Chapter 11
Taryn whirled around at the sound of the voice behind her.
She gasped at the sight of Cooper. There was no anger in his forest green eyes, only disappointment.
Taryn looked away and put the nozzle in her gas tank to begin filling up.
Something had told her to try and get farther out of town, but she had already been running on fumes.
She was surprised she’d made it as far as she had with the meager fuel in her tank.
“I don’t think running is a good idea,” Cooper said as he came to stand beside her.
Flashing lights caught her attention. She turned her head to find two sheriff’s deputy cars, and one Clearview police department cruiser headed toward the gas station.
Their sirens weren’t on, but that didn’t matter.
She knew they were after her. And the only one who could’ve pulled a stunt like that was Jace.
Because he’d known she would run. It was how Cooper had found her. Taryn inwardly shook her head. So much for thinking she had gotten one up on Jace.
“It’s all right,” Cooper said, though there was alarm in his voice.
Taryn stopped the pump. There was no way she could get the nozzle put away, her gas cap on, and inside her car before the authorities were upon her.
There was no reason for them to come after her.
She had done nothing illegal. Well, nothing in Clearview, anyway.
But she wasn’t entirely sure what might happen to Payton if Boyd discovered that she had been detained.
For all she knew, Boyd would think she’d told the cops everything and kill her sister.
The thought of that had Taryn looking around for an escape.
A sheriff’s deputy unfolded his big frame from the car, his gaze locked on her. When he started toward her and Cooper, the other two cruisers blocked the entrances so no one could get in or out. Taryn was trapped.
Suddenly, the deputy halted. He spoke into the radio on his shoulder, his gaze laser-focused on her.
Taryn swallowed nervously, her palms sweating as she thought about all her plans going up in flames.
Suddenly, the deputy did an about-face and returned to his car.
He shut off the red and blue lights and pulled away. The other two patrol cars followed.
Taryn slumped against the Camry in relief as she dragged in huge mouthfuls of air to reinflate her starved lungs.
She tried to continue filling up the gas tank, but her hands shook too badly to manage it.
Cooper reached over and took the nozzle from her.
He said nothing more until it had been replaced along with her gas cap.
He had set his phone on the trunk of her car as he helped, and that’s when she realized he was on a call with Jace. Her gaze moved to him.
Cooper raised a brow. “You disappeared once. Did you really think he’d let you go again without a fight?”
“This isn’t his problem.”
“You brought it to him and asked for his help.”
She fisted her hands. “I asked for money. I didn’t want him or anyone else involved.”
“You know him. What did you expect? Besides, that’s what we do,” Cooper said with a shrug. “We get involved in the lives of those we love.”
“Like I told Jace, I already lost two family members. I don’t want to lose anyone else.”
Cooper braced a hand on her car and blew out a breath.
“One way or another, Jace will find out who these people are. We’ll come up with a plan and go after them.
Or, you can come back with me, tell us their names and locations, and we can come up with a better plan.
Together. One that will ensure we’re more prepared and it’s less likely anyone will get hurt. ”
“They have my sister,” she stated. “I know Jace thinks she might already be dead—and she very well could be. But I can’t make any decisions based on a might. I’ve got to continue believing she’s alive until I know otherwise.”
Cooper nodded as he listened. “I would do the same thing in your place. The difference is, I’d trust the people I turned to for help.”
Taryn brushed her hair out of her face when the wind lifted it. “I trust Jace. I trust all of you. But I know these people. I’ve seen firsthand how brutal and cruel they can be.”
“They allowed you to come by yourself.”
She snorted at that and crossed her arms over her chest. “If you believe that, you’re an idiot. And I know you’re not stupid.”
“No, ma’am, I’m not,” Cooper said with a crooked smile. “So, you know someone’s been watching you?”
She shrugged and glanced around. “I always assume they’re watching me. They always have been.”
“And yet you went to Jace’s.”
“They didn’t know who I planned to see while here, and I didn’t tell him. If I’m asked about where I went, I’ll come up with a story.”
“Him.”
She frowned, not understanding. “What?”
“You’ve said ‘they’ and ‘them’ numerous times. Just now, you said ‘I didn’t tell him.’ Who is he?”
Her stomach clenched painfully. Taryn shook her head and walked around the hood of her car to get to the driver’s side door. She had been so careful not to reveal anything about Boyd. How could she have been so stupid as to let something like that slip?
“Taryn,” Cooper called.
She paused as she got into the car and looked at him. He hadn’t moved from his spot. He beseeched her with his gaze. Then he lifted the phone and held it up so she could see the screen and a picture of Jace and Cooper smiling, reminding her of why Cooper was here—as if she needed the reminder.
Taryn sank onto the seat but left the door open as her mind raced.
She had come to Clearview for help. Maybe she had known all along the answer was Jace.
If anyone could get her out of this, Jace had the brains, guts, and heart to do it.
That was until she determined exactly what he planned and realized that he could be killed.
Knowing that Jace had been in the military and hearing his stories was quite different from knowing that he intended to actively engage one of the States’ biggest drug kingpins. She loved Jace all the more for wanting to do it. But she couldn’t let him.
The sound of footsteps coming around the car had her looking up at Cooper. She shook her head and looked out her windshield at the people going about their lives. “So far, the only people who have been affected by all of this is my family. If Jace or any of you help me, more lives will be ruined.”
“That’s not on you,” Cooper told her. “It’ll be our decision.”
“None of you would be making such choices had I not gone to Jace.”
Cooper shot her a small smile. “Why did you go to Jace? Was it simply because you knew he’d somehow get you the money?”
“No.” Her gaze dropped to the phone in Cooper’s hand. “I went because I needed to see him, to talk to him. But more than anything, I wanted him to know why I left.”
“You could’ve called him.”
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “He was the only man in my life who never let me down.”
“We can get you the money. Come back with me to Jace’s so we can continue talking. Listen to what we have to say. If you still refuse to give us any information, then I’ll hand you the money and make sure Jace can’t follow you.”
“Coop! What the fuck?” Jace yelled through the phone.
They both ignored him. Taryn held Cooper’s gaze, looking for any signs of deception. It didn’t take her long to conclude that he wasn’t lying. “All right.”
“I’ll follow you,” Cooper said.
Taryn was still shaking from the arrival of the authorities.
A person could only handle so much stress, and she was at her wits’ end with everything.
She wanted nothing more than to turn it all over to someone else so she could have a few hours to herself.
But that wasn’t possible. Too much rested on her shoulders.
She closed her door, buckled her seat belt, and started her car.
After a glance to see that Cooper was behind her, she started back to Jace’s.
On the way, she weighed the options of telling Jace every detail or keeping it all to herself.
Boyd needed to be taken down. Taryn wouldn’t argue that fact, but it wasn’t only her life on the line. It was also Payton’s.
Taryn would never forgive herself if she gave in to Jace’s plan, and Boyd killed Payton.
The guilt of her father’s and brother’s murders wasn’t something she carried.
If she lost her sister because she wanted to be free, Taryn wouldn’t be able to have a future.
She’d shoulder that responsibility for the rest of her life.
When Taryn pulled up to Jace’s, she still hadn’t decided what to do. No sooner had she put the car in park than Jace opened her door. He tugged her out of the car and pulled her into his arms.
“I’m glad you came back,” he said against her neck.
She looked up at the stars as she held him. “I’m not sure it was the smartest thing to do.”
“Trust me.” He pulled back and met her gaze.
“I’ve always trusted you.”
He shut her door after she grabbed her purse, then they walked to the house. Cooper was already inside, waiting for them.
“Prepare yourself,” Cooper warned.
When he didn’t elaborate, Taryn swung her gaze to Jace, who shrugged. “When I suspected you might leave, I called the others.”
“And now they want to hear everything from you,” Cooper said as he opened a beer and took a drink.
“Are there more of those?” she asked, nodding at the beer.
Cooper grinned and pulled another bottle out of the fridge, removed the cap, and handed it to her. “Plenty more where that came from.”
“Thanks,” Taryn said and took a long drink. Then she turned to Jace.
He held up a hand before she could speak. “I’m sure if I were in your shoes, I would’ve tried to leave, too. You’re scared and confused. But you’re safe here.”
“Until I’m not. Then, all of you will be in danger. He won’t hesitate to kill every one of you. Men. Women. Children.” She shrugged. “He doesn’t care.”
“Who doesn’t care?” Clayton East asked as he strode in through the side door.
Taryn hadn’t been sure she would never see these people again. She watched as Sheriff Danny Oldman walked in behind Clayton. Bringing up the rear was a man she had seen earlier.
“This is the chief of police, Ryan Wells,” Jace told her.
The sheriff and the chief. Why was she not surprised that Jace had them as friends? She looked at Jace, wondering what all she had missed during the years she had been gone. She imagined quite a bit. It made her hate Boyd even more.
“The others pulled up behind me,” Ryan said.
Cooper finished off his beer and tossed the bottle into the trash. Then a bright smile spread over his face as a woman with auburn curls walked in and went straight to Cooper. They embraced and shared a quick kiss. Then bourbon-colored eyes landed on Taryn.
“You’re gorgeous,” the woman said.
Cooper chuckled. “Sweetheart, this is Taryn Hillman. Taryn, this is my fiancée, Marlee Frampton. She’s a private investigator.”
“So nice to meet you,” Marlee said as she walked to Taryn and held out her hand.
Taryn smiled and shook it. “Nice to meet you, as well. Congrats to you both.”
“And then there’s the rest,” Jace replied with a grin.
Without missing a beat, Caleb and Brice entered the house with two women. Bringing up the rear was Abby, Clayton’s wife, who held a baby in her arms as she chatted with a blond-haired woman.
Jace let out a whistle that quieted everyone. “We’re going to do this quickly because there’s a lot to discuss, and frankly, time isn’t on our side. Everyone, this is Taryn.”
“So glad you’re back,” Abby said with a welcoming grin.
Taryn returned the smile and waved, genuinely happy to see Abby again.
Jace cleared his throat and wrapped an arm around Taryn as he pointed to Clayton. “You remember Clayton and Abby?”
“I do,” Taryn replied and nodded in their direction. Clayton had aged handsomely as only men could. And Abby was still quite a beauty, her eyes sparkling every time she and Clayton looked at each other.
Jace then motioned to Brice and the pretty woman beside him, her wheat-colored hair gleaming. “Somehow, Brice convinced Naomi to marry him. She’s a photographer—and a damn good one. She’s quite in demand. They adopted the little darling Abby is holding. His name is Nathanial, but we call him Nate.”
Taryn barely registered all of that before Jace moved on. She did manage to flash Naomi a smile in greeting.
“Caleb somehow roped in the best equine vet in all of Texas. Audrey. However, none of us can quite figure out how he convinced her to marry him.”
There were chuckles all around.
Taryn waved at the gorgeous Audrey with her thick, black hair and dark eyes, denoting her Hispanic heritage.
“Then we have Skylar, who not so long ago became Skylar Oldman,” Jace said, a smile in his voice.
Taryn nodded but couldn’t look away from Skylar’s stunning azure eyes as she smiled at Taryn.
“And that’s everyone.” Jace looked at her expectantly. “Ready?”
Taryn took another drink of beer, feeling twelve pairs of eyes on her. “I suppose.”
“Let’s get comfortable,” Marlee said.
Jace took Taryn’s hand and led her to the living room where he put her in his chair.
Abby, Naomi, Audrey, and Skylar squeezed onto the sofa with little Nate, while Marlee took the other chair, a pen and paper at the ready.
The men brought in dining room chairs, leaving Jace to stand against the wall near her.
Taryn drew in a long breath then started the tale from the very beginning, which for her was when Boyd and his men came into her life in the middle of the night five years prior and changed everything.