by Lise Fuller
She straightened. Her eyes widened with each of his words. He knew she hadn’t readied it.
Quick as a snake, he lashed out and grabbed the barrel then pointed it upward. His other hand surrounded hers and twisted the gun free. The shriek she’d held in spewed from her as the force of his action made her stumble backward. She fell on the floor.
Deftly, he unlatched the barrel and spun it, noting the empty chambers. He leered at her. “As I thought. You never were one to invest in violence.”
“And I suppose you’re an expert?” She rose to her elbows, her voice caustic and thick with anger.
“Babe…” He squatted in front of her. The crooked, upturned lips marred what was once a handsome face. “I’ve been an expert since the age of twelve.” He tossed the gun aside then put his gloved hands on her calves and slid them up her legs. “I’ve been dealing since I was sixteen. A bit young, I agree, but the rules weren’t so fastidious then.” He rested his palms on her knees. “The question now is which should I take care of first?”
Her brows narrowed.
A hideous laugh erupted from him at her response. “Business, sweetheart…” His fingers glided down her thighs then cupped her buttocks as he pressed his torso between her knees. “Or pleasure.”
His bruising lips squashed her scream.
—
“Thank God you’re here.” Jim said with relief after Jake untied his gag and hands then took his knife and sliced through the layers of strips around his ankles. “It was Martin.”
“Alone?”
Jim nodded and rushed to help Katie. “I sent him to your place since Marie and Jesse weren’t there,” he shot over his shoulder. “I ran out of time. My men aren’t back yet and I needed to keep Katie safe.”
“Understood.” The sheriff gave him a brusque nod. “I’ll call the station.”
Jake left and Jim heard him get on the cruiser’s radio.
“You okay, hon?” He examined the bruises that swelled on her. She nodded in shock as he freed the last binding.
“Slim?” Her voice sounded soft, shaky. “You’re not the normal cowpuncher, are you?”
He huffed then grinned tightly. “No, ma’am, but that doesn’t change anything between us.” He took care to place the soft strokes against the side of her face. He hated Martin for what he’d done to her.
“Is Marie going to be okay?”
Jim knew his eyes clouded with mixed emotions. “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “All I know is, I need you, Katie.” He placed a featherlight kiss on her bruised lips. “But mind you, I won’t have my woman flirting with anyone but me.”
“Oh, Slim.” She threw her arms around him. “I don’t want anyone but you.”
“Good.” He held her away from him. “Then you don’t mind being married to a federal agent?”
Her eyes widened. She smiled and kissed his palm. “No. As long as it’s you.”
“Slim, we got to go.” Jake walked up behind him. “The station house is trying to contact your men. They’ll meet us at my place.”
Jim eyed Jake from his spot on the floor. The man was in a hurry and he understood why. He kissed Katie’s hand. “Go home and wait for me, honey. Have a friend sit with you. I’ll be back. And don’t mention any of this to anyone. It could get someone killed.”
“I understand.” She nodded and left.
Jim stood and faced the sheriff. “What about Marie?” His voice turned cold.
Jake’s jaw clenched. “I have an APB out for her. Between the state troopers and my men, we’ll find her.”
“Then let’s go.” He reached into the dresser and removed his 9mm Beretta. After he checked the clip, he followed Jake to the cruiser.
—
Her knee went up swift and sure and nailed Bill right in the crotch. “Bull’s eye,” Marie mumbled as she pushed his moaning body off her and ran for her bedroom. She might not be one for violence, but you didn’t live in a big city for long and not learn something about protecting yourself.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway as she flew into the room. She locked the solid door behind her and grabbed her purse then threw open one of the bedroom windows. A thud hit the door as she put a leg through. The wood cracked behind her as she reached the outside.
Marie stumbled in the snow as she rushed toward the driveway. Frantic, she tossed aside non-essentials from her purse in the drifts as she searched for her set of keys. She reached in again and one of the jagged edges stabbed her. She grasped the key ring as she made the vehicle. Her feet and fingers had grown numb as she pushed the keyless entry to unlock the car. Bill jumped out the window and ran toward her as she threw open the driver’s side door.
She hopped inside but Bill was faster and grabbed the door before she could close it. He yanked her out and threw her in the snow bank then took the keys.
“Bitch, you won’t be getting away from me that easy. I’ve wasted too much time trying to find you.” His hair bristled in the gusting, frigid wind and his face had a wild, obsessive quality about it. He shook his head. Her keys glittered in his outstretched hand. “You’ll never leave me again, you slut. You’re mine.” He stalked toward her. “And you’re going to stay that way.”
He jumped for her. Marie managed to roll away as he fell face first into the snow. She scrambled to her feet and ran for the barn, scolding herself for not listening to Gramps about saddling a horse.
Bill followed close behind. She could have sworn she felt his hot breath on her neck. She flew into the weathered stable and tried to slam the gate behind her but Bill pushed through.
She dashed into Red’s stall and jumped him bareback but Bill caught her and pulled her off then tossed her into a pile of hay.
He laughed and put his hands on his hips as he scanned the barn. “Pretty cozy.” Naked lust lay on his face. “Appropriate, too.” He unhitched his belt. “Finally. Time for the stud to teach the brood mare her purpose in life.” He pulled his belt free then knelt over and locked her hands in his grasp. “Now tell me where the papers are.” He shoved her hands behind her back.
Her body shook. Marie tried not to be afraid.
“Cooperate, babe, and I won’t hurt you.” Bill leaned toward her, his damp breath heavy on her neck.
The barn creaked as the icy wind slammed against the side. The sound of the gust absorbed her scream.
Marie struggled but Bill soon had her hands bound with the slick belt. His hard mouth covered hers. She cringed as his palms slid across her nipples. She tried to bite him but he pulled back and chuckled at his quick reaction. “You were supposed to have my children, babe. Now what am I going to do with you?” He ripped her shirt open. His mouth fell on top of her lace-covered breasts like a ravenous wolf.
She closed her eyes against the onslaught. She twisted and heaved her body to throw him but he barely moved. His wet mouth touched her skin. She felt his knuckles press on the crotch of her pants while the same hand struggled with his zipper.
“No,” she yelled. He’d freed his cock then unzipped her pants and slid his fingers into them.
“Then tell me where the documents are,” he shouted. “We don’t have all day.”
She bucked again to get him off her until he unexpectedly stopped moving.
A lump formed in her throat. She eased her eyes open. Except for the frill of her bra, her chest lay exposed to the cold and her pants were undone. Bill sat on top of her, his fly open and a gun to his head.
She held her breath. Some of the men who stood behind Bill were the same thugs who had chased her on that warm summer night in Georgetown.
“Nice to see you again, William,” the man with the gun gloated. “Sorry to interrupt your fun but we have business to take care of first, don’t we?”
“What do you think I was doing, Evan?” Bill’s steel-colored eyes narrowed in contempt. She eyed him as he raised his arms.
In the cold weather, Marie saw Bill sweat.
Chapter Sixteen
Jak
e replaced the mic in the cradle as he sat in his cruiser and watched the door of the motel room. He’d had no choice about the APB. Finding Marie was the only way to protect her. He had confidence in his men. They may be cowboys but they were professional. If Marie was still in the county, his men would find her. If not, his last hope was the state troopers they worked closely with.
He was grateful Cal was on his way to get Jesse. Jake had to reassure the boy he wouldn’t let anything happen to Marie and neither would his grandfather.
Jake watched the federal man as he stood in the doorway. Katie had grabbed him one last time and bussed a quick peck on Slim’s cheek, murmuring to him. Jake huffed. At least someone was happy about the way things were.
In seconds, Slim jumped in the vehicle. “Let’s roll,” he panted.
Before he got the last “l” out, Jake was already on the roadway.
—
“Couldn’t find anything in the house, boss.” Another man rushed into the barn. “The car’s clean too.”
“Great.” The man named Evan ran his hand across his buzzed, straw-colored hair then waved at Bill and Marie. “Get up. We need to get out of here before the sheriff comes home.”
Marie sat up and freed her hands from the belt. She pulled the ends of her blouse closed as Bill eased off her then she zipped her pants.
Evan turned to the newcomer. “Cason, go get her a coat. The rest of you, ditch her car. It’ll keep them searching for a while. Run it out in the pasture near where William here parked. I think there’s a creek in that stand of woods nearby. You can dump both of their cars there. We’ll swing by to get you. We don’t have much time.” He nodded to the other men. “The sheriff could be back at any time, so move it.”
The two men who accompanied him rushed out but Cason hung back for a moment. “There isn’t much we can do about the inside of the house but what about the broken window?”
Evan shrugged. “What about it? Put a tree limb through it or something. The damn wind around here is strong enough to send something like that flying. It isn’t going to fool the sheriff, though. I imagine with all the damage to his home he’ll still look for this woman. Make it fast. Got it?”
Cason executed a quick jerk of his chin then disappeared. Evan turned to Bill. “Well, William. Looks like another mess I’ll be bailing you out of. You’re gonna owe me big-time. As to the lady here…” He squatted and put his free hand under her chin then stroked her cheek with his thumb. “We’ll have to see what we’re going to do with you.”
Marie shuddered. Determination glimmered in the man’s light hazel eyes.
“Come on.” Evan helped her up. “I’ll escort you to the truck.”
Cason met them at the white four-wheeler with her coat. Evan swung the rear door open and she noted that her bag sat on the backseat. The man picked it up and threw it in the heavily tinted rear then pushed her into the far back beside the bag and a ton of camping gear. The ringleader ushered Bill onto the back seat and crawled in next to him.
The sun had dipped below the horizon. Marie could hardly see through the windows with the little light left. She put on her coat and boots then leaned against a rolled-up sleeping bag, listening to Evan speak as Cason drove off.
Evan held the gun point low as he interrogated her ex-partner. “Too bad you got her involved in this, William.” He glanced back at Marie. “She seems like a nice lady.”
Bill turned his head and glared at her. “If she hadn’t pried, she wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Evan chortled. “Neither would you. Goes to show how little you know about women. Always said you spent too much time with the ammunition and not enough time with the aim.” He leaned against the door as Cason veered off the main path then relaxed as the car straightened. He casually placed his arm on the back of the seat. “You get my drift?”
“No.” Bill shook his head. There was a hard look in his gray eyes.
“William, you need to focus on the end result, not the means. Management thinks so, too. They say you’ve wasted too many good resources. Quite frankly,” he glanced at Marie again, “I agree. This little lady is a prime example. You probably could have milked the system for some time with all the false corporations we have set up. And maybe you coulda’ gotten a little of what else ails you in the process. Instead, you rushed the plan and blew the deal. Not too much recourse for that, is there, William?”
Marie watched a drop of sweat roll down Bill’s temple.
“Lucky for you,” the man continued, “management likes me. I’m effective. I get things done. They’ve left the decision up to my good judgment to determine whether to give you another chance.”
Marie couldn’t keep her eyes off Bill. Whatever happened to him would surely impact her. She watched her ex-partner’s Adam’s apple rise as he choked off his reply.
“Keep that in mind before you think of running,” Evan said as the car stopped. “If we get out of this okay, you might get your old job back. You’re good with those foreigners.” Evan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I think you and the gunrunners have a lot in common.” He looked at Marie. “Especially when it comes to how you use women. The female species isn’t chattel, William, and, God forbid, they do have a mind of their own.”
Bill’s ire rekindled. His eyes narrowed into slits and glittered as he glared at Marie from over his shoulder. “Yeah.” He drew a breath then turned to the other man.
Evan chuckled and got out as the other two men climbed in on either side of Bill. Both wielded guns. Evan slid into the front seat, his voice deep. His bearing exuded command. “Let’s get outta here, Cason. Preferably, someplace quiet.”
Marie shuddered again.
—
“There’s tire tracks all over the place. You recognize any of them?” A few errant rays still lit the sky as Slim’s voice filtered across the shadows in the driveway.
Jake nodded and ran his hand over the jamb of the broken window. They’d arrived moments before and saw the house had been damaged. They moved inside with care and found his home vacant. The curtain of Marie’s bedroom flapped in the wind. The shattered bedroom door and broken window were no accident.
“Yeah, and there’s a few more of them than there were an hour ago.” Jake strode over to Slim. “These are Marie’s.” He pointed to the marks. “She’d come back here.”
Jake lifted his head. There was a deep depression in the snow bank. He walked over to it. Footprints went from the window to the leveled spot. The contents of Marie’s purse indented the glazed surface. Jake scanned the grounds. A trail of boot prints led to the barn.
A quick glance at Slim let Jake know that the other man had come to the same conclusion. Slim jerked his chin toward the barn door and they both drew their pistols. Taking as much cover as they could, they circled in concert around the old building.
They entered cautiously. At first glance, the building looked empty. They both checked the stalls and found nothing but the old gelding loose, munching at the hay pile. Jake walked over and absently petted Red’s mane, acting a hell of a lot calmer than what he felt inside, but he needed to keep his emotional control. Marie needed him now more than ever. He looked around. The barn was a mess. He had to think. Where would Martin have taken Marie?
“She had quite a struggle,” Slim commented, and pushed the brim of his Stetson to his hairline.
Jake clenched his jaw to control his rage. “If he’s hurt her…”
“Don’t say it,” Slim cautioned then lowered his voice. “If we have to kill him to protect her, we will. Martin isn’t stupid. He might hurt her, but he won’t kill her as long as he thinks she can get him those codes.” The agent sucked in a breath. “Jake, Marie needs you. And right now she needs the sheriff part, not the man. I need you to be one hundred percent professional.”
The frustration in Jake threatened to swamp his good sense. He nodded at Slim, grateful he’d been there to curb Jake’s anger. “I will be. I promise you we’ll nail this guy.”<
br />
Slim nodded then walked away to give him a moment. The FBI man grabbed some of the straw to entice the horse back into the stall then locked him in.
Jake looked at the dirt floor and ground his teeth. His heart raced. Fear grabbed him like it never had before. Slim was right. Marie had to be alive. He couldn’t lose her. He loved her. And right now Marie needed him now more than ever. She needed him to be the professional he was.
Jake forced his breathing to slow and the tension in his body to ease, yet to himself, he swore that when he found Martin, he’d make the bastard pay.
Calmer, Jake looked closer at the pile of hay and realized blots of snow lay on top of it. He stooped over and picked up a blade of straw. There was no blood, thank God. He rolled the stem between his fingers and scanned the pile. It didn’t take long before he found something else—a blue plastic button with the string still attached. He waved Slim over.
“Marie’s. I’d bet on it.” Jake lifted an edge of the button with the straw, his voice taut.
“I don’t like it.” Slim straightened as worried creases developed on his brow.
“Yeah.” Jake said, barely audible as he stood. He bit the inside of his cheek to restrain his fury. He didn’t like it either.
Slim put his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “We’ll find her. I promise. Martin won’t hurt her unless he doesn’t get the documents.” Slim frowned. “From the tracks, it looks like the other BAM guys may have found him here.”
Jake nodded. “Let’s go.” He didn’t want to discuss it anymore. They needed to find them.
Outside another vehicle arrived. Jake and Slim hurried out to find Deputy Thornsen there, then another car pulled up behind him.
“Kyle, keep the other cars back,” Jake ordered. “We need to follow these tracks as best we can.”
The deputy stepped forward and waved to the other men as the headlights shone in his eyes.
Jake took a deep breath of the frosty night air as the cars backed out of the way. Only one person could find Marie now and he wasn’t really in this world. Jake peered reflectively at the western horizon. A ribbon of deep blue glowed along it. A solitary star shone through. From the recesses of his mind, Jake remembered the first star of the night was the wishing star.
