Chapter 29
Malachi
Cain was here. He knew where Gracie was.
Cain attacked the ranch.
But if he’d been hurt by the explosion, who had hit me?
My brain was not functioning on all cylinders, and all these unanswered questions were hurting my head.
A groan left my lips as my eyes fell closed.
I’d had concussions before, and they were a pain in the ass.
I wouldn’t be able to do much or help on the ranch for a while now.
We didn’t have time for this. If Cain was here, and he clearly had accomplices, what else was he planning?
Ev’s phone rang, and he left the room to answer it.
“You should rest. Don’t worry about Cain. He’s in and out of consciousness and can’t hurt anyone right now,” Gracie declared, her voice soft and strong even after everything we’d learned.
“I’m okay. A little concussion can’t keep me down,” I said with a chuckle that fell flat.
“Do you know who hit you? Who do you think would work with Cain?” She bit her lower lip as fear filled her eyes.
“I can’t think of who he’d work with, but it could be anyone.
You know how smooth he is. He could have persuaded anyone.
” I hated that I didn’t get a look at who had hit me.
I couldn’t even give a size, height, or sex.
I wasn’t even sure what I was hit with, a fist, a bat, a tree branch… it could have been anything.
“Do…do you think it could have been the Reverend?” Gracie’s soft voice had my eyes snapping open.
“Shit.” Nausea flared in my stomach at the thought that my father could be nearby or behind any of this.
He preferred to hide his marks. This felt too out in the open and risky for him.
He preferred inflicting his pain slowly, methodically until the subject couldn’t take any more, then he would destroy them from the inside out, like he’d done with me.
“I think it’s too circumspect to be him.
” But I wasn’t entirely sure I believed my own reasoning.
Everett came back in before we could discuss it further.
“Everyone okay?” I asked.
“Yeah. We lost most of barn six in the blast, but you and Cain are the only injured parties. All the animals are fine, and they have contained the fire.” Ev rubbed the back of his neck, glancing nervously between Gracie and me.
“What is it? What else did they find?” When a former special forces agent was nervous, you knew something bad was coming.
“Oak found a squat. About three klicks northwest of the grazing paddock.” My stomach dropped. That was close. Far too close for comfort.
“Any signs of more than two hostiles?”
Ev shook his head. “But we found several burner phones and surveillance pictures. They’ve been watching for a while.”
My Gracie had paled as she listened to Everett’s recount. “Hey, sweetheart. It’s okay. You’re safe now and Cain’s unconscious. With the evidence you have and his involvement in the ranch’s sabotage, he’ll be going away for a long time.”
Gracie’s breathing was shallow; her eyes flicked around the room. “Grace, are you okay?”
She didn’t answer as she ran for the bathroom and closed the door. My gaze flicked to Ev’s.
“Is she okay?” he asked, a frown forming between his brows. “This must be a lot to take in.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. The information could have overwhelmed Gracie, or she could be sick from the baby, or both. Either way, it wasn’t my place to say, so I just shrugged.
Before we could say anything else, there was a knock at the door, and Sam poked his head in. Sam was a wall of muscle, with closely cropped blonde hair and blue eyes. He was probably around my age, but with his youthful looks, I didn’t know.
“Hey, Sam,” Ev greeted. “Max take care of everything on the ranch?”
“Yeah, the fire crews are still doing a sweep, and then the county forensics will come in. It sucks that this is happening to you and your family. But it’ll be awhile before the scene is cleared, sorry.”
“Do what you gotta do. We’ll manage,” Ev grunted.
Sam’s kind eyes turned to me. “I’m glad to see you’re up and alert. How’s the head?”
“Killing me, but I’ve had worse,” I quipped.
The toilet door opened and Gracie wandered back in, freezing at the sight of Sam.
“Sam, this is my girl, Grace. Gracie, this is Sam, one of Max’s deputy’s.” I made the introductions and held my hand out for hers. I gently pulled her down so I could whisper in her ear once she was close enough. “You okay? Was it the baby?”
She nodded and moved the seat to the side so we could both face Sam.
“It’s nice to meet you. I think I’ve seen you around Hope’s Ridge, but it’s good to put a face to the name.” She held out her hand to shake before Sam took the seat Ev offered, then he came to stand on my other side.
“Do you need me here, or should I leave you to it?” Ev asked.
“Did you find Mal? Did you notice anything on the scene?” Sam pulled out his tiny notebook and flipped it open.
Ev went through everything he’d noticed and how he, Willa, and Hunter had found me.
My intermittent consciousness and the ambulance ride.
He filled in a few of my blanks before I recounted my side of things.
Once I’d finished, I flicked my gaze to Ev. “You’ll need to check the main generator by the ranch house. From my observations, I noticed it was dented and looked kind of corroded, and it wasn’t from wear and tear.”
“I will.” Ev patted me on the shoulder. “I’m going to call Max back with this information and ensure the team and forensics unit knows they can search the entire property for more sabotage.” And with that, he left the room.
My mind was racing at all that had happened, all Cain had planned to do. If he’d been successful, it would have been devastating to the ranch and completely destroyed Ev’s livelihood.
“Is Cain under arrest?” Gracie’s soft voice uttered.
Sam assessed Gracie from head to toe. “What’s your relation to the victim?”
“He’s my husband,” she muttered, her shoulders hunched as she tried to make herself small. I squeezed her hand in mine.
“He’s her abusive, soon to be ex-husband.” Her body flinched as her gaze snapped to mine. Worry, fear, and hope flashed in those green depths.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Grace. I’m glad you escaped.” Sam’s eyes shone with compassion and a knowing that only other survivors shared. “Does Max know? Are you filing an order of protection?”
“I wasn’t going to because I didn’t think it would do anything other than tell him where I am, but he’s obviously found me and been here without my knowledge.
So, if you think it would help, then yes, I will.
” Gracie’s voice was firm and I was so proud of her, taking back her power and not letting Cain win.
“I’m sorry I have to ask this, but do you have any proof of his abuse?” Sam’s youthful face flushed bright red. “I’d hate to see the system fail another person.”
“Yes, I have evidence from my doctor’s visits on two separate occasions. Will that be enough? Even if other people testify against me?” She ran her lower lip between her teeth and her eyes filled with tears.
“Photos, doctor’s notes and testimony go a long way, but nothing is ever guaranteed.” Sadness filled Sam’s expression.
“Both my doctors have been encouraging me to file, so they have everything ready to go. Should I go through it with you or Max, or head to the station for a more formal report?” Gracie twisted her fingers in her lap, and I reached out and linked our fingers together.
“You’re not alone, sweetheart. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” I promised as a lone tear escaped her lashes. With my thumb, I wiped away her tears, I would always wipe them away and offer her comfort in any way I could.
Sam cleared his throat. “It might be best to go through Max. He’s the lead on this case, and it sounds like they’re all connected.
As for Cain, I’m not sure if he’s been formally arrested yet.
We will have to wait for the forensics to confirm.
I’d suggest starting the order of protection as soon as possible.
This, along with what was found at the scene, could help secure his arrest.”
“Okay, I’ll make some calls today and get it started,” Gracie stated as she pulled out her phone and fiddled with it. “Reminder set. I’ll call Doc and Ophelia when they open.”
“What time is it? You should be resting.” I scanned the room for a clock, my pulse adding to the thumping in my head.
“It’s almost one,” Grace sighed. “But I’m fine. You’re the one who needs to rest.”
Her bossy tone had my temperature rising, and I pulled on her hand to whisper in her ear.
“If you keep talking like that, sleep will be the last thing on my mind.” Color flooded her cheeks, and a small smile lifted her lips.
Even after all that had happened and everything we’d learned tonight, I was glad we still had this.
This push and pull, our steadfast connection and a care for each other that ran soul deep.
Ev and Dr. Farbor strode through the door together.
The doctor picked up my chart. “It’s good to see you awake. How are you feeling?”
“Fine, just a headache. When can I get out of here?” I’d spent enough time in various hospitals to last a lifetime. I didn’t want to stay any longer than absolutely necessary.
“Sorry, you’re stuck with us for a bit longer.
We’re going to take you for a CT scan now as a precautionary measure.
If not for your military service, I’d say your concussion is on the milder side.
Your brother’s CT scan went well, and he’s regained consciousness, so he should make a full recovery.
You should be able to visit him after your scan is complete.
” Dr. Farbor’s words were like a second explosion as Gracie and I froze.
“He’s a-a-wake?” she stuttered as she squeezed my hand for dear life.
Sam’s gaze flicked around the room as he cleared his throat. “Perhaps I should talk with the doctor here to ensure everything is understood while you get your scan.”
There was nothing for me to do but nod as Sam led the befuddled doctor out of the room.
“Are you both okay?” Ev asked as he came over to my bed.
His troubled gaze moved back and forth between me and Gracie.
“Max is sending someone to arrest Cain. Because we didn’t know his identity or his actions earlier, they didn’t arrest him immediately.
The team hadn’t found the poisons or accelerants until about an hour ago. ”
“Oh, good. So, he is under arrest?” Gracie asked.
“At this time, yes. Although now that he’s conscious, he’ll be able to work on his defense,” Ev grumbled.
A nurse came in, halting any further discussion. “I’m Sally. I’m here to take you for a CT scan. We’ll be about an hour. You’ll need to wait in the waiting room.” She unhooked the oxygen monitor from my forefinger and turned off the machine.
“Stay with Ev, okay?” The pleading in my voice was clear. Turning to Ev, I held his steel-gray blue gaze. “Take care of her, please.”
“Of course.” And I knew he would, as the nurse wheeled me out of the room.
After they completed the scan, I felt exhausted and needed sleep, but I first had to ensure Gracie was safe. Knowing Cain was here, and so close, was unsettling, to say the least. I still couldn’t figure out who’d be helping him.
Father was vile but always had religious justification and “evidence” for his depraved nature, whereas Cain was just plain evil.
He took great pleasure in cruelty and hurting others.
He would want to see the destruction and pain he was causing firsthand.
Animal cruelty and murder would not be out of the realm of likelihood for Cain, but Father; that seemed like a stretch too far.
Plus, the dear Reverend would never abandon his flock, so it couldn’t be him.
Maybe Cain had paid someone or got his friends to help him.
Probably telling them all sorts of lies to convince them to join him.
He was incredibly persuasive. He could warp any mind to his will.
My head was pounding as I returned to my empty room. Sleep claimed me before I could check on Gracie.