The Divine Creek Ranch Collection Volume 4

by Heather Rainier

  Emma licked the confectioner’s sugar from her upper lip and asked, “What’s in Henderson?”

  Duke rolled his eyes dreamily and replied, “Only some of the best crawfish étouffée to be found in the Atchafalaya Basin, and crawfish pie that will bring tears to your eyes, sweetheart. I guarantee you have never seen anyone put away as much Cajun food as we can.”

  “I’ve never had crawfish before.”

  Duke grinned at him, and Gage said, “Well, angel, this is your lucky day. They have all kinds of seafood there, plus chicken and steaks. Although, I think you would like the crawfish. They make it more ways than any other place I’ve ever been to.”

  Emma had spent two nights with them in the Chattahoochee National Forest in the North Georgia mountains, hiking, fishing, tree camping, and making love until they could barely breathe or move. Now today, on the way home, she looked more relaxed and contented than Gage had yet seen her. The time away from the stress and long hours of work had been good for her.

  The second night they tree camped, a rainstorm had come, and they’d barely gotten the canopy down before it reached them. They’d made love to the sound of the fat droplets landing on the canopy, leaves, and branches around them. Snuggled up in their warm little haven had been a magical moment that he’d never forget. Thankfully, the temperatures never dipped below the fifties either night.

  Emma said, “I’m up for trying something new. Crawfish it is.”

  Later that evening, after a supper at Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf that was fit for a king, the three of them decided to stay overnight and have breakfast in Henderson before making the last part of the journey home the next morning.

  “My stomach is so full I could bust, guys. I’m glad we decided to stay,” Emma said sleepily as they carried their bags into the motel room at the Edgewater Inn, next to the restaurant. “Do they serve breakfast?”

  Both men chuckled, and Gage said, “That’s how you know she liked the food. She’s stuffed but she’s already asking if they serve breakfast.”

  They showered together and fell into bed in an exhausted, overfed coma. It rained on the way home the next day. Even though it was a long drive, riding with Emma cuddled up next to him in the truck was a nice way to end the first vacation any of them had taken in years. The thought of her parting ways with them when they got home came to Gage, and even though she would be mere feet away from him, it brought a lingering pain to his chest. She could come home with them. She should come home with them. Gage pondered it for a while and, not for the first time, thought what it would be like if they did live together.

  He shook his head unconsciously, knowing that as a doctor in the community she couldn’t just move in with them.

  Quietly, Duke asked, “What’s on your mind?”

  Emma didn’t stir, and Gage realized the look on his face must’ve clued Duke into his thoughts.

  Gage sighed softly and replied, “Just thinking I’ll miss her when we get home. I like having her…so close by.” Gage stroked her hair and gently kissed the top of her head.

  Keeping his eyes on the road, Duke said, “I was thinking about that earlier.”

  “I’m going to miss her, more than ever.”

  The kinds of hours the three of them sometimes kept had been a constant challenge, though making time to be together had never been a point of contention. Sitting on the bench seat of the truck, Gage had never felt so relaxed, but he couldn’t account for the hollow feeling in his chest.

  “I know what you mean.”

  * * * *

  Emma sighed heavily as she placed her luggage on the bed to unpack. She should feel happy, relaxed, and refreshed right now. Why did she feel so depressed? She’d just had seven solid days with the men of her dreams. She’d been made love to six ways to Sunday. She should be craving rest, but she just wanted more of them. She heard footsteps above her as she unzipped her bags. If they knew about her pathetic thoughts, what would they think?

  While putting her belongings away, she recalled the way the fog had risen during the early morning hours when they’d tree camped. The fog had rolled in and blanketed the water all the way up the tree line so that it felt like they were floating above the clouds. She’d lain there for a few minutes, just staring in wonder at it, and then took pictures so she’d always have the memory.

  Once she was done unpacking, she went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of chamomile tea. After she popped the teabags in the steaming water she looked out the window at the overcast sky and decided to crack it open a bit and let in some fresh air. The tea was brewing when she noticed two shopping bags on her kitchen counter. Before the trip, she’d purchased supplies for restocking the medical emergency box she kept in her Aztek. Thinking that might be a great way to distract herself from her Sunday evening blues, she lifted her keys from their hook by the door and went outside to bring the big utility box in.

  Stepping out over the threshold she noticed a faded blue van parked across the rural road from the apartment building. The windows on the van were tinted, but she could see someone sitting in the front seat. She thought she’d seen the van parked there before but couldn’t be sure.

  Shrugging, Emma walked around the building to the parking lot. The temperature was mild, and the scent of rain was in the air. The cup of tea brewing in her apartment fit her mood. While she was out there, she also checked her mailbox, which was stuffed. She followed the sidewalk back around to her front door and halted in her tracks when she saw a woman dressed in sweats and a man’s heavy camouflage jacket waiting by her door.

  “Can I help you, ma’am?” Emma asked, a shiver of unease running up her spine as the much shorter woman made eye contact with her. Intuition told her to back away, but before she could, the woman lifted a revolver from the voluminous folds of the coat and pointed it directly at her.

  “Yes. You can do exactly as I say. Turn around and walk casually with me back out to the blue van. Don’t you dare make a sound or I’ll shoot you where you stand.”

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m Gage’s girlfriend. I already know who you are and what you’ve been doing with him.” Righteous anger rang in her clear voice as though she’d somehow caught Emma in wrongdoing.

  Emma didn’t believe the woman could be Gage’s girlfriend even for an instant. There was something not right about her. The zealous gleam in the woman’s eyes cautioned Emma to not push her too hard, but she had to know. “I’ve been dating Duke and Gage for a couple of months now. If you’re Gage’s girlfriend, where have you been all this time?”

  “Waiting for him to come to his senses. Obviously you’ve been a distraction but not anymore. Do as I said.” She motioned with the revolver for Emma to turn and walk down the sidewalk out to the main road.

  The woman nudged her with the muzzle of the revolver, and Emma stepped off the concrete porch and walked past the stairs that led up to the two apartments above hers.

  “What is your name?” Emma asked as she turned to look back at the woman. “Where are you taking me?”

  “My name is Amy. Not that it is any of your business,” she sneered. “I’m taking you someplace where we can have a chat in private.”

  Recalling the instruction from a self-defense class, Emma was relatively certain that what Amy meant by “somewhere private” was a place where she could kill her and dispose of her body unseen. She looked back at Amy and happened to glimpse Duke in her peripheral vision, standing outside his front door upstairs.

  Amy walked closely behind her and nudged her with the weapon again. “Keep walking. They’re upstairs gaming with their online buddies and don’t have a clue. I can hear them from down here. They’ll probably be on for hours.”

  Duke put his finger to his lips and nodded. Emma bit her lip and turned to walk down the sidewalk, hoping Duke had some kind of plan.

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because that’s how I met them. They can play those games for hours.”

&
nbsp; All the pieces fell into place, and the name suddenly clicked with Emma. This was Gage’s cyberstalker. “He believed you had moved on. He asked you to not contact him anymore.” Way to provoke the gun-wielding crazy person, Emma!

  “Then he changed his number so I couldn’t even talk to him about it.”

  “You tricked his friends into giving you his number. He changed it because what you were doing was wrong. You need help, Amy. I know of several doctors—”

  The solid, metal muzzle of the revolver pressing against her spine silenced her as Amy stepped close to her and said, “I don’t need a doctor. I need Gage. And I need you to shut the fuck up.” The woman’s voice shook, and Emma could tell she was becoming emotional. Perhaps she was realizing she was in over her head and rethinking her plan.

  Emma knew if she got in that van she was as good as dead. Turning to look Amy in the eye, she pleaded with her. “You really don’t want to do this, Amy. You don’t strike me as the type to hurt other people. I can get you help, Amy.”

  Tears flooded Amy’s eyes, and a red flush came over her face. “I’ve had enough ‘help’ to last a lifetime. I don’t need anything but Gage and he needs me in order to be fulfilled. When we talk it’s like our souls have always known each other. All I have to do is meet Gage face-to-face and he’ll understand that we were meant to be together forever. Our hearts are bonded and we have a lot in common. Keep walking.”

  Keep her talking, Emma. “What? Like camping, hiking and fishing? Are you an IT consultant and help people like he does?” Emma wracked her brain for ways to persuade the woman from her intentions.

  “No,” she sneered again. “Computers, gaming online. We used to instant message all the time…until you came along.”

  That was right about the time he’d told Emma that he’d asked Amy to stop bothering him constantly. Emma wished now that Duke had followed through with the offer to trace Gage’s cyberstalker and have a serious talk with her and the authorities. It was obvious that Amy hadn’t been convinced by Gage’s repeated attempts to cease communication with her. Amy had simply used whatever skills she had to locate him, and there was no telling how long she’d been in Divine.

  “Everything was going along fine and then you came along and he just cut me off, like he didn’t need me anymore. You poisoned him against me!” Amy’s voice trembled, but Emma could hear the unreasonable anger in her tone.

  “Amy, put the gun down and we can talk all of this out. Give Gage a chance to explain. Maybe you just didn’t understand.” Emma wished now that she’d talked about it more with Gage so that she could find some common ground with Amy. Emma hadn’t wanted to know all the details behind their online friendship because frankly it had made her a little jealous to think of Gage chatting with another woman.

  “I don’t think you understand, dear doctor,” Amy said as they reached the van and she opened the back door. She jerked the utility box out of Emma’s hand and placed it inside then held out her hand. “Give me your cell phone.”

  Emma shook her head. “I don’t have it. It’s inside my apartment.” Over Amy’s shoulder she saw blond hair and movement alongside the van. Please be careful, Gage!

  Amy sneered and said, “I don’t believe you.”

  Trying to be brave, Emma replied, “Search me, if you don’t believe me. Make sure and wave that gun around some more so people can see it. I don’t have my phone. I was checking my mail and getting something from my vehicle when you accosted me.”

  Amy blew out through her nostrils angrily and gestured with the revolver. “Empty your pockets.”

  Feeling a little anger of her own, Emma said, “I just got back from my vacation. There is nothing in my pockets. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you check them yourself?” Emma, shut your crazy mouth before she shoots you instead!

  Emma was afraid for a second that Amy was considering it. Gage was on the other side of the opened van door. Emma saw his shadow on the ground in her peripheral vision. Pointing the gun right at her, Amy cautiously leaned forward to pat Emma down. She stood stock-still waiting for Gage to make his move. Amy’s shoes shifted on the gravel as she half squatted to pat down Emma’s pockets. Gage chose that moment to act.

  He stood and gestured silently for Emma to jump into the van as Amy’s head was turned away from him. He held up three fingers, then two, then one. He leaned back to kick the back door hard, a split second after Emma jumped into the back of the van. Amy grunted in surprise as she was knocked away from the van, evidently to the ground. Emma heard shouts and a struggle outside and the blessed sound of sirens in the distance.

  Looking around for something to aid in the struggle, Emma noticed a box of large, industrial-sized black trash bags, and a cardboard box that contained several saws and other tools. Her eyes rounded in shock, realizing that if Duke and Gage hadn’t known what was going on, she might have met her end in this van.

  Growling, she turned the handle on the back door and pushed it back open. Unfortunately, her appearance was ill timed, and she hit Duke in the face with the other half of the door as she flung them open. Gage and Amy were struggling for control of the gun. Gage was speaking calmly to her, trying to not hurt her. Amy took advantage of his concern for her and kneed him in the balls, threw her weight against him, and wiggled free. Her eyes were wild as she focused on Emma, pointed the revolver, and pulled the trigger.

  Gage howled, “No!”

  Pain blossomed raggedly in Emma’s chest, and she fell back into the van.

  She heard Duke shout, “No!”

  “Angel!”

  A cacophony of noise surrounded her, sirens, the screeching of tires, the firing of a weapon, and much hollering. It all came to her from a distance even though she knew it was close by. She put her hand to her chest and saw blood when she lifted it. She reached for her medical kit as Duke shouted her name and hurriedly climbed into the van. Her slippery fingers skidded uselessly across the plastic surface of her utility box, leaving a wet, bloody smear.

  When she spoke, her voice was nothing more than a whisper over the ringing in her ears. “Duke. Stop the bleeding. Shot.” Stars began to form in her vision, and her hands fell limply to his as he checked her wound. Everything went black.

  * * * *

  Duke’s heart froze in his chest when Emma’s head lolled to the side and her hands stilled on his. “Emma! Emma! No! Oh, God! Emma!”

  He fumbled with the latch on the medical kit she’d been reaching for and got it open. He found what he needed and ripped open a large square gauze pad. Peeling back the T-shirt he’d helped her don that morning after making love to her, he groaned when he saw the bleeding bullet wound on the right side of her chest. He pressed the pad to the wound and looked behind him as emergency responders pulled open the back doors of the van. Two paramedics climbed in beside him, immediately going to work.

  He told them what he could, and then one of the men looked at him with all seriousness and said, “We’ll handle it from here. You can ride with us if you want to but you’re going to have to stay out of the way. Your nose is bleeding. Are you okay?”

  Duke nodded numbly. “Yes.”

  He touched his face and looked at his hands. Emma’s blood and his coated his fingers. He’d forgotten about the pain when the gun had gone off. He crouched and turned to the back opening of the van and climbed down with help from Eli Wolf.

  Eli looked over Duke’s shoulder at the occupants of the van and said, “David and Carter are some of the best paramedics in the area, Duke. They’ll take good care of her. Come on.”

  Duke turned back to watch the paramedics as one of them spoke rapidly into his radio. He wanted to stay as close to Emma as possible, but Eli pulled him away and said, “I know how you feel, Duke. I’ve been in your shoes. If you believe in God, prayer is your best bet now. Come on. Gage is talking to Hank Stinson. You can ride up front in the ambulance with me.”

  Blankly, Duke looked around at the chaos on the front lawn of their apa
rtment building. Gage stood speaking with the sheriff. Two sheriff’s deputies stood near the sheet-covered body of the woman who had tried to abduct Emma. Other law enforcement officers blanketed the scene and diverted traffic through the area.

  He looked up at the door to his apartment. What could he have done differently? What if he’d charged the woman before Gage shoved her with the door? What if they’d disarmed her more quickly? God, what if they hadn’t had the windows and balcony screen door open and overheard the entire conversation between the two women? They’d noticed the blue van before and had been curious about it. What if he’d run the plates? They might have had a little warning that Amy was in the area if it was even registered to her. They’d never even known Amy’s last name. Online she was known to them only as “Amyp1620.” He’d missed the signs.

  Eli spoke with Hank and Gage, went to the back of the ambulance, and then returned to Duke’s side. He handed him a cold, wet compress. “That’s for your nose.” The tall man leaned down and looked at his nose, pressed around a bit, and said, “I don’t think it’s broken. Put that on it. Gage is not done giving his statement. He’s pretty antsy about Emma too, so Hank will probably bring him to the hospital and take your statement later. They’re loading her onto a gurney right now. Come on, we want to be ready to go.” Eli handed him Emma’s stack of mail. “They recognized Emma and said this was lying next to her medical kit.”

  Duke looked down at the thick bundle. This time, instead of drawing her to them like the first batch had, these blood-spattered envelopes in his hands might signify them losing her completely.

  Feeling eyes upon him, Duke looked up, and Gage nodded at him, looking worried and haunted. Heavy blood spatters covered one side of his T-shirt. Duke followed Eli to the ambulance and climbed in the passenger seat. He looked back between the seats as the paramedics jerked open the doors and loaded her quickly into the treatment area. A deputy closed the door behind them, and Eli pulled away.

  Duke couldn’t take his eyes off of her as they treated her, what little he could see of her. He couldn’t understand what they were saying over the radio chatter. Eli called in to let the emergency room know they were in transit.