A man she instantly recognized.
Oh, God.
Chapter Four
What the hell was Warren doing on the Silver Creek surveillance video?
That was the question Griff was very anxious to ask the man. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who had an urgent need to know, because Rachel whipped out her phone and pressed in her father’s number. Since Griff had been about to do the same thing, he just waited for Warren to answer.
But he didn’t.
After a few rings, the call went to voice mail. “Call me now,” was all that Rachel snapped into the phone when she left her father a message.
Since Warren was worried about Rachel and had spent the past month trying to find her, he would no doubt do just that. Well, he would unless he’d done something stupid.
“It appears you’ve got a new person of interest,” Brad said, his mouth tight and his eyes narrowed as he stared at the screen.
Griff didn’t like that Brad had jumped to the worst-case scenario. Of course, he’d never been a fan of Warren, because they, too, had clashed when Warren had been sheriff.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Griff said to Rachel. “Warren wouldn’t hurt you. He wouldn’t hurt any of his kids.”
“Not unless he was finished with me,” Rachel quickly pointed out. But even she had to wave that off. “No. He wouldn’t hurt me. Not intentionally, anyway.” She pointed to the screen. “So why is he there?”
Griff had a theory, and this was going to be a good news/bad news kind of deal. “Maybe Warren found out where you were and went to check on you.” That was the good news. “And maybe while Warren was watching you, he could have gotten caught up in the attack.”
After everything she’d been through tonight, Griff hated to point that out to her, but Rachel was smart and would have soon come to the same conclusion. Plus, that was still better than thinking Warren could have had any part in that explosion or the shots being fired.
“I’ll call the Silver Creek sheriff,” Egan volunteered, taking out his phone, as well.
“And it might be jumping the gun, but I’ll see if I can have Dad’s cell phone traced,” Court added. He stepped away as if to start doing just that, but then volleyed glances at Brad, Griff and his sister before his attention settled on Griff. “Why don’t you go ahead and get Rachel out of here so she can get some rest?”
Since Rachel was no doubt on the verge of an adrenaline crash, that was a good idea, but judging from the way her forehead bunched up, it was going to be hard for Griff to sell her on doing that. He definitely didn’t want to use her epilepsy to get her to leave. Over the years, he’d learned that she didn’t want any special considerations because of it. Still, the stress might trigger a seizure. He’d been with her once when that’d happened. They’d been teenagers then, but he’d never forgotten it.
“I can take Rachel to my place,” Brad suggested. “I’ve got a great security system, and it’s not somewhere that the gunman would expect her to go.”
Griff wanted to nix that suggestion right off, but had to admit that was because he didn’t like Brad. He didn’t want Rachel under Brad’s roof at any time, but especially not when she was so vulnerable.
Of course, that might be his own guilty conscience at work. Rachel had certainly been vulnerable after learning of her father’s affair, and that hadn’t stopped Griff from sleeping with her.
Apparently, Rachel had her own concerns about Brad, however, because she shook her head. “Thanks, but your place is over a half hour’s drive from here. I don’t want to be that far from the sheriff’s office in case they catch the shooter. I want to be here if they get a chance to question him.”
Griff figured there was no way to stop her from observing the interview. No way to stop him, either, since this idiot had nearly killed Rachel and him. But first they had to catch the guy, and he was most likely long gone by now.
“If you don’t want to ride all the way out to the ranch,” Griff suggested to her, “my house is closer.”
She looked at him, and he saw the concern she had about that. Rightfully so. The last time she’d been at his house, they’d landed in bed. No way would that happen again. Not now, maybe not ever.
“The Silver Creek cops haven’t seen Dad,” Egan relayed when he got off the phone. “But they’ll look for him while they continue their search for the shooter.”
Maybe they’d get lucky and find both. Griff just didn’t want the cops to find Warren and the gunman together. Because if that happened, it meant Warren was either a hostage or had been involved in some way. That involvement might not necessarily be of his own doing, though.
“There’s nothing else you can do here,” Court chimed in, glancing at Rachel. “Griff could drive you to the ranch or his place, and I could follow to make sure you get there all right.”
In other words, Court would go to make sure they weren’t attacked along the way. It was a possibility, but since the other attack had happened on Main Street in Silver Creek, the ranch was probably safer than keeping her here. The ranch had a security gate, so someone couldn’t just come driving through. Of course, there were fences that could be scaled, which meant Griff would need to alert the hands to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious.
Rachel huffed and then finally nodded. “The ranch. It’ll give me a chance to catch up on some paperwork that I’m sure has been piling up since I’ve been gone.”
It had been, because Griff had heard Warren, Court and Egan complaining about it. Normally, Warren and his sons handled the livestock supply, but Rachel managed the ranch’s finances and day-to-day operation. The McCall Ranch was big so it was a full-time job. With Warren recovering from the shooting and Rachel’s mom in the hospital, the business side of things had been neglected during Rachel’s absence, and it was costing the McCalls business.
“Does this mean you’re moving back?” Court asked.
“No.” Rachel didn’t hesitate, either. “But I’ll try to organize the paperwork so that whoever Dad hires to take my place will have an easier transition.” She paused. “I don’t want the ranch to lose business, for Egan’s and your sakes. It’s your home.”
Court went to her, brushed a kiss on her forehead. “It’s your home, too. And you don’t have to stay under Dad’s roof. You can do what I did and build a place of your own on the ranch grounds.”
She gave no indication whatsoever that she would consider that, but she did give her brother’s arm a gentle squeeze. Maybe Court would be able to help mend the fences between Warren and Rachel. Of course, there was a lot of mending to be done, and now that had to include a good explanation of why Warren had been in Silver Creek tonight.
“Rachel, I can drive you out to the ranch,” Brad volunteered. “That way, Griff could stay here and work the investigation. I’m sure he has plenty to do.”
Griff did have plenty, but he could do it at the ranch. He also didn’t like the way Brad was pushing this.
“We don’t need Griff here,” Court argued. Griff really needed to buy Court a drink for that. “And I’d rather Rachel be with a lawman. No offense, but if the shooter comes back, a Texas Ranger would be better able to protect her than a DA.”
Brad’s mouth went tight again, and he looked at Rachel, no doubt hoping that she would choose him over Griff for protective custody.
Rachel glanced at both of them and took a deep breath before she answered. “I’ll go with Griff. But I’ll be at the ranch just for tonight. I’ll make other arrangements tomorrow.”
It didn’t sound as if she wanted Griff in on those arrangements, but there was no way Egan and Court would just let their kid sister go someplace that wasn’t safe. Well, as safe as they could make it, anyway.
“We can use the cruisers out front,” Court suggested, and he turned to Griff. “I can have someone bring your truck to you.”
&nb
sp; Griff thanked him, and after Rachel said a quick goodbye to Egan, she followed Court and Griff to the front. Court went out first, glancing around to make sure no one was out there. Once Court had given him the all clear, Griff got Rachel moving as fast as he could. Brad was right behind them, and for a moment Griff thought the man might try to get into the cruiser with them, but he stopped at the passenger door. He kept his attention nailed to Rachel as if he hoped she would change her mind.
She didn’t.
Rachel looked everywhere but at Brad as Griff drove away. He spared the DA just a glance, to make sure he stayed put, but Griff was more interested in making sure Court was right behind them and that no one else pulled out to follow them. He didn’t see another vehicle other than Court’s cruiser and hoped it stayed that way.
“Sorry about this,” Griff said. “I know you don’t want to be with me—”
“I don’t.” Then she paused. “But I don’t want to die. Nor do I want to tie up Egan and Court to babysit me.”
She probably had meant that to be a dig, and Griff didn’t mind if it was. He didn’t want to tie up her brothers, either. He needed them to focus on catching whoever was behind the attack. Griff would help with that, too, but the sheriff’s office wasn’t his jurisdiction, and he could work the case from his laptop.
“This doesn’t mean things are good between us.” Rachel tacked that onto her comment.
He nodded. “It won’t make sense to you, but I don’t want things to be good between us. I screwed up, and I don’t expect you to ever forgive me for it.”
Her expression let him know that she wasn’t buying that he was being genuine about that. Well, she should. Because it was true. If it’d been just keeping Warren’s secret, then in time she might have relented. But Griff had slept with her, and he didn’t see a way past that.
Since their relationship was a touchy subject, Griff moved on to something else. Something that could end up being touchy, too, but he was getting a bad feeling in his gut about the DA.
“Is it my imagination or is Brad...clinging more than usual when it comes to you?” Griff asked.
She shot him a look as if that was something she might not want to discuss with him before she sighed. “He’s clingy,” she confirmed. “Before things fell apart at home, Brad had been pressuring me to go out with him again. And you should know that my father was encouraging it.”
That didn’t surprise Griff, but it still stung. It was also a reminder that as much as he loved Warren, Warren had never felt Griff was worthy of Rachel. And he wasn’t. But it bothered Griff that Warren thought Brad was the right man for his daughter. Brad wasn’t anywhere near good enough for her, but then Griff admitted that he was biased about that.
“I think Dad was starting to believe I’d become an old maid,” she added in a grumble.
Nowhere close to that. Rachel was only thirty-one. Since Griff was five years older, that’d been another reason Warren had wanted him to keep his distance from Rachel. It had been a big deal when she was just sixteen, but no longer seemed an obstacle. However, there were other obstacles now, including the fact that Rachel might never trust him again.
Griff continued to look around. So did Rachel, and because she was so quiet he heard the rhythm of her breathing change. For one heart-stopping moment, he thought it was because she’d seen someone lying in wait for them, but he soon figured out it was because the ranch had come into view.
He hated that this place was no longer a sanctuary for her. No longer a home. And he wondered if it ever would be again. Her mother would be getting out of the mental hospital soon, and it was entirely possible that Helen would file for a divorce. No one would fault her if she did. But that meant one of Rachel’s parents would almost certainly move.
Griff turned onto the ranch road and immediately spotted several hands near the gate. They opened it for him, and he drove through. As planned, Court turned around and headed back toward town. Griff kept watch in the rearview mirror to make sure the hands closed the gate behind them. They did.
Rachel eyed the main house and then Court’s place, which was just up the road. “Is Rayna living there now?” she asked.
Rayna Travers was Court’s girlfriend and likely soon to be his fiancée. “No. Not yet. She’s still living at her place.” A small horse ranch not far from there.
Rachel’s eyes widened. “She’s not alone, is she? Because the shooter could go there.”
He quickly shook his head. “She’s at a horse show in Dallas. I’m sure Court has someone watching out for her.”
In fact, there was no doubt in Griff’s mind about that. Court was clearly in love with Rayna and would take plenty of precautions to make sure she was safe. Ditto for taking those precautions for his sister. Both Court and Egan would work this case to make sure the danger ended fast. Griff just hoped it was fast enough that there wouldn’t be another attack.
“So far, Rayna hasn’t been included in the new threats we’ve been getting,” Griff added.
“We? You’ve been getting them, too?”
He nodded. “Court, Egan and your dad, as well. And your mom. Obviously, we haven’t let her know about that, and yes, we’ve alerted the hospital. Egan hired a private guard to watch her.”
The guard wasn’t only because of the new threats, though. It was because a month earlier someone had kidnapped the woman, and Egan and Court wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again.
A heavy sigh left Rachel’s mouth. “How bad are the threats?”
Bad. In fact, they still twisted away at him. And while he would have liked to have sheltered Rachel from knowing the exact words, he wouldn’t keep this from her. He’d learned his lesson about doing that. Besides, if he sugarcoated it, she might not take it as seriously as she should.
“The person who sent them wants Warren to suffer,” Griff answered. “He or she says Warren will watch his children die one by one until he has nothing left but misery in his life.”
Rachel shuddered and turned away from him. “Please tell me you have a suspect.”
“Too many of them,” he admitted. “Along with Alma Lawton, who could be connected to Whitney, there are plenty of criminals who’d like to get back at Warren for arresting them. We’re making our way through the case files now.”
But the investigation was moving at a snail’s pace since they were basically having to use the looking-for-a-needle-in-a-haystack approach. Because it might not be an actual convicted criminal who was doing this, but rather someone connected to a person who Warren had managed to convict. Warren had made more enemies than friends during his long reign as the sheriff of McCall Canyon. He’d made an ample share of enemies in his business dealings, too. So, yeah, definitely slow going.
Rachel looked up at the house when Griff pulled to a stop in front of it. The porch lights were on, and Griff spotted one of the hands in a truck parked in the side driveway.
“You know the drill,” Griff reminded her. “Move fast.”
She did. Rachel got out of the cruiser and hurried up the porch steps, but the door opened before they reached it. Griff automatically went for his gun, but it was only Ruby, the McCalls’ longtime cook and housekeeper. The woman was more family than employee, and immediately pulled Rachel into a hug.
“I’m so glad you’re home,” Ruby whispered to her.
Griff hated to cut the reunion short, but he didn’t want Rachel out in the open any longer than necessary. That’s why he took both women by the arm and maneuvered them inside.
“Are you all right?” Ruby asked, pushing Rachel’s hair from her face. “Egan called and said there’d been some more trouble. I figured we’d already had enough of that.”
“We have,” Rachel assured her. “And I’m fine.”
No, she wasn’t. She looked ready to collapse, and Ruby must have noticed.
“Should I do an
ything special to be certain that she stays safe?” Ruby asked Griff.
“Make sure all the windows and doors are locked and set the security system. I’ll call the head ranch hand and see where he has guards posted.” Griff took out his phone to do that, but Rachel’s cell rang.
She sucked in her breath when she saw the screen, so Griff knew this was important. He went to her and saw the name.
Warren.
Rachel’s hand was trembling when she pressed the button to put it on speaker. “Where are you?” she snapped.
“Rachel?” It was Warren all right, but he sounded groggy or something. “Is that you?”
“Of course it’s me. You called my phone, remember?”
“What?” Warren mumbled something else that Griff didn’t catch. “Are you all right?”
“No, I’m not,” she answered, her tone edged with anger. “Are you in Silver Creek? And did you attack Griff and me tonight?”
Griff expected Warren to jump to deny that last question. He didn’t. Instead, Warren groaned. “Someone tried to hurt you,” he said, but he slurred his words, making Griff wonder if the man was drunk.
“No, someone tried to kill me. Was it you?” Rachel demanded, her voice much louder than before.
“God, Rachel.” Warren groaned again. “I’m so sorry. But I just don’t know.”
Chapter Five
Rachel paced across the living room of the ranch house, each time checking out the huge bay window as she walked past it. There was no sign of Egan or her father yet, but according to Egan’s last text, they should be here any minute.
Maybe then she could get answers.
Answers that she certainly hadn’t gotten the night before, when her father had called her. He’d sounded disoriented, maybe even drunk, but she’d never witnessed him having more than a beer or two. Certainly not enough alcohol to make him forget where he was. Or if he’d had something to do with the attacks.
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