by B. J Daniels
Again, he’d been lucky. The bullet had only grazed his shoulder. He stuck the other glove on the wound and zipped his coat back up. He would have to get more clothes. He couldn’t wear a coat drenched in blood with a bullet hole in it—especially given the way his face looked.
He swore again, furious with Rebecca but even more furious with himself. She’d purposely pushed him so he would pull the trigger. Now he was no closer to finding his ledger and his money—or his son—than he had been at first.
Starting the Suburban, he pulled away. He would have to ditch this rig and pick up another. That was the least of his problems. He knew someone who could stitch up his wounds and get him another vehicle.
But now he was a man on the run from the law.
* * *
GILLIAN WAS CRADLING her sister’s head in her arms when Austin returned with local law enforcement. Rebecca was breathing, but she hadn’t regained consciousness. Gillian had wanted to go in the ambulance with her sister, but the officer had needed her to answer questions about what had happened.
“I’ll take you to the Bozeman hospital to see your sister,” Austin said when the interrogation had finally ended and they were allowed to go.
Gillian was still shaken and worried about her sister as she climbed into Austin’s SUV. The officers who’d questioned them had taken them to a local station to talk. She’d been grateful to get out of the cold cabin.
“We have to make sure Marc doesn’t get to Becky,” she said as Austin pulled onto Highway 191, headed north.
“That isn’t going to happen. There will be a guard outside her room at the hospital, not that I suspect Marc will try to see her. There is a BOLO out on your brother-in-law. He can’t get far in that large black Suburban. Also, he’s wounded and needs medical attention. Law enforcement has thrown a net over the area. When he shows his face, they will arrest him.”
She glanced at the Texas cowboy. “You don’t know Marc. He has access to other vehicles. He’s resourceful. He’ll slip through the net. He has nothing to lose at this point. He will be even more dangerous.”
“You don’t have any idea where your brother-in-law might go?”
She shook her head, then winced in pain. “The man is crazy. Who knows what he’ll do now.”
“Whatever information he was trying to get out of your sister...he didn’t get it, right?”
“No,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “Apparently Rebecca would rather die than tell him.”
“I’m trying to understand all of this. Marc Stewart brought you to the cabin to make your sister talk, right? He thought she would tell you. Did she?”
Gillian wiped her tears. “No. Rebecca knew the moment I saw what he’d done to her that I would have told him anything he wanted to know. She didn’t tell me anything. I didn’t know about any ledger or about Andy being gone until Marc told me. I’m just praying she regains consciousness soon and tells us where we can find Andy. My nephew is only ten months old....”
“Maybe Marc will turn himself in given that he’s wounded and now wanted by the law.”
She scoffed at that. “I highly doubt that since whatever is in this ledger Rebecca took would apparently put Marc behind bars for years. He’d never go down without a fight.”
“A lot of criminals say that—until it comes time to die and then they find they prefer to turn state’s evidence,” Austin said. “Your sister never even hinted what Marc might be up to?”
“No. I knew they were having trouble. I couldn’t understand why she stayed with the man. He was domineering and tight with the money, and treated Rebecca as if she was his property. But I never dreamed something like this would happen. When Rebecca texted me that she had left Marc, I was shocked since there had been no warning.”
* * *
AUSTIN GLANCED OVER at her as he drove. Gillian looked numb. Her face was still pale, her eyes red from crying. He hated to ask, but he needed to know what they were up against. “Would you mind telling me how all this began?”
She sat up a little straighter, drawing on some inner strength that impressed him. He knew given what she’d been through, she must be exhausted let alone physically injured and emotionally spent.
“I had no idea what was going on. Rebecca and Andy had been at my house just a week before and everything seemed to be fine. Then I got the text. When I saw her car pull up to my house last night, I ran out thinking it was her.”
He listened to her explain that instead of it being her sister in the car, it had been Marc. She told him how Marc had thrown her into the trunk and she’d escaped partway down the canyon.
“So there had been someone in the trunk,” he said. It all made sense now. Even as confused as she’d been after her car accident, she’d recalled someone in the trunk.
“I wasn’t thinking clearly when I took off. I just knew I had to get away from Marc and find my sister.”
“You did everything you could to save her without any thought to your own life,” Austin said. “This is on Marc, not you. But there is one thing I don’t understand. Why did your sister choose now to leave him? I mean, had something happened between them?”
Gillian sighed. “I don’t know. All I can figure is that Rebecca got her hands on Marc’s business ledger, saw what was inside and realized she was married to a criminal—as well as an abuser. Apparently there was a reference to all the money Marc had stashed in the ledger and that’s why she went to the Island Park cabin and he followed her there.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what she was thinking. How could she not know what Marc would do?”
“It sounds as if she was just trying to keep her son safe from him,” Austin said. “She was also trying to protect you by not telling you anything.” He felt Gillian’s gaze on him.
“I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
“We’re past that. As I told you before, I’m a deputy sheriff down in Texas. I’m glad I can help.”
“I wish you could help, but I have no idea where my sister hid her son, let alone this ledger that Marc is losing his mind over. Marc will only be worse now. He’s dangerous and desperate. I’m afraid of what he will do—especially if he finds his son.”
Austin hated the truth he heard in her words. He’d known men like Marc Stewart. “Which is another reason I don’t want to let you out of my sight. It won’t make any difference if he believes your sister told you anything or not. He’ll blame you.”
“He already does for involving you in this. I’m so sorry. But I can’t ask you—”
“I’m in this with you,” he said, reaching over to take her hand. He gave it a squeeze and let go.
Gillian met his gaze. Her eyes shimmered with tears. “If you hadn’t shown up when you did...” She looked away. He could tell she was fighting tears, worried about her sister and her nephew, and maybe finally realizing how close she had come to dying back there. “I have to find Andy and this notebook, ledger, whatever it is, before Marc does. If he finds it first, he’ll skip the country with Andy. I know him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t have a new identity all set up.”
* * *
MARC AVOIDED LOOKING in the mirror as he drove. His friend had fixed him up. But when he saw his bandaged face in the mirror, it made him furious all over again. And when he was furious, he couldn’t think straight.
He’d just assumed that Rebecca would cave at some point and tell him what he wanted to know. Frankly, he’d never thought her a strong woman. Boy, had she proven him wrong, he thought as he silently cursed her to hell. If she had just told him what he wanted to know all this would be over by now. She might even still be alive. Or not. But at least he would have made her death look like an accident.
Word was going to get out about Rebecca’s murder. His DNA would be found at the scene. Not to mention he’d shot at a Texas depu
ty. Gillian would swear he’d kidnapped her... How had things gotten so out of hand? He had a target on his back now. Even with an old pickup and a change of identity, he couldn’t risk getting stopped even for a broken taillight—not with this bandage down the side of his face.
His cell phone rang. “What?”
“You don’t have to bite off my head.”
Marc rolled his eyes, but bit his tongue. He needed his friend’s help. “Sorry, Leo. What did you find out?”
“They took your wife to the hospital in Bozeman. I couldn’t get any information, though, on her condition.”
Rebecca was alive?
“As for your sister-in-law? She and some cowboy left together after spending a whole lot of time talking to the cops. I suspect they’re headed to Bozeman and the hospital. You want me to keep following them?”
“The man with her? He’s a sheriff’s deputy from Texas. He’ll know if he is being followed, so no. I’ll call you if I need you.”
He disconnected, not sure what to do next. When his cell rang, he thought it was Leo again. Instead it was his...so-called partner. In truth, Victor Ramsey ran the show and always had. Marc began to sweat instantly as he picked up.
“What the hell is going on, Marc? Why are there cops after you?”
* * *
AT THE HOSPITAL in Bozeman, Gillian was told that her sister was stable and resting. She hadn’t regained consciousness, but the doctor promised he would call when she did.
Gillian tried not to let the tidal wave of relief drown out the news. Becky was alive and stable. Once she woke up, she could tell them what they needed to know. But in the meantime...
Down the hallway, she saw Austin on his cell phone and overheard the last of what he was saying as she approached. She felt awful as she realized that he’d come to Montana to see his family and Christmas was just days away.... She didn’t know what she would have done without him, though, but she couldn’t have him missing a family Christmas because of her.
“Hey,” he said, smiling when he saw her. “Good news?”
She nodded. “Becky’s still unconscious but stable. Listen, Austin, I already owe you my life and my sister’s. Aside from almost getting you killed, now I’m keeping you away from your family who you came all the way to Montana to see and it’s almost Christmas.”
“I came up for the grand opening of our first Texas Boys Barbecue restaurant in Montana.”
“Barbecue?”
He nodded at her surprise. “My brothers and I own a few barbecue joints.”
“I thought you said you were a deputy sheriff?”
“I am. My brother Laramie runs the company so the rest of us can do whatever we want.” He gave a shrug.
“Cardwell?” Why hadn’t she realized who he was? “You’re related to Dana Savage?”
“She’s my cousin. She and her husband own Cardwell Ranch. My brothers came up to visit her, fell in love with Montana and all but one of them has fallen in love with more than the state and moved here.”
“You can’t miss this grand opening....”
“Believe me, my family can manage without me. Actually, they’re used to it. I’m not good at these family events and I’m not leaving you until Marc is behind bars. You’re stuck with me.” He smiled. He had an amazing smile that lit up his handsome face and made his dark eyes shine.
She hadn’t realized how handsome he was. Maybe because she hadn’t taken the time to really look at him. “Are you trying to tell me that you’re the black sheep of the family?” she asked as they took the elevator down to the hospital parking area.
He laughed at that. “And then some. I missed my brother Tag’s wedding last summer. I was on a case. I’m often on a case. I’m only here now because they all ganged up on me and made me feel guilty.”
“When is the grand opening?”
“The first of January. See? Nothing to worry about.”
“You’re that confident Marc will be caught by then?” she asked.
He turned that smile on her. “With my luck, he will and I won’t have any excuse not to attend not only the grand opening but also Christmas at my cousin’s house with the whole family.”
“You aren’t serious.”
“On the contrary. I usually volunteer to work the holidays so deputies with families can spend them at home. I’m the worst Scrooge ever when it comes to Christmas. So trust me when I say my family won’t be surprised I’m not there, nor will they mind all that much.”
“I think you’re exaggerating,” she said as they reached his SUV.
He shook his head. “Nope. It’s the truth. What do you suggest we do now?”
She turned to look at him. “I can’t ask you—”
“You aren’t asking. I already told you. I’m not leaving you alone until Marc is behind bars.”
Tears filled her eyes. She bit down on her lower lip for a moment. “Thank you. I need to go to my house.”
“Where is that?”
“I have a studio at Big Sky.”
“A studio?”
“I’m a jeweler.”
“The watch.” He frowned and she could see he was wondering who’d made it for her.
“My father was the one who taught me the craft. I lost him five years ago. Before that, my mother. I can’t lose my sister.”
He put an arm around her and pulled her close. “You won’t. The doctor said she is stable, right? She’s a strong woman and she has every reason to pull through.”
Gillian nodded against his strong chest. He smelled of the outdoors, a wonderful masculine scent that reminded her how long it had been since a man had held her. She reminded herself why Austin Cardwell was here with her and stepped away from his arms.
“I need to figure out what my sister was thinking,” she said as Austin opened the door to the SUV. “It was one thing to hide the ledger, but another to hide my nephew.”
As he slid behind the wheel, he asked, “Those few moments you had with your sister before Marc returned, did she say anything that might have been a clue where either might be?”
“I’m not even sure she was in her right mind at the end. Marc told me she was taking some kind of pills for stress before all this happened.”
Austin shook his head as he started the engine. “She got her son away from Marc and she hid a book that can possibly get her husband put away for a long time. On top of that, she wounded Marc in a way that makes him easy to spot. That doesn’t sound like a woman who wasn’t thinking straight.”
Gillian’s eyes filled with tears. “But why didn’t she tell me where to find Andy and the ledger?”
“Maybe she mailed you something. Or said something that didn’t make sense at the time, but will later. You’ve been through so much, not to mention Marc taking you out of the hospital too soon after a head injury. You say you live at Big Sky?”
“Before you get to Meadow Village. I have an apartment over my studio and shop.” She rubbed her temples with her fingers.
“Headache?”
Gillian nodded. “Maybe Becky did send me something in the mail. If that’s the case...” She turned to look at him. “Then we need to get to my house before Marc does.”
* * *
THEY WERE ONLY a few miles out of Big Sky when Gillian fell into an exhausted sleep. Austin’s heart went out to her. He couldn’t imagine what the past forty-eight hours had been like for her. He worried about her even though she was holding up better than he would have expected. The woman was strong. Or maybe it hadn’t really hit her yet.
What drove him was the thought of Marc Stewart not just getting away with kidnapping and attempted murder, but possibly finding his son and taking him out of the country. If that happened, Austin doubted either Rebecca or her sister would ever see the child again.<
br />
The man had to be stopped, and Austin was determined to do what he could to make that happen.
When Gillian woke near the outskirts of Big Sky, she looked better, definitely more determined. There was so much more he needed to know about the situation he’d found himself in and he was anxious to ask. But first they had to reach her studio. There was the chance that Marc Stewart had been there—was even still there.
Chapter Thirteen
Marc held the phone away from his ear for a moment as he considered how much to tell Victor. The first time Marc had met Victor Ramsey, he’d been amused by the man’s clean-cut appearance that belied the true man underneath. That was five years ago. Victor still had one of those trustworthy faces, bright blue eyes and a winning smile. But if you looked deeper into those blue eyes, as Marc had done too many times, you would see a cold-blooded psychopath.
“What’s going on, Marc?” Victor asked now as if he’d just called to catch up.
The two had met through a mutual friend, something Marc later suspected had been a setup from the start.
Want to make more money than you’ve ever dreamed possible? his friend had said one night after they’d consumed too much alcohol.
His answer had been, Hell yes. The auto body shop he’d taken over from his father was a lot of work and for average income, not to mention he hated it.
His friend, now deceased under suspicious circumstances, had made the introduction. At first Marc had been in awe of Victor, a self-made man with a lot of charm and ambition. It wasn’t until he was in too deep that he’d begun to regret all of it.
“Just having a little domestic trouble,” Marc answered now.
“Attempted murder is a little more than domestic trouble. I want to see you. Where are you?”
He’d been expecting this, but the last person he wanted to see him like this was Victor. “Right now isn’t a great time.”
