Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Reagan
“Jesus Christ,” Wolfe groaned roughly.
I knew just how he felt.
Every damn time they heard Amy’s story, it was as horrific as the first time.
“Son of a bitch,” Gage growled, pushing open the screen door and stepping outside.
I didn’t move from my spot beside Amy; I didn’t let go of the woman’s hand.
I hated that she had to continue to go through this over and over.
It was bullshit and we all knew it. What we should’ve been doing was getting that bastard to show his face.
Get him to come out on the Caine property, where we could rightfully take care of him once and for all.
Except that wasn’t the right thing to do, even if it was what everyone was thinking.
This bastard was crazy.
“And the night the detective came out?” Madison inquired, still all business. “She was in a fatal crash?”
“That’s correct,” Rhys told her, his gaze set somewhere outside through the large pane window. I figured he was trying to erase the mental images now swarming his head, the hell Amy had been through at the hands of a madman.
“And someone tried to break into Amy’s house,” Lynx noted. “Reagan was there. Alone.”
Yeah, I tried not to think about that one.
Every time I did, I wondered what would’ve happened if that asshole had come into the house.
I would’ve shot first and asked questions later, I knew that much.
That was what my daddy had taught me to do.
If they came into the house uninvited, they knew the consequences.
However, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t have to deal with the repercussions of my actions. Protecting myself was one thing; the thought of actually shooting someone was entirely different. And not something I wanted to dwell on.
“And then the bar?” Madison continued to watch Rhys. “Do you have any leads on that one?”
He raised an eyebrow and pinned her with an angry glare.
“You know assumptions won’t hold up in court,” she stated in that business-like tone she’d held on to since she arrived.
“No, they won’t.” Rhys dropped his eyes to the floor. “And no, we don’t have any solid evidence that leads back to him. We have ruled out other suspects, though.”
“Other suspects?” I asked, curious as to who they thought would do something so vile.
Rhys nodded. “Dean brought in Billy and the guy from the bar. His name’s Tommy.”
I shook my head in disbelief. Sure, I might’ve considered the guy from the bar had locked us inside, but not once had I thought he had blown up the bar. And Billy… He was an asshole but not a murderer.
“Oh, come on,” I said, letting my disbelief ring through. “I turned him down. I’m not exactly worth killing over.”
I watched my brother, noticing the way his eyes darted over to Lynx. I peered up to see him staring at me. The look on his face said I was way off base on that one.
Waving him off, I leaned forward, releasing Amy’s hand for the first time. “So what now? You know the story. This guy should be spendin’ the rest of his life in prison with a cell mate named Bubba.”
“It seems clear to me that this guy is workin’ alone. He’s not gonna hire someone to do his dirty work,” Madison stated. “Which means we’re gonna have to get him to show his hand.”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
Madison cocked one eyebrow at Rhys, then smiled. “Without you here.”
“What?” My brother frowned.
“You’re the sheriff,” she stated. “And although the plan is to get this guy arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder, I can’t promise you it’ll be aboveboard all the way.”
Lynx grinned. “I like this woman already.”
The screen door opened and Gage stepped inside. Travis instantly moved toward him and I watched as the two men shared a moment. It was clear from their simple body language that they loved each other. In fact, it was so powerful I had to look away.
“I just got off the phone with RT,” Gage announced.
“Sniper 1 Security will be sendin’ someone down to Houston to keep an eye on this guy.
At least we’ll know where he is for the time being.
” Gage peered at Amy. “It won’t make this any better yet.
But it’ll at least give us time to put a plan together. ”
Amy nodded.
I had to wonder why they hadn’t done that in the first place.
“And again, it’s important that the Adorite name get around,” Travis clarified. “They believe that this will draw him out, make him curious.”
Everyone seemed to be tossing that one around mentally, trying to figure out how it would work. I had never heard of the Adorites, or the Southern Boy Mafia. I wasn’t sure how it was supposed to lure the police chief out of his jurisdiction. But what did I know.
“What if it simply stalls him out?” Lynx questioned. “If he thinks somethin’s goin’ on, he’ll lie low for a while. How does that help us?”
“It doesn’t,” Gage responded. “However, we need time to put a plan in place. Without him here.”
Lynx didn’t seem impressed with the response, but he didn’t say anything in return.
“What about the agents already planted here?” Wolfe inquired.
“They’ll remain here. All eyes are on Amy.” Gage nodded toward her. “They aren’t gonna let this bastard get close again.”
I felt a little relief knowing that they would be keeping tabs on this guy.
As much as I wanted this to be over with, I wanted to get my life back to normal.
And that required not having to look over my shoulder every second of the day.
No, I wasn’t this guy’s target, but it appeared he didn’t care who was collateral damage, and that meant we were all in the line of fire.
At least now, maybe we could relax a little.
My eyes cut over to Lynx, who was staring back at me.
Then again, relax might no longer be a word in my vocabulary.
Lynx
I waited until Reagan went outside before I cornered Wolfe, Rhys, Travis, and Gage.
I glanced at each face. “I thought Amy was gonna go public.”
Travis shook his head. “Not yet. It’ll draw too much attention and only drag things out.”
“Drag them out how?” I asked.
“Once this hits the news, people will be all over him. And Amy. We need to lie low for a bit, see what his next move is.”
I looked to Rhys and Wolfe, wanting to know if they were all right with this.
They both nodded in agreement.
“I want eyes on Reagan’s house then,” I demanded. “At all times.”
“Understood,” Rhys stated.
“When she’s there and when she’s not,” I continued. “While everyone’s lookin’ out for Amy, I don’t want Reagan caught in the crossfire.”
I didn’t give a shit that I'd gone territorial on the woman. I was going to protect her. Earlier, when she’d mentioned that she wasn’t worth killing for, the woman had been crazy. I would take down anyone and everyone if it meant keeping her safe.
“Understood,” Travis said, glancing between Rhys and me.
I nodded, then turned to watch as Reagan stepped back through the door. Her eyes met mine.
“If you need anything, you know how to get ahold of me,” I told Rhys before moving over to Reagan. “You okay?”
She nodded, her eyes studying my face momentarily. “You really don’t mind if I borrow your truck for a little while?”
“Not at all.” I pulled the key from my pocket and handed it over to her.
“Do you want me to take you to your dad’s?” she offered.
“I’ll have Wolfe drop me off. Thanks though.”
She nodded, but her eyes didn’t hold my gaze for long. “I need to get home and take care of some stuff. I’ll talk to you later?”
I smiled. “You can bet on it.”
This time Reagan smiled and it seemed less forced than before. “Thank you again.”
“Any time.” And I meant that.
“Hey, old man!” I called out to my father when I stepped inside the house an hour later.
“Kid,” Cooter grumbled, sounding as though I had woken him from his nap.
“I need to borrow your truck,” I announced when I joined my dad in the living room.
Sure enough, Cooter was leaning back in his recliner, the television muted.
“You know where the keys are,” he replied.
“I remember back when I was sixteen and I asked to borrow that truck,” I teased.
The ’65 Chevy was my dad’s prized possession.
He wasn’t keen on letting anyone drive it.
“Or what about the time I snuck it outta the garage?” I had made it almost to the road before my father stopped me on our riding lawnmower of all things.
“Yeah, don’t remind me or I might change my mind.” The recliner shifted upright.
“I’m gonna need it for a few days.”
Cooter nodded, then reached over to pet Copenhagen when the dog ambled up to him. “Somethin’ wrong with yours?”
“Nope. I let Reagan borrow it.”
This time my father looked my way, his eyes questioning. “She doin’ all right?”
“Fine. Her truck was damaged durin’ the fire at the bar, apparently. I’m havin’ it sent down to Roy’s. See if they can get it up and runnin’.” I left off the fact that the truck was pretty much toast. I was still hoping for the best. For Reagan’s sake.
Cooter turned. “Somethin’ goin’ on with you and Reagan?”
I automatically shook my head.
“You sure ’bout that?”
“I’m sure.” It wasn’t a lie. There wasn’t anything going on with Reagan and me. Not yet anyway.
“That divorce final?”
“Almost.” Come tomorrow, I would be free and clear.
“Tammy stopped by here this mornin’,” Cooter informed me.
I sighed. I should’ve known. She’d probably stopped by after I had sent her on her way.
“She said you had a girlfriend.”
Great. I knew one day my big mouth would come back to bite me in the ass.
“I don’t have a girlfriend, Dad.”
“No?”
I shook my head. “We’re just friends. And Dad, please don’t talk to Tammy.”
Cooter grinned. “She’s a nice girl. Got her priorities all mixed up, sure. But a nice kid.”
Priorities being her need to lie about being pregnant to get me to marry her in the first place. Or to fuck other men while we were married.
It wasn’t that I even gave a shit about it. I didn’t care if she screwed every ranch hand who worked in Embers Ridge. I never should’ve married her in the first place, and no one regretted my actions more than I did. Had she really been pregnant, I could’ve and would’ve been a good dad regardless.
“You be careful with Reagan,” Cooter stated, his eyes locked with mine.
“I will.”
“That girl’s been through enough shit already.”
“Trust me, I know that.”
“And she’s always had a thing for you, Lynx. If this ain’t real, don’t lead her on.”
I paused for a minute, staring at my father. I wanted so badly to tell him that it was real, that, in fact, it was everything. However, I’d been down this road before. I'd defended myself when I had up and married Tammy, and look where that had gotten me.
“I know you care about her,” Cooter continued.
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t.
“It’s obvious to anyone with eyes. Especially these past few weeks.”
I offered my dad a one-shoulder shrug.
“Be careful with her,” my father repeated.
“I will,” I said softly.
It was Cooter’s turn to nod, and thankfully, that meant the subject was closed.
For now.