A Cowboy Like You

by Donna Grant

  He was reaching for the radio when the passenger window suddenly shattered. Danny turned his head away so glass didn’t get in his eyes. When he looked back, a semi-automatic rifle was pointed at his face.

  “Put the radio down, sheriff,” the man said.

  The attacker was muscular with beady gray eyes and virtually no lips. His hair was shaved on the sides with only a little sticking up on top—a typical military haircut.

  Danny knew then that whoever this man was, he’d been sent by Matt. And no doubt there were others like him. Danny slowly lowered the radio and lifted his hands.

  “Good. Now, turn off the engine and unlock the doors. Slowly,” the man stated in a threatening tone.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Danny saw another man approaching his side of the vehicle. The moment the doors were unlocked, the newcomer opened the door and held a pistol in Danny’s face.

  “Unbuckle your seatbelt,” the first man said.

  Danny looked into the man’s cold eyes and knew he was a killer. They both were. And they were here to kill him. With two guns trained on him, there was no time to reach for his own weapon and try to get the drop on them.

  “Get out,” the second man ordered in a deep, raspy voice.

  Danny swung his gaze to him. He was a big brute of a man, several inches taller than Danny. The brute’s blond hair was so closely cropped that it made him look bald.

  Danny had spent enough time with Clayton, Brice, Caleb, Jace, Cooper, and even Ryan to know the look of someone just out of the military. And both of these men fit the description.

  Keeping his hands up, Danny exited the SUV while his gaze stayed locked on the man closest to him. The brute waved the gun, indicating that Danny should move away from the vehicle. The beady-eyed one came around the SUV and climbed into the driver’s seat. The two men exchanged a silent look before the first started the engine and drove the patrol SUV into a thicket of woods so it couldn’t be seen from the road.

  Danny kept hoping a car would pass and see them. To his delight, one did, but it was an older woman with her gaze locked on the road as she gripped the steering wheel tightly. She didn’t even look his way.

  So much for anyone helping him.

  Then he had a gun barrel in his back as the brute barked, “Move!”

  Danny was put into a black SUV with his hands bound with a zip tie, and a hood pulled over his face. Then they drove away. He knew the county like the back of his hand, so he had no problem knowing where they were headed. Right up until they drove around in circles to disorient him.

  Unfortunately, it worked. Danny lost track of which direction they were headed, and consequently had no idea where he was being taken.

  They drove for an extended period of time, but he wasn’t sure if it was distance they covered, or if they just drove around aimlessly to fool him. Regardless, Danny knew he was going to his death. There was no way to get out of this. None of his training as a cop ever put him in such a scenario. And no one knew where he was because he hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone.

  Finally, the SUV slowed and then stopped. Danny’s heart thumped in his chest. The two men got out of the vehicle, slamming the doors behind them. Suddenly, his door was opened, and someone grabbed his arm, yanking him out.

  He lost his balance and fell hard to his knees. Danny bit back a cry of pain as one knee landed on a rock. He clenched his jaw as he was roughly pulled to his feet. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t walk without a limp. But he ignored the pain shooting up his leg as he listened to every little sound.

  They weren’t near a main road because he didn’t hear any cars. The bright light around him dimmed as if he were being led into a building. He tried to discern his location from sounds, but got very little that way.

  The air was stale and filled with the scents of old wood and rotting hay. If Danny had to guess, they were in one of the ramshackle stables from the abandoned ranch in the next county over. He knew about the property because it was one that Brice had looked at before buying his.

  Unfortunately, no one would ever look for Danny out here.

  The bag covering his head was unceremoniously yanked away. He blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness of the interior. He glanced around, confirming that he was in a stable. Then his gaze landed on the man who walked from the shadows.

  Matt Gaudet’s smile was that of someone who had gotten exactly what they wanted. “Hello, sheriff.”

  Danny didn’t bother to reply.

  Matt laughed and put one hand in the pocket of his trousers. “I’m surprised at how easy it was to take you. But then again, when you hire people who have been trained by our government and do this exact thing all over the world, you expect it to go off without a hitch.”

  Danny’s hands were still bound, and he had the two men standing near him. They might not have their weapons trained on him at the moment, but it wasn’t as if he could do any damage in his current position.

  “You should’ve left well enough alone,” Matt continued. “You just had to interfere with me and Skylar. We were doing great, by the way. Until you poked your nose in.”

  “You think hitting her and tracking her every move means you were doing good?” Danny snorted at the idea. “You’re fucking delusional, Gaudet.”

  Matt just smiled. “Skylar is mine.”

  “She’s not a toy. She’s a human being.”

  “No, she’s mine. I chose her,” Matt stated.

  Danny shrugged, shaking his head. “She’ll never be yours. No matter what you do to me or what your parents do to her, Skylar wants no part of you.”

  “Because you put stuff in her head,” Matt burst out angrily. Then he took a deep breath, once more gaining control of himself. “I’m going to have fun watching these two torture you. They’re very good at their jobs, and I’ve paid them very, very well to make sure they prolong your pain for days. Weeks, even.”

  Danny lifted his chin. “Fuck you.”

  Matt grinned and nodded to the men. A knife cut Danny’s bonds as they grabbed him tightly. His arms were then yanked out to the sides and up, where his wrists were secured to metal shackles dangling from chains he hadn’t noticed before.

  Chapter 30

  Skylar knew something was wrong the minute Cooper and Jace arrived. Through the office window, she spotted a racing green Jaguar F-type pull up behind them.

  “That’s Cash,” Leslie said.

  It was the anxious way the three got out of the vehicles and made their way to the door that alerted her to the fact that something wasn’t right.

  Skylar and Leslie got to their feet and walked from the office. They entered the kitchen the same time Cash was being introduced to Abby. He was tall, his long, black hair pulled together at the back of his head. Then his pale gray eyes slid to her.

  She frowned at his intense look. Before she could find out anything, the door opened and Caleb, Brice, Clayton, and Shane, the ranch manager, strode inside.

  Abby immediately went to Clayton, where they whispered to each other. It was the glance that Abby sent her that had Skylar on high-alert.

  “What’s going on?” Skylar demanded.

  It was Cash who walked from the group and held out his hand to her. “You must be Skylar. I’m Cash.”

  She shook his hand. “I just learned from Leslie what you discovered about Matt and his previous girlfriends.”

  “You were lucky to get away.”

  “Am I really away from him?” she asked. It was rhetorical, but the way the entire room seemed to quiver with tension made her stomach clench with dread. “Someone please tell me why everyone arrived in such a hurry. Is Matt in town?”

  “We aren’t sure,” Jace said.

  Cash glanced at the floor. “To be perfectly blunt, the men I have watching him haven’t seen Matt in three days. He went to work, we know that much, but sometime during the day, he left. His car is still parked there, so he must have taken another or left with someone.”

&n
bsp; Skylar slowly released a breath. It wasn’t bad news, but it wasn’t good either. “Which means, he could be back in town.”

  “It’s a possibility,” Clayton said.

  Leslie pulled her keys from her purse. “I should get back to the office.”

  “I wouldn’t suggest that,” Cooper said. “We’ve been down that road before.”

  Brice’s lips twisted. “I agree with Coop. Leslie, it would be better if you remained here for the time being.”

  Skylar fisted her hands at her sides. “Is Danny on his way? Or is he searching for Matt?”

  The only one who would meet her gaze was Cash. His shoulders lifted as he took a deep breath. “We’ve just come from the sheriff’s department. Danny left early. Three hours ago. We went to his house, but he wasn’t there.”

  “Maybe he’s on a call somewhere,” Skylar said.

  Jace shook his head. “The dispatcher tried to reach him. He’s not answering his radio or his phone.”

  “What about GPS on his patrol car?” Abby asked.

  Cash shook his head. “It’s turned off.”

  “Then something has happened,” Skylar said. “Danny would never turn it off.”

  Clayton said, “No, he wouldn’t. We gathered here because we’re going searching for him.”

  “All of you?” Leslie asked, her brows drawn together. “This could be a trap to get to Skylar.”

  Caleb shrugged. “It most likely is, which is why Shane and the other men working the ranch will remain. No one is allowed entry onto the ranch unless it’s one of us.”

  Skylar’s knees grew weak as she realized the implications. Matt had Danny. She knew it in her bones. Was it to get her away from the ranch? Or did Matt just want to hurt Danny for what he perceived as him coming between Matt and Skylar?

  “We should never have gone to dinner,” she said.

  Cash caught her gaze. “That might have contributed to things, but trust me, Matt is the type who decided to target Danny the moment he realized the two of you had a past connection. It wouldn’t matter if Danny was married to someone else. In Matt’s eyes, Danny is responsible for you coming here and trying to get away from him.”

  “We need to get out there and look for Danny,” Cooper urged.

  Abby brought out a map of the county and laid it out on the dining table, but it was Caleb who suggested they broaden their search. Another map was produced, displaying the three surrounding counties, as well. All Skylar could do was stand there thinking about what Danny might be going through—all because of her.

  “This isn’t your fault,” Leslie said.

  Abby took her arm and led her to the stool at the island. “Leslie’s right. This isn’t your fault at all.”

  “I beg to differ. If I hadn’t come here, this wouldn’t be happening.”

  Leslie set her purse on the bar and took the stool next to Skylar. “If you hadn’t come here, you’d probably be dead.”

  Abby pulled out some bottles of liquor and began pouring the shots into glasses, handing them to Skylar and Leslie while keeping one for herself. “God, Leslie’s right again. When I think about you stopping anywhere else…”

  Abby couldn’t finish. She shuddered and tossed back the tequila she’d poured.

  Skylar’s hand shook as she took her shot of vanilla vodka. She winced as it burned going down her throat, but it was just what she needed. “I’ll never forgive myself if Danny dies.”

  “Take a look in there,” Leslie said as she jerked her chin to the dining room. “There are six men, all ex-military, and one who’s also a damn good private investigator, looking for Danny. He’ll be found.”

  “In time?” Skylar asked.

  Abby shrugged. “All we can do is help the men and pray.”

  A buzz alerted them that someone was at the gate. Abby glanced at Clayton before she went to answer it. Skylar didn’t recognize the voice that came through the speaker, but obviously, the others did.

  “Ryan is the local police chief,” Leslie told her. “He and Danny are close.”

  Abby poured more liquor into the shot glasses. “With the police, the sheriff’s department, and that group in there looking for Danny, he won’t be hidden for long.”

  Skylar grabbed the shot glass, but she didn’t drink the liquor. “What if Matt took Danny somewhere else? What if they aren’t in the area?”

  “That’s why Ryan’s here,” Jace said as he walked to the back door to greet not only Ryan but also a sheriff’s deputy.

  Skylar smiled at Deputy Wilson. He’d been the one to take her statement, and also the one who arrested Matt. With Ryan and Wilson joining the group, it was soon determined that Ryan needed to alert the surrounding area police departments, and even Houston. Deputy Wilson put in similar calls to the other sheriff’s departments.

  She had never been a part of anything like this before, and Skylar never imagined that a group could amass so quickly. This was because of Danny. Not just because he was sheriff, but because he had the ability to connect with people, and also because he was that good of a friend.

  Skylar tried to listen to the men, but much of their conversation was too low for her to make out. And then they were gone. The house seemed quiet as she, Leslie, and Abby looked at each other.

  Even the kids seemed to realize that something was going on. They remained occupied in their playroom. Leslie walked away to make a call to her firm to let them know what was going on.

  “It’s getting dark,” Skylar said. “They won’t be able to see much.”

  Abby grinned. “That’s when my husband works the best. The darkness allows him to move unseen.”

  “This all seems so surreal. Like it’s a dream, and I just need to wake up.” Skylar shook her head.

  “This isn’t the first time my husband, brothers, or Cooper and Jace have been involved with dangerous people.”

  Leslie walked in and resumed her seat. “I sense a story, and I think we could use one to take our minds off things. Besides, I’ve only ever heard snippets of what happened with Caleb and Audrey. I know nothing about Brice and Naomi.”

  “Then I shall tell all,” Abby said.

  Skylar drank her shot and leaned her arms on the island. “Start from the beginning. I want to know about you and Clayton.”

  For the next two hours, Abby shared the stories of how she and Clayton got together, as well as the villains both Brice and Naomi and Caleb and Audrey battled.”

  “Damn,” Leslie said with a whistle.

  Even Skylar was impressed. It gave her hope for Danny. “I had no idea any of that happened.”

  “Danny was a big part of all three stories,” Abby said. “We consider him family.”

  “I wish I could be out there helping.” Skylar sighed and looked out the window to see that night had fallen. “Danny is suffering, I know it. I also know just how vicious Matt can be with his punches.”

  Leslie shook her head and refilled Skylar’s glass. “Don’t think about that. Think about what you’ll say to Danny when he walks through that door.”

  Skylar wished she could, but her mind was on other things. “What about the Gaudet family? Can we go after them? Surely, they know something about what Matt’s doing? They were a part of things with the other girlfriends. Certainly, they’re responsible for some of this.”

  “That’s an idea,” Leslie said, drumming her polished nails on the island. “If we can get any of those women to put things in writing, then there is a state prosecutor I know who could go straight for the family.”

  Abby thought about that for a moment. “What if you alert him or her that this is happening? Wouldn’t it be their job to get the confessions from the women?”

  “Yes,” Leslie said with a grin. “Though it would be helpful if they were done beforehand. The women would want assurance that the Gaudets couldn’t come after them.”

  “Which is what you’re for,” Skylar replied.

  Abby grinned. “I think it’s time the Gaudets come
tumbling off that pedestal they’ve built for themselves.”

  “Let me make some calls,” Leslie said as she took her phone and walked away.

  Skylar swung her gaze to Abby. “I don’t care if the Gaudets want to sue me. I don’t even care that Matt cheated on me with Madeline Gross, or that she came here to vandalize Danny’s vehicle. All I want is for Danny to be found, Matt to be caught, and for me and Danny to start our lives together.”

  “If Matt had that one girlfriend killed, then he’s not doing this alone,” Abby cautioned. “Clayton and the others know that, as well. It’s why we all need to be careful and not let anyone onto the ranch. Matt could have hired anyone.”

  Skylar slowly spun the shot glass full of vanilla vodka. “It should never have come to this.”

  “Just think where we’d be if Cooper hadn’t called in Cash to help.”

  “Based on what he drives, he must be doing well as a PI.”

  Abby nodded and braced her hands on the island. “I’ve only heard Cooper speak of Cash a few times. He’s in very high demand because he gets results. I know he hires a few people to help out, but mostly, he does it all on his own.”

  “I’ll be happy to pay his bill,” she said.

  Abby snorted and rolled her eyes. “I tried to pay him, but Cash told me he wouldn’t take any money. He said this was for a friend, and he never charges friends.”

  Skylar looked down at her hands. “Danny never responded to my text today.”

  “I’m sure there was a reason.”

  “Matt was able to put a virus on my phone that allowed him to see everything on the device. He’s not that technical, so I don’t think he did it himself.” She met Abby’s gaze. “But it was done. He has money. Lots of it. People like that can get in touch with others to do their dirty work.”

  Abby’s brows snapped together. “Then I think it’s time someone takes a look at Danny’s phone records more closely.”