by Joanna Wayne
“In that case, let’s get some sleep. After the way this week has started, there’s no telling what tomorrow will bring. Besides, this will be our first night to sleep together.”
He pulled down the top sheet and crawled into bed.
Rachel hesitated. “I feel safe with you, but I’m not sure I can re-create the magic of Monday’s afternoon delight. I couldn’t do the night or us justice.”
“I’m not expecting you to.”
She crawled in beside him. He rolled over to face her and trailed a finger along her lips. “We never talked about it,” he said, “and we don’t have to talk about it now, but when I picture that monster touching you, abusing you, defiling you, the rage roars inside me.”
“He defiled me in many ways, but not sexually,” she said, understanding what he was thinking even if he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. “He touched me inappropriately a few times, but only on my breasts and thighs.
“It was never about sex with him, though he threatened it. It was all about control and pleasing his dead mother, who’d once abused him. That seemed to be the root of his madness, but his evil seemed to come from hell itself.”
“I’d love to come face-to-face with the slimy bastard. I’d wring his neck with my bare hands.”
They snuggled together, his chest to her back, his muscular thigh sliding in between her legs, his breath falling on the nape of her neck.
Her world was falling apart, and yet it never seemed more together than when she was in Luke Dawkins’s arms.
* * *
RACHEL WOKE TO the first light of day sliding through her blinds. She’d slept so soundly it took a moment to realize where she was. She rolled over, reached out for Luke and felt a wave of disappointment that he wasn’t there.
She went to the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. In spite of not knowing Sale’s whereabouts, it was the best night’s sleep she’d had since the abduction.
She found Luke in the kitchen, staring at the blinking light on her one-server coffee maker.
“I was going to brew coffee and bring you a cup in bed, but the blinking blue light refuses to let me.”
“Here, let me do it.”
A minute later she handed him his cup.
“I’d cook breakfast, but your fridge is empty except for butter, ketchup and a few other condiments. Your pantry isn’t much better.”
“I don’t do a lot of cooking. I usually pick up a bagel on the way to work, and that holds me until lunch.”
“Don’t let Esther hear you say that. She’ll force-feed you bacon until you oink.”
“If I could cook as well as Esther, I’d change my eating habits.”
“What is our plan for today?” Luke asked.
“I know you need to get back to the ranch and perhaps check on Alfred.”
“I can spare another day if you have things to take care of here—like talking to Eric Fitch Sr. or seeing Hayden Covey again.”
“I need to find out more details of Louann Black’s murder before I see Hayden or his mother. And I need to decide what I’m going to do about that before I discuss a future with the firm.”
“Have you considered other options for a career?”
“A few.”
Her phone rang and she raced back to the bedroom to get it.
It was Dr. Kincaid. She whispered a prayer that this was good news.
Chapter Eighteen
“Good morning, Dr. Kincaid.”
“Is this Rachel Maxwell?”
“Yes, and I do hope you have some good news.”
“I wish that were the case. Unfortunately, I fear just the opposite.”
“Then Roy Sales has escaped the facility?”
“We don’t have positive proof of that, but the buildings and grounds have been thoroughly searched and there’s no sign of him.”
“I was afraid of that from the beginning. I appreciate you giving me the heads-up.”
“There’s another reason I called. I don’t know what the law authorities are going to tell you, but I’ve worked with Sales for months now. He’s obsessed with you and convinced you betrayed him.”
“That is a really warped way of looking at things after what he put me through.”
“In my judgment, he’s a really sick man. I have a strong suspicion that he’s going to try to kill you. Whether it’s to satisfy him or his mother, I can’t be sure. But I do think your life is at risk until he’s found and taken back into custody.”
“Have you told anyone else this?”
“I’ve told the administration and I just talked to your sister, Sydney. I’m sure she’ll have advice for keeping you safe. Follow it.”
“I will. I do have one question. Do you think my not showing up to visit him as planned triggered this?”
“It may have had something to do with the timing, but he didn’t just conceive of an escape plan one day and execute it the next. Not from this facility. This had to be something he was working on for months, probably ever since he’s been here.”
“Thanks again for calling,” she said, “but I have to go. I have another call coming through now. I’m sure it’s Sydney.”
“Good. If you have any other questions, feel free to call me.”
“I will.” She went straight to Sydney’s call.
Sydney repeated what she’d heard from Dr. Kincaid before switching to her own take on everything.
“Don’t panic,” Sydney cautioned. “I’m sure every law enforcement officer in the state—from local to the Texas Rangers—is looking for the Lone Star Snatcher.”
“What do you suggest I do?”
“Hire a bodyguard. I’ll fax you a list of reliable sources in your area. Enlist them for 24/7 service and then follow their orders. Or just let me know where you’ll be and I can take care of everything.”
“I have a bodyguard.”
“Doesn’t he have a ranch to run and a father to take care of?”
“He does.” Expecting more from him was unreasonable. “Send me the list. I’ll hire bodyguard protection.”
She was just starting to get a grip on life again. She would not let Sales snatch that away.
* * *
“I DON’T LIKE IT,” Luke said. “I respect your sister’s judgment, but this time I think she’s wrong.”
“You don’t have to stay here with me, Luke. Drive back to the ranch. I can find a way to get my car from Esther’s house later.”
“What is it you don’t understand about I’m not leaving here without you. Besides, going back to Winding Creek and staying with me makes a lot more sense.”
“You have a ranch to run.”
“To hell with the ranch.”
“You don’t mean that, and I can’t let you spend your every second looking out for me.”
“If you don’t go back to Winding Creek with me, then I’m not going back, so you’re not doing me any favors.”
“Did you get your stubbornness from Alfred?”
“Insults won’t change my mind.”
And the truth was she didn’t want to change his mind. She wanted to go back to Arrowhead Hills. She wanted to sleep in Luke’s arms every night and have coffee with him every morning. She might even learn to make pancakes or fry eggs.
“I’ll go back with you to Winding Creek under one condition.”
“Name it,” Luke said.
“I hire a protection service not only for me but for Esther’s ranch, as well.”
“Does Roy Sales know Esther?”
“He killed her husband.”
“Point made.”
“If you want bodyguards, we’ll have bodyguards, but you’ll be at Arrowhead Hills, not in Houston.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal.”
She had o
nly one stop to make before they left Houston.
* * *
THE POLICE PRECINCT was hopping, but Matt managed to find a few minutes for Rachel. They were usually working for opposites sides and purposes, but they had a mutual respect for each other.
As far as Rachel was concerned, he was the best homicide detective in the city. She’d have loved to include Luke in their discussion but was afraid Matt would hold something back with him in the room.
Matt wouldn’t give her any information that hadn’t already been released to the public, but she’d pick up a lot from how he said it.
Matt grabbed an armload of files off a metal folding chair and piled them on his already cluttered desk.
“Have a seat.”
She did.
He propped his backside on the corner of his desk. “I’d like to say ‘Good to see you,’ but ‘Are you nuts?’ has a more appropriate ring to it.”
“Any particular reason?”
“It’s all over the news that you’re defending a murdering piece of... You get the picture.”
“I take it you’re convinced Hayden is guilty.”
“Without a doubt. Have you seen the police report?”
“Not yet. I’m not officially on the case yet in spite of what you hear on the news.”
“Then I take it you haven’t seen the crime scene pictures, either?”
“No.”
“They’re as brutal as I’ve ever seen. Lots of slashing. Enough blood to fill a barrel.”
“Hayden claims he’s innocent,” Rachel said.
“He isn’t. We’ve got enough evidence to bury him, and he knows it. He’s counting on his parents to save him. And now I guess he’s counting on you, too.”
“I haven’t seen a lot of motive for murder, as yet,” Rachel said. “There’s lots of hearsay but nothing solid.”
“Believe me, you’ll hear it at the trial. He’s guilty. But he’s smart, hard to trip up when you’re talking to him. You think you’ve seen evil? You’ve never seen it the way you’re gonna face it in Hayden Covey. He’s guilty and he’s going down. Represent him, and you will, too.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“By the way, I heard about Roy Sales breaking out of the psychiatric hospital, or at least disappearing. That’s another one who should have gone directly to death row. Not worth the air he’s breathing.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“He won’t stay on the loose long. Every cop in the state is dying to arrest the Lone Star Snatcher.”
“That’s what I hear,” Rachel said.
“In the meantime, stay safe. I can’t imagine him wanting to get anywhere near you and your FBI sister, but you never can tell what a lunatic will do.”
“I’ll be careful. And thanks.”
“Yeah. Take what I told you about Hayden as gospel. I’m not bluffing. I’m dead serious this time.”
She stood and he walked her to the door, picking up a file and handing it to her as she left.
“A little bedtime entertainment—if you’re looking for nightmares. By the way, you didn’t get this from me, even though it’s not confidential since it’s already been leaked. It’s just too brutal for the media to show. It’s already making the rounds on the internet, though.”
Fortunately, Rachel didn’t wait until bedtime to open the file. She didn’t even wait for Luke to back out of his parking space.
She took one look at the gory crime scene shot inside the file and gagged, struggling not to throw up.
Luke killed the engine. “What’s wrong?”
She handed him the picture.
He didn’t hold back the curses that expressed his feelings. She would have been shocked if he did.
“If there’s a chance Hayden Covey is guilty of that, I don’t want you around him unless I’m there with you.” Hayden Covey might be innocent, but whoever murdered Louann Black needed to be convicted. That kind of evil wasn’t just bone deep. It went to the deepest pits of the soul. Roy Sales had taught her that.
If she had any doubts of Hayden’s innocence, she would never be able to defend him.
Rachel took out her phone and made a call to Claire Covey. “Some things have come up and I need to see your son as soon as possible.”
“He’s not here right now. He’s with friends and I’m not sure when he’ll be back. Will tomorrow afternoon work?”
“I’ll be back in Winding Creek by then.”
“I can get him there. Where shall we meet you?”
“I’d like to see him by himself this time.”
“Fine. I’ll get a hotel room and we’ll stay in Winding Creek as long as you need us. I can’t rest until I know you’re on our side.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow at two.”
Rachel gave her directions to the ranch. She was leaning strongly toward turning down the case, but she’d give Hayden one more chance to convince her he was innocent.
She studied the picture again and then tossed it into the back seat.
* * *
LUKE AND PIERCE took their mugs of hot coffee and a couple of Esther’s famous oatmeal cookies to Pierce’s front porch. Rachel, last seen cradling baby Charlie in her arms and crooning baby talk to him, had stayed inside with Esther and Grace.
“There have been some new developments with Roy Sales,” Luke said. “He’s missing from the maximum-security facility where he was being held.”
“I heard about it from Sheriff Cavazos and from Sydney and Tucker. It’s also being reported all over the internet. I’m sure it will make the evening news. Can’t keep something like that quiet.”
“They managed to keep it quiet for a day,” Luke said. “I guess you also know that Sydney has handled the hiring of protection services for both our ranches.”
“Sydney called and told me she’s hired protection for the ranch and that will include my house and Esther’s and bodyguards for Esther and Grace. I told her it was a waste of money. I have the manpower to protect my own ranch. Every one of us can drop the hammer and hit the target faster than you can sneeze.”
“What did she say?” Luke asked.
“She had Tucker call me. He convinced me it would be much easier to give in to Sydney and Rachel on this than to argue with them. Hopefully we’re talking about only a few days before they recapture Sales.”
“Is Esther going along with this?”
“Surprisingly, yes. She’s staying with us a few days anyway to help Grace out with Charlie. She thinks it will be a hoot to have a bodyguard help her feed the chickens and gather eggs.”
“We need a video of that. Is Grace okay with having a personal bodyguard?”
“She says I’m all the bodyguard she needs, but she’s willing to put up with it. I think she’s secretly glad to have it. She’s faced enough terror in her own life. And Jaci is staying with Riley and Dani a few days so she won’t be frightened by strangers with guns hanging around the house.”
“When are you expecting your strangers with guns?” Luke asked.
“Five o’clock.”
“Same here.”
“There’s plenty of room for Rachel at our place if she wants to stay here,” Pierce offered.
“She’s staying with me,” Luke assured him.
“I kind of figured that. It’s fine with me, by the way. I know she’s in good hands.”
* * *
IT WAS FOUR O’CLOCK when Rachel and Luke finished putting away the groceries they’d bought at the local grocery. The pantry was officially full. So was the refrigerator.
Luke knew it wasn’t official or lasting, but it felt as if he and Rachel were setting up house together. He liked the feeling. He’d like it even better with her sleeping in his bed tonight.
Rachel stood at the open door of the refr
igerator, staring at the full shelves. “Do you like beef stew?”
“Doesn’t everybody?”
“I think I’ll call Esther and ask her for her recipe. I’m sure hers will be delicious. And how hard can stew be?”
“You don’t have to go to that much trouble. I can grill some steaks.”
“I think we need stew. It’s comfort food, and after the last few days, I could use a lot of comfort.”
He started to remind her they had an hour before the cavalry arrived and that time could be better spent. He figured that might be pushing things. He didn’t want her to think this was all about sex for him, especially with all she was dealing with.
Luke grabbed a cold beer and his jacket and walked out to the porch while Rachel got started on her stew project.
The letter Esther had given him was folded and in the back pocket of his jeans. He pulled it out, looked at the envelope for a few minutes and finally broke the seal.
He settled on the top porch step and finished his beer before he started to read.
Son,
If you’re reading this, I’m dead, but there’s things I need to say. I’m not the man I wanted to be. Not the man I needed to be. If I were, things might have turned out differently for all of us.
I’m not blaming this on anyone, but I was raised by Grandpa Hank. You never met him, but he was one of the meanest scoundrels in the county. I tried hard not to be like him. I didn’t do so good at that.
I never showed it right, but I loved your mother more than anything in the world. I love you, too. I never said it, but I’m proud of you.
All I got to leave you is Arrowhead Hills Ranch. I own it free and clear. If you don’t want it, sell it and take the money. You deserve the life you want. Would like it if you make sure the horses get good homes when you sell them.
My will is in my safe-deposit box up at the bank on Main Street with everything else that’s worth saving.
I got lots of regrets and I’m not even dying yet. I figure when I do, won’t nobody shed a tear. Can’t blame them. Don’t be a fool like me. Find a woman you can love and show her how much every day of your life.
Alfred P. Dawkins.
PS, I should have come and watched you play ball that day.
