Burn on the Western Slope (Crimson Romance)

by Smith, Angela

  She considered stealing the snowmobile, but admitted her powerlessness, at least to herself. Even if she was able to handle the machine, she didn’t think she could find her way out of these mountains.

  Neither of them spoke as he prepared the cottage for vacancy. What was the point? She didn’t know anything about Kyle, so Garret had no use for her now.

  She bit on her cheek to keep from crying, from lashing out, from doing anything that might indicate she cared, but she hurt like she’d never hurt before. Walking in on Kyle with another woman hadn’t fazed her, but her heart broke at Garret’s deception.

  Why hadn’t she held back? Why hadn’t she kept that wall around her heart firmly in place? Garret wasn’t the person she thought he was, yet she’d fallen for him.

  She had no choice but to grieve and go on, but she wouldn’t show him her tears or let him know much she hurt. She wasn’t the kind of woman to beg for a man’s love, solicit explanations, or define a reason for why he did what he did.

  He was a jerk. A lying FBI agent pursuing justice only in his own mind. The obedience of his vocation didn’t respect the boundaries of right and wrong. In his mind, right and wrong were obscure pieces of facts that would never fit together.

  That’s why he did what he did.

  Chapter Twenty

  Garret didn’t follow Reagan to her condo and she didn’t wait for him to garage the snowmobile. Dread branched into her heavy limbs, her heartbeat sick with loneliness. She avoided the elevator and took the stairs, hoping each step would calm her ache.

  They hadn’t visited the hot springs he’d promised and they hadn’t gone snowshoeing, but Reagan couldn’t dwell on the disappointment of missing the landscape he’d promised to show her. She’d planned to take her sketchbook, but it was too cold to stay outside anyway so it was best this way. Garret wasn’t staying here forever, so it was best this way.

  Her heart was going to break anyway. Now, instead of despair, she felt angry. It was best this way.

  Struggling with her backpack up three flights of stairs, she wondered how anyone in their right mind could possibly mountain climb. She had trouble climbing steps, she couldn’t imagine finding a perch on rocky and unstable ground. She’d been trying to find her way and for once she thought her ground had leveled and she’d found her home.

  Wrong.

  When she stepped over the rim of the staircase, huffing and puffing, she saw her father pacing by her door. For a moment, she thought she was in a dream. Maybe it was all a dream. Maybe Garret confessing his involvement in Kyle’s investigation was one great big, ugly dream.

  Or nightmare.

  Her dad stopped pacing when he saw her and opened his arms. “Darling.” He kissed her on the cheek and took her bag.

  No, it wasn’t a dream. Her steps faltered when she noticed Tanner at her door.

  She pulled away from his embrace. “Dad, I’m glad you’re here.” And she was, no matter how terrible she felt.

  “Can we go inside?”

  She glanced at Tanner. “I see you met Tanner. Tanner, if you don’t mind, I’d like to visit with my dad alone.”

  “No, Tanner has something you need to hear.”

  “What?”

  Tanner snatched her elbow. “Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you.”

  Her hands shook as she unlocked the door. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take. First the news from Garret about Kyle, now this? Maybe her dad was here about Kyle. Maybe he was afraid she’d take the news badly so he came in person to tell her.

  “I know about Kyle, if that’s what this is,” she said as she slung her parka over the couch.

  Frank’s eyes clouded with confusion. “What about Kyle?”

  Reagan shrugged, her hope diminished. “He’s dead.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Her dad dropped her bag to land on the floor. She didn’t care, it could stay right where it was. She’d never need those winter clothes anymore. Maybe she’d sell the whole condo and everything in it.

  “Is everybody okay, Dad?”

  “Yes. Everyone is fine. I just wanted to see you. And as I waited, I met Tanner. We got to talking and, well, there are some things you need to hear.”

  Cutting her gaze to Tanner, she wondered where he’d been all this time. She thought he’d gone home. Had she been so involved with Garret that she hadn’t noticed anything or anyone else? Hell, her dad could have been here and she would have never known.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Tanner dug in his coat pocket for something, took it out and flipped open a badge. “I’m with the FBI. I’ve been working here undercover for a while now.”

  She stumbled back a step, cold shock slamming into fury. Are you kidding me? Him too? What else in my life is a lie? The FBI was obviously labeled wrong. It should be called the FB Lie.

  The breath she’d inhaled loitered in her throat before escaping in a quiet cry at the realization of why he was here. This again? Didn’t he already know Garret had badgered her? There was nothing else she could tell them.

  “We have reason to believe that Garret and his brother are involved with nefarious acts, including jewel fencing.”

  Reagan’s defenses spiraled. Up, down. Out of control. No matter how mad she was at Garret, she could not be hearing this right.

  “But Garret works for the FBI, too.”

  Tanner’s eyes shifted, and she thought she caught uncertainty. “Yes, well, we’ve been investigating him for a long time. He and Chayton have been working with Ray for years fencing stolen jewels. Has Garret told you anything? Given you anything? Any funny jewels lying around?”

  Reagan contemplated the necklace and how it disappeared, and thought about Garret’s last assignment and how his partner had been killed. Could it be true? Had Garret been using her to see if she hoarded jewels? Had Garret killed his partner to cover his vile acts?

  She couldn’t possibly see that in him. He was kind to children and animals, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a murderer. He was a liar, but that didn’t mean he was a murderer.

  She glanced at her dad. She knew nothing about Ray. He didn’t look at her. Was he hiding something?

  “FBI agents aren’t always good people,” Tanner continued. “That’s what makes this so important. That’s what makes your role so important.”

  “What role?”

  “I need your help.”

  She glanced at her dad again. Why would he be involved in all of this? “Dad?”

  Frank didn’t say anything for a long moment, then he looked at Tanner. “Can I talk to my daughter alone?”

  Tanner turned and walked to the window, not giving them much privacy. Her dad didn’t seem to care. His chest swelled heavily and he puffed his mouth as he let out a breath. He pulled his shoulders to his neck and kept them stationary.

  “Dad?” Reagan asked again. He was hiding something from her.

  His shoulders fell.

  “What are you not telling me, Dad?”

  “Your mom told me she told you everything. Your brother was involved with the mafia. It tore up your mother to find this out. She thought it best if no one knew he had a family. She only wanted to keep you safe. Chayton and Garret are involved with him. They’re dangerous.”

  “No.” She couldn’t possibly imagine. But wasn’t that what Tanner had basically told her? He was investigating them both. They were both friends of Ray’s. Her father knew first hand that Ray had been involved with the mafia.

  Could it be true?

  Chayton was such a good person, a good friend. And Garret … well, she didn’t know what Garret was anymore.

  Reagan threaded her fingers through her hair and left them as she stood, pacing the couch where her dad sat wringing his hands.

  “Garret and Chayton killed him,” her father said. “I believe that.”

  “No, Dad. You must be wrong.” Reagan bit back hiccupping tears, but they balled out of her eyes into fat drops. She wanted to scream, cry, wail, but n
othing would change the truth. She’d fallen in love with a man who wasn’t anything like she’d thought. Sleeping with him would not change the fact he was a killer, a jewel fence, involved with the mob.

  She squared her shoulders and sniffed her nose. One thing about this mess, she couldn’t love someone who didn’t exist. She couldn’t love Garret if he wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with. It was only an image.

  That thought didn’t drive away the despair.

  “I knew one day your brother would hurt our family with his business,” Frank continued. “I wanted to call the FBI on him, but your mother was so sure he’d never involve us. He should have never left that money to you. That involved you.”

  Tanner reeled around and smacked a handful of pictures against his palm, interrupting her dad’s spiel. He handed one to Reagan.

  “What is this?”

  “A picture of Garret entering your condo when you weren’t at home. Searching for who knows what. Something he thought Ray had hidden, probably.”

  Tanner handed her a few more, all of Garret entering her apartment. The next picture he slapped down on the coffee table. With trembling fingers, she bent to retrieve the photo, unsure if she really wanted to know what it revealed.

  Garret by a helicopter, a large black bag in hand.

  “That’s his loot bag,” Tanner said. “He’s delivering his jewels.”

  Blood drained from Reagan’s face and to her feet. She focused on remaining calm. He was going inside a helicopter, carrying a bag. It didn’t mean anything. He’d carry a bag if he was going skiing, or sightseeing, or any number of reasons he’d board a helicopter.

  Sitting on the couch, Reagan cradled her head in her hands. She didn’t know what to think, what to do, how to feel.

  “Garret killed his own partner,” Tanner said. “His partner discovered the truth about him and Garret killed him in cold blood, leading everyone to believe they never caught the suspect. He comes back here, to Chayton and his home, to take it easy. You ever wonder how Chayton owns so many businesses?”

  Reagan shrugged. Actually, no, she hadn’t. That’s how pathetic she was, believing everyone was a good person and never questioning their motives.

  “You ready to help me now?”

  • • •

  Reagan rode with Tanner on the snowmobile while her dad followed behind. They drove through valleys and trees and burst out of the covering into an expanse of wide, open spaces. Sky stretched above and flat earth stretched around her. In the distance, a mountain scaled the horizon. She tried to get Tanner’s attention several times by screaming, slapping on his shoulder. Everything but jumping off the machine, which she didn’t imagine was safe. He didn’t stop.

  Something wasn’t right.

  She glanced at her dad as he came up beside them, but it was hard to see his face covered by his beanie and goggles. His body slumped, and Reagan worried about him. He hadn’t had long to acclimatize himself to the weather.

  Tanner had led her to believe it would only take ten minutes to get to their destination and travel by car was impossible. They were supposed to be heading to an undercover hideout, where other officers were waiting with surveillance equipment. He made it sound so huge and so official, and even handed her some court orders to show this was all legit. He described the house as being nestled on a slopeside, surrounded by trees and impossible to navigate.

  At least an hour had passed, and he drove as if he didn’t care whether her dad kept up. Mountains loomed around them. Something didn’t feel right in her gut.

  She tried one last time to get Tanner’s attention by tapping him on the shoulder and yelling his name. He didn’t respond. Fear gurgled within her as she realized wherever he planned to take them could not be good.

  She knew Garret was investigating jewel fencing. Even though he hadn’t told her of his investigation, how could she believe he was as bad as Tanner said? Maybe Tanner was the bad guy. He’d convinced her dad so that her dad could convince her.

  Without a plan, she grabbed her purse, swung it around, and caught him on the face. He righted himself before he tumbled from the machine. The machine slowed and she hit him again, this time sending him flying into the air.

  The snowmobile stopped. Her dad came to a stop beside her. She glanced behind to see Tanner hurdling toward them. She didn’t have time to figure out how to drive one of these things, even if she had once with Garret, so she slung her purse across her shoulder and jumped on her dad’s. He gunned the engine and took off.

  She forced herself to breathe. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Let’s just get the hell out of here.”

  She longed to call for help but was afraid she’d fall if she tried to go through her purse. She held on to her dad as he tore through the mountains. Seconds later, a shot rang out. Snow shot upwards, showering them with powder. She hunkered down. Another shot rang out.

  Her dad grunted. The machine slowed.

  “Dad,” Reagan screamed.

  Her dad tumbled to the ground. The snowmobile stopped as it lost its tether with the driver. Reagan quickly slid from the machine and fell to her knees. She pushed her goggles to her head so she could see and did the same to her dad’s. His coat was ripped at the shoulder.

  She heard Tanner’s machine stop. The snow muffled the drumbeat of his footfalls. If he was the good guy, he wouldn’t hold this against her.

  “Dad,” she cried as he slowly blinked. “Talk to me.”

  “I’m okay,” he said, his voice weak.

  “He’ll live,” Tanner said as he stopped beside them. “For now. The bullet only grazed him. Now get up.” Not giving her a chance to comply, he jerked her arm and pulled her up.

  Her body shook. Tanner must be a super marksman to be able to hit her dad like that. They were helpless against him.

  No. She’d go down fighting. Grabbing snow in her gloves, she came up and threw it as his face. He’d removed his goggles but still wore shades, so it didn’t do much to him except piss him off. He pointed the gun in her face.

  “What are you doing? I thought I was supposed to help you.”

  “You are.” He grabbed her hands and tore off her gloves, throwing them as far as he could. “But now that I can’t trust you on the snowmobile, we’re walking the rest of the way. Hope you’re prepared.”

  “I won’t leave my dad.”

  “I guess he better get up, too. Go ahead and remove your hat. And if you pull another stunt like that, I’ll remove your jacket next.”

  She struggled to help her dad. As he rose, she slipped her arms around him. They walked a bit until he moved away from her. “I don’t want to put too much of a burden on you,” he said. “I’m fine.”

  Tanner kept his gun trained on them as they walked ahead. The weather worsened as they moved further up the mountains. Gray shrouded the sky. Snow swirled around them. Her hands burned with the cold. She winced with pain with each step forward. Her dad huffed behind her. She feared trying to run because of what might happen to him.

  Her coat offered little protection as she trudged through the swirling snow and ice, impairing her vision, impairing her senses, impairing her ability to feel anything. Whiteness stretched into gray before them. They walked for miles up a steep incline and then started a descent into a terrain that led to a cove of trees. Her dad’s chin drooped, and she worried he might try something stupid to protect her.

  Now would be the time to do something to protect him. She continued to walk as she fumbled in her purse for her cell phone and breathed a sigh of relief when she wrapped her fingers around her phone. She wasn’t sure how to manage a phone call, but she’d try anything.

  Tanner pushed her forward. She stumbled and fell face first in the snow, her hands still encased in her purse.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Tanner asked.

  “Trying to keep my hands warm.”

  Tanner yanked her hair. “Get up.”

  Her dad advanced on Tanner and t
ried to swing at him with his good arm, but Tanner was more agile. He swung around and rammed Frank in the jaw. Frank fell in the snow but quickly stood, as if unfazed. The tension in his jaw told a different story. Nostrils flaring, he hurdled at Tanner again. Tanner kneed him in the stomach then kicked him in the shin. Her dad yelped as he fell. Reagan rushed for Tanner’s gun, but he swung and thwacked it over her head. Ice knifed her hands as she collapsed and caught herself on her palms.

  The acidic taste of blood made Reagan gag. Breathing heavily in an attempt to escape vertigo, she dug her fingernails in the powder in an attempt to find the phone she’d dropped. Panic gurgled in her throat as her dad tried to attack Tanner from behind. She wished they could gang up on him, but the iciness made her hands feel as if they would crumble at any moment.

  She screamed as Tanner kicked her dad in the knee again. Tanner yanked him up by the hair and hammered the gun in her dad’s back.

  “Get fucking moving,” Tanner said. “I’m not playing anymore.”

  Tears fell, but they seemed to freeze on her cheek. She tried to swallow a breath, but the air crystallized in her throat.

  “Okay, okay,” she said. Her nose ran, and she swiped her sleeve across it right before she caught sight of her phone.

  She managed to close her hands around it, stand without falling, and restore it in her bag without Tanner seeing. “I’m keeping my hands in my purse for warmth.” She prayed he wouldn’t doubt her.

  As they started moving again, Reagan’s face felt frozen from the inside out, making it difficult to think, difficult to breathe, difficult to see a future. Each step she took was a painful stride into oblivion. They inched closer to a forest of trees. She should attempt her phone call before they entered the covering of trees.

  She lagged behind but this time stayed close enough so Tanner wouldn’t check on her. He kept his gun to her dad’s back, so it wasn’t like she would run or anything. Thank God she hadn’t bought a smartphone with her money. Naomi had given her a hard time about her antiquated Motorola, but no way could she push Naomi’s one-digit speed-dial on one of those new contraptions. Naomi was the only person in the world right now in her speed-dial that might know how to call Garret. Why hadn’t she assigned Garret a special number?