Chapter 9
Her words kept playing in his head on the ride back to the ranch while he took another physical inventory.
New aches and pains had surfaced. His left temple pounded where the airbag had slammed him, along with what would probably be a massive seat belt bruise across his left shoulder.
Each bump in the road sent a jolt of pain radiating through his pounding skull.
But they were alive, so he’d take the win.
Elena called Maya to fill her in and get an update on Ollie.
She leaned closer so he could hear without putting the phone on speaker.
The clean scent of her shampoo—something vanilla and fresh despite everything they’d been through—was a welcome distraction from the pain.
He slid an arm around her shoulders and decided she fit quite nicely right up under his arm and against his side.
“I’m so glad you and Sully are all right,” Maya said. “Oh, thank God.”
“Yes, I’ve been thanking him nonstop. And Ollie?”
“She’s going downhill and starting to get pretty miserable. I’ve done all I can do with Gatorade and other natural remedies. Now she needs the meds.”
“We’ll be there in less than five minutes, assuming someone doesn’t launch another attack. Like with drones or something.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I know.”
She hung up. For the rest of the ride, they kept watch behind them—and the sky above for drone lights.
Because while her comment about drones was sarcasm, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
They fell silent, the only sounds the crackle of the radio and their breathing.
Elena continued to lean against him, her weight pressing into him. “I’m so sleepy,” she murmured.
“Adrenaline crash.”
“Yep.”
“Close your eyes and catch a five-second nap.”
She chuckled. “Might just do that.”
Thankfully, they made it back to the ranch without any other issues. Maya met them at the car and took the bag of meds from Elena. When her gaze landed on Sully’s head, she blinked. “You said you were okay.”
“We are,” he said.
“Right. Just know as soon as Ollie’s doing better, I’m going to take a look at your head.”
“And Elena’s wrist. And knee. And ribs.”
She shook her head. “Get inside and make yourself comfortable. We’re going to be here awhile. You know where the first aid kit is.” He did. She had one in every cabin.
She hurried back inside, meds clutched in her hand. Sully thanked the sheriff for the ride and handed the man his phone back. “Our statements are saved like you asked.”
The sheriff nodded. “Thanks. That makes things easier. We might be small-town, but we’re tech savvy and love it.”
Sully shot him a quick smile. “You know where to find us if you need us.”
“Yep. In the meantime, I’m going hunting for two black trucks.”
“One of them will have a messed-up front end.”
“I know. I’m going to check with body shops too, but I don’t think they’ll be that dumb. They’ll lay low for a bit before they get that fixed in a shop.”
“Any of your mechanics make house calls?”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “Not that I know of, but I’ll keep that in mind.”
They shook hands, and Sully caught up with Elena on the porch. “You okay?”
“Just thought I’d wait on you.”
Six little words with the impact of a punch.
When was the last time someone had waited on him just because?
He couldn’t remember. And he had no idea why his heart was reacting so.
Maybe it simply had to do with the person.
The way she stood there, arms crossed against the chill, weight shifted to her good leg, watching him with those eyes that seemed to see right through his carefully constructed walls.
Yeah, he was going to have to patch those walls, what with all the holes she was putting in them.
He followed her inside, the scent of coffee and cinnamon rolls wrapping around him.
David Broussard stood in the kitchen with Piper, and Sully shook his hand. “Good to see you, man.” He nodded at Sully’s head. “Looks painful.”
“I’ve hurt worse.” In more ways than physically for sure.
His friend towered several inches over six feet, with the lean, disciplined build of a career soldier.
His green eyes were always in surveillance mode and his auburn hair was cut military short.
The freckles scattered across his naturally pale skin hinted at Celtic ancestry beneath the hardened exterior.
The dude might be gruff and put some people off, but he was efficient.
Sully walked to the kitchen cabinet and pulled the first aid kit down. “I’m assuming Maya will use this when she’s finished with Ollie.”
“I can take care of this,” Elena said. She opened the box with her good hand. The ACE bandage was on top.
“Sorry I wasn’t here to welcome you,” David said, “but I had a client I had to tie things up with.”
“Not a problem,” Sully said. “How’s Ollie?”
“She just took her meds,” Piper said. “She’ll be all right.” She frowned at Sully. “You sure you’re all right?”
“I’m sure.”
“I still think we should have taken her to a medical facility.”
“Too risky,” Sully said, pressing a piece of gauze to his wound. “But we can just agree to disagree.”
“Right. Well, Maya never left her side, so at least she’s had excellent medical care.”
“And she’ll be fine, right?”
“Yes.” Her features softened. “Yes, she’s fine. Let’s keep it that way from now on?”
“Absolutely.” Sully looked at David. “You find anything on the footage as to who might have taken the meds? Assuming someone did?”
“We have three possibilities—meaning vets who were in the gym the same time Ollie and her backpack were—but no evidence any of them took them. We’re trying to be subtle. Not make accusations.”
“Understood. And I agree. If no one actually took them, then we certainly don’t want to be throwing around blame. Anything else?”
“Just here to give Maya a report on the security measures we’re taking with the ranch.
” He eyed them. “Maya filled me in a bit on what happened with you. Until we know what’s going on, I’ve called in a few reinforcements to help guard the perimeter.
They’re freelancers, but they’re good and loyal to me, so no chance of someone buying them off.
I know them all personally. They’re getting set up now. ”
“How many?”
“Ten. I don’t know if it’s enough, but it’s a start.
” He passed Sully his phone. “Scroll through there and memorize their faces. I’ve sent the vet residents and all of the employees a group text with their pictures and let them know they’re friendly faces.
We’ll have to make the announcement first thing in the morning at breakfast to be sure everyone sees this. ”
“Okay, that’s good. With everything that’s happened, having the ranch secure is key.
” Sully shared the pictures with the others, then handed the man’s phone back to him and hesitated.
“I think we should ask the vets to leave in case there’s trouble.
No sense in dragging them into this. Whatever this is.
” He curled his fingers into fists. Ollie was his priority.
Had he made the wrong call in bringing her here?
In staying after the attack on Elena? The weight of responsibility pressed down on him like a physical burden, making it hard to breathe.
A knock on the door jerked him from his mental loop, and he answered it. A man he’d just seen a picture of stood there. His gaze met Sully’s. “Broussard here? We’ve got a problem.” The man’s breath fogged in the cold air, his words clipped with urgency.
David stepped forward. “What kind of problem?”
“Caught someone cutting the fence. I chased him, but he hopped on a motorbike and disappeared. I was in the golf cart and there was no way that thing was going where he did.”
“What is going on?” Sully asked. He honestly couldn’t decide if the attacks had something to do with Ollie or not.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Ollie said, stepping into the kitchen. She looked much better but still appeared rather fragile. Maya was right behind her.
“That was a fast recovery,” Elena said.
Maya held a hand out for the first aid kit. “I requested an injection. That works much faster than oral meds for the initial rebound. She has plenty of pills going forward.” She looked at Ollie. “And I recommended splitting them up. You have some, Piper keeps some, and so on.”
“Fine.” Ollie nodded. “Good idea.” She looked at Elena. “And now let’s get started. The lightheadedness is fading and I’m not dizzy or nauseous. So I’m ready for my first lesson.”
Piper gaped and started to protest. Ollie glared at her and Piper snapped her lips shut.
Maya jumped in. “Oh, honey. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“I know. No one thinks it’s a good idea except me. But I promise, nothing too physically intense.” She turned pleading eyes back to Elena. “I need to do this. Something. Anything.”
Elena met Sully’s gaze, then looked at Ollie. “Tomorrow morning first thing, okay?”
Ollie groaned. “Fine.”
“You’ll feel even better by then and can really focus.”
“You promise?”
“I promise. But go rest until then.”
“Fine. But I want some juice and I’m setting my alarm for first thing in the morning, okay?” She paused. “What’s first thing in the morning for you? Not some terrible hour like 4:00 a.m., please?”
“No. How about 7:00 a.m.?”
Ollie bit her lip and nodded. “That’s good. I can do that.” She grabbed a bottle from the fridge, then disappeared back toward her room.
Sully nodded to David. “Let’s get something to repair the fence and check the perimeter. It’s time to find out exactly what we’re dealing with—and who.”
“And why,” Elena said. “Why the attacks on me . . . us. I mean, I guess if they’re after Ollie, they could be trying to get rid of those of us protecting her, but . . .”
Sully shrugged. “Whatever the case, we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
Elena ran a hand down her cheek and sat at the table. “All right, we have preppers and we have guys who look like they might belong to the mob—who we know is after Ollie. And they appear to be working together.”
“Then we need to find us a prepper or a mob guy and ask them what they’re doing,” Sully said.
Piper blinked. “Oh sure, let’s do that.”
He shrugged. “Do you have a better plan?”
She sighed. “No.”
“So you’re good with that?”
“I guess so. For now. Why don’t you stay with Ollie while David and I ride the area and see if we can find a prepper or a mob guy.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded, and Piper and David left. Then he snatched his phone from his pocket and clenched it.
“Who do you need to call but don’t want to?” Elena asked, her voice soft. She leaned forward, close enough that he could smell that vanilla scent again, see the faint dusting of freckles across her nose.
He ran a hand over his chin while Maya motioned him into a chair. He sat, and she started cleaning the wound on his head. “I’m trying to decide whether to call in reinforcements,” he said.
Elena pulled in a breath and let it out slowly. “I think I’m going to have to leave.”
He blinked. “What?”
“No way,” Maya said.
Sully frowned at her. “Why would you say that?”
“If someone’s after me, that puts Ollie—and everyone else on the ranch—in danger by association. I don’t know why they are, but two attacks in one day—I can’t shake the idea that this is about me.”
Elena crossed her arms. He and Maya could argue with her until they were blue in the face, but that wouldn’t change her mind.
“Seriously, Sully. I have to do this.” She rubbed her eyes, feeling the grit of exhaustion beneath her lids.
Her head throbbed with a dull ache that had been with her since the crash.
Sully didn’t look like he felt much better.
And that was because of her.
He was hurt because of her. “I’m going to pack up a few things and go.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Sully—”
Maya’s soft rebuke didn’t lessen Elena’s ire at his flat statement. Heat flared in her chest and she swallowed hard. “Oh really? Stupid that I want to make sure people I care about stay safe?” She fought to keep her voice level, to maintain control when she wanted to unravel.
“Stupid to set yourself up as a sacrifice of some kind. Let me work on this. I’ve got contacts. David just brought in ten more people to help keep the perimeter monitored. I’m going to call Claire and fill her in.”
“She’ll tell you to take Ollie and go somewhere else, won’t she?”
He sighed. “Possibly.”
Elena’s gaze bounced between him and a frowning Maya, taking in the concern etched on both their faces.
The weight of their worry was a heavy burden.
“And I can’t let that happen. It seems to me every time you move her, you compromise her safety.
And maybe if I’m not here, they—whoever they are—will stop coming after me on the ranch, ensuring Ollie and everyone else doesn’t become collateral damage during whatever might go down. ”
Sully sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. “Okay, how about this. Let’s wait for Piper and David to get back. See if they have any news—or someone who can answer questions—and then make a decision.”
Elena stared at him, the desire to stay overpowering her need to leave.
Maya took her hand. “Please, Elena.”
Groaning, Elena dropped her chin to her chest. Was she being selfish or being smart and listening to good advice? Or both? She lifted her eyes to Sully’s. “Fine. Okay, I can do that.”
He blew out a low breath, the relief in his eyes twisting something inside her chest. “Good. Thank you. Now, let’s talk strategy when it comes to defending this place. David has his plan, but I need a plan for Ollie and what to do if the perimeter is breached.”
Maya nodded. “I can help with that.”
They worked until none of them could keep their eyes open and called it a night. Elena could only pray they would get some sleep before something else happened.