Her Midnight Cowboy (Keeper's Kin Book 1)

by Beth Alvarez

  Then again, some of the things he hunted were people and monsters both.

  There were no cars to be seen, and no voices came from inside the barn. The door stood ajar by an inch or two, shadows drawing past it now and then. Inside there was the familiar rasping of a broom, and the occasional scraping of something being moved.

  Kade signaled for her to stand back, cocking his gun.

  She did the same, holding her breath as he pulled the door open, the hinges groaning loud enough to make her cringe.

  The tack room on the other side was empty and dimly lit. A narrow wall hid the rest of the barn from the door, empty pegs and saddle racks casting eerie shadows on the wall. The stench of old blood and rotten meat hit her hard, making her stomach heave.

  Kade slid inside.

  The sounds among the stalls stopped and Felicity gulped against a wave of panic and the churning of her stomach, bracing for the inevitable sound of gunshots.

  Kade froze, raising a finger in signal for her to stay back.

  Then the slow whisk of the broom against the floor resumed, and he leaned forward just far enough to peer around the corner.

  She stepped inside, moving slow enough to make her footsteps silent, holding her gun ready. She joined Kade, leaning close when he beckoned her.

  “His back’s to us,” he breathed beside her ear, voice barely a whisper. “Stay back a minute. Let me talk.”

  Felicity nodded, lingering beside the wall, but edging close enough to watch.

  Kade rounded the corner with his gun trained on the man’s back, standing still a long moment before he let out a shrill whistle.

  The man with the broom jumped and spun, spitting a curse as the broom clattered to the floor. His hands rose, jerky and halting, as if he were a puppet on clumsy strings.

  “Where is it?” Kade demanded, inching closer.

  “H-hey, take it easy,” the man stammered, staring down the barrel of the gun.

  Kade didn’t move. “You’re alone?”

  The man nodded.

  “Where are the others?”

  “I don’t know,” the man moaned, shifting on his feet, creeping to the left.

  “Tsk!” Kade took another step, twitching the muzzle of his pistol in gesture for him to stop.

  Again the man’s hands jerked upwards. He froze, his eyes darting to the small back door in between two stalls.

  “There’s a truck ’round the other side of this building,” Kade said. “Last time I saw it, a couple of your friends gifted me with a bullet in my belly. Where are they?”

  The man went so pale Felicity thought it a wonder he didn’t pass out. She leaned against the wall. She hadn’t even noticed the truck, but given Kade’s keen eyesight, she didn’t doubt its presence. Besides, Kade had things under control here; if the guy was alone and unarmed, he wasn’t much of a threat. And pale as he was, she didn’t think he’d put up much fight anyway.

  “You’re the cattle hand they shot?” he moaned, wavering on his feet. “Oh, Lord, you’re like him, ain’t you?”

  Kade tipped his head to the side. “Like who?”

  Stumbling backwards, the man motioned pleadingly with both hands. “I don’t know nothin’, I swear! You tell them, you tell whoever sent you, I don’t know! I just clean up after them, you hear?”

  “Stand still,” Kade barked. “Nobody sent me. And until you started talkin’, I only wanted two things. Now I want three.”

  Whimpering, the man looked ready to fall to his knees.

  Kade prowled closer. “Question one. I know about the critter you’re cleanin’ up after. Where is it?”

  The man’s eyes darted in every direction. He caught sight of Felicity and turned ashen gray.

  “Answer me!” Kade caught him by the shirt, jamming his pistol under the man’s jaw.

  “I don’t know,” he yelped. “They bring it in every few days. Bring livestock and the beast and turn ’em loose in the field. Sometimes they move it from the big trailer to the truck out there. They bring it back with whatever it’s eating. They dump it in the big stalls and leave it for a couple hours. I just clean up the mess after, that’s all.”

  That explained the stench. Piles of darkened sawdust lined the edges of the concrete walkway down the middle of the barn, a wheelbarrow full of it waiting just inside one of the box stalls. Felicity didn’t have to wonder what it had been used to clean up. The thought was appalling, yet somehow easier to palate than the sight of Kade—her lover—threatening to kill someone. This was his world; she understood the dangers and questionable territory that had to go along with a job like his. Liking it wasn’t a requirement.

  “How many people come with it?” Kade spoke through clenched teeth, every muscle in him taut.

  “Just a few. Two or three. Different people sometimes. I don’t know ’em. We don’t talk, they just bring my check. I live nearby. Come in, clean up. That’s all I do.” Beads of sweat rolled down the fellow’s temples, in spite of the chilly air.

  “Liar.”

  The man gulped, sinking into his knees.

  Kade jerked him back to his feet before he could reach the floor. “You know somethin’ more, ’cause you’ve seen someone like me before. Who is it?”

  Again the ashen man’s eyes flicked toward Felicity, this time pleading for help.

  “Answer,” Kade snarled, wedging his gun tight under the man’s jawbone.

  “Drake du Coudray! He writes my checks. The others—they talk about him. They take people, sometimes, bring them back here to dump in with the hogs a couple miles over. He drinks them dry.”

  Cursing, Kade gritted his teeth. “Gets worse every time I turn around,” he muttered. “One more question. Then you’re free to go.” He lowered his gun and the man’s eyes rolled closed in relief.

  “Anything,” he gasped.

  “We got two ways this can end,” Kade said, spinning his pistol lazily around his finger. “One, I hog-tie you and drag you with me until we find this du Coudray fella. Or option two.” He paused, his tongue flicking over his fangs. “Give me a snack, and I leave you alive and free. You can tuck tail and get out of here, hopin’ his lackeys don’t find you.”

  Groaning, the man hung his head.

  A shaft of light passed the doorway, shining through the tack room. Felicity spun on her heel, staring at the open door. “Kade?”

  “Don’t look, Filly.”

  Outside, someone shouted. A car door slammed and boots crunched on gravel.

  “Kade!” She scrambled back from the door, running to meet him.

  His head snapped around, his face twisted in a scowl the likes of which she’d never seen. Then his eyes flicked up as another beam of light flooded the tack room. Swearing under his breath, he dropped the stranger and grabbed her hand, hauling her toward the other door.

  Felicity stumbled, regaining her footing in time to plunge headlong into the night, the bitter cold stealing her breath.

  Spinning her close, Kade half carried her around the corner of the barn, pressing her tight to the paint-peeling wall. She almost protested at the over-the-top display of protection, until she realized he held his black coat over her, hiding the bright red wool she wore.

  He stared ahead, around the far corner of the barn, then glanced over his shoulder. The faded red truck the rustlers drove onto the ranch was parked not far from them, and from the way his body tensed, she knew he wanted to search it. He exhaled, not quite a sigh of frustration. Felicity found herself looking at his lips. It was a wonder the things she’d never noticed before; small differences between him and any other man that might have given him away.

  There was no frost on the air when he breathed.

  Voices rose inside the barn and Kade grimaced, catching her by the elbow and steering her toward the far end of the building. She couldn’t make out anything said inside, but they sounded angry, and when they reached the corner and peeked around it, Kade hissed in displeasure.

  A man with a flashlight c
ircled their SUV, shining the light through the tinted windows.

  “What now?” Her volume dipped below a whisper, little more than a breath beside his shoulder.

  “We’ve got a few seconds before they come around here and find us.” He chewed his lower lip, watching the rustler examine their vehicle.

  Felicity knew she should have been thinking of ways to escape. Instead her eyes locked on his white teeth, studying his subtly too-sharp canines. After seeing Thaddeus brandish his long, yellowed fangs, she’d expected something more noticeable.

  “We’re gonna run for it.” Kade dug the keys from his pocket, pressing them into her hand. “Unlock when we’re a couple paces away. Get in as quick as you can and lock the doors behind you.”

  “What about you?”

  He pushed away from the barn, standing her upright. “I’m makin’ that up as I go. Now!” He nudged the middle of her back and Felicity bolted forward, sprinting across the grass and gravel.

  The man beside the SUV spun to face them, shining the flashlight straight at them. “Hey!”

  Kade outpaced her easily, skidding in the gravel, knocking the flashlight from the rustler’s hand. It hit the ground hard and went out.

  Cold air burning in her chest, Felicity mashed the unlock button on the SUV’s remote, the vehicle’s lights blinking as the locks clicked open. She almost crashed into the black door panel, scrambling for the handle with both hands.

  Angry shouts came from the barn to the left and her gaze shot up. Figures clustered in the doorway, spilling out.

  The door came open and she leaped inside. “Come on!”

  Snarling silently, Kade pistol-whipped the rustler in the face, sending him spinning.

  Felicity shoved the driver’s door open wider with her foot while she started the SUV, moving into the passenger seat as Kade leaped in. His eyes darted to the barn and widened.

  “Guns!” He dragged Felicity out of the passenger seat, all but throwing her onto the floorboard between them. A second later, a bullet tore through the windshield where she’d been. Kade jammed the brake down and threw the SUV into gear, slamming the door shut and hitting the gas.

  The engine roared to life, throwing Felicity against the dashboard hard enough it made her squeal. The tires spat gravel, a second bullet shattering the passenger side window as the vehicle spun.

  Felicity covered her head against the shower of broken glass, her pulse thundering in her ears. She sat up, stealing a glance out the window as they passed a truck and long metal trailer.

  “Stay down,” Kade barked. A third gunshot almost drowned out his words as it struck the back of the vehicle.

  The SUV bounced so hard that getting up would have been impossible. She dropped back to the floorboard, curling close around the seat, clenching her teeth to keep from biting her tongue.

  Tires squealed as they hit the paved county road at top speed. One last shot echoed in the abandoned ranch behind them, fading away into the night. The silence that followed was weighted and oppressive.

  Shaking, Felicity clambered to one of the back seats, away from the broken window and rushing wind. The seat belt alarm keened over the roar and she fumbled with the buckle to strap herself in.

  Kade ignored it. He tossed his hat aside, raking his fingers through his hair, exhaling through clenched teeth. “And now we got nothin’.”

  She dug through the things in the floorboard, pulling her notebook out of the broken cubes of safety glass. The pen was still stuck in the spiral binding. She jerked it free, scribbling something onto the page before she forgot. “We have a name, don’t we?”

  “A fake one,” he grumbled.

  Her brow furrowed. “What makes you say that?”

  Snorting, he slowed to the speed limit. “What part of Drake du Coudray sounds real to you?”

  Felicity shrugged. “It sounds like a vampire to me.”

  “Exactly. And Kade Colton doesn’t. We don’t do vampire names. The last thing we want to do is make ourselves noticeable.” He flexed his fingers on the steering wheel, moving one hand in front of the vent. The heat was already on full blast, but with the holes in the windows, it wouldn’t do much. “And if he’s using a fake name, we won’t be able to find anything on him in the Keeper databases. We got nothin’ to go on. No more leads.”

  She shrank back, hugging herself against the cold. “CKL-I63.”

  Kade pulled a face, twisting in his seat. “What?”

  “CKL-I63,” she repeated.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Smiling, she held up the notebook, showing where she’d written it down. “The license plate on that trailer that pulled in after us. It’s registered as a farm trailer. I don’t know if you saw it or not, but it looked perfect for transporting stolen cattle.”

  He turned to look at her again, surprise giving way to a broad grin. “Well, I’ll be.” Straightening, Kade made himself more comfortable, laughing over the wind. “Looks like we’re still in business after all.”

  FIFTEEN

  * * *

  THEY DIDN’T STOP in either of the next two towns, driving through the winding countryside until the small hours before dawn. Any closer to William’s West would’ve been too close for comfort.

  There were tarps beneath the seats and tape in a toolbox in the back, and Kade used them to cover the broken side window and punctured windshield once they reached the parking lot of a hotel. There was nothing to do for the tail light except wait. He’d have to thank his Keeper for the tools; Thaddeus always thought ahead.

  Felicity gathered their things out of the SUV while he finished, not leaving a scrap behind. A thief could still take the stereo, but he doubted anyone would try in daylight.

  Kade slung both his bags over his shoulders and took the toolbox from the back, leaving her to carry only her own things. “I’ll put in a call as soon as we’re settled, see if Birch can arrange for someone to come replace the glass while we’re sleeping.” The Keeper wouldn’t be happy, but it was better than needing another new vehicle.

  “Do you need anything else?” Felicity led the way toward the hotel, holding the door for him since his hands were full.

  “Don’t think so, aside from information. You should probably get some breakfast after we’re checked in.”

  “What about you?” The worry in her eyes made him feel low.

  “I’ll be fine for a while.” A snack would have been nice, but it wasn’t the end of the world. He could go a long time without feeding if he needed to, though his mood usually declined as his appetite increased. Then again, his mood was already gone. Everything about this job had turned out to be a disaster.

  Everything but her.

  Kade checked them in and they made their way to the room on the second floor together. This time, the room had two queen-sized beds. He dropped his things on one, watching Felicity put her bag on the other. He pretended the relief on her face didn’t bother him.

  Something had changed between them over the course of the day. He knew it had something to do with Thaddeus paying them a visit in the motel and the way she’d cried afterward, though she hadn’t said anything. But there was no hiding that her demeanor toward him had cooled, and when he’d reached for her hand in the elevator on the way to their room, she’d turned away and busied herself with fixing her hair. He watched her do the same thing now, pretending she didn’t see him staring at her, finger-combing her hair.

  He’d have to address it, figure out what he’d done to upset her and set things right. But first, he needed to call his Keeper.

  “They had a waffle iron in the breakfast room.” He pulled clean clothes out of one of his bags before he put them both on the floor. “You go on down there and fix yourself somethin’ and I’ll let you know what I hear from Birch.”

  “Okay.” She smiled, her gaze just skirting his, a timid look in her eyes. She stuffed her key card into her pocket and slipped out the door.

  The moment it clicked shut be
hind her, Kade sighed. Nothing good ever came from breaking his rules. He’d warned himself against this a dozen times, and yet here he was. Attachment was a weakness, and yet fighting it had been a battle against his own heart. Shaking his head, he retrieved his Keeper’s card from his belongings.

  The number changed now and then; Kade never asked why. All he knew was that every few months, right after he’d memorized the number, he received a new card in the mail and had to learn a new contact number. He supposed it made sense. He kept moving, himself. Why wouldn’t the Keepers? Their organization was important, and keeping it secret was more important. Despite working together, Keepers and their hunters rarely traded more information than what was absolutely necessary.

  The phone rang twice before the answer came. “Thaddeus Birch, Keeper.”

  “Hey. It’s Kade.” He leaned back into the pillows crowning the headboard of the bed.

  “I somewhat expected, seeing a Texas area code.” The Keeper’s deep voice was sharp, devoid of amusement. He expected bad news.

  Kade hesitated. “Got a little problem I need to talk to you about.”

  “Again,” Thaddeus replied, “as I expected.”

  “Yeah, well, you may not expect as much of this as you think.” Kade tucked his free hand behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

  There was a pause on the other end of the line. “I’m listening, Colton.” The shift in tone was subtle, but clear. He’d caught the Keeper’s interest.

  “There’s more going on in this job than we thought. It ain’t just a chupacabra. The critter’s here, I’ve seen it, but it ain’t so easy as pickin’ it off in the wild. Someone’s been moving it. Letting it take livestock here and there, then takin’ it home. That’s why I haven’t been able to take it down yet, why this whole thing’s been so messy. After what I heard last night, I think . . .” Kade paused, wetting his lips. “I think it’s somebody’s pet, Birch.”

  A long silence followed, tension knotting the air. Finally, the Keeper snorted. “No prosaic person would be able to do such a thing.”