Lone Star Secrets

“What are you doing here?” Despite her bone-chilling fear, she was proud of her strong tone. “What do you want?”

“I want you. The only reason I came back is to convince you to come away with me.”

His words sent a spasm of revulsion through her. She rocked back, knowing there was nowhere to run. In her five-inch heels she’d never make it back to the building before he overtook her.

She stood her ground and made sure he couldn’t see her fear. “What do you mean?”

“You’re my wife. We belong together.”

The deepening twilight made his expression hard to read, so Megan wasn’t sure if he actually believed this or if he was enacting some twisted game to terrorize her.

“I’m not your wife.”

Yet as bravely as she declared the words, she wasn’t sure that was true. She’d married him. Richard Lowell. She might have sworn to love, honor and cherish Will Sanders, but she’d stood before this man, looked him in the eye and pledged to be with him forever. The reality had crippled Megan’s confidence these last few months.

“You are,” Rich countered, his tone harsh. “You love me.”

“I fell in love with Will Sanders.”

Was she imagining the rage transforming Rich or had she picked up on subtle body language, clues that made her brace for an act of violence. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d put his hands on her.

Looking back over their time together, Megan wondered how she’d ever believed he could be Will. The two men were nothing alike. Yet she’d made one excuse for another for his mood swings and quick temper. She’d been a fool to avoid looking past the surface resemblance and not recognizing that this man’s soul was tainted with poison.

“You fell in love with me. I was the man in your bed. The one you couldn’t get enough of.” He took several menacing steps in her direction. “Do you remember how you gasped my name as you came?”

Summoning her waning bravado, Megan declared, “I called Will’s name. Not yours.”

“I was Will. Your Will.” His right hand balled into a fist but his arm remained rigid at his side. “The only Will Sanders who would have you.”

Even as she absorbed Rich’s verbal blow, Megan’s instincts warned her to keep her attention on Rich’s hands in case he made any sudden moves in her direction. She carefully shifted her stance and put her feet shoulder width apart for better balance. If he tried to grab her, she wanted to make sure she was ready to dodge.

“But you aren’t Will Sanders,” she declared, standing her ground. “And you’re nothing like him.”

Her instincts screamed at her to shut up. He was a murderer and she was alone in a dark parking lot with no one to come to her rescue.

“No. I’m better.” Bragging about his superiority caused the tension to ease from Rich’s posture but his tone remained razor-sharp. “I was always smarter than him. The difference between us was that I didn’t get a fortune handed to me on a silver platter. I had to work for everything I got.”

And Megan suspected that was where Rich’s obsession began. Maybe this was something they had in common. She had endured her own bout of fascination with Will during high school. Only, in Rich’s case, admiration had twisted into the darkest sort of jealousy.

“Why did you kill my brother?” While bringing up his crime was the height of foolishness, Megan needed answers.

“Jason asked too many questions and discovered too much.”

“So you killed him.” The declaration rasped from her raw throat as grief nearly overwhelmed her. “Are you planning on killing me, too?”

“I could never harm you. You belong to me.”

“I don’t belong to you,” she shot back, the very idea filling her with dread. But then curiosity got the better of her once more. For months she’d brooded over why he’d picked her. Had he glimpsed some weakness and exploited it? “Was it all just a big game for you?”

He didn’t answer but she sensed she’d surprised him. Whether by her question or the bitterness with which she’d delivered it, Megan didn’t know.

“Come with me and I’ll show you how important you are to me.”

His cajoling tone transported her to those first days of their courtship when he’d swept aside her reservations with a barrage of romantic words and sweet gestures. Her treacherous heart began to pound. She knew her feelings for Rich were based on a farce, but opening herself to love had transformed her.

Where once she’d avoided romance and sentimentality, falling for “Will Sanders” had been magical and had filled her with wonder. To have it all eventually turn to dust had returned her heart to a Popsicle.

Megan shook her head. “You’ve lost your mind if you think I’d leave town with you.”

Little by little during their exchange, Megan’s right hand had been making slow progress toward the side pocket in her purse where she kept the pistol she’d bought in case of an encounter just like this one. Neither its compact size nor its pink-pearl grip detracted from the gun’s reliability and stopping power. She’d bought the pistol in the days following Will’s reappearance in Royal. Living alone and working late, she’d imagined this scenario hundreds of times, but now that she was here, Megan wondered if she was equipped to shoot Rich in cold blood.

“My life is here,” she continued, thumbing off the safety and curving her fingers around the grip as Rich took a step in her direction.

“Your life is here...or is it all about Will?” Rich sneered. “You’re a fool if you think he could ever love you. I’ve seen you with him and know why you haven’t filed for divorce. You’re hoping he’ll eventually come to love you. But that won’t happen.”

“You don’t know anything.” Driven by emotions she couldn’t define, Megan pulled out the gun and pointed at him. “Don’t come any closer.”

Rich’s eyes widened satisfactorily before he began to laugh. “You’re not seriously going to shoot me with that tiny thing?”

“I won’t if you back off and let me go.” She tried to ignore how badly her hands were shaking and hoped Rich wouldn’t notice. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“We’ll see about that.”

He took another step forward and, without thinking, she pulled the trigger. The explosion shattered the quiet night and shocked Megan. There was only ten feet between her and Rich—she’d consistently hit the target at the range from twice that distance—but she hadn’t been aiming for the center of his body. When he spun to the left and before she could wonder if she’d struck him, Megan bolted for her car.

She didn’t look back as she slid behind the wheel and fired up the engine, but as she put the car into gear, her door jerked open. Rich’s wild eyes blazed down at her. Megan’s heart hammered in her throat, blocking a cry. Instead of pulling the door closed, she shoved it away, banging it into Rich’s lower half as she gunned the car. The scream of tires on pavement drowned out her panicked keening.

For a heartbeat Rich held on to the door as Megan pushed down on the accelerator and then he was gone. Panting from fright and exertion, she made a right-hand turn out of the parking lot, the momentum causing her door to slam shut.

Fortunately there was no traffic on the side road that led to Royals Shoes because Megan’s only concern was to put as much distance between her and Rich as possible. She glanced at the pistol resting on the passenger seat. Thank goodness she’d bought the gun and practiced shooting it. Still, she couldn’t believe she’d actually used it against Rich. And she’d hit him. Not badly, since he’d been able to chase her down and try to pull her out of her car. But she’d demonstrated her ability to take care of herself.

Megan couldn’t settle on an emotion. Part of her rejoiced that she’d gotten away from a madman unscathed. Yet another was shocked at her lack of remorse for having fired a gun at another human being. And deep down inside was the fear over what sort of monster Rich had turned her into.

As if on autopilot, her car negotiated the roads that led to the sheriff’s office. She’d spent far too much time around police lately, but couldn’t imagine heading home where she ran the risk of encountering Rich again before reporting that he’d tried to accost her.

“Call Will,” she commanded to her car. As ringing poured through the expensive speakers, she fought to swallow the lump in her throat.

“Hey, Megan, I was just thinking about you.” His deep voice penetrated the final thread holding her emotions under control and she started to shake.

“R-Rich...”

“Are you okay?” His concern came through loud and clear.

“He came after me.”

A sharp curse and then, “Are you hurt?”

“No.” She dragged in a ragged breath and shook her head. “I think I shot him.”

Silence followed her declaration before Will spoke again. “Where are you?” The question came briskly, filled with impatience.

Ahead of her were the familiar downtown stores and the Royal Diner. Except for the diner, the buildings were dark, enhancing Megan’s isolation.

“In my car.” Her jaw was so stiff she was having trouble speaking. “Heading to the police station.”

“I’ll meet you there.” A pause. When he next spoke, his tone was soft and heavy with worry. “You’re sure he didn’t hurt you?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Okay.” Megan disconnected the call, shocked by how much better she felt. Will’s support during this difficult time had never wavered. He was the rock she clung to in the whitewater that had become her life and she found herself relying on him more and more.

To her relief, a visitor spot was available right in front of the door leading into the sheriff’s office. Megan came to an abrupt stop, the Porsche’s front tires bumping against the curb. For a second she stayed where she was, car running while she scanned the sidewalk to make sure Rich wasn’t moving to intercept her. Deciding he’d be a fool to track her to the station, Megan exited the car and hurried toward the building.

When she burst through the front door, tears burned her eyes. Damn. She hated giving in to the weakness. Her emotions were running away with her again and she must have looked a sight as she set her hands on the reception desk.

“Is Sheriff Battle here?” she asked the woman manning the front desk. “Richard Lowell just attacked me outside my office.”

The woman’s eyes widened but her voice remained calm and professional. “He’s not, but Special Agent Bird is in the conference room. I’ll get him for you.”

Megan took a seat on one of the cold, plastic chairs in the reception area and clasped her purse on her lap to keep her hands from shaking. At this hour the sheriff’s office was nearly deserted and a dull despair swept over her as adrenaline ebbed from her system. Chills racked her body. With each minute that ticked by, her muscles grew stiff until she doubted she could stand without falling over.

What was taking the FBI guy so long?

The front door opened and Will stepped into view. A strikingly handsome man whose height and powerful physique commanded attention, his features were set in granite as his vivid green eyes scanned the immediate vicinity with feverish intent. A small, incoherent noise vibrated in her throat an instant before his gaze swung in her direction.

“Megan.”

A single word. Just her name. But relief erupted like a fireworks display and suddenly everything was all right now that he was here with her.

Two

Will’s entire world had narrowed to razor-sharp focus the instant he’d heard Megan’s shaky voice on the phone. When she’d called, he’d been working in his office at Spark Energy Solutions, combing through the financials for more missing money.

Now, as he stormed through the door of the police station and spied Megan sitting whole and unharmed in the reception area, the knot in his gut slowly began to unravel. But when she glanced his way and her expression shifted into delight, it was as if a series of explosions began in his chest.

“Are you really okay?” he demanded, moving to kneel before her. He reached out and trailed his fingers gently over her pale cheek.

She caught his hand and drew it away from her face. “I’m fine.” Her steady tone warned him not to coddle her. “Really. He never touched me.” A smile ghosted her lips. “If anyone was damaged, it was him.”

“Did you really shoot him?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t realize you owned a gun.”

As Will shifted onto the seat beside her, Megan opened her purse and gave him a peek at the contents. Sure enough, resting between her wallet and a polka-dot makeup pouch was a small pistol with a pink-pearl grip. He couldn’t help himself. Will grinned.

“It’s a 38-caliber Sig Sauer P238.” Seeing his amusement, her eyes glinted combatively. “Wayne at the gun range describes it as a ballistic bauble.”

It was hard to take the deadly weapon seriously when it was tricked out in such a way. No doubt Rich had underestimated the gun—and the woman who’d wielded it—and that had cost him.

“How does it handle?”

“Nice. There’s not much recoil and the pull is about five pounds. I’ve gotten to where I can put nine bullets in a three-inch target at twenty feet.”

“Impressive.”

“Mrs. Sanders,” Special Agent Bird said, coming toward them, his hand extended.

“Special Agent Bird,” Megan murmured, getting to her feet and taking his hand.

The FBI agent was a thin man with a thick mustache who looked more suited to pursuing cases involving money laundering and cyber crime than getting his hands dirty with terrorism or murder. After spending long hours with the agent in connection with the funds stolen from SES and the Texas Cattleman’s Club treasury, Will knew the man was well versed in the intricacies of Rich’s money trail.

“I hear you had an encounter with Richard Lowell tonight.”

“In the parking lot outside my building.”

Will had risen at the same time and stood at Megan’s back, scowling at the special agent. Despite his ever-increasing irritation, Will stayed silent. He’d already spoken his piece earlier in the day and venting wouldn’t help anyone at this point.

“Why don’t you come to the conference room and tell me what happened,” Agent Bird said, gesturing toward the hallway that led deeper into the building.

Megan nodded and began to move in his wake. She hadn’t done more than shift her weight forward, however, before reaching back for Will’s hand.

“Will you come along?” she asked, biting her lip in an uncharacteristic display of uncertainty. “I can’t do this without you.”

Mascara smudges and rubbed-off lipstick were testament to Megan’s upset. Only one other time had Will seen her so out of sorts. Jason’s memorial service. The night they’d made love. Then, like now, glimpsing her vulnerability made him long to pull her into his arms and kiss her worries away, but this was neither the time nor the place for a display of affection.

Too much remained unspoken between them since that fateful night. Will had to be satisfied with the fact that she’d called him, chose him to be with her tonight.

“I’m not going to leave your side.”

With a satisfied nod, she squeezed his fingers and together they made their way toward the conference room Sheriff Battle had set aside as a command post for tracking down Lowell. As they entered the room, Megan glanced around at the whiteboards, taking everything in.

Will, who had been in this room several times in the months since he’d returned home, was frustrated by the lack of progress.

Bird gestured toward a chair as he said, “Mrs. Sanders, you told the receptionist that you shot Richard Lowell?”

“Yes. With this.”

Before she sat, Megan withdrew the small pistol from her purse. Beneath the fluorescent lighting, the gun’s small size and fanciful handle made it look like a toy and Will glanced at the FBI agent to gauge his reaction.

“You’re sure you hit him?”

“I think so. He spun to his left, but I may have only grazed him because he chased me to my car and tried to stop me from driving away.”

From his seat beside her, Will regarded Megan, stunned by her bravery.

The FBI agent nodded, his expression impassive. “How long have you had the gun, Mrs. Sanders?”

“A month, but I only started carrying it recently after I received my conceal and carry permit.”

“Did you mention to anyone that you’d bought the weapon?”

Her lashes fell before she answered. “Dani Moore came with me to the firing range. I didn’t go public about the gun. When no one is supposed to know what’s going on, how could I explain my sudden need for protection?”

Special Agent Bird nodded. “That probably explains why Lowell approached you.”

“Why can’t you figure out where he’s staying?” Will demanded.

The agent’s gaze flicked in Will’s direction before he said to Megan, “Perhaps you could walk me through tonight’s events.”

“I was working late and everyone had left by the time I headed out to the parking lot.”

As Megan spun her story, Will clenched his hands into fists and held them on his knees out of sight. Tonight’s incident had been stressful enough and she didn’t need his anger mucking up the interview.

Still, it was a struggle to keep his frustration in check. Especially as she explained how Lowell had grabbed at her car door as she’d tried to make her escape. He didn’t like what he was hearing. Lowell stalking Megan, watching her, waiting to make his move.

At the same time, Will was astonished by her quick, clear thinking in pulling out her gun and shooting him. He doubted anyone could’ve done better.

“He acted like he expected me to go away with him,” Megan concluded, her energy trailing off as her story wound down.

“Did he say where he was headed?”

“No.” Her eyes went wide and her voice vibrated with dismay. “I should have asked him that. I’m sorry I didn’t. I was just so shocked that he showed up.” She stared at the gun sitting on the polished dark wood of the conference table. “All I could think of was getting away from him.”

“You did the right thing,” Special Agent Bird said, sounding kinder for a second.

Megan visibly relaxed. Had she been worried at the agent’s reaction to her actions that night? Could she have thought for a moment that she’d done something wrong? Will covered her hand with his and gave a light squeeze in support. The grateful smile she shot his way struck his nerves like a gong and reverberated through him long after she grew serious again. More than anything he wanted Megan to be happy.

“Is there anything else that he said that might help us find him?” Bird asked.

A crease formed between Megan’s brows as she considered the question. At last she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t think of anything more. It all happened so fast.”

A knock sounded on the conference room door. A moment later Deputy Jeff Baker poked his head inside and swept the room with troubled eyes.

“Any luck?” Agent Bird asked.

“Lowell was long gone by the time we reached the parking lot.”

“Any sign of blood?”

Baker shook his head. “If Mrs. Sanders shot him, it must’ve been only a graze.”

“I see,” Bird said. “Were you able to get ahold of Sheriff Battle?”

“He’s on his way in.”

When the FBI agent nodded, Deputy Baker withdrew. Bird returned his attention to Megan. “Do you have somewhere safe you can stay tonight? I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go home.”

“Do you really think he’ll try again tonight?” Will thought Megan had given Lowell something to think about. She wasn’t going to go without a fight.

“I doubt it, but the guy has a tendency to act impulsively. I don’t want to take a chance of losing him again if he does.”

He could see it in the agent’s eyes. They wanted Lowell to try again. Now that he’d demonstrated he wasn’t going to leave town without Megan, she became their best hope for catching him.

Bait.

Will ground his teeth together in irritation. Part of him understood the agent’s perspective, but the thought that Megan was in danger triggered a powerful need to protect her at all costs.

Setting his hand on Megan’s upper arm and feeling the tremors vibrating through her, he said, “I’d like to take Megan back to the Ace in the Hole tonight.”

“I’m not sure—” Megan began, only to be interrupted by the FBI agent.

“I think it’s a good idea. We can send someone to watch her house in case he tries to contact her again. And we’ll park a squad car near the entrance to your ranch.”

“I could call Aaron,” Megan offered without much conviction.

“I’m your husband,” Will reminded her, overriding the beginnings of another protest. “I should be the one taking care of you.”

Megan opened her mouth, glanced toward the FBI agent, and made her next protest in a low growl. “I don’t need to be taken care of.”

Both Will and Bird ignored her claim.

“We’ll want to keep the gun for a few days,” Agent Bird said. “As soon as we get a look at the parking lot and run some tests, we’ll get back to you.”

Megan nodded and got to her feet. “I hope you can find him. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.”

“I know this is a difficult time for you. If there’s anything you need or if Lowell contacts you again, please let us know.”

“Thank you.” Megan’s gaze flicked to Will as she headed toward the door.

“Do you want to run by your house and pick some things up?” he asked her.

She shook her head. “I know he’s probably long gone, but I don’t feel safe going there tonight. I don’t suppose there would be a pair of pajamas I could borrow?”

Her half smile zinged through him like a lightning bolt. The thought of her spending the night in his house tempted Will. A little too much.

“I think I can find something for you to sleep in,” he said, surprised by the effort it took to keep his tone casual. The memory of her wearing nothing at all flashed through his thoughts. He nearly winced as his body stirred. Sharing the ranch house with her was going to be challenging.

“I really appreciate what you’re doing for me.”

“Do not thank me. What you’re going through is my fault.”

She stopped in the doorway and turned to face him. “How do you figure that?”

Will slipped his fingers around her arm and guided her to the front door. “Look, it was my life Rich wanted. If I’d paid attention to the signs, maybe he wouldn’t have gotten the jump on me in Mexico.”

“You can’t take responsibility for his actions. No one saw him coming and you aren’t the only one whose life he messed up.”

Will nodded, thinking of all the women Rich had lied to and manipulated. The lives he’d damaged. And the one he’d ended.

Megan’s brother, Jason, who’d investigated the discrepancies surrounding imposter Will and had lost his life because of it. No one blamed Will for what had happened to his good friend because no one knew that Will had called Jason from Mexico and possibly set him on the path to his death.

“But you have to admit that I was his obsession,” Will said. “He wanted my life and he got it.” Silence fell between them as they left the sheriff’s office. As they reached the sidewalk, Will paused in front of Megan’s Porsche. “Do you want to come with me? I can send a couple of the boys back for your car.” He let his gaze drift over the sporty vehicle. “They’ll probably fight over who gets to drive it to the ranch.”

Megan wrapped her arms around herself and regarded the car. “I’m okay.”

“You’ve had a major shock tonight. I’d be surprised if you weren’t rattled.”

“Really, I’m fine.” Megan scowled at Will, but he wasn’t fooled.

“You’ve been through a lot.” He followed her to her car.

Her shoulders drooped. “I’m not the only one.”

“That doesn’t diminish your experience tonight.” Once again he had to bite back myriad questions dancing in the back of his mind. Ever since coming home and finding out she’d married “Will,” he’d struggled to contain his tumultuous feelings for her.