Running for Cover

by Shirlee McCoy

  Not sure?

  Of course she was sure. She was curious. It was as plain and simple as that.

  Which made it really complicated.

  “Forget I said that. It’s really none of my business.”

  “I don’t mind answering,” he responded and short of lying and saying she had no interest in hearing his answer, Morgan could do nothing but listen. “After my sister Lindsey died, I lost my objectivity. Without it, I couldn’t do my job effectively.”

  “That must have been tough.”

  “It was. Lindsey was murdered by her estranged husband. He beat her, strangled her and left her for dead. She died in the hospital three days after the attack. After that, every time a woman was killed, I thought of my sister. Each crime scene was like a testimony to her death, and each one seemed to point to a husband or boyfriend’s guilt. Even when it didn’t.” His voice was tight and hard, his hands fisted, and Morgan reached out and touched his knuckles, let her palm rest against his warm skin.

  “I’m so, so sorry, Jackson,” she said, knowing the words weren’t enough. Could never be enough.

  “You said that before,” he responded, turning his hand beneath hers, so that they were palm to palm, finger to finger.

  “I know it doesn’t help.” She should move her hand away.

  She should, but didn’t. Just let him curl his fingers around hers, squeeze gently. “It doesn’t change anything, but it does help. I’m going to call Sheriff Reed while we wait for take-off. The police have had plenty of time to find our guys and bring them in for questioning.”

  He released her hand, and she pulled it back into her lap. Told herself she couldn’t still feel the warmth of his touch, the gentle pressure of his fingers curling around hers.

  It only took Jackson a few minutes to finish his conversation. He was frowning as he shoved his cell phone back into his pocket.

  “Bad news?” Morgan asked.

  “Good and bad. The police are still searching for our guys. They’ve staked out the airport. No sign of two men fitting the description we gave boarding a flight to Spokane. Seeing as how this is the only flight to Spokane, I consider that good news.”

  “So what’s the bad news?”

  “Both men are still on the loose, and we’re no closer to finding the answers we need to keep you safe.”

  “Has Sheriff Reed been able to find out any more information about Cody’s death?”

  “He didn’t say, and I didn’t ask. We’ll call again when we land in Spokane. I want to do a search on Cody’s business and on his clients. Sheriff Reed might have some of that information.”

  “If he doesn’t, Cody’s parents might. They cleaned out his office and our home after he was convicted and sentenced. I think they took all his things to storage.”

  “Would they be willing to let you look through it? Or to search through it themselves?”

  “They haven’t spoken to me since Cody was arrested. I doubt they’re going to open up now.”

  “Even if talking to you means finding the person who murdered their son?”

  “Maybe. But you still may have better luck calling them yourself. During the trial they were happy to be interviewed by the press and to answer any questions the police and attorneys posed.” They’d also been more than happy to paint Morgan in a negative light. Their goal had been to see their son acquitted. They didn’t care how many lies they told to do it.

  “I think I remember seeing them on the news during Cody’s trial. His mother cried with dry eyes,” Jackson responded.

  “Lila Bradshaw didn’t believe in crying. It smeared even the most waterproof mascara. At least, that’s what she told me a few hours before I married Cody.”

  “She sounds like good mother material,” Jackson said wryly, and Morgan nodded her agreement.

  “She didn’t have a maternal bone in her body. She loved Cody, but I always thought that had more to do with his success than the fact that he was her son.”

  “But she wasn’t nearly as fond of you and your success?”

  “Making pottery doesn’t equate to making money. In Lila’s eyes, it was a waste of time, energy and resources.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  “It was, but I didn’t let it bother me.” Much.

  Jackson eyed her for a moment, as if he sensed the lie in her words. She refused to look away or to admit what they both knew was the truth. “Do you have their phone number?”

  “Unless they’ve changed it.”

  “I’ll give them a call tomorrow. See what I can find out.”

  “If you’re thinking Lila will search through Cody’s things for you, I don’t think it’s going to happen. She’s never been the kind to do anything unless it benefited her.”

  “I’m more interested in finding out whether or not anyone else has been calling and asking them questions. I’d also like to know if she’s had a break-in recently.”

  “You think someone already searched through Cody’s things?”

  “Whoever is looking for that disk probably searched every other avenue before approaching Cody.”

  “It’s been almost two years since he went to jail, so I guess that would fit.”

  “It fits. That doesn’t mean it’s right. We’ll have to wait to see what Sheriff Reed finds out. Put the information together. See if we can get the true story.”

  Morgan nodded, fatigue and pain sapping what little energy she had. There were so many unknowns. Too many. When she’d met Cody, she’d imagined him to be all her dreams wrapped up in one package. Love, marriage, family, a place to belong. She’d been wrong, but she’d learned a lot from her relationship with Cody. She’d learned that wanting something couldn’t make it happen, and she’d learned that trying hard didn’t always mean being successful.

  And she’d learned that she could live life alone and be content to do it.

  They were good lessons. Sometimes she thought they were God lessons, things He was determined to teach her so that she could grow. Other times she just thought they were a product of living thirty years.

  The plane taxied onto the runway, picking up speed and lifting into the air, putting more distance between Morgan and the dream she’d built in Lakeview. Bringing her closer to the family that had never felt like hers and a past she’d only partially made peace with.

  NINE

  The plane landed a little after midnight, and Jackson waited until the other passengers began departing before he gently touched Morgan. She didn’t stir.

  “Morgan?” he said, touching her shoulder again. This time, she jerked upright, a half-formed scream dying on her lips as she met his eyes.

  “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “You didn’t. Much,” she said, trying a smile that ended with a grimace. Her skin was parchment white, her bruises deep blue and black, and the fear in her eyes made Jackson want to pull her against his chest, brush the silky hair from her cheeks and promise her again that everything would be all right. “I guess it’s time to get off this plane.”

  “Your parents will be worried if we don’t appear eventually.”

  “Actually, I told them not to bother meeting me.”

  “I see,” Jackson said, grabbing Morgan’s carry-on from the overhead compartment.

  “See what?”

  “You and your family don’t get along.”

  “Sure we do.”

  “Then why didn’t you want them to meet you at the airport?”

  “They live twenty miles from here, and I planned to rent a car. It’s for the best now, anyway, since I won’t be staying with them.” She shrugged, not defensive, but not entirely comfortable with his comment. He must have hit a nerve.

  “Why don’t you call your aunt now and let her know we’re coming?” Jackson suggested, scanning the small airport. It was nearly midnight and the place was almost empty. He should have found that reassuring. Instead, he felt exposed. A target with a giant bull’s-eye attached to his
back.

  He frowned, putting a hand on Morgan’s arm and holding her in place. “Where’s the car rental place?”

  “At the end of this corridor. Unless they’ve moved it. I haven’t been back here in two years, so that’s a possibility.”

  “Let’s hope it’s still there. The sooner we get out of here, the happier I’ll be.”

  “You think they’re here?” she whispered, her muscles tense beneath his hand.

  “Not the guys we saw in Chicago, but maybe one of their friends.”

  “You’re acting like I’ve got an army chasing after me.”

  “I don’t know how many people might be coming after you, but I’m not willing to take chances.”

  “Sheriff Reed said the local police know I’m coming. Maybe they’ve staked out the airport.”

  “Maybe.” Probably, but Jackson still wasn’t comfortable, the eerie feeling of being watched urging him to hurry.

  “There she is,” a deep voice bellowed from behind them, and Jackson pivoted sharply, stepping between Morgan and whatever threat was coming.

  A dark-haired man jogged toward them, several people trailing along behind. Six foot two. Maybe two hundred pounds. A broad smile doing little to ease the hard edges of his deeply tanned face, the guy looked military and he looked dangerous.

  Jackson tensed, his hand reaching for the gun he always carried, finding it gone. Left back in Lakeview so he could fly to Spokane with Morgan.

  “Little sis, you’d better stop hiding behind your beau, because I’d hate to have to shove him out of the way to get my hug,” the man called out, and Morgan stepped out from behind Jackson.

  “Benjamin! What are you doing here?” she cried, throwing herself into the man’s arms.

  “Dad called to tell me what happened. I drove over from Seattle earlier today. Let me see you.” Benjamin eased away from Morgan’s hold, his gaze jumping from her bruised face to Jackson. “I guess you’ve got some explanation for how you let this happen.”

  “Her ex-husband was a loser,” Jackson responded, not taking offense at Benjamin’s tone. He’d always been just as protective of his sisters, and he didn’t see any need to correct the assumption that he was Morgan’s boyfriend and somehow could have prevented the attack.

  “And Jackson isn’t my beau, as you so quaintly put it. He’s my…” Morgan glanced at Jackson. “He saved my life and wanted to make sure I arrived here in one piece.”

  “Thank goodness we caught you. I was worried we’d missed you and you were on your way to the house.” A silver-haired woman stepped around Benjamin. Pretty and slim with deep brown eyes and a gentle smile, she eyed Morgan with concern. “It’s worse than you said, honey. Why didn’t you tell us how hurt you were? Dad would have come to Lakeview.”

  “Bruises always look worse than they are, Mom,” Morgan responded, hugging her mother. “I told Dad you shouldn’t bother coming.”

  “Bother? What bother? You’re our little girl,” a tall, thin man said, patting Morgan gently on the back before turning to greet Jackson.

  “I’m Richard Alexandria. This is my wife, Sue, and my youngest daughter, Lauren.” He gestured to the silver-haired woman and a tall, lanky teen.

  “Jackson Sharo. Nice to meet you all.”

  “We can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for our daughter.”

  “No thanks are necessary.”

  “Of course they are. You saved Morgan’s life, and you escorted her all the way across the country,” the teen said, eyeing Jackson with curiosity. “Mom and Dad have been worried sick since Morgan called. The only reason Dad didn’t get on a plane and fly to Virginia is because Morgan is so pigheaded—”

  “That’s enough, Lauren. I’m sure that Jackson doesn’t want to hear Dad’s opinion of me,” Morgan cut in. “Now, come give your big sis a hug. It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other.”

  “Two years too long,” Lauren said, stepping into Morgan’s open arms. The two couldn’t be more different. Blonde and brunette. Pale and tan. Tall and short. Green eyes and blue eyes. Despite the differences, it was obvious they loved each other. Watching them made Jackson long for what he’d been avoiding for too long. When he got back to New York, he’d call his folks, arrange to spend a weekend with them.

  “Why don’t we get this show on the road? I think Morgan needs to be tucked into bed with a few ice packs,” Benjamin said, and Jackson watched as Morgan took a step back from her sister, straightened her shoulders and brushed strands of hair from her bruised cheek.

  “About that, Jackson thinks it might be better if I stay somewhere other than the ranch.”

  “He’s wrong,” Benjamin responded, frowning in Jackson’s direction.

  “If I am, it won’t be the first time. But the men who attacked Morgan are still at large. It will be easy enough for them to find her at your parents’ place.”

  “No more easy than it will be to find her anywhere else. I say—”

  “Actually, he’s got a point, Ben,” Richard cut in. “Morgan needs to go somewhere where she won’t be found. And, if I know my daughter, she’s already thought of the perfect place. Probably a place where she spent a few summers when she was a teen. Am I right, Morgan?”

  “Yes, it’s probably the best place for now. Aunt Helen is so far from civilization, it will be difficult for anyone to find her.”

  “I’m sure you’re right, honey, but I was so looking forward to spending time with you,” Sue said, hugging her daughter again.

  “I was looking forward to spending time with you, too,” Morgan responded, and Jackson wondered if it was true. Despite the hugs and smiles she’d offered, Morgan seemed ill at ease and tense, as if she were more a stranger than someone who belonged.

  Had it always been that way?

  Or was she simply worried about the danger she was in, exhausted by what she’d been through and too tired to show the kind of enthusiasm for the family reunion that everyone else seemed to have?

  “Why don’t we all drive over to Helen’s together? We can make sure Morgan gets settled in, and save Jackson the effort of riding out to Aunt Helen’s house with her.” Benjamin seemed determined to keep his sister close, and Jackson respected him for that. That didn’t mean he was going to turn tail and run. He’d started a job that he planned to finish. No matter how much Morgan’s brother might want him to walk away.

  “The reason I got a rental car was so that I wouldn’t have to bother—” Morgan explained.

  “Please, don’t say you’re bothering us. You’re our daughter. It is never a bother to help you out,” Richard said, the sharpness in his tone unmistakable.

  “I know that, Dad, but…” She shook her head, and Jackson was sure there were tears in her eyes. Surprised, he stepped close and dropped a hand on her shoulder.

  “It’s better if the four of you head back to your place. If someone is staking out the airport—”

  “Do you think that’s a possibility?” Benjamin cut in, and Jackson nodded.

  “The guys who attacked Morgan were at the Chicago airport. The police put out an APB, but as far as I know, they haven’t been caught yet. Even if they have, there’s no reason to think they’re the only two people coming after your sister.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Cody worked for a lot of high-powered, wealthy clients. If one of them is responsible for what happened to Morgan, there’s no telling what kind of manpower he has at his disposal.”

  “Hired thugs don’t come cheap, but someone with money may not be worried about the expense,” Benjamin muttered, and Jackson nodded again.

  “Exactly.”

  “That’s assuming the guys who came after me were hired thugs. It’s possible they’re the ones who want the disk. Maybe they were friends of Cody’s.”

  “Disk?” Richard asked.

  “It’s a long story. Mind if I tell it tomorrow? I’m beat.”

  “Of course you are!” Sue wrapped an arm around Morgan’s wa
ist. “You’ve been through something terrible. I’m so glad you’re all right, sweetie. I’ve been so worried since you called.”

  “I didn’t mean to give you more to worry about.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Lauren asked. “Mom and Dad love to worry. They excel at it, even. Personally, much as I hate what happened to you, I’m glad you’re here. Gives the parents something to focus on besides my bad grades,” Lauren said with a grin, and Morgan laughed.

  “You haven’t changed much, Lauren.”

  “You have. You’re quieter. Or maybe it’s just because you’re hurt.”

  “Yeah. Maybe.” Morgan took her sister’s hand, her mother’s arm still wrapped around her waist. They made a pretty picture, the three Alexandria women, but the more Jackson looked the more he saw what he had seen before. Morgan’s discomfort. The tight, tense way she held herself just slightly away from the other two women.

  “Does Helen know you’re coming?” Richard asked as the group walked to the rental-car booth.

  “No. I thought I was going to stay with you, until we realized we’d been followed.”

  “Would you like me to call her for you? You know how Helen is about unexpected visitors,” Sue offered.

  “I don’t mind calling her. The number is the same, right?”

  “You’d know, if you ever bothered to call her. Last time I was over at her place, Aunt Helen said she hadn’t heard from you in months.”

  “That’s because every time we talk, we argue.”

  “About that jerk Cody and why you wasted your youth with him?”

  “Lauren! You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead.”

  “What? Dying makes the guy something better than a slug?”

  “Lauren Elizabeth Alexandria, you apologize to your sister this instant.”

  “For what? She knows he was a slug. Right?”

  “Better than anyone, but Mom is right. You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead.”

  “Why is it that adults always stick together. Even when they’re wrong?” The teen continued to prattle on about the unfairness of life as Morgan signed the paperwork and took the keys to the rental car.