Run Wild (30 page)

Ethel Burrows might have had her fill of her husband’s bastards running around. There was also the first wife. Did Jim Burrows love his illegitimate son? Natasha hadn’t seen any paperwork from Trent showing he’d interviewed the Burrowses. But she was sure he had. It was the first thing he would have done. Natasha couldn’t imagine Sandra Burrows committing such a heinous crime. But if she’d been sent packing off the ranch she’d lived on over half her life, maybe she wanted to hurt her ex-husband as badly as he’d hurt her.

Natasha’s coat vibrated and she reached inside it and pulled out her phone. She didn’t recognize the number, but it was a Trinity area code.

“Hello?” she asked, taking the reins in one hand as the horse continued sauntering toward the mountains. She’d been lost in thought and hadn’t realized how far they’d come across the meadow. The mountains loomed just ahead.

“Do you know what crime is worse than stealing the sheriff’s horse?” Trent’s deep baritone spiked her senses, suddenly making her acutely aware of how her jeans pressed between her legs as she rode.

“What’s that?” She smiled. “And for the record, I haven’t stolen a horse. I went out looking for you.”

She swore he growled, and she pictured Trent pacing the length of his living room, a male predator anxiously awaiting his chance to pounce and claim his victim. That thought raised her blood pressure drastically. The heavy shadows cast off the mountains weren’t as cold as they’d been a moment ago.

“Stealing the sheriff’s father’s horse.” Trent sighed. “Where in the hell are you? Midnight will throw you and taking off alone was damn near the most stupid stunt—”

“Midnight?” she asked, ignoring Trent’s rant.

Her horse’s ears perked up, and he lifted his head.

“That’s your name, boy. Midnight.” She leaned into him, patting his neck and petting his dark mane. “We’re fine, Trent. Midnight and I have become good friends.”

“He’s unpredictable, Natasha.”

“I guess we can head back. Midnight seems intent on heading into the mountains, though.”

“Where are you?” Trent growled. He didn’t sound happy.

She’d been enjoying herself, and Trent showing up yelling and accusing her of endangering herself would ruin her morning. “Hold on,” she said, and pulled her phone from her ear before Trent’s next remark could dampen her mood further.

Pulling up her apps, she found the one that displayed her exact location. She could send it to any number and it would show up in text message form, letting them see her exact location on a map pulled up by satellite. Natasha repeated the number Trent was calling her from, put him on hold since he was still grumbling, then texted him her exact location.

“I just sent you a text message,” she said when she was back on the line with him.

“What?”

“Open it and download the map. It’s an application that will show you my exact location. I’m using the GPS on my phone so we don’t get lost.”

“Modern technology,” he mumbled. “Okay. I have the text. I’ll call you right back.”

Natasha slid her phone into her inner coat pocket and grabbed the reins, then held on with her legs when Midnight began his ascent into the mountains. Part of her wondered if they should turn around. Trent would haul ass to get to her if she didn’t, although Midnight seemed intent on moving forward. Another dark chill hit her and she glanced around at the mountain region closed in around her. She once again wondered if she should have brought her gun.

Her phone vibrated and she pulled it out, knowing who was calling before she looked. “So do you know where I am?” she asked when she answered Trent’s call on the second ring, or vibration.

“Yup. Neat little contraption you have on your phone,” he said dryly.

“I like contraptions.”

Midnight was moving easily around the rocks, working his way into the mountains. Natasha should rein him in, but the horse was following some inner route of his own and she was curious where he was taking her.

“I’ll remember that.”

“It’s a wonderful application. I can program it into another phone and both parties would be able to tell where the other was.”

“Now that part I like. Might not be a bad idea always knowing where you are.”

He would like that. She grunted, but Midnight heaved up around some steep rocks and she bounced hard enough that she lost her grip on her phone.

“Oh crap,” she snapped, switching the reins into both of her hands and pulling back. “Whoa, boy. Midnight, we need to stop for a moment.”

Natasha didn’t think the horse was skittish at all. Trent would throw a fit about her big-city ways, but when she showed sign of being able to assimilate into his world it made him grumpy. She scowled, not sure if she liked this new side of him and frustrated with the realization.

Midnight stopped, indifferent to her change in mood. She slid off of him, feeling a slight strain in her inner thighs and groaning at the thought of how sore she might be later. Thinking how smug that would make Trent made her scowl even further.

“Hang tight, big guy, okay?” She patted Midnight, then rubbed his velvety nose when he turned his head her direction. “You’re a really good horse, do you know that?” His large, soft brown eyes stared at her, and she swore she saw sadness in them. “You miss Trent’s father, don’t you?” she whispered, wondering if Trent refused to take the horse out because he reminded him of his father. Maybe that was Trent’s true reason for snapping at her for taking the horse. Midnight reminded him of his father.

Natasha retraced their path, searching for her phone. If it was broken, she would have to rely on Trent to find her, or for Midnight to know his way home. Without her GPS she really would be lost.

Her phone wasn’t broken. It wasn’t hard to find, either. The sound of Trent yelling drew her to it, and she picked it up where it had fallen just by a sharp rock that probably would have done it in.

“Sorry about that,” she said, meaning it, and held the phone to her ear as she headed back to Midnight. There were definitely strained muscles in her legs that she felt as she headed over the rocky ground.

“My God, what happened?” He was still yelling.

“Calm down, Trent. Damn. I’m not incompetent here.”

He blew out a loud, exasperated-sounding sigh, then mumbled something under his breath she didn’t catch. It sounded as if he was talking to someone else, reassuring them. Natasha caught a couple words when he didn’t speak to her for another second and realized he was talking to his horse as he mounted her. Apparently, his horse was Dawn. Midnight and Dawn. How cute for such a he-man. Natasha saw how now wasn’t the time to mention that to him.

“We’ve entered into the mountains,” she offered, reaching Midnight and placing her hand on him. “Midnight jumped over a rock and I lost hold on my phone. Fortunately, it’s fine.”

“I know exactly where you are,” Trent said, obviously still mad.

“Trent, why are you so upset?” she asked. “I’m fine. I know how to ride. Your horse is fine. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“You’re on my father’s horse,” he snapped as if that would explain everything.

“Do you ever ride Midnight?”

“Hang tight. If you go anywhere, it will be to retrace your steps. Are we clear?” he demanded, not answering her question.

“See you soon,” she said dryly.

Natasha wasn’t sure she was in a hurry to meet up with Trent. Possibly a ride on his horse would calm Trent down. Midnight was fine and so was she. The horse seemed almost passive to her, definitely not dangerous.

“How about we see if we can find some water?” Natasha gave the horse a break, especially since he might not have been ridden that much lately.

He allowed her to guide him along a rough, rocky path when Natasha heard sounds of bubbling water. When they were in sight of a frothy creek, Natasha knelt next to it, pulling her gloves from her hands and letting the water rush over her fingertips. It was as cold as she guessed it might be.

“Have at, darling,” she told the horse, knowing getting wet with freezing water wouldn’t be her smartest move.

Midnight obliged, drinking from the water, and Natasha glanced around at the mountainous world surrounding her. A small cabin, or what was left of one, wasn’t too far on the other side of the creek.

“Shall we?” she asked Midnight when he’d finally lifted his head. They might as well explore if they were going to wait an hour or so for Trent to meet up with her.

Climbing up on the large horse, she held her legs close and let Midnight traipse across the frothy water. He didn’t seem to mind a bit and kept going until they were outside a very old-looking, definitely forgotten, cabin that was about the same size as the one where she’d found her father. Natasha’s heartbeat picked up when she stared at the structure, trying to decide if it was solid enough to actually protect someone from the elements. There was snow covering most of the rocks and also the roof of the cabin.

“Mind if I explore a bit?” she asked Midnight, climbing off once again and groaning against the feverish strain in her leg muscles. Trent would have the last laugh when she ended up walking bowlegged for the next day or so.

Natasha pushed the dilapidated door open and used her phone once again, this time her flashlight application, aiming it inside the wobbly-looking cabin. She stood in the doorway, slowly using the beam from her phone and scanning the contents of the old structure. Her heart beat accelerated again and it was suddenly so cold she shivered.

“Quit it,” she ordered herself, whispering. “Less than a minute ago you were in love with the mountains and determined not to let a bossy, possessive sheriff bring you down.” There wasn’t anything scary here, just an old, abandoned miner’s cabin. Nothing indicated she had anything to be scared of.

Nonetheless, her heart beat hard enough she felt it against her ribs and her hand shook, causing the beam to jiggle over the empty, dark cabin. This was the part of tracking someone she’d never mastered. Her area of expertise was plotting a hunt, using her computers and other gadgets she loved playing with to expedite a chase. But get her out in the field, on foot with nothing but her guts to lead her, and she turned into the biggest scaredy-cat around. It sucked.

The flashlight beam was narrow but bright. She’d always loved this application because she had a flashlight on her 24/7 and never farther away from her than her phone. And she always had her phone with her. The cabin was dark, with no windows. More than likely with it up here in the mountains, a window would allow the cold inside and solid wood walls kept the elements outside, or at least once upon a time they had.

The dirt floor was hard packed, although in a few places rocks broke up what otherwise once was probably a smooth earthen floor. She ran the flashlight beam over a pile of logs, then spotted a small fireplace indented in the wall. There was a grate on the ground so the firewood would be off the ground and air could better circulate and keep a fire going.

Natasha glanced over her shoulder. Midnight had found a clump of wild grass and weeds growing between rocks and was turning them into a snack. Outside the world was fresh, breathtaking, but when she returned her attention to the inside of the cabin it was dark, cold, and morbid.

“Quit investigating,” she told herself, once again whispering so she barely heard herself speak. All she had to do was back out of the door and return to Midnight. She’d been having a great morning. Trent wouldn’t ruin that, and neither would some stupid old cabin.

In spite of her lecture to herself, Natasha continued scanning the interior of the cabin with the flashlight. She reached the corner of the dark, dreary room and froze.

“Crap!” she cried out, jumping back as her heart nearly exploded in her chest. Someone was in the corner of the cabin.

Natasha managed not to fall on her ass but jarred her body after stumbling backward until she was a few feet outside the cabin. Her hair fell around her face and she bent over, catching her breath and worrying she would hyperventilate.

“Why didn’t they say anything?” she asked, even as her mind was spinning with every image from every horror movie she’d ever seen.

Natasha looked at Midnight. He’d finished his snack and stared back at her. “I swear I just saw someone in there,” she said to the horse, again speaking so softly her words were barely audible.

But if someone was in there, wouldn’t they have moved when she opened the door? They definitely would have reacted when she’d shone the light on them.

She returned her attention to the open cabin door, staring at the blackness inside. There were no sounds coming from the cabin. What exactly had she seen?

“Damn it,” she cursed. There were only two options.

She could either check out the cabin again, figure out what it was she’d just seen, or wait until Trent got here and have him do it.

“Damn it, damn it,” she grumbled, kicking the ground with her boot.

She didn’t need some big, strong man coming to her rescue and taking care of her when something scared the crap out of her. Not only was she fully capable of defending herself, but she was just as capable of finding out what was actually in that cabin. Maybe someone was in there sleeping. Or maybe they were drunk, passed out, and so hadn’t woken up when she’d entered with her flashlight. Maybe they weren’t drunk. Maybe they were passed out from drugs.