“What is it?”
“Nothing. I’ll carry you back up to the cave. We’ll be staying for a few more days.”
“You don’t have to carry me. Give me a few minutes to get my breath—”
“Dianna. Your leg is broken. The bone is…it’s, uh, it’s bad, honey.”
Tears slipped down her face and left streaks on the mud caking her face. “My side hurts.”
Taylor lifted her shirt and swore harshly at the sight of the large, darkening bruise on her right side.
“What? God, I hurt all over.”
“I think it might be your spleen or liver. It’s not good, sweetheart. I’ve got to get you up this incline.”
Dianna closed her fingers around his wrist. “We’ll make it.”
“It’s going to hurt like hell when I move you.”
“Pain pills…in my…pack. Think…this time…I might have…one or two?”
“I’d give you the entire fucking bottle…but your pack’s under the mud…somewhere.”
Dianna swallowed hard. “Oh.” She sounded tiny and fragile and he was terrified he’d lose her. Her injuries were serious and he had no way to help her.
“Well, we might as well get up the mountain,” she said.
He knew she was doing her best to sound brave, but she looked scared as hell. He didn’t blame her. Hell, he was scared enough for both of them.
Taylor nodded grimly. “We’ll make it to the top.”
“How?”
He gripped her hand. “One step at a time.”
To be continued…
Too Close to the Fire
(Lacey Blackstone’s Story)
Chapter One
A divorce is like an amputation; you survive, but there’s less of you.
~Margaret Atwood
Time Magazine, March 19, 1973
Rimrock, Montana
Blackstone Ranch
February 5, Thursday
10:00 a.m.
Lacey Blackstone unfolded the legal document her attorney’s secretary had presented to her the day before and tried to ignore the dull ache deep in her soul. She stared at the stamped red letters. Divorce Granted. Final.
With those three little words, three years of marriage ended. She blinked back the tears stinging her eyelids. Since December, her life had fallen apart. She felt like she’d been on a runaway train headed downhill all the way.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she wondered if she’d tried a little harder, if she could have made a bigger mess of things. Why had she ignored the signs Danger was unhappy? She should have seen, but she’d been too wrapped up in her career. Well, one paid the price for such ignorance.
Folding the papers, she took time to make certain they were nice and neat and returned them to the envelope. She shoved the envelope inside her purse with unsteady hands. There was a duplicate copy for Danger as well. He’d be happy now. He wanted his freedom. He had it.
She drew a deep breath and looked around. What to do? She glanced around the kitchen with the bright yellow walls she’d painted herself when she and Danger first married. She’d wanted warmth and sunshine to reflect in their home. Their life.
Not much left here but bitter memories. Boxes filled with the items she wanted were stacked in the hall and guest bedroom. Another day, and she’d have everything packed she intended to take with her. The big question was where the hell was she going?
Guest bedroom.
Pain slashed her heart. She’d been the only guest in that bedroom since Christmas. If anyone had ever told her that her marriage wouldn’t last, she’d have laughed in their faces.
They had fallen in love so fast and out of love faster. She had no illusions left. This phase of her life was over. Done. Dead. The end!
“Might as well accept I can’t make him love me.”
It was a moot point anyway. The last year she and Danger were together, she’d struggled to keep their marriage intact. Ultimately, she’d lost the battle before it began. There had been too many unknown elements behind the destruction. Now, it no longer mattered because there were even stronger elements to keep them apart.
Lacey sighed and set a full box packed with her underwear to one side. The marriage was dead. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t try to make it work anymore. She slid her palm across her stomach in a protective gesture. No. There was no going back. Not now. Not ever!
* * * *
Prairie Dog, Montana
February 6, Friday
4:15 p.m.
“I now pronounce you man and wife.”
Sheriff Danger Blackstone of Rimrock, Montana grinned and kissed his new bride. The ink on his divorce papers from Lacey was barely dry, and here he was, marrying Karen. Not marrying, no. Married. Deed done.
She laughed as he grabbed her hand, and they hurried out of the little church to his Jeep. He paused a moment to kiss his bride again, then helped her inside the vehicle. Danger settled in the driver’s seat and groaned when he heard Gertie Mae Crossman, his dispatcher, key the mike. Not now! His radio dispatcher had the damndest timing.
“Sheriff Blackstone, you there?”
He grabbed the mike. “What is it, Gertie?”
“Um, you sound breathless, Danger. What are you doing?”
Breathless?
He glanced toward his bride. Yeah. He guessed he was a bit breathless. He had a hot date with a motel bed waiting less than half a mile down the road. He put the Jeep in drive and turned north.
Karen grinned at him, fumbled with his zipper and freed his straining cock. “Look what I found,” she said softly and licked her lips.
He moaned and nearly ran off the road when she curled her fingers around his hard length and stroked it. God, he couldn’t wait to get inside her. If he wasn’t careful, he’d come before they ever reached their room.
“Go ahead, Gertie. What’s up?” Besides my aching dick.
He thrust his fingers in Karen’s soft, short golden curls and watched her lower her head to his lap. She licked and nibbled the thick head of his cock. He knew from experience it wouldn’t take her long to get him off.
She glided her tongue up and down the hard length, teasing him before finally engulfing the head. Danger caught his breath on a sharp inhalation and slowly exhaled. “Jesus! Sweetheart, you’re killing me.”
“You say something, Sheriff?” Gertie Mae’s voice sounded shaky.
Danger frowned. Karen muttered something about getting rid of the old bat and laughed. She toyed and teased and sucked his dick until he thought he’d explode with pleasure.
“Shit,” he whispered. “Karen, stop before I—”
Too late!
Karen’s soft groans of pleasure sent shafts of heat raging through his blood. His balls. She was like a kitten lapping at him. A sexy, hungry kitten.
“You there, Danger?”
“Uh—yeah—I’m a—little bit busy, Gertie.” His breath caught on a hitch as Karen moaned and sucked harder.
“Uh, Gertie? What’s going on? Gertie?”
“Danger?” She sounded as breathless as he did. He’d bet it wasn’t for the same reason. He clenched his teeth to keep from shouting his pleasure. His radio dispatcher never dragged out news. If she was hesitant to give him the reason she’d radioed him, then it was serious. Shit!
Karen raised her head, her ice-blue eyes sparkling. She laughed softly and motioned for him to get off the radio. He shrugged.
“Come on, Gertie Mae. I don’t have time for your games today.”
Gertie keyed the radio again. “Are you very far from your ranch? How long ago did you leave there?”
“For God’s sake, Gertie,” Danger moaned, watching his bride tuck his cock out of sight and zip his pants. “I left Lacey around noon. I’m in the next county, at least an hour away. Why?”
“You’d better get home, Sheriff. There’s been an apparent homicide.”
“What!” For a moment, his heart leapt into his throat. “What’s happened? Is L
acey all right?”
Lacey. Something had happened to Lacey.
He pulled the Jeep over to the side of the road and drew a shaky breath. No matter what went on with Lacey, it was no longer his business. He glanced at Karen, saw her frown at him. Fuck! She’d be pissed at him now.
“What is it, Gertie? What’s happened?” Danger pushed his fingers through his hair and swore softly. As sheriff, he had to know what was going on in and around Rimrock.
“I don’t know, Sheriff, something about Lacey. You need to get to your ranch as soon as possible.”
“I’m on my way.” He tossed the mike aside and swore beneath his breath.
“What’s wrong?”
“Fuck! I don’t know.” Danger pounded the steering wheel. “Something about Lacey. Knowing her, she probably found a spider and wants it removed from the house.”
“Do you think she knows about us getting married? Maybe it’s her way to get you back to the ranch.”
He pulled Karen closer and took his time kissing her. Whatever was going on with Lacey could wait a few more minutes. Hell, he’d just gotten married. He wanted to fuck his new wife. Slowly, reluctantly, he freed Karen’s mouth. “It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”
“What?” she asked. Her pale blue eyes were glazed with passion, her mouth swollen from his hungry kisses.
He rubbed her belly where his baby nestled snug and warm. Her stomach was already distended in her fifth month. “For Lacey to get me back. Besides, she and I are divorced. It’s final. You’re my wife now. I’m not a part of her life anymore. She sure as hell isn’t part of mine. I can’t fucking stand the sight of her.”
He started the Jeep and pulled back onto the highway.
“Then why are you hurrying toward Rimrock? Are you sure you don’t still love her?”
“I detest her. I’m going because Gertie thinks there’s been a crime committed. It’s my job. I have to go. I figure Lacey called Gertie and was overdramatic about some silly something. I’ll drop you off at the motel. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
“No. If Lacey is being overdramatic, then take some time with me. We just got married. She can wait.”
Danger grinned and pressed a kiss to her hand. “That sounds like a plan to me. I think we can take an hour.”
She arched a brow.
“Or two.” He laughed softly. “My days of running to Lacey’s rescue to get her ass out of a jam are finished.”
Karen nodded. “Good. When our two hours are up, I’m going with you to the ranch.” She rubbed her swollen belly. “I think it’s time she sees our baby is a fact. I intend to make it clear to her she no longer has a claim on you and has no business calling the sheriff’s office to try and get your attention.”
“What? No. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go to the ranch yet. Lace is still there. I don’t want you and her having words. She’s not exactly overjoyed I’ve been sleeping with you for over a year or that I got you pregnant.”
“I’m coming with you. She has to face me sooner or later. She has no choice but to accept the fact I’m your wife, and I’m going to have your baby whether she likes it or not.”
Danger caressed the shiny gold band he’d slipped on Karen’s finger only minutes earlier. “She isn’t going to like the fact I married you as soon as the divorce was final either.”
“What do you care what she likes or dislikes anymore? I’m the one you have to please now. Not her.”
“I don’t care what Lacey thinks. I just don’t want any trouble out of her. I don’t want you hurt.” He looped his fingers with hers and sighed. “Okay. You can come with me. Hopefully she’ll be ready to leave by the time we get there, or already gone. She’s supposed to be out of the house by six this evening.”
“Where is she going?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care. She’s leaving, and that’s all that matters. I don’t ever want to see her again. I just want her gone. You’re all I care about, you and this baby.”
“Good. I can’t wait to move in with you.”
He laughed softly. “If she isn’t out by the time we get there, she can stay at a motel. You’re moving in the house tonight with me. It’s where you belong.”
“Really? Oooh. I can’t wait to redecorate the inside.”
“Redecorate? Lacey has it fixed up nice inside.”
“It’s decorated to her tastes. I want to leave my own mark, erase her out of your life, period. I don’t want any reminders of her between us. Ever.”
“Honey, you cut her out of my life a year ago. I’ve been yours since the first time we made love. The only thing worthwhile between Lacey and me is Joseph. I’ll have to deal with her when it comes to seeing him, but other than that, I shouldn’t ever have any kind of personal contact with her again, and that’s exactly the way I want it.”
“Good. You belong to me. I don’t intend to share you with her. I want her gone, out of our lives, permanently.”
“Yeah, me, too, the sooner, the better…”
Chapter Two
There is no happiness without tears; no life without death. Beware, I will give you cause to weep.
~Lucian Staniak
Serial Killer
Rimrock, Montana
Blackstone Ranch
February 6, Friday
7:00 p.m.
Sheriff Danger Blackstone pulled the Jeep into the drive at his ranch and killed the engine. “What the fuck?”
An ambulance and two Rimrock County deputy cars were lined up in front of the house, lights flashing. He turned a shocked eye on his new bride. “What the hell kind of trouble has that woman gotten herself into now?” Danger climbed out of the Jeep. “Stay here.”
“No way.” Karen jumped out of the vehicle and fell in step beside him. “I think Lacey and I need a little heart to heart chat. What a show! She is not ruining our wedding night!”
Blake Hardesty, Danger’s brother-in-law and deputy, stepped off the long front porch. The man looked pale as death, and that was saying a lot, since Blake was full-blood Native American and very dark skinned. Danger thought Blake moved a bit like a zombie toward him, or as if he was shell-shocked.
Something was bad wrong here. Danger’s stomach dropped. The only other time he’d seen Blake look like this was when his brother, Hank, was murdered three years earlier.
He moved around Blake and stepped upon the porch. The urgency he felt to get inside the house and check on Lacey and his son was like being sucked up by a giant vacuum. The thought, too little, too late, slammed into his mind with the force of a stampede. He should never have allowed Karen to distract him from doing his job.
Blake grabbed his arm and halted him. “Don’t go in there. It isn’t pretty.”
In the flashing lights, Danger saw splotches of red on Blake’s uniform shirt. “What’s going on? What’s the ambulance doing here?”
Blake swung a dark glare on Karen then back at Danger. “Jesus, Danger, where the hell have you been? Why didn’t you answer my calls? Gertie called you over two hours ago. She didn’t want to give the details over the air. It’s bad. Smitt Davis attacked Lacey, shot her twice. Joseph is in the ambulance.”
“What? What’s wrong with him? Where’s Lacey? How is she?”
“Lacey’s gone.”
Danger reeled under that announcement. “What do you mean, gone? Dead?” He felt the color drain from his face. His heart felt as if a knife had slashed it in half and left him bleeding to death. He staggered back a step incapable of gaining control of his body at the moment. “Jesus.”
“We don’t know if she’s dead or alive. Smitt took her when he left, but there’s a lot of her blood in the kitchen, and other…evidence.”
“You’re sure it’s Lacey’s?”
“Christ, yes! I’m fucking certain it’s Lacey’s blood. You know what an animal Davis is.”
Danger rubbed an unsteady hand across his mouth, whirled and headed to the ambulance. “That’s no
t all, Danger.”
He turned back and waited for Blake to give him the rest of the grizzly details.
“Your sister, Anna Leigh, was here, too.” Blake’s voice cracked. “Smitt shot her. She’s been air lifted to Havre, but it doesn’t look good. I have to go. She needs me. My wife needs me.”
Danger nodded and opened the ambulance door. An EMT stuck his head out. “I’m sorry, sir. You can’t come in here.”
“He’s my son.”
“I’m sorry, but we’re working on him.”
“I want to see him. What did that bastard do to him?”
The EMT took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “His skull has been fractured. I’m sorry. We’re taking him to Havre. You can follow us and meet us there.”
The EMT slammed the door. The driver took off down the long driveway, siren blaring.
Blake jerked Danger around to face him. “I asked you where you were. And what is she doing here? Have you lost your mind? She has no business here.”
Danger stiffened. “Karen has every right to be here. She’s my wife. We’d just got married when Gertie called. I wasn’t in a hurry to get here. I thought Lacey was trying to delay my marriage to Karen.”
“You told Lacey you were getting married today?”
“Yes. She had to know sooner or later. Why wait? I wasn’t about to keep it a secret.”
“You should have been here, where you belong! Then maybe my wife wouldn’t have gotten shot.” Blake turned away, then slowly turned back. “Oh, yeah, congratulations on your new marriage, I hope the two of you are very happy. In case you’re interested, we have no idea if Lacey’s dead or alive, but she’s gone. That’s what you both wanted. Right?” Blake nodded at Karen. “My advice, don’t take her inside. If you thought Jace’s stable was bad when Jillian’s body was discovered there, well, that’s nothing compared to your kitchen.”
Danger stared at Blake’s stiff back. “I’ll meet you in Havre as soon as I take a look inside.”
Too Close To The Fire/Too Hot To Handle (Montana Men 3) Page 13