Cowboy Behind the Badge (9 page)

Judging from his renewed scowl, Dawn's demand hadn't gone over well. Darren wasn't the sort of man who would look kindly on blackmail. Or marrying beneath him. He came from old money, his family practically royalty in the county, and she was betting his parents wouldn't have approved of someone like Dawn.

Heck, they'd barely approved of her, and her family had money, too.

“After Dawn left, I looked for her so I could pay her medical expenses, but I didn't find her.” Darren walked closer to them. “And now I want to know if I fathered a boy or a girl.”

“I'll let you know when and if we get paternity test results. That's something else you can do when you come to the sheriff's office—give a DNA sample for us to compare. The sooner you get down there, the sooner the test can be done.”

One of the suits came forward. “My client has said he fathered this child, and you have no proof to the contrary. He should be allowed to see the baby.”

“Normally, he would,” Tucker agreed, and then tipped his head to what was left of Dawn. “But in this case, your client could be responsible for that dead body over there.”

“I don't have a motive for killing Dawn!” Darren snapped.

“She was your former lover. You admit to arguing with her. And she left you. Now she's dead on your property, and you've got more than enough in your bank account to have hired someone to kill her. That's means, motive and opportunity, and I wouldn't be much of a lawman to dismiss it just because you're telling me to.”

Darren's gaze slashed to Laine. “You believe this?” He didn't wait for her to answer. “Or is this your way of getting back at me? Were you that jealous of Dawn?”

“I didn't even know you were involved with her until today.” That made it even more ironic that Dawn had escaped the baby farm and come to her.

Or maybe not so ironic at all.

“Did you tell Dawn about me?” Laine asked.

Darren made a dismissive sound. “She knew you and I were once engaged. She saw pictures of us around the house.”

Laine and Tucker exchanged glances, and they didn't have to say it aloud to know where this was going. Maybe Dawn hadn't come to Laine because she'd seen her at the baby farm. Maybe she had come to Laine because of her connection to Darren, her babies' father.

Maybe.

“Why wouldn't Dawn have come to you?” Laine asked Darren. She left out the part about Dawn being held captive at the baby farm and her escape. Laine thought she still might learn something.

And she did.

She saw the pain flash through his eyes. She knew Darren well enough to know that this hadn't been some causal relationship. Too much emotion for that. But was the pain for the death of a woman he'd loved, or for the child he couldn't quite claim?

“I guess Dawn couldn't forgive me for not marrying her,” Darren said, shaking his head. “That's why she didn't come here.”

“Or maybe she was scared of you,” Tucker challenged. Darren howled about his innocence again, but Tucker ignored it. “Be at the sheriff's office in one hour. If not, I'll issue a warrant for your arrest.”

“Wait,” Darren said as they started to walk away. He waited until they'd turned back around before he continued. “You two aren't together, are you?”

Tucker huffed. “Not like you're thinking. Laine's helping with the case.”

Heaven forbid, it sounded like a lie.

Felt like one, too.

Darren kept staring at them, and his mouth tightened. “Just make sure she doesn't help you railroad me straight into jail.”

“Has Laine got a reason to railroad you?” Tucker asked. “Or was that just a dig for the sake of slamming an old flame?”

Darren got another look that she knew too well. Cocky, with a mean streak. “She was your old flame, too. At least you had a thing for her when you two were kids. How'd that work out for you?”

“Yeah, it was a slam, just like I thought,” Tucker concluded. He tapped his badge again. “One hour. Personally, I'm hoping you'll be late so I can cuff you and haul your butt in.”

Maybe because Darren's
slam
had made him ornery, Tucker slipped his arm around her waist. No doubt it was just to get her moving, but Darren wouldn't have missed the little gesture. He probably thought they'd put their differences aside and joined forces against him.

While landing in bed.

Darren had no idea just how much tension there still was between her and Tucker. Tension that would always be there. Except, of course, when there was a different kind of tension from the touching and long looks.

Like now, for instance.

It was all part of the “rile Darren up” act, she assured herself, but her body kept nudging her to do something more than just look at the man who had her hormonal number.

“You think he had her killed?” Tucker asked.

It took Laine a moment to switch gears and get back to the only thing that should have been on her mind. Finding Dawn's killer. “I don't want to think it could be true. It's easier to believe her death's just connected to the baby farm.”

“But Darren could be connected to that, too. A man who wants a baby as badly as he does could have done some desperate things. Maybe when Dawn tried to run away from him, he had her kidnapped and taken to the baby farm until she delivered. If she escaped, he wouldn't have liked that much.”

Laine had to process it first, but eventually, she nodded. “It's possible. Darren has a temper, and if he thought Dawn had betrayed him in some way, he could have struck out in anger.”

Tucker mumbled some profanity. “And you were going to marry that jerk?”

“Yes.” But then she shook her head. “Maybe.”

He looked at her as if she'd sprouted wings.

“I wanted a family,” she explained. “You know, mom, dad, babies. He wanted the same thing.”

Yet another sprouted-wings look. “What about love?”

Here was where things got a little tricky. “I'd just turned thirty, and I thought time was running out for having that family. And Darren was there, pushing for the very life that I desperately wanted. For a while I thought that was enough.”

Tucker mumbled some profanity, shook his head. “My advice—never settle for
enough.
”

Laine nearly smiled at Tucker giving relationship advice, but she didn't have a chance to respond because his phone rang. They got into the truck before he took it from his pocket and looked at the screen.

“It's Rosalie,” he said.

That put Laine on instant alert. “The babies,” she managed to say.

All sorts of bad things started running through her head. Obviously through Tucker's, too, because he fumbled with the phone, trying to answer it quickly.

“Tucker, you need to get back here right away,” Rosalie said the moment she came on the line. “Martin Hague's here with a court order, and he's taking the babies.”

 

Chapter Nine

Thank God the roads were no longer wet, because Tucker knew he was driving way too fast. Everything inside him was racing, too, and even though he'd sworn to uphold the law, there was no way he was going to let Hague use that court order to take the babies.

The trouble was, he didn't know exactly how to stop him.

It was hardly legal extenuating circumstances for Tucker to say he wouldn't hand over the babies because he didn't trust the social worker.

But he didn't.

And it wasn't just all that unexplained money that Reed had uncovered, or the fact that one of the women rescued from the baby farm was Hague's cousin. It was something else.

Something that Tucker couldn't quite put his finger on.

He'd already called Hague's boss, Rita Longley, as soon as he'd left Darren's ranch, and Tucker had told the woman to back off on the court order. He hadn't outright accused Hague of wrongdoing, but he'd warned Ms. Longley that Hague could have a conflict of interest and that he should be pulled from this particular case.

Tucker hadn't gotten a resounding yes from Hague's boss, so she might not agree with Tucker's demand. But even if she did, it might not be soon enough to stop what Hague had already set into motion.

“Hurry,” Laine repeated.

She was obviously just as distressed about this as he was, maybe more. Tucker hoped like the devil that all their concern was for the babies' safety and not for the babies themselves.

There was a difference.

And it wasn't a good thing for a lawman to lose his objectivity, especially when the babies could belong to a man—Darren—who was just as desperate to get his hands on them as Hague apparently was.

Tucker turned onto the ranch road and immediately spotted Hague's car parked directly in front of the house. Like his other visit, he had a Department of Public Safety officer with him, and the guy was on the steps, along with Hague, Rosalie and Mary. The women each had a baby in their arms, and it was clear from their body language that there was a full-blown argument going on.

The moment Tucker brought his truck to a stop, Laine and he barreled out and headed for the porch.

“You're not taking them,” Tucker insisted. “I still don't have the DNA results back yet.”

“Then they'll be in foster care while we're waiting for those results,” Hague argued. He reached for the baby that Rosalie was holding, and she darted away from him. She no longer had a sweet smile on her face. She looked like a mama hen protecting her chick.

“Does he have the right to do this?” Rosalie asked Tucker.

Yeah, Hague did. But that didn't mean it was going to happen.

Tucker walked past the DPS officer, sending him a back-off glare. Whether he would was anyone's guess, and since the guy was armed, it was a huge concern. If Hague was dirty, then this guy could be, too, and Tucker didn't want any more shots fired.

Laine hurried onto the porch, putting herself between Hague and the others. A maneuver that Hague obviously didn't like, because his cheeks turned to flames.

“I don't understand why you won't let me do my job,” Hague argued.

“Because you're a suspect in a murder investigation,” Tucker informed him.

Clearly, Hague hadn't been expecting that little bombshell, because he stopped reaching for the baby and snapped toward Tucker. “I have no idea what you're talking about.” His eyes widened. “You don't think I had anything to do with their mother's death.”

“Did you?” Tucker fired back.

“Absolutely not, and I can't imagine why you'd think there was a connection between Dawn Cowen and me.”

“The connection's there. Both your cousin Rhonda and Dawn were held captive at makeshift prisons where their babies would have been sold. Those baby farms were likely run by the same person, or were at least connected to each other.”

Hague blinked as if he was hearing this for the first time. And maybe he was, but Tucker wasn't about to take anything he said or did at face value. Not after the attack on Laine and the babies.

“You know where Rhonda is?” Hague asked. “She's been in touch with you?”

Tucker had to shake his head to both, but now he was the one who was confused. He wasn't faking it, either. “Rhonda's missing again?”

Hague nodded, then sighed. “She's always been a troubled girl. Always disappearing and then showing up when she needs money.”

That had made her a prime candidate for the baby farm. No one was out looking for her, and no one would alert the authorities that she was missing. This time there was a reason to send up the red flag.

“Are you telling me you honestly don't know where she is?” Tucker demanded.

“I have no idea. I haven't seen her in weeks.”

Hell. Weeks. Tucker wasn't sure who groaned louder, him or Laine.

“Did it occur to you that someone from the baby farm could have kidnapped her again?” Laine asked.

There was no sign that he was the least bit concerned about that. “Why would they take her again? She's not pregnant. She gave birth to a baby less than four months ago and then gave him up for adoption. There's no reason for her to be kidnapped.”

Tucker's hands moved to his hips. “Maybe the kidnappers consider her a loose end and want her dead. Maybe
you
consider her a loose end.”

That put some venom back in his eyes. “There you go again, accusing me of assorted felonies. Well, I'm not guilty of anything other than trying to do my job.”

“Then explain your bank account,” Tucker fired back. “Explain where you got the cash to buy a house and pay off your student loans.”

He pulled back his shoulders. “You've been sticking your nose where it doesn't belong.”

“Yeah, I tend to do that when I'm looking for the truth.” Tucker leaned in, violating the guy's personal space and then some. “Like now. Maybe you're as pure as a saint, but if you're not, it wouldn't be wise of me to hand over those newborns to you. You might just turn around and sell them on the black market.”

“I wouldn't do that!” Hague's voice was so loud it caused the babies to jump. Even more reason for Tucker to get this guy off the porch.

“Then explain your bank account,” Tucker countered.

“I'll explain nothing to you—” Hague was cut off when his phone rang. Tucker was still close enough to see Rita Longley's name appear on the screen. He hoped Hague's boss was reining him in and not giving him the green light to take the babies.

Hague went to the other side of the porch to take the call. Tucker couldn't hear what he was saying, but he used the time to regroup. “Go ahead and take the babies back into the house,” Tucker told Mary and Rosalie.

Both women eagerly nodded, and even though Hague shot them a glare, he didn't stop them. He just continued his whispered conversation with his boss. However, the DPS guy looked ready to intervene.

“There's an escaped gunman on the loose,” Tucker reminded the lawman. “It's not safe for the newborns to be out here. Not safe for you, either,” he added to Laine.

She only shook her head, not budging, so Tucker moved between her and the road just in case the gunman was stupid enough to make a repeat appearance.

“What do we do now?” Laine whispered.

Only then did Tucker realize just how shaky she was. It'd been a bad morning, what with seeing Dawn's body and then this. Sadly, Tucker couldn't even assure her the worst was over.

“We wait and keep investigating,” he answered. “But I'd rather you do your waiting inside.”

She followed his gaze to the road. No one was there other than some ranch hands milling around, but someone could easily come driving up.

Someone like the killer.

If that person wasn't already on the porch with them. Either way, Tucker wanted her inside. She nodded, obviously ready to do that, but then she stopped when his phone rang. Colt again.

“I'll bet you're ready for some good news,” Colt said, and the moment Tucker heard that, he put it on speaker so Laine could hear, too. Yeah, he was ready for something good. “Gene Buford, the gunman we have in custody at the jail, says he's ready to make a plea deal.”

“What kind of plea deal?” Tucker asked.

“Says he'll give us information about Dawn in exchange for immunity and placement in witness protection.”

“About Dawn and not the person who set all of this up?”

“Just Dawn,” Colt answered. “Anything you don't know about her yet?”

“Probably. But this guy tried to kill us,” Tucker mumbled. So, he wasn't sure he wanted the guy to walk, no matter what kind of info he provided. Still, he wanted to hear what the idiot had to say.

“How soon can you have him brought over from the jail?” Tucker asked.

“Soon. I can call there now.”

Good. The jail was just up the block from the sheriff's office, but it still would take some time to arrange for a guard to have Buford brought over for questioning. The sheriff's office did have a holding cell in case the timing didn't work out so that Tucker could speak to him right away. If necessary, Tucker could go to the jail, but he preferred to do this at the sheriff's office so he could kill two birds with one stone.

“I'll talk to the gunman when I come in to interview Darren,” Tucker told Reed. “See you in about a half hour if I can get things settled here that fast.”

Tucker ended the call to see how things were about to play out with Hague, but he, too, had finished his call and was glaring at Tucker again. He slammed his phone shut and jammed it back into his pocket.

“Go inside,” Tucker whispered to Laine. “Check on the babies.”

That got her moving. Good thing, too, because Tucker thought this situation with Hague might turn even uglier than it already was.

“A plea deal, huh?” Hague made a sound that could have meant anything. “Maybe that means this situation with Dawn will be over soon.”

“Maybe.” And Tucker left it at that. He wasn't exactly pleased that Hague had overheard that conversation, but something like that wouldn't stay a secret for long, especially since the district attorney would have to be brought into any plea-deal talk.

“My supervisor wants to talk to me,” Hague grumbled a moment later. “So help me, you'd better not have done anything to compromise my job.”

“And you'd better not have done anything to compromise those newborns' safety.”

Hague's mouth tightened, and he started down the steps. “I'll try to find Rhonda, and I'll tell her to get in touch with you so you can hear it from her own lips that I had nothing to do with her kidnapping or the baby farms.”

“You said you didn't know where she was,” Tucker reminded him.

He threw open the door and looked at Tucker from over the roof of the car. “I don't, but I can call some of her friends on the drive back to my office. When you've heard from her, I want you to back off. I'm not the only one with a conflict of interest here, Sergeant McKinnon.”

Since Tucker already knew that, and since he was more than thankful just to put an end to this—even a temporary one—he turned and went inside. Laine was waiting for him by the door, and he wasn't sure who made the first move or even how it happened, but she ended up in his arms.

Strange that this kept happening, although it shouldn't have. Even a hug of comfort was a Texas-sized reminder that Laine was the one in his arms. Nothing good could come of this.

Well, nothing reasonable anyway.

Maybe it was because every inch of him was on edge that he even thought of holding her for stress relief. Yeah, for a second or two, it was relief, but what always followed were some crystal clear reminders of why they shouldn't be doing it in the first place.

The heat between them.

The bad blood, too. Hard to hang on to bad blood, though, when the blasted attraction kept getting in the way.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, her breath and body still trembling.

Definitely something he'd keep to himself. Tucker went with the topic that should be on his mind.

“If I'm wrong about Hague, I'll apologize,” Tucker mumbled. He truly hoped he was wrong about the social worker.

He was already battling a major suspect, Darren, without adding Hague to the mix. Especially since Hague could eventually get his hands on the newborns. Not by kidnapping them, either, but with that dang court order. Of course, Darren could take them, too, if it turned out he was the father. Still, it would be hard to claim his babies if he was sitting in a jail cell for killing their mother.

“You need to get ready for your meeting with Darren,” she reminded him, easing away.

He nodded. Didn't move. Hated that he felt the loss of her body heat.

Really?

He had to deal with this now. It wasn't as if he didn't have anything to do other than stand there and mentally whine about her body heat. Or her scent. Or the stupidity of wanting her right back in his arms again.

“Where are the babies?” he asked. Yet another subject he should be dwelling on.

She fluttered her fingers toward the stairs. “Rosalie and Mary put them in the crib. They'd just had their bottles before Hague got here, and according to Rosalie, newborns usually sleep after they eat.”

“Not much different from the rest of their day, then. They sleep all the time. Well, except at night.”

The corner of her mouth lifted. “Fatherhood not suiting you much?”

Tucker found himself frowning before he even realized he was going to do it. “I get that a lot. I'm not sure it's all warranted.”

“Really?” Laine said, with far more surprise than was necessary. “You're a player.”

Again he frowned and started for the downstairs office he'd been using. Laine followed right behind him. “I'm not a player. I'm just not interested in anything long-term.”