by Robin Perini
"You're wrong." Blake turned onto a dirt road and rested his hand on her leg. Her muscles tensed under his caress, but he didn't pull away. He stroked her softly. "I dreamed of you last night."
She shivered, and he slid her a sidelong glance. Her eyes had gone dark again. She squirmed in her seat a bit as he eased his fingers down toward her knee, then back up her thigh. He wanted her used to his touch because he planned on exploring every inch of her. Soon.
She coughed and stilled his hand with her own. "Are you trying to make me crazy?"
"I'm distracting you, am I?" Blake smiled. "Just reminding you I haven't forgotten we have unfinished business."
Amanda glanced at Ethan. "Letting things go further is not a good idea."
"You've said that before, but that won't stop the inevitable." He let his fingertips slide inside her thigh, and a small whimper escaped her. "It's going to happen."
"Were you always this arrogant?"
She placed his hand back on the steering wheel. He let her. For now. He couldn't touch her the way he wanted with Ethan in the backseat. When he got her alone again, though... His body tensed in anticipation. He would take his time to uncover every erogenous zone she possessed.
He maneuvered the SUV onto a paved road and slowed down. The blacktop's shiny patches warned him of more black ice. "I hope folks stay inside today," he muttered.
As he changed lanes the car veered to the right. Blake kept his foot off the brake and turned into the gentle slide before he felt the wheels take traction. He straightened the car out and kept his speed slow.
"You should be helping the people in your town through this storm. I'm sorry you're stuck with us."
"Smithson will watch the roads. He's an up-and-comer. Parris will handle the rest. He could've been sheriff as easily as me. If not better. He knows the folks in Carder, and they look up to him."
"They wanted you."
"They felt bad about my dad's accident. Some of them still see me as the hell-raiser son of the 'real' Sheriff Redmond."
She raised a brow. "Seriously? You? Straight-and-narrow Blake Redmond?"
"I did my share of trying to prove I was cool even if I was the sheriff's kid. Once, I sat on the outskirts of town with a buddy drinking beer. We didn't drive, but we had alcohol in the backseat. I've never seen my dad so disappointed. My folks had to attend an alcohol awareness program with me. He was furious."
"They were there for you."
"Yeah. Tell that to my dad, the sheriff, who was supposed to be the one teaching the class. Made me pay for the guest lecturer they brought in from San Antonio." Blake let out a low whistle. "I'd been saving up for a Jet Ski. I never did get one."
"He loved you enough to help you do the right thing." She glanced behind her. "That's what I want for Ethan."
"I hated him at the time, but later I realized he was a great dad. We'd finally become friends."
Blake didn't know what his father would have thought about this situation.
Yeah, he did.
He would've protected Ethan with his life, but in the end, there were consequences for every action. Blake had to keep Amanda and Ethan alive long enough to do the right thing--and make sure the murderers paid for what they'd done.
She placed her hand on his leg. "I'm sorry."
"Me, too." He wanted to find a way to keep those consequences far away from Amanda and Ethan. The boy deserved not to be afraid. And he deserved the mother who loved him, who had sacrificed everything for him.
Blake couldn't resist touching her. He laced his fingers with hers and squeezed. Her fingers squeezed back, and Blake felt his heart ease.
Miles passed, but strangely, Blake didn't feel the need to chitchat. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to just be silent in the company of a woman. Amanda glanced at the landscape. He could practically see her mind whirling. Then she bit her lip and glanced once more back at her son.
"You're worried about going back to Austin."
"What if they catch us? What if I can't get back to him?" she said softly, her eyes never veering from Ethan as he whispered to Leo. "I promised myself I wouldn't leave him."
She was right to be afraid. If these guys were as well-connected as he believed, she'd end up one more border statistic, in a mass grave, one of hundreds of bodies never identified.
"You can stay," he offered.
"If there's a chance Ethan can have a normal life--" Amanda glanced at the road sign. "I thought you said Carmichael's place was toward Big Spring? We're going the wrong way."
"Not to throw the dogs off the scent." Blake pulled into an abandoned bar and retrieved his phone from his pocket. Quickly, he slipped the battery back in. "This can be tracked now."
She looked at the cell in alarm. "They know where we are, where we've been?"
"No. I'd removed the battery to the GPS. We were fine. Now, when I turn it on, it'll activate. If they're watching--and I'm certain they are--they'll head this way."
"You're using us as bait?"
"I won't sacrifice your safety." Blake removed her hand from his leg. Suddenly, her touch felt wrong. "I'd have thought you'd recognize that by now."
"I'm all Ethan has. I have to protect him."
He recognized the stubborn thrust of her jaw, but he couldn't deny the twinge of hurt her assumption left on his heart.
"If we find enough evidence in Austin, he'll be safe."
"And if we don't?"
"You may not have faith in me, but you believe in your brother."
Slowly, she nodded her head. He couldn't believe she still trusted Vince after he'd put her in danger. Biting his tongue against a scathing retort his former best friend deserved, Blake exited the SUV and took the phone into the abandoned bar.
He powered on the cell and dialed a number.
"What the hell's going on Blake?" Logan Carmichael didn't mince words. "You call me, but won't leave a message. Parris shows up with your mother and won't say squat."
"I need your help. Below the radar. Can we get into your place unnoticed?"
"Come to the front entrance. I'll man the cameras. Pull to the back of the house," Logan said, as if he'd planned for the question. "And by the way, get out of sight of that old bar. You're like a beacon."
Logan was good. Blake ended the call, wiped the phone's memory and set it on the hardwood floor. The inch-thick layer of dust scattered. The wood had rotted, disintegrating in patches, much like Blake's entire world.
Amanda pulled him in divergent directions. She'd restarted his heart, but how the hell could he let himself get emotionally involved with her? She was trouble. And in trouble. His heart could end up as hollow and crumbling as this old building.
He strode back to the SUV. "We're set. Ethan will be okay at the Triple C. Logan lives in a fortress. It's where Parris took my mom."
The news seemed to calm Amanda.
Blake restarted the car and pulled out on the road before taking the nearest all-dirt detour. "Back roads. Wouldn't want to meet our friends as they head toward that bar."
"You think like a criminal," she said, still staring out the window. "I might need lessons."
Blake reached for her hand and squeezed it. "Don't let yourself go there, Amanda. Once you do, it's hard to come back."
A haunted expression crossed his face. "I did some undercover time for the Narc unit before I made detective. No one should do that gig more than three to five years. It's easy to slide."
"Did you?"
"I wasn't in long enough. The assignment was the last straw in my marriage. I became a different person. Hours were crazy. I couldn't call her." He gripped the steering wheel and turned onto a dirt road. "She couldn't deal with not knowing where I was, what I was doing. She didn't trust me to be faithful...or not to get killed."
Blake shook off the memories as Ethan hummed in the backseat. "Point is, you don't want to live in fear. It changes you and impacts everyone around you."
"I may not have a choice."
/>
It took another ninety minutes before he drove under a large iron arch adorned with a horseshoe and three Cs. He stopped at the locked fence and gazed into the camera. He didn't have to say a word. The gate swung open. Logan was as good as his word.
"Wouldn't want to try to break into this place," he said. "Logan's set it up like a fortress. Nothing goes on here that he doesn't know about."
They drove down a winding driveway and pulled behind a large ranch house, its back porch spanning the entire dwelling. Logan Carmichael stepped out from the door, the scar on his right cheek still an angry red.
"Can we trust him?" Amanda asked.
"I do. With my life." Blake stepped out of the SUV and shook Logan's hand. He'd be stretching his friendship to the max today.
"This had better be good." Logan's voice trailed off when he caught sight of Amanda pulling Ethan from the backseat. Leo jumped down and followed them around the car.
"Later," Blake said.
He made the introductions, just as his mother ran down the steps and flew into Blake's arms, a dollop of flour smudged on her cheek.
"What's wrong, honey? Deputy Parris practically dragged me out of the house and wouldn't tell me a thing. Just dropped me here and took off again." Her face blushed a bit and she shoved an errant strand of cinnamon hair out of her eyes. "Didn't even give me time to curl my hair."
"Sorry, Mom. It's been crazy." Blake squeezed her tight and kissed her cheek. At least she was okay. Ever since his dad had been killed he'd worried about watching out for her. It was the main reason he'd moved home.
"Logan treated me to a nice breakfast, but he won't say a word. Not that he was ever the talkative one." Her eyes widened as she caught sight of Amanda and Ethan. "And who is this strapping young man?"
Ethan shrank behind Amanda and peeked out from behind her.
His mother's sharp gaze caught sight of the yellow truck. She gave Blake a speculative glance and knelt in front of Ethan. "That's a nice truck you have."
Ethan held the toy close. "Sheriff Blake let me play with it. It was Joey's. He's in the clouds."
His mother blinked and she ruffled Ethan's hair. "Yes, he is. Well, Joey would be glad a little boy can play with his toy."
Blake cleared his throat. "Mom, do you think you could find Ethan something to eat?"
She smiled. "I can do better than that. Do you like chocolate chip cookies? I've been baking to keep busy. The little gal who runs the kitchen just took some fresh from the oven. They're about cool enough for a little boy to eat."
Ethan's eyes lit up. He glanced at Amanda. "Can I?"
Her smile trembled, but she nodded. "Sure, little man."
He grabbed his truck and walked beside Blake's mom, but didn't reach for her hand when she held it out to him. She looked down at him and frowned. Blake recognized the curious glance she threw over her shoulder. Oh boy, he'd have to answer more than a dozen questions before this thing played out.
Once Ethan was in the house, Blake turned on Logan. "Where's Parris?"
"He couldn't reach Smithson. Went to search for him. Then asked me to guard your mother until he could get back. What's going on, Blake?"
"I had some visitors this morning. Shot the hell out of my house. I need to know Mom is safe while I get to the bottom of it."
"And I'm guessing this little lady and her boy have something to do with your trouble."
"Sharp as ever. I need to get to Austin. Check out something, but I can't take the boy. It's not safe for him. Physically or emotionally."
Logan crossed his arms. "You want me to babysit?"
"That kid's seen a man die. He's been shot at. He nearly died on a runaway tractor. He needs protection and supervision. Mom can do the cuddling."
"Maybe I shouldn't leave him alone after all." Amanda chewed on her lip, her hands kneading in front of her.
"Do you want to take him with us? Back into that house?"
She shook her head.
Blake shoved his hand through his hair. "I could leave you both here. Logan will keep you safe."
"I want to stay." Amanda sighed. "But I've got to do this. For Ethan. And for Vince."
Logan gave Amanda a sharp look, then turned to Blake. "Vince? Vince Hawthorne, that lying piece of--"
"Vince was murdered, Logan. Amanda is his sister."
He let out a low whistle. "I haven't heard anything about a downed cop."
"That's just one of our problems. And I'm not going into details. You have to trust me. And I need to get to Austin. Fast."
"Rich can take you in the Piper Lance. It'll get you there in an hour. And he'll watch your back."
"Good." Blake turned to Logan. "Can I use some of your men to back up Parris and Smithson? There are at least two guys in town. Maybe more. And I need a computer to get at some reports in the Austin PD databases."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "You really want to step in it, don't you?"
"Can you get me in?"
"Of course," Logan said with a wry smile. "Nothing I like better than bringing down dirty cops. You ready?"
"I need to say goodbye to Ethan," Amanda said.
Logan escorted them into the house. The scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies permeated everywhere. Amanda heard a soft voice singing and veered toward the sound. Blake's mother sat on a leather sofa, a glass of milk and a half-eaten cookie on the table next to her, a book in her hand. Ethan lay against her, his eyes closed, snoring softly.
"It'll be okay. I wouldn't let my mother stay here otherwise." Blake placed his hand on Amanda's shoulder. The vulnerability in her eyes made him hurt for her. She nodded quietly. He watched as unspoken communication went from his mother to Amanda. His mother nodded and she laid a protective hand on Ethan's back.
Amanda walked out of the room. Blake followed. "I want to be back soon," she said.
"Rich is prepping the Piper," Logan said. "You should be ready to take off in a few minutes."
Blake stuck out his hand. "We'll be back as soon as we can. If anyone comes asking..."
"I didn't see you."
Blake paused for a moment and met his friend's world-weary gaze. "Especially the cops."
"I'll evade the questions as long as I can," he said, his face determined. "You'd better take this." Logan handed him a cell phone. "It's traceable, but only by me and my men."
"Thanks. Give Parris and my mom the number. No one else."
Less than a half hour later, Blake and Amanda strapped into the Piper Lance.
"What if they're waiting for us?" Amanda said through the headphones.
"Logan set up a car so we can stay under the radar," he said. "We'll approach on foot. You've been gone two days. I would imagine they've searched the house. And if they'd found anything, they wouldn't still be after you."
She nodded, and Blake watched the tapping of her foot as the flatness of the West Texas skyline gave way to Austin's rolling hills and trees. Amazing what ninety minutes in a plane could do.
Blake had thought the first time he'd made the trek to Austin, he'd found home. He'd been wrong. It wasn't the place that made home, it was the people.
The plane landed.
"I need to check on Ethan," Amanda said quickly. "Please."
Blake powered on the phone Logan had given him, punched in a number and handed it to her. She placed it to her ear and closed her eyes in relief.
After a quick conversation with Ethan, she let out a sigh. "He's okay. I don't even think he misses me."
She returned the phone to Blake, and as her hand brushed his, a tingle of awareness fired through him. He gripped her fingers and squeezed.
She cleared her throat. "Parris wants to speak with you. He said it's important."
Blake didn't let go of her hand. "Parris? Did you locate the Austin cops?"
"We found Smithson in your barn. Sugar kicked him in the head. He's in a coma."
Chapter Seven
The plane eased up to the Austin-area fuel station near a half-
full hangar, but Blake didn't budge as they came to a stop. Amanda could hear the strain in his voice and see the tightness around his mouth, the spasm in his jaw. As he bit out soft, yet staccato questions, she put the pieces together of what had happened to Blake's deputy. Her heart twisted in sympathy.
The same horse that had killed his father.
She couldn't imagine how he felt, but he didn't show it. With each passing second, the frown line between his eyes grew deeper. How long could he keep such a tight rein on his control without exploding?
"I shooed Sugar out of the barn. What would have possessed him to come back?" Blake rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Tell the vet what happened, but don't let anyone else deal with the situation. I'll take care of it when I get home. Just make sure you put the word out to the surrounding ranches that Sugar's dangerous. And keep me informed about Smithson. Tell his wife..." Blake paused. "Tell his wife I'll be by as soon as I can."
He ended the call. Amanda placed a hand on his arm, but he shrugged her away. "I should've told everyone to stay away from my place."
The plane's engines stopped. "Problem?" Rich removed his earphones and shifted in the pilot's seat to look at them.
"Something I'll deal with. After we lock up these guys." Blake's lips thinned. "Keep the plane ready. We may have to leave quickly."
"Logan said to back you up," Rich argued.
"I need you standing by in a separate location. If this goes wrong, get word to Logan and fly Amanda out. Fast."
Rich studied Blake for a moment, then nodded. The pilot unlatched the plane door and pushed it open. Icy air blasted into the cabin, the cold biting her cheeks.
He helped her out of the Piper and indicated the private airport's terminal as Blake jumped down behind her. "I'll get the keys to the car. Stay out of sight."
Rich headed toward the building no larger than a double-wide. Amanda shivered as a wicked gust of wind slapped against her. She tugged at the edges of her flimsy coat. It was like she'd never left Austin. Yet so much had happened.
Blake reached into the airplane and pulled out a down jacket. He handed it to her. "Put this on. It's a gift."
She took the coat. The soft down beckoned her. She slipped her arms into the large jacket. She hated the idea of charity, but the weather had become too vicious to be anything but thankful. Before she could zip the coat, Blake brushed her hands away and quickly fastened the front. He fished a pair of gloves from the pockets and slipped them on her hands, lingering before he squeezed gently. "You can't afford to come down with pneumonia," he said, his voice husky.
