The Rancher's Return

Finally, she found her voice. “No. I did not.”

“Excuse me if I don’t take your word for it.”

Finally defeated, she straightened her spine and nodded. “I understand. Believe me. I’ll leave and let you go back to your life.”

“Wait.” This time, he stopped her before she turned. “Give me something to help me believe, to make me understand. You’ve come here with this story, which you have to admit is way out there. You claim you not only witnessed my brother’s murder, but you’ve been kept a prisoner by the killer, who just happens to be the lieutenant governor of Texas, a guy who’s considered a front-runner for governor next election. Does that about cover it?”

“Yes.”

“Kaitlyn, I want to believe you....”

“But you just can’t. I understand.”

“Then give me something.” The fierceness in his voice made her blink. “You’ve got to have something, some sort of proof, no matter how small, that would help me accept what you say as truth.”

Swallowing, she realized she did. Turning slowly, she lifted her shirt and showed him her back, with its jagged and horrible crisscross web of scars.

Chapter 2

Stunned, Reed couldn’t speak. He could only stare. Once upon a time, he’d explored every inch of Kaitlyn’s perfect body. He moved forward, reaching out his hand, withdrawing it at the last moment. Some of the red, raised welts were recent, while others bore the whitish appearance of old scars.

“He did this?” he asked, his voice sounding as if he’d swallowed gravel.

“Yes.” Dropping her shirt, she turned. Her perfect face appeared expressionless. Except for her eyes. The shadows in them reminded him of prison. “He likes whips. And chains. And other instruments of torture.” She shuddered. “And I was his own personal plaything. That’s all the proof I have.”

“It’s enough.” Stomach twisting, he tried to find the right words, finally settling on two. “I’m sorry.”

“So am I.” She dipped her chin, acknowledging the sentiment, though he knew—like her apology—it had come too late. She turned, giving him one last lingering glance. Not imploring. More like resolute. “And now, I’ve got to go. Once Alex realizes I’ve escaped, he’ll stop at nothing to find me.”

He didn’t care, he shouldn’t have cared, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. “Where are you going?”

One delicate shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve got to keep moving. Otherwise, I’m dead.”

He thought of his ranch, of the secluded frame house a few hours away, where he’d taken to spending more and more of his time. “I have land my uncle left me about southwest of Mineral Wells,” he said. “It’s a small, working cattle ranch. I’ve got livestock there, with hired hands looking after the place. It’s really remote and accessible only by a dirt road. It isn’t much, but there’s running water and electricity. If you don’t mind the isolation, you can stay there.”

Watching him warily, she nodded. “Thanks. If you want to give me directions, I’ll head that way now.”

He wasn’t sure he wanted her to go alone. “Give me a minute. I need to think.”

She seemed to practically vibrate with impatience. “Please don’t take too long. I don’t have a lot of time. Alex is a powerful man and very successful at getting rid of people. I can’t tell you how many times he’s bragged about the people he’s made disappear. I know too much, therefore I’m a liability he’ll need to eliminate. He has people working everywhere. If someone sees my car and reports back to him...”

Refusing to let her rush him, he continued to consider. If he was jumping into this mess, he needed to study all angles.

Finally, he glanced out the window, at the low-slung, glossy car. “That Jaguar won’t do well there. Plus, it’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Is it his?”

For maybe a second, she looked abashed. “Yes. It’s one of many. He’ll want it back.”

Right then, he decided. “We need to move it. Leave it in a parking lot downtown.”

“Then how will I get to your place?”

He hoped he wouldn’t regret what he was about to say. “I’ll drive you. It’s about time for me to run out there and check on things. I can stay out there a little while. And I’ve got a four-wheel drive pickup that makes the trip perfectly.”

After snatching his keys off the counter, he grabbed his laptop and motioned for her to go ahead. Instead, she stood frozen, staring at him.

“But what about this?” she sputtered, gesturing at his house. “I don’t want to take you away from your life here in Anniversary. What about your job?”

“My job can be anywhere I want it to be, as long as I have this.” He held up the laptop. “Now let’s get a move on. Especially since you seem to think Alex or one of his people could show up at any moment.”

Still she didn’t move. “What about clothes? Food? Medicines? Shouldn’t you pack?”

“I have everything I need at the ranch. I go out there all the time. Come on.” And he opened the front door and stepped aside so she could pass.

They parked the Jag at the marina. Reed hoped doing so might make anyone in pursuit think maybe Kaitlyn had gone somewhere out on the lake in a boat. This would buy them a bit more time.

Reed watched as Kaitlyn climbed out of the sports car, her long legs glistening in the sun. After removing an overnight bag from the backseat, she strode to the edge of the water, and then tossed the keys in. She then walked over and got into his truck, her expression relieved.

“That felt good,” she said. “Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”

He moved to adjust her visor and she flinched. More proof, though she probably didn’t realize it, of what she’d endured. “Easy,” he said. “I’m not going to touch you.”

Nodding, she gripped the door handle with one hand as he put the truck in gear and they pulled away.

“I’m a bit on edge,” she told him unnecessarily. “So please don’t mind if I ask you how you can be sure we won’t be followed.”

“I’ll answer as honestly as I can. I can’t, at least not until we leave the cities and the highways behind. It’s a lot easier to tell on a two-lane road. We’ll be skirting around Dallas on 635 and then picking up 820 to go around Fort Worth. It’s a bit of a drive, so you might as well settle in and try and get comfortable.”

Though she nodded, he could tell she still felt antsy. That was all right, he didn’t blame her. In a way, she’d just gotten out of prison. He remembered how that had felt. For a while, everything in the outside world had seemed surreal.

They were crossing through Irving, former home of the Dallas Cowboys, when she faced him. “Why are you helping me?” she asked. “I’m assuming it’s because you’re going to try to figure out a way to get Alex arrested for his crime.”

“Crimes,” he corrected. “Plural. And yes, you are a witness and therefore extremely dangerous to him. So I’ve got to keep you safe while I get the feds working on this.”

“Feds?” She sounded horrified. “You can’t... You don’t understand. Alex has people working for him everywhere.”

“In law enforcement? Even in the FBI?”

She nodded. “Yes. He’s not just involved in drugs. He’s got his finger in a lot of other things.”

“Weird. According to the media, Alex Ramirez is a blasted saint. Every news story about him talks about his good works and generous charitable contributions.”

“It’s all a front. He uses a lot of the charitable organizations to launder money. You wouldn’t believe all the illegal operations Alex is involved with.”

“And because you know all this, you’re even more dangerous to him.”

“Yes. There’s no way he’s going to allow me to live. We have to be careful about who we approach. Alex has boasted many times about having the FBI and the DEA on his payroll, even people in the governor’s office and the Senate. There’s no way to know who to trust.”

Reed cursed. “If you’re telling the truth, this sounds like the mafia or a cartel. Organized crime.”

“In a way, it is. Whatever you want to call it, it’s dangerous. Getting in his way—protecting me—would be risky. In fact, I’d call it a death sentence. Especially if he thinks you know anything, which he will. Before you decide to help me, I want to make sure you understand.”

“I get that.” He flashed a grim smile, still not one hundred percent convinced. “I’ve already given up three years of my life and lost my brother. Damned if I’m letting him get away with anything more.”

“Taking him down won’t be easy.”

“I understand.” He shot her another glance, his emotions raw and confused. He’d spent the past three years hating her, and now to learn she’d been just as much of a victim as he? If her story was true, that is.

“Tell me specifically how you escaped,” he asked as casually as he could. “If you’ve been under lock and key as you say, how’d you manage to get away even with his being more permissive?”

“He got drunk and forgot to lock me in my room. Either he thought he did or maybe he believed I was completely brainwashed.” She looked down, as if embarrassed. “Stockholm syndrome and all that.”

“Were you?”

“In a way.” When she raised her chin to meet his gaze, her expression was bleak. “I haven’t been allowed off the property in all this time. I wasn’t permitted any contact with other people, except for his employees. Even if he let me go outside the house on the grounds, he or one of the men he’d assigned as guards, was with me.”

She swallowed, the stiff way she held her shoulders telling him of her tension. “I’d come to believe I deserved to live like that. I came to feel the pain was punishment well deserved. Over time, after hearing the same things repeated over and over, I was beaten, both in body and spirit. He saw this. It made him happy. I believe he didn’t think I’d ever have the guts to run.”

Her quiet, matter-of-fact tone moved him more than he wanted her to know. Clearing his throat, he swallowed hard. “But you did.”

“Yes. He was drunk. For whatever reason, he brought you and Tim up. He was gloating about sending you to prison and furious that you’d gotten out.” A shadow crossed her eyes. “This time, when I heard that, something inside me snapped. After he passed out, I left. No one even tried to stop me.”

The more she spoke, the more he believed her. “How long do you think you have until he realizes you’re gone?”

“I don’t know. Usually, when he drinks like that, he looks for me first thing in the morning when he wakes up.”

The grim twist to her lovely mouth told him why.

Drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, he changed the subject. “You really didn’t know I was initially convicted of killing Tim?”

“No. I honestly had no idea. I wasn’t permitted access to television, internet or even newspapers. I’m sorry.”

Which meant he’d spent a lot of time hating her for no valid reason.

That thought so blew his mind he had to think of something else. “I’m pretty sure Alex won’t risk searching for you himself. There are too many things that can go wrong. He’ll send people. Most likely he’ll also use the media. People who have never met you might have your picture.”

“What are you suggesting?” She frowned. “That I wear a disguise?”

“More like a complete overhaul. You won’t even recognize yourself when you look in the mirror. At least for when you go out. Do you wear contacts?”

“No.”

“Okay, then we’ll get colored, non-prescription ones and change your eye color. Your blue eyes are very striking. We’ll tone that down. I’m thinking a muddy brown.”

At first she appeared startled. Then she smiled, sending a jolt of lust straight to his gut. He remembered her smile. Though already beautiful, her smile lent her a sweetness, a girl-next-door look that tugged at his heartstrings. Just like before, when she’d been with his brother and Reed had wanted her so badly he’d burned with it. The times when he’d come across her sitting on the couch in flannel pajamas, without makeup and with her hair in a careless ponytail had been when he’d thought her most irresistible.

Pushing the thoughts away, he studied her. “We’re going to cut and color your hair,” he announced, wincing inside. “Something matronly.”

“Even though I’ll be hiding out at your ranch?”

“Even so. You might have to go to town sometime.”

“Fine.” She exhaled. “Do you have a plan?”

“Not yet. But I will.”

“How long are you thinking this is going to take?” she asked, beginning to look concerned.

“I don’t know. Since you said he has a bunch of law enforcement people on his payroll, it should just be a matter of seeing who we can trust.”

“That could take a while.” She sounded glum. He could relate. After all, she’d just gotten out of a prison—of sorts—too.

“Maybe not. You never know. I don’t want to make mistakes. When we take him down, I want to make sure he doesn’t get off on a technicality.”

Slowly, she nodded. “No worries, I’ll wear the disguise when I’m out in public. Though I think if I change my haircut and color, I shouldn’t need colored contacts.”

“Better safe than sorry. I’ll order the contacts online and pay extra to have them overnighted,” he said. “We’ll also find the ugliest, most unflattering clothes we can. That should be a good start.”

“I...” Swallowing, she appeared hesitant and uncertain.

“You said you were willing to do whatever it takes,” he reminded her. “If you don’t want to be found, you’re going to have to wear a disguise.”

After a moment, she sighed. “True. And you’re right. I’ll change my appearance however much is necessary.”

As for himself, he’d be glad to make her less of a distraction. She’d been in his life for only an hour, and already he found himself wanting her.

Physically, that is. Nothing more. He’d put that down to the way he’d been living life as a semi-hermit. Most of the women in town wanted nothing to do with an ex-con like him. Not that he cared. He was fine living alone.

“How long do you think we have before he starts combing the town?”

“He was passed out when I left.” Jiggling her long and coltish legs, she appeared to vibrate with tension. He hated that he had to tear his eyes away, drawn to her again and again, despite his earlier self-admonishment. “It depends on when he wakes up. I’m hoping he stays out until morning.”

“That’s a long time, considering it just got dark. How long have you been gone?”

Her bright blue gaze locked on his. “Not very long. I drove straight here. A few hours, at most. When he wakes up and goes to my room to find me, all hell will break lose.”

“Good thing we hightailed it out of town, then.”

“Especially since your house will be the first place he’ll look.”

Startled, he realized she was right. The history she and his brother had shared made him the obvious choice. “It’s okay. We should be safe.”

“What about your ranch? If the deed is in your name, it’s a matter of public record. Alex will find it.”

“Then it’s a good thing it’s not in my name. Since I was in prison when my uncle learned he had terminal lung cancer, he had his lawyer set up a corporation. Just in case I never got out. So there’s no way to trace it to me.”

Clearly relieved, she smiled again.

After they passed Fort Worth, she fell asleep, which told him she must have been exhausted. He let her doze, enjoying the time to think.

Once again, everything in his world had been turned upside down. He wasn’t sure what to make of any of this and had long ago given up on the idea of knowing who really killed his brother. In prison, he’d had plenty of time to wonder. All signs had pointed to Kaitlyn, for so many reasons.

She’d left Reed in her bed and had gone to Tim. Reed had suspected this, though he hadn’t known for certain. Her claim that she’d planned to break things off with his brother made sense, and if things had gone differently, he’d have been overjoyed. And guilty. Especially since he’d been the one in bed with his own brother’s girlfriend.

Reed didn’t blame her—he knew it took two to tango. He’d let it go on, even though he’d known better. The lingering looks, the electricity that coursed through him with every accidental touch, the way he’d burned for Kaitlyn, despite knowing he had no right.

But somehow he’d gone from sleeping with his brother’s girlfriend to being accused of murdering that same brother in cold blood. Kaitlyn had disappeared, despite the fact that she was his only alibi.

He’d been railroaded, he realized that now. The men who’d arrested and questioned him most likely worked for Alex. The district attorney who had indicted him on no evidence had been in Alex’s pocket, too. The judge definitely had been.

Reed had spent nearly three years locked away in that horrible place before his lawyer finally filed an appeal and got him a new trial. This time, the judge clearly hadn’t been on Alex’s payroll since Reed was now a free man.

Though his name had been forever blackened.

When he’d gotten out and returned home to Anniversary, he’d searched for Kaitlyn, of course. He’d intended to make her tell him why she hadn’t come forward, why she’d let him rot in prison, why, why, why. So many unanswered questions.

Damn it all to hell. Even though he had to admit her explanation made sense, in a twisted sort of way.

He had to question how Alex had gotten away with keeping a woman hostage for three years. Then he remembered the guy in Ohio or Indiana who’d kept three women prisoners in his basement for far longer than that. Such a thing definitely was possible, especially for a man with lots of money and influence.

As he drove, the land became flatter, the trees more sparse and twisted. He’d always liked the beginning of west Texas, because it was hardscrabble and tough.

The sun sank beneath the horizon, a fiery ball of orange and red, trailing rosy tendrils in its wake. Darkness settled over the land in increments, deeper and more velvety now that they’d left the city lights behind.

When he left the pavement for the rutted, gravel road that led to his ranch, Kaitlyn woke up. She yawned and stretched while he tried not to notice the way her T-shirt strained against her curves.

“Are we there yet?”

“Just about. We’ve got a few more miles on this gravel road and then we go off road and up.”

“Off road?” She sounded concerned.

“Yeah. It’s a path, sort of. That’s why I said that fancy car you were driving wouldn’t do well here. This truck can make it, no problem. So could a Jeep or an ATV. That’s about it.”

Nodding, she squinted into the darkness. “I like that. It makes me feel safe.”

He grinned. “I enjoy coming out here. I always feel more alive. Like I’m free. I’ve even been thinking of selling my house in Anniversary and moving out here permanently.”

“Really?” She didn’t sound surprised at all. “I can see that.” Giving him a quizzical look, she appeared to be considering asking him something.

“Go ahead,” he prompted. “We’ll be spending a fair bit of time together, so you might as well ask whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

“Okay. I know you said you could work anywhere. Back before all this craziness happened, you were VP at the bank. What do you do now?”

“The bank didn’t want me back,” he said quietly. “And who could blame them? Not many people are willing to hire a felon, even though my murder conviction was overturned. The ranch brings in a nice income, which I supplement with my own business.”

“Which is?”

He found himself hesitating, not sure exactly why. He was proud of what he’d accomplished, and the way his orders had grown so much he’d had to hire a couple of guys to help him out, precutting forms in bulk. “I make custom bird feeders and birdhouses. I sell them from my website.”

“Really?” The surprised pleasure in her voice washed over him. “That’s amazing. You’ll have to show me the website later, assuming you have internet way out here.”

“We do. I purchased mobile Wi-Fi, so I’m never without internet access.” Slowing the truck down, he squinted into the darkness. “Brace yourself. We’re fixing to go off road.”

There—the fence post with the three boards nailed to it, making a small triangle, with a letter W in the middle. Putting on the brakes, he let his headlights point out the marker. “See that? Pyramid W Ranch.”

“W for Westbrook?”

He grinned, pleased. “Yep. Are you ready?”

At her nod, he turned the truck toward the gap in the fence. “Hang on.” The tires rattled as they crossed the metal crossing guard. “The road’s kind of rutted in places, so get ready to bounce.”

He’d barely gotten the last word out when they hit the first of many crevices. Once they were over, he turned to glance at her. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.” One hand gripped the door handle, the other the dashboard in front of her. “My teeth are clattering, but I’ll be fine.”

“Good. Because we’ve still got a ways to go.”

By the time they reached the turnoff that wound up the hill to his small ranch house, Kaitlyn appeared weary.

“We’re almost there,” he told her. “And my driveway is much better, I promise.”

She nodded. “Great.”

Finally, they crested the hill and his headlights illuminated the frame building. It was small, but he’d always found it homey, especially since he and Tim had come here often as kids to visit his uncle. He supposed the memories of his childhood here made the ranch feel more like home than anywhere else.

“Very nice,” Kaitlyn commented. “It looks like you keep it up well. Or do you have a ranch foreman or someone living there while you’re gone?”

“My ranch foreman has a mobile home on the other side of the property. I try to come out here at least once a month. Sometimes more.”

She turned and touched his arm, surprising him. “Are you sure no one in town knows about this place?”

“I have a friend or two,” he replied. “Brock McCauley and his wife Zoe. But they won’t say anything without checking with me first.”

“Zoe?” Kaitlyn appeared surprised. “Brock and Zoe finally got together?”

“Yes.” He couldn’t help but smile. “They’re among a handful of people who don’t treat me like a leper, as though serving time tainted me with poison.”

He knew he sounded bitter but he didn’t care.

“I’m sorry,” Kaitlyn said, touching him again. He had to force himself not to twist away.

“Come on.” Killing the engine, he left the headlights on so they could see the front door. “I’ll turn them off once I can get the porch light on.”

“You should get a motion-sensor light,” she said.

“I’d thought about that, except then any critter crossing my yard would activate it.”

“Good point.”

He got out and crossed around to her side, intending to open her door for her. The manners his mama had taught him ran deep, but Kaitlyn had already gotten out by the time he reached her.

“Come on,” he said, leading the way to the front door. “I’ve put in one of those locks where you just enter a code.” That said, he punched it in, waiting until the dead bolt had turned before pushing the door open and flicking the light switch to On.

“Here we go.” He couldn’t keep the pride from his voice. Inside were oak hardwood floors, with matching baseboards. The furniture looked comfortably worn, a sort of cowboy shabby chic.

“Wow.” She walked around the living room, examining the display of Western art he’d carefully displayed. “Nice.”

“Thank you.”

He showed her the guest room, which did double duty as his office, along with the hall bathroom. “It’s only a two-bedroom house. That couch makes out into a bed.”

She nodded, her expression pensive. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to freshen up and then turn in. It’s been a long day and it’s late. I’m exhausted.”

“I understand.” He pointed the way to his linen closet, where he kept extra towels as well as linens to make up the sofa sleeper. “If you’re thirsty or get hungry, help yourself to anything in the fridge. I keep it well stocked.”