“Not Kirby,” Harlan and Declan said in unison.
“Someone from your past then,” her father continued. “Maybe the same person who killed your family in Germany.”
Because Declan’s arm was touching hers, she felt every muscle go stiff. That was probably the one connection he didn’t want mentioned here. Because he had no leads, and the case had been cold for decades. Still, there’d been that photo included with the more recent ones, so this might indeed all be threaded together.
Her father took a step closer and dropped the thick envelope at Declan’s feet. “There’s the proof that I’m innocent.”
Declan didn’t reach down to retrieve the envelope. He kept his attention staked to her father. Beside him, Harlan was trying to keep an eye on the gunman. From what she could tell, there were two of them, at least, but they were both staying behind cover.
“What kind of so-called evidence do you claim to have?” Declan asked.
“The kind that I want you to investigate so I can clear my name. I can hire muscle, but I can’t do this investigation on my own.”
“I’m not interested in clearing your name. I have bigger fish to fry right now.”
“Right.” Not said sarcastically, but her father seemed to be in agreement. “I have something that might help speed things along.”
He motioned toward one of the men lurking behind the tree, and someone stepped out. Not a gunman. This person was handcuffed, and he staggered forward when the gunman gave him a shove.
Eden didn’t recognize the handcuffed man, but judging from Harlan’s and Declan’s reactions, they did.
“Lonnie Reddick,” Declan mumbled.
The missing gunman. And possibly the same man who’d tried to murder them at Declan’s house the day before. At a minimum, he’d murdered his wounded comrade before he could tell them who’d hired them to launch the attack.
“I figured you’d like the chance to talk to Reddick,” her father went on, “and in turn, I want you to look into the papers in that envelope.”
“I’ll look at them, but I’m not making any promises,” Declan insisted.
Her father gave a slight huff. “Find out who set me up. And keep my daughter safe. I’d do it myself, but I’m not exactly in the position for it.” His gaze came to Eden. “I have to go, but as soon as I can, I’ll come back to see you.”
She nodded and felt the tears burn her eyes. Her father couldn’t stay, she knew that, but Eden also knew that even if Declan proved his innocence, he’d still be arrested for breaking out of jail and becoming a fugitive. She doubted he’d just voluntarily go back to prison, and that meant he could still be killed while trying to evade the law.
And in this case, the law was Declan.
With his gun still aimed and ready, Harlan went forward, latched on to Reddick and hauled him toward his truck. “What should we do about him?” Harlan asked, tipping his head to her father.
Declan met her father’s gaze head-on. “I can’t just let you leave.”
“And I can’t let you arrest me,” her father argued.
Her heart nearly stopped, because they were not the sort of men who backed down. She couldn’t lose her father now that she’d just learned he was alive. But she couldn’t lose Declan, either.
Eden silently cursed both of them. And the stalemate that followed. They stood there, the bitter cold wind whipping at them. Guns aimed.
“Please,” Eden whispered. But she wasn’t sure which one of them she wanted to give in.
“Boss?” one of the gunmen yelled.
But that was the only warning they got before the sound cracked though the air.
Someone had fired a shot.
* * *
DECLAN COULDN’T MOVE fast enough.
He threw himself against Eden and pulled her to the side of his truck and then onto the ground. Beside him, Harlan did the same with Reddick, and all of them cursed the bullets that started to slam around them. Harlan wedged both Reddick and himself in between the two trucks.
Zander cursed, too, and he dropped down just a few feet away from them. For just that split second of time, Declan had thought the shots might be coming from Zander’s own hired guns, but judging from the man’s fierce reaction, someone else was shooting.
Just what they didn’t need.
Of course, this could be some kind of ploy set up by Zander to make it easier for him to escape, but if so, it was stupid. Because any one of those bullets could ricochet off something and hit Eden or the rest of them.
“He’s to your right!” one of Zander’s men behind the tree shouted.
Declan’s attention was already aimed in that direction because it was where the shots were coming from. There was a cluster of trees, so thick that it would make a good hiding place. Of course, the question was how had this guy managed to sneak up on Zander’s men? Or had he already been in place before Eden and he had even arrived?
“Stop the SOB!” Zander shouted.
A shot slapped into the ground right next to Eden and sent up a spray of dirt and pebbles. They had to move. But there weren’t exactly a lot of options. Getting back into the truck would be a huge risk. Plus, Harlan was parked behind him, and going forward would mean moving closer to the shooter. With the front tires already out, that didn’t seem like a good option. Of course, none of their options seemed good at this point.
“Can you see him?” Eden asked. Her breath was racing and every muscle in her body was tense.
Declan shook his head and tried to keep watch. And there was a lot to watch. Eden’s father for one. Even though Zander was flat on the ground, he was still armed, and he could turn that weapon on Declan so he could try to escape.
To his left, he heard Harlan talking, and he realized he was calling for backup. Good. Maybe it’d arrive in time, but he cursed himself and their situation. Because once again, Eden was in danger.
Finally, Declan saw some movement in the tree cluster. So did Zander’s men, because shots started to go in that direction. They were returning fire, and it might be enough to get the guy to stop. Declan figured there was a slim-to-none chance of keeping him alive so he could question him, but at least they had Reddick.
If they could keep him alive, that is.
He also had to consider that this attack was meant to kill Reddick, since he could likely spill a lot of details that a would-be killer would want to keep hidden. So there could be multiple targets here. Zander, Reddick, Eden or himself.
Or maybe all of them.
The more he learned about this investigation, the more he realized that everything was tangled together. And they had to dodge these bullets if they ever hoped to untangle it.
More shots came. Seemingly from every direction. God knows how many people were actually shooting out there. In fact, their attacker could have plenty of backup of his own.
“Get Eden out of here now!” her father shouted, and Declan was pretty sure Zander was talking to him. “We’ll settle our score later.”
The shots continued, making it hard to think or hear, but Declan had to come up with some kind of plan, because this guy wasn’t stopping. There had to be at least two of them, since the shots were coming nonstop.
“Crawl beneath my truck,” Declan told her. So far, there’d been no shots fired there, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t another shooter out in the woods. One with a better shot at the other side of his truck.
Eden didn’t move, and he could practically feel the hesitation in every part of her body. “I need that envelope,” she said, and that was the only warning she gave Declan before she snaked out, grabbed it and then got back behind him.
Later, he’d chew her out for that, but for now, he just wanted to get her the heck out of there.
“Move under my truck,” Declan order
ed.
Thankfully, Eden didn’t argue this time. She got on her belly and started crawling. Declan kept an eye on Zander, and he considered motioning for Harlan to get moving, too. But there was a problem. An escape would be next to impossible with a prisoner, and Declan had to consider that the complication was all part of Zander’s plan.
Whatever plan that was.
If they all piled into Harlan’s truck, Zander could escape, and Harlan, Eden and he could be left with Reddick, who might try to fight his way out of the small space. With the gunmen firing shots, things could turn deadly fast. Still, it was riskier to stay put.
“Don’t leave cover,” Declan told Eden when she had reached the far side underneath his truck. He motioned for Harlan to get moving, as well. Not toward the shooters, but toward what he hoped was the safe side of their vehicles.
“I’ll be in touch,” Declan warned Zander.
“Just read the papers in that envelope,” Zander insisted.
He would. Once they were safely out of this, and he refused to believe that wouldn’t happen. Declan scrambled under the truck with Eden.
“What about my father?” she asked. She was breathing through her mouth now, the air gusting in and out, and she looked as terrified as she sounded.
“He wants you out of here,” he reminded her. And, yeah, that wasn’t the answer Eden wanted to hear, but Declan wanted her out of there, too.
In the distance he heard a welcome sound. Sirens. Probably one or more of his brothers responding. They wouldn’t come in with guns blazing and bullets flying, but at least they were nearby in case things went from bad to worse.
Declan moved ahead of Eden so that he could look out. No sign of any shooters. Just Harlan, who had a meaty grip on Reddick’s shirt collar. He and his brother made eye contact, and Declan motioned for Harlan to get in through the passenger’s side.
The seconds slowed to a crawl, but Harlan finally stuffed both himself and Reddick into the truck. However, Reddick had barely managed to get in when there was another shot.
This one sent Declan’s heart to his knees.
Because it hadn’t been fired from the tree cluster. No. This one had slammed into the front of Harlan’s truck.
Damn.
Either the shooter had moved or this was his backup. And it wasn’t just one shot. They came crashing through his brother’s truck.
Declan took aim, trying to pinpoint the shooter’s location, and he fired. Judging from the sound of it, he hit a tree, but it must have been close enough because the shooter paused. It was just enough time for Harlan to dive onto the seat and get behind the wheel.
The shooter fired again. And this time, the bullet didn’t go into a tree. Declan knew that sound. Bullet into flesh. Reddick snapped forward, his body twisting into an unnatural angle, before falling to the ground.
Someone had shot Reddick in the back of the head.
Declan didn’t have to touch the man to know he was dead. It’d been a very accurate kill shot, and just like that, no more bullets came at them. Well, not from this angle anyway. The shots continued on the other side of the trucks.
“Get her out of here!” Zander yelled again.
Declan wanted nothing more, but he had to wait. And he didn’t like what he heard. No more shots, but someone was running. The assassin, no doubt. Just as Reddick had done at his house, the gunman had been killed. And so had any link to the person who’d hired him.
“Let’s move now,” Declan insisted.
He gripped Eden’s arm and they scurried out from beneath the truck. It was a short trek, but not an easy one, since they had to climb over Reddick’s body. The moment they were inside, Harlan threw his truck into Reverse and gunned the engine.
Declan held his breath. Said a prayer, too, and that prayer was apparently answered because no other bullets came their way. The gunmen, however, continued to shoot, and the bullets pelted the ground near Declan’s truck.
“Oh, God,” Eden said on a gasp.
That snagged his attention, and Declan followed her gaze to her father. Zander was no longer on the ground but had gotten up to a crouching position. He aimed his gun in the direction of the trees where the shots were coming.
Declan couldn’t tell if Zander managed to pull the trigger, but he saw the man’s body jerk back. No doubt from a bullet slamming into his chest.
Eden screamed, the sound echoing over the bullet blasts and the roar of the engine. She would have bolted from the truck if Declan hadn’t held on to her.
“My father’s been shot,” she said, and she kept repeating it.
Declan caught her face and forced her to look him in the eyes. “Stay in the truck with Harlan. He’ll get you to safety.”
Declan hoped.
“Slow down just for a second,” he told Harlan.
Harlan cursed, called him a bad name mixed with some profanity, but he slowed just enough for Declan to jump from the truck. He hit the ground running.
Directly toward the shooters.
Chapter Eleven
Eden threw the envelope on the floor and tried to pull Declan back into the truck, but she wasn’t fast enough. He ducked behind a tree, leaned out and fired. She couldn’t see where his shot landed because Harlan kept going, the truck flying in Reverse.
“We have to help Declan,” she insisted. “And my father.”
Harlan didn’t respond. He kept his eyes on the side mirror and maneuvered around a curve. Once he was on the other side, he stopped. Without the noise from the engine and the dirt and rocks slapping against the undercarriage, Eden could hear something surprising.
Silence.
However, she did hear something else. Sirens. They were getting closer, and it didn’t take long before the blue lights were flashing all around them. The cruiser came to a stop behind them, and both Wyatt and the local sheriff, Rico Geary, cracked open their doors. Harlan did the same.
“Declan’s out there,” Harlan relayed to them. “Zander Gray, too, and at least three gunmen. There’s also a dead body, Lonnie Reddick.”
That brought Wyatt out of the cruiser, and with his gun drawn he walked toward them. “You two okay?”
Harlan looked at her. Nodded. “Don’t know about Zander or Declan, though.”
“My father was shot,” Eden volunteered.
Wyatt spared them both a glance, but continued up the trail, using the trees and shrubs for cover. Sheriff Geary did the same on the other side, but when he reached the truck, Harlan got out.
“I need you to stay with Eden,” he told the sheriff.
Geary didn’t argue, but Harlan had only made it a few steps when she heard someone shout. “It’s me. Don’t shoot.”
Declan.
Despite the sheriff’s attempts to stop her, Eden bolted from the truck and started running. The relief was instant. So was the fear of how close he’d come to dying. Again.
She didn’t think. Eden ran right to Declan and was surprised when he pulled her into his arms. He brushed a kiss on her cheek. Pulled back, examined her face. She did the same to him. No injuries, thank goodness. And she didn’t kiss his cheek. She pressed her lips to his for several moments.
“What about my father?” she asked, hating to hear the answer.
Declan only shook his head. “He wasn’t there when I got back. His men must have gotten him out. But I think he was wearing Kevlar because I didn’t see any blood.”
She replayed all those horrible images and realized he was right. Her father had fallen to the ground, clutching his chest, but there’d been no blood.
“You went back for my father,” she said under her breath. Their eyes met, and whether he would admit it or not, he hadn’t done that just so he could arrest him. Declan had done that for her. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t do it for him,” Declan quickly let her know.
“We need to get out of here,” Harlan reminded them before they could say anything else. “Those gunmen could come back.”
“Yes,” the sheriff agreed, “and I need to get the rangers out here to help with this crime scene.” He looked at Declan. “Unless you want to do that yourself.”
Declan shook his head, looped his arm around her waist and got them moving toward Harlan’s truck. The sheriff had to move the cruiser, but Harlan was finally able to get turned around so they could drive out of there.
Eden glanced behind them one last time, both hoping to get a glimpse of her father and hoping she didn’t. Because if any of the lawmen saw him, they’d arrest him. But at least she would know for certain that he was alive and unharmed.
“Either of you need to see a doctor?” Harlan asked. They both shook their heads. “Then I’m headed to the office. We’ve got a hell of a big mess to sort through.”
They couldn’t argue with that. Heaven knows how long it’d take to go through a crime scene that large.
Declan picked up the envelope that she’d tossed on the floor, but he didn’t open it right away. He kept watch. So did Harlan.
No doubt in case there was another attack.
Her body was braced for one. Every nerve seemed to be right near the surface. And worse, this latest attack hadn’t ended anything. They now had a dead gunman who couldn’t give them any information. And her father was on the run again.
“You need to level your breathing,” Declan told her.
Only then did she realize she wasn’t just breathing fast, she was on the edge of hyperventilating. He slipped his arm around her, eased her to him, and Eden dropped her head on his shoulder.
It was wrong to take comfort from him this way, and Harlan obviously didn’t approve of it, judging from the grunt he made. But Eden didn’t pull away. She was afraid if she did, she might fall apart.
JUSTICE IS COMING Page 10