.”

  “Stick out your hands and say the words.”

  “Do you believe I’d cross my fingers and not keep my promise?”

  “Sure do. Stay here or next time you’ll be cuffed to the steering wheel.”

  Palms up, she jabbed her hands toward him. He parked three streets away, gave her instructions in case he didn’t return and left the keys. He didn’t have any doubts at all that she would have followed him if he hadn’t threatened her.

  He walked around the block. At this time of day, this part of town, there wasn’t anyone around. No windows looking onto the undeveloped street. That was part of the reason they’d come up with the spot.

  He passed the painted wall with symbols from the state of Texas. The state flower, the American flag, a lucky horseshoe and a police seal. He did an
about-face at the corner, doubling back to the downspout. He found the note behind the short hedge, wedged just above the bracket connecting it to the bottom turn.

  The paper was damp from the morning dew, so he didn’t open it, afraid that it might disintegrate before he could read the message. He ran around another block, approaching the lot where he’d left the car in from between two buildings.

  Megan was sitting low in the driver’s seat, engine running. He surprised her by tapping on the passenger window and was glad she didn’t have a weapon. She’d shown a low-key, practical reaction to all their previous situations. This time she seemed nervous.

  “You okay?” he asked as he got in.

  Megan gripped the wheel like it was the last lifeline before hell, threw the car into gear and peeled out. Loose gravel flew, hitting the building behind her.

  “Hey, either tap on the brakes or tell me what the hell’s going on.”

  “Sorry.” She slowed, heading back toward downtown Dallas. “Sorry. I was just so anxious. I mean, you had thirty seconds left before I was supposed to leave.”

  “And you were leaving?”

  She turned her face toward him and away from the road so long it made him uncomfortable because she was driving. “Wasn’t I supposed to?”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “But I didn’t think you’d do it. I thought you’d follow me. Since no one’s on our tail, think we can pull over and take a look at this thing before it falls apart?”

  “Yeah. Next vacant lot.”

  “Turn into this parking lot. We should be safe here.” He didn’t release the dashboard until she put his mother’s car in Park.

  She took a very deep breath and let it out slowly, shaking her shoulders. “That was exciting. So what does it say?”

  Damn. That particular heart attack was with no real threat bearing down on them. “I’m driving from now on.”

  “Okay. Good. Yeah. Want to switch now?”

  With the engine running, they met at the back of the car. Jack took her shoulders and pulled her to him. He kept her in his arms until he got her breathing slowed. Her pulse wasn’t racing when she tipped her chin up to him.

  “I swear I’m going to kiss you if you keep that look in your eyes,” he said softly.

  “Don’t you dare. My heart just slowed down.”

  He wanted to stay there awhile longer with her wrapped in his arms, her cheek against his chest. He reluctantly let go and scanned the area. He’d been here before—the lot was normally full. Nothing out of the ordinary. Back in the car, Megan opened the note he’d left drying on the dashboard.

  “It’s a phone number. Why didn’t he leave a message that said ‘call me’?”

  “Because that’s not his number.”

  He dialed. No one answered. Jack was about to end the call when the voice-mail message clicked on and he heard his name.

  “Jack. Thought this was the easiest way to explain what’s going on,” Wade said through the message. “I owed a favor to the people who located you at the border and got you to safety. The favor was keeping Megan Harper alive. Short story, I tracked down some answers—one is handcuffed inside my apartment and gave up the name Rushdan Reval. Yeah, weird name, right? Look the guy up. That’s where I went for a look-see. I’ll update this when facts change. Headed there now, twenty-one hundred Sunday.”

  The message ended and Jack was ready to yell at his partner. Hell, he might even shoot him if—and that was a big if—he was still alive.

  “So do we wait?”

  “We don’t do anything. I need to find out who Wade’s sniffing around.” He knew what that particular message meant. And as jittery as Megan currently was...he didn’t want her that way again.

  “You should call the cavalry, then decide about the we part.”

  “Look, there’s no way—”

  “I didn’t ask. You should call your buddies.”

  Explaining to Major Clements what had happened since last Friday afternoon couldn’t be done quickly. Jack confirmed that no one else had heard from Wade in the past twenty-four hours. He summarized what they knew and informed the commander that the SUV guys had been able to trace them to an address that he hadn’t visited in two years.

  Then he was on hold while others were instructed to put a trace on Wade’s phone and an initial research of Rushdan Reval was conducted.

  Jack had no idea if he’d explained the situation accurately in the time frame needed to make a decision. It was out of his hands.

  “You’ve been quiet. I’m not used to that.”

  “I can’t change your mind about what you think is the best way to proceed.”

  He agreed but heard different words coming out of his mouth. “Do you have a better idea?”

  Jack had worked with a partner for a long time—Wade for most of it. He might have been used to asking for opinions, but there was only one clear path for Megan today. She should be in protective custody. And as much as he wanted to provide it, to be the one who protected her, he owed Wade somebody in his corner who wouldn’t give up.

  Megan needed to be dropped with another ranger or someone at the DPS whom his commander trusted.

  It didn’t matter what she said. Right?

  So why did he want her to convince him to stay by her side?

  “Jack?” Major Clements came back on the line. “We think he was snooping around the Reval Wrecking Company properties on Rock Island.”

  “Dammit, that street is split in two by part of the river. Both parts of it are dead ends. Got any backup for me?”

  “Already on their way. What’s your location?”

  “Dallas PD south of I-30. I’m five minutes from his location.”

  Surprised, Megan looked out the window. It was obvious she’d missed all the signs while turning into the lot.

  “I’ll make a call and have someone ready for your witness and a team ready to accompany you. We need your eyes down there, but do not approach. They’re bound to have surveillance.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And, Jack...don’t do this on your own.”

  * * *

  THEY WERE ALREADY at a police station. At least in the public parking lot of one. No uniform in sight, no black-and-whites or anything like that. If they’d had to drive somewhere, maybe—just maybe—she would have come up with a logical reason for her to stay with Jack.

  Some way that she might have helped him find Wade. Instead, all they had to do was walk through the front door and she’d be handed off to strangers.

  “You’ll be safe,” Jack said as if reading her mind.

  “Let’s get inside. Don’t worry about me. You need to find your partner.” She could take care of herself. She had done so before Texas Ranger Jack MacKinnon had come along... She could again. She wasn’t angry or hurt. And if she kept reminding herself, she might actually believe it. This was a logical move. Not personal.

  His eyes narrowed a bit as he reached for her hand. “Do I have to ask if you’re going to stay here, Megan?”

  “You just did. Do I have to remind you that I’m not an idiot? Insisting that I tag along just makes me a liability. In fact, I’m very capable of taking myself through the front door, too.”

  Jack laced his fingers through hers. “I have to go inside anyway.” He grinned, raising only one side of his mouth, giving her only half of the dimples she’d come to appreciate. He squeezed her hand. “You’re right. You’re very capable. Let’s get this over with.”

  Dimples and reassurance. Two things she was going to miss about this man. Those things along with a bunch more—his good looks, humor, laughter, protection without being chauvinistic.

  Oh, shoot, she was going to miss him. All of him. A lot.

  She whipped around at a tap on her window.

  “Excuse me?” a woman asked.

 
Jack rolled the window down a couple of inches. “Can we help you?”

  “I was wondering if you knew where the door is. All I can find—”

  Jack started the car, but it was too late.

  The woman had a gun inside the car. “I wouldn’t if I were you, Jack. I’m prepared to fire.”

  Jack killed the engine and raised his hands toward the car’s roof. Megan did the same.

  “Unlock the doors,” the woman instructed.

  Megan couldn’t see much more than the woman’s cheeks, overly large sunglasses and a scarf covering the woman’s head. She should have been suspicious at the familiar sound of the woman’s voice.

  The door locks popped, and the woman got in behind Megan.

  “Drive. It doesn’t matter where,” the woman said.

  “You’ll have to be a little more specific.”

  She dropped the scarf to her shoulders. “Oh, please, Jack, don’t play the dumb ranger. I’ve been watching a friend of yours in that role all morning.”

  Megan turned at the voice. “Therese?”

  “I am so glad you recognize me, honey.” She tapped the seat. “I’ve only got a few minutes.”

  “Then you better talk quick. What the hell’s going on?” Jack asked. “And how did you know we were here?”

  “I’ve been waiting at the corner for an hour or so for you to show up. Wade thought this is where you might come after you got his message.”

  “Just who are you? And where the hell is Wade?”

  “This is my friend Therese. She’s the one who sent you to help me.”

  “Sorry about this. I thought it was necessary if someone saw me get in the car.” Therese put the gun in her lap. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know, but I’d feel a lot more comfortable doing it away from here.”

  Jack put the car in gear and drove. Megan didn’t watch. She twisted in her seat to get a better look at her friend. “Thank you. I might be dead if you hadn’t sent Jack to me.”

  “Actually, I sent Wade. But he snooped a little too much and Rushdan’s men caught up with him. I think that’s when he called you, Jack, and why I video-conferenced. Wade eventually found his way here and got caught. I’ll be lucky if they don’t find that. You can circle around. I need to get back if this is going to work.”