Catching Cara: Dark Horse, Inc: Book 2

by Amy J. Hawthorn

  He watched as James helped Cara into her harness and double checked that everything was secure. He chucked her chin and then pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. Joe knew that James and the other men worried about her mental state far more than they did her physical.

  He did, too. Physically? She was so very strong. She was competent, smart and a quick thinker, especially when a situation went awry. Right then, she stared into the menacing eyes of her greatest fear, preparing to go head-to-head against her demons for his daughter.

  She was the most amazing woman he’d ever met, and he’d be a fool to not grab hold and keep her by his side.

  Fat, quarter-sized drops of rain fell, signaling the storms arrival. Another bolt of lightning struck too close for comfort. Less than two seconds later, a loud crack shattered the air. Even expecting it, he flinched. Cara’s knees bent and she paled, her eyes wide and glossy. Joe watched as James put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them lightly. There was something deep and comforting about their connection. They were close, but it seemed to mirror the love that he felt for his sister.

  Dear God. His sister was likely tearing apart the county. No doubt his mother would have told Leigh, and he’d left his phone in the truck. He’d have to call them both the moment they got Kylie out. Otherwise, no one in the state of Kentucky would get rest.

  He looked to Rick. “I know this sounds stupid, but remind me when we’re done here to call my sister. She’ll be mad with fear.”

  Rick put his ever-present phone away. “Sure. It’s not stupid. You’ve got one thing on your mind, Kylie.”

  “Actually, it’s two things.” Joe nodded in Cara’s direction. “She doesn’t deserve this. She should be locked away somewhere dry and safe, not dripping wet, immersed inside her biggest fear.”

  Rick assessed him until Joe felt as though he’d been met at the door with the business end of a shotgun and then passed inspection. “I’ve sent Leigh updates, but she’ll want to hear it from you. I’ll remind you to call her. Let’s go get your baby.” Rick clapped him on the shoulder and they walked side-by-side to the vent.

  They all stood around the hole, dripping wet and grim-faced as the sky erupted above them. Water poured from the cloud blackened sky and wind whipped by them tearing at the clothing sticking to their wet skin.

  He was no search and rescue expert, but he guessed they were breaking about twenty rules as James prepared to lower Cara into the shaft. An angry, brilliant flash burst overhead and thunder immediately roared.

  He stepped in close and kissed her cheek. “You’re not alone. I’m with you. We’re all right by your side.” He touched her ear and reminded her she would be able to hear him through her earpiece.

  She trembled, and he felt the vibration of it against his face.

  Rick gave the order to begin. “Let’s do this.”

  James nodded his acknowledgement. “Mayhem, when this job’s done, I owe you a beer. I think anther trip to the Thirsty Beaver is in order.”

  “I knew you were a cheap date, Holloway, but even for you that’s low.” Noah remarked. “I say we go all out and spring for pizza.”

  They lowered her down and the chatter continued.

  Trent put in his suggestion. “How about burgers from the Rusty Bucket?”

  Rick added his two cents, and Joe was humbled by the way they continued to speak nonsense just to let her know that she wasn’t alone. “No. We’ll all get dressed up and go formal. She’ll love that. Though she’ll have to show Holloway which fork is which and remind him not to belch and scratch his gut in public.”

  “Hey, I only did that one time, and we’re lucky we didn’t get food poisoning from that dive. What do you say, Mayhem? Are we going fancy or are we going to the Beaver?” James signaled that Cara should be at the halfway point.

  There was a pause but then her answer came. Her voice was quiet and shaky, but his relief was profound. “Neither. I want one of Trent’s burgers and a tall glass of sweet tea.”

  She was right. She’d nailed exactly what they needed, all of them. “Done. When this is over, we’ll have a barbeque out at Trent’s and invite everyone. He can make burgers, and I’ll bring out the smoker for pulled pork. Kate, Leigh and Kylie can make desserts. Princess, what are you bringing?”

  Quiet and a little breathy, he heard her voice through his earpiece. “Baked beans. Mine kick ass, and I’ll have Momma make enough potato salad to feed an army. Joe? Call me princess again, and I’ll make you regret it.” Thunder boomed, and he heard her quiet whimper.

  Joe swallowed back his worry. “We’ll just see about that, princess.”

  “That’s warrior princess to you, cop.”

  James signaled that she should be close to the mine’s floor.

  “Stop. I can see her,” Cara broke in. “She’s just below me. Go slow.”

  Impatience tore through him and he tightened his fists, tamping it down.

  Lighting speared the sky and thunder cracked above them. He heard Cara’s indrawn breath and swallowed a curse.

  “I’m down. She’s breathing and asleep, I think. Her respirations are normal.” There was a pause, then another update. “Her pulse is normal, too. She’s a limp little noodle. I want to get her out before she wakes up. Give me just a minute to get her secure.”

  The rain softened its assault but the lightning continued. Thunder cracked and Cara cried out.

  “Mayhem? What’s doin’ babe?” Holloway stood, rope in hand, waiting.

  “We’re ready here whenever you are. We got you.” Trent sounded, patient, rock steady, with water dripping from his too long hair.

  “Babygirl, you got this. You’re our Mayhem, our little ass-kicker.” Noah the giant said, rope in hand, auburn hair plastered to his head, features grim in the shadows.

  “I’m thinking on offering you a relocation package and permanently moving you to Bourbon County. We’re not letting you leave after your mother’s healed. I need you to quit playing around in that hole, so we can iron out the details.” Rick said, adjusting a light.

  Joe heard her shaky breath. “I’ve got her fastened in. Double checking everything now.” The word now hitched on a sob.

  “You’re doing just fine, princess. I’ll schedule you for a manicure when we’re done, okay?” He teased her and waited, knowing she was doing the right thing by being cautious, but that didn’t ease his impatience.

  “Princess, my ass. I’ll take you up on the manicure, since this climb has been hell on my nails, but I’m warning you MacDonald. If you keep calling me princess, we’re gonna fight.” The churning in his gut eased when he heard strength return to her voice.

  “Okay. I have precious cargo. We’re set. Slow and easy, bring us out.”

  “Will do,” said Holloway.

  “Go,” Rick ordered.

  Then he heard a small, terrified cry that stopped his heart. His stomach dropped to his feet. Kylie woke up.

  “Hey, sweetheart. It’s Cara. I’ve got you.” Soft and oh so sweet, she spoke to his daughter.

  “What? Wewe awe we?” Timid and afraid, his daughter spoke.

  “In a cave, but your daddy and my guys are getting us out. You just hang tight, and we’ll be outside in a few minutes.”

  “The bad man took me. I kicked him.”

  “Good girl. That’s my little fighter.” Tears pricked his eyes at Cara’s tender words. He wished Kylie could hear his voice, but without a headset, she couldn’t and Cara needed hers.

  “Daddy’s hewe?”

  “He is. He’s waiting right outside and helping to pull us out.”

  “It’s dawk in hewe.”

  Holloway signaled that the girls were at the halfway point.

  “It is. Does the dark scare you? It’s okay, you know.”

  “A wittle bit. I have a night wight at home.”

  “That’s okay. Everybody is scared of at least one thing.” Thunder boomed and Cara gasped.

  Joe’s gut cramped.

  “Yo
u know what I’m afraid of?”

  “You’we afwaid?” A mix of awe and disbelief filled his daughter’s voice.

  “Yep. Thunderstorms scare me. They scare me a lot. Don’t you worry. Your daddy and the guys will have us out of here in just a few more minutes, okay?”

  “Daddy’s strong.”

  “He is.”

  “He has big hands.”

  “The biggest.”

  “And they’re strong.”

  “The strongest.”

  “He’ll use his big hands to pull us out.” His daughter’s confidence in him threatened to bring him to his knees.

  “You know it.”

  The men all stayed quiet, every ounce of focus honed on the ropes and the sweet voices connected to them as if the slightest breeze could tear them away.

  “You’re squeezing me tight.” But Kylie didn’t sound out of breath, she sounded…secure.

  Cara let out something that sounded like part laugh and part sob. “I am. Can you breathe okay?”

  “I’m fine. Don’t cwy, Cawa. Daddy’ll get us out. You got me, and daddy’s got wopes around me. He’s got wopes around you, too.” His confident daughter was back. No longer the baby, she fussed over her rescuer.

  “Yep.”

  The muscles in his shoulders burned, but there was a satisfaction from it and from the knowledge that they were getting closer. Complete darkness had descended, the wind whipped around them, howling through the trees and a steady rain fell.

  James signaled that their precious burden was nearing the top, and it took everything he had not to rush to the vent and pull them out by hand.

  When a wet, filthy head appeared at the opening, he almost dropped to his knees in relief. Carefully, they moved forward, taking up slack as they went.

  He got there first and James was just behind him. “Let us get Mayhem secure then you can unfasten your baby girl.”

  He nodded his agreement. He, Trent and Rick held the weight steady while James and Noah did the rest. Lightning crackled overhead, an electric white arc, immediately punctuated by deafening thunder.

  Cara whimpered and crumpled into herself.

  “We’re clear. I got Mayhem. Get Kylie.” There was no judgment in Holloway’s voice, just a need to finish the job and get everyone taken care of. It was natural for the other man to think that his first and only thought would be for his daughter, and it was. But right beside, burning just as hot, was worry and a need to pull Cara into his arms.

  He pulled a wet, filthy Kylie from Cara and tucked her close, praying he didn’t crush her with the strength of his relief.

  Her little voice broke his heart. “Don’t be mad. I tried to yell for help, like you taught me. I really tried. I kicked him and did just like you said, but he was bigger. He put something over my face and I think it made me go to sleep. Then he stopped his car and woke me up and made me drink some yucky juice.” Kylie pouted at the injustice of it.

  “You did good, pickle. I’m proud of you.” His voice hitched, snagging over his words.

  “You going to kick his ass?” He didn’t have the will left in him to scold her for her choice of words. He figured being drugged, kidnapped and dropped in a mine gave even a six-year-old the right to curse.

  Not seeing any point in lying, since she knew him too well, he murmured into her dirty hair, “I am.”

  “Good.”

  He could do nothing but smile. “Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

  “I’m okay. Just sleepy. Have a headache.” They fucking drugged my baby. He didn’t care if it was over the counter meds or not. He was going to kill those bastards, but first thing’s first. He had his child in his arms, but that wasn’t all he needed. They still felt lacking.

  Half empty.

  “Awe we going home now?” She dropped her head against his shoulder like she’d done when she was smaller.

  “Soon.” He shifted her light weight to rest on his left arm, freeing his right. He might not have been able to go down and get his girl out of the hole, but by God, he had enough strength left that he could carry them out of this nightmare. “Make room for one more, pickle.”

  “You getting Cawa?” As exhaustion and the last dregs of the Benadryl regained their hold, she reverted back to baby.

  “Yep. She’s going with us.”

  “Good, she’s scawed. She needs us.”

  “Yes, she does.”

  “I need my boot.”

  Trent stepped up to them. “I got it right here, pickle. I think it’s full of water, though.” It’ll take some time to dry.”

  Kylie raised her head to answer. “It’s okay. Will you cawwy me? Cawa needs daddy.”

  Trent blinked at the unexpected request then stepped up. “Is that what you want, Joe? Is that cool?”

  “Yeah. Okay.” Even knowing she would be in the best of care, a bittersweet ache jabbed him in the chest as he passed his daughter off.

  The moment she settled in Trent’s hold Kylie’s focus turned to horses. “Is Scarlet’s hoof okay?”

  “I’ll get her out of the rain and meet you at your ride.” Trent nodded and headed down the path to their vehicles, fielding questions about his horses.

  Joe waved and turned from watching his daughter to find James holding a trembling Cara, as if carrying her over the threshold to Hell. “She’s bad, cop.”

  “I got her.” Soaking wet, filthy, covered in cobwebs, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. “Can you stand for a second? All I need is one.”

  She nodded and James eased her down, not quite letting her go. He seemed afraid that if he relinquished all contact she’d fall. Wasting no time, he gripped her familiar waist and lifted her so her front was plastered against his. “You should be with Kylie. I’ll be okay.”

  “She’s fine, likely better than you at this point.”

  “The drug?” Worry clouded her weak voice.

  “I know. That’s why we’re going to a hospital.”

  “I’m fine.” She buried her head in his neck.

  “Good, then it won’t take long to get you checked out.”

  Rick clapped him on the back. “Go to Bourbon County. I’ll call ahead and pave the way, make sure their exams stay off the electronic charts. Take your girls, and I’ll call Leigh. She’ll likely meet you guys there.”

  Joe nodded. “Perfect. Ask her to bring dry clothes?”

  Rick’s worried gaze focused on Cara. “We’ll take care of it and pack up here. You just take care of the girls.”

  “You drugged her? I told you to kill the brat!” Hawkins got in his face as he yelled.

  When Boyd felt spittle land on his cheek, he hit his limit. Enough was e-fucking-nough. They’d made their buyer happy and he’d have to find a new location. Tonight had bought them a small window of time, but soon— likely very soon—Dark Horse would come after them with everything they had. He no longer needed Hawkins. If anything, he’d become more liability than asset.

  Using both hands, Boyd slammed Dale against the wall. “Now, listen here, you dumbfuck. Tonight, we needed those assholes out of our hair. They were. We could have had every fucking drug dealer in the country here tonight, and they would have left us alone. To MacDonald, nothing mattered except rescuing his kid. If we had killed her? What do you think would have happened? Nothing would have stopped him from coming after us. Nothing. He would have given up his badge, his career, his anything and everything, to take us down. You know why?” He fisted his hands in Hawkins’ shirt, pulled him forward and slammed him back again. “Because he would no longer have anything to lose. The only thing he’d have would be a hunger for revenge, and we don’t need that kind of heat.”

  Hawkins lips moved but no sound came out until the third try. “I run this town.” The man tried, but his spine had lost its starch.

  “Oh, yeah? You’re doing such a fine job. Your own deputies don’t trust you. You don’t even get that there was a second layer to what I did, and I did it for your bene
fit.” Boyd watched and saw nothing but confusion staring back at him.

  “Think about it. His daughter’s life was in danger. Did he call you, the fucking sheriff? No. Did he call 911 or any of his fellow deputies? You can check tomorrow when you go in, but I think you’ll find he didn’t call in one resource.”

  Hawkins still didn’t get it. Boyd continued explaining. “So now, you know for absolute certain that MacDonald doesn’t trust you or your department. If he had, he would have called you. You’ve fucked up by alienating him. People like and trust him. That’ll be your downfall.

  “Keep it up, old man, and I’ll stuff you down that fucking hole.” He waited until acceptance crept into the Sheriff’s eyes. When Boyd was certain he’d been understood, he let go.

  He turned his back on Hawkins and looked to Sutton who stood nearby, watching with that eerie stare. “Are we through? I want out of this fucking piss-ant town.”

  “The Detroit buyers are happy. The east coast buyers are satisfied for the time being. But the south, it’s untapped. I underestimated Kentucky’s connection to Florida. So, no, we’re not done yet. This county is prime real estate.”

  Fuck it. He couldn’t take this shit any longer. He would have to find a way to take Sutton out of the picture. It was the only way to get him off his back and to remove the ball and chain from his ankle. He had to play the game for just a little longer.

  “We have to move locations.”

  “Agreed, though I have some unfinished business to attend to.” Sutton’s gaze drifted to the window where they’d caught a flash of the girl watching them a few nights ago. Disgust boiled in Boyd’s belly, but maybe if Sutton focused on the girl, he’d pay less attention to others.

  Boyd suspected that was too much to hope for.

  Chapter Fifteen

  He brushed a stray curl away from his daughter’s cheek and sent thanks to the heavens. Again. Bathed and dressed in clean clothes, she was tucked into a spare bedroom at Trent and Kate’s. He would have preferred to have her in her own bed at home, but at least this substitution was familiar and safe. Leigh had helped her bathe and combed the tangles from her hair. Kate made her a grilled cheese sandwich and hot chocolate while he showered and put on the clothes his sister brought. Having her family close was all it had taken to set Kylie’s world right. She’d clutched her ragged frog close and fallen right to sleep.