by B. J Daniels
While he didn’t know how all of this had happened, he was sure of one thing. Juliette had set him up somehow, trapping him and then doing her best to kill him. As it was, she’d taken everything he’d apparently once loved from him—his family, his life here—and was doing her best to take AJ from him as well by pretending the baby she was carrying was his. He wasn’t going to let her get away with it, because in his heart of hearts, he knew she was lying about all of it.
“I just came in to give you back your phone,” Cyrus said. “Is it all right if I stay here tonight?”
“Bro, it’s your house too. Your room is at the top of the stairs, second door on the left.”
“I’ll be back. I have to go see AJ.”
* * *
AJ KICKED AND screamed and clawed at the man as he threw her down and tried to press her to the floor. She knew no one would hear her screams but it didn’t matter. She feared she was fighting for her life.
“Shut up!” the man snarled as he tried to roll her over onto her stomach.
She managed to elbow him hard in his side and heard his sharp intake of breath. She elbowed him again and spotted the cowboy doorstop within reach. Grabbing it, she swung it hard. He got a hand up so instead of the heavy iron doorstop hitting him in the ribs, it ricocheted off his arm and hit him in the head.
He let out of howl of pain. Wresting the heavy iron object from her and for a moment, holding it in the air as if he wanted to hit her with it. With a growl, he threw it across the room.
It gave her a little advantage and she took it. She brought her knee up and caught him in the groin. He backhanded her hard as he fell forward on top of her. His body was large and heavy. She tried to shove him off. She couldn’t breathe.
He was groaning and swearing. She grabbed hold of a handful of his hair and tugged hard, desperate to get him off her so she could catch her breath.
She could feel his anger. He was sweating profusely. She felt the heat of that fury and smelled it on him.
“You bitch,” he spat out as he grabbed both of her wrists and pinned her to the floor. There was a gash on his temple where the doorstop had opened his skin. Blood ran down his cheek and splashed on her throat. “You are going to pay for that.”
* * *
“YOU KNOW WHAT time it is?” Hawk asked, glancing toward the clock next to the fireplace.
“I know it’s late, but I have to be sure she’s all right or I won’t get any sleep tonight,” Cyrus said. “She is devastated about Juliette’s pregnancy.”
His brother lifted a brow. “I would imagine she is.”
“It’s not my baby.” Hawk said nothing. “I know how hollow those words sound. But I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“Let’s hope you’re right. If the baby is yours, she will milk you out of every dime you have and then some.”
“I’m sorry that I’ve jeopardized the ranch.”
Hawk shrugged. “We’re family. We’ll get through this.”
Cyrus felt his heart swell. “Thanks. For that, I won’t wake you up when I come back.”
“If you come back,” Hawk said with a grin.
He drove through the moonlight toward the Stagecoach Saloon, glad he’d been paying attention earlier on how to get there. The night sky was bright making the mountains that surrounded the small town a deep purple. He thought of his horseback ride, that feeling of freedom. It had felt familiar.
As he drove, he realized a lot of things were feeling familiar, including driving down this road as if he’d done it a thousand times. He was sure he had. And sparring with his brother Hawk. Even the house, the big fireplace, being back in the saddle. Was he starting to remember?
Ahead he could see only one light shining at the Stagecoach Saloon—in the upstairs apartment. AJ was still up. Hadn’t he known she would be? Like him, she probably was having trouble sleeping. He pulled in along the side of the building, cut his engine and climbed out.
As he neared the back door, a dark figure came charging out and took off at a run into the woods behind the saloon. Startled, he realized the man had been wearing a black ski mask. He looked toward the back door of the saloon, now standing open.
AJ! “AJ!” He raced to the door and up the steps, calling her name, fear making his voice crack. He shoved open the door into the second-story apartment. She sat on the floor, something clutched in both her hands, her back to the wall. He rushed to her, dropping to his knees.
“Are you all right?” he cried, seeing that she held a cowboy doorstop. Also noticing that there was blood on it. His heart took off at a gallop.
She looked up at him, tears running down her face and said, “I’m all right. Now that you’re here.”
He gathered her in his arms, holding her tightly. Hawk was right. He wouldn’t be returning to the ranch tonight. But first, he had to call his brother the sheriff.
* * *
FLINT LISTENED TO AJ’s version of the night’s events. He could tell that she was still shaken, though thankfully not hurt. He’d bagged the doorstop with the blood on it. If the man who attacked her had a record, then his DNA might be on file. Otherwise it wouldn’t be of much use.
“You know who’s behind this,” Cyrus said. “Juliette. She did this to force me to pay her off to get rid of her.”
He nodded, thinking his brother was probably right. “Like everything else, what we don’t have is proof. We know that she was working with Otis Claremont and Arthur Davis. I have a BOLO out on them both, but still no word on where they might be.”
“At least one of them is in town.”
Flint listened as his brother told him about hearing someone at the back of Juliette’s cabin.
“There were footprints in the snow. Man-size ones,” Cyrus said. “She isn’t alone.”
“Even if one of them is in town, the best I can do is pick him up for questioning. I know it’s frustrating, believe me. But I need proof.” He turned to AJ. “You’re sure you didn’t get a good look at him?”
She shook her head. “He was wearing a black ski mask, like I said. I never saw his face. Just his eyes. Brown, small.”
“I saw him run into the woods,” Cyrus said. “He was about six foot maybe taller, and big.”
His brother’s description matched AJ’s, but both Otis and Arthur were good-size men. He closed his notebook. “AJ, maybe it would be a good idea for you to come stay with Maggie and me tonight.”
“I’m staying with her,” Cyrus said. “Anyway, I don’t think he’ll be back. He’s injured.”
Flint nodded. He’d seen the blood on AJ as well as drops on the apartment’s wood floor and a few on the stairs. The man hadn’t been injured badly though. But any injury would make it easier to pull him in for questioning.
“I’ll lock up behind myself, then,” he said, getting to his feet to leave. He could see Cyrus was beside himself with fury. “Don’t be thinking of doing anything that could end you up in my jail, please.”
His brother shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’m told that I’m cautious to a fault. I never do anything without thinking it out first.”
Flint laughed, glad to see his brother hadn’t lost his sense of humor. “Right. Like I said...”
* * *
“YOU’RE BLEEDING ON my floor,” Juliette snapped. “What the hell happened?”
“You should have warned me about her,” Arthur snapped back. “She almost killed me.”
“Seriously? You couldn’t handle a woman you outweigh by a hundred and fifty pounds?” She grabbed a hand towel from the bathroom. “Here, put this on it. What did she hit you with?”
“How would I know? An iron cowboy. Some stupid thing and then she kicked me in my balls.”
Juliette stood looking at him, shaking her head.
“You think this is funny?” he demanded. “I would have k
illed her if her boyfriend hadn’t shown up.”
“Wait. What?”
“I had the bitch down. I was going to choke her scrawny neck and watch the life drain out of her, but then I heard a vehicle pull up outside.”
“Did he see you?” Her voice came out high, scared.
“No—at least, I don’t think so. I still had my mask on anyway. I ran into the trees behind the saloon. He went upstairs to check on his girlfriend.”
Juliette fought to control first her fear that the fool had been seen and then her anger. “I told you, AJ was mine. I didn’t send you to kill her.”
He pulled the hand towel away from his head, thrusting it at her to show her the blood. “I’m the one bleeding. I’m the one who got my balls jammed up my—”
“This is about your inability to control your temper,” she snarled. “I don’t know why I trusted you with this.” She spun away from him afraid she would grab something and hit him.
“You trusted me because you don’t have anyone else,” he said behind her. “Where’s Otis anyway?”
She took deep breaths, trying to calm down. Everything was fine. Arthur hadn’t screwed things up too badly. But after this, he was going to have to go. She knew he wouldn’t go without a fight. That meant he’d have to be taken care of before she left the country.
Juliette turned slowly around to face him. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Let me bandage your head.” She led him over to a chair and went to get the first aid kit she’d seen in the bathroom. He came like a lamb. That was the problem with Arthur. Most of the time he was a wimp. But when he lost his temper... She reminded herself to keep that in mind in the future. If he ever turned that temper on her...
Once he’d gone to bed, she called Otis. “I need you. Get here any way you can. Arthur is going to blow this whole thing.”
* * *
THE MOMENT FLINT LEFT, Cyrus locked the apartment door. AJ was curled up in a chair hugging herself as if cold. His heart was in his throat. He’d come close to losing her. Anger made it hard for him to breathe. This was Juliette’s doing. She was trying to force his hand.
He wanted nothing more than to pay her off. If it meant selling the family ranch, he didn’t give a damn. Whatever it took. But even as he thought it, he knew he couldn’t do that to this family that he could see loved him.
But if he could get his hands on Juliette right now, he would ring her neck and then go after the man who’d attacked AJ.
AJ. Taking a deep breath, he blew it out and pushed all thoughts of Juliette away. Right now, he had to take care of the woman he loved. Walking into the bathroom, he turned on the shower, letting it run until the room was warm and steamy.
When he came back out, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bathroom and closed the door. She locked eyes with him as he carefully undressed her and helped her into the shower before stripping down and joining her. He held her as the warm water cascaded over their bodies.
He gently soaped her, caressing her smooth skin as he washed away what he could of the man who’d hurt her. She leaned her back against him, closing her eyes. She quit shaking after a few minutes, her lashes heavy with water droplets.
“I thought he was going to kill me.”
“That’s what he wanted you to think.” He turned off the water and reached for a towel, and then began to dry the body he knew as well as his own.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I made him so angry...” She shuddered and he enveloped her in her silk robe hanging by the door. After drying himself off, he wrapped a towel around his waist, and then picked her up and carried her out to the big bed with the stack of quilts on it.
“No one is going to hurt you,” he said as he tucked her into the bed. She stared up at him with such a loving gaze that he felt himself melt inside. He dropped his towel and climbed into bed next to her and eased off her robe. Taking her in his arms, he said, “I’m going to put an end to this one way or the other.”
AJ looked into his eyes, worry creasing her brow. “I can’t lose you.”
“You aren’t going to lose me. Ever.” He kissed her, drawing her to him, their naked bodies melding together into a perfect fit as if only they were made for each other.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
FLINT HAD PLANNED to pay Juliette a visit first thing this morning, but he got called out on a semi jackknifed on the road north and a one-car rollover. With law enforcement few and far between in a state the size of Montana, everyone had to pitch in when there was trouble.
It seemed sometimes as if trouble came in threes. Before he’d left the office this morning he’d gotten a call from Logan Sparks, a local rancher.
“Someone stole my snowmobile,” Logan had said. “That old one I keep in my barn. Only use it to check the cows sometimes in the winter, but I’d like to have it back.”
Flint had asked when he thought it had gone missing.
“Had to be last night. Figure it was kids. Little devils.”
“I’m headed out to an accident scene on the highway and I’m a little short on deputies...” He’d remembered Harp. He’d had him watching Juliette’s cabin, who’d gotten called off last night on a domestic. Unfortunately, if Cyrus was right and one of Juliette’s male accomplices had attacked AJ last night, then there wouldn’t have been a deputy on duty to have seen the man come or go from Juliette’s cabin.
With no options since he was short on manpower, he’d tell Harp to go out to the Sparks ranch. The deputy was perfect for a job like this, since he’d been complaining about how boring watching a cabin was. With luck, Harp wouldn’t be able to foul this up. Not that the deputy hadn’t been better this past year...
“I’ve got a deputy I can send out,” Flint had said. Then he’d called Harp on the radio and told him. He’d had to listen to Harp grumble a little about the exciting cases he got to cover.
“Just find the man’s snowmobile. It shouldn’t be that hard,” Flint had snapped. “Follow the damned trail it left.”
At the scene, Tucker took photographs and measurements from the one-car rollover accident while the sheriff called the ambulance.
“I’m sure Cyrus is right and that attack on AJ was Juliette’s doing,” Flint said as he disconnected and flagged a car racing up on the accident as they waited for the ambulance and wrecker to arrive. From the smell of alcohol and the beer cans littering the highway, the driver had been drinking—and not wearing his seat belt. He’d gone through the windshield, probably dying on impact.
“You think she’s trying to scare Cyrus into settling,” Tucker said.
“That’s what he thinks and I have to agree. I keep hoping that either Arizona or Florida arrests her, but it doesn’t look good. I talked to one of the detectives and told him what was going on here. He thinks she is just trying to get enough money to leave the country—and there is no way to stop her. Unless Cyrus remembers what happened.”
“But what if it turns out that he did marry her and that baby she’s carrying is his?” Tucker said.
Flint shook his head. “I know it looks bad, but there’s no way. Not my brother. Anyway, it’s obvious that he’s crazy about AJ. You can bet there is more to the story.”
The sheriff hoped he was right for all their sakes, but especially AJ’s. He couldn’t imagine how devastated she would be if she found out that Cyrus really had fallen for Juliette that night in Denver.
* * *
AJ WOKE TO an empty bed. She found Cyrus’s note on the nightstand next to her. “Billie Dee is downstairs so you aren’t here alone. I had to go but I’ll see you later.”
She hated to think where he’d gone. Juliette... She swung her legs over the side of the bed, surprised that she hurt all over. As she dug in her bureau for clean clothing, she caught her image in the mirror and froze.
Her cheek was badly bruised where the man had slapped
her. She touched it gingerly, remembering how terrified she’d been. Cyrus thought Juliette was behind it. AJ didn’t doubt that, but Cyrus hadn’t seen the fury in the man’s face. He would have hurt her badly if Cyrus hadn’t driven up when he did—or worse, killed her.
At the sound of footfalls on the stairs, she froze for a moment and looked around wildly for something she could use as a weapon.
“AJ? Are you awake?”
Relief flooded her as she heard Billie Dee’s voice. “I’m awake.”
The cook gently pushed open the apartment door with the edge of the tray she was carrying. “I brought you breakfast.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” AJ cried. “I was coming down.”
“Don’t be silly, I—” The older woman’s voice caught at the sight of her.
AJ’s hand went to her cheek. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Billie Dee said, putting down the tray and coming over to hug her. “He must have scared the life out of you.”
She nodded into the cook’s soft shoulder and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.
“Well, you’re safe now. Have some breakfast,” her friend said as she pulled back.
“Would you mind if I brought it downstairs?”
Billie Dee glanced around the room as if realizing that the apartment probably didn’t feel all that safe right now. “Of course not.”
AJ insisted on carrying the tray and the two of them tromped back down to the warm saloon kitchen. At the table, AJ ate the quiche with a side of fruit while the cook sat across from her, sipping her coffee.
“Did Cyrus say where he was going?” she asked.
Billie Dee shook her head, but AJ knew they both had a pretty good idea of where he’d gone. “Don’t even think about following him,” the cook warned her.