Outlaw Lawman (15 page)

Her body was slack from the great sex, and she had a nice little sexual buzz still going on. Plus, she was in Harlan’s bed snuggled in his arms while he snoozed away.

It should have been a perfect recipe for sleep.

If she could only turn off her mind.

For the first time in days, it wasn’t the investigation that was weighing her down. Nor was it the sex or the anticipation of it. It was the consequences of sex that troubled her now. Harlan would regret it. Not the act itself, but he would likely feel as if he owed her something.

Like dinner.

Or dates.

He knew that she wouldn’t expect anything from him. After all, she hadn’t so much as whimpered when they’d parted company sixteen years ago.

Well, she hadn’t whimpered in front of him anyway.

But she had spent plenty of nights sobbing her eyes out for a boy she thought was so far above her that she would only pull him down into the gutter with her. But now there was no bad-girl gutter, just the massive differences in their chosen careers.

But after sex, even that didn’t feel like an obstacle.

And that was why even if Harlan knew he didn’t owe her, he would feel as if he did. Because he was a good man to the very core. She’d known that sixteen years ago, and she certainly knew it now.

“Don’t you ever stop thinking?” he mumbled.

She looked down at him as he peeked out at her from one partially opened eye. “You can hear me think?”

“Pretty much.” He hauled her closer, chest to chest, and tucked her head beneath his chin. “Other than your navel, what else did you have pierced?”

Caitlyn couldn’t help it—she smiled. “You don’t want to know.”

Harlan pulled back, met her gaze. “Now I really want to know.”

Mercy, he was even hotter post-sex with that rumpled black hair and sleepy gray bedroom eyes.

“I had my nose pierced.” Caitlyn touched the spot that had long since healed. “My eyebrow.” Also healed. “And my earlobes.” She still had double sets of those, but once there had been a quadruple line of piercings.

He stared at her, obviously waiting. “Nothing else?”

“Sorry to ruin your erotic fantasies.”

“Nothing’s ruined.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “So, what were you thinking so hard about?”

Uh-oh.

Here it came. The dreaded relationship conversation. Caitlyn figured Harlan wasn’t any better at this than she was. She also figured it was a conversation he didn’t even want to have. She sure didn’t.

“I was planning our wedding.” And she didn’t crack a smile when she said it.

That got his eyes wide-open.

Now she smiled. “Wait. Did I say wedding? I meant our next round of this.” She slid her hand between them and touched, touched, touched. “Actually, I was thinking you’ve gotten really good at sex.”

“So have you.” Harlan pulled her back to him for a kiss, and just like that she was all hot again.

Sheez.

She wasn’t a teenager, but she was acting and feeling like one.

The kissing continued. Not fast and frantic like before. But slow and lazy. Oh, yes. This time there’d be foreplay, and even though she’d just had Harlan, she wanted him and the foreplay all over again.

“Do I owe you an apology? A heart-to-heart talk?” Even with his mouth on hers, she could feel his smile. “Or an engagement ring?”

She smiled, too. “I’ll settle for what you’re doing right now.”

But the last word had barely left her mouth when Harlan’s phone buzzed.

He cursed, got up and located his jeans on the floor. Not easy to do, since every item of their clothing was scattered around. Still naked, he took out the phone and jabbed the button to answer it.

Harlan’s back was to her, but Caitlyn could see the anger over the interruption drain from his body. He turned and met her gaze, and she saw that the anger had been replaced by serious concern.

“Who?” Harlan snapped. But he obviously didn’t get an answer, because he repeated it until he was practically shouting into the phone.

That got Caitlyn moving, and while she tried to hear what was going on, she snatched up her clothes and started dressing. “What happened?” she asked the second Harlan ended the call. He, too, put on his jeans.

“That was Billy. He said someone’s kidnapped him. The person dragged him from his car and took him to Rocky Creek.”

Her stomach went to her knees. Not only because she was concerned for Billy but because she knew this meant Harlan had to respond.

“Who did this?” she asked.

But Harlan shook his head and tugged on his boots. “Billy said it was someone wearing a ski mask.”

Which told them nothing, because it could be any of their suspects.

Including Billy himself.

“Billy said if I brought anyone else to Rocky Creek, the kidnapper warned him that he’d start shooting.” Harlan pressed a button on his phone, sandwiched the cell between his shoulder and ear and kept dressing at a frantic pace. As if every second counted.

And it probably did.

“It could be a trap.” But she knew Harlan had no doubt already considered that.

“I’m sure of it, but I have no choice. I have to go.”

It was his job, yes, but Caitlyn wanted to grab him and make him stay put.

“Slade,” Harlan said when his brother came on the line. “We got a huge problem. Someone’s kidnapped Billy. And Declan.”

“Declan?” Caitlyn said on a gasp. Oh, God.

“Yeah, Declan,” Harlan verified and went back to his phone conversation with Slade. “We have to get out to Rocky Creek right away.”

Chapter Fifteen

Everything inside Harlan was racing—the bad thoughts and the fear for his brother’s life. But he forced himself to think. He couldn’t go off half-cocked when all of this could be a trap. One that could get Caitlyn, Declan, Billy, him and God knew who else killed.

First things first. He tried to call Declan, hanging on to the hope that this was all a hoax, that Declan would answer and assure him that he hadn’t been kidnapped.

But the call went straight to voice mail.

Next up, he tried the number Billy had just used to call him. No answer there either.

That got Harlan moving even faster, and he grabbed some extra ammunition from the top shelf of his closet. An extra weapon, too, so he’d have a backup.

“Declan’s really been taken?” Caitlyn asked. There was little color in her face now, and her hands were trembling.

“Probably.” And Harlan could blame himself for that. “I shouldn’t have planted the lie about the fingerprint.”

Her shoulders went back. “You had no idea this monster would go after Declan.”

No, but he should have anticipated it. He’d counted heavily on the guy trying to destroy the so-called fingerprint evidence. And maybe that was still the plan. The killer could be using Declan as a distraction.

Harlan made another call—this time to Slade. “Make sure you keep someone at the morgue.”

Slade assured him that he would, and Harlan quickly ended the call so he could head out. “I’ll take you to stay with Kirby and Stella—”

“I can help.”

He took her by the arm and got her moving. “You can also get killed. Don’t argue, because this isn’t up for discussion. You’ll stay with Stella, Kirby and Wyatt. The ranch hands will be around, too, and all of them know how to shoot.”

“You really think the killer would come here?”

No. He didn’t. And that was why Harlan had come up with this plan to leave her here. There were a dozen ranch hands plus Wyatt. The main house had a brand-new security system, something that just about everyone in town was talking about. The killer would know this wasn’t the place for a showdown. Besides, killing them wouldn’t destroy the evidence.

Unless the killer knew the fingerprint was fake.

That put a hard knot in his gut, but Harlan didn’t back down on his plan. He led Caitlyn through his house and to the front door. His truck was parked just on the other side of the fence. Just a few yards away. But he didn’t go barreling out into the darkness. He took a few precious seconds to look around. He didn’t see anyone lurking in the shadows, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t there.

“Wait here,” he ordered and hurried out the door.

He braced himself for shots. For anything. But nothing happened, thank God.

Harlan jumped into his truck, started it and backed up enough so he could drive through the fence. The wood pickets went flying, and he stopped directly in front of the steps. He threw open the passenger door.

Even though Caitlyn was visibly shaken, she got moving when he motioned for her to get in. The second she was on the seat, she slammed the door, and he sped away. Toward the main house that was about a quarter of a mile away.

He took out his phone again to call Stella and tell her what was going on, but before he could press in her number, his cell buzzed, and he saw Billy’s number on the screen. That didn’t help the knot in his stomach. Yeah, he needed to talk to Billy, but he hoped like the devil that the man wasn’t about to deliver some bad news.

“The kidnapper gave me a written message to pass on to you,” Billy said.

“Who is he, and why the hell doesn’t he tell me himself?” Harlan fired back.

“I don’t know who he is, but I think he wants me to talk to you so you won’t hear his voice. He says you have to bring Caitlyn with you.”

Harlan didn’t even have to think about it. “No way.”

“If you don’t, he’ll kill Declan.”

It was a good thing he’d reached the ranch house and could come to a stop. “Tell the kidnapper to let me talk to Declan,” Harlan insisted. Because even though it wasn’t something he could accept, he had to know if his brother was still alive. “Now!” he added when he didn’t get an immediate response.

There were some sounds of the phone being moved around, and the seconds crawled by. Caitlyn sucked in her breath and scrambled across the seat until her ear was pressed right to his.

“Harlan,” he finally heard Declan say.

Relief flooded through him. Fear, too. His brother was alive, and now he had to figure out how to keep it that way. “What happened?”

“I’m sorry. So sorry.” Declan sounded drunk. Or rather drugged. “I was in the parking lot at work and someone hit me with a Taser.”

Just as the killer had done to Caitlyn and him. “Are you okay?” And now it was Harlan’s turn to hold his breath.

“He gave me something, some kind of drug, and I don’t even think I can stand up.”

Harlan knew the exact feeling. “Who took you?”

“None of our suspects. This guy’s a hired gun, and the person who hired him is staying out of the picture.”

Or maybe was elsewhere so he could attack. After all, Declan wasn’t the primary target. Now the question was—had the killer used Declan to draw them out to Rocky Creek, or was this some kind of distraction to launch another attack? Or maybe a break-in at the morgue?

“I’ll kill him.” From the other end of the line, the voice tore through the silence, and it wasn’t Declan or Billy. In fact, Harlan didn’t think he’d ever heard that voice before.

“Who are you?” Harlan demanded.

“Someone who’s going to kill your kid brother if you don’t do as I say. And I’ll keep killing until Caitlyn and you are out here. You’ve got forty-five minutes.”

His heart dropped. “Not enough time.” And Harlan didn’t mean just distancewise either. It wasn’t enough time for him to think up a way around this.

“Then you’ll have to hurry, won’t you?” the man taunted. “And remember, don’t bring anyone with you or the bullets start flying. Just Caitlyn and you.”

“Wait.” Harlan tried to think. “It’d be suicide for me to take Caitlyn in there. What kind of assurance do I have that you won’t just kill us all?”

“None,” the man readily answered. “But if you don’t come, people are going to start dying.”

Harlan had no trouble recognizing the next sound. The blast of a gunshot. Even though the sound came through the phone, it was still deafening, and it rocketed through him.

“Declan?” he shouted.

But Harlan was talking to himself, because the line went dead.

* * *

C
AITLYN
HAD
TO
make Harlan understand what needed to happen here. “There’s no way I’ll let you sacrifice Declan for me.”

Even though her voice was shaking like the rest of her, she left no room for argument. Still, she saw the argument in Harlan’s eyes.

“Declan’s a lawman.” He sounded as if he was trying to convince himself along with her. “I can figure a way out of this.”

“And if you show up without me, you could all be dead before you have time to think of it.” In fact, someone might already be dead.

That possibility twisted everything inside her.

She tried to reassure herself that the kidnapper wouldn’t kill Declan, because he was the bait. The bargaining tool, as well. But it was possible that Billy had been shot or was already dead.

Unless, of course, Billy was behind this.

“We’re wasting precious time,” Caitlyn reminded him. “Start driving to Rocky Creek.”

But he didn’t. Harlan sat there, his attention volleying between her and the ranch house, where he’d intended to leave her.

“Look, we’ll work out the details as we drive,” she added. “And if by the time we get there you don’t think you can make it safe, then you can drop me off at the sheriff’s office in Rocky Creek.”

That caused him to belt out some really bad profanity, but he threw the truck into gear and started driving. Thank God. Caitlyn certainly wasn’t eager to rush to a showdown with this monster who’d made their lives hell, but she couldn’t live with herself if she got Declan killed.

Harlan took out his phone and sped down the dark country road away from the ranch. “Slade,” he said when his brother answered. “There’s been a change of plans. Caitlyn and I are driving to the Rocky Creek Children’s Facility.”

She couldn’t hear Slade’s response.

“No, it’s probably not a good idea,” Harlan added to whatever Slade said, “but if I leave Caitlyn at the ranch, she’ll try to follow.”

She would, no doubt about it, and it was scary that Harlan knew her so well.

“Keep someone on the morgue,” Harlan continued, “but we’ll need backup.
Quiet
backup,” he amended. “You remember how to get to Rocky Creek from that old ranch road?” He paused. “Good. Take that route and try to come up from behind. I don’t know where they’re holding Declan, but it’s probably either inside the main building or close to it.”

He finished that call and immediately made another to Dallas so he could ask about how tight the security was at the ranch. “Just a precaution,” Harlan said to her when he no doubt saw the renewed concern in her eyes.

The next call was to his brother Clayton. After Harlan gave him a quick update, he asked him to do a quiet approach to the facility using the east side of the property. The woods where Sherry’s body had been found. Harlan also reminded Clayton that Slade would be nearby, probably so they wouldn’t accidentally shoot each other.

There was a lot of potential for things to go wrong.

“What about me? What do you need me to do?” she asked the moment he ended the call with Clayton.

But Harlan didn’t answer. He kept driving and punched in another number. This time he put the call on speaker. However, the person who answered didn’t say anything either.

“Billy?” Harlan greeted. “Are you there?” Nothing. But Caitlyn thought she could hear someone breathing on the other end of the line. “Billy, I need to talk to the man who kidnapped Declan.”

“What the hell do you want?” The man’s voice was so loud that Caitlyn jumped before she could stop herself. And it wasn’t Billy. It was Declan’s kidnapper.

“I need to work out some kind of deal,” Harlan said.

“The only deal you’re going to get is the one I already gave you. You and Caitlyn need to get out here and come alone. Nothing about that needs to be worked out.”

“But it does.” Harlan glanced at her, and even though he didn’t say anything to her, he shook his head. “Caitlyn’s sick, throwing up all over the place. I don’t even think she can stand up.”

That explained the headshake. He didn’t want her jumping to say that she’d be there. Still, Caitlyn doubted the lie would work, especially since this guy likely had plans to kill them.

“She’s pregnant,” Harlan added. “We started seeing each other a couple of months ago. In secret. I didn’t want to tell my family or anyone else because of this Webb investigation hanging over us. Talk to your boss, because I don’t think he’d want to put a pregnant woman in the middle of a mess like this.”

She figured the guy would just laugh that off, but he stayed quiet for several moments. “I’ll get back to you on that.”

Harlan punched the end-call button. “If he agrees, you’re going to the sheriff’s office.” He mumbled something she didn’t catch. “And if he doesn’t agree, then it’s probably Farris who’s behind this.”

Oh, yes. Because a pregnancy would only make Farris want to kill her even more. But if it was Billy, Devin or Curtis, why did they even want Harlan and her?

“Why would the killer want us dead if he still believes there’s an incriminating fingerprint on Sherry’s body?” she asked.

Harlan shook his head. “I’m not sure how any of this fits. Or if it fits at all. It could be just Farris playing a sick game.”

For a moment Caitlyn thought she might indeed throw up. Her stomach was churning. “And if so, then you just made yourself a target, because Farris will think you fathered this make-believe baby. He’ll be so enraged that he’ll want to tear you apart.”

“Hopefully. Anything to make him come after me and not Declan and you.”

That turned her blood to ice. No way did she want Harlan to take the brunt of this, but how could she stop it?

How?

Maybe if she had a chance to speak to Farris, she could bargain with him. Maybe even make him believe that she’d go with him if he’d just call off this stupid plan. Of course, she couldn’t go with him because he’d likely just kill her the first chance he got. But she might be able to buy them some time so that Harlan could rescue Declan, and maybe even Billy.

Harlan swore and looked at the phone screen as if trying to will the kidnapper to call back. The minutes and miles were just dissolving, and Harlan’s mood got worse when the headlights landed on the sign ahead of them.

Rocky Creek Children’s Facility.

He took the turn, but he switched off his headlights.

“I want a gun,” Caitlyn insisted.

Harlan tipped his head to the glove compartment. “There’s one in there.”

Caitlyn opened it and pushed aside some plastic handcuffs and papers so she could grab the .38. She prayed she wouldn’t have to use it, especially since she wasn’t that good a shot. If it came down to her having to take out the killer and the kidnapper, then she and Harlan would be in deeper trouble than they already were.

Harlan pressed the redial button on his phone and again put the call on speaker.

“No deal,” the kidnapper said the moment he answered. “You bring Caitlyn here with you.”

Thanks to the moonlight, she got a glimpse of Harlan’s jaw muscles that had turned to steel. “I want to talk to your boss, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Harlan took the final turn, and ahead Caitlyn could see the silhouette of the sprawling facility. It looked even more menacing in the dark, and even though she didn’t have second thoughts about coming here, Harlan apparently did.

He stopped the truck.

“You’ll have to take no for an answer,” the kidnapper insisted. “My boss is, well, indisposed right now.”

Maybe because he was at the morgue trying to destroy evidence that didn’t exist. If so, it was possible that whoever Slade had watching the place would capture him. And if not, that meant someone had to nab this kidnapper and get him to confess the name of the person who’d hired him.