by Emily Bowie
David has me in the back of the squad car when he answers his phone.
“Kiptyn was just seen near the Steeles’ ranch,” the man on the other line, who I recognize as Liam, tells us.
I watch as David’s arm jerks in a small celebratory move. “We’re on it.” Then the line is cut off.
“Looks like we both might get our break,” David says over his shoulder. “What are the chances your cover is blown?” he asks me in all seriousness.
I shake my head. “None,” I lie.
“I’m going to call for backup to be on standby. No need to have innocent people hurt tonight.”
“Good call.” I will murder someone if Sloan gets hurt. Then I realize he’s not talking about Sloan. He’s referring to my family. “You think Kiptyn would go after my family?”
“Why else would he be there?”
Kiptyn and I have always had a solid relationship, but that was when he thought I was on his side. What if he was planning on taking matters into his own hands to get revenge? I fucked up with Sloan. I put his whole operation under fire, and I lied to him for years, backstabbing him.
I’ve met guys who would not think twice about using their enemies’ families against them. Kip wouldn’t be the first one. The thought sickens me.
“You need to go faster.”
David pushes the gas pedal down, doubling his current speed, zipping through town toward the outskirts. As we leave the town limits, the yellow glow of streetlamps stay in the background till we cross over the railroad tracks, leading us to full-on blackness.
“Cut the lights.” I sit in the middle of the back seat, wishing I was up front. My fingers dig into my thighs as I ready to jump out.
Slowing down, we stop at the old ranch service driveway we no longer use. David turns on his flashlight, getting a look at the car already parked there.
“This the car Sloan was driving?” I can see his thoughts already. “She and Kiptyn could be working together,” he warns me.
I can’t see that.
“Think about it. She disappears right in front of your eyes. They could be playing you.”
Getting out of the car, we begin our walk onto my family’s property.
CHAPTER 42
My eyes are closed, allowing my other senses to perk up. I listen for any type of sound, waiting for Kip. Without a doubt, he will find me. A horse neighs in the field, making me hope for movement out there.
Ace and Molly talk low amongst themselves, but never loud enough for me to know their plan. I get the gist of it anyway. Hurt me to hurt everyone else. They aren’t that creative.
I think about Granny, happy she isn’t alive to see the way I’ve failed her. She always wanted better for me, and I never saw it in myself. Ironic that as soon as I do, this shit happens. I say a little prayer to her up in the stars, hoping maybe she can work some magic down here for me. I have never asked her for anything in my life, up till now. Someone once told me if you dream hard enough, it will come true.
I feel a weight along the back of my shoulders then around my neck. I don’t open my eyes right away, realizing it’s a frayed rope. Then the tape is pulled down from my mouth, pulling my sensitive skin with it.
“I thought we were trying to frame Kellen, not make it look like I killed myself.” My voice is flat as I voice my thoughts.
“This isn’t to hang you with.” Molly’s voice breaks the darkness. Brax’s voice and movements are fully gone now. The wind has picked up, the only thing muffling the sounds from this house.
A small flicker of light the cuts the air. It’s just barely enough to make out the features of the three of us.
“You realize your boyfriend is a rat, right?” Ace talks to me like I’m a child who should know better. “You’re sleeping with an FBI informant, Sloan.”
“You’re lying.” Kellen can’t be. People who work for the FBI don’t go stealing cars and taking people like me with them. Wouldn’t that be framing me? I go through every one of our interactions. I have a nose for bad boys, not cops of any sort.
“Weird how you just got into town and then you magically meet Kellen, who has been tracking Kiptyn for years now.”
I watch as he tilts his head. I’m left speechless. I can see in Ace eyes that he’s telling me the truth.
“I bet when he set his mark on you, you let him in full-heartedly. Tell me, how long did it take for him to get into your pants?”
My mouth is dry as I think about our first encounter. Him being the only person to stop for me on the side of the road. Then how he took me right in my driveway on my car.
“He was using you. I’m a piece of shit, but at least I was honest, even when I used you.”
“I don’t believe you.” My voice is soft; even I don’t believe my words as they waffle with insecurity.
“I’m not the liar.”
“I tried to warn you off from him,” Molly speaks up.
Everyone tried to warn me against him, making me run into his arms faster.
“Molly, who did Ace have you suck face with to distract us?” I now realize she was only a distraction for Kellen and I. Looking down she gives me a happy wink, refusing to answer.
“Shouldn’t be long till Kip and Kellen get here,” Ace continues, ignoring my question like it was never spoken. “It’s amazing how fast Kip responds when I have you, and he just learned his favorite soldier just turned him in.”
“You telling me that you and Kip are on the same team now?” I ask, trying to keep him talking.
He grunts. “Only momentarily, until he sees my plan for you. Right now, he thinks I have you all safe.”
“With Ace drawing Kip out of hiding, Kellen will surely be behind him,” Molly says before she’s silenced by a glare from Ace.
“Molly, you realize you’re only going to be collateral damage in all this, right? Ace only cares about himself. Your survival rate is less than mine.” I shrug inexpressively, showing her I don’t give two shits about her. “Kip and Kellen are both on my side. Who’s on your side?”
I watch her lips purse, and she stares me down before she masks her emotions.
Slowly, she saunters toward me, her hips swaying. Her hand comes out and pats my shoulder sympathetically. She bends down so I can feel her breath on my ear. “You’re forgetting that Kellen and I have a history. I’m his sister’s best friend. Loyalty in Three Rivers trumps you.” She straightens up, giving me her bright, cheerful smile, the one she’s used on me so many times.
“You are insane. Kellen doesn’t like you, not even as a friend. How is it that Kellen hangs out with Becca’s kids more than you?”
Someone needs to smack this girl upside the head and shake some sense into her. Maybe now isn’t the right time to give her a lesson on how the world works, but man, she’s crazy.
The wind howls through the house, biting into my skin. The animals have quieted, leaving the wind the only thing to stir stuff up. My skin prickles as a shiver zips through me. Someone is here; I can feel it.
Molly picks up the rope; I can see her thinking about tightening it. Because I feel like this isn’t how my story ends, I speak the truth. “You tighten that, and even Ace will put you in your place. It’s going to be showtime soon.”
Her hands move as Ace’s thick voice cuts in, “Both of you, shut the fuck up.” Then he mutters to himself, “Fucking women.”
I wink at Molly, loving that he’s getting annoyed with her too.
“Well, if it isn’t the infamous Ace.” Kip’s voice cuts through the darkness, making my eyes search for him. “Thought you were better than us.” His voice has moved, making my head turn before he steps forward, showing himself to us.
“Couldn’t leave town without her, huh?” Ace questions, placing his hands on my shoulders from his stance behind me.
“Looks like that makes two of us.”
I watch them stare each other down. “What do you want, Ace?” Kip asks.
All the animals start making noise once
again, causing me to hope that Kellen is here, here to save me. I can’t let go of the person he was with me. I don’t believe he would do anything to hurt me. Kip trusted him with my life, and I do too.
“Seems to me, I have a lot of things you want right now.” His hands tap my shoulders again.
“Don’t do anything because of me,” I say with certainty. I could not live with that over my head.
My body begins to shake as I hold my head high. I fight off the urge to bite my bottom lip. I’m scared, but more scared to show it.
“I want to make Kellen pay.” Ace’s voice is hard and full of venom.
“I want that too. What does Sloan have to do with that?”
“She’s our bait.”
CHAPTER 43
As I walk by the barn, the animals go wild like they’ve just been spooked. Our horses run back and forth, hitting the wooden boards like fireworks have just been set off near them. Everything is up and moving like it’s midday.
Slowly, I make my way toward the half-built house. David waits a few yards away as I scan the area for danger. I can hear Ace and Kip talking to each other. I’m not shocked to find them together. Lightly, I take another step forward, pulling my gun in front of me. The wind muffles my slow movements until I can get a visual on Sloan. She’s sandwiched between Molly, Kip, and Ace. My muscles freeze, not truly expecting Molly. Or at least I had hoped I was wrong. Taking another step forward, I aim my gun at Kiptyn. Bringing him in might just bring me enough credit to get another job with the FBI.
“Looks like we have an audience.” Ace’s smugness radiates off of him as I show myself.
“Let Sloan go.” I nod my head toward her while refusing to meet her eyes. If I see the pain that should be sitting in them right now, I may go on a rampage.
“If I let her go, who says you won’t shoot me?”
“This has nothing to do with you,” I reply. Ace has a huge ego, so the way to get under his skin is to make it look like you don’t give a fuck about him. I plan to bring all three of them down. “Now, skedaddle while I deal with the bigger fish who’s wanted.”
I don’t expect Ace to leave, but if he does, David is there to get him. Won’t be long until we have a row of officers out here, chomping at the bit to be a local hero.
“You’re too cocky for your own good, Steele. This is all about you and me. You took what was mine.”
I roll my eyes. Sloan was never his.
“Molly, you want to leave before you’re in too far over your head?” I ask, giving her a way out before it gets bloody in here.
I watch her body teeter, deciding if she wants to stay or go. “I’m trying to help you,” she says, sounding like I just slapped her across the face. Her face twists with hurt. “She’s only going to cause you trouble, Kellen. I thought you were over that stage in your life. I waited for you.” She throws the accusation down like we were meant to be.
“Take the rope off her neck, Molly. How can you keep me out of trouble, when you’re the cause of it? We need a clean break. Start by leaving now,” I try to persuade her, knowing Three Rivers won’t understand if another woman dies because of me.
Slowly, her hands begin to move, but Ace stops her. “We have a deal, Molly.” His voice is cold, and her movements stop under his glare, refusing to look back at me. Instead, she takes a step back, lowering her head, but stays. Her choice has been made.
Kip has stayed quiet in all of this. Not even his shoulders look to be rising from breathing. Always cool under pressure.
“What are you doing here, Kip?” I ask him.
“Same thing as you are, brother.”
I watch the fire in Ace’s eyes before he masks it. Kip stays planted like a statue. “That’s all I need to know. Sloan, don’t move,” I order.
In a split second, I make the decision that changes my future, happy to do so. The only thing I care about in that future is Sloan. The rest are minor details that won’t hold my happiness. She is the key to that.
Ace quickly raises his gun, and my eyes stay trained on his fingers. We both pull the trigger at the same moment.
“Kellen!” Sloan calls out as I’m forced to move backward from the momentum of the bullet hitting my chest in my bullet proof vest. It hurts like a motherfucker. Sloan’s screams are like mini daggers digging in my head.
“Are you hit?” Kip asks her.
I hear a thud and see Ace fall over onto Sloan as Kip works to free her.
“Are you fucking crazy, Kellen?” Kip hollers at me. I’m dazed from the blow I’ve just taken.
It takes a few seconds to come down from being stunned before I race toward them.
“You okay, Sloan?” I ask, cupping her face, my hands searching her body for any nicks. She looks to be cover in blood. My heart is racing. Maybe I made a knee-jerk decision that was wrong.
“You could have killed her, Steele!” Kip yells at me in fury.
“I didn’t.” I dismiss his anger while we both free Sloan.
Turning the sound back on to my radio, I hear that David has Molly, and the first backup car has arrived. Ambulance sirens are just coming through the air.
“Keep my family away from the scene,” I radio in, knowing it won’t take long for them to come out. “I’m coming out with Kiptyn.” Kip straightens up beside me but never tries to run. He knows better.
“Sloan, please forgive me for leaving you.” I kiss her before another officer rushes in to help her, and I handcuff Kip.
He walks with his head down through my family’s yard. The ambulance is starting to drown out the once silent road, along with a few other cop cars that come barreling in. Won’t be long till red and blue lights take over the night and yellow tape is placed all over my family home to serve as a reminder to me.
I can see my ma and dad step out onto their porch, their mouths hanging open as they watch everything around them.
An officer I don’t know jogs past me, but I catch him. “I need to use your car.” He tosses me the keys, and within moments, Kip is placed in the vacant cop car.
“My handcuffs are biting into me something fierce.”
I nod to Kip, loosening his cuffs, giving him this one-time get out of jail card. “Hope you know how to wire a car,” I mumble under my breath.
Another ambulance enters my driveway as I point it in the direction of the house before leaving Kiptyn alone in the cop car.
Traffic is going every way. Everyone wants a chance at the action. Walking back, I see Sloan sitting in the back of the ambulance, while paramedics check to see if Ace is alive.
Just as I walk up to Sloan, the moon comes out from behind its cloud, lighting up my family’s ranch.
“How are you?” I ask, going to hold her hand. Our skin meets, my hand warming up hers, and I watch when her shoulders relax as my touch soothes her.
“I could be better,” she responds with a half smile that doesn’t meet her eyes. I can always count on Sloan for her honesty.
“I get that.” My thumb makes circles on her hand. “I’m sorry all this happened.” I look out across my land, seeing my parents are already being questioned about if they saw anything.
I feel the tension over Kip twirling around us, so much so it needs to be addressed. “I wouldn’t be good at my job if I didn’t bring Kiptyn in. But you need to know what I feel for you is real. Everything we have ever been together was natural and honest. I didn’t realize who you were till after we….” The sentence dies on my lips. I have never been that good at voicing my feelings. My actions say more than my words, or at least I try to make them.
“You mean after you fucked me?”
My hand goes to run down the back of my neck as I look from her to the paramedic checking her vitals.
“We don’t need to do this here.” I peer up at her, trying to save her from the town’s gossip mill.
“Yes, we do.” She stares into my eyes, and I can see the emotions twisting her up.
“I love you. Nothing will change t
hat.” My eyes hold hers, hoping she sees what she needs to in my expression, but she turns her head away, looking out into the darkness.
“Trust sometimes can mean a whole lot more than love.” Her voice is soft as she refuses to look at me, instead staring into the emptiness of the night.
“You don’t mean that.” My collar starts to feel hot, as if the moon is shining down on me like the sun’s rays. “You can trust me.” My voice goes higher than normal as I realize this is the first step in losing her forever.
CHAPTER 44
I don’t know who or what I can trust anymore. Every time I think I have my world figured out, something is always pulled out from under me. I can see the panic in Kellen’s eyes, but he needs to know how his actions have hurt me.
Not only did he lie to me, but my only family is now handcuffed, and he placed me in danger. I don’t even know what the implications of me being part of the crew tonight does. I feel stabbed in the back. How can he say we have trust? How does he not see what’s happened?
I watch Kellen open his mouth, only for the radio to come on loud and clear. At the same time, there is a rush to the top of the long driveway. From the sounds of the radio, it seems that Kiptyn has decided to take a cruise in the cop car by himself.
An I can’t believe it chuckle escapes from me. I silently ask the sky that he does get away. He only came back to save me. It only seems right. That is the logic I grew up with, so why would tonight be any different?
Kip’s stunt leaves no time for Kellen to argue with me. He gives me a kiss on the lips I don’t return, and then he’s off chasing after Kiptyn like everyone else.
“Ms. Tate?” An officer stands below. “Do you mind if I ask you some questions?”
“Why not?” I just want tonight to be over. All I can think about is my bed, with my covers wrapped tightly around me in the safety of my own home.
