“Ashlee!” he called.
The man stopped and glanced up before picking up his pace, pulling her along behind him while trying to cover her mouth to keep her from crying out. But as he ran, he struggled to keep hold of her.
“Lawson!” she screamed when his hand slipped. Her captor quickly covered her mouth again and kept going.
Lawson didn’t know how he would keep up with them, but he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight again. He used the railing to hurry down the steps as best he could, ignoring the pain digging into him with each step.
“Lawson, run! Get help,” she cried, grabbing hold of the railing and slowing the man’s descent, but he must have done something to threaten her because she cried out in pain then moved with him.
Lawson stumbled over the railings. If he had to, he would jump on top of the man. He didn’t care how much it would hurt or how badly it would aggravate his injury. He wasn’t letting Ashlee out of his line of sight.
The man lifted a gun from Ashlee’s side and fired up at Lawson. He stumbled backward, away from the railing, and the bullet bounced off the concrete behind him but didn’t hit him. It only served to push him on. Ashlee was in danger and he couldn’t allow this guy to disappear with her, despite how his body was protesting.
A door at the bottom burst open and Lawson heard Josh’s booming voice shout, “Let her go!”
Ashlee managed to slip through her kidnapper’s grip as the man turned the gun on Josh. His brother fired without hesitation, but missed as the man shoved past him and out the stairwell door. Ashlee ran up the stairs screaming as Josh scrambled back to his feet and out the door.
Lawson sat on a step as Ashlee ran to him and threw her arms around him. He soaked in her presence, the scent of her hair mixed with adrenaline and fear. She was safe and that was all that mattered now. His own guilt and helplessness to protect her was something he could worry about later. He was just thankful his brother had been there to stop her from being hurt.
Josh returned after several minutes, sweaty and out of breath, and looked up at them. “We got him. He’s dead. You both okay?”
Lawson gave him a thumbs-up, but he couldn’t speak between the pain of his wounds, the way his heart was hammering with fear, and the gratefulness gushing inside him that she was safe.
* * *
Ashlee remained with Lawson even when they took him back to the emergency department to have his wounds rebandaged. He’d torn stitches trying to reach her.
She shuddered at the memory of the man’s hands on her and the helplessness she’d felt at not being able to even cry out. She should have stayed close to Lawson, yet she’d allowed her emotions to cloud her better judgment. Whoever it was that was after her had to have been watching her closely to take such a risk to grab her with Lawson and his brothers standing only a few feet away.
That meant they were serious about getting to her.
Yet she still didn’t know why. She’d already told them the money was at the sheriff’s office. Why did they keep coming after her?
And why had she still not heard from her sister?
She jumped as the door swung open and Josh and Colby entered the room. Josh looked tired and she knew he’d just spent the last hour processing the scene downstairs. He’d shot her abductor and although she hated the loss of life, she was grateful he’d been there.
Lawson sat up and grimaced in pain but seemed to push through. “What’s going on?” he asked his brothers.
Josh handed him a file and he opened it on the bed.
Ashlee stood and glanced over his shoulder at a photo of the man who’d grabbed her.
“We ran the guy’s prints,” Josh said. “His name is Marlon Miller. He has a long and dangerous criminal history. Multiple violent crimes in multiple states across the southeast. He’s been under investigation by the DEA, ATF and DOJ for being a high-ranking member of a multistate drug distribution ring. He was a bad dude and I have no doubt he would have killed you, Ashlee.”
She had no doubt about the man’s proclivity to violence, either, but it didn’t explain why he’d been after her. “But what dealings would I have had with a drug ring?”
Lawson looked grim. “Could be this ties back to your job, after all. Maybe he or someone else in the organization could be a client of Jake Stephens’s? You saw or heard something you weren’t supposed to?”
Colby shook his head and sat. “My friend at the Bureau hasn’t found any indications of wrongdoing tied to Brooke and Stephens, and there are no active investigations into the firm’s dealings. If he’s involved in something nefarious, he’s keeping it quiet.”
Lawson turned to look at her, his expression grim. “Then it may have to do with the one person in your life that we know has ties to drug dealers.”
Bree. He was talking about Bree. “I know she’s had her problems, but I can’t believe Bree is connected to a multistate drug operation.”
“But you don’t know for sure, do you?”
“I know,” she insisted. “Call it twin intuition or whatever, but I know she wouldn’t let anyone hurt me. If anything, she’s in trouble. She’s a victim.”
Lawson wouldn’t relent. “She was into drugs when I knew her.”
“Six years ago,” Ashlee fired back. He had no clue what her life since then had been like. None of them did.
“And years of our lives before that. She was bad news, Ashlee. It’s possible she’s gotten you into something terrible.”
“No, she was trying to clean up her life.”
“So maybe whoever she was involved with didn’t want to let her go,” Josh suggested.
Lawson nodded his head. “She was always dragging you down into her messes. That has to be what happened here.”
Ashlee folded her arms across her chest and tried to keep her emotions in check. She didn’t like the direction the conversation had taken. “That doesn’t explain where the money came from or why I had it.”
Josh ended their debate. “I say we run Bree’s history and try to find out if any known associates are connected to this cartel. That should settle this once and for all.”
She finally agreed, just because Lawson was so certain, but also because it would give her more information about her sister. Her gut was telling her Bree wasn’t involved—not willingly, anyway—and that she was sincere about trying to get her life together. But was that just wishful thinking? Was Lawson right about Bree being such a screwup? Had she knowingly gotten Ashlee into a dangerous situation?
Ashlee’s gut told her no, but the truth was that no one except Bree knew for certain, and the fact that she still hadn’t contacted Ashlee made her worry that Lawson was right. Her sister’s past may have placed them both in danger.
* * *
The nurse on duty had tried one last time to convince Lawson to stay at the hospital for observation, but his answer again was no. He was glad to be back home, back to the safety of the ranch.
Only, Silver Star wasn’t so safe anymore.
He was concerned that someone had breached their property to reach Ashlee. He’d thought she was safe within their boundaries, but that wasn’t true. These men would do whatever it took to get to her...and Lawson and his brothers still had no idea why.
Marlon Miller had died trying to abduct her and had taken any answers with him to the grave. They didn’t even know for certain if he was the one who’d shot at him and Ashlee by the lake. Being on the wrong side of a drug ring meant an entire organization with multiple bad guys on the hunt.
His mom came in and tried to get him to take a pain pill but Lawson refused. He wanted to keep his wits about him. He’d already failed at protecting Ashlee once because of his injuries. He didn’t want to add a drugged-out mental state to that if something else happened.
Ashlee sat on the couch beside him and he covered her hand with his and
soaked in the feel of her against him and the gentle scent of her hair as she moved. He was happy to be home with the normal sounds of everyday life: his father’s gentle snoring as he fell asleep in his recliner, the hum of crickets outside the window, and his mother’s soft voice as she read aloud from her Bible.
It was comforting to hear her speak verses. He’d learned much of what he knew about the Bible from her readings. But he had to admit, he’d pulled away from God after Ashlee had left him. He knew it had hurt his mother, but he’d just been so angry at God for not allowing him to see Ashlee’s doubts more clearly. He should have sent a lightning bolt or something to alert Lawson that things hadn’t been right.
He glanced at Ashlee as she sat and listened. Even now, he didn’t blame her for leaving him. He wasn’t angry at her for what she’d done. He’d take all the blame for not being enough for her. Well, him and God had split that blame. It hadn’t been right and it hadn’t been fair, but now he wasn’t sure how to crawl back out from under that distance he’d created from his Heavenly Father. Or how to thank Him for bringing Ashlee back into his life.
Lawson didn’t even realize he’d drifted off to sleep until he heard the sound of boots on the front porch.
He jerked awake as the front door opened and Colby and Paul entered. They slipped out of their hats and boots as Lawson sat up, anxious for news about the missing horses his brothers had set out to find.
“They’re fine,” Paul announced. “Found them both by Riker’s field. Muddy and hungry, but okay. We stalled them so they could get some food and water, then I’ll go back out and groom them.” He touched his stomach and glanced toward the kitchen. “Speaking of food, what’s for supper?”
His mother laughed and stood, marking the spot in her Bible for later use. “In all the excitement, I forgot to cook anything. I’ve got some left over pork chops in the refrigerator. I’ll heat them up with some corn and greens.”
“Sounds yummy,” Colby said, following along behind his brother. “I’ll help you.”
Lawson stood despite the pounding in his head and the pain ripping at his hip. “Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested to Ashlee. He was tired of sitting on the sidelines and, even though he trusted his brothers implicitly, he wanted to see for himself that the horses were okay. He saw his brothers turn around to protest and cut them off before they could. “I’m fine,” he assured them. “We won’t go far. We’ll stay by the barn.”
Paul studied him, then nodded. “Don’t try to groom those horses, Lawson. I’ll take care of it.”
He nodded at his brother’s instructions and got his meaning. Look but don’t touch for tonight. He’d follow the instructions, but he thought the mares might be comforted by seeing him. He certainly would be by making sure they were okay.
He reached out for Ashlee’s hand and, after a moment’s hesitation, she took it and stood. “Are you sure it’s safe?”
“We’ll be fine. They wouldn’t dare come this close to the house.”
He slipped on his hat, glad to see someone had retrieved it for him, and his boots and stepped outside. It was warm, still hot and stuffy from the afternoon’s heat, but the sky was lit up with stars.
He draped his arm over her shoulder as they walked to the barn. Lawson checked on the horses, glad to see they were in good shape after their ordeal. The fact that they hadn’t returned home said something about how terribly they’d been frightened. He still remembered the look on Ashlee’s face when he’d been shot as well as his own feeling of helplessness at being unable to move when she’d needed him most. He would make certain it didn’t happen again.
Being out here, Ashlee in his arms under the night sky. This was what he remembered most about their relationship. This and talking about problems with her sister. It was like old times.
He had to keep reminding himself that they didn’t want the same things. When all this was over, when Ashlee’s memories returned, she would remember that she didn’t want to be here and that she didn’t want to be with him. If he let himself fall for her again, his heart would shatter.
Ashlee was in danger. That was where his focus needed to be.
On protecting her. And on protecting his heart from her.
* * *
Ashlee awoke early to the sound of a car door slamming outside. She crawled off the bed and glanced out the window to see Cecile standing by her truck. She was having a conversation with Josh. They both glanced at the house before walking inside.
She dressed quickly and rushed downstairs, happy to see Lawson up and moving around better than he had been the day before. She was still worried about him and the way he’d placed himself at risk because of her, but for now, she needed to hear whatever Josh and Cecile had to tell her.
The smell of coffee and bacon greeted her as she entered the kitchen. Everyone turned to look at her and she noticed their expressions were grim. Whatever news Cecile had come to deliver, it wasn’t good.
Cecile had been checking into Bree’s past and known associates, so this terrible news had to be about Ashlee’s sister. Had they found her? If they had, their frowns made her fear they hadn’t found her alive.
She took a seat at the table and tried her best to brace herself for whatever was coming. “Tell me.” Her voice sounded calmer than she felt as tears threatened to overtake her.
Cecile glanced at Josh, who gave her the go-ahead-and-tell-her nod. “As you know, I’ve been doing some digging into your sister. I pulled her criminal history and discovered she has several arrests for drug possession dating back ten years.” She handed Ashlee a file, which she opened. Bree’s mug shot stared back at Ashlee, her face rail-thin and her eyes hollow. She’d obviously been in a dark place when this photo had been taken and sadness swept over Ashlee. But this was ancient history if her neighbor’s account was to be believed. She glanced at their faces, not understanding. “Okay, so we already knew about her drug use. According to this, her last arrest was nearly two years ago.”
“There’s more,” Cecile said. “This morning, we received a BOLO referencing your sister. Dallas PD believe she’s been kidnapped.”
All the air left Ashlee’s lungs as fear took hold of her. She’d known deep inside that her sister was in danger—that that was why she hadn’t been in touch. “What...h-how...” She stumbled over her words. “How do they know that?”
She handed Ashlee the BOLO printout. “Dallas police discovered the body of Travis Lindale. He died of an apparent overdose four days ago. He’s on the list of your sister’s known associates. Apparently, he was her boyfriend.”
Ashlee stared at the crime scene images and shuddered. She recognized the man from the photographs on her sister’s social media page. A wave of sorrow she couldn’t explain swept over her. She attributed it to worry over her sister and the fact that someone Bree cared about was dead. “And how does that suggest my sister was kidnapped?”
“During the course of their investigation, the police pulled Travis’s phone records and discovered a text message indicating that Travis had stolen from the drug organization he worked for. The text demanded that he return what he took or his girlfriend would die.” She handed Ashlee a photocopy of the text. “And there was an image attached.”
Ashlee glanced at it and gasped. It was a photo of her sister, beaten and holding a newspaper. Terror shone on her face. Ashlee closed her eyes as everything she’d feared was confirmed. “The date on that newspaper is from four days ago.”
She glanced at the image of Travis again. “Did they kill him?”
“The coroner ruled it accidental overdose.”
“Why would Dallas PD run the phone records of someone who overdosed?” Lawson asked.
“Because Travis Lindale was under investigation by Dallas PD and the DEA because of his employers.”
Ashlee set down the papers before she dropped them. Her hands were shaking so badly, s
he clasped them together to keep from losing control.
Lawson’s mother touched her shoulder. “Ashlee, let me get you some breakfast or some coffee.”
She shook her head, the mere thought of food making her stomach roil. The smell of coffee and bacon, so inviting moments before, now made her nauseated.
“Some water, then?” Diane continued.
That she agreed to and took a small sip, then placed the glass on the table. “If Travis stole the money from the drug ring, how did I end up with it?”
Josh folded his arms. “We don’t know. It’s possible you went looking for your sister, found Travis and the phone—it’s still unaccounted for—and took the money, possibly trying to save Bree yourself.”
“Until something went wrong,” Lawson added.
She stared at him and understood his meaning. Her car had been riddled with bullets and something terrible enough for her to block out her life had occurred. Yes, something must have gone very wrong.
“There’s more,” Cecile continued. “The text message indicated the ransom drop was right here in town at the old stable on your grandparents’ property.”
“That explains why you were in town,” Lawson said.
It all made sense now about what had happened. Her sister had been abducted and was possibly dead if the ransom drop had gone bad—which it must have for Ashlee to still have the money and the bullet holes in her car.
Cecile stood. “I’ve put together a team to go check out the stables. Maybe we’ll find some clues about what happened there.”
Josh set down his coffee cup. “Give me a minute. I’ll come with you.”
Texas Twin Abduction Page 10