by K. J. Dahlen
Bethany climbed through the window. She ran up to him with her gun trained on him, ignoring the possibility that another of the shadow team might see her. With her foot she kicked the gun farther away from him.
"You bitch, you shot me," Travis growled as he writhed in pain. He grimaced in agony as one hand squeezed his shoulder.
"What the hell were you going to do to me?" Bethany raged.
"I sure as hell wouldn’t have missed." Travis gritted his teeth. His hand was sticky with blood seeping through his fingers.
"What makes you think I missed?" Bethany asked.
"You didn’t kill me, that’s what," Travis growled. "I would have shot to kill."
"Oh, you aren’t going to be that lucky," Bethany told him." You’re going to trial for the cold-blooded murder of a DEA agent. You’ll spend the rest of your life in jail waiting for the state to put you down like the rabid animal you are!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Travis searched her face.
"Ian Carter was my brother. I was there, in that alley, when you shot him," Bethany spat. "I saw you pull the trigger of the gun that killed my brother."
"Grayson’s been looking for you ever since," Travis growled.
Bethany nodded. "Yeah, I’m the one who ran away from that alley. I’m the woman you ran off the road." Bethany kicked his foot. "You should have made sure I was dead that night."
The firing stopped. For less than a heartbeat, there was no sound. Bethany motioned Travis to his feet. There they waited. A couple more shots were fired before Ben yelled for Bethany.
"I’m around the back!" she called out. "I’ve got Travis. He’s wounded."
A man came out of the woods with a DEA jacket on. His gun was trained on Travis. He grabbed Travis’s wrist and yanked it behind his back. Travis growled in pain but before he could do anything, he was handcuffed. The DEA agent marched him to the front yard where more agents met them. Ben and Colton were already there.
Grayson was handcuffed, kneeling in the driveway. There was the body of an older man lying in the snow next to him. Bethany could see several bullet holes in his dead body. He looked enough like Grayson and Travis that Bethany easily took him to be Seth Trainer. Colton was OK.
Steve and the rest of his men walked up the driveway. The agent forced Travis to his knees beside his brother. When he saw his father’s body lying in the snow, he turned to glare at Colton. "You’re a dead man, Rivers. I swear to God, you are dead." Travis turned to Bethany, "And you’re next. Even if you send me to prison, I’ll find a way to kill you both."
"You’d better find a way to do it quickly, because you killed a cop when you shot my brother. They’re going to give you the needle for that. It won’t take twenty years either," Bethany told him. She straightened up to have a word with his brother. Grayson knelt in the snow. She caught a whiff of his aftershave on the wind. It was the same sickly over sweet scent she remembered from the alley. Yet not quite the same. Her nostrils flared as nausea overcame her. She had to back away from him.
Bethany told Colton. "He was there the night Travis shot Ian. I remember his aftershave. He was the man standing in the shadows." The wind shifted bearing with it the same scent to another quarter. She looked closer at the body lying in the snow beside Grayson then stepped closer in order to study his face. The face she had not seen so clearly flashed in her mind’s eye. She gasped in horror. Turning to Colton she pointed to Seth’s face.
"My God, it was his face I saw that night," Bethany claimed as she pointed at Seth Trainer. "He was there that night, too--both of them standing in the shadows."
"What?" Colton asked as he looked from Grayson to his father. "You saw Seth in that alley? Are you sure?"
Bethany nodded. "Grayson’s and Seth’s aftershaves were blended together on the wind. Seth moved close enough to the light that I could see his distorted, raging face. When he returned to the shadows, he turned to someone standing beside him. He told that person he wouldn’t go to jail because his bastard kids couldn’t do something right."
Grayson struggled against his handcuffs. "If I had been a better shot that night, you’d have died in that alley."
Colton nodding, stepped closer to Grayson and Travis. His gaze held theirs. "If you try anything, I’ve got some friends inside prison who would be very happy to teach you to do better. If you take one step out of line, you’ll find out what I’m talking about. You won’t see them if you behave, but you cross the line, they will make you wish to God the state would end it. My friends will see to it that your life is not worth living."
Sweat broke out on Grayson’s face. Travis spit into the ground in front of Colton.
Steve's group hauled Grayson and Travis to their feet. "We’ll take care of these two. I have a special cell waiting for them." Steve, aware of Seth’s lifeless body, nodded. "We’ll send the coroner for him."
"I’ll go along with you, that way Bethany can have the car." Ben reached into his pocket for the car keys, threw them to Bethany.
Smiling, she turned to Colton. "Well it looks like you have your ranch back. The bad guys are going to jail. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me the last few days." She wanted to say more but she didn’t know how to tell him what she was feeling. She needed time to figure out how she felt.
Colton didn’t know what to say. He could feel her slipping away and he knew he couldn’t stop her from leaving. The silence between them was turning awkward.
"I suppose I should get back to town. There’s a mountain of paperwork to get done," Bethany finally told him. She turned away, walking to the car and climbing in the driver’s side. Colton watched as she backed up the driveway. He couldn’t believe she would leave without another word.
Chapter Ten
The next few days were busy ones. The Trainer brothers were charged with murder and drug trafficking; all the players were finally sorted out. The evidence the DEA recovered at the warehouse was enough to track and shut down a major drug artery. Fifteen people were arrested and when the charges were read, accused couldn’t spill the beans fast enough on one another, all for the promise of lesser charges.
Bethany didn’t have time to think about the days she’d spent with Colton until almost Christmas. It was on December 23 at the memorial for Ian that she finally thought about Colton. At the service when she realized only a handful of people came to pay their respects, she knew she didn’t want to end up alone in life as Ian had. Life was too short not to go after what you wanted, and she knew she wanted Colton. She didn’t know if he felt the same way, but if their shared passion was anything to go by, she knew she had to find out. She could still feel the sizzle from that kiss on her lips. Her whole body tingled when his lips had met hers. His kiss kindled something inside her. She couldn’t help herself, she wanted to nurture that spark. She felt herself blossom in his arms, and she wanted to wake up in his arms for the rest of her life.
After the service a car pulled up in the parking lot and a young black man got out of the passenger seat. He smoothed his long hair, hitched up his jeans then deliberately walked up to Bethany. He said, "Hey man, I’m sorry I missed the service. Ian was a friend of mine. I wanted to pay my respects."
She knew who the young man was the moment she saw him. This was the mysterious Nick she couldn’t remember until now. "Is your name Nick?"
The young man nodded. "I’m sorry about Ian. He shouldn’t have been anywhere near the alley that night. I should have been there instead."
"Ian wouldn’t have allowed that. I know if he hadn’t thought a lot of you, he wouldn’t have taken your place."
Nick considered that. "He died that night in my place. I don’t think I can forget that. He took a bullet because I made an unwise decision."
"No, he died doing the right thing for the right reason. He saved your life because he knew it was the right thing to do. The only way he would have died in vain is if you go back to that way of life."
Nick shook his head. "That won’t happ
en. Ian taught me better than that. He taught me my life is worth more than that. Because of him I have a chance to get out and I’m staying out."
"Then as hard as it is to accept, Ian died for the right reason," Bethany smiled. "He knew what he was doing that night. I followed him but I couldn’t change the outcome. Neither of us could have saved him and nothing could stop him from doing exactly what he did."
"Did you get the man who shot him?" Nick asked.
Bethany nodded. "We got everyone involved in the drug case and in Ian’s murder."
"Good," Nick agreed. "I’m glad that crap is off the streets. I started dealing before I knew what I was doing. A buddy needed some help delivering some packages. You know, at first it was easy money, but then when I wanted to quit, I couldn’t just walk away. That’s when Ian found out what I was doing. He took my place the night I was going to confront Travis."
She turned to see Kyle getting out of a car. Kyle Long had been a friend to both Ian and Bethany. In fact, the three of them had grown up together. Kyle was now a counselor for teens in trouble. The fact that Ian sent Nick to Kyle told Bethany that Ian recognized in Nick a desire to turn himself around.
Kyle wrapped his arms around Bethany and he gave her a big hug. "Hey girl, I am so sorry about Ian. We would have been here sooner, but we couldn’t risk getting in contact with anyone until we knew it was safe."
"I understand completely. We had Travis in custody, but he made bail before the D.A. could file murder charges. We lost track of Grayson for a while. Together they posed a very real threat to anyone who could connect them to the cartel." She turned to look at Nick. "Kyle," she asked, "is he going to be all right?"
Kyle nodded at the young man. "He’s going to be fine. When I first met him, I thought Ian was crazy to want to help him. I mean he was a cocky little jerk, but when I got to know him better, I saw what Ian saw. He’s going to make it. He just needed someone to believe in him."
Bethany’s heart was gladdened. "Then Ian didn’t die in vain."
"What about you?" Kyle asked.
Bethany smiled at him. "I think I’m done with this sort of thing for awhile. The job takes its toll and I’m burnt out. I’m going to find something else to do with my life. I know I want something more out of life than a lonely grave. Ian gave his life to help Nick, to fight the drug trade, to make a difference. I want to live my life with purpose too but on a different path."
Kyle scowled. "And what would that be?"
Bethany shrugged. She didn’t want to say the words out loud. If Colton didn’t want her to stay, the only one who would see her failure would be the woman she saw in the mirror everyday. "I’ll let you know if it works out."
~ * ~
A few hours later she pulled her car into the driveway of Colton’s ranch. The drive down from Minneapolis had been quite nerve racking. She was taking a big chance. She honestly couldn’t predict what was going to happen. The butterflies in her stomach were starting to dance, but Bethany couldn’t turn around to go home. She had to find out if Colton wanted her in his life the same way she wanted him.
When she got out of her car, she thought the house looked dark. She saw no one around the barns. The quiet of the place spooked her; it might have been deserted for all she knew. She walked over to the biggest barn and opened the door. She paused to let her eyes adjust to the dim light inside. She saw a man mucking out stalls. He glanced up at her and smiled.
"Are you Barry?" she asked when she reached him. He seemed like he was at home in the barn. She couldn’t think of anyone else Colton would have working there.
The man nodded. "You have to be Bethany." He smiled again, leaning against the handle of the pitchfork he’d been using. Tipping his hat back away from his eyes Barry looked at her from the top of her head to the boots on her feet. He nodded his approval.
"How did you know that?" she wondered.
Barry’s smile deepened. "Colton hasn’t stopped talking about you since you left. I've been curious to meet the woman Colton was talking about all the time. Now here she is in person and I knew why my boss is so intrigued by you."
"Where is he? Is he here?" Bethany asked. The news that Colton talked about her to Barry gave her hope.
Barry shook his head. "He went off to the cabin this morning. He told me he had some thinking to do."
Bethany’s heart sank a little. "Did he say what he needed to think about?"
Barry shook his head. "Sometimes Colton just likes to be alone. If you want, I can saddle a horse for you. I'm grateful you came to pay a call. I've been worried about Colton. I'm beginning to think Colton won't like to be alone for much longer."
Bethany was torn, though, not wanting to intrude. "Do you think he would see me if I did go to him?" she asked Barry.
"Why don’t you find out?" Barry suggested. At her hesitation Barry offered a suggestion. "You won’t know until you try."
Bethany nodded. "Okay."
A few minutes later Barry had a horse saddled and waiting for her. She thought she remembered the way to the cabin, but before she left she thought of something else. "Barry," she asked, "please don’t tell him I’m coming. I need to see the look on his face when I get there."
"Give the horse his head--he’ll take you right to the cabin. Colton has all his horses trained that way," Barry watched her ride away.
Bethany rode up to the cabin with butterflies in her stomach. As she made her way through the woods, she thought about all the ways she could explain why she had showed up just now for a visit. She still hadn’t come to any plausible way to say what she felt in her heart when she saw the cabin in front of her. Before she would allow herself to think about what she was doing, she slid off her horse and opened the cabin door. Colton glanced up from the table. When he saw her he jumped to his feet. They stared at one another in silence for a moment then Bethany took a couple steps toward him. Before he could say a word she grabbed his shirt by its buttons and pulled him into an embrace. She kissed him with everything she had.
The kiss deepened. A fire lit up inside her. She could barely stand. Colton broke the kiss, looking deep into her eyes. When he saw what was there, he didn’t hesitate. As their lips came together they both felt the heat of their embrace. He carried her over to the bed, laid her down and covered her body with his. Feverishly they pulled off their clothes as they kissed. When the moment was right, they came together, their joining unlike any other. Flames of passion consumed them both. The passion they felt took high above the earth until they burst, floating gently back to the here and now.
Later, when the embers were banked, Bethany said, "I thought about what I would say to you all the way here, and when I saw you, I couldn’t speak to reason with you, as to why you should let me stay. I never knew love could feel this way."
Colton smiled. "I didn’t know if I would ever see you again." He looked away from her for a moment, "Bethany," he faced her, "I was so afraid when you left that day I wouldn’t see you again. I waited and waited for you to come back to me."
Bethany nodded. "I know how that feels. I had to wrap up the case and bury my brother."
"I wanted to be there with you for that. No one should bury someone they love with no one there for them."
"I had friends there. People who knew both Ian and me, people we worked with. Not many friends, but good ones." Bethany gazed up at Colton. "I found out who Nick is. He’s a kid from the street who Ian gave a better future. When Nick showed Ian the shipment of drugs he was supposed to deliver, Ian sent him to our friend Kyle. Kyle took Nick out of town for a few days to keep him safe from reprisals from Travis. They came back the day Ian was buried."
"What did Nick have to say about the fact that Ian was dead?"