“Sure.”
Gavin motioned toward the field. “I need to pick up the money. I’ll see you at home in a little while, okay? Justin and I need to figure out what to do next.”
She nodded. The helicopter was still out there somewhere. She nodded toward Sarah. “Someone needs to stay with her in case they try again.” Brooke couldn’t imagine her mental state right now.
Another car sped into the lot, and two men jumped out. Both raced toward them. She glanced up at Riley, whose face remained calm. “Who are they?”
These two men were almost as good looking as Gavin and Riley. One of them was about an inch taller and his light blond hair was cut military short. The other man was stocky and had shaggy brown hair.
“They’re the other two men who work for Elite Detective Services, Mason Sax and Liam Richland.”
“Gavin’s college buddies.”
“Good memory.” Riley placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “They’re going to stay with Sarah until this affair has been resolved.”
Thank God.
“Let me say good-bye to her.” She stepped into the ambulance. Sarah was pale and shivering despite having blankets on top of her. Brooke clasped her hand. “Sarah, I’m so sorry this happened.” The purpose of the kidnapping was to get to Brooke.
“It’s not your fault. When he called me Ceci, I knew they’d confused me with your sister.”
With Liam and Mason standing by to take care of her, Brooke didn’t want to keep her, but she needed to know if she’d be all right. “Besides being cold, how are you?”
“A little bruised that’s all.”
She glanced down her body. “They didn’t—” She couldn’t say the word rape.
“No. They never touched me.”
The paramedic who’d been hovering stepped back. “You check out fine, miss. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids.”
“I will.”
Brooke slipped off her jacket and handed it to Sarah. “Put this on.”
She sniffled and did. “Thanks.”
Liam stepped forward. “Ma’am? If you’re ready, we’ll take you home.”
She looked over at Mason and Liam. Sarah shivered, but Brooke didn’t know if it was from the cold or fear. “Who are they?”
“They work with Gavin and Riley. They’re here to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
She drew in her bottom lip. “Maybe I should stay with Ceci.”
Riley glanced between her and the other men. “I’m good with that, but Liam and Mason will be nearby just in case.”
“Okay.” Sarah lifted her bare feet, indicating she wasn’t dressed to walk. Liam stepped into the ambulance, scooped her in his arms, and carried her to their car.
Riley slipped off his jacket and wrapped it around Brooke’s shoulders. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”
He waited until Liam and Mason had left the park before returning to the car.
She slid in the front seat, and an ache grabbed her chest. She held her breath until the pain subsided.
“Are you okay? You want me to get the paramedic to check you out again? The ambulance is still here.”
She held up a hand. “No. I’ll be fine.” She inhaled more slowly and the ache lessened.
He studied her for a moment. “I’ll drive slow.”
That was so nice of him. “Thanks.” With care, she snapped close her seatbelt. “You think Sarah is going to be safe?”
“Yes. Mason and Liam are the best.”
She thought about asking him to let her stop by Ceci’s house to make sure, but if her sister saw how slowly she was moving, she’d freak.
During their drive home, she kept a lookout for any strange cars but didn’t spot any.
Carefully, she twisted in her seat. “Do you think I should pretend to be dead until the guy is caught? That man actually shot me, and I did fall down.”
Riley shook his head. “You can’t lay low forever. We’ll catch this guy.”
When would that be?
She leaned back and exhaustion claimed her. Even though the drive was a short one, she’d actually nodded off and roused only after Riley pulled into the garage and cut the engine.
“You want me to carry you, sugar?”
His seriousness helped lessen the hurt. “I’m good.”
As soon as she stepped inside the kitchen, she headed to the sofa and pulled off the jacket he’d loaned her. When she removed her sweater to look at her wound, the act of lifting her arms hurt. Damn. This time when she unbuttoned her shirt, the mark on her chest was merely light red.
Riley stepped over. “Would you like some ice to put on that bruise?”
“Maybe later. Right now I want to call Ceci to let her know I’m okay.”
“You might want to call your parents, too, to let them know the conflict with the man has escalated. They need to take even more precaution than before.”
And here she’d hoped it would be over after the ransom call. “I will.”
* * * *
Gavin recognized the man he’d gunned down. It was the same one who’d shot him in the arm. What really pissed him off, though, was that he hadn’t hit the chopper’s fuel tank. His sniper skills were too damned rusty. So what if the wind was swirling and the helicopter was moving? He’d missed.
The damn thing had taken off with barely a scratch. Okay, he’d shattered the side window, but that could be easily repaired. Even if he called every airfield that had radar and asked them to watch out for the aircraft, he bet they wouldn’t see a thing. The guy flew too low.
Once Brooke and Sarah were safely out of the park, Gavin faced Justin. “As you can guess, this did not go down as planned.”
“So I see. I called Bozeman PD and told them to keep an eye out for news of a helicopter with bullet holes. I had to confess we’re no closer to finding the main guy than before.”
Gavin shook his head. “He’s not going to stop. At least Ceci, Sarah, and Brooke are safe for the time being, and that’s what’s really important.”
Justin nodded. “I’ll drive by the Double Bar ranch and make sure the Armstrongs beef up security. I’ll also let them know what happened.”
That would be one less chore for him to do. “Thanks.”
Justin placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get him.”
“I know.” It was just a matter of when.
His mind raced back to Brooke. She must be beside herself. He couldn’t wait to be home and cradle her in his arms. He and Riley had to come up with a better plan to catch the bastard. Sooner or later Brooke would want to reopen her store, as putting one’s life on hold was no way to live.
As soon as Justin took off, he raced home, parking on the right side of the drive behind Brooke’s car in the garage. Before he went in, he checked the neighborhood. So far, he hadn’t caught anyone following him, but he was sure someone would try to locate Brooke after the recent fiasco.
Gavin rushed inside and found Riley in the living room with his computer on his lap.
Brooke was nowhere to be seen. “How is she?”
“She’s in the shower. She’s scared, but okay.”
Gavin sat opposite him and nodded toward the laptop. “Got anything?”
“I’m checking all chopper rental places. I spoke with Tom and he’s cross-referencing military personal with helicopter pilots to see if any live in Bozeman.”
“Good thinking. Any hits?”
“Not yet, but we’ll find him.”
They could only hope.
The door to Brooke’s room opened and she came out with her head wrapped in a towel, wearing slippers and a fluffy bathrobe. She looked adorable walking into the living room.
“Hey. You made it back.”
Gavin stepped over to her and gently hugged her. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay.” She pressed on the area above her heart and winced.
“May I see?” She nodded. Gavin moved in front of her, and she peeled back her robe. She didn�
�t have on a bra, and his cock stirred. Now’s not the time. The area was pink, “You’ll have a nice little bruise by tomorrow.”
“I’m sure. Do you think I could visit my sister now? I just called her and she wants to make sure I’m okay.” Her bottom lip trembled.
His heart squeezed. The men who took Sarah would need time to regroup. “Sure. Get dressed and I’ll take you over.”
There was more pep in her step as she retreated back down the hall.
As soon as her door closed, Riley looked up at him. “Is that wise? They could expect her to visit her Ceci.”
“I’m not even sure they know they messed up.”
“True.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Since Liam and Mason are with Sarah, there’s no one in Bozeman to be a liaison. I want to check with the cops and compare information. But first I want to stop at the hospital and see if the guy is talking.”
“He won’t be.”
“He’s facing a lot of jail time. Perhaps Bozeman PD will be willing to cut him a deal.”
“Maybe.”
Brooke came out of her room, dressed to go outside. He nodded to Riley. “Call me if you find out anything.”
Riley stood. “Watch your back. They’ll be more determined than ever to end this.”
Chapter Fifteen
Brooke couldn’t wait to give Ceci a hug. Even though it was Sarah who’d been through the trauma, the stress would still affect Ceci just knowing she’d been a target.
“Turn right at Madison,” she directed Gavin. “It’s shorter.”
He did as she asked. As he drove, Brooke made sure to keep glancing in her side mirror to check that no one was following them. A few times she caught Gavin doing the same thing, though his glances were subtler.
Asking him when the cops would locate the man would be futile. No one could know. At least one of the bad men lay in a hospital bed, but she was convinced there was a lot more where he came from.
“I’ll drop you off in front, since I want to park down the street.”
Her stomach churned. The danger would never end. “Thanks.”
Brooke got out, eased up the steps, and knocked. The tall blond man who’d been assigned to watch her sister answered. He smiled and showed her in.
“Gavin is parking.”
To her delight, both Sarah and Ceci were at the kitchen table. Both rushed over and gave her a hug. Sarah was wearing one of Ceci’s outfits, and her complexion was back to normal. “You look good.”
“I took a shower and am feeling much better. How’s your chest? When I heard that gunshot, I thought I’d been hit.”
Sarah was the one with tape over her mouth and wearing a blindfold. Brooke could only imagine how terrified she’d been.
“I’m a little bruised, that’s all. It was the intensity of the bullet that shook me. I never expected the impact to be strong.”
The front door opened and Gavin traipsed in. He glanced over at her and smiled. The three men immediately huddled together.
Brooke clasped her sister’s arm. “Can we go into your bedroom so we can chat in private?”
For one, she wanted to find out how her sister was dealing with her hot bodyguards. Brooke hoped as well as she was with hers. They pushed back their chairs. When Gavin glanced up, she mouthed bedroom and smiled.
As soon as the three of them piled into Ceci’s room, Brooke closed the door. They all spoke up at once and then giggled, though for her it was from relief. While she didn’t know Sarah very well, having gone through the terrible abduction had brought them closer.
Ceci motioned they all gather on the bed, and Brooke finally relaxed. This reminded her of high school when her sister would be crying over some boy and Brooke would be trying to console her. Too bad she never gave her sister the advice she wanted to hear.
Ceci nodded toward the door. “What’s it like being holed up in Gavin’s house?” She winked.
For the first time ever, she was the one with the good news. Brooke figured Ceci wanted to talk about something other than the recent horror.
“Amazing. Both men are incredible in bed.”
As expected they both gasped, and Ceci grabbed her wrist. “Brooke Armstrong. You’ve slept with two men in a week?” Her eyes widened.
Brooke lifted her chin. “Why do you find that so strange?” Most likely it was because if she slept with a man once a year it would have been worthy of putting on the calendar.
Ceci opened and closed her mouth. Her sister was actually speechless. How about that?
“I shouldn’t have been surprised. I always knew when you found the right guy, you’d fall hard for him—or both, as the case may be.”
She had fallen hard, but speaking about her emotions was still difficult. “What about your two hunks, Dylan and Gabe. Don’t tell me you haven’t been tempted.”
She rolled her eyes. “Tempted yes, but they’re saints. Or at least they act like saints.”
No men could resist the beautiful and sexy Ceci for long. “I bet they’ll cave once the danger passes.”
She sobered. “We’ll see.”
Brooke couldn’t get a read on her sister. She dated, but she never was with a man for long. Brooke always figured Ceci needed a super intelligent man who treated her right. Otherwise, why bother with him?
Brooke turned to Sarah. “How was the ride over?”
“I was too upset to think about sex.” She tilted her head. “But I did notice they were hot.”
She smiled. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
* * * *
Riley was sitting in his agency’s office in Bozeman when his cell rang. It was Justin. “What’s up?” He hoped the sheriff had information for him.
“I located three servicemen in Bozeman who were helicopter pilots.” He gave Riley the names and addresses.
One name rang a bell. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”
He disconnected and compared the names to those who’d rented a chopper in the last week. One matched his list—Steve Sandival. He then dialed Bozeman PD and asked for Bill Liggett, the man in charge of controlled substances.
“It’s Riley Landon, again. You know anything about a Steve Sandival?”
“He’s on my watch list. We arrested him maybe three years ago and the guy served two years. You got something on him?” Excitement colored his tone as he told Bill his theory. “I’m going to check him out. See if he contacts someone or if someone contacts him.”
“If you find anything, I might be able to get a court order to look at his phone records.”
Riley had his own way of extracting information. “You got a photo of the guy?” It would make surveillance a hell of a lot easier.
“His mug shot. Want me to email it to you?”
“That would be great.” He gave him his information. “I’ll be in touch.” He disconnected and headed out.
With a case full of rifles, guns, binoculars, and a camera, he was all set. It was time to do a little spying on Steve Sandival. Questioning him might give some answers, but the man would never say who hired him to kidnap Brooke’s sister. Hell, as soon as Sandival’s drug lord boss found out Sandival had lost a man, didn’t get the cash, and had the wrong girl to begin with, he’d be dead. For all Riley knew, he already was.
Next, Riley made a few calls and learned that Steve Sandival worked at the municipal airport, and that he worked until seven tonight. Rather than confronting him in such a busy place, Riley preferred to get the man alone where they could “talk” without interruption.
He pulled out his phone and called Ed Windsor, a former Army buddy of his who lived in Bozeman and who happened to work in the recruitment office.
“Hey, Riley. It’s been a while.”
As much as he wanted to spend time chatting, he needed information. “I have a favor to ask.” He told him about the murder and the failed kidnapping exchange.
“And you think it’s one of our guys?”
By ou
r guys, he meant a military man. “Someone had to fly that chopper.” He told him about Steve Sandival renting one. “Can you check to see if anyone from Bozeman was in Steve’s unit?”
“Sure. I’ll get right back to you.”
Now came for the hard part—more waiting.
By the time the sky had darkened, he’d consumed most of the food he’d picked up at the fast food place. A tall man exited the hangar who might be Sandival, and Riley jerked to attention. As the guy came closer, Riley lifted his binoculars to his face. “Bingo.” He matched the photo Liggett sent.
Riley started his car and drove past him, not glancing his way. In his rearview mirror he watched Sandival get into his white truck. If the man drove home, the trip might be for naught. He found out he was married with three small kids. Confronting a man in front of his family never ended well.
His cell rang. It was his Army buddy. “You got something for me, Ed?”
“You owe me lunch.”
Riley smiled. “You got it. Hit me.”
“Turns out Sandival served under Harrison Kaplan. Kaplan has never been arrested, but rumors tie him to a drug cartel.”
His pulse raced. “You got an address for this Kaplan?” Ed gave it to him. “Thanks. I owe you.”
“That you do.”
As soon as he disconnected, he made a memo in his phone regarding Kaplan’s possible location. To keep his connection with the Bozeman PD on good terms, he relayed the information to his friend in the department.
“What are your plans, Landon?”
“I’m just an observer.”
“Maybe sure you stay that way. Leave the investigation to the police.”
That wasn’t going to happen. “I understand.”
Now that his good deed was done, he circled behind Sandival. When the man headed away from the residential area, Riley straightened. He made sure to keep a safe distance behind the white truck, not wanting to be spotted. He’d briefly debated taking Sandival down now, but that wouldn’t accomplish much. Riley wanted Mr. Hoodie, the man who’d started this mess.
Monroe, Melody Snow - Bodyguards of Pleasure [Pleasure, Montana 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 15
