He huffed a sigh. “That’s not what I was implying.”
“I know. It’s okay. Like I said, I won’t like it, but I’ll do the smart thing.”
“Well . . . good. Great. Do you want to go riding?”
“Horses, not cows, I assume.” He rolled his eyes and she shot him a small grin. “Yes. Sure. But in the snow?”
“It’s not icy and the horses aren’t afraid of a little snow. It’ll be fun.”
“Sounds cold.”
“That, too, but Sandra will have something you can wear. We can stop by her place and see what she’s got.”
“Okay, that might be fun.”
“Might be?” His fake outrage made her laugh.
Then she sobered. “After I call Brooke and check on Asher.”
“I’m going to go get my gear put together. You make your call and then we’ll head over to Sandra’s.”
Thirty minutes later, with a full stomach and an appropriate amount of caffeine pumping through her veins, she found herself in Sandra’s bedroom pulling on a pair of boots that actually fit. Of course, the woman had four different sizes, so odds were in Heather’s favor. “My feet changed sizes with my pregnancies,” Sandra had explained, “so, after my second, I just kept every pair of shoes and boots I had, knowing I was going to need them at some point.”
Heather had laughed. “Well, it’s a good thing for me you did.” She’d ridden before, but not recently. “I hope I remember how.”
“You’ll do great. And Travis will probably put you on Iggy. He’s a sweetheart and very calm.”
“Iggy. He sounds perfect.”
“He is.” Sandra had plunked a black Stetson on Heather’s head and declared her ready. “You look like you belong.”
The words pierced Heather and went straight to her heart. Oh, how she wanted to belong. Somewhere. She swallowed the surge of emotion and pasted a smile on her face.
When she walked into the den, she found Travis on the floor building a massive LEGO structure with Davey and Jackie while Martin lounged in a recliner reading a book. “I didn’t know kids still read books these days.”
He looked up and grinned. “I do.”
“Good for you.”
When the baby, rolling from one end of the den to the other, got a little too close to the fireplace, Travis snagged her with one hand and pulled her to his chest. She squealed and kicked.
Sandra scooped her up. “Say goodbye to Uncle Travis and Ms. Heather.”
“Aw, I wanna go,” Jackie said.
“Not this time.”
More protests followed them out the door, with Travis promising to play in the snow with them a little later.
In the barn, they tacked up the horses and he gave her a leg up onto the back of Iggy. The horse shifted beneath Heather’s weight, and the comfortable feeling of being back in the saddle washed over her. “My third foster placement had a couple of horses. The daughter, Kendra, was about five years older than I was and rode in competitions, but she was kind and taught me how to ride. It was the first time in my life I can remember being excited about coming home from school. It’s been a while.”
“You’ll do fine.”
For the next half hour, they rode the land, with him pointing out details and telling her stories of exploring with his eldest nephew, Martin. “That kid may be only ten, but he’s smart and is always looking for something to get into.”
“You’re referring to trouble?”
“Mostly.” He laughed. “He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. However, all of his bones are infused with an insatiable curiosity. Everything is new and exciting.”
“Just like a ten-year-old boy should be.”
“Yeah, true, but he might drive his parents to an early grave because he has no fear.” He pointed once more. “See that ledge up there? At the top of the hill?”
“No.”
“It’s kind of covered with snow, but you’ll see something that looks like a black hole in the midst of all the snow. Let’s go closer. You’ll know it when you see it.”
They walked the horses, and Heather scanned the area she thought he was talking about. Finally, it jumped out at her. “Oh! Yes, I see it.”
“There’s an opening behind it that you can’t see from here. Sort of like a tunnel or a shallow cave that leads right out to that ledge. I found Martin sitting up there one afternoon, dangling his legs off the side of it.”
She gaped. “You didn’t!” She looked back. “That’s at least a ten-story drop.”
“No kidding. Scared me spitless.”
“And his mother, too, I’m sure.”
“Oh, Sandra doesn’t know anything about it. She’d never let him out of the house if she did. But when Martin’s being particularly ornery or stubborn and I happen to catch it, I only have to say one thing and he straightens right up.”
Curious, she waited. When the silence dragged on, she frowned. “Well? What?”
“Oh, you want to know?”
“Travis . . . of course! Tell me.”
He laughed. “I say, ‘You’re skating kinda close to the edge, aren’t you?’ He’s scared to death I’ll tell Sandra.”
“You blackmail him into behaving?” She didn’t know whether to be outraged or impressed.
“Hey, all he has to do is confess. I told him he needs to tell his mother what he did. He lied to her and to his grandmother about where he was. Each thought he was with the other. Instead, he was doing something foolish and dangerous.”
“Oh my. So . . . you’re letting his guilt eat him alive until it convinces him to come clean?”
“Something like that. I prefer to think of it as conviction more than guilt.”
She liked the distinction. “Why haven’t you put some kind of safety fence up there?”
“Well, see, that’s something I’m struggling with. Martin promised me that he’d never do anything like that again if I would promise not to tell his mom about his little death-defying adventure. At first, I refused, but he asked me if he could earn my trust back.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. I told him I’d think about it. It took me a couple of days to come to the decision not to tell his parents. I also thought about blocking that area off so no one could get to it. But look around.” He swept an arm out and she followed the movement. “That’s not the only dangerous place up there. The kid could go from that spot to another just as easy. And then, there was the issue of him earning my trust.”
“Meaning if you blocked access after agreeing that he could earn your trust back, you’d be sending the message that you don’t have faith in his ability to do that?”
The tender sidelong glance he shot her sent a warmth spinning through her veins.
“You get it,” he said.
“I get it.”
“However, he is an almost-eleven-year-old boy. I installed a motion sensor that pings my phone if anything sets it off. It’s kind of like one of those remote doorbells. You can answer even though you’re not home. The nice thing is, there’s a small camera that lets me see if it’s an animal or human. Because . . .”
“He’s an almost-eleven-year-old boy and his safety comes first.”
“Exactly. Like I said, you get it. And, true to his word, so far, he’s not gone anywhere near that area. I also lectured him about other areas as well. The fact is, this is a ranch. It has its dangers. It’s up to the adults to teach the kids how to be safe while protecting them at the same time. It can be a little overwhelming at times.”
“I’m sure.” She paused. “There’s no power up there, is there?”
“No, it runs off rechargeable batteries. They’re strong and last a long time.”
“You’re a good man, Travis Walker.”
He shot her a small smile. “I try.”
The horses had stopped and now grazed on hay bales that dotted the snow. Travis’s phone rang and he snatched it. “It’s Caden.”
Any kind of relaxation she’d managed
to achieve on the ride was now gone. Caden said something and Travis frowned. “Well, tell him that’s not possible.” More listening. “No.”
He glanced at Heather from the corner of his eye, and she raised her brows. “What?”
“Hold on,” he said into the phone. To Heather, he said, “Caden said the guy wanted to talk to you.”
“Why?”
“Because he said you hired him to kidnap you.”
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
Heather sputtered a choked laugh of disbelief and stared at him. “He said what?”
Travis repeated it, but he didn’t think it was necessary. She wasn’t really listening, she was processing.
“Is he mentally ill?” Heather asked. “Delusional? Because if not, then he’s flat-out lying. Why would I hire someone to kidnap me?”
Travis put the phone on speaker. “Heather can hear you now. Did you hear what she said?”
“I heard it. The man is practically hysterical and insists that he was just trying to earn some extra money. He said a friend of his is really big into some kind of weird reality game and asked him to join him in playing. They staged the kidnapping.”
Heather gaped. “I can’t tell you how confused I am right now.”
“Join the club,” Caden said. “Heather, he’s insisting he speak with you face-to-face and that you’ll corroborate his story.”
“I most certainly will not.”
“I hate to ask this, but he’s refused to say another word unless you’re in the room with us. He says someone’s setting him up to be the bad guy and he’s not having it.”
Travis snorted. “He is the bad guy.”
Heather studied the ground and Travis waited for her to think it all through. She finally looked up. “Fine. As long as you think it’s safe for me—and everyone around me—to come to the hospital, then I’ll come.”
“I don’t think I like that idea.”
Heather raised a brow at him and he narrowed his eyes.
“But I’ll bring her.” He gave Caden the route they’d take. “I’ll call Gavin as well. He can meet us there and lurk in the background to keep an eye on everything.” And everyone. “Once we leave the property, it’ll take us about thirty minutes to get there.”
“I’ll have local officers meet you at the end of your drive and escort you to the state line, then North Carolina officers can pick you up the rest of the way. Give me thirty minutes to get it arranged.”
Travis nodded even though Caden couldn’t see him. “We’ve got to head back and put the horses up. It’ll take us at least that long, if not a bit longer.”
“That’s all right. Before I could question him further, Powers got so upset, he started setting off alarms. The nurse came in and kicked us out, so hopefully by the time you get here, they’ll let us back in there and we’ll learn the rest of it.”
“Sounds good.” Caden hung up and Travis gathered the reins to pull his horse’s head up. “Ready?”
She nodded. “I really want to know what that crazy man is thinking.”
“Then let’s go find out.”
An hour and a half later, flanked by two officers, Travis led Heather to a back entrance of the hospital. Hospital security met them at the door and ushered them inside.
Finally.
The short sprint from the truck to the door had seemed like an eternity, and Travis had almost expected to feel a bullet plow into him. “Thanks for the escort.”
“Of course.”
“We’ll take it from here.” The hospital security officer who spoke turned to Travis. “I’m Jim Estes. This is Laura Mann.”
“Glad to meet you two.”
The two officers who’d escorted them from the North Carolina state line left, and Travis slipped his hand around Heather’s to give it a squeeze. “You okay?”
“Nervous about seeing this man, but okay too. I know he can’t hurt me anymore. And I’ll admit I’m raging with curiosity. That has to be the most ridiculous thing any criminal has ever said about a kidnapping victim.”
“Yeah, that would definitely make the top ten list of dumbest criminals of all time. I’ll have to send that one in.” At her raised brow, he shrugged. “It amuses me.”
“You have way too much time on your hands, Walker.” She snickered.
“Hey, the baby was asleep on my shoulder and I was terrified to move. I couldn’t turn the television on or do anything but scroll. It helped pass the time.”
“Sure.”
“What? You don’t believe me?” His fake outrage lightened her spirit in spite of the circumstances.
“I believe you. I just think it’s funny.”
“Oh, come on, don’t tell me you don’t have some quirky little way you like to waste time on occasion.” He paused. “Maybe waste time isn’t the right way to put it. I guess I mean something you do when you need a brain break or just zone out for half an hour.”
“Sounds like wasting time is exactly the right way to put it. And no, I don’t waste time.”
“Ever?”
“Ever.”
He studied her. “I don’t believe you. Are you actually lying to me?”
“Me? Lie?” A small smile curved her lips and she gave a light shrug. “You’ll never know, will you?”
She did not just issue that challenge. “Heather . . .” He drew her name out in warning.
A sound escaped her and Travis almost did a double take. Was that a giggle? Had she actually giggled? “Did you just—”
A ferocious frown stopped him. “I did not.”
“You did.”
“I didn’t because I don’t.”
“You two okay?”
Caden’s voice jarred Travis back to reality. They’d arrived at the door to the prisoner’s room. Her kidnapper’s room. Her smile faded, and the instant return of tension hit Travis hard. He wanted to make her happy, to see her smile and hear her giggle—which she’d just done, whether she admitted it or not. Caden stood watching the two of them, his gaze bouncing from one to the other.
“Yes,” Heather said. “We’re fine.”
“You sure you’re ready for this?” Caden asked her.
“No, I’m not ready. Let’s get it over with.”
Caden nodded and rapped on the door. He pushed through and Heather followed, shoulders rising and falling with the deep breaths she dragged in. Travis gripped her cold hand and stepped after her. She came to a stop at the end of the bed. A shudder went through her and her fingers tightened to the point the circulation in his hand was cut off.
“Heather,” Caden said, “this is Sam Powers and his wife Tammy.”
Heather eyed the man in the bed. He looked . . . weak. Helpless. And agitated. But she was hit with the realization that seeing him like this was the best thing she could have done. All of a sudden, he held no power over her anymore. Her hand relaxed and Travis released her. She walked around to the side of the bed, her gaze never leaving the occupant. His eyes widened at her approach. The woman in the chair next to him wore a stony expression, and Heather could feel the anxiety mixed with anger rolling off her in waves.
“Tell them,” he croaked. “Please tell them it wasn’t real.”
“It felt very real to me. Why would I tell them that I hired you to kidnap me when I didn’t?”
“No.” He shook his head. “No, it was a game. It was . . .” He closed his eyes and swallowed. His wife clutched her purse with a grip that would bend steel.
Heather snapped her lips together, then took a deep breath. “A game? What world are you living in that kidnapping and terrorizing someone is a game? Not to mention shooting one of my best friends!”
Caden cleared his throat. “The doctor let me back in a few minutes ago, so I’ve gotten some new information from him in the time it took you to get here. Let me just catch you up.”
Heather crossed her arms. “All right.”
“He said his friend Donnie Little was hired as some kind of participan
t in a game called Live Your Wildest Reality.”
She stood there trying to process what he was saying. “Okay, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“Donnie said he couldn’t pull off the ‘assignment’”—he wiggled air quotes around the word—“without help. So, Donnie called and asked Sam here to take part and he’d split the money with him.”
“But . . .” What did she even say to such nonsense?
“He also says he has your signature on a contract between Donnie, you, and the company hiring him, to give you the real experience of being kidnapped.”
She held up a hand. “Wait a minute. Stop. I’m . . . just . . . stop.” The room fell silent, and Heather forced her brain to cooperate. “Let me get this straight.” She turned to Sam, who watched her through slitted eyes. “You’re saying someone contacted that company, hired them to kidnap me. Donnie got the ‘assignment’ and asked you to help him out. You agreed to go along with it because you thought it was a game?”
“In a nutshell, yes. Only I thought you’d set the whole thing up and knew what was going on. When Donnie told me about it, I did some research. When I saw it was legit, I asked him for a copy of the contract. He had me sign up to be a part of the company—you know, fill out a profile and all that. Then they added my name to the contract so I would be protected in case of any legal issues that might arise.”
“This wasn’t in the contract!” The words echoed. Could he possibly be telling the truth? It was almost beyond her ability to process, but why did he yell those words as she was racing away from the cabin? And there’d been no bars on the windows or locks. Now that she thought about it, it had been relatively easy to escape. “This all happened so fast. How could someone put this together so quickly?”
He took a sip of the water his wife held out to him. “According to Donnie, it doesn’t take long once you get the assignment. To get started, you fill out an online profile, saying what you’re willing to do and that you can be ready to act at a moment’s notice. Obviously, the more intense the job, the more expensive it is for the person doing the hiring. But we get paid well, too. I . . . I was laid off six months ago and have been having trouble finding work. We were in danger of losing the house when Donnie told me about this.” He gave a light shrug. “I jumped at it.”
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