The Sheriff’s Amnesiac Bride

by Linda Conrad

  The worst had happened. She was regaining her memory and that meant he wouldn’t stand a chance in the long run. Just like his mother, only for different reasons, she’d be off and running before he could turn around.

  “Lock up behind me,” he said as he turned tail and made a dash for the door. “I’ll contact you.”

  Maybe. If his heart could stand the pain of hearing her voice and knowing his house would forever stand barren and lonely without her there.

  Damn her all to hell for making him believe it could happen. Believe he could get what he wanted for once.

  Well, Sheriff Jericho Yates would be just fine alone.

  Chapter 15

  F urious at herself for being such a hormone-raging wimp, Rosie slashed at the tears streaming down her cheeks. She’d finished locking up behind the retreating Jericho, and then had come to the conclusion that she might as well have that bath, so that’s where she was headed.

  How could he have left her here in Austin all alone?

  She should’ve said he had to take her with him. That his job wasn’t done and they hadn’t even had a chance to talk. She should’ve said something about her things being still in his closet and that at the least she needed to say goodbye to the dogs. She should’ve grabbed him and kissed him senseless, just to remind him of everything they’d done together.

  But she’d been so surprised, so thrown by the idea of how shallow her old life had been, that she hadn’t thought fast enough to get out a word. All the should’ves in the world didn’t matter when the person you counted on turned his back on you and walked away.

  In her old life it had been easy to blame her distant, cold father for all her unhappiness. But in truth, she remembered now how it really was. She’d tried desperately hard to become the most beautiful and successful daughter a father could ever want. No matter what she did, though, he’d never seen her efforts—not really. So to emulate her father, make him see her, she’d learned to appreciate art, as he had, and forced herself to like the other superficial things in life that meant a lot to him. But of course, her list of superficial things also ended up including dating gorgeous, powerful and successful men with no scruples.

  That was how she’d been drawn to Allan Daniels in the first place. But giving up her old job to please him had been the craziest part. The only thing in her life that she’d ever done that made any real sense was to work at the forensic accounting consulting firm. She’d tossed it all the minute Allan crooked his little finger at her.

  Rosie turned on the bath water and thought of Jericho—not Allan. Thought of how much better her life had been with the Campo County sheriff. In just a few short days, she’d turned herself into someone who could be appreciated and respected. Because of him. He had really taken time to see her for herself. Not for only the outside.

  But stupid her, she’d just let him walk away.

  Sitting on the edge of the filling tub, Rosie hung her head and wept for all the things she had not done or said that might’ve made a difference. Might’ve made Jericho wait for her. Want her.

  This place—this life—weren’t hers anymore. So she would refuse to stay here, by heaven. After she took this bath and rested a little, she would rent a car and drive right back to Esperanza, Texas. Back where she belonged.

  An odd, instant and intense urge to put bath salts into the water had her reaching for the fancy jar she’d never opened but only used for decoration. Though once she had the clear bottle in hand, she knew. In her mind she could actually see herself hiding something deep inside the fuchsia crystals.

  Standing up beside the vanity, Rosie dumped the contents of the salt jar out on the counter. The clunk of something hard and metallic captured her attention. What had she hidden? And why?

  In another moment, at least the what was clear. Out of the baths crystals rolled a tiny flash drive. Hmm.

  Fighting to remember more, she turned off the bath water and headed to her office. It should be easy enough to find out the why by plugging the drive into one of her computers.

  The curiosity was killing her.

  Cut and run! He’d done it again.

  Jericho eased on the brakes of his borrowed SUV and pulled into a roadside park off the 290 that was not quite in Johnson City. A half hour out of Austin and he was finally getting his head on straight. About damned time.

  With the engine idling, he beat his fists against the steering wheel and wondered what the hell was the matter with him. In his whole life, every time a woman got too close, he would shut down and split. That was just who he was. Call it pride. Call it not wanting to take a chance on being hurt. Whatever. But never before had it seemed this important, or this wrong to run.

  All those other times the women were perfectly fine, and maybe he could’ve made a life with them. But this time. This time it was Rosie and she was…she was…

  Everything.

  Jericho drew a deep breath and tried to think instead of letting his emotions tie him up in knots. Why was he always like this, shutting down without a fight? Could he change this time? After all, he never backed down from other challenges in his life.

  But with that thought in his mind, a picture of Allan Daniels leering at Rosie with a malevolent gleam in his eye and yet another picture of Rosie begging him not to take her there, made him rethink all that had taken place.

  There were several missing pieces to the puzzle of Rosie. Big missing pieces. Like, what had those goons wanted from her? It. They’d kept mentioning an it. Was Rosie going to suddenly remember what that was and then be in terrible danger again?

  Jericho had walked off the job before it was done. He had never done that in his life.

  Putting the SUV in gear, he prepared to turn around. Had he been so intimidated by Daniels’s position as governor that he’d lost his mind? There was nothing right about the whole scenario. If Rosie and Daniels had been such great lovers, then why hadn’t Daniels gone to her condo to check on her when he’d thought she was sick? He knew if she’d been his girlfriend and had really been sick with the flu, Jericho would’ve stuck to her bedside like glue.

  Who the heck had reported that she had the flu in the first place?

  Lots of problems. Lots of big red flags that should’ve caught his attention.

  But the worst of it was that he hadn’t listened to Rosie. He hadn’t given her a chance to talk. She had become his whole world and he’d turned his back? Stupid. Stupid.

  Pulling out onto 290, he stepped on the gas and retraced his route back to Austin. Back to Rosie. Maybe she would give him a second chance. Maybe he could make her see that he was willing to fight to save her—fight to love her.

  He just hoped to hell it wasn’t too late.

  Rosie sat staring at the monitor, too stunned to move. Everything—all the secrets and terrible truths—came back in a rush of clarity.

  Allan Daniels was dirty. More, Allan was an embezzler who consorted with Mexican druglords—and he was running for president of the United States. Holy moly.

  She remembered well her first instance of finding these horrible facts on an innocuous-looking flash drive in Allan’s office. Almost ten days ago now. After convincing herself of the reality of what she was seeing, she’d been nearly hysterical wondering what she should do next. Who to go to who would not only believe her but who could do something to stop him.

  The governor of Texas was the head of the Texas Rangers. So that was out. The police? The FBI? She remembered thinking they might laugh at her—or worse—ignore her. He was, after all, a candidate for the presidency, and everyone figured all his secrets were already out.

  Not by half.

  After taking the precautionary step of hiding the flash drive in her bath salts and making a copy to hide in her car, she’d done the only other thing that made sense. She’d contacted an old friend, a reporter for the Dallas Morning News, who was honest and who could start a secret investigation that could eventually bring Allan down.

  Mary B
eth Caldwell. My God. What had happened to her?

  Rosie remembered their secret meeting at Stubbins Barbeque. Remembered distinctly sitting across from Mary Beth, who looked a lot like Becky French, in her early sixties, short and plump. But Mary Beth was a shark. Smart and well-connected, as an investigative reporter she could not be beat.

  Mary Beth had not only believed her about Allan, but had agreed to hide Rosie until the authorities could be convinced. Rosie had already realized she was in dire trouble because Allan had called her cell while she was with Mary Beth. He’d wanted to know if she’d seen anyone strange near his office. Obviously, he’d already missed his flash drive and knew she was the only one who could’ve taken it.

  She and Mary Beth had immediately left the barbeque joint and headed for Rosie’s car. But before they got there, a couple of dangerous-looking men came up behind them. Rosie remembered running, then a thud coming from behind her. Mary Beth must’ve been hit, but she’d been too afraid to turn back to help. Oh, God. Rosie’s stomach clinched.

  She remembered dropping her car keys and running. Running for her life and not looking back. A trucker had picked her up down the highway, and she’d thought she might be okay if she got far enough away. When that good-guy driver dropped her off in Rio View, Rosie had done the smart thing and headed straight to the sheriff for help. Sheriff Montalvo.

  Yeah, Montalvo had helped all right. He’d helped her find a motel to hide in. And then he’d apparently called the governor to help himself to whatever clandestine reward Allan must’ve been offering for her.

  Now Montalvo was dead. Mary Beth was probably dead. With sudden clear panic, she knew she was as good as dead, too.

  Oh, Jericho, where are you? She reached for the phone to call him at the exact moment when she heard a slight noise in another part of the condo. Not much of a noise. But enough to keep her from being surprised as the voice she’d dreaded to hear came from directly behind her back.

  “Put the phone down, Olivia.”

  She did as he demanded and slowly turned to face what looked like a silencer attached to a huge gun. “Hello, Allan,” she managed without looking at his face. “I thought you were at that fund-raiser. Where’s your secret-service security detail?”

  Oh, hell, she was done. She hadn’t remembered enough of her past in time. With just a few more minutes, she could’ve been out the door and gone. Of course now that it didn’t help her, she remembered that Allan had access to a duplicate key and knew her security codes. That was the very last thing she’d remembered and probably the last thought she would ever have.

  He chuckled. “Yeah, I gave them all the slip. The secret service thinks I’m having a quickie fling in a hotel room not far from here. Smart and sly. That’s me. It’ll be a great alibi in case I ever need one.”

  Did “ever need one” mean that he wasn’t planning on killing her? Or did it mean he imagined no one would ever question the governor?

  “Look, Allan, there’s something important you should know.” Her mind raced to find some excuse to stay alive. Give her the break she needed to get away.

  He waved the gun at her, and perversely she noted he was wearing a tux. “Shut up. Now that I’ve found my flash drive—” He pointed the barrel at the monitor as if that said it all. “I don’t need to hear anything from you. I’ve already got a plan. You’re going to be killed by whoever’s been chasing you. They broke into your condo because you forgot to lock the door and set the alarm.

  “Tsk, tsk, sweetheart. What a shame.” He leveled the gun at her and took aim.

  “Wait a second,” she begged. “I made a copy of the drive. Kill me and you’ll never find it.”

  Jericho heard the voices coming from Rosie’s office and crept closer. He’d been alarmed when he’d arrived back here only to find her front door unlocked and ajar. He definitely remembered Rosie locking it behind him when he’d left.

  That’s when, on instinct, he’d drawn his service weapon and edged inside the door instead of knocking. Was that Daniels’s voice? Absolutely. And Rosie’s, too, sounding scared and on the verge of panic.

  She’d been right about not coming here. Why hadn’t he listened? The only thing he had in his favor now was surprise. That would have to do.

  Sneaking up to the office door, Jericho eased it open and peeked inside. Daniels was standing with his back to him, but he was holding a weapon to Rosie’s head.

  “I said, shut up, bitch.” Daniels screamed, clearly out of control. “Lies won’t save your traitorous ass. You stole my property. You were going to use it to ruin me.

  “If you made a copy and hid it, then where is it? I’ve had this place searched top to bottom.” Daniels rammed the barrel of the gun against Rosie’s cheek. “Better make me believe you by telling the truth.”

  Jericho’s anger came up fast and hard. He wanted to shout at Daniels to take his hands off her. It was all he could do to tamp it down and think like the lawman he needed to be.

  “Hold it, Daniels,” he yelled, jamming the barrel of his 9mm into the man’s back. “Drop your weapon. Now!”

  Daniels stilled for the moment, but said, “You won’t shoot. If you do, your girlfriend here is dead. You’d better drop your gun, sheriff, and we’ll have a little conversation.”

  Nearly blinded by his furor at the man, Jericho fought his emotions long enough to make the right move. Daniels would have to kill both of them now. It was his only out. But there would be two of them to his one. Jericho figured those odds were in their favor.

  At least, he had to give surprise a try. Otherwise, Rosie was dead.

  “Okay, Mr. Governor, you’ve got the upper hand,” he said with as casual tone as he could manage. Under his shirt, his muscles bunched and tensed. “I’m going to put my weapon on the floor. Don’t be surprised.” He kicked the 9mm clear across the room and under a daybed. “See there. Now we can talk.”

  “Not until you come over here where I can see you,” the governor snapped at him. “Carefully. Move to your right. Go stand beside your girlfriend’s chair directly in front of me.”

  Daniels still had his weapon poking into Rosie’s temple. Jericho raised his arms slightly, almost offhandedly, and took a docile step to the right.

  “Easy there,” he told the other man. “I’m moving.”

  But with his second step, Jericho deliberately stumbled a half a foot closer to Daniels. Surprised and panicked by the sudden move, the governor spun and pulled the trigger without aiming. The shot went wild, off into the ceiling.

  Everything happened at once then. Rosie screamed and kicked out at Daniels’s gun hand. The weapon flew out of his grip. And in that instant, Jericho was on him.

  The two of them were on the floor, grappling and throwing punches. Daniels didn’t stand a chance. Not with the superhuman power Jericho’s furor provided him.

  The son of a bitch had hurt Rosie. He’d planned to kill her! Jericho landed a right and heard Daniels’s nose break. Well, let’s just see how he likes being hurt.

  Battering Daniels’s head against the ground, Jericho didn’t feel any of the other man’s blows and could only think about Rosie. This bastard had been planning on taking away the one woman he loved. Never!

  Daniels fought with incredible strength. Still, Jericho remained on top and was numb to any pain. Finally, Jericho edged free enough to ram his knee into the other man’s groin. He felt gristle crunching underneath the slacks even as the other man shrieked in pain.

  “Hope it hurts like hell, you bastard.” A scarlet haze of pure hatred and anger developed in front of Jericho’s eyes, as he just kept yelling and punching. Never noticing the other man go limp.

  Hitting. Smashing. Landing blow after blow.

  Rosie came to her senses and scrambled across the room to get a hold of Allan’s gun. She pointed it at the two men on the floor. That was when she saw that Allan wasn’t fighting back anymore.

  “Jericho, stop.” She put the gun down and moved closer when he
didn’t seem to hear. “Jericho!” she screamed.

  Inching closer, she yelled again and got the nerve to shove at his arm. “Please, honey. Don’t do this. Stop.”

  Tears sprang from her eyes and threatened to swamp her, but she kept yelling his name and shoving at his arms and back, desperate to make him understand. Please, my love. Don’t ruin your life—my life—over this piece of garbage.

  At last, Jericho quit swinging and turned to her. Shocked at what she saw, she reached out for him.

  Tears rolled down his face, his fury clear but almost spent. Reaching for her, too, he stood and pulled her into his arms.

  “Are you okay?” He swiped his face across his shirtsleeve and choked back an obvious sigh.

  His father had been right. There must’ve been a lot of anger buried in him for all these years.

  She looked up into his beloved hazel eyes, now dark green with feeling. “You came back,” she managed through her tears. “You came back for me.”

  “I shouldn’t have left. If I’d been a few seconds later…” His words trailed off as she saw the deep emotions swirl across his face.

  It thrilled her. Scared her. He seemed so intense. So full of concern for her.

  To shake off the strong feelings she didn’t know what to do about, she turned back to look at the limp body on the floor. “I hope you didn’t kill him. He isn’t dead, is he?”

  Jericho seemed reluctant to let her go, but in a second she saw the sheriff return to his eyes. He stepped closer to Allan and checked his pulse.

  “He’s alive,” Jericho said with authority. “He’s going to live to spend a long time in prison. I can’t believe how I missed seeing what a phony he was.”

  “Everyone missed it. The whole world missed it.” She shook her head, heading toward her desk. “I’ll call 911 and get an ambulance. Do you think we need to tie him up?”

  Jericho reached out and pulled her to a stop. “I’ll tie his hands and you can call in a second,” he said gently. “First, I have to apologize to you. I almost lost you. I should’ve listened when you didn’t want to come here. I should’ve listened when you wanted to leave with me. I…” Again he seemed to choke on his words.