by Robin Perini
Sirens sounded from nearby. He rushed back to Amanda and grabbed her hand. "Fire department's coming. Glenn will be fine. We won't. We've got to get out of here."
Amanda stumbled behind him, and Blake cursed Vince once more. What had he been up to? And if he'd turned on the bad guys, why hadn't he come to Blake and brought him the evidence?
He skidded to a halt as they approached the car and held out his arm to block Amanda from getting too near. "Don't go any closer. Whoever set that explosion knew we were in Vince's house and was in the alley. The guy could've rigged the car."
"How did they know we were in Austin at all?" Amanda panted. "Did Logan or his men give us away? Is Ethan safe?"
Blake lowered himself to the ground and searched under the car, looking for an explosive device or even a GPS. "Logan's pickier about the folks who work for him than the FBI. I trust him. My guess is whoever's the ringleader in this is monitoring activity. When the prowler call came in, they just piggybacked on the call. They saw us and decided to get rid of the witnesses and the evidence at the same time."
"But Ethan wasn't here. And he's their eyewitness."
"They might not know Ethan wasn't with us. Hell, if Glenn hadn't shown up, they might've tried to take us out. They want our deaths to look like an accident."
Blake didn't see anything unusual underneath the car. He slid from beneath the vehicle and stood up. "We have a problem, though."
"Can it get worse?"
"I'm afraid so. They were willing to blow us and the evidence up. If they've given up finding whatever Vince had, then they'll step up their game."
"Oh, God. They'll keep coming," Amanda muttered. "There's no choice left."
Blake cracked open the door and checked for wires, then popped the hood. Nothing. He spent enough time tinkering with cars, he'd recognize a faulty wire. The guy hadn't had enough time to do anything more sophisticated.
The sirens grew louder. No time left. "Stand back," Blake said. He slipped into the car and turned the key. The car started with ease. No hesitation. He gunned the engine, then pressed on the brakes. "We're safe. Get in," he said to Amanda.
She hesitated. Blake didn't blame her, but the sirens were nearly on top of them.
"We can walk," he said quietly. "Take the back roads and I'll contact Rich to pick us up."
A fire engine streaked past them.
"You're sure it's safe?" she said.
"I'll get you back to Ethan." Blake opened the passenger side and she slid in beside him. "We get on the plane, hightail it to Logan's ranch and regroup."
Blake sent her a sidelong glance. "Because now, you're not the only one on the run. The law's after me, too."
Chapter Eight
More sirens screamed closer and closer. They were coming for them. Blake had slugged a cop. Glenn knew Blake...him and Amanda. He gripped the steering wheel. He didn't like their precarious position in the alley. They had two options. Forward or back. If the Austin PD blocked both exits, they were caught.
A police car whizzed past them.
"Duck!" he snapped.
Amanda hunkered down, her head near his leg, her shallow, quick breaths revealing her fear. He let his hand touch her wild auburn hair, twirling the locks on his finger, hoping his touch would calm her. All the while his foot hovered over the accelerator, his entire body ready to slam the car into gear.
Flashing lights sped by, followed by a fire engine, ambulance and rescue unit.
They didn't slow.
Blake waited another thirty seconds before letting out a slow stream of air. "They passed us by."
Amanda pushed herself up. "I never should have involved you. If they catch us..." Her voice trailed off. "Ethan will be alone."
"I'm not letting that happen." Blake turned to Amanda. "I promised I'd get you back to your son, and I will." He eased the vehicle forward to the end of the alley. With a quick glance, he saw the convergence of emergency equipment. "They'll be busy with the fire for a while."
He turned the opposite direction onto the street, his thoughts clicking through what he'd seen--and what he hadn't seen in the house. "This is going to sound strange, but are you sure Vince is dead?"
She let out a choked gasp. "His eyes stared straight through me. Blood was everywhere. He had a hole where his heart should have been. He was dead." Her voice shook with sorrow and more than a hint of betrayal.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Blake rubbed her leg with his hand. "It just doesn't make sense. Why take the body? They could've used it to frame you and bring you in." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "They didn't expect Vince to betray them," he muttered. "This was all a giant screwup. They're covering their tracks." Blake cursed. "And I let it slip to Glenn that Vince was dead. He'll ask questions. He may be in danger and not even know it."
Blake hit Logan's number on his phone. "This is Blake. We got trouble."
"Really?" Logan's sarcasm rang through Blake's ear. "I'm tracking the Austin police radio traffic. What have you done?"
"Among other things, put a good cop in danger. Glenn Romero. If he starts asking questions, I don't doubt they'll frame him like they did me."
"Get back here before they check the private airports. I'll keep an eye on the Romero situation." The sound of papers ruffled through the phone. "Think long and hard about how you want to play this. You're getting close to a no-win scenario."
"Losing isn't an option, Logan." Blake ended the call and glanced at Amanda. "It's not just you and me now. We've dragged in someone else. We have to find what Vince had on these guys another way."
She didn't respond, and he didn't like her silence. Her hair covered her face, and she twisted one curl around and around her finger. He'd let her down, but a wave of apprehension rose in his gut. "You're thinking too much. It's going to be fine. I'll figure out a way."
"How? Vince is dead. His house is in ashes. Any evidence he left is gone."
She gazed out the car window, shaking her head. Blake rested his hand on her shoulder. She didn't pull away, but he could feel the stiffness in her body. "Don't close me out," he growled. "I won't let them get away with this. I promise."
"Vince didn't have time to do anything with the evidence," she said, her voice flat and certain. "He never did plan ahead. You said so yourself. There's nothing left. We might as well accept it."
Blake didn't like the defeat in her voice. "We don't need Vince's files. I'll go back to my place. There'll be something to identify the guys who attacked my family's ranch. Ballistics, tire tracks, something. They've tipped their hand by coming after you and Ethan. That was a mistake. A big one."
"Maybe, but all I can think about is protecting Ethan."
"Amanda, don't give up. Now that we know how far they're willing to go, we can't give up."
Her utter stillness swelled his sense of unease. She nodded slightly, but he couldn't shake the foreboding. She hadn't caught a lot of breaks in her life. He knew from what Vince had told him over the years she'd had few reasons to believe in anyone or anything. This time, though, she had an ally. Blake wouldn't stop until she and Ethan were safe, and Joey was avenged.
He wouldn't let her down, but he had some thinking to do. With a few turns, he took the quickest back-road route to the private airport outside of Austin and strategized. He was starting from scratch, and after this fiasco, he didn't have much time before he landed behind bars...or dead.
* * *
THE SUN SHONE THROUGH the windows, heating the inside of the small plane as it taxied to the Carmichael ranch's private airport. The bright rays should have warmed Amanda, but her soul had chilled. She wrapped her arms around her body, unable to stop the dark cloud that threatened to overwhelm her.
The fire had changed everything. For a few short hours, Blake had rekindled her hope for a normal life with Ethan. Now that was gone. Everything was gone. From the evidence to save Ethan to the antique teapot her mother had left her.
She'd run out of options.
&n
bsp; She'd shut Blake out the entire trip, feigning sleep. In truth, she'd needed time to think. To plan. Blake wouldn't like her choices, but he would have to understand. Everything she did, she did for Ethan.
Once the plane pulled to a stop, Rich tugged off his headset and twisted in the seat. "Sorry it didn't work out."
Amanda stirred in her seat, pretending to wake up. She nodded but didn't comment. What could she say?
Blake's expression tensed as he studied her. "You feeling okay? Your side giving you trouble?"
She forced herself to meet his concerned gaze. It would have been an easy excuse, but then he'd want to look at it again, and she didn't want him touching her in tenderness. She couldn't afford to allow herself to count on him. "I'm fine. Disappointed," she said quietly. "Worried."
It was the truth. She would never get away with flat-out lying to him. Those intelligent, cowboy eyes saw too much.
He clasped her hand in his. "I'll protect you."
She didn't move so as not to alert his suspicions, even though she wanted to avoid his comforting touch. She had to rely on her own strength and be tough as a West Texas drought to keep her and Ethan alive.
The plane taxied to a stop just outside a hangar. "Logan's on his way," Rich said, "to take you back to the main house."
He helped Amanda out of the Piper. Blake followed. The frigid air stung her cheeks, but no more than the reality of her inevitable decision.
An SUV screeched to a halt. She and Blake hurried to the vehicle. Amanda pulled her hand from his and quickly slipped into the backseat. Blake gave her a speculative look before climbing into the front. Stupid. She had to keep cool. Blake was too smart and too perceptive.
"What's the latest?" Blake asked Logan.
"The Austin police tracked your original flight plan back to the Triple C. I put them off, but they'll be coming to search for you. Soon."
Blake let out a harsh curse. "Sorry to put you in this position, Logan."
"I'll survive. I've been through worse." A haunted expression darkened his gaze.
Amanda couldn't guess how Logan had injured his right cheek, but it must've been bad. The words made her more certain than ever she'd made the right choice. She couldn't let Blake sacrifice any more than he already had. Logan didn't need the trouble, either. The best thing for everyone would be for her and Ethan to get out of their lives.
She could do this.
As Logan pulled up to the house, Amanda steadied her nerves.
"We don't have long," he cautioned.
Blake turned to her. "Get Ethan ready. Logan and I have plans to make. We'll head out as soon as you're ready."
She nodded, fully aware that any other time she would've blistered him with words for being so high-handed as to plan her and Ethan's life. She would've peppered him with questions, pressed him to be involved. Not now. It didn't matter. She'd make her own plans.
"Amanda?" Blake's intent gaze willed her to look at him. "Do you trust me?"
"More than anyone else," she said quietly, and turned to Logan. "Where's Ethan?"
"In the house," Logan said. "He's attached himself to Blake's mama pretty tight."
As she walked away, Blake lowered his voice, speaking to Logan in a soft but urgent tone, his entire body taut with purpose. Part of her longed to run into his arms and spill out her fears, her doubts, but she couldn't let herself lean on him. He was brave, intuitive and determined, everything she wanted and needed. Nothing she could have.
Amanda climbed the steps to the ranch house, her legs weary, her very essence tired. The unexpected sound of Ethan's laughter bubbled up from the kitchen. Pasting a smile on her face, she followed her son's voice, although her heart remained heavy with trepidation. It had been so long since she'd heard that sound. It was unfair to bury it under more fear.
The warm kitchen had become a mass of ingredients and measuring spoons. Ethan had his arms elbow-
deep in cookie dough and looked up adoringly at Nancy Redmond. Leo lay just outside the kitchen, watching Ethan with sharp eyes. Deputy Parris stood very close to Blake's mother while they watched over Ethan. Amanda's smile turned genuine at the picture.
Parris lifted his gaze and stepped quickly away from Nancy. His cheeks reddened. Interesting. Did Blake know?
"Didn't go well, I heard," Parris said.
"That's an understatement."
Ethan lifted his gaze from the cookie dough. "Mommy!"
"I'd better talk to Blake." Parris left the kitchen, his footsteps disappearing down the hall.
Her son shoved back from his chair leaving blobs of cookie dough in his wake. He launched at her. "Miss Nancy and me are making cookies. Peanut butter."
"Sounds delicious." She laughed. "How about you wash your hands and I'll get your face." She took him to the sink and lifted him so he could wash up. "You have fun, little man?" She kissed his forehead and hugged him tight.
"I like making cookies." The grin he gave her warmed her heart. He looked like her son again, with joy in his eyes, without the burdens he carried.
She hoped he'd forget in time.
"Well," she said, rubbing his small hands between hers, "I think you like eating them more."
He grinned and nodded.
Nancy picked up two cookies from the cooling rack. "Ethan, can you take this cookie to Deputy Parris? He loves my cookies."
Ethan cradled the napkin in both hands. "But there are two."
"One is for my assistant."
Her son's eyes brightened. "That's me."
Nancy laughed. "Yes, that's you. Now skedaddle while I show your mama the secret to amazing peanut butter cookies."
Ethan took a quick bite. "It's the chunky peanut butter," he said, his mouth stuffed.
"Yes, it is." Nancy ruffled his hair. "Now go find the deputy."
Ethan shot out of the kitchen and Leo took off behind him. Nancy turned to Amanda. "What's going on? And don't try to shove me aside. Parris won't tell me anything, but I know something's very wrong."
Amanda squirmed under the woman's intelligent gaze. "Thank you for what you did for Ethan. I haven't seen him smile in too long."
"He's a good boy, but don't think that'll get you off the hook, young lady." Nancy folded a dish towel and set it on the sink. "I haven't seen Blake this intense in a long time. I'm not sure I like it."
Blake rushed into the kitchen carrying a sobbing Ethan plastered to him, Leo at his heels. "We've got company at Logan's gate. We're out of time," he said sharply.
"I'm sorry," Amanda said. "So sorry I brought this horror with me."
Nancy rushed across to Blake and grasped his arm. "Tell me what's going on."
Blake's face softened and he touched his mother's cheek. "Parris will fill you in. I'll be in touch, I promise. But I have to do this. For Joey."
Blake rubbed Ethan's back. The boy's sobs quieted a bit. Amanda tried to take him, but he clung to Blake's neck. She understood, even though it stung that her son turned to Blake.
Nancy's eyes widened, then looked between him and Amanda. She swallowed at the utter anguish on Blake's mother's face, and there was nothing she could do about it. Logan rushed in and tossed Blake a set of keys. "Vehicle's out back. It won't lead to me or Carder. Money's in the glove box. Take the side gate." He paused. "I hope to see you again."
"You're not coming back?" Blake's mother's eyes teared.
Amanda heart twisted. She grabbed Blake's arm. "Give me the keys. Let us go. I'm ready to disappear."
"Joey and Kathy's murderers are not going to win." Blake's harsh features stood out sharp as his mother gasped in shock. "I won't stop until I find them, and you and Ethan are safe. There are no halfways."
The scream of sirens penetrated from outside. Amanda's heart raced in panic. Blake grabbed Amanda's hand and dragged her through the kitchen door to the SUV. "Backseat. Hold Ethan," he said.
Shouts raged at the front of the house. Logan's fierce protests rose above the yelling. Stalling for time.
&n
bsp; Amanda dived into the car and held her arms out. Blake lifted Ethan toward her, and her son scrambled into her arms. He didn't say anything, just pressed his head against her chest and hugged her tight. Leo jumped up and planted himself just beneath Ethan's feet. She stroked her son's hair and braced herself as Blake slammed the door shut. He got in, and once he started the SUV, floored it. Within seconds they were over a small hill and out of sight of the ranch.
She kissed the top of Ethan's head and turned around, studying the hill for any sign of flashing lights.
No one followed.
She sagged back against the leather and cuddled Ethan against her as Blake followed the barely visible road to a side gate. He stopped the vehicle to open it.
She met Blake's gaze in the rearview mirror and recognized the unwavering determination. Just like she thought. He'd fight for them, and as much as she wanted to accept his help, how could she let him sacrifice his life for them? His mother shouldn't have to lose her son. She'd never met a man so willing to put aside his own needs for someone else.
Blake took a hard right at the next county road. "We stay off the highways," he muttered. "Keep to the dirt, not the pavement."
The sun had nearly set by the time Blake turned into the Maddox place. He'd had to pull off as another screaming siren headed toward the Triple C. Now he slowed to a crawl.
She didn't see anything out of place.
He pulled in behind the house. "Wait here," he said. Within moments he was back. "All clear."
Leo jumped to the ground and a too-quiet Ethan didn't follow. He stayed within touching distance of his mother. Blake knelt beside the open door. "You ready to go into the house, Ethan?"
He peered down from his seat inside the SUV. "Will the bad men come again?"
"This is a good hiding place," Blake said.
Ethan stared at Amanda, and she could barely swallow around the emotion filling her throat, but she made herself smile. "We'll keep you safe, little man."
"Leo's waiting for you," Blake said with a smile that exuded confidence.
Everything in his face, his posture his words screamed certainty. Could he really be sure they were safe here?
Leo barked and Ethan gave a weak smile. "Okay." He climbed out of the vehicle but hovered near the door. "Are you coming, Mommy?"