Rancher's Deadly Reunion

by Beth Cornelison

  She returned an anxious smile. Keep him happy. She didn’t want him to feel pushed to use the gun he’d wielded when he kidnapped her.

  “You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to be here,” she said. “I’m...flattered.” She almost choked on the word. Where were the police? Her brothers and parents? Why hadn’t anyone come for her yet? When she hadn’t arrived at the hospital, what had Brady thought?

  Her throat tightened, thinking of Brady. She’d been so foolish, made so many poor choices regarding him. Over and over, her caution, her reluctance, her attempts to avoid one simple truth had hurt him. She loved him. She would always love him.

  “You only know the half of it,” Ken said, settling on the bed next to her. He stroked her cheek, and she had to suppress a shudder of revulsion.

  “Wh-what do you mean?” she asked.

  “Really?” He cocked his head. “You haven’t figured it out?”

  That you’re stalking me? That you somehow knew my business and followed me here from Boston? Yeah, sicko, I’ve figured that much out, but I’ve been too worried about staying alive and trying not to set you off to delve any deeper into your twisted brain. “Tell me. I want to hear it from you.”

  “I’ve been looking out for you for months. You know, handling the guys that bother you.”

  She goggled at him, truly stunned. “What men? What do you mean?”

  He snorted derisively and narrowed an irritated glare at her. “Don’t be obtuse, Piper. I saw that guy bugging you on the subway a few months ago. I gave him a good pounding and told him never to look at you again.”

  She swallowed hard. She barely remembered some guy flirting with her on her way to work months ago. The weather had just been turning warm. April maybe? Had Ken been stalking her that long?

  “And Ron. Took care of him when he hit on you.”

  She blinked at him, stunned as her overwhelmed brain grappled with the depths of Ken’s obsession and the horrors he’d committed because of it. “Did you really kill Ron?” she rasped.

  “Of course I did. The jerk was all up in your grill at the office. I made sure he left you alone. Permanently.” He gave her a gloating smile, and Piper’s stomach rebelled.

  She forced down the bile that rose in her throat. “You didn’t have to k-kill him.”

  “Yes, I did. He didn’t listen when I warned him to stay away from you.” Ken rose from the bed and plucked a few more items off the dresser top. His keys, a wallet, a pocketknife. “I tried to take out the cowboy you’ve been fooling around with, but it didn’t work the way I’d planned.”

  Piper gasped. “Cowboy,” she rasped. “You’re talking about Brady.” A bone-deep chill sank over her. “You put that plastic in their vent pipe?”

  He sent her a sidelong sneer. “Wasn’t Santa Claus.”

  Rage poured through her like a poison until she shook from it. Bitterness filled her mouth, and she couldn’t fight back the snarl that spilled from her. “You almost killed them, you beast! The little boy in that house is my son! How dare you—”

  “Yes!” He whirled toward her, his face red and taut. “I wanted that cowboy dead.”

  “Even if you killed an innocent little boy in the process? My son!”

  Jamming his nose in her face, he roared, “Yes!”

  His volume and vitriol shocked her, and she shrank back. Riling him had been a mistake, but her gall at the depths of his depravity had overridden her caution.

  “I will eliminate anyone who stands between us! You belong with me!” Ken railed. “That kid is a connection to the cowboy, a distraction.” He jerked back and began to pace. “Clearly, I need to do something about them before we leave. I can’t have you pining over the brat and his father the rest of your life.”

  “No. Leave them alone,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’ll go with you. Just don’t hurt them.”

  He grabbed a pack of cinnamon gum from the dresser and unwrapped a stick, tossing the wrapper on the floor. “Humph, it will make us late for our plane, but...” He shoved the gum in his mouth and chewed as he deliberated.

  She stared at the gum wrapper, and her gut roiled. Knowing Ken had been on the ranch property, watching her, stalking her, chilled her to the marrow. Because of her, the people she loved had been put in danger. Because of her...

  She had to make this right, had to protect her family, no matter what it cost her.

  Ken arched an eyebrow and studied her, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. “I can always come back after I get you settled and take care of unfinished business.”

  “Ken, if you love me—” she paused to swallow the bile that rose in her throat even speaking the words “—why would you hurt people I love?”

  He lifted his chin as if stunned by her question. “I won’t share you.”

  She thought about what he’d said about killing Ron Sandburg, and a new thought came to her. Could Ken be behind all the trouble at the ranch?

  “Did you...start the fire in our alfalfa field?”

  He snorted. “Me? No. Why would I?”

  “I just thought—”

  “I saw it, though. Quite the blaze.”

  She gave him a skeptical look. Did she believe him? He’d confessed readily enough to murder, assault and the sabotage to the Summerses’ ventilation. Why would he deny setting the fire if he were responsible?

  She sat straighter. “You saw the...? Did you see the person who did start it?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. I saw a lot of things. Your ranch is a real soap opera, Piper. You know one of your hands is doing that pretty little cook, right?”

  Dave and Helen. Old news.

  “Who set the fire? What did they look like?”

  He scowled and shrugged again. “I don’t know. A cowboy. They all look the same. Dirty jeans and stupid, big hat. What do I care who it was?”

  A cowboy? Jeans and a hat? Not much to go on, but it was something. Maybe after the police caught up with them and arrested Ken—please, God, let them catch up and arrest Ken—they could press him for more specifics.

  Ken returned to his hasty packing, disappearing into the bathroom while muttering, “Your family’s problems aren’t my concern.”

  While he was out of sight, Piper tried again to wiggle the tape on her wrists looser. From outside, she heard a car door slam and male voices. Her heart slammed against her ribs. If she screamed, would the men outside hear her? Did she dare? What would Ken do to her?

  Holding her breath, she strained her ears to listen to the voices. She only caught a snatch of conversation before Ken returned with a handful of dirty clothes and his razor and began talking at her again.

  But that tiny bit of the mens’ voices was enough. Tears stung her eyes, and a tangle of hope and fear twisted in her belly. Her brothers were here.

  Chapter 17

  “You go talk to the desk clerk,” Josh said. “I’m going to check out the car.”

  Zane grunted and screwed his mouth into a thoughtful moue. “Okay, but don’t touch it. The cops may want to get fingerprints from it, and you could smear ’em or something.”

  Josh raised his hands. “I know. I’ll only look through the windows.” He flicked a finger toward the motel office door. “Are you going or not?”

  Zane spun on the heel of his boot and strode toward the motel’s front door. The heat in the cramped office had been turned up full blast, yet the tiny woman who sat behind the counter—Zane thought he remembered her as a substitute teacher he’d had several times during high school—was wearing a thick cardigan.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “I sure as hell hope so.” He bent his head over his phone to retrieve the picture Brady had just texted him.

  “No need to cuss, young man. That’s what’s wrong with today’s kids. You don’t know enough proper English to express yourself
without resorting to foul language.” She gave him a sniff of disdain, then shuffled toward the counter.

  “Whatever,” he muttered, turning his cell to face her. “Have you seen this guy, the one on the right? Is he staying here in one of your rooms?”

  She lifted the reading glasses that hung around her neck on a chain and peered at his phone. “Who is he? Why are you looking for him?”

  “He’s a suspect in a kidnapping.”

  Her thin eyebrows lifted. “Are you a cop?”

  Zane shook his head. “I’m the woman’s brother. She went missing today, and we have reason to believe this guy—” he tapped his phone screen “—has been stalking her.”

  “He hasn’t had anyone with him that I saw.”

  Zane’s pulse spiked. “Then you have seen him? Is he in one of your rooms?”

  The woman removed her reading glasses and eyed Zane skeptically. “How do I know you don’t mean to harm the fella?”

  Oh, I do mean to harm the fella if I find Piper with him, he thought. Felony assault was a possibility if the scum had hurt his sister.

  “I don’t give information out on my customers to just anyone. Privacy laws and all that.”

  “The cops have already been called. But if he has my sister in one of these rooms, God only knows what the hell the bastard is doing to her!”

  She pursed her lips and raised her chin. “What did I say about cussing? You stop it now, or you can leave my presence, young man.” She shook her finger at him—actually shook her finger.

  Zane would have laughed if the situation weren’t so dire. He sighed and stashed his phone in his back pocket, trying to be patient while everything in him was screaming Hurry!

  “If the police have been called, then we’ll wait for them to arrive.” She gave him a look that said Case closed, and Zane knew he’d not get anywhere with the woman.

  He smacked the counter with the flat of his hand and made a low growling sound under his breath as he turned for the door.

  “Young man,” the clerk called to him as he headed outside. “If you disturb any of my customers before the police arrive, I will call the authorities on you for disturbing the peace.”

  Zane narrowed his eyes on her and said, “You go right ahead and call them, then, ma’am. Because I will not stand down while my sister is in danger.”

  * * *

  “Did you hear me?” Ken asked, stopping in front of her.

  Piper jerked her gaze away from the window and worked to school her expression, hide her surprise and hopefulness. She blinked, and one of her tears broke free to roll down her face. With her hands bound, the best she could do was lean her cheek against her shoulder to wipe it away.

  Ken glared at her and glanced toward the window. “What’s going on? Is somebody out there?”

  “No,” she replied quickly. Too quickly, damn it.

  Suspicion twisted his face, and he sidled over to the window to part the draperies and peek out. His body stiffened, and he swung his head around to snarl at her. “There’s a couple of cowboys out there, sniffing around.”

  She held her breath, said nothing. She couldn’t forget that Ken had that handgun. And that he’d admitted to killing before and attempting to kill Brady and his family. If Ken felt threatened by Josh and Zane, she had no doubt he’d kill them.

  Hatred boiled in her gut for her captor at the notion of him harming her brothers. She drew a slow breath, knowing she had to keep him calm and buy time. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  “No.” He shook his head, echoing his words. “You heard them out there, and it upset you. Why? Who are they?”

  “I don’t know. This town is full of ranchers.”

  He took another look, frowning. “Damn it all, it’s your brothers.” He barked a cuss word, rattling her with the flash of vehemence and anger. He aimed a finger at her and growled, “You stay quiet, or I swear I will kill you and them, too. Got it?”

  She bit her bottom lip, and as the acid in her gut grew, she had to swallow hard to keep from vomiting.

  “Got it?” he shouted, his chest heaving with rage and frustration.

  She nodded and awkwardly rubbed her bound hands, one at a time, on her jeans. She knew she had to stay calm, stay alert, stay ready to act in an instant if the situation deteriorated.

  Ken stalked away from the windows and grabbed the handgun from the bag he’d been packing. “We’re getting out of here. Now. Before the cops or your brothers come knocking.”

  Piper sat straighter. “You’ll have to cut my feet loose if I’m going to walk. Carrying me out would be slow and attract attention.”

  He pulled an ugly face as he stuffed the gun in the waistband of his jeans. “Shit! You’re right.” Ken aimed a finger at her. “But not yet. I’m gonna get the car and pull it around back. Stay quiet, and don’t try anything stupid, or I swear I’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”

  With that, he hoisted the duffel and headed for the rear of the room.

  * * *

  Brady edged along the back wall of the motel, keeping low and out of sight. At each window, he rose only high enough to peer inside from a corner. Many rooms had the curtains pulled and the lights out. He kept an ear perked, listening for telltale sounds of a disturbance, either from the motel’s front parking lot or inside a room.

  The sky remained a dull gray, spitting the occasional drizzling rain, mixed with stinging bits of sleet. A small flock of blackbirds squawked in the field behind the motel, otherwise the only noise was the sound of tires on the wet road in front of the building.

  As he eased farther down the wall in a crouch, the screech of stubborn metal stopped him. A window, two rooms down, was forced open, the screen popped out and tossed aside. Rising slowly to his feet, Brady pressed himself against the cold, damp bricks, as far out of the angle of sight as possible. His heartbeat filled his ears with an anxious cadence, but he bided his time, waiting for the moment the person inside emerged. If they emerged. He didn’t want to tackle some hapless teenager thinking he needed to flee his girlfriend’s father or a cheating spouse fearing he was caught in the act.

  But once he knew the person was Ken Grainger, he’d strike.

  The window gave another protest as it was forced farther open. A foot came through first, then an arm and head. Medium brown hair and black glasses.

  Fueled by a shot of adrenaline, Brady lunged, catching Ken while he was half out the window and off balance. He plowed into him, head down and leading with his shoulder. Grabbing Grainger around the chest to pin his arms down, Brady dragged him out of the window and threw him to the ground.

  Grainger recovered remarkably fast, thrashing and struggling against Brady’s hold.

  “Where’s Piper, you sonofabitch?” Brady snarled.

  Grainger answered by slamming his head forward into Brady’s nose. Brady saw stars, but he didn’t release his hold. He felt the man’s arm wrench, and belatedly became aware of the hard object that jabbed him in the gut. Grainger wiggled his hand to the object, and Brady loosened his hold on his opponent in order to make a grab for the gun.

  His arm freed, Grainger yanked the weapon out, and Brady wrapped both hands around Grainger’s wrist. He slammed the man’s hand against the brick wall, keeping the gun pointed away from him.

  With an earsplitting bang, the gun fired. Through the ringing in his head, Brady heard a woman’s scream. Piper!

  Grainger stilled momentarily, and Brady seized the opportunity to wrest the firearm away. He flung it with all his strength toward the field where the blackbirds had been scavenging moments earlier.

  The shift of his body to rid Grainger of the weapon gave Grainger the leverage to raise a knee. Brady saw the move coming just in time to avoid a direct blow to his groin, but even the glancing hit shot a sharp pain to his gut. He sucked in a breath, grimacing, and Grainger used t
he moment to twist free of Brady’s grasp.

  “Josh! Zane!” Brady staggered to his feet, praying the gunshot had already alerted the McCalls. He watched in dismay as Grainger ran toward the end of the building. The bastard was getting away, and Brady summoned all his strength, fighting through the pain gripping him, and ran after Grainger.

  Before Grainger could reach the corner of the building, Josh came around from the front. Seeing Josh, Ken skidded to a stop on the wet grass and spun around.

  “Brady, are you—?” Zane shouted as he appeared from the other side of the building. Thank God the twins had been smart enough to think about covering both sides.

  Grainger hesitated for a moment. Brady read the man’s confusion and frustration. He recognized the moment Grainger decided to go find the gun.

  Brady staggered toward Ken. As he worked out the ache in his groin, Brady poured on more speed. He had to reach Ken before Ken reached the gun.

  Grainger slowed when he got to the general area where the gun had landed. He whirled in a full circle searching for his weapon. And Brady used the delay to pounce. He tackled Ken to the ground and lobbed a punch to the cretin’s cheek. With a growl full of hate, Grainger fought back. Brady absorbed a strike to his chin before he could get an angle for another jab with his fist. They rolled, grappling with each other, each trying to acquire the upper hand.

  Brady saw another head-butt coming a split second in advance and yanked his head aside just in time. He responded with a similar move that left Grainger’s nose bleeding. At some point in the tussle, Ken lost his glasses. Brady prayed that he’d handicap his opponent, but Grainger fought on like a rabid animal.

  Extra hands and feet were suddenly part of the equation, and Brady caught a glimpse of Josh as he yanked Grainger to his feet by the back of the man’s shirt. Josh snaked an arm around Ken’s throat and held fast. “Where’s Piper, you piece of garbage?”