Scorned Justice: The Men of Texas Rangers Series #3 (Men of the Texas Rangers)

by Margaret Daley

  “We’ll deal with that if it happens. Right now, I want to gather as much information as we can. People will want answers. Tory. You. Foster. Okay?”

  The lump in her throat swelled even more. She nodded, staring at her brother, thinking of all the times they had ridden over the ranch, raced to the fence line, and teased each other about who was the better rider. The sound of a helicopter invaded her memories. Bringing real life back in full force—where her brother was critically injured, barely hanging on.

  When the chopper landed, the wind whipped up the dust, swirling it in the air. Jake and Gus held the horses’ reins, but the animals jerked on them, prancing back away from the helicopter, its high-pitched, whirring sound overriding all others. Rebecca shielded her brother as best she could, using the blanket while Brody headed toward the chopper.

  My life is about to change. A shiver rippled down the length of her body as the paramedics hopped to the ground and hurried toward Thomas, grim expressions on their faces. Rebecca fixed her gaze on Brody. Beneath his professional countenance, the glimpse of apprehension in his eyes reinforced what she’d known when she’d first seen her brother. Only prayer would help Thomas now.

  “We’re almost there.” Brody looked at Rebecca, dressed in one of Thomas’s shirts and staring straight ahead, quiet for the past twenty minutes. Her grip on the edge of the seat in his SUV highlighted what she was going through.

  “I appreciate your bringing me, but I could have driven myself. You didn’t need to come.”

  “Really?”

  She finally glanced at him. “Okay. Maybe I wouldn’t have had my thoughts totally focused on driving.”

  “Which is to be expected. There was no way I wouldn’t come, so there’s no reason for you to drive yourself. Thomas is a friend. I’m here to help. I’ll stay and take you back when you’re ready.”

  “I saw you talking with the sheriff. What did he say?”

  “He’s going to ride out before it gets too dark and meet up with Jake.”

  “Do you think this is foul play?”

  “I don’t know. That’s why I’m having the sheriff follow up with Jake and check out the place where it went down. Has Thomas angered anyone? Is there a reason you would think it might be foul play?”

  Rebecca pressed her fingertips into her temples. “I don’t think he has any enemies. But he owns or rather is part-owner of a large ranch. Maybe there’s someone I don’t know about. We usually talk business on Saturday afternoons when I visit.”

  “So other than that, you don’t have much to do with the Circle S Ranch?”

  “I may own half, but Thomas runs it. I trust my brother. He knows what he’s doing. He had the best teacher.”

  “Yeah, your dad.”

  “I wish he were here right now.” Pain laced each word as Rebecca went back to staring out the windshield.

  “Your dad was the best. I miss him, too.”

  “That was an awful year for me. First, my husband was killed in the line of duty, then my father died from a stroke six months later. I don’t want to ever repeat what happened three years ago.”

  He’d come back for both funerals but had stayed in the background, at least as far as Rebecca was concerned. Thomas and he had had lengthy conversations about transitioning the running of the ranch from father to son. He’d helped his friend the best way he could long-distance. “Any problems going on at the ranch?”

  “Like what?”

  “With hired hands? Customers? Neighbors?”

  “No . . .” she twisted her hands together, “unless he was keeping it from me. I know he did that first year after Garrett was killed, but I called him on it when I realized what he was doing and I don’t think he has since then.”

  “But you’re not sure?”

  She glanced at him. “I can’t answer 100 percent. But I’m 90 percent sure.”

  Which left 10 percent, enough to bother him. Thomas had always been protective of Rebecca. If anything looked suspicious, he would check into what was going on at the Circle S, even if he had to do it quietly without Tory and Rebecca knowing.

  Silence fell between them again. Brody concentrated on driving, going as fast as he dared.

  “I’m glad Foster was there at the ranch to take Tory to the hospital. Hopefully she’ll be there not long after my brother arrives at Mercy Memorial.”

  “And it never hurts to have the governor there to expedite anything that needs to be done.”

  “Foster does have a commanding way about him.”

  Heat from her gaze warmed his face. He locked his hands tighter about the steering wheel.

  “I’ve missed you. I can’t believe this is the first time we’ve really talked since you came home five months ago.”

  “I’ve been busy. Crime doesn’t come to a standstill when you want it to.”

  “Tell me about it. My current case proves that.”

  “I heard you caught the retrial of Dmitri Petrov.” Brody turned into the parking lot near the emergency room at Mercy Memorial.

  “I was the lucky one. I know one thing—when the jury is finally selected next week, I’ll be keeping a tight rein on them. No jury tampering this time around. We don’t need to go through a third trial.” Rebecca grabbed her purse from the floor and positioned herself as if she were going to fling the door open the second he came to a stop.

  “It seems strange to have a Mexican-American gang going toe-to-toe with the Russian Mafia. If only we could sit back and let them duke it out.”

  “Kill each other off? That doesn’t always happen. In this case, some innocent people got caught in the crossfire. A businessman in the community died.”

  “I know. I haven’t been following the case, since it happened before I returned to San Antonio.” Brody pulled into a parking space near the entrance to the hospital.

  “It started as the usual payback for something done to one of their members.”

  “An eye for an eye.”

  “This Russian Mafia goes beyond that. They take out everyone connected to the person.” Rebecca shoved open the door as Brody turned off his engine.

  She was halfway to the door by the time he’d climbed out of his SUV. As he strode toward the entrance, the hairs on his neck tingled. He paused and scanned the parking lot.

  Something is wrong.

  Dusk had crept across the asphalt, throwing part of the area into shadows. Searching the murkiness, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Maybe it was his imagination. Maybe because of all the talk about gangs and the Russian Mafia. Or maybe someone had followed them to the hospital.

  He laid his hand on the butt end of the gun in his holster and slowly turned in a full circle. Still nothing.

  He continued his trek into the hospital as he placed a call. “Sheriff Overstreet, this is Brody Calhoun. Do you have anything yet on what happened to Thomas?”

  “No, I’m almost to Jake. He found a calf trapped in a gully. That must have been what Thomas was trying to rescue when he got caught up in his own rope.”

  “Maybe, but Thomas has been riding and roping all his life.”

  “I’ll go over the ground. I’ve got a deputy with me. We should be able to cover it before it rains. We both have high-beam flashlights, and if I feel we need to bring in extra lighting, I will.”

  “Call me when you finish.”

  “Will do.”

  Brody headed through the doors to the emergency room. A doctor entered the waiting room. Brody quickened his pace and walked in. Tory’s face went white, her eyes large. She sank into the chair and covered her face with her hands.

  No, not Thomas.

  3

  J. R. sat across the street from the entrance to the emergency room at Mercy Memorial. The Texas Ranger had stopped and then made a slow circle as though he knew he was being watched.

  Although J. R. was a hundred yards away, he’d ducked down in his car. They wouldn’t be able to connect him to Thomas Sinclair, but there was no use taking
chances. Later he’d go in and snoop around.

  That Sinclair had been taken to the hospital meant he was alive. But would he survive? He needed that question answered. What had Sinclair seen when he’d turned to his right just before J. R. hit him with a rock?

  Rebecca laid her hand on Tory’s shoulder in the waiting room. “He’s going to pull through surgery. He’s alive, and these doctors will keep him that way.”

  Tory lifted her face, tears streaking her cheeks. “He’s barely hanging on. How’s he going to survive surgery?”

  “With a lot of prayers on our part. They have to stop the internal bleeding.”

  Their family physician, Dr. Henderson, dressed in blue scrubs, stepped forward. “Mrs. Sinclair, we need your consent to operate. Time is of the essence.”

  “But what if he dies on the operating table? How can I . . .” Tory grabbed the clipboard the doctor held and scribbled her signature beside the X. As she gave it back, it slipped from her fingers and clanged against the floor.

  Dr. Henderson picked it up. “I’ll let you know what’s going on with your husband as soon as I know.”

  Tory stared at him as he left the waiting room, then swung her gaze to Rebecca. “It doesn’t sound good.” Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over.

  Rebecca patted her sister-in-law’s back but was at a loss about what to say or do. She wanted to cry herself, but glancing around the room stilled the sorrow deep inside her. She’d been taught never to display her emotions in public, and with the governor standing not far away with his entourage, her training came to the foreground. She should talk with Foster, but she didn’t want to leave Tory.

  When her sister-in-law rummaged in her purse for a tissue and then dabbed her face with it, Brody approached them. “Tory, Rebecca, can I get you something to drink? Coffee?”

  Tory sprang to her feet. “What I need is to get out of here for a while. I’ll go with you. Rebecca, can I get you some coffee?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’ll be down the hall if you need us.” Tory and Brody left the room.

  The second her sister-in-law disappeared into the hallway, Rebecca released a long sigh, raking her fingers through her hair—something she did when she was nervous or upset. Tory hadn’t been able to contain how frightened she was, which only heightened her own sense Thomas might not make it. But she couldn’t allow herself to think that. She had to be the strong one for the family.

  How were Kim and Aubrey doing? Did they know? They hadn’t when she’d left the ranch. She slid her hand into her pocket and grasped the cell the housekeeper had given her when she left the house to come to the hospital.

  Foster came toward her and took the chair Tory had been sitting in. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m okay, but I don’t know about Tory.”

  “She didn’t say a word the whole way to the hospital. I was concerned. I’ll be able to stay until we hear how well the surgery went. At least I hope so. I have a critical meeting I need to keep first thing tomorrow morning in Austin, but the meeting isn’t too far from here.”

  “I appreciate your bringing Tory. I can make sure she gets back to the ranch when she needs to.”

  “Does Brody know anything? I heard the sheriff was called out to the Circle S.”

  After she told Foster all she knew surrounding what had happened to Thomas, she sat back, finally relaxing her rigid posture, which she couldn’t maintain any longer. Her muscles twitched. Pain gripped her.

  “So, no one knows anything?”

  “That about sums it up, Foster. But I intend to get some answers as soon as I find out that my brother is going to pull through. I know how important the first few days of an investigation are.”

  “I guess you would, having been a district attorney and married to a cop.”

  “On a number of occasions Garrett bemoaned how slow an investigation was proceeding.”

  Foster covered her hand, which rested on the arm of the chair between them. “It’s been a tough few years.” He glanced toward the entrance. “I’m glad Brody is here to help. I know how close you three were growing up.”

  Rebecca looked up as Tory and Brody returned to the waiting room. “Yes, we were, but these last ten years we lost touch. At least Brody and I did. Not Thomas and Brody.” Why had she let that happen? Probably because she had been a newlywed and had been caught up in her marriage to Garrett. Time passed. And then her husband died and her world fell apart for a while. She didn’t want to go through something like that again.

  Tory paced the waiting room while Foster sat quietly next to Rebecca. Waiting for word from the doctor.

  Finally Foster stood, breaking the silence that had descended. “I’m going to have Brody work the case until he’s satisfied it was an accident. I’ll feel better with one of our rangers supervising what’s going on. I’m sure Sheriff Overstreet won’t mind the help.”

  “Thanks. I’ll feel better having him work the case, too.”

  “Anything for family.”

  “That’s how I feel.”

  As Foster closed the distance between him and Brody, Rebecca decided to go out into the corridor to place her call to Hattie. She didn’t want Tory to overhear her—her sister-in-law had enough to deal with. She’d take care of what was going on at the ranch and let Tory focus on Thomas. That would be the way her brother would want it.

  In the hallway, Rebecca placed her call, and Hattie answered on the third ring with, “Tell me Thomas is alive.”

  The desperation in her voice nearly undid Rebecca. She gripped the cellphone tighter. “Yes, so far, but he’s in surgery. The doctor isn’t saying it, but I get the feeling it will be touch-and-go with Thomas.”

  “I don’t wanna hear that.”

  “I know. You practically raised us when our mother died. How are Aubrey and Kim? What do they know?”

  “Just that their daddy is at the hospital because he hurt himself. Aubrey wanted to know if it was like the time Kim jumped from the second floor of the barn into the hay and broke her arm. I told her yes. I don’t have the heart to say anything else until we know more for sure.”

  “Good. No sense alarming them. I’ll be back to the ranch as soon as Thomas is out of surgery and stable. I want to tell the girls.”

  “I’ll be praying.”

  “Thanks. Me, too.” Rebecca disconnected the call and turned to go back into the waiting room.

  Brody stood in the entrance, his gaze on her. She hadn’t realized until she saw him earlier how much she’d missed him these past years. As usual, she could count on him to be there for her. She didn’t know what she would have done if he hadn’t come along. Leaving Thomas out there by himself while she rode for help had been the last thing she’d wanted to do.

  Brody moved toward her. “Everything all right at the ranch?”

  “How did you know I’d called there?”

  “A hunch.”

  “Hattie hasn’t said anything to the girls. She’s saving that for me.”

  “Not Tory?”

  “Kim and Aubrey were excited to get a new mom, but I’m . . .” She realized what she was about to say and swallowed the last word. Tory and she weren’t alike. She was still surprised that Thomas had married Tory, who was nine years yonger than her brother, but he was happy, so she was grateful to her.

  “But you’re family. That’s kind of how I feel about Thomas. I had an older sister who didn’t want to have anything to do with her bratty brother.”

  “Has that changed?” Lightness infused her voice for a moment when she thought of the times they had played pranks on his sister, Kathy.

  “We’ve got a great relationship. I take care of Dad and she goes her merry way. Since Kathy got a divorce, we see more of my niece than her.”

  “I heard she got a divorce a couple of months ago. That has to be hard.”

  “Not according to her. She celebrated being free of her husband. I think it crushed her when she found out he had a girlfrien
d on the side.”

  She’d never had to worry about that with Garrett, only whether he would come home unhurt when he was on duty. She’d tried to persuade him not to be an undercover cop, but he’d loved the job. He wouldn’t have been the same if he had changed departments. But in the end the work he’d loved killed him—or rather a drug dealer had.

  “You okay?”

  She mentally shook the thoughts away and focused on Brody, whose gray eyes had darkened with concern. “Thinking about Garrett. There’s been too much death lately.”

  He clasped her arm. “I’m here if you need to talk. I didn’t know Garrett well, but I heard he was a good cop. One of the best.”

  “Until the day he was murdered by a gang member who sold drugs. That’s why the Petrov trial is so important to me. I want to send a message. Gangs, mafias, whatever you want to call them, are not welcomed here.”

  “Which reminds me. Governor Sinclair has asked me to look into what happened with Thomas to make sure it was an accident. He knows about the trial you have started and what’s transpired with Dmitri Petrov’s first one.”

  “You think what happened to Thomas could be tied to my trial?”

  “On the ride here didn’t you tell me you received a bouquet of dead roses today?”

  “Yes, but . . .” Horror took hold of her and spread through her body in a flash. She laid a hand against the nearby wall as her energy drained out. “Thomas doesn’t have anything to do with the trial.” I can’t be the reason this happened.

  “Didn’t you say the warring factions go after family, too?”

  “They have with people who have crossed them.”

  “Your tough reputation on crime has preceded you. That probably has the defendant worried.”

  “Not much has happened other than I’ve been hearing pretrial motions and only a couple of potential jury members have been questioned.”

  “Maybe they aren’t pleased they drew you as the judge. It’s well-known what happened to your husband. Either way, your cousin is concerned and wants to make sure it has nothing to do with what happened to Thomas. I agree with him after what you received today.”