Christmas Conspiracy

by Robin Perini

  To Logan’s amazement, his cheeks warmed. “Yeah, things are looking up.”

  Blake smiled, but even that was bittersweet. “You deserve something good to happen, my friend. Things have been tough for a while. Maybe today’s a turning point.”

  “I hope so.” Logan called over his foreman, then pulled out a bunch of bills from his wallet. “Grab Tim and run into town. Pick up a Christmas tree with all the trimmings.”

  The foreman’s hand froze in the process of taking the money, staring at Logan. “Christmas? Here? We haven’t done that since—”

  “Since my mother disappeared. I know,” Logan interrupted.

  Blake looked at Logan. “Christmas?”

  He scuffed his boot in the dirt. “Lanie wants a tree for Christmas, and she’s going to get it.”

  “No problem, boss.” The foreman nabbed Tim and the two men jumped into a pickup and barreled toward the front gate.

  Blake rocked back on his heels. “Well, I’d say that’s definitely a turning point.”

  “Every kid deserves a Christmas.”

  “I’m not arguing with you, buddy.”

  “Would you…” Logan hesitated, feeling awkward with these unfamiliar urges to act like a real father. “Would you, Amanda and Ethan come over to help us decorate? I might need some moral support.”

  “Count on it.” Blake’s voice made it clear he understood the situation all too well.

  Logan was happy now, but things could change all too quickly.

  He shoved down the tumult of feelings at thinking there would finally be a joyful holiday celebration at the ranch. Christmas, with his family. He never would have believed it possible. He met Blake’s understanding gaze, then looked away. He needed answers. “So, what’s the status with the investigation?”

  Shifting into law-enforcement mode, Blake straightened his stance. “Most of the crews are done, but they’re still taking some of the dirt and debris from the bottom of the well to check for forensic evidence that may have been buried over time. They’ll sift through it and maybe we’ll get lucky.”

  An eerie feeling suddenly flowed over Logan, almost as if he were being watched. He looked around, trying to account for the unexplained sense of danger. “Excuse me a minute.” He took out his phone and dialed. “Rafe? Assign extra guards around the property, even more than I requested before. Something doesn’t feel right.”

  Blake glanced around. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. It might just be all these unfamiliar faces on the property. Obviously, I couldn’t vet them all before they came. I upped the security patrols before to make sure none of them came near the house, but my gut is still telling me to watch out.”

  “I wouldn’t discount your instincts. They’ve saved you often enough before.”

  “Yeah,” Logan said, and gave the land and outbuildings another hard scan before turning back to Blake. “If you don’t want to bring your family tonight, Blake…I’d understand.”

  Blake tilted his Stetson. “You’ll still have the patrols up?”

  “I’ll make sure you get escorted to and from.”

  “I’ve never had reason to doubt you, Logan. We’ll be here.”

  “If I get more information, I’ll let you know.”

  Blake squeezed Logan’s shoulder. “I know.”

  “Have you heard from Deputy Parris yet?” Logan asked.

  “He said your mother’s remains made it safely to the morgue. Debra’s there now. She promised to expedite her forensic investigation and get back to you with her findings as soon as possible.”

  “What does she think, Blake?”

  “What are you asking specifically?”

  Logan blew out a breath. “Was my mother’s cause of death obvious? Did my father kill her?”

  Kat’s lavender scent wafted over Logan and a moment later, she came up on his right side to stand beside him. She remained silent, but he knew she’d heard his question by the way she rubbed his back gently. Despite his turmoil, her touch comforted him.

  “Do you want me to leave so you two can finish?” she asked quietly.

  He pulled her closer. “No.” He kept his hand over his gun, just in case his instincts were on the mark. “Blake was just giving me an update.”

  Blake rubbed the nape of his neck. “Debra…Dr. Sandoval did a cursory exam on arrival. She said there was significant blunt-force trauma to the back of your mother’s skull, but it could have happened when she fell against that sharp rock on the side of the well, or any time during her descent. There were several broken bones, but no evidence of a weapon. So far, the injuries seem consistent with a fall. We may never know what really happened.”

  Logan swallowed a fresh surge of grief, and Kat pressed tight against his back and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her cheek lay against him and he grasped her hand like a lifeline. “Okay. Thanks for the information.”

  Logan gestured toward the well. “How much longer will they be here?”

  He wanted his ranch back. He wanted to be with Kat and his kids. For a few moments.

  “They should be finished in a half hour or so. I’ve ordered them to cap the well. I hear your little boy is a lively one.”

  “Hayden has no fear. And that scares the hell out of me. Plus, with the kittens out by the well, it’s a big draw to that area.”

  “The mother cat moved the kittens under the house. She was carrying one under the entrance for the wood box. All the noise and commotion probably scared her.”

  “That’s not going to be much quieter when we refill it with wood for the fireplace,” said Logan. He held out his hand to Blake. “Thanks for being here. Thanks for everything.”

  Blake shook off the compliment. “That’s what we do in Carder, Texas. Right? We take care of our own.” His cell phone rang and he checked the number. He held up his finger then placed the phone at his ear. “What’s up, darlin’?”

  While Blake spoke to Amanda, Logan turned in Kat’s arms. “Thank you, too.”

  She shrugged. “For what? I didn’t do anything.”

  He kissed her nose. “You’ve done more than you know.” He wrapped her tight in his arms, rested his chin on her hair and inhaled her sweet scent. He was in deep. For a blessed moment the ugliness of his world disappeared and he just held her.

  Blake shoved the cell phone back in its holder. “Well, I’m headed home to handle the latest crisis on the home front. Ethan evidently decided he wanted to ride the tractor again…without his mother’s permission. Now, I get to give him what for, to back up his mom.” Blake sighed. “Kids. They sure keep things from getting boring.”

  Logan smiled at long last. “I know what you mean.”

  * * *

  DANIEL CAME TO, facedown on the filthy stone floor of the dungeon, unable to believe he wasn’t dead. God, he’d prayed often enough for it. Grit pressed into his cheek and the smell of his own blood lent a coppery tang to the fetid air. With great effort he tried to move, but searing pain pierced his sides. Damn, how many ribs had they broken?

  If he was still alive, he’d somehow missed having a punctured lung. That was probably the only part of his body still intact.

  A clang echoed through the stone hallways like a death toll, and his prison door swung open. Feigning unconsciousness, Daniel peered through nearly swollen closed eyelids to see who would do the honors of beating on him next. Someone new had entered his cell carrying the swill they called food. Beyond him, Daniel could barely make out two guards transporting a man’s unmoving body past the open doorway. Blood and bruises mottled every exposed part of the poor guy’s skin.

  Daniel had lost count of how many people the duke had sadistically tortured and watched die. Sick bastard.

  Only one prisoner remained at that end of the hallway. The only one to have survived longer than Daniel. He didn’t know how the duke had dared keep the man alive so long.

  Daniel waited for the final sound of his own door slamming shut.

 
; Silence.

  His stomach roiled. Did the duke intend to come back to finish the job? Daniel had told them nothing they didn’t already know.

  An older man in a guard’s uniform stood there with a plate, watching Daniel and listening to the noises in the dungeon. The guard pushed the cell door nearly shut and ventured closer. His steps frightened away the rats that had begun circling Daniel. The man knelt next to him, and he pressed two fingers against Daniel’s neck, looking for a pulse.

  “I’ll kill you,” Daniel growled as he grabbed the man by the throat, then collapsed in horrific agony as his shattered body failed him.

  “Stop! I’m here to help you,” the man whispered. “They mustn’t hear.”

  The guard’s words reached Daniel through the threatening darkness.

  “How?” he asked, forcing the words through cracked lips.

  “The Falcon knows you’re here.”

  Noah? Daniel gasped as he struggled for a breath. Had Logan sent him?

  “Can you walk?”

  He stared into the man’s sympathetic eyes. “I don’t know.”

  The guard nodded. “If you’re alive in twenty-four hours, there might be a way out. Be ready.”

  A man’s heavy footsteps marched on the stone walkway.

  The guard cursed and rose. Before he could leave the cell, the duke blocked the doorway.

  “What are you doing with this prisoner?” he snapped.

  “I—I brought his food in,” the man stuttered, “but I thought he was dead, your Grace. I was checking for a pulse.”

  Sarbonne stepped closer. “Is he dead?”

  “N-No, Your Grace.”

  “What is your name?”

  “P-Pierre Thomas, your Grace.”

  The man bowed low, then moved uncertainly toward the door. “May I go now?”

  “You may come with me,” the duke said, pulling his whip from his belt. “We need to have a chat.”

  Daniel sent up a prayer for the man who may have forfeited his life to bring that message of hope. Hope. Something Daniel had given up on a dozen beatings ago. He had to stay alive.

  He heard the crack of the whip and the old man’s agonized cry.

  Daniel flinched, and a strange warmth stung his eyes as he lay his battered cheek against the cold stones. Twenty-four more hours. Somehow, he had to stay alive.

  He didn’t know what Noah’s escape plan would entail, but Daniel prayed the old guard and the prisoner down the hall could survive one more day.

  Daniel didn’t intend to leave anyone behind.

  * * *

  KAT LOOKED AROUND THE living room that Logan had turned into a Christmas postcard and smiled through happy tears. An enormous tree filled one corner of the room, and the twins ran back and forth carrying the latest ornament to hang on its branches. The joy in their faces stunned her. She had never seen them this happy, and watching Logan lift them in his arms to reach the highest spots melted her heart. This is what she’d dreamed of, and never believed she could have. Logan had made it all possible. Her heart swelled with love and she wished that life could always stay this happy.

  She carried the bowl of popcorn to where Gretchen and Blake’s wife, Amanda, sat stringing popcorn and cranberries. Kat crossed her legs and eased down onto the floor to join them. She placed the bowl in the center, where they all could reach, and grabbed a needle already threaded with string.

  Across the room the sheriff and his five-year-old son, Ethan, helped Hayden place snowflake ornaments on the large evergreen tree. The room was filled with laughter. Egg nog and hot chocolate flowed freely, and Christmas carols played from the stereo.

  She grabbed a handful of popcorn and tossed it in her mouth.

  Amanda nudged her. “Hey, stop eating the decorations.”

  Kat laughed, relaxing fully for the first time since coming back in the house with Logan. “I can’t tell you how much it means that you and Blake and Ethan came over. It just makes tonight that much more special.”

  Gretchen smiled at her and lifted her hot chocolate in a toast. “To smart women. It’s nice to find three of us all in one room.”

  Kat blushed, knowing Gretchen had played a big part in this family gathering becoming a reality. Kat blessed the woman’s Irish temper.

  Amanda nodded toward Lanie and Logan. “Your little one doesn’t leave his side for an instant, does she?”

  “He’s her hero,” Kat said softly, watching the picturesque scene.

  “Logan’s a good man,” Amanda said. “I watched him sacrifice almost everything for me and Ethan when we were in trouble. He didn’t even question Blake when he asked for help. I don’t know what we would have done without him.”

  “They grow them good in Carder, don’t they?” Kat said, staring at Logan inspecting the latest ornament Lanie brought him.

  Gretchen sighed. “That they do. You young ladies would know more about that than most as you’ve snagged two of the best for yourselves. And, from the heated ways they’ve been looking at you two tonight, I’ve no doubt there will be more wee ones running around here in the future.”

  Amanda flushed and met Kat’s gaze. She lowered her head. Logan did know his way around a woman’s body, and from Amanda’s expression as she smiled at her husband, so did Blake.

  Hayden giggled as he showed Ethan how to work the siren on his toy fire engine. They flicked the siren on and off until Kat suggested they find something different to play with for a while. The boys hunkered down with a couple of toys Ethan had brought with him.

  Blake and Logan walked over to the group of women, and Blake leaned down to kiss his wife. “It’s getting late, and I have an early start tomorrow. Are you ready to go?”

  Amanda nodded and added her completed cranberry strand to the pile ready to go on the tree. “It was nice meeting you, Kat. You have a beautiful family.”

  “So do you,” Kat said, as Blake helped his wife to her feet.

  They called to Ethan.

  Lanie came over, too, and held tight to Logan’s leg, her shyness still in evidence as she watched the other family prepare to leave.

  “I’ll let you know when I hear something,” Blake said to Logan when everyone had donned their coats and hats.

  “Thanks,” Logan said, sending Lanie back to Kat before turning toward the door.

  Blake hesitated. “By the way, how’s that intuition doing?”

  Their gazes met.

  “Still screaming louder than I’d like,” Logan said quietly. “You notice all the blinds are pulled down tight and the lamps strategically placed to not throw shadows on the windows? The ranch is on lockdown after you leave. The men will escort you out, but even with extra patrol, I’m not taking chances. Zane picked up some irregularities in the security system that I don’t like.”

  Blake nodded. “Take care of your family.”

  “I intend to,” Logan said. “You do the same.”

  A few minutes after, the Redmonds left, the house was locked and the alarm set. Gretchen headed to her room, and Logan sank down into the leather sofa next to Kat. The children played on the floor.

  Logan tried to keep his mind off the report he’d received from Zane. Noah Bradford suspected Daniel may be held captive by terrorists. The story gave credence to the theory that his captors had used Daniel’s explosives expertise to frame him. The worst part, though, made Logan’s stomach turn. If Daniel had been held all this time, then Logan had left him to die by not searching for him. Just like his mother. He shuddered and pinched the bridge of his nose. So many variables. Hopefully Noah would have the answer. And soon.

  Kat leaned against the warmth of his body and cuddled closer. “What are you thinking?”

  Logan welcomed the distraction of her softness. He kissed her lips gently.

  That I won’t let anything happen to you. You or the kids.

  “I’m thinking that a pair of almost three-year-olds have utterly exhausted me,” Logan lied, hugging her to him. “That I never thought I�
�d be here with you. With them. And, I never thought I’d have this.” He swept his hand across the idyllic scene. “All of it.”

  Kat tilted her head and stared into his eyes. “But are you truly happy?”

  “Yes.” He pushed the hair back from her face. “I’ve always wanted a family, but I never imagined it could be this good. I am truly happy.”

  She smiled and leaned closer. “Me, too.”

  Lanie tugged at Kat’s jeans. “Mommy, we forgot the shiny horseshoe for the tree. It’s in my pocket.” Lanie pulled the treasured ornament out.

  “Oh, no, what shall we do?” Logan cried dramatically, sweeping Lanie into his arms with a flourish. “We can’t forget the most important ornament of all.”

  She giggled.

  He lifted her high. “Should it go at the top?”

  “No, Daddy. The tree’s too big. I wanna see it.”

  He set her down in front of the tree. Carefully, Lanie hung the generations-old ornament between two candy canes on the lower branches. She stepped back, proud.

  Kat crossed the room. “That looks perfect, Lanie.”

  Hayden rolled his fire engine across their feet and flipped the siren on again.

  “I think it’s time for two kids to go to bed,” Kat said.

  The twins protested and Lanie ran over for one last visit to the tree, but soon Logan and Kat had them bathed and in bed. After a story and water and a bit more whining, Kat closed the door behind her. “Lanie will be out like a light in no time. Hayden, on the other hand—”

  “Yeah. I get the impression he’s going to be a night owl. I can’t believe he dismantled the baby monitor after his nap. Zane said he’d have it back to us tomorrow, if we can find the rest of the pieces.”

  “If not, we’ll buy another one. I need to know what’s going on with Hayden at all times.”

  “He won’t get up and get out, will he? Isn’t he afraid of the dark?”

  “Hayden,” Kat insisted, “is not afraid of anything.”

  “I guess you’re right. After supper, Gretchen found him hiding in the wood box attached to the house. The shed opens to the outside and to the kitchen.”

  “I never heard of anything like that.”

  “It’s great for storing wood in winter. You use the outside door for loading wood, and the kitchen one for getting firewood without having to go out in the cold. The outside door is kept locked, but the wood box is still pretty dark and scary.”