And he fired.
Lucas could tell from the pinging sound of the shots that he was hitting the SUV. Ideally he was hitting the gunmen, as well, but if so, that didn’t stop them from continuing to fire.
“Grayson,” Hailey said.
It took Lucas a moment to pick through all the noise from the gunshots to hear a welcome sound. A siren. Grayson certainly wasn’t making a quiet approach, and Lucas was thankful for it. Thankful because the gunmen stopped firing.
But that wasn’t the only thing they did.
Almost immediately, the driver threw the SUV into Reverse and hit the accelerator hard. He sped backward until he reached the dirt path at the edge of the pasture and then spun the SUV around so that it was heading in the opposite direction.
Lucas came out of the ditch and started firing, hoping to shoot out the tires. Just up from him, Josh did the same. But they were too late.
The gunmen were getting away.
Chapter Fourteen
Hailey held Camden close while he slept in her arms. She wasn’t sure she would ever want to let go of him again. Lucas and she had come so close to losing him.
So close to making him an orphan, too.
But Hailey didn’t want to think about that. She only wanted this time with her son. Of course, Lucas wanted time with him, as well, but he was on the phone, pacing and trying to get more information from Grayson about the attack. Especially more information about who’d been in that SUV.
Since they’d gotten back to his place, Lucas had learned that the camera at the bank on Main Street had captured some footage of the SUV used in the attack. The footage wasn’t clear, but the CSI lab might be able to enhance it enough so they could see the license plate number or even their attackers’ faces.
Outside, the storm was finally moving in, and the rain was starting to spatter against the windows. The air felt heavy and thick, almost as if it were bearing down on them. It didn’t help that the house was nearly dark, too. Lucas had turned off all the lights when they’d gotten in. Probably so anyone watching them wouldn’t be able to see their shadows and know where to aim.
Lucas finished his latest call and went to her, sinking down on the sofa next to her. He didn’t say anything. He just looked at her. Or rather, he looked at the cuts on her face. Tillie had tended them after Hailey had showered and changed her clothes, but they were no doubt a clear reminder of what’d happened to them.
“I’m sorry this happened,” Lucas finally said.
Hailey shook her head. “It’s not your fault. Remember, we’re in danger because of me.”
Admitting it put a lump in her throat. Brought tears to her eyes, too. She blinked them back because it wouldn’t do either of them any good for her to break down and cry. Still, she lost the battle fighting it, and tears spilled down her cheeks.
Lucas cursed under his breath, pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. She was almost positive he didn’t want her in his arms. Or so she thought. Until their gazes connected again. Yes, he did want it. Even though he knew it was only breaking down more of those barriers between them.
“What about Colleen’s baby?” she asked. “Have the kidnappers called back yet with the drop-off point?”
“No, but I suspect we won’t hear from them until morning. I hope it’s not sooner, because Grayson still hasn’t convinced Eric to do the drop with me.”
Hailey hoped the kidnappers changed their minds about that. She didn’t want Lucas out there where he could be gunned down, and she especially didn’t want him out there with Eric. If Eric was the person behind everything, then he could lead Lucas right into a trap and then use Lucas to draw her out.
And it would work.
No way would Hailey hide herself away and let Lucas be hurt or killed just to protect her.
“Grayson said there’s no sign of the gunmen,” Lucas continued after he looked away from her and stared at Camden. He touched his fingers to the baby’s toes peeking out from the blanket.
She hadn’t expected there would be, and Hailey already knew it would take the crime lab a while to get to the camera footage from the cruiser, especially since they had so many other things to process from this investigation. Which was a reminder about Eric showing up on the security footage from the bank.
“Has Grayson had a chance to talk to Eric yet?” she asked. It’d been a couple of hours since the attack. Maybe more than a couple since she hadn’t been keeping up with the time. But she figured Grayson would make that a priority.
Lucas nodded. “Eric claims the only reason he went to the bank was that he listened to the recordings and wanted to get to the safe deposit box before one of his father’s lackeys did.”
It could be true. Could. But this was Eric, so there was no telling. “What was in the box?”
“According to Eric, nothing much. Just some records of illegal land deals and such that Preston had done over the years. He says he destroyed them since those were his father’s last wishes.”
Since Eric hated his father, she seriously doubted he would care a flying fig about carrying out Preston’s wishes. “There must have been something in the box to incriminate Eric.”
Lucas made a sound of agreement. There was no way to prove that, though. Maybe Grayson could go after Eric for destroying possible evidence, but with everything else he and his deputies had on their plates, that probably wouldn’t happen soon, either.
“Minton came by the sheriff’s office again,” Lucas continued. “Of course, he says this latest attack is yet another reason for you to be in his protective custody.” He paused. “If that’s what you want—”
“No.” And Hailey didn’t even have to think about it. “I want to be here with Camden and you.”
Lucas stayed quiet a moment, just long enough for her to know something was wrong. It was also plenty long enough for the feeling of panic to start spreading through her.
“Please tell me I don’t have to go with Minton,” she said.
“No. Well, not unless he manages to get a court order, which hasn’t happened. Even then, I think we could fight it.”
Good. But something else was obviously wrong, because his forehead bunched up. “Grayson and I talked about Camden, and we don’t think it’s a good idea for him to be here. Those attackers could try to come after him again. The ranch is secure, but he’d be better off at the main house.”
The place where Mason and his family now lived. It was in the center of the ranch, which would make it harder for kidnappers to get to Camden. Still, there was a problem.
“If the kidnappers have us under surveillance, they might see that we’re taking him there,” Hailey pointed out.
Lucas nodded. Hesitated again. “The kidnappers want Camden only to use him to get to you.”
Because Hailey was fighting the spent adrenaline and the new wave of panic, it took her a moment to figure out what he was saying. “You don’t want me to be with Camden.”
Another nod.
Oh, mercy. That felt like a punch to the stomach, and it caused a fresh round of tears to fill her eyes. It broke her heart to think of not having Camden close to her.
But Lucas was right.
Her baby was much safer without her around. Plus, Lucas’s house was close to the main road. Too close. It would be the first place that gunmen reached if they stormed the ranch.
“How soon would Camden have to leave?” she asked.
“Soon,” Lucas said. “Now would be better. I already talked to Tillie about it when you were in the shower, so she’s ready. Sawyer and two ranch hands are outside patrolling, but they’ll drive Tillie and Camden to the house.”
That punch felt even harder, and she saw Tillie peer out from the kitchen, where she was almost certainly waiting for Lucas to break the news. The nanny gave her a
sympathetic look, but Tillie was probably ready to put some distance between her and Hailey. After all, Tillie was in danger, too, simply by being around her.
“I’ll take good care of him,” Tillie assured her.
Hailey knew she would, but it was still hard to let go of the baby. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Added several more. And she handed him to Lucas so he could take him to Tillie. Once he’d done that, he sent a text. No doubt to Sawyer or one of the hands, because it wasn’t long before Hailey heard the sound of a vehicle pulling directly in front of the house.
“We’ll come up in the morning to see him,” Lucas told the nanny.
When visibility would be better, and it would be easier to spot any attackers who were trying to get close to the ranch. Of course, the visibility wasn’t that good right now, which only made her fears skyrocket.
“What if they start shooting when Tillie and Camden go outside?” Hailey asked.
“There’s nothing to be gained from them hurting Camden,” Lucas assured her. “They want to take him, but they can’t do that if he’s at the main house.”
It felt like a horrible loss to have these next hours taken away. But maybe Lucas and she could use that time to figure out a way to put an end to the danger. They could still set the trap using the reserve deputy to try to lure out the culprit with the promise of getting those files that Colleen had deleted.
“Stand back,” Lucas told her. “I don’t want you by the door when it’s opened.”
Yes, because it might prompt the gunmen to fire shots at her. That would put everyone, including the baby, in harm’s way.
Hailey tried to hold it together but failed miserably when Lucas disarmed the security system so he could get Tillie and Camden out of the house. They didn’t spend but just a couple of seconds out in the open before Sawyer got them in a cruiser. He took off with them as soon as they were inside.
Two other ranch hands stayed behind, no doubt to keep guard. Lucas did his part in keeping them safe, as well. He locked the door and reset the security system.
As fast as she could, Hailey went to the windows on the same side of the house as the road and opened the curtains. She watched as Sawyer sped out of sight.
“That’s not a safe place to stand,” Lucas said. He not only moved her back but also closed the curtains again. Shut off the lights, too. “You should try to get some rest,” he added. “I’ll call Grayson and see if there are any updates.”
Hailey had every intention of moving toward the guest room where she’d been staying, but her feet suddenly seemed anchored to the floor. Her eyes seemed out of her control, too, because she started to cry again. She hated the tears. They wouldn’t help anything, and in fact, they clearly made Lucas uncomfortable, because his forehead bunched up.
Lucas gave a heavy sigh and went to her. He pulled her into his arms. “It’s just temporary,” he reminded her.
She got the feeling he was talking about more than just Camden. He probably meant her being here in his house.
In his arms.
They stood there in the darkness with only the sound of the rain and their breaths. She could feel his heartbeat since his chest was against hers. At the moment Hailey could feel everything about him. Feel everything about herself, too.
Especially the heat.
It came, of course. It always came when she was anywhere near Lucas. It was especially there now because they were coming down from the nightmare of the attack and having to be separated from Camden.
“I’m okay,” she told him, giving him an out so he could back away.
But Lucas didn’t budge. “I always swore that I’d never go another round with you.”
That stung, but it was exactly what she expected him to say. “Understandable. I made mistakes with you. Not the sex,” Hailey quickly added. “That wasn’t a mistake because we got Camden. But I messed up pretty much everything else.”
A sound that could have meant anything rumbled in his chest. “I still don’t think it’s a good idea for us to get involved. Not like this.” He glanced at the close contact between them.
Because she thought they could use some levity, she smiled. “Are you trying to convince yourself?”
“Yeah,” he admitted.
The levity vanished. So did what was left of her smile. Now, that was not what she’d expected him to say. Lucas was the sort of man who kept his feelings, and his pain, close to the vest. She’d hurt him by not trusting him, and it would take him a long time to get over that.
Or maybe not.
“I’m not doing a good job of convincing myself,” he added. “In fact, I’m sinking fast here. I’m trying to come up with a damn good reason why I shouldn’t just strip you naked and take you to my bed.”
That robbed her of what little breath she had. And it fired up every inch of her.
“I hope you can’t think of a reason,” she whispered.
There. She’d given him the green light that he probably didn’t want. Probably wouldn’t take, either.
But she was wrong.
He lowered his head, kissed her. Not a gentle I’m-still-thinking-about-this kind of kiss. It was the real deal. Long and deep. It didn’t do anything to cool down her body. Just the opposite.
The kiss went on for so long that Hailey staggered a little because she couldn’t breathe. Lucas caught her, tightening his grip around her, and he pulled back so they could take in some air.
He also cursed himself. And he looked down at her. Despite the darkness, she could still see a storm of a different kind brewing in his eyes. Fire mixed with the bitterness of the past.
The fire won out.
Because Lucas scooped her up in his arms, kissed her again and headed in the direction of his bedroom. He stopped along the way to kiss her again. Maybe to make one last-ditch effort at rethinking this, but they were obviously past the point of no return.
Later there’d be consequences.
But Hailey didn’t want to think about those now.
She wanted only to feel, wanted to let Lucas take her to the only place she wanted to go. A place with no tears, no gunmen. It was just the two of them, giving in to the heat that had been blazing since they’d first met.
He carried her to the bed, eased her onto the mattress. He was being too gentle with her. Probably because she didn’t have her full strength, but she didn’t want gentle. Not with this ache starting to throb inside her.
Hailey caught onto him, dragging him closer, and ideally letting him know that she wasn’t fragile. Also letting him know that there was already a need to finish what they’d started. In case he didn’t get the message, she put her hand over the front of his jeans.
Yes, he got the message, all right.
He lowered the kisses to her neck. Foreplay. Definitely not overrated when it came to Lucas, though there really was no need to fan these flames any higher.
She was wearing a loaner dress that had been in a stash that some of the Ryland wives had sent over. It was loose, so Lucas had no trouble pushing it up, and she felt his hand on her bare skin. His mouth, too, when he took those kisses to her breasts. Then her stomach. He lingered there a moment before he stripped off her bra and panties.
And he kept kissing her.
Hailey didn’t want to be the only one naked, though, so she went after his shirt. Not an easy task, though, since Lucas was still wearing a holster. He had to put the kisses on hold to help her with that, and the battle started up again. Hailey wanted his clothes off now, but Lucas was back to the kisses.
Which kept going lower.
If they continued in that direction, he was going to make her climax. Something she desperately wanted. But not like this. She wanted him inside her.
Hailey caught onto him, pulling him back up. The movement created an incr
edible sensation with his body sliding over hers. That made her reach for his zipper. She fumbled around and cursed, causing Lucas to smile. As he’d done with the shirt, he helped her get off the rest of his clothes.
But then he stopped. And moved away from her.
She could have sworn her heart stopped, too, but then she realized he was only getting a condom from the nightstand drawer. It brought back the memories of the other time they’d been together.
The memories got a whole lot better, though.
Lucas came back to her, and once he had on the condom, he gathered her into his arms again. Kissed her. And entered her slowly, easing into the heat of her body. Hailey hadn’t thought she’d wanted gentle and easy, but this was working just fine for her. He took his time, building the fire even hotter.
It didn’t last.
Couldn’t.
The need soon took over, and slow and easy was done. Now it was all about finishing this. And he did. Lucas moved in her, the pace as frantic and deep as the need. Until both of them went flying right over the edge.
Chapter Fifteen
Lucas tried to get some sleep. Hard to do, though, with a naked Hailey right next to him. Especially hard to do with the thoughts racing through his head. Thoughts of tomorrow’s ransom drop and of the danger to his son.
Thoughts, too, of what’d happened between Hailey and him.
He figured he should regret the sex. And in some ways he did. It was a distraction that he didn’t need at a time when he should have been focused on the investigation. Still, it was hard to regret something that’d been damn good.
At least she was sleeping now. That was good. But he figured her body hadn’t given her much of a choice about that. Hailey had been running on adrenaline since coming out of the coma, and she needed to rest. Because tomorrow would be a hellish day for her, as well.
Lucas only hoped he could get back Colleen’s baby without anyone getting hurt or killed. While he was hoping, he added that Eric would cooperate and do the drop with him. So far, he hadn’t agreed, which meant Lucas would have to convince him or else renegotiate with the kidnappers.
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