by Stacey Wilk
He had been right and wished he wasn’t. “You are under arrest. You have the right—”
Jamie’s fist collided with his jaw like an attack from a rattlesnake. His head snapped back, and he lost his grip on the man. His knees buckled, and he went down, skimming his legs on the concrete patio.
“Gage.” Calista’s voice pierced the air.
Footsteps thudded against the ground and disappeared into the night.
Someone stood over him. His blurred vision masked their face. He opened his mouth, but only a garble of sounds came out. He needed to get the robbers before they were gone. Someone grabbed his hand. He tried to get up, but someone pressed on his chest. Too many people around him. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t talk. He couldn’t save anyone.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Calista held Gage’s hand in her cold, shaking one. Her whole body trembled, no matter how hard she tried to stop it. Her father had put a blanket around her shoulders, but it did nothing to make the shakes stop.
The ambulance and Barry Pearce were on their way. The shot fired at Izzi hit the side of the house and ricocheted. It nicked her leg. Jett bandaged her up, and Karen held her granddaughter. Jett cared for the other guests as well. He had wrapped a bandage around Kace’s head only after Jett threatened to hit him again. Kace reluctantly agreed, saying he’d been hit by a car harder. Now Kace assisted Jett helping those injured. A knot lodged in her throat. It was too close to what happened sixteen years ago.
“Calista?” Gage’s voice dragged her from her thoughts.
“Are you okay?” She helped him sit up.
He rubbed at his jaw. “Did I black out?”
“I think so. Don’t get up. The ambulance is coming.”
“Where’s Izzi?” He pushed her hands away from his arms and tried to stand.
“She just went inside with your mother.” She tried to swallow the knot in her throat. “She was hurt, but Jett took care of it.”
“What do you mean? I have to get to her.” He stumbled.
“Wait a second.” She grabbed his arm. “You took a hit to the head. You need to sit down.”
He shrugged her off. “Don’t tell me what I need to do. It’s because of you my daughter is hurt. And these people.” He pointed to the scattered guests. “Shit, look at Kace. Why did I ever listen to you? Where is Justin? I’m going to arrest him and throw the book at him.”
He didn’t wait for her to answer. He marched off inside the house in search of Izzi. Her legs called it quits, and she dropped to the ground. What had she done to this family? She had insisted that Justin was not a part of those robberies. She should have listened to Gage because if she had, none of this would have happened. Now the people she had hurt and loved were hurt again. Her heart shattered into a million pieces cutting into her lungs. Tears pooled in her eyes and ran down her face.
“Lissa, let’s go home.” Her father extended his hand.
She slid hers into his rough and aged one and allowed him to pull her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “It’s going to be okay, sweet pea.”
“It’s never going to be okay again. I broke his heart. He’s never going to forgive me. I allowed these people to be hurt. I should check on Izzi.”
Her father shook his head. “We don’t belong here.”
“We should stay and talk to Barry. We need to give them our statements.”
“They know who did it. They don’t need us. It’s time to go. I’ll drive you home. You can come get your car and your things tomorrow.”
She took in the scene one final time. This was the end. She never thought it would have happened so quickly and with so much blood.
She wanted to go back in time and tell Gage he was right about Justin, but she had been so convinced because Justin had reminded her of Fox. She didn’t want another boy to be caught up in the middle of something he had nothing to do with. She had been stupid. Justin had been involved and probably playing them the whole time. To think she’d even tried to convince Gage to allow Justin to date Izzi. A moan escaped from her lips. He had every right to hate her.
She hated herself about now.
“Let’s go. I don’t belong here.” She never had.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Gage held a cold beer can to his jaw. Jamie Crow had a mean punch. His head still reeled. He had refused Nyx Blackwood’s assistance when the ambulance finally arrived because other people were hurt worse than he was. Instead, he helped her tend to anyone who needed medical attention and helped Barry get everyone’s statement. No one had seen Justin leave.
Now he was alone in his cabin sitting in the dark. Izzi stayed with his mother. He wanted her home, but she refused to leave. Kace had decided to stay home too. He slept on the couch, only yards from Izzi, with a rifle in reach. Lock had promised to sleep on the chair next to Kace. Jett wouldn’t sleep at all.
Some of the guests had checked out as soon as he and Barry finished getting their statements. One couple had decided to stay. This incident was going to kill their business. He could never make this up to Jett, Lock, and his mother. Their lives were the ranch, and he destroyed that. What he wanted to know was why did Justin’s brother hit the ranch?
How could he have been so gullible? He wiped a hand over his face, avoiding his bruised jaw. He had allowed his emotions for Calista to get in the way of his police work. He had been right about Justin all along. That didn’t make him feel any better. He would never allow his emotions to get in the way again. He and Calista couldn’t be together. He didn’t trust himself around her.
His phone buzzed. He swiped it up. “Are you okay?”
“Dad, I can’t sleep. I wanted to check on you.”
“I’m fine. I can come get you if you want to sleep in your own bed.”
“No, I’m in the sewing room. I like it here. It makes me feel safe.”
“And you don’t feel safe here?” He’d kill anyone who would try to hurt her. He thought she would know that.
“I do, but I want to stay. I think Gammy likes having everyone around, even if the uncles are armed and dangerous. Are you going to get any sleep?”
His mother knew how to make Izzi feel needed—and that was important at her age. Considering Izzi’s mother never made her feel needed or wanted, Karen Ryker filled a void in Izzi’s life. “I don’t think so. Izzi, do you know where Justin is?”
“No. He won’t answer my texts. Are you going to arrest him when you find him?”
“Yes.”
“Dad, don’t you think Justin deserves a second chance? It’s not his fault his brother committed those crimes.”
“You don’t understand. He had knowledge about the crimes being committed, and he didn’t tell me. That’s a crime in and of itself. If we had a lead, maybe Phyllis would still be alive. You wouldn’t have been shot.” The thought of losing Izzi to a bullet sent a sharp pain through his chest. He would gladly give up his life to save hers.
“It’s just a small cut.”
“That bullet could have killed you.” He didn’t mean to raise his voice. The panic clutched his throat and shoved the words out with force.
“I’m fine. You always said it’s okay if we make mistakes as long as we own up to them. Justin tried to do that tonight. And haven’t you said Uncle Ajay had deserved another chance from you?”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “So you do listen when I speak.”
Her giggle reached through the phone and soothed some of the hurt. “Of course, I listen to you. You talk all the time.”
“Only when I have something to say.”
“When it comes to giving orders, that’s all the time.”
“You’ve also been talking to Uncle Kace too much.”
“Did you know he snores? I can hear him all the way up here. Uncle Jett has yelled at him like three times.”
A bubble of laughter from someplace deep inside him soothed his hurt more. Ajay had deserved another chance from him.
If he had given it to him, his little brother would be alive and giving their family the layer of love it needed. He pushed out another long breath. Justin had come to the ranch to confess. That couldn’t have been easy for him. The scratches and cuts on his face were from a fight. A fight with his brother. He hated to admit it, but he and Justin had a lot in common.
“I don’t tell you enough how proud I am of you,” he said.
“Sure you do. And I’m proud of you too, Daddy. I’m going to get some sleep now. Night.”
“Night.”
He placed the phone down, and the screen lit back up.
Someone was calling, and he didn’t recognize the number.
He hesitated for a second but swiped at the screen. “Sheriff Ryker.”
Silence met him on the other side.
“Hello? This is Sheriff Ryker. Is someone there?”
“It’s Justin. I need your help.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Calista dried her hair on a towel and sipped at the wine. She stared out the window of her room back in the B and B and fought the urge to cry. The moonlight glistened on the lake’s surface like black diamonds. The view could be any other night, but it was one of the worst nights she’d ever lived through.
Justin had hurt her in a way she couldn’t have seen coming. She had wanted so badly to believe he had told the truth. She had begged Gage to listen to her. Because of her, all those people were hurt. And she and Gage were through. He blamed her for what happened. The irony wasn’t lost on her.
Maybe in the light of morning…no. Maybe nothing. In the morning, she would pack her belongings and go back to Billings. She would get rid of her apartment and find another city to live in where she could tend bar and practice yoga. Yoga might be the only thing left that could save her.
Her heart ached for Gage. She didn’t want him upset, and she wanted to check on Izzi. She missed his strong embrace. His arms around her would also be the one thing that could save her. Except he would never allow her that luxury. He would shut his emotions right down where she was concerned.
She debated on calling him. He would be awake. If she could just hear his voice one more time, she might be able to tuck the memory away for safekeeping with the other memories of this trip.
Her silent phone mocked her from the bed. She wished he had called and told her he was wrong for being mad at her, that he would never do to her what she had done to him. But he would never call. He would spend his time hunting down Justin and his brother until justice was served. By then, too much time would have passed.
She picked up the phone anyway. Someone had called. Justin. She fumbled through the screen until she arrived at the voice mail.
“Calista, it’s me. I need help. I’m at my apartment, and I’m hurt. Jamie beat me up. I can’t call anyone else. Please come.”
Her blood roared in her ears. She tried to call Justin back, but the phone rang and rang. A voice said his mailbox was full. She threw on jeans and a T-shirt but stopped. She shouldn’t go alone. She dialed Gage. The call went to voice mail.
“Gage, it’s me. Justin called. He’s at his apartment, and his brother beat him. Please meet me there…and I’m sorry.”
She grabbed her keys and ran.
****
Calista tried to call Justin while she stood outside his apartment building, but he didn’t answer. She dialed Gage again too, but his voice mail still picked up. She would rather go inside with him. Was he so furious with her he wouldn’t answer her calls?
A car horn went off someplace. A cat screeched in the distance. She jumped, and her heart knocked on her ribs. “Shit.” She ran her fingers over her bracelet. “Gage, where are you?”
She couldn’t waste any more time. Justin needed her help, and she would give it. He hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. He was just a kid who missed love and guidance. What kind of a person would she be if she turned him away now?
Headlights turned down the street. She hesitated. Had Gage come after all? She waited to see if it was him.
A black car rolled to a stop. Her mind caught up to the image in front of her. A car, not Gage’s truck. Her stomach heaved. Her feet froze in place. The back window slid down, and the barrel of a gun pointed at her.
“Look what I found. Don’t think about moving.”
Chapter Thirty
Gage pulled open the door to Justin’s apartment building. A car horn blew open the night somewhere down the street. The lobby smelled of fish and fried food. He removed his gun from the holster and kept it at the ready.
He opted for the stairs instead of the elevator. At the entrance to the second floor, he gripped the handle of the metal door and shoved it open but didn’t leave the stairway. He glanced into the hall but jumped back. No one was in the hall. He was safe to continue.
Backup would be good about now, but Barry Pearce wasn’t going to be much help in this situation. He could have asked one of his brothers to come with him, but he wouldn’t endanger them even if he wanted the company. He would have to do this alone and pray for a little help. Except he didn’t believe in God.
Justin’s apartment was at the end of the long hall. What if he was lying again and this was a trick? He didn’t want to die tonight and leave Izzi without a parent.
He banged on the apartment door. His heart galloped in his chest. “Police. Open up.”
A door behind him opened. He swung around and pointed the gun. A large woman in a pink bathrobe and curlers threw her hands up. “Ooh. Don’t shoot. I didn’t do nothing.”
“Go back inside, ma’am. This is official police business.”
The lady slammed the door shut. He banged on Justin’s door again.
The door opened a crack.
He kept his gun pointed.
“Sheriff Ryker?”
He lowered his gun. “Yeah, Justin. Can you let me in?”
Justin opened the door wide enough for him to slip through. The apartment was dark, except for a small lamp on in the corner of the crowded living space. The tiny area smelled of stale smoke and dirty bodies. A lonely table was covered in used food wrappers. The sofa sagged in the middle. A big-screen television sat on an old pockmarked dresser. Several long wires dangled from the television and snaked to a video-game machine.
The kitchen was not much bigger than a postage stamp. Food-covered dishes filled the sink. Cereal boxes, spotted glasses, and used cigarettes in a makeshift ashtray littered the kitchen table.
Justin’s face was swollen and purple, his eyes mere slits. Blood caked on the side of his head. He engaged the chain and slid to the ground with his back to the door. “Thank you for coming.”
“Did your brother do this to you?”
Justin nodded. He guessed if he lifted Justin’s shirt, he’d find bruising along his torso too.
“Why?” He checked out the window, but the only thing out there was a fire escape.
“He thinks I’ve traded my family for yours. He thinks I snitched, and that’s unforgivable to him.” Justin clutched his side.
“He sees you leaving the rez for something else as a betrayal. Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Let’s get you to the hospital.” He leaned down to help Justin.
“Wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to stop him from committing those crimes. He’s got a drug problem. He wasn’t always like this.” His breath came out in short bursts.
“Don’t talk so much. Can you walk?” He understood Jamie Crow better than he wanted to. Ajay wasn’t always in a gang. He was once a good kid who got tangled up with the wrong crowd.
“I think so. If I go to the hospital, he’ll kill me for telling on him.” Justin struggled to stand.
“If you don’t, he has killed you for sure. You could be bleeding internally. I’ll keep you safe.” He took Justin’s elbow to steady him.
“I really am sorry.”
“Yeah, me too.” He gripped Justin around the waist because the kid looked as if he
were about to fall over.
“I called Calista to come too.” Justin wrapped an arm around his shoulder and leaned into him.
“You did? Is she coming?” He didn’t want her here alone. This was not the safest neighborhood, and he had no idea where Jamie Crow was.
“She never called back.”
That didn’t sound like her. “Hang on.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. Three missed calls from her. He helped Justin lean against the wall. “I want to reach her.”
His phone went off in his hand. Calista’s name appeared. “Where are you?” he said.
“Gage.” Her voice was strangled with tears.
“Babe, are you all right?” He strained to hear her over the sound of a car horn in the background.
“He got me. Please come.” Her voice trailed away as if the phone were pulled from her mouth.
“Calista,” he yelled.
“We’re on the roof, Sheriff. Bring my brother, or I kill your girl.” Jamie Crow hung up.
****
Calista knelt on the roof of Justin’s apartment building. The cement bored into her knees. Her hands were clasped behind her head, and Jamie Crow pointed a large gun at her face. The wind lifted the hair off her neck and blew strands across her face like tiny whips. “Why are you doing this?” She forced her trembling lip still.
“To teach my brother a lesson.” He glanced over his shoulder at the rooftop door.
“Gage is never going to let you get away with this.” She would not cry in front of this monster and show her fear. She wanted to take back every awful thought she ever had of Ajay Ryker. He hadn’t meant to kill Ava the way Jamie meant to hurt her tonight on this roof.
“My brother dishonored my family by leaving us for you and that white girl he likes. Now I’m going to show him the mistake he made.” Jamie tapped his foot in an erratic beat.
“By hurting me?”
“He needs to learn.”
“Gage is going to arrest you.” She needed him to stay calm somehow, or he might accidentally pull that trigger.
“Not while I have a gun pointed at your head.”