Ranger Protector
Angi Morgan
A brand new series by Angi Morgan featuring crime, passion, and hot rangers!All Texas Ranger Jack MacKinnon has to do is keep Megan Harper alive while they hunt down whoever’s framing her for a fatal shooting. But the gorgeous intelligence analyst is too independent for her own good – and Jack’s peace of mind.With a false murder rap and hit men gunning for her, Megan has no choice but to trust the cowboy-handsome lawman. She isn’t used to playing it safe. Yet how can she let Jack put his career and life on the line? And how can they ignore the desire ratcheting up the stakes, tempting them to take one last risk before a killer erases their future?
USA TODAY bestselling author Angi Morgan kicks off her new series with a spellbinding tale of crime and passion—Texas Ranger style!
All Texas Ranger Jack MacKinnon has to do is keep Megan Harper alive while they hunt down whoever’s framing her for a fatal shooting. But the gorgeous intelligence analyst is too independent for her own good—and Jack’s peace of mind.
With a false murder rap and hit men gunning for her, Megan has no choice but to trust the cowboy-handsome lawman. She isn’t used to playing it safe. Yet how can she let Jack put his career and life on the line? And how can they ignore the desire ratcheting up the stakes, tempting them to take one last risk before a killer erases their future?
Texas Brothers of Company B
There it was again.
A spark. A moment of anticipation.
If they’d been on a date, Megan would have stood on her tiptoes until he kissed her. She might have even leaned in and kissed him first. But they weren’t on a date. They were hiding out in the Texas Hill Country. And while she debated with herself about what to do, he let her go and practically ran the length of the porch.
“I’ll grab the food,” he shot over his shoulder.
There might be a million and one questions about who was after her and why. But one thing was abundantly clear. Ranger Jack MacKinnon was an honest man and dangerously attractive. She already respected him and trusted his judgment.
Getting involved would be easy. So how distracting would it be trying not to?
Ranger Protector
Angi Morgan
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
USA TODAY bestselling author ANGI MORGAN writes Mills & Boon Intrigue novels where honor and danger collide with love. Her work is a multiple-contest finalist, an RWA Golden Heart® Award winner and a Publishers Weekly bestseller. When not fostering Labradors, she drags her dogs—and husband—around Texas for research road trips so she can write off her camera. See her photos on bit.ly/aPicADay (http://bit.ly/aPicADay). Somehow, every detour makes it into a book. She loves to hear from fans at www.angimorgan.com (http://www.angimorgan.com) or on Facebook at Angi Morgan Books.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Jack MacKinnon Jr.—A Texas Ranger who protects those around him and follows the rules. His partner breaks enough for the both of them. Recently pulled off of undercover duty because his father was elected senator.
Megan Harper—Investigative analyst with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) working for the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office. A very capable Army brat who has lived all over the world and loves adventure.
Wade Hamilton—Lieutenant in the Texas Rangers, Company B. Jack’s partner and best friend from college. He has a habit of acting before he thinks things through and always trusts his gut.
Slate Thompson—Lieutenant in the Texas Rangers, Company B, and Jack’s coworker.
Heath Murray—Lieutenant in the Texas Rangers, Company B, and Jack’s coworker.
Therese Ortis—Who is this mysterious woman associated with an unknown organization? That’s the question of the day. Wade owes her a favor.
Harry Knight—Dallas County clerk murdered, but for what reason?
Gillian MacKinnon—Jack’s sister. Jack and Gill? Everyone agrees their mother didn’t think before naming her after a great-aunt.
This book is for my agent, Jill Marsal. You’re a super person who’s always there and understands the neurotic person a writer can be. Thanks for the constant hand-holding and support.
Contents
Cover (#u7d502147-8412-5d98-bd31-dc3f95a9fccc)
Back Cover Text (#u215f79f4-c625-5ba2-829f-c451242b6e7f)
Introduction (#ud2192f4d-3b7b-59e5-8b57-92dfaad31908)
Title Page (#ufef3c1ba-fcc0-54dd-8cc5-a78e970018fc)
About the Author (#u7a1cbdfb-34f2-5c2d-aaff-df98e4cd5c48)
Cast of Characters (#u503f5710-9a2c-5899-9a7a-4f962ac0c600)
Dedication (#ud0d8f3f4-bec9-5ca5-b785-f2672bb531b4)
Prologue (#ua3352f81-b2e5-5cea-99c0-f9c339e25f33)
Chapter One (#u28d13d8d-99c6-5b1b-b708-e0d508d6faa1)
Chapter Two (#u9fc518c2-0df2-591b-a853-434be8691f73)
Chapter Three (#u255643bf-2381-5618-bece-d00cba28acda)
Chapter Four (#ue8dcfe00-3e1a-5189-be68-22324467fe76)
Chapter Five (#ua3e25d62-3a7a-56a3-ae0d-4b8e40914319)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Two (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Three (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue (#u3177eef3-570c-5a9a-a437-e5f7a829ba13)
“Simple answer? It’s an out-of-your-ever-lovin’-mind no.” Jack MacKinnon spoke calmly into his cell, surprised that he could keep his tone and volume in check with his partner’s suggestion. “Did you hear me, Wade?”
“I heard.”
“But...?” Good or bad, there was always a but with Wade.
“I haven’t asked a favor from you in a long time, Jack. I wouldn’t be begging now if it wasn’t important. There’s barely time.”
His partner wasn’t attempting to talk him into changing his mind. There were lots of pauses and a tension he hadn’t heard since they’d been in the Department of Public Safety patrolling the border. The feel of the call made Jack uneasy.
“Are you in trouble?”
“I’ve got everything handled—”
“Except the one little favor. I would if I could get away. You know what week it is. What my father expects. I don’t have any extra time to babysit.” Whining wasn’t his thing.
Or at least it hadn’t been. But he recognized the words. Recognized the tired sound of his own voice. Recognized how busy he was dealing with the mundane while his partner got into...what? He didn’t know what trouble Wade’s intuition was getting him into. Most of the time he didn’t even know if it was an approved operation or not.
“I thought I could make her flight and be there when she left the airport, but I was...delayed.” Wade’s voice shook. It never shook.
“Dammit, was that a gunshot?” Jack asked, but he recognized weapons firing. “Hang up and call for backup. Now.”
No response. There was shuffling, heavy breathing like his partner was running. If Wade was in trouble and had still taken time to ask for a favor, then Jack didn’t have a choice. He had to say yes. “You owe me, and not just anything. I decide what and when.”
“Bergstrom Airport. You should get going. I’ll text details as soon as I get...um...free. Gotta run.”
The line disconnected.
Wade probably meant that last word literally. But running from whom? Or what group? That was the part that bothered Jack the most. He didn’t know which. All he could do was hope his partner was on the right side and not risking both their careers.
He jerked open the drawer with his keys and stared at the ring next to his holstered weapon. Yes? No?
One little favor...
It never hurt to be prepared. He scooped up both.
“You’re going to owe me, Wade. And this time, I intend to collect.”
Chapter One (#u3177eef3-570c-5a9a-a437-e5f7a829ba13)
Paranoia shimmied up her spine, pinning her to the tight airplane seat. A genuine fear kept Megan Harper where she was while most of the passengers paraded slowly up the aisle.
Carefully gathering her things, she waited. For what? A flight attendant lifted her bag and dropped it next to her. “This yours?” he asked and moved toward the back of the plane, checking seat pockets.
The forty-five-minute flight from Dallas to Austin had been a little bumpy, but not enough to make her feel this way. She’d barely finished three paragraphs of the book she’d spontaneously purchased before they left the gate.
Her breathing was still fast, her pulse still racing. She still felt like something was...well, wrong. She’d felt this shakiness since she was dropped at Love Field.
Thinking back, she realized that was when the apprehension had begun. Not about flying or plane crashes or anything to make a traveler feel anxiety. This was different. Something she hadn’t felt since she was at the San Antonio Police Academy.
That had been ages ago. She’d barely been a cop before transferring to the State Fire Marshal’s Office. But still...the sense that she was being watched—Check that. She knew she was being watched. It bothered her that she couldn’t pin down the person doing the watching before she’d boarded.
“Miss, is there a problem? Do you need assistance leaving the plane?”
“Oh, no. Sorry.”
There was no one left to watch her leave. The unrest should have subsided.
But it didn’t.
The anxiety grew with each step up the jet bridge. Alone by necessity for her job, she had no hand to squeeze for comfort. She really hadn’t been the comfort-seeking type—even in her childhood.
What was wrong with her? She threw her hand against the wall as a wave of dizziness overtook her. Catching her breath, she straightened her laptop-bag strap and continued. The faster she got to her house, the better.
Strangers were lined up at the gate, ready to fill the seats for the next flight. None of them watched a crazy woman who expected someone to jump out and...and... Do what?
This is ridiculous. Shake it off. Nothing’s wrong.
“Megan Harper?”
She looked up toward the man who’d called her name. When their eyes met, it was clear he’d been waiting for her. He wasn’t asking—he already knew who she was. She quickly glanced around, trying to find a free airport employee, but no one would look her way. She changed directions to get closer to the gate, to give herself time to assess the threat. She sprang past the man, toward the security exit.
How he’d gotten to the gate was a question for later. Something about the way he walked, with one hand on his hip, sort of under his jacket, set off alarms. Once again her neck broke out with the pricklies, as her mother called them. She ignored him and had barely gotten three steps ahead when his hand grabbed her arm and swung her back to face him.
“You’re prettier than the picture. Here.”
Shoving her against the wall out of the flow of traffic turned a few heads for a few seconds. Before she could react, he had her free arm pinned and the other wrapped up in her luggage.
“Back away or you’re going to regret this.” She could still use her legs, which were strategically placed to play football with his privates.
With his free hand, he opened a note and held it for her to read: “You have to go with this man to be safe. No questions.”
She laughed. “Do you really think I’m just going to walk out of a crowded airport with you? That note is straight from a movie. And I can take care of myself.”
“You need to come with me—”
“No way in hell! Security!” She rammed her knee against his groin.
The man doubled over.
Her pricklies were gone. She was breathing calmly when she sort of trotted through the nearest revolving door to baggage claim before anyone could respond to her cry for help. On the other side she realized she’d left her rolling carry-on next to the wall. She headed directly to a counter with two employees for help.
“I wouldn’t do that.” The deep voice slowed her steps.
A couple of steps away from her, a man lifted his finger in the air. He wasn’t the same as the man who’d accosted her at the gate. His serious scrutiny caught her off guard as he guided her out of the way of the revolving door.
“Are you following me?” She looked through the glass—the man trying to accost her and the carry-on were gone.
“Nope. Someone wants to chat with you.” Serious Guy extended a phone, and she heard an unfamiliar voice of a friend she hadn’t seen in years.
“Megan. Megan, are you there?” The moment caught her off guard, and she paused. The stranger gently took her elbow, guiding her out of foot traffic, nodding as a couple of people passed and then handing her the phone.
She flipped the cell over and was on a video call. “Therese? I haven’t heard from you since I moved to Austin. What in the world is going on?”
“Thank God he found you. Listen, the man with you is Jack MacKinnon. He’s a friend and you need to leave with him. Now. I’ll explain later. Trust that your life is in danger.”
Megan looked straight into aviator shades and an expressionless pair of lips over a dimpled chin. His gesture to wrap up the call infuriated her a little bit more. But when she stumbled it was nice to have him there to steady her.
“I can explain everything in three or four days. Until then, MacKinnon can keep you safe.” Therese’s voice was shaky with fear. The man looked around without offering any explanation.
“I can take care of myself. But why do you think I need to? And why don’t I just go to the police?” She was certain she was capable.
Therese’s fear seemed to be seeping through the speaker, affecting her ability to reason. Either that or... Great—the room was spinning. “Why does it feel like I’m on that baggage carousel?”
“Wrap it up. They must have slipped you something.” The man gripped her elbow tighter and headed toward the exit.
“Someone’s trying to kill you, Megan. We don’t know who. At least not yet. And until we get a handle on this, you need to stay someplace safe. We think you’re being framed—What?” There was some noise on Therese’s end, and the screen went dark, like she’d covered the phone’s camera. Then nothing for a long couple of seconds. “I wish I had time to explain and I’m sorry I put you into this position. You can trust MacKinnon. He’s practically one of us. Maybe better since he’s a Texas—”
The phone went dark again. The connection was gone.
“Can you walk faster? I’m parked in a loading zone.” Therese’s friend wrapped his arm around her waist.
The mirrored aviator shades he wore blocked wherever he was looking, but it didn’t matter. She was quickly losing her footing and the grip on her laptop. “My bagsheze ish...”
Slurred speech and no muscle coordination. Her inability didn’t slow her escort down. He lifted her laptop bag onto one shoulder and stretched her arm around his other. She couldn’t even protest now. Her eyes were getting heavy, right along with every other part of her body.
“Stay with me, Megan,” he whispered close to her ear. “Yeah, we’re good. Pregnant. Just need to get her home.”
He’d told someone she was pregnant, and she couldn’t make her mouth object. Her brain seemed to be working, but nothing else. He lifted her onto the front seat of a giant truck and pulled the seat belt around her.
Eyes closed, her head fell to the window with a thud. They moved forward, and that was it. She’d been kidnapped, abducted. If anyone asked her to identify the man driving, she had a good image of a dimpled chin under shiny, reflective aviator shades.
* * *
THEY ARRIVED AT his destination—not hers. According to Mr. MacKinnon, he’d been assured her home was compromised. He pulled into a driveway of a house that looked as if it had been built just after World War II.
How had she gotten here?
Shoot, she didn’t really know where here was. Someplace she’d never been. Someplace that didn’t look anything like an abductor’s lair. She thought they’d pulled off the main road at the first sign of a town and then kept turning.
Main road? She’d missed which way they left Austin. She’d been in and out. While she was in, the winding roads she recognized west of Austin kicked in and made her queasy. So she just closed her eyes and concentrated on not throwing up.
Now at a stop, she tried to pull on the door handle. Nothing. Her arms were just too weak. No strength.
The porch light flickered on—one of those energy-saver bulbs that she didn’t care for but bought herself. The porch had a swing, a couple of tall-fronded plants in the corner. It looked more like where her parents used to live—more than she wanted to admit.
If she admitted it, she’d feel safe. She’d let her guard down, and she couldn’t. She had to escape. Had to somehow get to the police.
“Megan?” He tapped on the truck. “You can get out now. We’re here.” The truck door opened, and her driver caught her in a bear hug. Not that he was as big as a bear. He just held her tight in his strong arms before lifting her into them and carrying her up the porch steps.
God, her mind was jumping all over the place. She needed a few minutes to take everything in. Should she go inside with a stranger who had practically abducted her? She could trust Therese. They might not have seen each other in the past couple of years, but when you went through the police academy together...it created a bond that didn’t go away.
A dog bayed at the fence next door.
“Hush, Junior, hush.”
“Getting out of that truck might be the most stupid thing I’ve ever done in my life. I have no idea what’s going on. Why is it so hard to think straight?”
“Not surprising, since someone drugged you. Not me. I assume it was the guy who followed you off the plane and who has your carry-on.” He set her on the couch and switched on the table lamp before securing the front door.
“When would they have drugged me? Why would they? I don’t get it. Scratch that. It doesn’t make sense. I’m a nobody.” Megan struggled to cover her eyes with a hand. She could have been drugged at any time before or during the flight. It was possible no matter how unlikely she thought it might be.
“I have no idea. Your friend didn’t bother to give either of us much information.” He patted her softly on her back. “You feeling okay? Should I have taken you to the emergency room? To be honest, I wasn’t given too much instruction. Other than you needed a protective escort and place to stay this weekend.”
“I’m better than when I was at the airport. I...I don’t think I need a doctor, but what do I know?” She did feel better than before. “My head is throbbing and every muscle I have is aching.”
“I’ll get you some water and aspirin.”
“If Therese asked you to help me, then I think I deserve some answers.” She spoke louder, following his movements through the gaps between her fingers.
He returned with a bottle of water under his biceps, shaking pills from a bottle. Could she trust that it wasn’t more of whatever had been slipped to her earlier?
“I think I’ll just take the water for now.”
He gave it to her and she gulped it down.
He popped the two pills into his mouth and swallowed. She watched his Adam’s apple bob under that cute dimple and took an inventory of his brown eyes and the thick eyelashes that men naturally had. Straight eyebrows quirked as he stared back at her, then shook his head.
“No one hired me. I’d answer your questions if I could. But my deal is to keep you safe. I made a promise not to leave you alone. That’s all I know until someone lets me in on more.”
“I’m not really the helpless type.” At the moment, she did appear helpless to herself. She said that she wasn’t. Even said it out loud after someone had just drugged her. She didn’t know how or where. If this guy hadn’t been there, who knew what would have happened? Or where she would have ended up?
“You probably don’t think anyone would want to kill you, either.” He took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest.
“How do I know that Therese wasn’t being forced to tell me to go with you?”
“I guess you don’t. Neither do I. But one thing in our favor is that I’m not forcing you to stay. You aren’t tied up or anything.”
She needed to test that challenge. Could she get up? Get closer to the back door? What would he do?
Even though the house was sparsely decorated, the photographs on the wall really stood out and called to her. She stood and swayed toward one near her—an action picture of a retriever flying into a pond. Water droplets were caught forever hanging in midair.
“That was Birdie. I took that picture when I was in college. She was a great retriever.”
“It’s exceptional. So alive.” Megan looked for signs of a dog. “Is she around?”
“Naw, she died a few years back.” He shoved his fingers through his hair before settling his arms in front of his chest again. And he stayed where he was, not making a move to stop her from wandering.
Even if she was stumbling and leaning on the backs of chairs.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Her head really wanted to check out that aspirin bottle.
“She was a great dog.” He shrugged.
“What did you say your name was?”
“Jack MacKinnon. I’m a Tex—”
“Jack, um...what did you do with my stuff? My laptop? Phone? I don’t see my carry-on.”
“You left it by the gate. Sorry, but there wasn’t time to explain to airport security. Your phone and laptop are still in the truck. Safe for tonight.”
“What if someone sees it and breaks in? Isn’t that risky?”
“Not too many break-ins around here. Everybody knows me and that I’m home this week. Your stuff is safe.”
She shifted to another chair, closer to her goal. “You really don’t know what all this is about?” she asked.
He shook his head, and she believed him. It was her job to know when someone was lying or telling the truth. Jack seemed to be completely at ease telling her everything—or as little as—he knew.
“I really need to call Therese and find out what this is all about.” She needed to know why she needed protecting. She didn’t doubt that she could handle herself when put to the test. But what test?
Oh, yeah, sure.
“I tried your friend. Tried my partner. Voice mail. You’re safe and need some rest, so how ’bout we try again in the morning?”
Scolding herself was nothing new. Being in a life-threatening position wasn’t, either. Shoot, being alone with arrogant men who thought they knew more than her was something she’d dealt with since joining the police academy. The State Fire Marshal’s Office wasn’t much better.
The strange new sensation was that she could trust this man. Weird. She rarely trusted anyone. Getting her feet to even slide was beginning to be a chore. So maybe she could wait until her legs were more stable and could make it out to his truck. Then she’d find out what was going on for herself.
He pushed his hands through his tangled short mop, smoothing and looping some of it behind his ears. “I wasn’t expecting anyone, so I’m not sure what I have in the fridge. You feel like eating? Need another bottle of water?”
“No. Thanks. Look, all I need is a couch for the night and I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow.”
“Why don’t we talk about that in the morning?” He reached forward, and they touched with an electric shock.
Not the kind she’d felt wrapped in his arms. It was a sincere static-electricity pop that had them both waving their hands in pain.
Megan looked between the blinds and saw a couple of porch lights. “Ouch, you pack a wallop.” The houses were far apart and she wasn’t certain the road—that was at least forty yards away—was even a public street. An older neighborhood in a small town? “Maybe I should call a cab to take me home.”
“You could try, but I doubt you’d get one to come here.”
“Where did you bring me?”
“We’re outside Liberty Hill. It’s about forty-five minutes from Austin.”
Doubt was back. No matter how much confidence she had in Therese, shouldn’t she be more upset about being alone with this guy?
Maybe it was the remnants of the drug still in her system. She couldn’t tell or keep her thoughts straight. Why had she allowed herself to be brought here by a stranger in the first place? What had Therese meant? Not having answers was more likely to kill her than a stranger at the airport.
“This is ridiculous.”
“What do you mean?” Jack asked, resting one hand in a pocket and the other at the back of his head.
“I need a phone, please.” She held out her hand, expecting him to accommodate her. Why wouldn’t he? “May I borrow yours or will you get mine from your truck?”
“No. Tomorrow.” Jack clapped his hands together and then opened them, palms up. He stood at attention, ready for something. “Our instructions are that they’ll contact us tomorrow.”
“I am not a helpless victim from a slasher movie. I’m not staying here.”
“Come on, Megan. If you need someplace safe to stay, we’ve done everything right. Why mess it up with a phone call to friends?”
He relaxed, shrugged and took a step away from her. Did he expect her to attack or something? She might have if she hadn’t still been sluggish.
“Right.” She sank to the couch, finally admitting she was too unstable on her feet. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but this situation is absurd and confusing.”
“I get it. Your friend Therese was more than a little cryptic.” He perched on the armchair. “All I got was that you were in trouble and needed protection.”
“I appreciate your willingness to help. Really. But if I am in trouble like Therese thinks, then my best bet is to call the police. I can’t put you in danger, too.”
She was used to being around officers and macho firefighters. She’d taken a lot of years to study guys, their psychology, their body language. And Jack didn’t appear to be surprised by their situation. Or surprised that she was in trouble. If she had to make a guess, he probably had a gun holster under the back of his shirt.
“I’m not worried about it.” He lifted his hands in mock surrender. Mock because it was apparent there wasn’t a cell in his being that would make him change his mind. “I gave my word, okay? If you can clear things up, fine. But you can’t have a phone until the morning.”
Even without her knowing him, there was something about the way he held his mouth that convinced her he was serious. Compressed lips with the corner barely raised. Serious or sure of himself?
Jack MacKinnon was as stubborn as she was.
“Why are you doing this? What’s in it for you?”
Chapter Two (#u3177eef3-570c-5a9a-a437-e5f7a829ba13)
“What do I get? Not a thing. Call me crazy, but I’m doing a favor. I won’t let you down. Do you need a pinkie swear or something?” Jack crooked his little finger in the air like kids did and held it out to her.
“This isn’t funny. I have no idea why I’m here or why I listened to instructions over a phone call.”
It didn’t matter if Megan believed him. He’d keep his word to his partner no matter what. “I’m actually one of the good guys. You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.”
Just mentioning sleep had her eyelids drooping a bit. Right up until the phone rang. Megan jumped out of her skin. He’d dropped his phone in the drawer with his badge and gun. She stared as he answered.
“MacKinnon.”
Jack hesitated for a moment. Just a moment while he watched Megan turn white as chalk. Would she faint? Good thing she was already sitting on the couch. Her arms plopped down without much grace.
Jack tapped the speaker button and kept the phone in one hand while he picked up a hunting magazine. He waved it in front of Megan’s face while his next-door neighbor chattered in the background.
“I’m...I’m all right. Answer your call,” she whispered.
Megan wasn’t doing a good job making him think she was fine. Jack had serious doubts she wasn’t about to hyperventilate. He was looking around for something he could use like a paper bag to have her breathe into.
“Little Jack, are you there? Is someone there with you? Am I interrupting something?” His neighbor crooned her curiosity.
He was about to hang up when Megan drew a long breath and covered her face with a pillow. Whatever had her freaking out was beyond him. Maybe she was just tired. It must have been a shock to discover someone wanted to kill you. And to be thrown in the care of a complete stranger... There couldn’t be much comfort in any part of her situation.
“Little Jack? Little Jack!”
“Right here, Mrs. Dennis.”
“What was that ruckus a few minutes ago? Did a group of motorcycles come through town again?”
The pillow landed where Megan threw it, to the right of his desk.
“Nothing to worry about, Mrs. Dennis. I was late getting back. Sorry the truck woke you.” Jack gestured for Megan to drink some water.
She shook her head and mouthed the word no. She rested her head on the back of the couch. Her eyes glazed over, focusing on a point—if his calculations were right—just next to one of the cracks in his ceiling. Why would him answering the phone send her into a tailspin?
“There should be a noise regulation or something. Maybe you should have your muffler checked out, young man. It’s so loud it woke Junior. You know he goes to sleep at eight,” Mrs. Dennis complained over her bloodhound’s baying.
“All I can do is apologize, Mrs. Dennis. I’ll try not to do it again.” His eyes wandered to the long, silky-looking thigh showing under Megan’s tight skirt. Before she regained her composure, he forced his eyes to look at her feet.
Bare feet. Had he forgotten her shoes in the truck?
“That’s good, but it woke me from a perfectly sound sleep. You know we have a busy day tomorrow. You be sure to give Junior an apology.”
“Sorry to wake you...and Junior. I understand why you’re upset.” All he could do was agree and hope she’d hang up. “But while I’ve got you on the phone, is there a possibility of postponing the homecoming meeting until Monday afternoon?”
“Little Jack, you know a couple of the reunion committee members are driving in from Austin. It would be rude to ask them to drive after work on Monday. So it’s better if we keep it for noon tomorrow at Major’s Restaurant.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He’d always be Little Jack to anyone who knew his father—especially the ones who had worked for his father. And probably to anyone who knew him in high school. Hell, a few junior-high kids had snickered that afternoon and whispered “Sure thing, temporary mayor Little Jack” behind their hands when he told them to stop skateboarding on the sidewalk.
He clicked the phone off and looked at his guest. She visibly gulped in front of him. He waved the phone back and forth, trying to break her trance. “That’s the problem with living in a small town. Everybody has my cell number.”
“You have a gun. And badge. Are you with the police?”
“No.” Hadn’t he told her? “I’m a Texas Ranger out of Company B in Garland. Is that a good thing or a problem?”
“Can I see your ID?”
“Sure.” He opened the drawer again, thought better about tossing the phone back inside and shoved it in his pocket. He picked his badge up from next to the remote. “Habit after having a dog that loved to chew on electronics instead of toys.” He handed her the official picture ID and badge.
Megan took a look and handed it back to him. “Things might have been simpler if you’d shown me that at the beginning.”
“Honestly, I saw the guy approach you and couldn’t get through security to help. I’d already shown my badge a couple of times. I was more concerned about getting you away from the airport. Then you passed out.” He rubbed his chin, conceding she was right. “I don’t know your friend Therese. I’m doing a favor for my partner.”
Before trying to pick her up, he’d assumed she already knew he’d be there to help. He wouldn’t be assuming anything about this so-called favor again. Jack liked a good mystery. He just didn’t need one this particular week.
“A man I don’t know. Why would Therese tell me to hide from the police, then send me to hide with a Texas Ranger?”
“Maybe to protect you?” Jack mumbled the smart-ass question. He was stunned whenever Megan looked up at him. He’d never seen eyes as green as winter rye. Outlined with smudged mascara, they were still as pretty as they came.
Stop. This woman was in trouble. He wasn’t going to admire anything. Not how she looked or how logical she was about staying with him. Letting her stay was a means to an end. He did this favor...his partner would get back in line. Okay, so he could hope.
“It’s been a long day. Where can I clean up?”
“Straight through there.” He pointed past the bedroom, through the hallway that was mainly hidden from view.
She pushed herself up tiredly from the old couch and looked him almost eye to eye. “For the record...I know how to defend myself. I’ll stay until the morning, if it’s really not a problem.”
Feisty. Determined. Cute. Stop.
“I don’t mind.” It wouldn’t have made any difference to his rogue partner if Jack had minded. Wade would have asked for the favor no matter the consequences. It was just the way he was. “You can take the bed and we’ll work out what to do in the morning.”
She gave him a two-fingered salute and followed the hall. He trailed behind and tried to lean against the wall casually. All of his senses were on alert. The ones concerning his guest shouldn’t be, but he couldn’t help it.
“Just my luck. There really is only one bed.” Megan turned slowly, grabbing the bathroom doorknob after passing his room. “And oh, gosh. No shower?”
“My grandmother always said a hot soak will do you good. You said you were sore.”
Her eye roll said more than words. She didn’t appreciate that he knew details from her day. Or was the fact that someone had gotten the jump on her embarrassing? It wasn’t important now. He could find out tomorrow.
“Are you going to stand guard? Because it’s not necessary. I have nowhere to run...tonight.”
The slight hesitation didn’t escape him. She wasn’t looking to stay around longer than necessary. But that wasn’t his deal with his partner. He’d given his word, and the only way his partner was ever going to obey the rules for good was if he kept it.
“No need to waste my time standing here. The window’s too small to crawl through and the house is small enough that I hear every floorboard creak from anywhere inside or out. I’ll go grab my camping cot. You can take the bed.”
She stopped dead in her tracks before crossing into the old bathroom. “Oh, good grief. There’s no lock on this door.”
“The place was my grandmother’s. She didn’t need them. I won’t barge in. Just hand me your clothes. There’s a robe hanging inside that you can use.”
She gasped. There weren’t too many times in his life that someone looked as shocked as they sounded. Plenty of times they’d acted like it. Especially when pulled over for a moving violation. But this woman...either she had the gesture and sound down perfectly or she’d really gasped at his suggestion.
“That’s ridiculous. Ranger or not, I don’t know if you’re trustworthy. Would you expect your sister to just hand over her clothes to a stranger?”
“I wouldn’t expect my sister to be in this position. And I do have a sister who I expect to do whatever’s necessary. That is, if she’d been rescued from someone trying to hunt her down and murder her. Yeah, she’d do whatever the man protecting her suggested. Within reason, of course.”
“Murder is a strong word.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not mine. Your friend is the one who used it. Don’t forget, we’re both in the dark here. Especially the part where Wade felt this was the only place for you to stay.”
“Who’s Wade? And if I knew details, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be getting to the bottom of whatever’s going on. Life would be a little less complicated if Therese had just explained everything.” Megan mumbled the last sentence, mixing it with a yawn. “Can’t you call and ask or something? Surely your phone’s okay to use.”
Jack couldn’t blame Megan. Not really. Right now he didn’t know if his partner was safe, either. Whatever had happened, it must be disconcerting to be drugged and told to stay with a stranger with no other place to hide.
“Wade isn’t big on phones when he’s suggested someone needs to lie low.” He really did hope the phone was just off and that his partner was alive. But he couldn’t get distracted. This woman knew he was a ranger, but he didn’t trust her to stay put. He perched his fists on his hips. That stance always worked to make him look serious. “For the record, Megan, I am willing to barge in or to handcuff you to the bed. Don’t doubt me.”
“I’m not giving you my clothes.”
“Just doing you a favor. Thought you might want clean stuff that fit you tomorrow.”
“I have a change of clothes in my roll-on.” Realization showed in her expressive eyes as she released a long sigh and dropped her chin to her chest in defeat.
She’d left her bag at the airport. “Yeah. So I’ve got a washing machine for your clothes and I’ll leave a T-shirt for you to sleep in. Take your time in the tub.”
He was confident she wouldn’t run out the door naked. Or... How the heck did you judge if a person would run around without clothes? So he held off on finding the only set of pajamas he owned. He heard the water and went to the storage closet on the back porch for the cot and to start her laundry—right after he removed his wet uniforms and shoved them in the dryer.
The bathroom window was open a crack, and a “blast it that’s hot” floated through along with a “right about one thing” from Megan.
“What’s the deal with her, huh, Junior?” he asked the bloodhound on the other side of the chain-link fence.
Jack leaned against the porch post, watching the old hound do his business and creep back through the dog door he’d installed for Mrs. Dennis a couple of years ago. He didn’t have an opinion one way or the other about trouble appearing on his doorstep. Life had been simple for the last several years. At least his life.
Now, Wade’s, on the other hand, was one complicated mission after another where only he knew the agenda. Why or what his partner was punishing himself for, Jack didn’t know. And Wade would never say.
There was one thing for certain. If Jack’s partner was going out completely on his own again, there’d be hell to pay. The Rangers didn’t operate that way. Sure, they were invited to help with cases all the time, but their superiors decided those cases. The secretiveness about Megan Harper had trouble written all over it.
“What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into, Megan?” she asked herself in the tub. Her voice was nice and alto deep.
Smooth enough that he wouldn’t get tired of listening to it. He should probably go back inside instead of hoping she’d spill why someone was trying to kill her.
There was plenty of time to figure things out in the morning with a cup of caffeine so everything made sense.
* * *
STAKEOUTS HAD PREPARED Jack for sleeping on any surface for any short amount of time possible. Four years later and the training still kicked in when needed. Late nights on assignment, helping a small-town sheriff or chasing after his partner, who was only an arm’s reach from trouble when left on his own.
He’d done his best to convince Megan, but she’d chosen the cot stretched across the bedroom door. He didn’t think she’d managed any real sleep at all. She’d tossed all night long. So much, in fact, that Jack had debated waking her up to insist she take the bed. But he doubted she would have slept soundly anywhere.
Megan had cried in her sleep—sort of whimpering, as if she was having a nightmare. Her eyes were still closed when he pulled a T-shirt on, lifted her from the cot and tucked her under his blanket. He’d waited several minutes before sneaking out of the bedroom.
Tonight she’d be in his bed. Period.
“Hell, I’m glad I didn’t say that out loud to her.” He flipped the switch on the coffee maker and waited within sight of his bedroom door.
There wasn’t any way for him to get out of the homecoming meeting. He was the one who needed to confirm the parade route and who would be in charge at the beginning and end. He ended his one-sided debate knowing that Megan would have to go with him.
Clicking on the TV, he texted his sister about borrowing women’s clothes and sat in his chair to drink his coffee. Just like he did most mornings. There wasn’t much of a routine to follow or disrupt when he was home. Simple life in a simple town. He’d just slurped when the news program splashed a picture of his houseguest in full-screen fifty-seven-inch HD glory.
He spewed. Coffee went everywhere, including up his nose. It wasn’t pleasant and the rest was nearly in his lap as he read the accompanying scrolling headline.
“Hell’s bells. What is Wade thinking?”
“Is everything all right?” Megan came hurrying into the room, shoving her hair away from her face. “Oh my God. They’re using all three of my names as if I’m a serial killer.”
Ticking across the bottom of the screen was a limited account of a man being shot in Dallas last night, allegedly by TDI Intelligence Analyst Megan Lilly Harper.
It registered, even if only for a fraction of a second, that the robe she’d slept in was now open. It was hanging loose over the long T-shirt he’d given her and showing the well-toned body he’d done his best to ignore more than once.
They both listened as the news report recounted events from the previous evening in Austin. The little bulletin strip kept running Megan’s name and that she was wanted for questioning by state authorities.
“Rethinking that promise not to betray me?” Megan asked.
“Actually...no. I was with you yesterday, so I know you’re being framed.”
“Where are my clothes? I’ll get dressed and we can go clear this up.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple, Megan. They have witnesses, too.” Damn. “Who the heck do you work for, and what’s an intelligence analyst?”
“The Texas Department of Insurance, and I work for the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Our agency is a part of TDI. ‘Intelligence analyst’ sounds a lot more dramatic than it actually is. I gather information about fires and—” she shrugged “—analyze it.”
“The news is making it sound like you’re a spy or something.”
She shook her head, her long brown hair framing her face, hiding her expression. “Oh, no. Seriously, most of my job is in a cubicle. I have no idea why anyone wants to frame me for murder.”
No idea? She was holding back why, and he knew it. “They have eyewitnesses.”
“So do I, and mine’s a Texas Ranger. I mean, if you need an alibi, I have a great one.” She shoved her hair back behind her tanned face, then dropped her palm against the bare skin of her thigh. “Look, I don’t know what’s up, but you know I didn’t do this. Whoever’s behind the murder must be using a woman who looks like me.”
“That makes sense, but I’m not the one who has to be convinced you’re telling the truth.”
“So where are my clothes? I need to rent a car and get back to Austin. I made a huge mistake leaving.”
“I don’t think you did.”
Her mouth dropped open. If he looked hard enough, he might just see her tonsils. He was fascinated with how all her emotions were just...visible. No second-guessing what this gal was feeling.
“So we’re agreed. I need my clothes.” She pulled the robe closed and tied the belt.
“First of all, they aren’t dry. I was sipping my coffee before actually doing anything. Second, there was a reason you chose not to stay. Someone drugged you and tried to abduct you. Maybe you should remember that. Third thing—I might agree that it’s gonna look like a mistake by not turning yourself in, but that doesn’t mean you need to...yet. I gave my word to keep you safe. I’m keeping it. And fourth—”
“There’s more?”
“No rental cars or taxis in Liberty Hill. Only way you’re getting back to Austin is to hitch a ride. I’m pretty sure that’s not the best way for you to travel right now.”
“For a small-town man, you certainly take a long time to get to the point.”
“Sorry, I’m not trying to be evasive.” Nope, he was teasing her and couldn’t help it. “I’m a little distracted by the dilemma facing me if anyone finds out I’m harboring a...what? Or is it a who? You aren’t really a criminal. Not yet, anyway. So I can’t call you a fugitive.”
“Please stop. Just stop.” She covered her eyes with her fingertips and then rubbed her temples. “I can’t think.”
“This isn’t complicated. Okay, it’s a little complicated. Someone convinced my partner to protect you—” His brain screeched to a halt as realization clicked things in place for his guest. Or prisoner. He could see it going either way.
She nodded. “Your partner? I thought Therese said they’d worked with you.”
Jack was cussing a bit in his head. Since joining the Rangers, he’d given up smoking and curbed his four-letter vocabulary to consist of hell. It was much better for his image.
His partner, on the other hand, didn’t have any reason to hold back and wouldn’t when he found out Megan was wanted for murder. That was, if he checked in anytime soon. Why would he put them in this situation?
“So what now? How fast should I be ready to go?”
“I’m not sure. This is a bit unusual.” Jack hated to think that his partner might be in serious trouble for circumventing an arrest. It didn’t make sense. He couldn’t get the sound of gunfire out of his head. And he was certain it had been gunfire.
“Well, it certainly is for me. I’ve never been in trouble before. For crying out loud, I used to be a cop.” Her arms bounced up and down against her thighs, the sound muffled by his robe.
“Wade might have a history of jumping in headfirst without checking how deep the water is. But...”
Megan arched her eyebrows, clearly wanting the rest of the explanation.
“I’ve never known why or how, but he’s almost always right.” There was no turning back. “The man has a sixth sense about things like this. He said you need protecting, and not twelve hours later you’re being framed for murder.”
Hell, she was wanted for murder.
“You can’t keep me here. You’re a Texas Ranger.”
“Right.” He covered the short space to the door with a couple of strides. He needed to take a minute. Just think of something other than the consequences of going against orders—although he didn’t really have any at the moment.
“You aren’t seriously thinking about trying to hide me. I don’t want to be hidden. No matter what anyone thinks, I’m the best qualified to discover why someone wants to frame me for murder.”
He could believe that. If she was an analyst like she claimed, that meant she looked through information and solved problems. She probably had more experience than he did at solving mysteries of this nature.
He hooked his thumbs in his belt and looked out back across the pasture. Mrs. D. waved as she got in her car. “See you in town, Little Jack.”
Thoughts were racing through his head faster than he could collect him. If he did this, then that would happen. And if he did that, then this would happen. He pushed through the emotional tug of wanting to please everyone. A physical impossibility. Someone was going to get hurt.
Or fired. He watched the horses grazing, wishing he’d carried his coffee with him across the room. When all was said and done, he could count on Wade. He already had done so more than once. Bottom line, he should wait before moving forward. Gather more information, but wait.
“We may not know much about what’s going on, Megan. But there’s one thing you can count on.” He paused, waiting on her to look at him so she’d see his sincerity. “You can trust my partner.”
Chapter Three (#u3177eef3-570c-5a9a-a437-e5f7a829ba13)
Megan needed a minute of alone time and she was out of here. She could find a pair of jeans and keep them around her waist with a belt. She’d seen Jack’s keys in the end-table drawer with his ID and weapon. She would have to borrow his truck and hope it wasn’t a stick shift.
There was a second vehicle inside the garage, but it was marked with the city insignia. It would be just her luck if it had City of Liberty Hill emblazoned on the back window.
All she needed was a few minutes alone and she could be heading home. Shoot, she was already wanted for murder. What was a little grand theft auto?
“Shouldn’t you shower before you leave?” she asked, hoping that he’d disappear for a few minutes, then remembering he didn’t have one.
“I always soak before bed. But thanks for the personal-hygiene tip. Good thing it’s my day off and I don’t have to shave. Follow me.” They went into the bedroom, and he crossed to a stack of T-shirts on top of a dresser. “Here’s a medium. You’re going to need something to wear before we leave for the meeting.”
She caught the purple shirt that had a gold panther head on it. “Oh, no. I’m not heading to wherever you’re heading. Especially not dressed like a teenager.”
He’d slept in his jeans—obviously not his best, but it didn’t look like he was changing out of them. Just his white undershirt. She’d seen great ab muscles before, but it didn’t hurt to admire some again. Just as long as he didn’t see her admiring them.
“Will you feel better if I wear one, too?” he asked, pulling one off the stack and sticking his arms through.
“No, Jack. It doesn’t make me feel any better at all.” She swiped up the pajama bottoms he’d given her last night that she could pull up to her armpits. She’d chosen to sleep without them.
It wasn’t her first time to be half-dressed around a man. She’d been a cop. She knew the locker-room jokes and bro code. She also knew she’d have to get out of here the hard way. She waited until he began pulling his head through the T-shirt and tossed hers at him.
The man had excellent reflexes and caught it. When his hands were occupied, Megan could have sucker punched him. She probably should have sucker punched him. But she didn’t. She ran out of the room, intending to trip him or slam a door in his face.
He was faster than she’d thought. Faster getting untangled and faster out of the room. He lunged for her and pulled her to her knees before she could reach the front door. He covered her with his long body before she could get her arms out from under her when they’d broken her fall.
She shoved. He rolled to his back, keeping her on top of him.
Awkward. But she didn’t stop to dwell on it.
“Let me go or...”
“Settle down, Megan. I am not going to hit a girl.”
Famous last words as she pulled her elbow free and jammed it into his solar plexus. She rolled and sent her fist into the same soft spot. Now Jack couldn’t catch his breath.
“Good thing I don’t mind hitting boys.”
He coughed and she yanked the drawer open, grabbing his keys. She ran outside and jumped inside the unlocked vehicle. Great—the truck was stick.
It didn’t matter now. She’d chosen this path and would have to follow through. Car in Reverse. Jack running down the porch steps. Foot on gas pedal...
Foot stomping on brake when a car pulled into the driveway behind her. She barely avoided a collision but couldn’t avoid the half-dressed man aiming a Smith & Wesson directly at her.
“What in the world is going on here? Someone trying to steal your truck?”
“Get the hell out,” Jack ordered her.
She put the car in Park and killed the engine as the vehicle behind her did the same. Megan couldn’t catch a break, although she might not have gotten too far in a stolen truck of a Texas Ranger anyway. A young woman unfolded her tall frame from the bright red Miata now blocking Megan’s exit. Jack ignored the newcomer and came straight to her.
Reaching through the car’s window, he removed his keys before swinging open the door and tugging Megan from the driver’s seat. “I’d charge you with assaulting an officer of the law, but it pales in comparison to felony murder.”
He quickly ushered her inside the house and led her to the couch. Megan couldn’t decide if he was more upset that she’d taken him down or that she’d almost gotten away in his truck.
Footsteps on the front porch reminded her that someone else had witnessed her failed escape attempt. Was it another cop or a potential ally? Who was she fooling? If they knew Jack, they’d obviously be on his side.
The witness walked into the house without knocking. Probably not on Megan’s side.
“You didn’t mention why you wanted clothes, and now I’m not certain I want to know.” Her eyes shifted from him to Megan.
“Shut the door.” He waited until the woman complied, and then he swiftly snapped one handcuff against Megan’s wrist. She watched him scanning the room for something, probably some permanent fixture to affix the other bracelet to. He shook his head and snapped it to his wrist as the anger rolled off him in waves.
“Jack?” the woman said, asking a million questions with his name.
“Gillie, I need a babysitter for my...my guest.”
“No one has to watch me,” Megan interjected. “You could let me go. I can take care of myself.”
A horrified expression crossed Gillie’s face. “Are you serious? You’re holding a woman here against her will?”
“No, wait a second. I’m doing this for Wade.”
“Are you joking? Why would you kidnap a woman for your partner?”
Whoever Gillie was, he didn’t answer her. She approached the couch and dropped a plastic sack.
“My partner—” Jack emphasized the words “—got me out of a complicated situation. He saved lives. Including mine.”
“Maybe you should think long and hard about doing what Wade’s gut wants instead of him taking care of it.”
Megan wanted to interrupt and ask what was going on. They argued like two people who had known each other a long time. Then it dawned on her that Gillie was most likely Jack’s sister. The coloring and bone structure—along with her height—were all similar.
“Don’t be ridiculous. There are complications that I can’t go into.”
“Little Jack, I might just handcuff you to the pipes myself.”
Somehow the slender brunette standing at the end of the small room looked much more powerful than the Texas Ranger holding his sidearm.
Megan waved her hand, breaking the tension. “If you’re serious, I could help you.”
They both looked at her.
“Go get dressed, Little Jack. That is, if you have the key handy.” Gillie snickered.
Jack silently removed his hand from the cuff and snapped it onto the metal scroll design on the end table. Then he walked away without another word.
Gillie plopped down on the other end of the couch and turned sideways to face Megan. “Any chance there’s a short version of your story?”
Megan shrugged, halfway tempted to remain silent and let the woman continue to assume this was all Jack’s fault.
“Lucky for you, I’ve got nothing but time,” she continued.
Megan tugged against the handcuff, but the heavy wooden table didn’t budge an inch. “Any chance you could sweet-talk him into giving you the key?”
“Honey, if I had any influence over the MacKinnon men, I would have gone to work for anyone other than my father. Start talking.”
“So you are his sister. I thought for a second there you might be his girlfriend.”
“Oh, please. Jack and Gillie? That’s a joke. My real name is Gilleth Anne, after both of my grandmothers. My mom didn’t think that through all the way.” She laughed. Then giggled. “I’ll tell you my exciting tale later. Right now I want to know why you’re trying to escape in a bathrobe. One that I gave to Little Jack last Christmas and that he only wears to answer the door. Sometimes.”
If the circumstances had been different, Gillie would be a person Megan would want to know. Right now she’d explain that she needed to get home or even call Therese to find out why her friend was afraid of the Austin police.
Megan filled Gillie in on the events. There weren’t many, since she really didn’t know the details of why Therese had sent him to the airport. But during the retelling, it didn’t seem so unreasonable that she would have stayed the night with Jack.
By the time Jack returned, she was finished and finding her confidence again. He stopped at the edge of the hall and stuffed his hand into the pocket of a tight pair of jeans.
He was dressed in scuffed boots, a large belt buckle and a heavily starched yellow shirt with Liberty Hill Boosters embroidered on the pocket. All he needed was a Western hat to complete the perfect cowboy picture.
Gillie whistled through her teeth. “Whew. Aren’t you all prettied up, ready for the big homecoming meeting?”
“It was already laid out. I’m not going. Someone is certain to have seen—”
“Seen what?” Gillie asked.
“I thought you two would have a plan hatched for Megan’s escape already. Didn’t she tell you she’s wanted for murder?”
“I might have left a few details out for brevity’s sake.” She shrugged. Or it might have been an attempt to convince Gillie to become an ally.
“In the name of brevity.” Jack laughed.
“Then you, Little Jack, are a kidnapper. Maybe you should turn Megan over to the appropriate authorities? You don’t have any right to keep her here against her will.” Gillie pointed to the handcuffs.
“Someone tried to kill her.”
“That’s still no reason to use force, and you know it.”
Jack looked at Megan. Truly looked. As in a deep connection.
Megan hardly knew Jack had unlocked the handcuff until it dangled from the table.
“I can help you.” His declaration was uncomplicated by reasoning.
Her belief was unprecedented in her experience. “Where do we start?”
Chapter Four (#u3177eef3-570c-5a9a-a437-e5f7a829ba13)
Somehow he’d made a mistake. Someone had caught wind of his plans. The imbecile on loan to him hadn’t retrieved her at the airport gate, only her bag.
Megan Harper hadn’t picked up her car at the airport. It was still sitting there. He’d waited. Ready to act. Ready for the next phase of his revenge.
Now she was gone. Disappeared. No one could leave without a trace, though. There was a clue somewhere to her location. He just had to find it.
The hours of preparation wouldn’t be wasted. He’d bring her back into the open from wherever she was hiding. Then she’d face the consequences. His consequences.
The printer finished, and he cut the short article down to fit on the board. The authorities would find this and have no doubts about her link to his activities. One piece would remain missing to the ultimate takedown—Megan Harper’s obituary.
Miss Rising Star at the TDI would soon flame out at his feet.
* * *
SOME RANGER. IT HADN’T taken much for Gillie to convince him to take Megan to her house for her own clothes and personal items before heading on to Austin headquarters. Maybe because he’d already convinced himself when he pulled a gun on her.
Yeah, big mistake.
Guilt, responsibility and honor silently battled for a winner in his thoughts. Guilt had won and was still winning since he’d given in and they were on their way to Austin.
A low hum of road noise and notes from the local country station kept Megan’s silence from being deafening. They hadn’t spoken since leaving his house. Couldn’t she understand that she wasn’t a prisoner? She was just under his protection.
Big elephant-in-the-room question was, did she really need to fear the police? His partner said she did. Her friend said she did. The news reports proved that she was in trouble. She still wasn’t convinced.
But she was nervous. He observed it in her body language. Her thumbnail rose to the edge of her lips, but before it touched, she would bury it in her fist. Her heel would begin to tap. Stop. She’d put her hands on her knees to keep her legs still.
Yeah, he was a Texas Ranger. He couldn’t hold her against her will. Not unless he was ordered to by those getting paid a lot more than him. He had no choice but to hand her over, no matter what Wade’s instincts said.
And yet his gut shouted at him that leaving her on her own was the wrong thing to do. Maybe part of Wade was rubbing off on him. It felt like abandonment, and he hadn’t done anything except start driving.
He kept his head forward but continued watching Megan in the passenger seat. Besides looking a little tired and pulling at the tight T-shirt he’d given her, she didn’t look nervous.
“You’re doing the right thing.” Her hand started toward his shoulder, but she pulled it back and tapped on the console separating them.
“That remains to be seen.” His bad feeling persisted.
“What has you so worried? I told you I won’t press charges.” Her graceful hand—which had yanked his shirt over her head—made its way back to her wrist and rubbed it for emphasis.
“Honestly, that choice hadn’t occurred to me.”
Nope, he was more concerned about the promise to his partner. He’d never failed to keep his word to Wade and didn’t want to start now. He’d tried calling his partner. First thing back in the truck, Megan began calling Therese. She’d heeded his caution about contacting anyone else.
Neither person answered. They could only leave messages.
The noonday sun bounced off the blacktop road. They were nearly to Austin. He’d have a headache from gritting his teeth if he didn’t stop thinking about what he’d tell Wade. Hell, he’d have a headache from worrying what Mrs. Dennis was saying to his dad since Gillie was at the homecoming meeting instead of him.
Damn. More guilt from not filling in as mayor for the week. His sister should be the child groomed to take their father’s place. But that was in the future. Now he should focus on the problem in the passenger seat.
“You sure this is the best thing for you? We don’t know the time of death for the man you’re accused of killing. I might not be an alibi as much as assuring those involved what time you arrived in Austin.”
“I’m innocent.”
“I never thought otherwise.”
“Why is that, Jack? You don’t know me. You have every reason to turn me in to the police and let me sort this mess out on my own.” She shook her head, and her hair fell forward, blocking his glimpses of her face. “It has to be something more than just a promise. Keeping me in your home could ruin your career. I can’t let that happen.”
He had to think about that and took an opportunity to pass a horse trailer. Was helping her more than a promise? He’d never worked totally on instinct before. Although his gut reactions had paid off once or twice while he was on border patrol.
It sounded corny, but he didn’t want to drop Megan off and step away from the trouble. This excitement reminded him of the undercover work he’d been doing for the past couple of years.
“Liberty Hill only has about sixteen hundred citizens.” He tapped the steering wheel with his thumb, attempting to sound casual. “Most kids graduate and only come back for stuff like homecoming and holidays.”
She sighed and pushed her hair behind her ears. “I suppose that’s true everywhere nowadays.”
“Probably. My life adventure was the college my dad paid for, then accepting a position with the Texas Department of Public Safety. I didn’t come back home like my dad thought. No one imagined I would stay with DPS and not live in Liberty Hill.”
“No one except you? But you seem to have a house there.”
“Investment that keeps me from sleeping in a bed too short for these big feet.”
She flipped her hair behind her shoulder as she looked at the window. “You are definitely long-winded for a guy. What does your story have to do with now?”
For all the calm she’d shown in his living room, she was tapping her foot, raking her fingers through her long hair and settling it again around one shoulder. Then she drew a deep breath and started it all again.
“Where are you from, Megan?”
“What?” She turned to him, her nose crinkled all cute-like.
“Where are you from? Simple question.”
“I’ve lived all over the world. My dad was career Air Force. He and my mom retired in the UK.”
“That explains a little.” He used a red light to check the directions to her home. They were getting close.
“I’m a little confused. What does living on one military base after another have to do with anything? I asked why you were helping me.” She repeated all the signs that she was frustrated, then ended with her elbow propped against the window.
Somehow he was no longer confused or frustrated with making a decision. Trying to explain it made him realize he wasn’t leaving her alone. She wouldn’t be the reason he broke his word.
“I guess things are different in a small town. A man’s only as good as his name, and that’s only good if he keeps his word. So that promise you’re dismissing is the only reason I need.”
“I see. So you aren’t taking me to my office and/or to turn myself in?”
“I’ll do whatever you need. But until I hear from my partner, I’m sticking close. No reason I can’t park my butt in a chair outside whatever cell they put you in.”
“You really think they’ll—Of course they will. It’s a good thing we’re stopping by the house. I have a backup drive in my safe.”
“Wait. What backup drive?” He switched on his blinker and caught a flashing light in his rearview mirror. “Somebody’s in a hurry.”
He slowed at the side of the road, letting two emergency vehicles pass. Then turned up the chatter on his radio.
“Did they say Whitebrush Loop?”
It was her street. He had a bad feeling about what they’d find when they tried to turn the last corner. A barricade stopped them two blocks away.
“Jack.” She grabbed his arm with that hand he’d been admiring. “They’re in front of my house. How can we find out what’s going on?”
He unsnapped his seat belt and faced her. “You have to trust me and stay here. Doors locked. If anyone looks cross-eyed at you, start honking. Got it?”
She shook her head. “All these cops to bring me in? It doesn’t make sense.”
He stepped from the truck and pulled his credentials, displaying them on his belt. Then he remembered the keys and locked the doors. It wouldn’t keep her inside, but it would keep a threat out.
The first Austin police officer let him through without any questions. The ones who were a little closer started to speak, but he cut them off. “Who’s in charge?” Two pointed him in the right direction.
A man in a suit was talking to someone gearing up with bomb gear. Jack hung back, trying to eavesdrop without looking like he was eavesdropping.
“You think it’s a legitimate call,” said the officer in charge.
“You’ve evacuated the homes. Now you need to get the rest of these people farther back.” The bomb-squad guy fastened another piece of gear in place.
“We’re working on it. I just wish we could confirm she’s inside like the threat says.” Suit turned to the house.
Jack followed in the same direction. His view was blocked until he took a couple of steps to the right and saw the barricades around the address Megan had given him. That bad feeling shouted at him to get the hell off the street. He casually took a couple of steps backward, then flipped around, hurriedly retracing his steps.
“Get these people back,” he ordered.
Megan had said she worked in the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Bombs equaled fires in his book. Whoever was setting her up was going to follow through on his threat.
“Why are they evacuating the block?” Megan asked.
She was leaning on the last barricade. Any person with a cell out recording this event—and there were several—could recognize her and wave at the cop five feet away.
Wait. Proof. They needed proof she wasn’t in the house and hadn’t left his side.
Jack looked like a gawker as he pressed Record and pointed his cell at the entire scene, ending on Megan’s face. She didn’t question him. Maybe she put the reason together, because she struck a pose pointing to the time on her watch.
“Whatever’s going on down there, I had nothing to do with it.”
Finished, he laced his fingers with hers and got them back in the truck, pushing her through the driver’s-side door. They were half a block away when the explosion shook the ground.
“Oh, dear Lord,” she whispered, covering her face with her hands.
Jack had time to look over his shoulder as he paused for the onlookers to run through the street. They inched their way forward while more emergency vehicles responded. He could see the smoke billowing behind them, hear the chaos on the radio—which he turned off.
“Why?”
“The police think you were inside. It’s probably the woman—”
“My look-alike they used at the county clerk’s murder scene,” she finished.
“That’s my guess.”
“I hope no one was hurt or loses their homes because of me.” She used the edge of her T-shirt to dry the corners of her eyes. “None of this makes sense.”
“We’re almost out of here. Just a sec.” Safely on the opposite side of Farm Road 620, he pulled into a subdivision and parked on an unfinished road. “You should probably tell me what’s going on now.”
“But I swear I don’t know.” She got out of the truck. She wasn’t likely to run away again, but he shut the engine off and followed her.
He dropped the tailgate and offered to help her up. She popped her slim, tall frame onto the gate without any assistance. “When we first arrived you mentioned a backup drive in your safe. Why was it important enough that someone wanted to blow it up?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t know the man killed in Dallas and don’t know why someone’s doing this. My trip was practically uneventful. I haven’t connected any dots. There’s nothing to back me up. Especially now that my house is gone.”
“What’s your theory? You have a better reason they blew up your house?”
“I don’t have one.”
Oh, yeah, she did. Should he tell her that her voice got softer when she stretched the truth? He’d keep the information to himself for the time being. “That’s everything I own, you know. My first home where I could choose the colors and plants and even the refrigerator.” She repositioned her long hair and shivered. “I’m still paying on the refrigerator.”
The sun was warm, but the breeze made it cool enough for a jacket. He took her hand and pulled her a little closer until he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. She could possibly be in shock or still suffering from the drugs at the airport.
He didn’t think too hard on whether it was appropriate or not. Especially when she leaned her face into the crook of his arm, not really crying, but her entire body jerked with a couple of sniffs.
Definitely safer inside the truck, but he guessed she needed to be where she was. She took the comfort he offered. He kept silent, waiting for the rest of the story. Hiding as much of her as he could from the road that was getting busier with onlookers.
“I told you the truth.” She sniffed. “Most of my work is inside a cubicle. But occasionally I take investigative trips.”
“So you found something and took one to Dallas. Why?”
“Actually, I was ordered to go. Which in itself is strange. They informed me after they’d already booked my ticket. I needed to meet with an insurance-company representative who had questions about several properties.”
“An owner was getting too greedy?”
Megan sat up straight, turning slightly so she could face him, brushing the makings of a tear away from the corner of her eye. “No, but they all have the same seller. All sold in the past seven months to different buyers. Approximately six weeks later, there was a fire ruled to be an accident. The buyers lost everything.”
“That sounds sort of suspicious.” He kept an eye open for cars headed their direction, but most were moving away from the streets close to Megan’s home. Two additional fire trucks joined the other first responders. “What did you find?”
“Well, that’s just it. The sales are legitimate. The fires were ruled accidental. Other than Harry Knight, the Dallas County Clerk, actually having signed as the notary, they didn’t have anything else in common.” A strand of hair blew across her lips, and she wrapped it around her ear.
“That’s the man who was murdered? Is it strange for a county clerk to be a notary?”
“He might be, sure. But that meant he was present at all the sales. That’s the strange part. Why would he be?”
“Did you mention that to anyone else?”
She shook her head, long curls hiding her face as she looked at her feet. “Just him. I asked if he thought there was anything strange about the transactions.”
“You ask and he ends up dead. That’s where we start, with that connection.”
“Come on. He wouldn’t kill himself and frame me for the murder. This situation has to be connected to a different case. I mean, they had someone who looked like me. Wouldn’t that take time, preparation?”
“Just a tall, fairly good-looking woman and a wig.”
“You think it’s that easy to imitate me?” She gave herself the once-over, sort of waiting for him to do the same.
He accommodated her, appreciating every molecule. But in the end, he knew he was right. “They don’t need anything elaborate. If there’s one thing I know, eyewitness accounts are never completely accurate. All these guys had to do was get a woman who looked similar.”
“And they’ve already gotten rid of her...along with my house.” She covered her face. “That’s awful. I’m thinking about my house, and two people are dead. That poor woman. And whatever Harry Knight was involved with...he didn’t deserve to die.”
“It’s okay to be human, Megan, and think about yourself in all this mess. If you don’t, we won’t determine how to get you out of it.”
She scooted off the tailgate and rubbed her arms. There was an easier way to get her warm. He’d never been one of those guys who thought about sex every six minutes.
With Megan...he might slide into the norm.
“Looks like this is what I’ll be wearing in lockup.” She slid the backs of her fingers down her sides. “We should probably get going.”
Jack slammed the tailgate, then checked his watch. He’d only lasted three.
Chapter Five (#u3177eef3-570c-5a9a-a437-e5f7a829ba13)
“That’s the sixth time you’ve called your partner. Is he always this elusive?” Megan didn’t think her voice was shaking, but the nervous flutter in her throat verified how uncertain she was about what to do. She had to move forward. Waiting did no one any good.
The possibilities in her mind wouldn’t stop whirring around like unpredictable fire. One thought led to another, then another. But sooner than later she landed on the poor, poor, pitiful me side of things and had to shake the thoughts away.
“He’s probably busy.”
“What?”
Jack set his cell on the dash. “You asked about my partner.”
“Oh, right.” Concentrate on something else. “Your sister doesn’t seem to like him much.”
“She thinks he persuaded me to leave Liberty Hill. And she’s stuck working for my dad instead of me.”
“Then why not blame you? Seems like there’s more to that story.”
“Nope. That’s about all there is.” Jack dipped his chin, cleared his throat nervously and pressed his lips together.
His phone rang and he answered using the hands-free device. “Sorry I didn’t call sooner, Mrs. D. But I’ve had something come up and can’t make any of the homecoming meeting.”
“Little Jack, there is no excuse for this. Your father assured me that you’d handle the parade next Saturday. It’s huge this year, with over twenty floats. You need to be here instead of sending your sister as a surrogate.”
“She’s perfectly capable. The parade isn’t that—”
“If I remember correctly, young man, you were taught not to interrupt. So let me finish.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jack tapped the steering wheel with his thumbs.
Megan covered her mouth to hide her chuckle. The older woman had just chastised Jack when she was the one interrupting. He raised his eyebrows and sighed. The man does have restraint.
“How long will it take for you to get back? It will throw off my agenda, but we could move the parade to the end of the meeting.”
“I really do apologize, but I’ve been called out of town. Gillie will be there. She’ll pass along anything that I need to do. I should be back in a couple of days.”
“Jack MacKinnon Jr., I can’t believe you’re shirking your volunteer responsibilities.” His next-door neighbor kept talking.
Or preaching. Megan tried not to laugh. She pressed her fingers into her lips, practically holding the giggles inside. Surprised that one phone call could clear her mind of the multiple “why me” traps.
“I really am sorry, Mrs. D. I’d be there if my job hadn’t needed me. Gotta go.” He clicked the cell off. “Small town. You can laugh now.”
“Sorry. It’s obviously important to her.”
“Homecoming in Texas. Damn straight. Former state champs. This year’s team heads to playoffs if they win this week. Yeah, it’s important to a lot of people. But not as important as keeping you safe.”
If she remembered correctly, they weren’t too far from the Rangers’ headquarters. All he had to do was dump her there and she’d be someone else’s problem. But he insisted on staying with her. She should thank Jack for his help and get her mind ready for an interrogation.
But what about? Did she need to find a lawyer before they went inside? Would she be able to sort through this mistake—because it was definitely a mistake—with the Rangers?
“Do you have other cases that might relate to the unusual fires or have someone with a grudge?”
The levity was gone. Serious Texas Ranger was back behind the wheel.
“I have twenty-seven open cases on my desk. Hundreds more that I’ve filed away. How am I supposed to determine which one is involved with a murder I didn’t commit? Especially without access to my files.”
He slowed the truck, dropping his arm across the back of the seat and letting his fingers touch her shoulder.
“Megan—”
“Please don’t tell me that everything will work out.”
“We’re being followed.”
“What?” She jerked her head around to look out the back window. His fingers blocked her movement, keeping her facing him. “You’ve got to be kidding. How would they know where we are?”
“No, no, just look at me. It’s a black SUV, dark windows. There’s an identical one three cars ahead.”
“No chance they’re law enforcement?” She identified both of the vehicles and decided the answer was a big fat no. “Call it in. You can do that, right?”
Jack’s free hand was already headed to his phone. She kept alternating her peripheral vision from the SUV she could see in the side mirror to the one slowing down in front. Slowing down with just one car between them.
“...that’s right. I’m bringing in Megan Harper, who voluntarily surrendered. We’re being followed, maybe ambushed. Sure, I’ll stay on the line.”
“The one in front has cracked its windows. Is that bad? Are they trying to shoot us?”
“Hang on.”
Jack slowed down for a red light, forcing the SUV in front to go through it. He pulled into the intersection and did a U-turn in front of approaching traffic. Cars slammed on their brakes, tires squealed to a halt, but there were no crashes that Megan could see or hear.
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