Angel of Mercy & Standoff at Mustang Ridge

by Heather Graham

  “We’re alive,” she settled for saying and tipped her head to the interrogation room. “Royce is in there with the gunman and his lawyer, but they’re not saying much.”

  “Figures,” Jake grumbled. “I’ll see what I can do about getting Royce and you out of here.”

  Sophie shook her head. “But what about your daughter?”

  “She’s fine. Maggie and my sister are with her, and none of us will be going back to the ranch until we’re sure the danger has passed.”

  Which might not be for weeks.

  It sickened her to think of that. Jake’s little girl should be home, recovering from her ordeal, but there was no way that could happen with the gunman’s boss still calling the shots.

  “I’m sorry,” she said to Jake.

  He nodded. “Not your fault.”

  Jake walked away and into the interview room. She couldn’t tell from Royce’s face if he was glad to see his brother or not.

  The two brothers stepped out into the hall, and even though Sophie couldn’t hear what they said, the end result was that Jake went back into the interview room and Royce came to her. Sophie expected him to say they were leaving, but he stood in front of her, not moving.

  “I need those papers,” he said.

  Her breath stalled a moment. She certainly hadn’t forgotten about the papers that would incriminate Travis. And her father. But with everything else going on, she’d pushed them to the back of her mind.

  Royce obviously hadn’t done the same.

  With reason. Those papers could perhaps put Travis behind bars and stop the attacks, and even though it could cause her father’s arrest, too, she couldn’t put that above the safety of Royce and his family.

  Sophie nodded. “They’re in a safety-deposit box in Corner’s Lake.” It wasn’t far, less than ten miles from Mustang Ridge, but she stepped into the hall so she could glance out the front window. “How bad do you think the roads will be?”

  “We can get there,” he assured her. Royce blew out a long breath. “I’m sorry you have to do this. Sorry that I couldn’t find another way.”

  Yes, so was she.

  They started toward the front, with Royce grabbing their coats that he’d dropped onto his desk, but before they could even put them on, Royce’s phone buzzed. He took it out, glanced at the screen.

  “It’s Special Agent Kade Ryland,” he let her know. “My friend at the FBI.” As Royce had done before, he put the call on Speaker.

  “Royce,” the agent said. “This is a heads-up. Lott managed to get a court order to put Sophie Conway into protective custody.”

  Her breath didn’t just stall, it stopped for several seconds.

  “How the hell did Lott get that?” Royce asked. His voice was tight, the emotion barely under control.

  “I’m not sure,” Ryland answered. “He pulled some strings, that’s for sure. Oh, and get this. The investigation is all aboveboard now. Well, as aboveboard as the paperwork says it is.”

  Oh, mercy. Normally, a legal investigation wouldn’t have caused her heart to race out of control, but she didn’t trust Lott. And besides, he was a suspect in these attempts on their lives.

  “Any way you can stop the court order?” Royce asked. She hadn’t thought it possible, but his jaw muscles tightened even more.

  “Sorry, no. It’s too late for that,” Agent Ryland answered. “Lott’s on his way to the sheriff’s office now to take Sophie into his custody. I figure you’ve got ten minutes at most to get her the heck out of there.”

  13

  This was not how Royce wanted things to play out.

  He didn’t want to be on the run with Sophie, especially with the snow coming down, an FBI agent on their tails and no answers to help them stop another attack.

  Still, they had no choice. He couldn’t let Lott take her into custody, because Royce wasn’t sure he could trust the man. Of course, there were several people on his do-not-trust list, including Sophie’s own father and brother.

  Royce checked his watch again. Only a few minutes since the last time he’d looked, but time seemed to have stopped while Sophie was inside the secure area of the Corner’s Lake Bank where the safety-deposit boxes were kept. He hadn’t gone into the room with her because he’d wanted to keep watch. It was the least he could do since he was already having second and third thoughts about taking her there. But he couldn’t get past his gut feeling that those papers were critical to their staying alive.

  Still waiting, he stayed near the window so he could see the traffic trickling down Main Street. He’d parked in the back, just in case Lott took this route to get to Mustang Ridge, and Royce had made sure they hadn’t been followed. Still, he wouldn’t rest easy until he had Sophie out of there and safely tucked away somewhere.

  If somewhere safe was even possible.

  They’d been lucky that the bank wasn’t crowded. Luckier still that it hadn’t yet closed because of the weather. Maybe their luck would hold up, and the snowy roads would stop Lott or anyone else from finding them.

  Royce heard the footsteps and spotted Sophie walking back toward him. She handed him the manila envelope she’d had tucked beneath her arm, and without making it too obvious that they were hurrying, they got out of there.

  “Where now?” she asked as they made their way to the parking lot.

  “A motel.”

  She slowed a little and gave him a questioning look. Maybe she was asking if that was a good idea, but Royce had no idea how to answer that. Even if a motel turned out to be perfectly safe, Sophie and he would still be alone there. And with the attraction simmering hot and fast between them, alone probably wasn’t a good thing. Better, though, than having bullets fired at them.

  They got into the SUV that he’d borrowed from Billy and drove out onto Main Street. Sophie tipped her head to the grocery store just up the block from the bank.

  “We could get the test,” she reminded him.

  Royce certainly hadn’t forgotten about the possible pregnancy, but unlike the bank, the grocery store was packed. Probably because people were stocking up on food in case the snow closed the roads.

  “Too risky,” he explained.

  If someone recognized them, the word might get back to the person behind the attacks. Or to Lott. Either way, that wouldn’t be good for Sophie and him. It was best if they kept their location as secret as possible.

  Sophie didn’t argue and kept her attention on the side mirror. Royce kept watch, too, and headed out of town and toward the highway that would eventually lead to the interstate. He didn’t want to go too far in case Jake needed him, but he wanted to be far enough away from Mustang Ridge that he wouldn’t immediately be recognized when he checked into a motel.

  In the few minutes before he’d gotten Sophie out of the sheriff’s office and away from Lott, Royce had managed to grab a few supplies. Definitely no pregnancy tests. But Billy had given them some sandwiches and soft drinks he’d brought for his lunch and dinner. Royce had even grabbed some cash and a change of clothes from his locker. Not that the extra jeans and shirt would fit Sophie, but she might be able to use the shirt as a pajama top.

  It certainly beat the alternative of her sleeping naked.

  Okay. Royce amended that.

  Her sleeping naked greatly appealed to certain parts of his body, but it wasn’t a good idea. Nor was thinking about her wearing only his shirt. However, he might be able to get a room with two beds. Separate rooms were out, because he didn’t want her out of his sight, but separate beds might help him get through the night without going crazy.

  He looked around the cab of the SUV to see if there was anything they could use while hiding out. Royce had to push away Billy’s stash of cigarettes and disposable lighters, and he found something he hoped they wouldn’t need.

>   A handgun and some extra ammo.

  It wasn’t much, but with everything going on, Royce would take every little bit of help he could get.

  He heard the unfamiliar buzzing sound and realized it was the prepaid cell he’d taken from the sheriff’s office. Jake and he used the phones sometimes to issue to temporary-hire deputies, but Royce had snagged one so he could leave his own phone behind. With Lott’s FBI resources, he’d easily be able to trace Royce’s phone, but he couldn’t do that with a prepaid cell.

  Royce shut the glove compartment and answered the call, but he didn’t say anything in case it wasn’t Jake or Billy. However, it was Billy, so Royce put the call on Speaker.

  “Lott finally left a few minutes ago,” Billy explained. “And yeah, he was madder than a hornet when he found out Sophie wasn’t here and that we couldn’t tell him where she was. He’s threatening to bring charges against us for obstruction of justice.”

  Royce groaned. He didn’t need this. Neither did Jake or Billy, but there wasn’t a good alternative for keeping her safe.

  Sophie cleared her throat, causing Royce to glance at her. “I don’t want anyone getting in trouble because of me,” she said. “I can call Lott, talk to him.”

  He shook his head. “Not a good idea. I don’t want any communication with him because we might inadvertently give him clues to our location.”

  Plus, he didn’t want to put Sophie through Lott’s intimidation tactics, especially since she might be giving in to them.

  She squeezed her eyes shut a moment. “But maybe I should go with him.”

  “Hell, no.” And Royce didn’t have to think about that. “Not until we’re sure we can trust Lott.”

  Maybe not even then.

  “Jake’s still tied up, questioning that gunman,” Billy added. “But he said he’d handle Lott if he comes back.”

  Royce didn’t doubt his brother’s abilities. Jake was a good lawman, but he also didn’t want Jake to get in trouble over this. The problem was that Royce wasn’t sure how to prevent that and keep Sophie safe. What he needed was to figure out who was responsible for the attacks, stop them, and then there’d be no reason for Lott to place Sophie in federal protective custody.

  “Thought you’d also want to know,” Billy continued, “that the doc checked out Travis and said it wasn’t much of an injury. All he needed was a couple of stitches.”

  “Was it self-inflicted?” Sophie asked just as Royce turned onto the interstate. He wanted to know the same thing.

  “Possibly. The doc couldn’t say for sure, and Travis walked out of the hospital when the doc hinted that’s what might have happened.”

  So Travis was out and about somewhere. But so were their other suspects.

  “What about the site where Travis said he was run off the road?” Royce asked Billy.

  “The road’s covered with ice and snow. Can’t tell much until this storm passes through. Oh, and Agent Kade Ryland from the FBI called, too,” Billy added. “Should I give him your number?”

  Royce considered it, and while he trusted Ryland, he didn’t know if there’d be some way that Travis could get the information. “Better not risk it. What did Ryland want?”

  “He found out who’s trying to contest Sophie’s mother’s will,” Billy answered.

  “Who?” Royce and she asked in unison. But he didn’t miss the fact that Sophie held her breath, obviously bracing herself to hear the answer that would implicate her father or her brother.

  “It’s Travis,” Billy said.

  Now that was an answer that Royce hadn’t anticipated. Apparently, neither had Sophie because with her mouth open she moved closer to the phone.

  “How could Travis challenge the will?” she asked. “My mother didn’t even mention him in it.”

  “It’s a long legal explanation, one I didn’t fully understand, but it seems as if Travis believes he has a claim to the Conway ranch because Eldon owes him a boatload of money. Travis’s lawyers are saying Diane Conway arranged her assets so they couldn’t be used to pay off debts incurred before her death.”

  Royce thought about that a moment and looked at Sophie. “Is it true? Did your father get some money from Travis before your mother died?”

  She stayed silent a moment, too. “Maybe. You think Travis has a claim?”

  “Who knows,” Billy answered. “The guy could be just grabbing at straws.”

  Yeah. But if there was some basis to it, then perhaps Travis could get his money and back off from Sophie. Maybe that would end the threats.

  Unless Travis was hell-bent on getting revenge for their possible one-night stand after Stanton drugged them.

  Of course, if Travis got his hands on that money, Sophie and her family would probably be broke, but at least they’d all be alive.

  If Stanton, Eldon or both were innocent, that is.

  “Call me if anything else comes up,” Royce instructed Billy.

  He ended the call, hoping that would be the last of the bad news, and he took the ramp to exit the interstate. There were three buildings on the access road—a hotel, restaurant and a motel. He chose the latter since it would mean Sophie and he wouldn’t have to go traipsing through a lobby to get to a room.

  “There are a lot of cars in the parking lot,” Sophie pointed out.

  Royce knew the concerns; she didn’t have to voice them. More cars meant more people who could possibly see them. But it also might mean the place was already full. At least he could see the registration desk through the large front windows, which meant Sophie wouldn’t have to go in, yet wouldn’t be out of his sight.

  “Get down on the seat,” Royce instructed, “and lock the doors.” He got out, waited until she’d done that before he hurried inside.

  “You’re in luck,” the clerk immediately said. “One room left.”

  Finally, something had gone their way. Royce used his cash to pay for a deposit and the room, and he gave the clerk a fake name. Maybe that would stop Lott from pinpointing their location.

  Once he had the key to the second-floor room, Royce parked in the back, gathered their things and got Sophie into the room as fast as possible. Royce did a quick check of the room, though there wasn’t much to check. Just the bedroom and a small bath. No one was inside, lurking, ready to attack, so he double locked the door and even put on the chain.

  “You should eat,” he said, depositing the bag of supplies on the small table.

  Since the table was directly in front of a window, he closed the blinds and took a sandwich and a bottle of water to Sophie who sank down onto the foot of the bed.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled, and took the items from him.

  But it was obvious her attention wasn’t on eating. She glanced first at the envelope of papers that he’d put next to the bag. Then she looked back at the sole queen-size bed before her attention returned to him.

  “There were no rooms with two beds,” Royce volunteered.

  Sophie shrugged. “It probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway.”

  He knew exactly what she meant. They’d been alone two other times before—in the Mustang Ridge motel and in the kitchen at his house, and both times they’d made out.

  Maybe more.

  Even if nothing had happened at the motel a month earlier, plenty had happened in his kitchen.

  “So we, um...wait?” she asked.

  That sounded a little sexual to him, probably because his mind kept drifting in that direction whenever he was around Sophie.

  Royce nodded. “Jake might get something from the gunman.” He motioned toward the papers. “There might be something in those, too.” Anything that would give him the name of the person responsible so he could make an arrest.

  Then they could deal with the pregnancy test.

  Royc
e hadn’t realized he’d been staring at her stomach until Sophie cleared her throat. She’d obviously noticed what had gotten his attention.

  “No symptoms,” she reminded him. “And the odds are slim since it was just that one time.”

  True. And Royce didn’t want to speculate on how he would feel if that test came back positive or negative. Besides, it just didn’t seem real that a drugged or drunken encounter could have resulted in a baby.

  She stood, placing the sandwich and water on the dresser just a few feet in front of her. “Are you going to file charges against Stanton for drugging you?”

  Royce shook his head. “I haven’t made up my mind about that yet. But if I get proof that he’s involved in these attacks, he’s going to jail.”

  Sophie didn’t argue. She just gave a resigned nod and walked closer to him. Her arm brushed against his when she went to the table and retrieved the envelope with the papers. Even though she didn’t open it or say anything, Royce knew what she was feeling.

  “I’ll do everything within my power to keep your father out of this,” he said.

  “Unless he’s the one trying to kill us.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper, and he couldn’t just see the fatigue and worry in her eyes, he could feel it.

  Even though he knew he shouldn’t do it, Royce reached out, put his arm around Sophie and pulled her to him. There was nothing he could say to make things better. Nothing he could do, either. So he just stood there and held her. It might have stayed a simple hug if Sophie hadn’t slipped her arms around him, too.

  And worse.

  She pulled back just a little, met his gaze.

  The fatigue was definitely there in all those swirls of blue in her eyes, but there was a spark of something else. Again, he knew exactly what because the spark was also there inside him.

  The corner of her mouth lifted. “Does this qualify as our second date?” she asked.

  Royce laughed before he could stop himself. He didn’t know how Sophie had managed to find any humor in this mess, but he was glad she had.