Cameron, Paige - The Billionaire Maverick Bargains for a Wife [Wives for the Western Billionaires 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)

by Paige Cameron

  The clock hands moved slowly. Restless and scared, Angie went back to the kitchen, iced her cake, and made two dozen brownies. She’d take them with her as a thank-you to Brent’s parents for having them.

  She had to admit to being curious about the rest of Brent’s family. She’d always liked Drake and had met, very briefly, the younger brother and their parents at Drake and Janice’s home several years ago. At least they wouldn’t be complete strangers.

  Still, she had difficulty leaving Brent behind to clean up her and her mother’s problem. In a way, she wanted to face Yannell. She’d tell him how much she hated him for what he did to her mother and her life.

  He wouldn’t care. He’d probably laugh. Brent was right to get her and her sister out of sight. But closure wouldn’t come for her until she did face him here or in court.

  She licked a dollop of chocolate frosting off her big spoon. It was good. Glancing around the room, she wondered how her life would have changed by the time she returned to her little house. And would she stay here, or take the leap and marry Brent for real? She had better stop thinking about Brent and get her shower and dress. That way she’d be ready whenever he got back.

  The cool water helped take away some of her tiredness. She dressed in comfortable jeans and a blue top. She’d just started to brush her hair when she thought she’d heard a noise.

  What was that? She raised her head. She’d locked the door, but—she’d left the kitchen window open. She started toward her closet where she kept her rifle.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I was you.”

  A voice from her past sent chills down her spine. When she turned, Yannell stood in her bedroom doorway. He held a large black gun pointed at her.

  “I’ve missed my lovely stepdaughter.” He moved into the room. “You’ve grown into a beauty like your mother.” He glanced around. “Where is she?”

  “Out of your reach forever.”

  “Ah, then she must be dead. This makes my work so much easier. Harold,” he called out. A tall, stocky man came into the room. “Tie her hands. We’ll tape her mouth after I get some answers. Where are the papers your bitch of a mother stole from me?”

  His florid face had gone bright red, and the hand holding the gun trembled. Her worse nightmare was happening, and she didn’t see any way to save herself. Brent had the chest and key. She knew nothing to satisfy the monster in front of her. He walked up almost against her and bent down.

  “I’m going to enjoy killing you. First though, you will give me the answers I want.” He nodded to the hulk behind him. “Tape her mouth. We’ll get her on the plane and then work on her. Let’s get out of here.” He turned and led the way. The hulk threw her over his shoulder and followed.

  Brent, please come after me. She feared her hope for a rescue was futile. Yannell had a head start, and all the men gathering here today wouldn’t stop him from destroying her.

  As though he sensed her desire to get away, the man holding her tightened his grip. They went out the back door, and slipped between the trees to a nondescript car parked on the back street. He threw her in the back, and her stepfather got in beside her. The hulk drove the car to the nearest highway and headed out of town.

  * * * *

  Lily Yannell drove into Saddle Creek at noon. She was tired, but excited. Her whole goal had been to find her mother and sister. She was good at computers and had finally discovered where she thought they’d gone. It had taken two years of tracing their movements, checking, rechecking. She might be wrong, but this was her best bet.

  She wasn’t sure what to do now. Maybe just go to the local bank and ask where they lived, or that restaurant she just drove by. She parked her car and got out to stretch. Several people had entered the diner since she’d parked. One woman glanced back at her.

  Yes, she’d start her search there. After all, she did look a lot like her mom and sister. That was one of the few bits of information she’d gotten out of her dad over the years. Someone would see the resemblance and help her. She hoped.

  The place was full. Several people looked her way. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was new in town, or that they connected her with her family. A tall, buxom, redheaded woman, carrying a coffee pot in each hand, walked toward her.

  “Welcome, honey. We have one small table in the corner.” She nodded her head toward a table for two. “Are you meeting anyone?”

  “No, that table will be fine.”

  “My name is Billie. I’ll just set these coffee pots back where they belong and bring you a menu.” She studied Lily for a moment. “You got family in town, honey. You sure look like Angie, enough to be her sister.”

  “I think I may be. Do you know where I can find her?”

  “Goodness, honey, you came to the right place. I’m part owner of this establishment, part cook, and part waitress. I know everyone in town. Angie lives about two miles from here. You go sit down. While you decide what you want to eat, I’ll draw you a map to her house.”

  “Thank you. You’re very kind.” Lily’s heart pounded with excitement. She had finally found her sister and hopefully her mother, although Billie hadn’t mentioned her. Lily knew anyone within hearing distance, from where they’d stood talking, had heard their conversation. A buzz went around the restaurant, and most of the patrons were looking at her.

  “Here.” Billie handed her the menu. "Look that over while I draw this map.” She sat in the seat across from Lily. When she finished her drawing, she wrote the address on the top. “Angie never mentioned she had a sister.”

  “I’m going to surprise her,” Lily said. She wasn’t going to add any more information to the local gossip. They’d probably find out everything eventually. First, she wanted to see her mother and sister. “Do Angie and Mom still live together?” She saw the change on Billie’s face.

  “What is it?” Lily leaned forward.

  “I don’t think I’m the one to be telling you this, but you’ll find out soon anyway. Your dear momma died about eight or nine months ago.”

  “But she’d only be in her fifties.” Lily tried to deny the woman’s words.

  Billie reached across and squeezed her hand. “Cancer don’t have no regard for age, honey. Angie took real good care of her right up to the end.”

  Anger swelled inside Lily. Angie knew her mother was dying and never contacted her. She’d never get to ask her mother why she left her behind. Why she didn’t love her enough to take her, too. Tears filled her eyes. All the people were staring, and this woman’s sympathy was too much to bear. Lily jumped up and ran out of the diner. She was right at her car when two men came out of the SUV parked beside her.

  “You need to come with us. My name’s Mick, and I’m going to take you to your sister.”

  “I can find my own way. Let go of me.”

  “I can’t do that, Lily.” He covered her mouth. The large van was parked where it prevented the people at the diner from seeing them put her inside. She was in the SUV riding away before anyone noticed what happened.

  Lily shook with fear. Who were these men, and what did they want?

  * * * *

  Brent’s man following Lily had called Brent to say they were a half hour away. Brent told him, as soon as he got to town to contact Mick. They were to pick Lily up and take her directly to Jackson’s private airport. He'd changed his mind about the sisters meeting first. It was too dangerous. The sooner he got her and Angie away the better. He sensed things were rapidly working toward the final showdown.

  Drake sat at his desk listening to Brent’s side of the conversation. He started to speak when Brent’s phone rang again.

  “Hi, Nate. Are you in town, too?”

  “I’m at this plat of land where you sent me. I’m calling to alert you that Yannell may already be here.”

  “What?”

  “A man Yannell pissed off one too many times called my office to speak with me. My assistant talked him into giving her the information. It seems Yannell insiste
d on taking this man’s jet to Texas. He left sometime late last night and was going to land on a private airstrip outside of San Antonio. The man was to have a rental car there for him when he landed. If it all went according to plan, he’s here now.”

  “Damn, Angie’s home alone.” Brent ended the call and tried Angie’s home number. The phone rang and rang. He cut off the call and tried her cell. He flipped his phone shut.

  “Drake, he has her.”

  “We’ll get her back. He can’t have gotten far. Call Nate back and get the address to the airport where he’s bound to be headed. Let’s get to the truck. I’ll drive.”

  Brent called Nate on the way out of the house. He got the directions and Nate’s promise that he and other FBI agents would be coming right behind Brent. Next, he notified Mick. As soon as they dropped Lily at the plane under Jackson’s protection, he and the other men were to head to the airport also. There was no way Yannell was flying away with Angie.

  Chapter Ten

  Angie watched the miles fly by. Her stomach had a hollow feeling. No miracles were going to happen to get her rescued in time. Once the plane took off, Yannell said they’d work on her. She didn’t want to think about what that meant.

  Brent would try to rescue her if he knew Yannell had her. Her only hope was that he had called her and discovered she was missing. Still, he’d never know where she was headed. She’d seen road signs indicating they were driving toward San Antonio. But she doubted Yannell planned to drag her through a large airport.

  “I know you’re hoping to be rescued, but we’ll be long gone before you’re missed.” He chuckled and rubbed his hands together. “I shouldn’t have given up on the search years ago. I didn’t expect an obsessive FBI agent to constantly be on my tail. Those papers your mother stole became more important as time went by. Now they’ve become a noose around my neck.”

  His face got red, and she saw the anger building again. He yanked the tape from her mouth. Pain sliced across her sore lips. Strong hands circled her neck and began to put pressure on her windpipe.

  “Tell me where they are. If they’re behind in Saddle Creek, you’d better tell me before we've traveled too far.” His fingers let up on the pressure so she could answer him.

  “Would you go back for them?”

  “I don’t have to go back. I have two more men in town. They’ll retrieve them.”

  “I’m not a fool. You’ll kill me as soon as I give you the information.”

  His eyes bulged, and a pulse beat rapidly in his corded neck. “You’re a dead woman either way. Your only choice is whether to have an easy death or a painful one.”

  “Does Lily know what kind of man you are? If she doesn’t, it’s going to be a big surprise when she finds out you killed her sister.”

  This time he tightened his fingers hard enough to shut off her air. She grabbed his hands, trying to tear them away from her throat. Her lungs ached with the need for oxygen, and dots began to swim in front of her eyes. Just as darkness began to edge into her sight, he released his hands just a little. A small amount of air got past his grip.

  “As far as she knows her father is home working in his legitimate business.”

  Angie tried to respond. His fingers tightened again, taking her almost to the edge before letting her gulp a breath.

  “If you don’t answer my questions, this is how you’ll die, a little at a time. I’m a patient man, though. We’ll wait until we’re on the plane. Harold brought along some of his most persuasive instruments. This will be fun to watch.”

  The grotesque expression on his face incited Angie’s fear to a terrifying level. The man had no conscience. He’d do exactly what he said, and enjoy it. Brent had to find her. He would, she knew he’d find her. Concentrating, she focused all her thoughts on that wish.

  * * * *

  Drake drove fast down the straight part of the roads and barely slowed for the curves. Brent looked at his watch, they'd been riding for two hours. They were getting close. He glanced across and saw the intent expression on his brother’s face.

  “I’m glad you’re here and driving. None of us could ever beat you in a car. I thought for a while, when we were younger, that you’d become a race car driver.”

  “I thought about it, but Mom and Dad soon cleared my head of that notion. Education first. Then if I still wanted to risk my life driving around in a circle, Dad said he’d set me up.” Drake glanced at Brent, then back at the road. “They knew I’d be more settled after college and go in another direction. Of course, my job with the government gave me some high-adrenaline moments that compensated for the lost of the other dream.”

  “They love it that you’ve settled in as a rancher. Don’t you miss the adrenaline rush?”

  “Janice and the kids give me that whenever I’m with them. And look at us now.”

  “Right, my heart’s about to bound out of my chest. Inside my mind is screaming hurry, hurry. I can’t lose her, Drake.”

  Drake took another turn with his wheels screaming. “We’re going as fast as possible and still get there in one piece.”

  “I know.” Brent checked his GPS. “Where we need to turn is about three miles on the left. You’d better slow a little or we’ll miss it.”

  They both saw it at once. Drake turned onto the two-lane dirt road. Tall trees grew close to the edge on either side.

  “How far do we go on this road?” Drake asked.

  “Five miles. The airport will be on the left. We’ll need to stop a short distance from the turnoff and run the rest of the way. We don’t want them to see us.”

  “Your FBI friend and his buddies shouldn’t be far behind. Should we wait for them or your men?”

  “No, Yannell’s ahead of us. They’ll leave right away.”

  “I thought he might want to keep her guarded here and try to get his daughter.”

  “No. I suspect she doesn’t know this side of him. I’m afraid he may have already been contacted about us having her. He’ll take his anger out on Angie.”

  “Maybe, he’d do a trade.”

  “He’ll suspect the FBI has her. He knows they won’t hurt her, and he’s waited too long to have Angie in his clutches.”

  “I see dust in the distance. We may be closer to them than we expected.” Drake pulled into a narrow opening on the right and parked.

  “We’ll leave the car here.”

  Brent jumped out. “Let’s go.” He grabbed one of the long range rifles Drake had thrown in the truck. They took off running.

  * * * *

  Angie had gasped for breath when Yannell finally tired of his game and sat back. Now they’d turned onto a two-lane, dirt road. They must be close to the airport they were using. Yannell had mentioned, in conversation with Harold that he had a jet waiting and ready to go.

  Before long, she saw two hangars and a small office right off of a long driveway to the left. They turned, went past the office, and around behind the first hangar. A small jet waited for them.

  Yannell pulled her out of the car. He held tight to her arm and dragged her toward the airplane. Angie tried yanking herself loose. He put his gun to her ribs.

  “Stop, or I’ll shoot.”

  “Maybe I’d prefer death by bullet than by your hands.”

  “You can wish. But I want information first. I’ll get it.”

  “Harold, carry her on the plane. But knock her out first.”

  "No," Angie screamed and twisted managing to free herself. She ran away from the plane. Heavy footsteps chased after her getting closer and closer. Her breath wheezed out of her sore throat. An arm reached out and grabbed her.

  Angie tried to twist free again, but the man was too strong. He put his fingers around her neck, tightened, and everything went black.

  * * * *

  Brent and Drake had just squatted down at the edge of the runway. They saw the man grab Angie and her go limp. Brent put the rifle to his shoulder and focused the man’s forehead in his scope.

&nbs
p; “I can get a shot off,” Brent said. “Do you have a beam on Yannell?”

  “Yes.”

  “If Yannell raises a gun toward her, shoot him.”

  “I’m ready,” Drake said.

  Brent refocused his scope on the big man’s head, pulled the trigger, and shot. The bulky man fell. Brent was up and running across the tarmac as Drake’s gun fired to his right.

  Yannell staggered back, held onto his shoulder, and ran toward the plane. Another shot hit his leg, taking him down.

  Brent rolled the large man off of Angie and pulled her into his arms.

  “Stop.” Yannell had managed to slip a gun out of his inside coat pocket. He held it in his shaky left hand and, still lying on his stomach, he pointed it at Angie and Brent.

  “You can’t get away, Yannell. FBI agent Glynes is on his way. Shoot us and there’ll be more charges against you.”

  “That bitch has been a noose around my neck for years. She knows too much.”

  “I have the information ready to give to Agent Glynes. If something happens to Angie or me, he’ll still get it. Drop the gun.” Brent kept him talking to give Drake another chance to get a shot off. He moved slightly to the left, further out of range.

  “Stop moving. I’ll shoot. I mean it.” Yannell’s voice sounded weaker, and his face had turned an ashen grey. Blood ran down his right arm and leg.

  “You’re going to die without medical treatment. Give it up. It’s over.”

  “It’s over when I say.” Yannell turned slightly, raised his left arm higher, and pointed the gun straight out toward them. Drake's bullet sent the gun flying. Yannell screamed, and lay flat.

  Brent kicked the gun far away from him. Drake came running and put his rifle to the man’s head.

  “Be still. I’ve called for an ambulance, and if I’m not mistaken, Brent, that’s the FBI in that black car that just turned in.” Drake glanced at Angie. “How is she?”