“Jimmy, good to see you, too,” she said stiffly. She reminded herself that he was the only one of Father’s apprentices who’d gone with the crowd rather than trying to stop her father’s murder. And therefore suspect himself. “Trouble how?”
“Jacob told me about seeing the raven’s track—”
“Which I didn’t do!” Had he told everyone on the rez? she wondered.
“So you say.”
“Jacob is an overly superstitious man. Believe sorcery is at work if you want, Jimmy, but I wasn’t the one who left the sign on the fence post. Besides, nothing bad has happened to the horses.”
“Yet,” he said, his spooky gray eyes boring into her.
“Is there a problem here?” came Tiernan’s welcome voice from behind her.
He slipped an arm around her waist and held her fast to his side. A shiver of something clandestine between them swept through her.
Focusing, she said, “Apparently not yet.”
“Not that anyone has proved,” Jimmy qualified.
“What the heck does that mean?”
“I know about Harold Walks Tall.” Jimmy’s gaze shifted to Tiernan. “You the one with her?”
“Aye, we found the body together.”
“You ought to stay away from trouble, especially here on the rez. Ella takes after her old man, which means she’s dangerous to be around.”
“How dare you?” Now she was getting angry.
“Experience,” Jimmy said. “One I don’t want to see repeated. My duty is to protect the tribe and the rez and remove unwanted influences.”
“I am part of the tribe,” Ella reminded him. “And I’m not going anywhere until I’m good and ready.”
“That might be sooner than you think,” he said, smirking as he walked away.
“What does that mean?” she shouted after him, but Jimmy didn’t so much as slow his stride.
Other people were staring at her, though. People who’d ushered her father to his death? Did they know who she was? Ella began to shake inside.
Tiernan gave her a gentle squeeze. “I think we should be getting away from here.”
“I think you’re right.”
They headed out of the casino into the dark and straight to Tiernan’s truck. He unlocked the door for her, then stopped her from getting in.
“Wait. Something is wrong.”
He reached inside and pulled out a flashlight. Shining the light on the front tire showed it to be flat, shredded strands of rubber decorating the pavement. He cursed softly, then went around the truck, checking each wheel.
“All four,” he said. “Someone slashed all four tires.”
“What? Who would do that?” Guilt slid through her. “It’s because you’re with me. It has to be. Someone is taking his dislike for me out on you.”
“Or trying to warn me away from asking too many questions.”
“Leonard wouldn’t do this.”
“I didn’t say he did. Though we didn’t ask questions of anyone else.”
“More likely, it was Jimmy.” Ella couldn’t see an officer of the law doing something so destructive, but who else? “That’s why he was gloating when he walked away. We should report this…but to whom? If Jimmy did do it, reporting it would be futile since he’s the head of the tribal police. He’d probably tell everyone that I put some kind of curse on your truck.”
Tiernan swept the light over the ground around the car. “Look at this,” he said, stopping the flood of light near one of the tires.
Ella gasped. A raven’s track. “Our telling anyone about it will only make people take a closer look at me. They’ll think I did it myself.”
Tiernan smudged the scratching with his foot until it disappeared. “Let’s go over to the petrol station, see what they can do for us.”
Ella’s pulse rushed through her as she walked with him. What did the sign and the slashed tires mean? Was it simply a warning to leave the rez? Or something more?
At the gas station, she stopped at the door. “I’ll wait outside for you.”
So she could think.
Part of her wanted to run back to Sioux Falls, but the other part was angry. Not about to be scared away, Ella closed her eyes and thought of her father and his strength in the face of terror. She could see him as he was that last day before fire tore at his flesh.
I will not let anyone drive me away, Father.
You are brave, Ella.
I’m frightened. I don’t know if I can do this.
You can do anything you choose. You learned well, daughter. Now you must use what you know. Use your mind the way I taught you.
It has been too long.
It is time.
“They can’t do anything—not tonight.”
Tiernan’s voice jerked Ella back to the situation.
“The lad told me to come back in the morning when someone could get me a price on new tires and then have someone go fetch them from Custer.”
“I’m really sorry—”
“’Tis not your fault.”
“In a way it is. If I hadn’t involved you, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“I volunteered, remember.”
Tiernan gave her a blinding smile that made her heart skip a beat. This time, she fought the invisible link that threatened to bind her to him.
“After what happened,” she said, “I’m not holding you to anything.” Who knew how far the culprit would go next?
“Something as inconsequential as ruined tires is not going to change my mind.”
“What if it’s more?”
“We will take things as they go. As my grandmother always says, ‘Do not be lookin’ for trouble, Tiernan, lad, for trouble is sure ta find ye soon enough.’”
Ella smiled. “All right.”
Tiernan’s expression said he wanted to tell her something more, then shifted into neutral. “I guess I should be walking, then.”
“I’ll drive you, of course.” She caught his wrist and tugged on it. “The house is this way.”
Flushing with inexplicable feelings, she let go of him. They walked in silence, giving her time to wonder why they seemed linked together. What was it that had brought them together in the first place? And why did she feel like a battery that was plugged in and charging every time he was near her?
They arrived at the house without her having the answer. “Here we are.”
“No lights on to welcome you home?”
“The grandparents go to bed early. Electricity is one expense they can limit. Besides, I’m used to finding my way through the place. This used to be our house,” she admitted. “I don’t have to go in. I have the keys on me.”
Pulling them from her purse, she jingled them at him and then unlocked the SUV.
Within minutes they were back on the winding road cutting first across reservation land, which soon gave way to refuge land. Ella wasn’t fond of driving this road with its dips and drop-offs and hairpin curves during the day. At night the road could be treacherous, so she took it slower than normal. Undoubtedly the reason another set of lights in her rearview mirror approached so fast. The driver put on his brights and flicked them several times.
“Oh, great, this guy is in a big hurry.”
Tiernan glanced back. “Isn’t he getting a little too close?”
“For my comfort, yeah, but he’ll get tired of waiting for me to speed up and will just go around us.”
Only he didn’t.
The brights in her mirrors nearly blinded her. She couldn’t make out anything other than the vehicle was a dark, old model truck. It stayed directly behind them so close that Ella felt as if it was right in her trunk.
And then it was.
The first time it was a tap.
“Hey!”
And then the tap became a bump, making Ella speed up whether or not she wanted to.
“What the hell does he think he’s doing?” Tiernan muttered, now turning in his seat as far as the seat belt would let hi
m. “’Tis impossible to see anything beyond the brights.”
But Ella could see that no matter how fast she went, the truck behind was staying glued to her rear, trying to make her go faster.
The SUV veered toward the drop-off, the tires spewing gravel from the side of the road. The breath caught in Ella’s throat and she jerked the wheel so the SUV careened away from the edge to the other side of the road. An oncoming car made her jerk the other way to correct. The SUV swayed and went up on two wheels and then back down to four with a hard thunk.
“We’re going too fast!” If she didn’t slow down, they could capsize or go over the embankment. She looked up into the rearview mirror and saw the lights approaching from behind again. “I can’t control it.”
“Calm down, darlin’, ’tis a fine job of driving you’re doing. ’Tis only your nerves making you think you can’t control the vehicle.”
As Tiernan spoke, he placed a calming hand on her shoulder. The effect rippled through her until at last, she breathed easier.
“What did you do to me?”
“Convinced you of my confidence is all.”
But how? What magic did he use on her?
She didn’t ask, rather aimed her full concentration on getting them safely to flat land. Able to see the full road and any oncoming vehicles ahead, she straddled the line and halfway through the next curve sped up, finally putting some distance between them and the truck.
Though she was barely familiar with the road, she remembered that at the end of this hilly stretch there was a straight run across a flat piece of land that went on half a mile. They were almost there.
“Hang on, I’m going to get a look at whoever is trying to run us off the road.”
“What are you planning on doing?”
“Just watch.”
A couple hundred yards into the flat, she slowed and put the SUV into four-wheel drive, then circled onto unpaved road. She clicked on her brights just in time to get a good look at the side of the truck as it passed them and sped on.
“Do you recognize it?” Tiernan asked.
Sick inside, she nodded. “Nathan’s truck.”
“How can you be certain?”
“I just rode in it this morning.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Tiernan said. “And keep a watch out in case he comes back.”
Ella’s nerves were on edge again the entire five minutes it took them to get to refuge headquarters. She didn’t relish the drive back and decided she would take the long way around. No more shortcuts for her.
Stopping near the front door, she said, “I guess I should report this…for all the good it will do.”
“You’re not going back to the reservation alone.” He touched her and said, “You’re shaking. Come inside and have a cuppa.”
“I shouldn’t.”
“I’m thinking you should. Now, come inside, Ella, and let me take care of you.”
Being taken care of sounded great right now. Relieved that she didn’t have to be alone for a while, she scrambled out of the vehicle and let Tiernan take her in his arms for a moment. She shuddered and then surrendered to the cocoon of warmth and the deeper connection she felt with him.
“That’s it,” Tiernan murmured into her hair. “Relax.”
The stress she’d felt on the chase had vanished only to be replaced by another kind of tension. Her pulse skittered through her and her skin grew hot and taut. She looked up at Tiernan. His expression was so serious, his gaze so deep, that she lost herself for a moment and rose on tiptoe to brush his lips with hers.
Tiernan held her tight and stared straight into her eyes. “What is it you want, Ella?”
Feeling as if all the air was suddenly squeezed out of her, thinking he was willing to give her whatever she did want, Ella said, “Just to thank you.”
“Is that all? Truly?”
She blinked and wet her lips. “I—I don’t know.” This was crazy. She shouldn’t be in his arms.
“’Tis honest. I don’t know, either, lass. Shall we table this discussion to another time, then?”
Breathless, Ella nodded and Tiernan released her. Still, he took her hand and led her inside. His grip was warm and comforting, and despite her reservations, she was glad for the contact.
The reception room was dark until Tiernan switched on a light. “There you go.”
“Are your relatives asleep this early?”
“Relax,” he said. “I didn’t notice Kate’s SUV out there, so I assume they went out for the evening. Come sit in the kitchen. I’ll put the kettle on to boil.”
“As much as I hate having to do this, I need to call in the incident,” she admitted. “The question is to whom? It was Nathan, but we were on refuge land. Then again, local law enforcement would probably have to turn him back over to the tribal police. So I guess I have the answer.”
“The phone is over there,” he said, indicating one on the wall.
Reluctantly, Ella called tribal headquarters and said she needed to make an official report. The assistant put her through to Ted Grey. She was thankful to get someone she knew other than Jimmy, but not so thankful as to what the officer had to say.
“So you weren’t hurt and your car wasn’t actually damaged?” Ted questioned.
“No, but the driver was trying to cause an accident. I almost slid over the embankment. And I saw the vehicle—a truck—and know the owner.” She took a deep breath and said, “Nathan Lantero.”
“Isn’t Nathan your cousin?” Ted asked, his voice suddenly thick with suspicion. “If it’s a family matter, I don’t know why you’re bothering us.”
“Because he tried to run me off the road!”
As she said it, Tiernan turned from the kettle on the stove and tuned in to her. That she could feel it put her off her game for a moment.
Ted asked, “You said this near-accident just took place?” He sounded as if he didn’t really believe her.
“Like ten minutes ago.”
“Then the driver couldn’t have been Nathan.”
“Why not?” Were Ted and Nathan buddies? she wondered, her grip on the phone tightening. She matched looks with Tiernan as she asked, “Is Nathan locked up?”
“Nope, but he was here an hour ago, making out a report—stolen truck. So it couldn’t have been him.”
Taken by surprise, Ella was speechless for a moment. If the truck really had been stolen, that meant Nathan hadn’t tried to harm or at least to scare her. It hadn’t been her cousin who’d tried running her off the road.
A bit relieved, she found her voice. “Are you looking for the truck?”
“Actively? Nope,” Ted admitted. “But a description already went out. If anyone sees it and we are able to make an arrest, I’ll get back to you.”
Frustrated, she slammed the phone into its cradle.
“So…Nathan…?” Dropping tea bags into two mugs, Tiernan let the name dangle.
“Reported the truck stolen an hour ago.”
“Stolen? And you believe that?”
“I want to. When I was a kid, Nathan was like a big brother to me. He saved my life. I don’t want to think he changed into a bad person.”
Or that he’d been a bad person all along, which, of course, was a distinct possibility.
The kettle began to whistle, so Tiernan filled the mugs with hot water. Then he handed her one.
“Give it a moment.”
Taking it, she set it on the table. Her mind was whirling. “Maybe I should have told Ted about the slashed tires.” Truthfully, she’d forgotten about them until just now. “So, do you think whoever slashed them was counting on my giving you a ride home?”
“A possibility, I would say.”
“Then we were both targets. Someone is trying to scare us both away.”
“Or worse.”
“Or worse,” she echoed. “But why would anyone want to hurt us?”
“Because we know too much?”
“What is it we know? Nothing!�
��
Frustrated anew, Ella picked up her mug and sipped at her tea. She didn’t have long to think before hearing a vehicle pull up near the house. She looked to Tiernan.
“Kate and Chase are home.” He set down his mug. “I’m going to tell them what happened. I’m sure Kate will want you to stay here for the night until we can think on what to do.”
Ella had no argument for that.
But when Tiernan’s cousin came in the door, followed by her husband—a tall man dressed in black jeans and a black shirt buttoned to the neck—he didn’t have the opportunity to tell them anything.
“We have a problem,” Kate immediately announced.
“What kind of problem?” Tiernan asked.
“Sick horses.”
“Where?”
“The pasture at the set,” Chase said.
“Is that where you’ve been?”
“Right. Nathan called to warn us.”
“Nathan?” Ella repeated, feeling the air leave her lungs again.
What did her cousin have to do with this?
Chase nodded. “He went to check on his horses and noticed several of ours had a rough cough and a clear discharge from the nose and eyes.”
“I checked them out myself,” Kate said. “They had swollen lymph nodes under their jaws. Looks like equine flu. They’ll need extra care for at least a week.”
Tiernan said, “We need to get them out of there before the rest of the herd becomes infected.”
“Already done,” Chase said. “Not that it’s any guarantee that more won’t get sick. The affected horses are in a corral near the barn. Let’s just hope this is it, that there aren’t more.”
Though she wasn’t a horse expert, Ella knew that equine flu could be a serious problem.
“We took Maggie over to the ranch. Mom is taking care of her,” Kate said. “Then we came back here to get you. I figure it’s going to be a long night. I can’t believe this is happening right before the big party for Quin and Luz.”
“An engagement party,” Tiernan told Ella. “Kate’s youngest brother is getting married, and there is going to be a big celebration tomorrow night at the ranch.”
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