Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
S pending the night in Connor’s truck wasn’t an option so they had to find somewhere to go that was close enough to respond if Melinda needed them and far enough away that Tod couldn’t find them. Lacy let him make that decision, since it relieved her of the stress.
He drove out of town and took the entrance ramp onto the highway. She didn’t remember anything along the road, so they had to be heading out of town in a direction she’d never gone. She stared out the window, waiting for Connor to break the silence.
She was still mulling over the idea that Connor had placed her safety above the importance of seeing his family. She’d assumed because he’d wanted the divorce that her importance was equal or less than that of his blood family.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that you thought I was important?” she mumbled, trying not to sound like she was accusing him of anything.
He took a deep breath and scratched his jaw, the whiskers making a loud raspy sound. “I don’t know. After our divorce, there were a lot of landmines in our relationship. We had to navigate everything all over again. What right did I have to tell you that you were the most important person in my life when, by my own actions, I showed you that you weren’t? It’s a convoluted mess, but feelings are just that.”
His honesty didn’t surprise her. He could be counted on, without question. “When you came home from serving, and you didn’t want to talk to me anymore. I was broken. I wanted to help you return to civilian life. I’d read books that talked about what spouses could do to help their soldiers make the switch. I even understood that you might always think or act like those men were family. I wasn’t prepared for you to remove me as part of your family so you could replace my friendship with that of others.”
He shook his head slowly. “That was never the case. My guys are family, but they didn’t replace you. It’s a long story and I’m all out of words today. I just want you to know, from where I’m sitting, from my thought process, I wasn’t replacing you with friends.”
She didn’t press any further for information. He’d already said more than she’d expected him to. A text came through on his phone and she pulled it from the cubby where he’d stored it. The text was from Randy.
Dad is kicking me out. He thinks I’m making the wrong choices as usual. I’ve decided to drive around and look for Tod or Cal. I’ll call them in if I see them.
She read the text out loud to Connor and the area between his eyes puckered slightly. “He’s going to find himself in the line of fire. I should call him and tell him to come to the hotel where we are. He can stay away from the action that way.”
Lacy stared at the road ahead and tried to remember why the other local hotel was a bad idea, but she was too focused on Randy. “Unless he doesn’t want to. Maybe he feels like some of this is his fault, since his phone led to us being found?”
“I hope not. His father thought he was doing the right thing. Sounds like his father isn’t the greatest guy in the world either.”
She’d gotten the impression that his father like to push him to be better but kept moving the bar higher and higher until Randy had simply given up ever reaching ‘good enough’. “I pray that he doesn’t get hurt and isn’t seen.” But if he could help the police find the brothers, then Melinda and Lacy would be safe.
Connor said, “He mentioned there were bars where the brothers drank all night. I wonder if that’s where he was headed?”
“Want me to ask him?” Lacy held up the phone. That seemed like the easiest way to find out.
“Sure.” He flipped on his blinker and went around a slower car.
Lacy typed out the message and hit send. An answer came back in less than a minute.
Yes. The Pretty Pint is where they go. I’m waiting down the street to see if they come tonight. They may decide not to since they’re wanted.
“They would be smart to lay low, but no one ever said they were smart,” Connor said after she read the text aloud.
“Should we go and watch with him?” She’d had a chance to rest but Connor had only slept a few minutes in the truck while they’d been at the park. The whole day had been spent hiding as much as possible.
He scraped a hand down his face. “I don’t think that’s the best idea. He wants to kill you. Sitting a block away from where he is known to go is like asking for trouble.”
“Or it’s a way to make sure I stay out of trouble because we can watch them be taken away in cuffs. They tried to murder Melinda. Don’t you want to see them caught?”
“Of course I do, but how can I protect you? Isn’t that why you asked me to come?” His exasperation came through loud and clear.
“Yes. I guess I trust you. Without reservations. I know I’ll be okay when I’m with you.”
He shook his head. “I wish I had that sort of confidence.” He looked over at her. “Let me check in at the hotel. We’ll get settled. Then, we’ll text Randy and see how he’s doing. If he doesn’t think he needs us, we’re not going.”
“And if he does?” Not that she expected him to, but she wanted to see this end.
“Then I guess we’ll go and help if we can. The police would’ve checked their addresses. They won’t be at home. They’d be really foolish to go to their normal hangouts.”
Targets in sight! I’m calling the police.
Lacy squealed even as another text came through. He had to be using text to speech.
They saw me. I’m on the run.
Connor hit the gas pedal and exited at the nearest ramp. He quickly turned down the street, then entered back on the highway retuning to town. Randy had risked his job and getting fined to help Lacy and that meant Connor wasn’t going to let him face danger alone.
“Tell him to drop a pin on his location if he can.” Connor pushed the truck a little faster.
Lacy pressed in the text, her keystrokes more rapid than he could usually manage. His mind whirred with different thoughts about what they could do to help. Honestly, if he was in a chase, they might not be able to do much besides call the police and pray.
“He’s near the hospital,” Lacy looked at the map on the screen.
Connor barely caught enough of it to know what she was looking at.
“What is he doing there?” Why would he be leading them right to Melinda’s door?
“I don’t know. He’s running from them so he can’t really answer me.” He heard Lacy tapping her boot on the floor.
Within minutes, they were back at the hospital, driving around to find Randy. “What does he drive again?” Connor tried to remember what the car looked like as he searched down streets as far as he could. That late at night he couldn’t tell much past a half a block away.
“He drives an old white Oldsmobile.” She rolled down her window and stuck her head out a little.
“I didn’t even know there were any of those still on the road. What are you doing?” He wanted to find out before telling her to roll it back up so Tod didn’t see her.
“If they’re chasing Randy, we might hear something like revving engines or squealing tires. I thought that might be easier than driving around the neighborhood.”
A screech at the end of the street surprised her and she pressed the button to put the window back up. Thankfully, the inside of the pickup was dark and there was no way for anyone to know who they were.
A moment later, a car drove by them and Tod looked straight at her. Realization dawned on his face, and he pointed at her.
Connor pounded the steering wheel. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to come help. Call the police, tell them he’s here and he’s after you.” Connor abruptly spun the wheel and turned the truck away from the hospital.
If they were already in danger, he’d lead Tod away from Melinda. It was after hours, but that only meant Tod would have to try harder to get to her. It wouldn’t be impossible.
A car turned down the street after him and pulled up behind him, revving the engine. Lacy talked to the dispatcher, trying to tell them where the truck was headed. Unfortunately, she didn’t know the area well and he couldn’t help while he drove. He glanced both ways at every cross street, trying to remember how to get to the park. They could lose him in the snarl of businesses.
Tod tried to pass them even though they were on a city street and Connor had to speed up to avoid letting him get alongside.
“Lacy, duck down. I don’t want him to be able to see you. If he’s already going to jail, he has nothing to lose.”
She unbuckled and lowered to the floor of the cab, ducking her head down. At the next cross street, he yanked the wheel and turned his tires screaming in protest.
“Where is Randy? What did they do to him?” Lacy yelled.
“I don’t know. I didn’t see him anywhere. He said in his text that he saw them , so maybe Cal went after him?” He didn’t know and didn’t have time to think further than that. Tod must have made a U-turn and followed them. He was behind by a few blocks, but still coming.
“Where are the police?” Lacy held tight to the seat as he turned again.
“I don’t know. Since I have to keep driving, they probably can’t find us.” She’d been talking to the dispatcher, but something had happened to his phone, and he’d missed it, probably when he’d had to act quickly.
A car yanked out in front of them and hit their brakes, forcing Connor to slam on his or rearend them. It left no space between him and the car. Tod stopped right against Connor’s bumper, trapping them.
“Stay down there.” He held his hand to her shoulder, not that she was trying to rise.
Tod came to Connor’s window and motioned for him to lower it. All the possibilities for what could happened went through his head. Was it better to leave it up and risk glass flying into the cab? His window wasn’t going to stop a bullet either way. He rolled it down two inches.
“You two have messed around. Now you’re going to find out.” He pulled his weapon from the waistband of his pants.
Connor was painfully aware that his was still locked under his seat. Lacy reached between his ankles, holding herself steady with one of his boots and staying in the dark. He felt her tug the lockbox free. Unfortunately, the key was on his key ring, and he couldn’t hand it to her without Tod seeing him.
“Turn off your engine and step out of the car.” Tod waved his gun for Connor to step out.
Lacy quickly pulled back to her side with the box. He took the keys from the ignition and laid them on the seat with the lockbox key pointing at her. He held up his hands as a show. He wasn’t going to make any rash moves.
“Where is she? I saw her in the truck with you.” Tod yanked the door open.
Connor shifted his body, protecting her from Tod’s view. Tod pointed his gun at her. “Get out of the truck.”
She climbed over the seat and out the driver’s side following Connor. He wasn’t sure what they planned, but they’d been fairly brazen up until now. He wouldn’t put it past them to just shoot Connor and Lacy and leave them in the street.
“Why did you kill Melinda’s aunt?” Lacy asked, huddling closer to Connor but keeping her hands up.
Tod laughed. “Melinda had contacted her against my wishes and told the old woman that she was scared for her life. That woman told Melinda she could come and stay there until they could find a way to move back home. I had to stop that. Melinda is my key out of this place and into the bigtime.”
“Shut up,” Cal lumbered up to them from the front car. “Randy is busy. He’ll be busy for a long time.” Cal snickered.
Connor felt Lacy tremble next to him. The realization hit him that this was partially his own fault. If he’d left earlier with Lacy, they wouldn’t be in this position. He’d wanted to avoid Wayside because of the possibility that Lacy could get caught. Yet here she was, caught and risking her life.
“But why? How? She has no money. I don’t understand how this all fits.” Lacy kept her voice quiet, non-threatening. Was she hoping the police would find them in the street? It was a good enough plan, if it worked.
Tod snickered. “Insurance on her and insurance on the hotel. The end game had been that she would be the only victim in a hotel fire that would pay out over ten million in insurance between the two.”
“Shut your mouth,” Cal repeated. “Why does she need to know anything?”
“What does it matter? She’ll be dead soon anyway.”
Connor’s mind whirred to life. “You realize that by killing us, you’ll make sure you go to prison for a long time, right? As of now, you’re only facing attempted murder. There’s a big difference between attempted murder and first degree . . .” Connor hoped that talking sense would make these two think a little bit about what they would face.
“That would mean we’d have to get caught.” Tod laughed. “I don’t plan to.” He cocked his pistol. “Lean against your truck, hands behind your head.”
Lacy let out the softest whimper. He wished he knew if she’d had a chance to get his weapon. He wished he was in control. He had to trust her. She had it in her to defend them, but he didn’t know her plan.
“You too. Against the truck.” He waved the pistol again.
Lacy took that instant, while the barrel of the gun was pointed away from both of them, to draw her gun from her holster and his from her pocket. “Freeze.” She aimed at Tod since he was closest to them.
Cal took off jogging toward his car. Since he hadn’t pulled a weapon, there wasn’t anything they could do about him. Connor willed her to keep an eye on Tod as he took his gun from her. He’d watch what Cal was up to.
Tod didn’t lower his weapon. “This is interesting. Wonder who is the quicker shot?”
Lacy took aim at him. “I’ve been shooting since I was nine years old. That means I have a PhD worth of life experience.”
A police car with swirling lights pulled onto the street behind Tod’s car. He bolted toward it. Connor jumped for him, catching him at the waist and pulling him to the ground. He was done letting this guy have the upper hand.
With one well-placed and incredibly satisfying punch to the face, Tod was finally subdued. He lay on the ground as the police cars pulled to a stop, blocking the street. Men and women officers poured from the cars and took control of the situation.
Cal hadn’t even made it a block before he was pulled over. Connor answered the questions the police had for him, but all he cared about was making sure Lacy was alright. He watched as they loaded Tod in the back of a patrol car. Lacy had been right, it was satisfying to watch, knowing he wasn’t getting out anytime soon.
Lacy finally came over and holstered her pistol. “They asked me questions about it, but since I didn’t have to shoot, they let me go.”
He shoved his own gun into its holster and pulled her close. He’d pictured her on the ground with a bullet hole and that irrational thought wasn’t going to go away soon. “I can admit when I’m wrong. I’ll take you home tomorrow and we’ll deal with Viceroy head on if we have to. It’s better to lead from a position of knowledge than to run headlong into danger without knowing anything.”
She nodded her agreement. “Randy will have to follow along later. He was locked in a yard with a dog known to be a fighter. The police won’t tell me how he is, just that he will make it and what happened is nothing short of a miracle.”
“We like miracles.” He kissed her forehead, letting the short hairs on her hairline tickle his face.
“So, I get to go home.” Lacy sighed. “I am so ready to never leave again.” She laughed. “Traveling isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
He laughed. “You wonder why ranchers never go on vacation? That’s why.” He loved that she could find humor so quickly after such a horrible situation.
“Somehow, I doubt this is what ranchers expect when they leave the homestead.” She threaded her fingers through his and headed for his truck.
“Maybe, but who wants to take chances?”
“Not me. I’ve never had a greater desire to sleep in my own bed.”
She slowed her steps. “Things will be different once we get home. I’m worried we’ll go back to being just how we were before.”
He opened his door for her and waited while she climbed across the seat, then climbed in after her. “I know what you mean. Everyone at home expects us to be a certain way and they’ll notice immediately if we aren’t. How do you feel about keeping this to ourselves until we can come to an agreement on where this might lead?” He still wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to be married to him again.
“I like that plan. Secrets aren’t good. In this case, we need to figure this out on our own before we let anyone else decide our future for us.”