Cowboy Above the Law

by Delores Fossen

  The need couldn’t last, of course. That meant the pleasure couldn’t, either.

  When the pace became harder and faster, it pushed Rayna right over the edge. There was nothing she could do but hold on to Court and make sure he went over the edge with her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I’m getting too old for floor sex,” Court grumbled.

  Though it really wasn’t much of a complaint. His body was slack and practically humming, but if Rayna and he stayed on the hardwood floor much longer, that slackness was going to be replaced with some back aches. That was why he got up, scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

  Rayna made a sleepy moan of pleasure and kissed him before he headed to the bathroom. Once he was done, he fully intended to slide right into bed with Rayna and maybe make another mistake tonight.

  And it had been a mistake.

  Still, he wasn’t seeing how he was going to stop himself from making another one. He wanted her, and Court doubted anyone would be able to talk him out of that. Maybe Rayna would get a sudden dose of common sense and tell him to go back to keeping watch.

  Or not.

  When he went into the bedroom, she patted the spot next to her, motioning for him to join her. She also had a sly smile on her face. Couple with the fact that she was naked, and it erased any chance of him putting a stop to this.

  He got on the bed, automatically pulling her into his arms and kissing her. The kiss would have gone on a lot longer if he hadn’t heard the ringing sound. It wasn’t in his head, either. It was coming from his phone, which he’d left in the foyer. Since it could be a critical call, he bolted from the bed and ran to get it.

  Rachel’s name was on the screen.

  “Is everything okay?” Court immediately asked.

  “Fine. Well, you know that’s a lie. What I should say is that Mom and I are safe. What about Rayna and you?”

  “We’re safe, too,” he settled for saying.

  He really wanted to enjoy seeing Rayna naked a while longer, but when she came into the foyer to gather up her clothes and start dressing, Court did the same. He also put the call on speaker for her.

  “Good.” Rachel hesitated, and Court wondered if his sister had sensed what’d just gone on. If she did though, she didn’t mention it. “Mom is all settled in her room here. It looks like a regular hospital room, but it’s, well, noisy. Lots of people coming and going, and every now and then I can hear someone shout. Apparently, they have patients in here who get agitated easily.”

  His sister wasn’t painting a good picture of the place, but maybe his mom wouldn’t have to be there for long. “What about security?”

  “There’s a Texas Ranger in the hall and another out front. I’ve come to the cafeteria for a while so we can talk about that business card she had. Mom’s been sedated since we got here, but I asked her if she hired someone.” Rachel paused. “She did. His name is Abraham Stigler. But she insists he didn’t really do much for her.”

  Court replayed that last bit word for word. “But he did do something?”

  He could hear more chatter along with Rachel’s frustrated breath. “Stigler apparently wanted to try to lure Dad into a compromising position with Alma so he could get photographs. Of course, Stigler wanted her to use those pictures to launch into a divorce where Mom could get a better settlement than she otherwise would have gotten. Mom refused. Stigler got mad and stormed off.”

  He definitely didn’t like the sound of that. “Is it possible this Stigler is unhinged? Because that doesn’t sound like the behavior of a professional PI. If so, he could be the triggerman in these attacks.”

  “I asked Mom about that in a roundabout way, but she didn’t think he would do anything violent. She said he was just frustrated that she was going to let herself be treated like that. Apparently, his dad cheated on his mom, so it’s a sore spot for him. Anyway, I’ve got my laptop here, so I did some checking and didn’t find anything on him, either.”

  That didn’t mean there wasn’t something to find. “Thanks, sis. I’ll let you know if I come up with anything. Try to get some rest,” he added.

  Since checking on the PI could take a while, Court gave Rayna another kiss. One that he hoped would let her know that...except he didn’t know what he wanted her to know. That was because he didn’t have a clue where this was going. Worse, he really didn’t have time to figure it out.

  “Work on the PI,” Rayna prompted. “I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee.”

  Coffee wasn’t much of a substitute for kissing, sex or even a “where is this going?” discussion, but she was right. It could wait.

  Court called the sheriff’s office to get someone to access the computer, and Ian answered. However, Ian spoke before Court could say anything.

  “I was about to call you. The dead guy in the car had a receipt in his wallet. One for the Lone Star Inn here in town. The CSIs found out that a person matching Bobby Joe’s description had a room there, and they’re going through it now. Court, they found something.”

  Judging from Ian’s tone, that something wasn’t good. He tried to steel himself, and he waited for Ian to continue. He didn’t have to wait long.

  “The dead guy has to be Bobby Joe because he has some recordings saved on a laptop, and I’m emailing them to you now so you can see for yourself,” Ian explained. “Uh, is Rayna with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. Well, the recordings will probably upset her. Just thought you should know that up front.”

  Hell. Court wished there was a way to keep this from her, but he couldn’t. After everything Bobby Joe had put her through, she deserved to know the truth.

  Since it sounded as if Ian had his hands full, Court decided to wait on having the deputy check on the PI. Instead, he ended the call, and with Rayna right there next to him, he went to his laptop and accessed the file. It didn’t take long for the images to appear on the screen.

  Bobby Joe.

  Yeah, it was him all right. Court could tell that even though Bobby Joe wasn’t looking directly into the camera. He had also grown a beard. Court checked the date on the recording, and it’d been made just three days ago. Or rather that was when it’d been uploaded.

  “It’s time to make Rayna pay,” Bobby Joe said. He was resting against the headboard of a bed and drinking a beer. “Revenge is best served up cold, you know.”

  Someone else in the room said something that Court couldn’t hear. It was a mumble, and whoever had said it wasn’t on the screen.

  “Because she made a promise to love me forever, that’s why,” Bobby Joe snapped in response to whatever the other person had said. There was pure venom in his tone. “That’s what you promise when you accept a marriage proposal. It’s like a lie when you break a promise, and no one’s gonna get away with lying to me.”

  Rayna’s breathing became faster, and she inched closer to the screen. “I’m not sure he knows he’s being recorded.”

  Neither was Court, but he was surprised that Rayna could pick up on that, considering the hatred in Bobby Joe’s voice.

  The other person mumbled something else, something that caused Bobby Joe to bolt up from the headboard. “It matters,” he snarled. “It was fun, watching her always looking over her shoulder. Living like a monk because she was too scared I’d come jumping out at her.”

  Rayna shuddered, and Court knew why. This meant Bobby Joe had indeed been watching her all this time.

  “Rayna’s gonna have to pay,” Bobby Joe grumbled after downing some more beer. “I’m gonna burn that bitch alive.”

  That was obviously a little more than Rayna could take because she dropped back a step. Court slipped his arm around her. It wasn’t much, but then there wasn’t much they could do except finish listening to what this snake had to say.

  “That’ll teach her to file charges
against me,” Bobby Joe went on with his rant. “That’ll teach her what happens when she breaks a promise.”

  The recording ended, but it was more than enough to let Court know that Bobby Joe had indeed been out to kill Rayna.

  “Someone intentionally left this recording for us to find,” Court said.

  “Yes.” She agreed so quickly that it meant she’d come to the same conclusion. “Is there any chance there can be a voice analysis done on the other person in the room with him?”

  “Maybe.” And considering this had been recorded three days ago, it could have been any of their suspects. “Ian’s probably already sent it to the Ranger Crime Lab, but I’ll make sure.” He paused. “Whoever was in that room, Bobby Joe felt comfortable enough with him or her to admit to conspiracy to commit murder.”

  She nodded. “Plus, the recording might not even be recent.” Rayna motioned toward the background of the shot Court had frozen on the screen. “I’ve never been to the inn, but I’m not even sure that’s where this was recorded.”

  No, and if it hadn’t been, maybe someone had planted the laptop with the recording in the room. For that matter, the person could have planted the receipt, as well.

  Court’s phone rang, and with all the things that’d been going on, he expected it to be Ian calling with more bad news of something they’d found at the inn. But it wasn’t. It was Rachel.

  Since his sister could have her own version of bad news, something else she’d perhaps learned from their mother, Court took a deep breath before he answered.

  “You have to come right away,” Rachel said, her voice filled with panic. “Mom’s missing. I just got back to her room, and she’s not here. God, Court, I think someone kidnapped her.”

  * * *

  RAYNA KNEW THIS could be some kind of setup. A ruse to get Court and her out of his house. But the problem was, it was going to work.

  Because there was no chance Court was going to stay put if his mother was in some kind of danger. That was why they’d practically run to his cruiser when they’d heard what Rachel said, and Court had started driving the moment they were inside. He’d also had Rayna use her phone to call Ian and tell the deputy to meet them on the road that led from the ranch to San Antonio. That way, they would at least have some backup.

  “Rachel, tell me exactly what happened,” Court insisted. He still had her on the line, and he’d put the call on speaker.

  His sister didn’t answer right away though, something she’d been doing since her bombshell of Helen being gone. That was because Rachel was also answering frantic questions from people who most likely were the staff and the Texas Ranger.

  “Rachel?” Court said in a much louder voice.

  He wasn’t panicking like his sister, but he wasn’t exactly cool and calm, either. That lack of calmness wasn’t just limited to his mom though. His gaze fired all around them, keeping watch, and he motioned for Rayna to do the same. She did, and she also kept a firm grip on the gun he’d given her.

  She prayed she didn’t have to use it, but it was nearly an hour’s drive to San Antonio, and plenty could go wrong between here and there. Maybe it wouldn’t take Ian long to join them. Of course, someone could attack them while Ian was with them, but at least they’d have an extra gun if things went wrong.

  “No, I don’t know where she went,” she heard Rachel say. “I’ve already told you that a dozen times. Now find her.” Rachel made a hoarse sound before she came back on the phone. “Court, I don’t know where she is. They think I helped her escape, but I wouldn’t do that.”

  “I believe you. Now, tell me what happened.”

  “I’m not sure.” Rachel made another of those sobbing sounds. “I was in the cafeteria making some other calls, and when I came back to her room, Mom wasn’t there.”

  “But you said you thought someone kidnapped her,” Court pointed out.

  “Someone did. I should have never left her alone.”

  “You thought she was safe. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Court said, and he somehow managed to speak calmly. “What about the Ranger? Who is he and how did someone get past him?” His voice got a little harder on those two questions.

  It took Rachel a moment to answer. “The Ranger’s name is Marcus Owen, and he said someone dressed like a janitor walked past him and hit him with a stun gun. After he was down, the guy used pepper spray on him.”

  That tightened Rayna’s chest. The memories of her own attack came flooding back, and the man who’d gone after her had used a stun gun, too. No pepper spray, but Helen McCall hadn’t gotten a syringe of drugs pumped into her. “Mom’s room is a mess, like there was some kind of a struggle,” Rachel said. “Items had been knocked off the stand next to her bed. Her things are still here, so I don’t think robbery was the motive.”

  Neither did Rayna. “What about the Ranger? Did he see the face of the man who used the stun gun on him?”

  “I don’t think so. Ranger Owen’s still coughing from the pepper spray, so he might remember more once his head is clearer.”

  Court cursed. “What about security cameras? They should be all over that place.”

  “They are, and someone’s trying to get the surveillance footage from them now. The ones in the parking lot, too.”

  That was a start, but even if they could identify the guy, it didn’t mean they could stop him. By now, he could have already taken Helen out of the hospital. Plus, since the woman had been sedated, it was possible she wouldn’t be able to figure out a way to escape. Even if she did fight off the sedation, her attacker could obviously use the stun gun or pepper spray on her.

  “Mom must have screamed or something,” Court added. “No way would she just let a stranger take her.”

  “She wouldn’t have. I think that’s why the room looks as if it’s been trashed. Oh, God. Court, you don’t think he would hurt her, do you?”

  “No, I don’t,” Court quickly answered, but judging from his suddenly tight jaw muscles and the death grip that he had on the steering wheel, he was considering the same thing.

  “Whoever took her probably wants to use her for leverage,” Rayna suggested. “That means he won’t hurt her.”

  “Leverage for what?” Rachel asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Rayna lied. But she had a strong inkling this was either tied to Warren or Court and her. “Did you let your dad know what’s going on?”

  “I called his guard,” Rachel said. “I wanted to make sure he hadn’t been taken, too, but he’s okay. I told the guards to make sure it stayed that way.”

  “Thanks for doing that,” Court told her. “Are the local cops out looking for this guy who took Mom?”

  “I think so. If not, Egan will make sure they are when he gets here. How long before you can come?”

  “I’m on the way now. Whatever you do, don’t leave the hospital, and don’t go looking for Mom. Just stay put until Egan and I get there, and we can figure out what to do. Don’t worry, we’ll get Mom back.”

  Rayna knew that Court would do anything in his power to make that happen, but this might be beyond what he could do. She hadn’t wanted to mention it with Rachel on the phone, but the moment Court ended the call, she knew she had to say something.

  “This could turn into some kind of ransom demand,” Rayna told him.

  Court nodded. “For either us or Dad.” He cursed again and continued to keep watch. “There’s another thing to consider. We’re not sure that burned body is actually Bobby Joe. He could be the one behind this.”

  “Yes,” she admitted, “but that doesn’t explain the recording on the laptop.” Rayna hated to even consider that Bobby Joe might be innocent in this, but she had to force herself to at least consider it. “The recording on the laptop could have been made years ago, and now someone could be using it to set up Bobby Joe.”

  “I agree,” Court an
swered several moments later. “Since someone used Hallie to try to set you up and then murdered her, the person could have done the same to Bobby Joe.”

  She hated Bobby Joe for what he’d done to her, but he didn’t deserve to be murdered. If that was what had happened. It was entirely possible that the body in the car wasn’t his. Maybe it belonged to someone else that this unidentified killer had eliminated to tie up some loose ends.

  “Call Ian so we can find out his location,” Court instructed.

  Rayna did, putting the call on speaker and holding the phone so that Court would be able to speak to his fellow deputy. Ian answered on the first ring.

  “We’re about five miles from the exit to the highway,” Court said abruptly.

  “I’m on my way there now, too. I should arrive in just a couple of minutes. If I make it ahead of you, I’ll wait.”

  “Good.” Court opened his mouth to say more, but he stopped. “What the hell?” he grumbled, and he hit his brakes.

  It took Rayna a moment to realize why he’d done that. It was because someone had stretched a spike strip across the road. It was the kind of thing that cops used to stop bad guys from getting away. They ran right over it, the spikes tearing through the tires.

  The cruiser jolted from the impact, and Rayna immediately felt something she didn’t want to feel.

  The tires were quickly going flat.

  And that made Court and her sitting ducks.

  * * *

  COURT DIDN’T TAKE the time to curse, but that was what he’d do later. For now though, he got the cruiser to the side of the road so he could stop and draw his gun. Rayna had hers ready, and like him, she was looking all around, trying to find out who’d just set this trap for them.

  “What happened?” Ian said from the other end of the line.

  “Spike strip. Head this way, but approach with caution. I’m betting the person who put it there is still around.”

  Rayna pulled in a hard breath. Of course, she’d already known that, but it was probably unsettling to hear it said aloud.

  “I’ll get there as fast as I can,” Ian assured him.