A sad smile formed on his lips. He dragged his gaze back to Rita. “It wasn’t long ago that I was young like you. Had a bright, limitless future ahead of me. I was an aspiring politician with big dreams and impossible goals. No money,” he sighed. “I accepted a huge endorsement for my campaign with a single string attached. I couldn’t allow the docks to be renovated. No one could buy them. No one could rebuild. I had to use my position to keep them as they were. Unused and abandoned. It seemed simple to me. They’d literally asked me to do nothing.”
“You had to know that wasn’t good,” Rita said. “Why would someone give you money for something like that, if not for something nefarious?”
He made a strange face. “It’s hard to say now what I was thinking then, before I’d been through so much. Maybe I wanted to believe in easy money. Maybe I wasn’t yet jaded. Whatever the reason, I accepted the money and agreed to their terms, moved to Frankfort after the election and forgot about this insignificant little town. The company who’d supported my campaign sent money regularly. It was nice.”
“Gray Line,” Rita muttered.
The senator’s mouth opened. His bushy salt-and-pepper brows crowded together. “Yes. Eventually, curiosity got the best of me, and I pushed for details. When I saw the guns and realized what I’d done, I demanded more money.” He shook his head sadly. “They threatened me. Threatened my family. My career. My world. They said I ought to keep quiet and be thankful they were only moving the guns along the river and not through my state.”
Rita continued to struggle with her bindings, fighting through the blinding pain in one shoulder as she worked the rope with her opposite wrist. She only needed to loosen it enough to slip free. “Then Gray Line made a move to buy it themselves.”
“By then I’d learned enough to know that if the state sold to them, they’d put up a storage unit and keep their supplies here. The potential income of the operation would triple, plus the problem would no longer be limited to secret river rendezvous. Now, the crime would be on our shores, I wouldn’t see any extra cash for it, and if anyone found out, I would be the villain.”
“So you had Minsk killed? Why? He was just a middleman.”
“He overheard me encouraging the governor about renovating the docks. It’s ultimately his call, and I figured if Gray Line wasn’t interested in upping my cut, I’d force them out, talk the governor into making good on his campaign promise to revitalize the area. Then Minsk showed up, claiming he had a potential buyer. I knew who he worked for. I had to stop him. What else could I do?”
“You could’ve gone to the authorities. You should’ve come clean.”
Color torched the senator’s face. “Everything’s not that simple!” His voice roared through the rickety barn, sending hidden birds into the air. “I could’ve come clean, and Minsk could’ve reported it all back to Gray Line or the local media. He could’ve gotten me killed or revealed me as a traitor to my constituents. I’d facilitated the use of our docks by gunrunners for years.”
He balled his hands into fists, looking suddenly heartbroken. “Killing Minsk should’ve bought me time to figure this out. Instead, you showed up and made everything worse. That thumb drive you stole had years and years of documentation. I know you’ve already given it to the authorities because you used a fake in the drop today, and the entire sheriff’s department was there when the shooting broke out. It stands to reason that the sheriff would have sent it straight to Tech Support. I can’t have anyone figuring out Gray Line has been running guns, so I’ve asked my contact at the FBI to collect the pen for me. He’ll claim jurisdiction, and that will clean up the evidence. Except for one problematic eyewitness.”
Rita worked harder at the fraying ropes, raking them along the jagged rungs of her chair. “Maybe you and I can make a deal. Let me live, and I’ll never say anything about what you’ve told me. You’ll kill me if I do.”
“I’m afraid it’s far too late for that.” He raised two fingers to his mouth and puffed out an earsplitting whistle.
The shooter reappeared in the doorway, backlit by a hazy twilight sky and slowly rising moon.
The elongated shadow of a handgun stretched firmly from one hand.
Chapter Twenty
“Wait!” Rita called out to the senator’s retreating figure. “It doesn’t have to be like this. Just tell the truth!” She rocked and jerked in her seat, begging her ties to snap and her body to be free. “Come back!”
The senator didn’t stop, and he was soon outside the barn.
The shooter moved in front of the chair. “Close your eyes.”
Rita’s bottom lip quivered and her stubborn chin inched higher. She could see the differences in the fake deputy jacket now. Not to mention that the real thing was worn by a hero. This one was the costume of a monster. She locked eyes with her soon-to-be executioner. She hated the mockery of the uniform all the more, knowing how important it was to Cole and his family. “Why pretend to be a deputy? What’s your point? If you’re trying to blend in, why not wear something less eye-catching?”
He smiled. “You’re wrong, because no one looks twice at law enforcement. I can go anywhere in this jacket, no questions asked. People step aside and don’t interrupt.”
The distant click of a closing car door swept through the night, followed closely by the gentle purr of an engine. Apparently the senator wasn’t staying around for Rita’s disposal.
The gunman widened his stance. “Now, close your eyes.”
“No.”
He rolled his head over one shoulder, then fixed her with an impatient expression. “Look, lady, this isn’t personal, but if you cooperate, I promise never to visit your brother again. He can heal up and live his life like this never happened.”
Rita stifled a sob. She let her lids drift shut. Her hands fisted at her back, the frayed rope biting into her skin. Her time was up.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, hoping everyone she’d let down could somehow know this wasn’t what she’d wanted. She was supposed to watch Ryan grow old. She’d wanted justice for those who were hurt by the senator’s selfish and sinister behavior. Most of all, she’d wanted a chance to tell Cole Garrett that she loved him.
Rita imagined Cole’s face, his warm smile and the haven of his protective arms as she waited for the end to come.
The gunshot boomed like thunder, ringing in her ears and stealing her breath. Fear radiated through her in bone-crushing shock, but the pain didn’t come.
A muted thud lifted her eyelids.
The gunman lay at her feet, a growing puddle of his blood staining his faux deputy jacket.
“Rita!” Cole Garrett limped forward from the open barn door, one arm in a sling, one foot in a boot cast. “Are you okay?”
She gave the fallen gunman one more look. His unseeing eyes confirmed it. “Yes,” she sobbed. She was going to be fine.
A wail of relief rolled through her. “You’re hurt!” She rocked on her seat, struggling to free her pinned arms. “How are you here? Are you okay? West said you went to the hospital.”
Cole kicked the dead man’s gun away, then kneeled at her side.
“I’m fine.” The distant drone of sirens grew steadily in the distance. “We traced the call.” He cut quickly through her ropes, freeing her wrists, then massaging them gently in his hands.
Rita squeaked from the pressure. Tears ran over her cheeks. One arm hung limply at her side. “It’s out of socket,” she said, doing her best to be strong for the man who was always strong for her.
“Here.” Cole stripped the sling from his shoulder and hooked it over Rita’s head. He slid her aching arm into the hammock and adjusted the length of material behind her. “Uncle Henry’s already on the way.”
Rita cradled her arm in appreciation and relief. “Thank you.” She pressed her cheek against his chest and cried.
Cole kis
sed her head and stroked her hair. “You’re safe now, and I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you ever again.”
Rita held him tight, melding herself to him before she fell apart.
“You were so smart to hide Ryan’s phone,” he said, nuzzling his cheek against her head. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t found you in time.”
“I love you,” Rita blurted. “I know it’s soon and it’s silly, but it’s true, and whatever you think about that is fine, but I need you to know.”
Cole pulled back an inch, a peculiar look in his eye. “Yeah?”
Someone cleared their throat nearby.
Rita looked for the interruption, and discovered West at the barn’s entrance, gripping the senator’s elbow. The politician’s hands were cuffed behind his back.
“I hate to break this up,” he said, “but I’m hoping Miss Horn can provide a formal statement about why Senator Sayers was caught racing away from her abduction site.”
Cole moved back into her line of sight, successfully blocking out her view of West and everything else. He waved a hand overhead, dismissing his brother. “You said you love me?”
“Very much.”
He bent his knees and let loose a rodeo-worthy hoot! He feathered kisses over her nose and cheeks, smiling with every press and release of his lips. “I love you, too.”
“You do?”
“Oh, yeah.” He looped his good arm over her shoulders and turned her toward the door. “You want to get out of here? Maybe visit a hospital?”
She laughed.
Together they shuffled toward the carousel of red and white lights flashing in the evening sky. An ambulance pulled up.
“Maybe Uncle Henry can give us a lift,” Cole suggested.
“That’s fine. As long as I don’t have to ride in a trunk.”
* * *
SNOW AND HOLIDAY music drifted in the air outside Rita’s home. Her driveway and half the street were lined with cars in both directions. Cole straightened his jacket before knocking. Thanks to a double shift, he hadn’t seen Rita in nearly twenty-four hours, and his chest was already flooded with warmth in anticipation.
She was sure to be smiling tonight. Ryan had finally been released from the recovery center where he’d spent the last three weeks regaining his strength and coordination. According to Rita, he’d already rescheduled his dropped classes for after Christmas break.
Dogged determination was definitely in the Horn genes.
Rita swept her door open, pouring the warm scents of holiday cookies, casseroles and hot chocolate over Cole’s senses. She greeted him with a kiss and a smile. “Come in,” she urged, tugging his sleeve and nearly vibrating with enthusiasm. “I can’t believe how many people are here. I don’t even know all these people. I think half of them are named Garrett!”
Cole stole another kiss, then scanned the crowded room. Her neighbors had dibs on the kitchen table, chatting and laughing around steaming mugs and full plates. A few office workers from the municipal building were chatting animatedly in the corner. Ryan and Nurse Stacy were tucked up close on the couch, a fuzzy cat on each of their laps. A middle-aged man with Rita’s eyes spoke animatedly to the couple. “Is that your dad?” Cole asked, downright shocked when she nodded. Her dad had said he was coming home when he’d finally returned her calls, but the only one who’d believed him was Ryan. “Well, I’m glad he came,” Cole said, and he meant it.
“Me, too, I think. He says he’s going to retire,” Rita said. “I’ll believe it when I see it, but so far, he seems to be trying to make up for lost time. He even apologized for not choosing us over duty more often. I liked hearing that.”
“I bet you did.” Cole slung an arm over her shoulders and kissed her head. “I will always choose you.”
Rita smiled, and the room grew brighter.
Cole gave the crowd another long look. Rita was right, the other fifteen or so people were Garretts. Cole had personally invited them to come.
“They all showed up to welcome Ryan home,” she said. “Can you believe it?” She pressed a palm to her heart. “Is this what it’s like to have a big family? Because I love it. Your dad invited Ryan to go bass fishing. Your mom brought so much food I won’t have to cook for a week.” She wiped the pad of one thumb under each eye. “I miss my mom so much it hurts.”
“I know.” Christmas was a rough season to be alone, but if things went Cole’s way today, Rita would never be short on family again. He wrapped her in his arms and smoothed a hand over the length of her hair, marveling at how this one woman had so irrevocably changed his life.
“There you are.” West’s voice boomed through the room. He left a kiss on his wife’s forehead, then wove a path to Cole’s side. “Time for those announcements?”
Rita furrowed her narrow brow. “Announcements? Do you have news about the senator?”
“Attention!” West tapped his fork against his little plate. “I have some news that many of you will enjoy hearing. I know I did.”
Slowly, the room quieted. A sea of expectant eyes turned in West’s direction.
“First of all,” he began, “I want to thank Rita for opening up her home to all of us. Given what she’s been through, some folks might be inclined to never open their door again.”
The crowd chuckled.
“And speaking of men I wouldn’t invite inside,” West continued, “I received news today that Senator Sayers is in jail awaiting trial without bail. The state believes they’ve got enough evidence to put him away for a long while.” He turned his attention directly to Rita. “It seems the thumb drive you delivered into my hands has provided the ATF with everything they needed to make multiple arrests within Gray Line Enterprises, a known gun-trafficking organization that they’ve been watching for more than two years. My big brother Blake was able to use your tip that someone from the FBI would try to collect the drive from Tech Support, and that guy was arrested, as well.”
Rita beamed. “You’re kidding.”
Cole began a slow clap that rolled through the room.
Her brother pounded his hands together and chanted her name.
Cole grinned.
Ryan had admitted to taking her truck after being told not to for a bunch of little brother reasons. One, he only needed it to make one trip, so what could go wrong? Two, she hadn’t moved it from the lot where he’d left it at his school, so she obviously didn’t need it back right away. And, three, he couldn’t reach her by phone to beg some more, because unbeknownst to him, her phone was in the river by that time.
West extended a hand in her direction for a formal shake.
Rita accepted. “Thank you.”
Isla, from the mayor’s office, was next to make a scene. “I’ve got something, too,” she hollered, sliding to the front of the crowd. “The mayor announced today that the governor is taking control of all monies seized from the senator’s business with Gray Line and reallocating the funds to reclaim the docks!”
Rita’s jaw dropped.
“There’s more.” Isla beamed, clearly enjoying her moment in the spotlight. “He was so moved by your love for those stray cats that he vowed the first business opened there will be an animal shelter.”
Rita’s eyes glistened. “That’s amazing! Thank you.”
Isla gave the crowd another smile, then sashayed away looking quite proud of herself.
Rita turned to Cole with a look of sheer joy.
Cole’s heart thundered in his chest. The announcements were made. Rita was happy. Now, there was only one thing left to do.
“Rita Horn,” he began, a ridiculous quiver wiggling in his chest. “Knowing you has changed my life, my world and my dreams.”
West tapped his fork against his plate. “It’s happening.”
Cole ignored him and pressed on, retrieving a small gold band from his po
cket. He looked into Rita’s wide hazel eyes, then slowly he lowered onto one knee.
Rita’s head began to nod in agreement.
“Now wait.” Cole smiled, his chest tight with elation. “I haven’t asked you anything yet.”
“Yes.”
Everyone laughed, and Rita’s gaze jumped toward the crowd.
Ryan lifted a slow thumbs-up to his sister.
She turned back to Cole with tear-filled eyes. “Yes.”
Cole gathered her trembling hands in his. “I realize we haven’t known each other long, but I’d like to know you forever.”
Fat tears spilled over her cheeks. “Yes.”
He stood and offered her his handkerchief. “Marry me,” he said.
Rita rose onto her toes and planted her lips to his in a shameless display of love and desire.
The crowd erupted in cheers of utter delight, but Cole was certain there would never be a happier man alive than him in that very moment.
* * *
Look for the next book in Julie Anne Lindsey’s
Garrett Valor miniseries in February.
And don’t miss the previous titles in the series:
Federal Agent Under Fire
The Sheriff’s Secret
Available now from Harlequin Intrigue!
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Shadow Point Deputy Page 19