He slid his hands to her elbows, stopping her. “I’m not treating our first time together like we’re teenagers looking for a fast thrill in a game room. We’re not only too old for that, we deserve better.”

Dusting her hands as if she was done, she hurried away. “Fine. This is all I have, Bryce. All I can do.”

He touched her shoulder and she stopped. Did she want him to change her mind? Show her how much he cared about her? “If it were me … If our positions were reversed, and I was the one with scars, what would you do right now, Kylie? Would you let me run away? Continue to be afraid?” She covered her face. “I am afraid.”

He could barely hear her. He asked just as quietly, “Of me?”

“Strangely enough, no. But yes, maybe of you most of all.”

Gunslinger
Angi Morgan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ANGI MORGAN writes Mills & Boon Intrigue novels “where honor and danger collide with love.” She combines actual Texas settings with characters who are in realistic and dangerous situations. Angi’s work has been a finalist for numerous awards, including the Booksellers’ Best Award and the Daphne du Maurier Award. Angi and her husband live in north Texas.

Visit her website, www.angimorgan.com, or follow her on Facebook at Angi Morgan Books. She loves to hang out with fans in her closed group: bit.ly/angifriends.

There is never a book completed without my pals Jan and Robin.

This one also goes to my wonderful agent, Jill, and to the patience of my amazing editor, Allison! Thanks, ladies, for hanging in there with me.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

Austin, Texas, five years ago

Sissy Jorgenson-Tenoreno attempted a smile at her friends to make the empty parking lot less spooky. It didn’t work. “This is an odd place to meet, even for Xander.”

The food truck’s inside lights were glowing. So were the Christmas lights strung around the single picnic table out front. Daddy Cade’s Po’Boys didn’t seem to be one of the more popular gourmet trucks in town. Good thing she’d brought her entourage of Darren, Janna and Linda with her.

Xander should think twice if he thought she’d meet him anywhere alone.

“Your soon-to-be ex-husband probably chose this place because he knew you’d never eat here,” Darren said. “You make every calorie count twice. Especially now that you need your figure back.”

She was still the same size as when they’d eloped eight months ago. In fact, the outfit she was wearing had been bought on their unofficial honeymoon trip to Paris.

“Sissy Jorgenson shouldn’t be forced to come to a place like this,” Janna complained. “You should send the police for your things. Even the cat.”

Xander’s father owns the police.

Did it really bother her that they talked as if they understood the life she’d led before getting married? Teen model, then married to the mob? They had no clue. Not really. A different location every week was glamorous to them. A different hotel each week was appealing. A life of travel and what appeared to be one party after another.

Even the parties got old. The same faces night after night. There weren’t any sleepy movie days in front of the television. No study binges, no spontaneous orders of pizza and beer. No darting to the store for milk and bread, which were never on the menu anyway.

One day someone might ask what had been going through her mind when she got married. Her friends shrugged the divorce off as if it was no big deal. What had she expected? Happily ever after? Looking back, she hadn’t really expected anything. She might not have known what marriage would be like, but she knew what she wanted.

The answer was so simple. She’d wanted a home. A place to belong, a family and a pet. She’d never had one and always wanted to save the strays she saw while traveling. Instead, being married was equivalent to being locked inside a mansion surrounded by people who had no love in their hearts.

“I need a bottle of water or maybe this place sells Gel Shots. Five or six of those and we’ll be ready to party again.” Linda staggered across the gravel parking lot to the food truck and banged on the window. When no one answered, she swayed back to the group. “I’m so envious. In three days you’ll be jet-setting halfway across the world for a fabulous Roman adventure. I, on the other hand, will be starting another boring semester of school.”

While starving herself to drop down to her agent’s ideal weight, she’d be wishing every minute for her friend’s boring life.

“Anybody want a fried oyster po’boy? Of course Sissy’s answer is no. She can’t waste calories on stinky food. The bun alone would be—”

Sissy tuned them out and let them make fun of the way she’d eaten while staying with them over the past two months. They didn’t understand that drastic measures were needed if she wanted her career back.

Even at the same weight there was the perception of what her body should be. She had to be thinner, taller, sleeker—more everything—to get back on top of the heap of girls who came along every day.

Fortunately, she hadn’t been out of the paparazzi’s eye very long. Her husband had made certain she’d been on his arm for special events. The press asked if she planned to return to her career after the honeymoon was over. Xander had assured them several times that their life would be a never-ending honeymoon.

But Xander Tenoreno was a liar and horrible person. If there was a villain in her life, it would be him. She was walking away from the divorce almost destitute. She’d been a dumb kid and rushed into marriage without a prenup. He’d taken everything. They’d been playing whose divorce attorney was the toughest until she’d realized that she could start over if she walked away.

It didn’t matter. All she wanted was Miss Kitty, mainly to save her from the wrath of the household. None of the family was happy about the divorce. They didn’t believe in it and took ‘till death do you part’ very literally.

No matter what Xander said or did, he couldn’t keep her down. He could keep all of the money. According to her agent, she was still in high demand because of the public life she’d led, but she was almost old in model years. Old and only just celebrating her twenty-first birthday next week.

She looked around at the isolated parking lot and wondered if Xander was trying to frighten her. He didn’t have to try hard. Would Xander or his family stoop to something that would hurt her friends? She shook her head, answering herself. Even they wouldn’t be that public.

“What happened between you two, Sissy? Why did your Mr. Hunky-poo start sleeping around? He was so much fun to party with.” Linda asked, hands on her hips, expecting an answer.

Okay, everyone in the parking lot expected an answer. After all, her life was continually up for discussion. Her every move was up for debate.

The threats and demands had been plentiful after their wedding vows but she hadn’t told anyone. Not a soul. Not even her attorney. “I was supposed to stay at the mansion and be traipsed out whenever he needed someone to hang on his arm. It wasn’t my scene.”

“Barefoot, pregnant and cooking over a hot stove? You?” Janna laughed and everyone joined in.

That scenario would never have happened, but it was close. Of course she didn’t get pregnant. Then a dozen doctors all agreed that there was no reason they couldn’t have children. The consensus was that they shouldn’t be in such a hurry. Give it time. But Xander had just quit. He tended to want immediate gratification for everything he did. People seemed to show up injured if he didn’t.

“I don’t have to think about that anymore.” She laced her fingers, then pulled them apart, sitting on them to keep still. He can’t hurt me if I’m not there.

The Tenoreno family wanted her out of the way.

Gone. Forever.

As long as he’d finally agreed to give her Miss Kitty, she could leave Texas and never look back. She looked around at the isolated food trailer. No other cars. No parking lot lights. It was just such an odd place for a man who liked everything shiny and new.

Including his women.

“It’s eight forty-five. How long do we have to wait? That new band is opening at the Bat House. Is he always this late?” Darren paced.

“Yes. Time means nothing to him.” She’d never thought he’d be here on the dot. But if roles were reversed and she was the one late, he would euthanize Miss Kitty as he’d threatened more than once to keep Sissy in line.

A super big SUV drove by. Smoke curled from the dark windows as it slowed. The bass of the music inside echoed through her chest it was so loud. Her friends danced to the hip-hop rhythm.

“We need music,” Janna said, dancing to the fading beat over to the food truck window. “Come on. Can’t you open up for a second? Even for water?”

Sissy swatted at her neck and shivered. It felt like something was crawling on her. Or maybe someone had walked on her grave. Wasn’t that the saying? She discovered a tendril of her long hair had blown free from its intricate braid and tickled her skin. Her imagination had gone super wild.

As if she wasn’t already scared enough. Now the thought of spiders in her hair had her all itchy. Another vehicle approached the three-way intersection with the same low bass thump. Another SUV?

Was it her imagination or an odd premonition that made her stand and move to the side of the trailer? She didn’t know. But as the SUV drew even with the lot, she saw the gun barrel in the open window. She screamed. She dialed the number she’d had ready on her cell since they’d arrived.

The gunfire was maddeningly loud. She tried to get to the car. The gravel popped up in front of her hitting her legs first one direction and then the other. They shot all around her, missing. She was their target. She didn’t doubt that for a second.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

The voice was drowned out by more rapid fire of another weapon. Laughter from the men as they opened the car doors. She wanted to recognize one of the men who followed the Tenoreno family everywhere. She couldn’t be certain. But the family wanted her out of the way.

Gone. Forever.

There was nowhere to run. No one to call out to for help. She was about to die and wanted to scream louder. Scream hysterically.

The phone was still in her palm. She couldn’t be certain the police would respond. Her husband might have paid them to avoid the area. She prayed someone decent was on the other end of the call, trying to discover what was happening in this remote parking lot.

The gunfire stopped.

Sissy looked up, blinking hard to see her attackers. Maybe they were just trying to scare—another burst. Linda’s screams were cut off. Janna’s followed. Her eyes never shut as she fell to the ground.

The stinging fire in her side whipped her around. Another stabbed through her arm like a hot knife through butter...quick, silently tearing her flesh. A third and fourth pierced under her arm that had flown above her head.

Darren wrapped his arms around her but they fell. She landed hard under him. His body protected her from the full force of the bullets. The white gravel that had been hard to walk through minutes earlier turned dark. It registered but there was no pain. She couldn’t catch her breath, couldn’t speak.

The phone wasn’t in her hand. It had bounced away. The case had popped open, but the light was still on. Someone still listened.

It was interesting what registered in her mind during those few life-ending seconds. Trivial information like the spots of blood now on the metal legs of the table. Or the burned-out bulb on the twinkle lights at the rear of the lot.

The noise of the bass hip-hop and guns faded away to be replaced by sirens.

What did any detail around her matter? She’d been shot...more than once. She was about to die. There was no one left to truly grieve for her. She’d said goodbye to a greedy family long ago. Her only friends were dead because she hadn’t wanted to be alone to face her ex-husband.

After all their sacrifice, she would still die alone.

What good had she accomplished in her life? She knew how to walk in high heels and how to throw her hair over her shoulder before placing her hand on her hip.

Somehow she dragged her hand to her side and cried out from the pain. She wanted to tell someone the truth. Leave some sort of message about who had killed her. There wasn’t a way to reach her phone. She couldn’t move Darren.

Her last thought should have been about kittens or something good. Instead the only thing that repeated over and over again was a never-to-be-seen headline...

Xander Tenoreno Had Killed His Wife, Sissy Jorgenson, and No One Would Ever Know.

Chapter One

Hico, Texas, present day

“Shirtless? Of course I’m shirtless.” Bryce Johnson yanked the muscle shirt over his head, catching it on his ear. “What legitimate undercover Texas Ranger mows a lawn trying to get a woman’s attention wearing a shirt?”

“I bet you have your glasses on, too.” There was a familiar sound from his partner, Jesse Ryder, as he held the phone to his chest and laughed. “And...um...don’t forget your Sig is showing.”

Bryce scrambled behind his back. He gave up and went inside to drop his weapon, shirt and glasses. He didn’t need to see up close to mow the lawn anyway. The briskness of the AC helped cool his frustration. A little.

“You know...” Jesse continued laughing. “If just taking your shirt off doesn’t work, you could try a speedo and a giant sombrero.”

“Har har har.”

Jesse should be giving him legitimate advice for his first undercover assignment. Not poking him with a big stick through the phone. It didn’t matter. His partner was three for three this morning and it seemed like Bryce was about to strike out.

This weekend was his final at bat.

“Seriously, man, is there a problem? If you don’t get her attention today, you might as well hang it up. They’re going to pull the plug and move on.”

“We don’t know for a fact this is Tenoreno’s ex-wife.”

“Now, look, Bryce. You sold Major Parker on this assignment because you were certain this woman was the ex. What’s changed your mind?”

“Nothing. But there’s been no evidence or action that solidifies my hunch either.”

“Hunch? Hunch?” Jesse’s voice rose in decibels and octaves. “You know how important this is to me, pal. The state’s attorney needs a slam dunk in the courtroom this fall. If this isn’t the ex, you need to move on and find her. We don’t have time for you to play a hunch.”

The picture he’d burned into his memory could be a match. Was a match as far as he was concerned. He was certain. But short of walking up to her and asking if she had a bullet-wound scar on her abdomen and two others under her arm, there was no proof.

He needed proof or her admission since he didn’t want to ask her outright. He couldn’t ask the time of day or to borrow a cup of sugar. Her house was secure and locked up tighter than the local bank.

“When I’m not fixing something on this rental—which was a part of the deal you hatched up—I’m spending my spare time running more searches. You can’t guilt-trip me into working harder. I haven’t had a day off in weeks.”

“I know, man. We just don’t have time to waste.”

There was a lot more to this case than just finding a potential witness. The Tenoreno family had already tried to kill law officers to make the case fall apart. As far as they knew, the crime family was still searching for the primary witness under Company F protection.

“Then let me get back outside and come up with a way to introduce myself.” He disconnected before his partner could try to give him more advice. His head was swimming with all the suggestions from the Rangers in his company.

He left his service weapon in the lockbox he’d brought with him last week. Short trips back to Waco down Texas 6 had yielded more than a couple of suitcases of his stuff. The house was furnished, but he’d brought items to make it livable. Including his television and game station.

Livable? More like bachelorized.

The July heat pounded on his shoulders as he finished the outside chores. Not a bright idea for skin that hadn’t seen the light of day in years. He’d listened to advice from another Texas Ranger about how to get a woman’s attention, and today he was desperate.

Bryce was finally on an assignment that didn’t include a computer. For the most part anyway. He was undercover. On his own and getting sunburned.

It had been a while since his back had seen the sun and done yardwork. Too long apparently. He’d just finished the lawn—the burning-dried-up-grass-with-no-trees-in-the-yard lawn. Patches of it were more dirt than the combo of overgrown weeds that he’d just plowed through.

If he didn’t get closer to his target this weekend, his undercover time was done. Nothing he did and nowhere he’d been seemed to catch Kylie Scott’s eye. Twice he’d been thrown next to her by town matchmakers. Twice they’d had polite conversation. Twice he’d been certain he’d broken through her protective shell. And twice he’d been wrong.

Holding his straw hat away from him, he turned the water hose on himself with the other. Spitting-hot water hit his skin but quickly soothed the burn. Probably wasn’t good against sun protection, but he was just dang hot and wanted to cool down fast.

He also needed a minute to watch the house across the street and two doors down. She had been taking care of lawn maintenance on a Saturday morning, too. Conservatively dressed in shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, Kylie Scott wasn’t flashy. No bikini tops to work on her tan.

Pecan Street was empty now and Kylie’s garage door was shut. He should put the yard tools away and return to the half-assed air-conditioning. He’d missed when she’d finished up and moved inside.

“Some undercover cop you turned out to be.” He’d talked more to himself in the past week than he’d ever admit. The red shoulders were just going to get worse. He might as well head to the store and grab some ointment. Or maybe he could ask to borrow some from Kylie.

Taking a drink from the hose, he contemplated that until there was a puddle of mud next to him. How could he meet her?

Former teen supermodel Sissy Jorgenson, the ex-wife of a short-lived marriage to Xander Tenoreno was hiding and doing a damn good job of it. Her ex was the state’s real target. It would help their case if they had more evidence against the Texas crime family and Company F had been assigned to obtain it.

Bottom line, Xander was also looking for his ex-bride. The rumor circulating was that she had evidence against him that had kept her alive. True or false, Bryce didn’t know. His goal was to find Sissy/Kylie and convince her to hand over her evidence against the Tenorenos.

Head of the family, Paul Tenoreno, was behind bars without bail facing trial in September. The final blow would be to add his son Xander as a cellmate. Bryce soaked his head, then shook his hair from side to side. Water sprayed like his brother’s dog shaking after swimming in their pool.

“As good as that feels, you might not want to greet your neighbors that way.”

He recognized Kylie’s voice, spun around. She screamed a little and hopped backward. He’d soaked her shirt with the water hose.

“Dammit, that was careless of me. Sorry.” Bryce wiped his eyes free of droplets still clinging to his skin.

“Wow, that was a bit of a shock.” She fanned her shirt front, but didn’t run home.

“I, uh...didn’t hear you come up.”

“I hope so, because if you wanted to have a wet T-shirt contest... Well, you’d need a shirt.” She nodded toward him, wringing the edge of her shirt onto her multicolored toenails.

Wait. What? Was she flirting with him?

Without his glasses and with water dripping into his eyes, he could barely see her facial expression, just her bright smile. True wheat-blond hair was pulled into a ponytail and stuck through the back of a ball cap. She was the right height of about five feet eleven. She wasn’t rail-thin, but slender enough to be a teenage model who had left the business.

“Come to think about it, we probably do have some guys on this street who wouldn’t mind serving as the judges. You’d win of course.”

“Huh? Oh. Right.” He couldn’t think of anything to say.

“You’re making a bigger puddle.” She pointed to his feet.

Bryce jumped toward the faucet and turned off the water, cursing under his breath at his ineptness. He slowly stood, ready to see where this strange encounter would lead.

“Bryce? I don’t mean to impose, but I need your help. That is, if you could spare a few minutes.”

“I don’t have any plans.”

She relaxed and let out a long sigh. “Oh good. It shouldn’t take long. I noticed that you have an extension ladder and wondered if you could get my pole saw out of the tree in my backyard.”

“Sure.” Flirting? Wishful thinking was more like it.

He retrieved the ladder from the garage and headed down the middle of the small town street.

“Need help?”

“Not at all, I got this.”

She was already walking next to him as if she’d known how he would answer. The ladder was more awkward than heavy. Sort of like their conversation. He had an opportunity now and couldn’t think of anything he might ask that wouldn’t sound suspicious.

Last thing he needed was for her to take off and disappear. He’d never hear the end of that at the office.

“I’ve noticed that you don’t talk much.”

“Not really. If I’m honest, I haven’t gotten much practice lately.” He rested the ladder on the inside of her fence as she worked the combination lock on the gate. If she wasn’t the former Sissy Tenoreno, something had happened to Kylie Scott to make her overcautious.

“Are we being honest?” She smiled shyly, focusing on removing the lock.

The temperature should have dropped when they walked under the oak shade tree. But he could swear it rose several degrees when she stole a look before she pushed up her sunglasses.

In the past couple of weeks, he’d never seen her eyes up close. Even without his glasses, her long eyelashes, tinted a rich dark brown, hadn’t hidden the quick peek she’d taken of his chest.

Instead of the bright blue eyes from her modeling days, they were a deep dark brown—almost black—when she didn’t hide behind mirrored shades. Definitely not the color of Sissy’s, but the shape...

No doubt remained.

Kylie Scott was the woman he’d been searching for.

* * *

KYLIE OPENED THE gate and Bryce grabbed the ladder on the other side. She dropped the lock back through the slots, then removed it before he noticed—hopefully. It was silly to be so paranoid.

But paranoia had taught her to be hypervigilant with her safety. She wasn’t used to leaving the locks out of place.

Even when no one appeared to be on the street. Even when she had a very capable-looking man standing next to her, it went against her habits to leave the gate unlocked. But she managed it by sticking the padlock inside her pocket.

“I was trimming a dead limb and the saw got stuck.”

“Lucky I was around.”

“I have some iced tea. Can I get you some?”

“That would be great.”

“Okay.” She rubbed her palms together and stepped to the porch. She tried to turn her back on Bryce and walk like a normal person through her kitchen door.

It didn’t happen. She hesitated, waiting for him to lean the ladder on the tree. He just watched her act like an unsteady idiot. Bryce was practically a stranger. She’d only met him a couple of times in town.

“I hope you like it sweetened. That’s all I have.”

“Sure. I’ll get this down.”

“Thanks so much. It’s stuck up there pretty good.” Oh my gosh. She was babbling, trying to wait him out. If he’d just look away, she could dart into the kitchen.

Kylie had never been a normal teenage girl, but she was certain this was how they acted. Flushed, embarrassed, unsure of themselves—everything that she was experiencing for the first time. She’d been a full-time employee by the time she’d reached puberty. The boys she’d known back then had never been mature enough for her tastes.

Needless to say, the men who accepted her as an adult at that age hadn’t been good for her. Well, spilled milk and all that...whatever the saying was. She’d moved past it. She was in a good place and didn’t have to think about that any longer.

Throwing her shoulders back, she turned, leaving herself vulnerable to a nonexistent attack. She slid the glass door open and marched to the refrigerator for the pitcher. Two glasses sat on a pretty little tray she’d picked up at the antique shop this week. She added a freshly sliced lemon to a matching bowl and poured the tea.

Five years. She’d survived five years. Her life was changing and it was time to keep her promise to herself. If she could survive this long without being discovered, it was time to start living again.

Taking a second, she watched Bryce tug on the pole trying to free the tiny saw. He arranged the ladder soundly in place, shook it a little to see if it was steady, then climbed.

It had been a very long time since she’d allowed herself friends. Then again, being Bryce’s friend wasn’t too high on her agenda. She’d watched him out in the yard fixing up Mrs. Mackey’s rental. He’d stopped by the pie shop while she’d been at lunch.

It might be a coincidence, but Hico was a very small town. If there was a visitor here for a couple of hours, a resident was likely to encounter them a couple of times. So running into a neighbor at the store and pie shop was almost predictable.

She hadn’t been the only woman catching a second or third glimpse of his straight nose and dimpled chin. A constant five o’clock shadow had never done anything for her before getting a look at Bryce. She was full-blown giddily attracted to every muscle his tight T-shirts exploited.

The view as he climbed the ladder wasn’t helping to cool her heat.

Mrs. Mackey had praised Bryce’s ability as a handyman and suggested his skills not be wasted while he was living on their street. At face value her statement had been so innocent. Then the other ladies who had conveniently stopped by the museum had all giggled.

“If they could see you right now, they’d probably faint or have heart attacks. They definitely would if they knew what my plans for him are.” She took the dish towel and fanned her flaming cheeks. Dipping her head, she closed her eyes, embarrassed by her desires. “What are you thinking, Kylie? Yes, it’s been a while. But you can’t just ask him to bed. You deserve more than that.”

With her mind made up to slow her racing thoughts, she met her helpful neighbor at the bottom of the ladder. He stepped onto the grass, tree trimmer in hand, following her to two chairs and a small patio table—her fourth anniversary present to herself.

No matter what she kept telling her mind to do, she couldn’t avoid the manly chest turning a feminine shade of pink. He took a sip of tea, then gulped it down.

“That’s really good. Just hit the spot.”

“Thanks again for the help, Bryce. If you hadn’t been home, I’d be watching that pole saw rust.”

“I doubt that, but anytime.” He tipped his straw hat in her direction.

“That’s interesting.”

“What?”

“The hat-tipping thing. No one under the age of sixty has ever tipped their hat to me before. In fact, I’d never seen it until I moved to Hico. People wave when they pass in their cars. They acknowledge me on the sidewalk. They even open the museum door, wave and go on their way.”

“I’d say they’re just being friendly.” He finished off his tea and set the glass down.

“It’s the reason I stayed here. I hadn’t planned on it, but I’m glad I did.”

“That’s right. You work in the Billy the Kid Museum.” He took another long gulp of his tea. “I used to make my brother pretend he was Billy the Kid when we were practicing quick draw.”

That’s what she wanted...to be so relaxed and easy going. She sipped. It had been five years. Maybe it was possible? “And who would you pretend to be?”

“The sheriff.”

“Why not the outlaw? I thought kids wanted to be the cool gunslinger who shot things up?” She noticed he actually looked a little embarrassed. “Did you play cops and robbers, too?”

“I think I got in trouble one too many times for shooting birds with my BB gun. Too many lectures on how I should be a better example. Besides, the good guys always win.”

“I’ve heard that.”

Before she could think again if she was the good or the bad, she heard his cell vibrate.

He jumped to his feet and reached into his back pocket. “Excuse me a second, I have to take this.”

Kylie tried not to listen. Maybe it was a habit mixed with genuine curiosity, but she felt uncomfortable and moved out of earshot to the tree. It wasn’t difficult to discern the phone call was upsetting to Bryce. His side of the conversation was a lot of one-word responses. His body language became very stiff and formal. She sipped her tea, looking at the dead limb that still needed to be trimmed back to the trunk.

When he returned, Bryce dropped his hands to his knees, bending at the waist to lean forward.

Kylie set her glass down, approaching cautiously. No matter how much she wanted to know this man, she didn’t. That was a fact that she couldn’t push aside. “Is something wrong?”

“Everything, I’m afraid. Someone couldn’t do their job correctly and my timetable’s been advanced.” He straightened.

The sadness and concern didn’t belong on his handsome features. The urge to wipe them aside was too strong to ignore. She recognized it and held it in a secret place where she kept most of her emotions.

“I’m sorry, Bryce. I hope things work out for the best.”

“I hope so, too. There’s something you should know, Kylie.” Bryce rested his hands on his hips. “If I can find you...so can Xander Tenoreno.”

Chapter Two

Kylie could feel the blood drain from her face as fast as it had in her knees. Barely able to stand, she sort of rocked before catching herself on the tree trunk. Her ex-husband’s name hadn’t been said in front of her for almost four years. She wanted to run. Hide.

Bryce watched her reaction. He saw it all. She knew what the fright looked like and she hadn’t hidden it. The look on his face confirmed for her that he knew he’d found the right person. She couldn’t deny it. Well, she could, but it wouldn’t do her any good. He wouldn’t believe her.

“Are you a cop?”

He shook his head, squinted, then rubbed the back of his neck as if he was mad for being right. An odd reaction from someone who had completely wrecked her life.

She looked at the serving tray and the ceramic outdoor table it sat on. Neither would cross over to her new life. Whatever that ended up being. Just the things that fit inside two suitcases. Nothing more. Not even the laptop. She couldn’t borrow a car. He’d just follow.

Everything stayed here.

The escape plan was in place. The cash was in a box under the bathroom sink along with a passible ID. All she had to do was fake whatever Mr. Unbelievable standing in front of her wanted.

“If you worked for Xander, I’d already be dead. So who are you?” All the excitement of finally having the courage to face Bryce sort of evaporated along with any moisture in the heated air.

“Bryce Johnson. I’m a Texas Ranger here to help you.”

“Help me right out of my comfortable home and life you mean.” She picked up the tea glasses, along with the tray. Another wave of sadness crashed into her heart at the thought of leaving. “It was that silly picture for the online article, wasn’t it?”

He nodded. “And your eyes. You changed the color but not the vitality that’s there.”

“Strange words from a man who probably just got me killed.” She walked across the porch, the lock heavy in her pocket. The urge to run to the fence and secure the gate made her stop before opening the door. Bryce was following and paused on the steps.

“We can help you, if you allow us to.”

“I told the police, and anyone else who would listen, everything that happened that night.” The nightmare images forced her to stare at a pure drop of water sliding down the empty glass. If she shut her eyes or even blinked, she’d be transported back to the white gravel stained with blood.

“Kylie.”

Startled by the shock of his touch, she dropped the tray. One glass shattered and one rolled across the wooden porch. “Isn’t that weird? Ever wonder why sometimes they break and sometimes they don’t?”

“All the time.” He knelt beside her to pick up the broken pieces. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What did you expect when you announced that my ex could find me? Is he really looking again?”

Their eyes met and held as he asked, “Again?”

Nice eyes. Such a shame.

Kylie mentally shook it off. None of the attraction was real. He was a flippin’ Texas Ranger and not the good-looking handyman across the street. He was here with sneaky ulterior motives. She stood, confused by all the emotions making her want to cry.

Not in front of him, though. She would not cry until she was on a bus heading to the airport. No one cared if she cried on the bus.

She carefully balanced the tray on the wooden porch rail and took a step toward the door. “Who was on the call you took and what did they say?”

“Austin PD.”

Her fingers wrapped around the screen door’s handle. “My case never made it to court. They assured me there was a lack of evidence. I have no idea what you’re referring to or why you’re here. So why don’t you just cut to the part where you’ve put my life in danger.”

“Are you aware your father-in-law—”

“Ex-father-in-law.”

“Right. Look, Miss Jorgenson.”

“Wrong again. My name is Kylie Scott. Sissy Jorgenson died with the first bullet. She doesn’t exist anymore.” She took advantage of Bryce’s awkward silence. He politely backed up to allow her to get inside and wedge the screen between them.

A good hostess would open the screen farther and invite him into the kitchen. The hot July air was thick and getting hotter. A bead of sweat rolled across her skin and wedged between her breasts, squeezed together by her sports bra.

Her voice and body might appear to be calm, but she was hyperaware of every second of panic she stopped from bubbling to the surface. Knees about to buckle, she wanted to run inside and leave the handsome Texas Ranger locked out on her stoop.

Bryce took off his hat, getting closer to the screen. He raised his hand toward the handle, but changed his mind at the last minute.

“I’m not sure what I can say. It was never my intention to use scare tactics to get you to listen to me. I wanted you to trust me before I had to tell you.”

“That was never going to happen. I can’t—won’t—trust anyone like that again. You’re wasting your time. Not to mention the taxpayers’ dollars.” She let the screen shut but didn’t make a move to close the inner door. Why was she was putting off the inevitable?

Maybe she didn’t want to leave. Or shoot, it really was because his concerned look crinkled the corner of his eyes. And he looked different without his glasses. Maybe that wasn’t concern and he just couldn’t focus.

Whatever the reason, he’d taken his hat off and his hair had a cute little flip where his hat had rested. He was seriously adorable-looking—whether guys liked to be thought of that way or not. And yes, she didn’t want to shut the door in his face.

“The gentlemanly thing for you to do is leave now.” She edged the door closed a little more.

“You’re right. Leaving would be polite. But right now, I’m a Texas Ranger...not a gentleman.”

The screen popped open and her reflexes moved her backward into the kitchen. He was through the door quickly, shutting it and turning the dead bolt. Once that was done he turned to her, hat in hand, bare-chested and terribly sunburned.

“You’ll forgive me, Kylie. I’ve got my orders and I need to make sure you’re clear on a few facts.” He gestured to the small table in the corner. She joined him. “You see, someone—we assume Tenoreno—is actively looking for you. His father is in jail awaiting trial for murdering his mother.”

“I heard. Don’t you think I keep up with them?”

“What you might not know is that we think Xander doesn’t want his father cleared. He’s taking over the family business. He also knows that we’re building a case against him. You can help strengthen the state’s case.” He leaned forward on his knees, slowly spinning that silly straw hat brim through his fingers.

“No. No. No. A thousand times no. I don’t have any evidence to help you. Don’t you think I tried that before the divorce? If I could have blackmailed him for my freedom, I would have.”

“The rumors aren’t true, then.” He totally looked the part of a workingman. Somebody who fixed things for a living. He’s not, she reminded herself, staying angry. He deceived her and all the residents of Hico.

“Does Mrs. Mackey know you’re a cop?” She placed both her feet flat on the ground and sat straight in her chair. She knew all about body language and she was being as inhospitable as possible.

“Not a cop.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Technicalities mostly. Honor. A code that’s hard to understand.” He set the hat on one knee and leaned back against the vinyl chair.

She understood all too well why he winced. It was the reason she wore a special UV-protected shirt with long sleeves. “I have some aloe that will help that burn.”

“I’ll be okay. If you wouldn’t mind answering a few questions about the Tenorenos—” He pulled free of the chair, gritting his teeth so hard the muscles jumped in his jaw.

“I’ll be right back.”

Summing up her options had become second nature. She hadn’t been spontaneous in five lonely years. It had taken over an hour to decide to ask Bryce to retrieve her pole saw.

Should she grab the handgun she’d hidden in the bathroom in case of a bad situation like this?

It should have already been decided. She’d weighed all the variables when she’d bought the gun and learned how to use it. If Bryce hadn’t been in the house, she’d be talking to herself, debating. But he was in the house and he’d most likely leave if she just asked.

That was the rub. She hadn’t asked.

Why? She was ready to move past living this way and had made the decision after she’d met him last week. That’s why. He was already part of an idea that would rescue her from her routine.

She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. The gun was in a hidden compartment behind a picture. It had taken her weeks to build it herself. The result was amateurish, but it was covered by a frame and no one knew about it.

Pulling the aloe from the cupboard, she longed to be brave or a little fearless. It had been quite a while since she’d felt like life was to be lived with reckless abandon.

“Get lost?” Bryce’s deep voice penetrated her body like a shock. He stood at the edge of the kitchen. He hadn’t followed.

Her breath caught in her throat like an air bubble or hiccup. Maybe it was more like trying not to cry. Whatever it was, she was uncertain and confused. There was no reason to automatically trust this man.

No reason to help him with answers about the Tenorenos or his sunburn.

Bottle of lotion in hand, she turned to his smiling pink face confident that she’d thought out her plan a thousand times and it was the right thing to do. She shoved the lotion into his chest. He caught it with one hand while the other held on to his hat.

“As much as I want to celebrate five years of freedom, I know that I’ll never be free from the Tenoreno family. I had hopes but nothing will change that. So I’d like you to leave, Bryce. Just go away.”

* * *

BRYCE HAD BEEN asked to leave. As a Texas Ranger, he should. As a man who had delivered news that clearly upset this woman...he couldn’t.

“You have no reason to trust me, Kylie.” He watched her chest rise, inhaling air to state her defense and pushed on before she could. “I do see why trusting anyone would be almost impossible. You asked me what the difference was between a cop and a Texas Ranger. We don’t have an agenda.”

“I’d still like you to leave and I think you have to now.”

“I’m not leaving until I explain.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.” She flattened against the wall.

Was she afraid? She should be. Her ex-husband was turning out to be as bad and deceptive as his father. “Xander Tenoreno lost the police detail this morning. There’s a chance he could be headed here.”

He wondered how Kylie had ever managed to fool anyone about her fake history. With every mention of her ex’s name she paled and practically became a different person. Her entire demeanor changed. Now was no different, her eyes darted to the bath, her hand rubbed her side—probably one of the bullet-wound scars.

“You told Xander so you could get me to do your bidding. You’re all the same. Out only for your own selfish interests—”

“Kylie!” He raised his voice and reached for her wrist.

A couple of seconds later, the bottle of lotion she’d given him went flying against the wall and he was lying on his back wondering how he’d been outmaneuvered.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I’ve done that in practice, but never... I didn’t mean to—oh, no.” Kylie knelt next to him alternating between a pat on his shoulder and his head.

“You’ve been taking...martial arts.” He needed a second to get his lungs working correctly.

“Aikido. It just sort of kicked in. I knew I was nervous. I guess I should have tried to calm down.” She covered her mouth. “Can you get up?”

“I think I’ll just wait here for a second.”

She smiled. It was worth being knocked to his back to see her relax enough to smile like that.

“You know, I never thought it would work. The moves are so practiced and mechanical. This is really sort of cool.”

“Tell that to my back.”

“I’m so sorry. Are you going to be okay?” Her touch was cooling to his burning skin.

“All but my pride. If that’s an auto response, I’d hate to see what you can do when you’re deliberately provoked.”

“I’d probably freeze in my tracks.” She looked comfortable. His knees would be screaming sitting bent like that.

“Is that why you have a gun stashed back there?”

“What? How did you know?”

“Your reaction.” He rose to one elbow. “The way you keep looking in that direction. You almost twitched.”

Her blond hair framed her face as she leaned forward. “I can see that I need to practice my self-control.”

“Well you sure as hell don’t need to practice throwing a man to the ground. That was more than a little embarrassing.”

“Part of aikido is to react without thinking. Defending yourself without giving away what you’re about to do. I’ve practiced during class, but there hasn’t been any reason to actually use it here in Hico.”

“Until now.” He stretched his back, confident everything was still in one piece. “I didn’t mean to make you feel threatened.”

“The only thing you did was reemphasize my reality. I was fooling myself thinking things would change.”

She was retreating again. Talking behind her hand, wrapping the other around her waist. He wasn’t going to let her demonstrate more aikido to make her feel better. He pulled himself to a sitting position and leaned against the wall.

“Can you hand me that lotion? Maybe rub some on my back and shoulders before I go?”

“Okay, guy from down the street, you’re definitely ready to leave.” She tossed the bottle to his gut.

He trapped it, squeezed some of the green goo on his palm and slapped his shoulder. “I really could use some help.”

“You managed to get burned all by yourself.”

“You’re joking, but the reason I’m burned is because I was trying to impress you.”

She scooted on her knees to be next to him, extending her hand. He swiped the lotion onto her fingers. She squirted a lot more across his shoulders, the sudden chill made him wince.

What a change a couple of minutes made. She’d been so frightened that she’d flipped him to his back with a defensive move and now she was rubbing aloe on his shoulders. She’d also gone from petrified to smiling.

“My research might have given an indication of who we were searching for, triggering someone else’s search. I trust everyone who I’m directly involved with in this case. But some parts of it are out of my control. I didn’t mean to lead your ex-husband to you.”

The light rubbing across his shoulders slowed for a second. Kylie spread the aloe, remaining silent behind him with her face and expressions hidden. He didn’t want her to be nervous again. He preferred her smiling. So did his back.

“Your aikido. That was a great move. What’s it called?”

“Aiki otoshi. It’s a blending drop. I like it because you don’t have to lift or flip your opponent.”

“I noticed that. You hit my knees together and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop the fall. You’re good. That wasn’t a beginner’s move.”

She moved away, replacing the cap to the lotion. “Keep it.”

“Even though I didn’t mean to put you in danger, I think you need to come with me, Kylie. We can keep you safe.”

They were sitting on the floor. She’d created a corner where she could see both doors, but was protected from anyone looking inside by the couch and walls. He noticed the mirrors strategically hung on the wall and one on a bookshelf.

Kylie Scott had a lot of precautions in place. She’d studied self-defense and probably was a crack shot with whatever weapon she had hidden in her bathroom. But it still wasn’t a match for a man with endless resources and contacts like her ex-husband.

“You didn’t see anything while you lived in the house? Is there any place he might keep important files?” he asked.

“I don’t mean to be insensitive, but didn’t the murders earlier this year get you inside that bleak mansion?”

“Only relating to the murders. The Tenorenos’ lawyers made certain of that.”

“Look, Bryce. I know you think you can protect me. You may really want to. But we both know it’s just not true. At some point you’ll have to walk away and I’ll be alone. I can’t worry about other people. I have to think about staying alive.”

“Come to Waco. Let the attorneys run some questions past you. We’ll keep it confidential. No one will know, but you might be able to help us shut down their operation.”

“Stop it. I wasn’t around their daily deals with lowlifes. When I stayed there I was kept from everything. No one helped me. Isabella was such a nice woman, but never on my side. It was her son one hundred percent.” Kylie stood and pointed toward the door.

“You don’t have to face this alone.” He got to his feet, making one last plea. “We can help you put him away for the murders of your friends.”

She covered her face with both hands. She looked up with determination, shaking her head.

“You said Xander wanted to take over the business. He doesn’t need to find me to do that. He never believed in divorce and couldn’t stand the idea that I would leave him. Plain and simple, as soon as I left him, he wanted me dead.”

Chapter Three

“I know she’s going to run. What do you want me to do about it?” Bryce had taken only enough time to change his clothes. The aloe on his shoulders helped the initial sting, but he should have worn a T-shirt. Now was not the time to be concerned about sunburn pain.

“Follow her,” Major Parker said firmly. “You’re certain she understands the consequences of rejecting our offer of protection?”

“Yes, sir.” He rubbed his lower back. “She thinks she can take care of herself.”

“It was good work finding her, Johnson. Real good work.”

“Thank you, sir.”

I just hope she doesn’t get killed.

Hico, Texas wasn’t large. It wasn’t even a medium-sized town. If Kylie Scott was headed out of town, she really was at a crossroads to head in any direction. She’d given him no indication where that might be.

Maybe he could rule out east to Waco. Northeast toward Fort Worth and an international airport? Northwest to Stephenville and too many small towns to name? Or southwest to Mexico? There wasn’t a warrant. No reason to detain her. No legal reason to keep her from running.

Whichever direction she decided, it would be today. He’d seen that look in her eyes. Panicked with a plan. She was leaving, all right. And it looked like her ride had just pulled up.

The old Chevy pickup stopped by Kylie’s house most afternoons. She worked two part-time jobs and the older man gave her rides. Bryce had met her at the Billy the Kid Museum downtown where she walked a mile to work three days a week.

The other job he’d heard about from Mrs. Mackey. Fred Snell drove her to ranches right outside town where she worked cleaning barns with teens who needed community service. Mrs. Mackey had elaborated that Kylie was a good listener.

This afternoon she looked like every afternoon she hitched a ride. Nothing more than a small backpack in her hand and a pair of work gloves. But he’d seen that look.

Fred backed up out of the driveway. Without a plan of what he was going to do, Bryce stepped off his porch and jogged to the street. He waved Fred over. Kylie glared at him, but rolled down the window.

“Hey, Kylie. Mr. Snell, I think Mrs. Mackey introduced us at the café last Wednesday. Nice to see you again.” The older gent bobbed his head. “I was wondering if you could use another hand.”

“What’s that? I’m a little hard of hearing.”

“He asked if he could come with us today.” Kylie shook her head.

Fred looked around her and squinted at the window. “Yeah, you’re Mackey’s handyman. We can always use another pair of young hands and a strong back. We’re clearing some brush out at the Childerses’s. Scoot over to the middle, Kylie.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea, Fred.” She looked from one man to the other. Bryce could tell she was scrambling for an excuse to not open the door. “He needs gloves and has a horrible sunburn. He might get sick from it.”

“Nonsense, Kylie. I have lots of extra gloves. You hand ’em out to the kids. Plenty of men work when their shoulders are red. Besides, you make us use sunscreen.” He nodded and the debate was over.

Kylie scooted while he opened the door. Her eyes shot daggers—no other way to describe it—into Bryce’s heart. He should be a dead man after those sharp points had stabbed him multiple times.

Fred stepped on the gas and the old truck chugged as loud as a train down Pecan Street. “Might as well leave that window down, son. AC went out in this thing back in ’79.”

There wasn’t much small talk between the roar of the engine and the wind blowing through the cab. He dropped his arm behind Kylie to make a little more room and ended up with an elbow in his ribs.

“Ouch. What was that for?”

“The least you could have done is left your gun at home. I’m surprised you’re not wearing a white hat since you’re trying to come to my rescue.” She wiggled on the old vinyl seat, trying to gain space between their hips.

“Now, Kylie, darlin’, I’m going to downshift in a few. Scoot back over to our new volunteer.” Fred kept his eyes straight ahead, one elbow out the window and one hand on the wheel.

One look at his upturned lips and anyone could tell he thought he was helping two lovebirds take flight. Fred hadn’t been exaggerating about shifting soon. They turned taking a road that was more dust than dirt.

Their driver rolled up his window and Bryce took the hint. It was better to sweat and be able to breathe.

“Want to take off your extra shirt?” he asked close to Kylie’s ear.

She shook her head and pulled the long-sleeve shirt closed at the neck. In the past two weeks he hadn’t seen her in short sleeves. Battle scars. She’d been shot four times in that drive-by.

They reached their destination and Bryce would have a hard time if he had to drive back by himself. His shirt was sticking to his skin. He winced when Kylie lightly patted him between his shoulders.

“Thanks for coming to help,” she said loudly.

Fred acknowledged and gave a wave to follow. Other cars and trucks were close by. A few young people milled around the corner of the house, coming to attention when Fred approached.

“I thought you worked with a couple of kids cleaning barns.”

“Today is special. A tornado came through the property in the spring and we need to clear it out. The Childers family has donated the wood to the teen group. They plan to sell it for firewood.”

“Know how to use a chain saw, son?” Fred asked from where three were being gassed up.

“Yes, sir. Grew up around them.”

“Grab a pair of gloves from behind the seat and come get a refresher. We don’t allow anyone who hasn’t graduated to use one.” He pointedly turned to the kid at his elbow and shook his head.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” Kylie threw her bag over her shoulder and pulled her gloves on.

She acted like running away was the furthest thing from her mind. No one would have guessed that she wasn’t moving through her life like normal. Her biggest worry at the moment seemed to be how they’d get all the wood back to town.

Xander Tenoreno was out there. No one was watching him. He could be meeting with a hired gun, sending one of his men or planning—yeah, he could be planning to take care of his ex-wife himself. Bryce had seen some of the gruesome results the Texas Mafia families had left in their wake. How could he convince her to come with him?

“Kylie, why don’t you take Bryce, Calvert and Martin on your team. Everybody clear on the rules?” Fred asked.

“What rules?” He nudged Kylie before she could walk too far away.

“The team that stacks the most wood wins a bunch of donations from the town. Daydreaming isn’t allowed...we want to win. Right, guys?”

“Whatever,” they both answered, clearly not excited.

“Martin, do you mind lugging this thing and taking Bryce to the worksite? I need to say hi to Mrs. Childers.”

“No prob.”

Bryce was torn. He needed to keep Kylie in sight. Whatever her plan, she wasn’t leaving without her shoulder bag. “Why don’t I carry this for you?”

“That’s all right. No need.”

“I insist.” He took it off her arm, playing a little tug-of-war until she let go.

“Fine.” She ran up the hill to the house joining a woman on the porch.

As much as he wanted to hear that conversation, he felt it was necessary to maintain his cover story with Kylie’s friends. If she announced he was a Texas Ranger...who would show up on her doorstep?

Then again, what if that was what the conversation was right at this moment?

* * *

“YOU’RE CERTAIN IT will be okay?” Kylie asked.

“Of course I am. I’ll explain everything to Richard later. He’ll take the grandkids in the four wheeler and catch Little Bit tomorrow. No big deal. They’ll have a blast.”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Lisa.”

“On the other hand, maybe you should tell me what’s wrong. You aren’t afraid of the tall and good-looking one over there. Are you? Is that what this is all about?”

“No. I don’t want to involve him.” She watched the last of the teams disappear into the trees.

“Well, maybe you should. He looks like someone who could fix a couple of problems.”

“Remember, we just talked about ordering pizza for the kids and getting water down the hill.”

“I’ll have Little Bit saddled and ready to go at four, but I don’t understand why you’re all set to visit the Turners. I could run you over in the car a lot faster.”

“I’ve been looking forward to my ride on Little Bit all week and I don’t want Fred to miss out on his pizza. So I’ll hop the fence and walk. I love to walk. Jan said she didn’t mind bringing me home.”

Kylie took a couple of steps away and realized this might be the last time she’d see Lisa. She ran back to the bottom step and threw her arms around the older woman’s neck. She never hugged, but the people in Hico had helped her in so many ways.

“I’m a better person for knowing you and all my friends here. You guys have been so good to me. Thanks.”

Lisa didn’t let go. “You’ve got me a little scared now, Kylie. What have you gotten yourself into?”

She’d practiced this laugh in the mirror a thousand times when she’d been modeling. Her carefree, nothing-in-the-world-matters laugh that she’d perfected came off beautifully. Five years and she could fake it with the best of them.

“Seriously, nothing’s wrong. I’m watching movies with Jan.”

“If something happens to you... Well, I’ll just never forgive myself.”

“Nothing will. Promise.” She skipped down the hill, horrified at the lies she’d told.

One of the things she hadn’t missed from her old life was liars and users. People who had hung around her, claiming to be her friends, but who just wanted a free ride. They told her whatever lies were convenient. She’d let them and didn’t care.

Not until four of them had died. One saving her life. Everything changed then.

Sissy really had died that night. She’d been a character invented out of necessity. Kylie was her real name. During those long days in the hospital, she had talked to herself in the mirror. Forcing her mind to reconnect to that real person.

Unable to attend the funerals of her friends... Scared that Xander would send someone to finish the job... Speaking only to her lawyer... She planned and prepared to run and hide. Leaving everything had been because of Xander. But leaving...that was all her idea.

She’d done it once when she’d signed on to become a model at the age of thirteen. Leaving the disaster of a life back then had been easy. Emancipation had been easy. Turning twenty-one and wheeling away from the hospital wasn’t hard. It had saved her life. She was sure of it.

But today would be the hardest thing she’d ever done.

It didn’t take long to catch up with the kids. “Hey slowpokes. I thought you’d be racing to get started. Once we finish this project, Bryce promised us all pizza.”

“I what?”

“Pizza. Remember?” She caught up with him, looped her arm through his and the bag hanging over his shoulder. “You don’t mind springing for pizza after all this hard work, do you? Or should I tell them that Rangers don’t make enough money to buy three or four pies?”

“Pizza it is.”

She broke apart from him, snagging her bag in the process. But she laughed and faked her way to the twisted trees. She plunged into the work, refusing to think of what was in store over the next few days.

Her map, compass, money and change of socks were with her. She’d had a moment of brilliance after Bryce had left. They’d be watching for her on every form of transportation. Xander might not know exactly how she looked now, but the people prosecuting his father did. They would trump up charges and arrest her. And he’d find her.

That was one thing she was certain about. There had already been one scandal this year about crooked state attorneys and politicians on the payroll of Paul Tenoreno.

“I don’t know what you’re planning, but you aren’t going to shake me.” Bryce walked up with a heavy-duty limb trimmer thingy.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Her tree was ready to be cut. She signaled Martin who could handle the chain saw. She dug her earplugs out of her pocket. “Do you have ear protection? No? You might want to work on the next tree, then.”

Bryce was angry. It showed in the way he chopped small limbs off and threw them into a pile. The kids then moved the brush to a larger pile that would be a bonfire later in the fall for their school. They worked. Hard.

Load after load of fireplace-size logs were added into a trailer that the ATV pulled up the hill. Richard was keeping track of how many were loaded by what team. Bryce was obviously in pain. Not from the physical labor—it was clear his muscles could handle that—it was the sunburn. His tight-fitting jeans didn’t help much either. He’d switched from little limb lopping to splitting wood with an ax.

“If you guys moved about six feet, I think you’d be in the shade.” She handed Bryce a bottle of water and lowered her voice, saying, “I think you could take off your shirt and stop rubbing your sunburn, too.”

“You were right about my holster not being empty,” he whispered back.

“I can stash it in my drawstring bag. It won’t be out of your sight.”

Did she have an ulterior motive? Not at first. She didn’t want to steal his gun. But... No. She wouldn’t steal his gun. Before she left, she’d hide it in the barn. It would be out of sight and out of reach of the two granddaughters.

“You might as well put your phone in here, too.” She blocked the view of him removing his weapon and placing it inside. “You can hear it if it rings.”

That would be hidden, too. Hopefully it would slow him down not to have his phone.

“Wait.” He shrugged out of his shirt. The light pink of that morning had turned a deep red. Small white spots—blisters—had formed from getting hot again. “The bag stays with me. You’re moving around. I’m staying put.”

Swinging the ax, he lodged it in a log and moved everything to the shade, taking her travel items and dropping them in his line of sight. Darn him. And it was almost time to go.

The last thing she wanted was to bring all these people into her problems. She couldn’t create a diversion without a lot of repercussions. How was she going to get out of this? She shook her head as it came to her. It was the perfect excuse to head back to the house.

She finished up the last tree. The kids and parent volunteers had been great. The heat wasn’t too bad since most of the area was still shaded. And in this little gully there was even a hint of a breeze.

I’m going to miss this so much.

But it was time to go.

No goodbyes. No tears. She set her tool near the watercooler and stuffed her gloves in the back pocket of her shorts. She’d need them later. She waited, aware of where everyone was located. As soon as a couple of the boys brought another piece of a large trunk for Bryce to split, she took them all cups of water from the cooler.

“Drink up, boys. You need to stay hydrated.”

“Thanks, Kylie,” they said between sips.

“I’m heading to the little girls’ room. So you fellows are on your own for a minute or two. Maybe even three.” She smiled. The smile that teen boys had fallen for so many years ago. She casually bent and retrieved her bag.

“I can watch that for you.” Bryce almost touched her arm but pulled it back to the ax handle. Probably remembering this morning’s toss to the floor.

“I need what’s inside. Understand?”

He nodded and those teenage boys sort of cringed. She giggled at her brilliance and waved to Richard for a lift.

The bathroom wasn’t a bad idea. She grabbed a couple of apples from the kitchen counter, a soda and two bottles of water. She couldn’t ask for them, so she left a five-dollar bill in the drawer.

With Bryce’s gun and phone well-hidden inside the barn, she grabbed Little Bit and walked her to the far side of the house. There would be lots of sunlight left when she reached the north fence. If Bryce tried to follow her, he’d have to drive half an hour to get to the road she was heading to that bordered the far side of the property.

She clicked to Little Bit and didn’t look back as she loped away.

Chapter Four

Bryce mentioned he needed a break. Everyone was exhausted so Fred called out quitting time. They all walked up the incline while Fred and Richard rode in the ATV.

He had a very bad feeling why Kylie had been gone so long. His gut told him she’d left, along with his service weapon and his phone.

“Dammit.”

“Something wrong?” Martin asked.

“Just slipped. These boots weren’t made for climbing.”

“Yeah, we noticed. But thanks for coming. You did a lot. You Kylie’s boyfriend now or something?”

“No. I live across the street. I’m helping Mrs. Mackey out for a while.” Might be longer if he’d lost his Sig to a runaway witness.

The kids gave each other fist bumps when they saw Mrs. Childers arrive with pizza boxes. It was a familiar scene. He’d grown up in a small community. There was just one thing notably wrong... Kylie wasn’t anywhere in sight.

For some reason, no one was overly concerned with her disappearance. That bugged him. Was he the only one not in on her planned escape? Did they already consider him the enemy?

The kids were sprawled across the porch cooling off. Proud of their work today, they were inhaling the pizza and soda. Richard and Fred were tallying the stacks of wood to determine which team won. Mrs. Childers and her granddaughters were bringing out cupcakes they’d made for the young people.

And Kylie was nowhere. Not in the house. Not waiting in the truck. Mrs. Childers shrugged and searched a little herself when he asked. Everywhere except the barn.

Still shirtless, because Kylie had taken that along with everything else, he cautiously walked through the barn’s double doors. Open, clean, neat. If he hadn’t been looking for something out of place, he’d never have caught the shirttail in the hayloft.

Wedged between a hay bale and the rafters, he pulled the shirt free and found his cell, badge and gun. Relief a hundred times over. No words could describe.

Since the gun was hidden, it meant that Kylie wasn’t missing...just trying to disappear. Everything in place and with his shirt on his back, he sought out Mrs. Childers for answers.

“Did you happen to drop Kylie off back in town?” He didn’t want to seem overanxious, but his insides started to grind like coffee beans.

“Well, if I had, I would have told you when you were looking for her earlier.” Lisa immediately turned her back to him but didn’t walk away.

“Funny thing about honest folks trying to lie. They don’t do it often enough to be good at it.” He stood next to her and took the empty pizza boxes from her grip, setting them on the porch swing. “You may not have taken her back to town, but you know what’s going on.”

“No.”

The worry in her eyes clued him in. She’d helped but had no details. “Mrs. Childers, I realize you’re friends with Kylie and you have no reason to trust me. I need to show you something.” He removed his badge and let her take a long look. “It’s important that everyone in town not know who I work for.”

“Then why tell me? Are you here to arrest Kylie? Because I won’t help you.”

“No, ma’am. It’s worse. I’m here to protect her.” Bryce put his badge away and leaned against the wall. He tried to be as casual as possible, attempting to gain any trust he could.

“If that’s true, then why would she leave?” She shook her head, one hand knotting in her apron still dusted with flour.

“She seems to be a very independent woman. Did you give her a ride?”

“No. And that’s the truth. She’s spending the night with Jan Turner and said she wanted to get to the northeast gate. The only way is on horseback. She said she’d leave the gear there and set Little Bit free. She wouldn’t tell me anything else except that it was important for her to leave without anyone knowing. Is she in danger?”

“Thanks. You’ve helped tremendously.” He took the porch steps two at a time.

“How are you going to find her?” Lisa asked behind him.

“With a lot of luck and crossed fingers.”

No local PD involvement. At least not yet. He had to try to locate her on his own. Oh, yeah. He could follow tracks. He was a Texas Ranger who had a knack for computers. But at his roots, he was a simple country boy who’d grown up hunting with his dad.

“Richard?” Lisa shouted from the porch. “Will the four-wheeler get back to the northeast quarter of the property?”

“There’s still too many downed trees,” Richard replied.

“Well, then help Bryce saddle up Tinkerbell. He needs to save Kylie.” Lisa’s voice held a slight tremor of worry.

“Save Kylie?” Richard asked, but got an elbow in his ribs from Fred. “Whatever you say, dear.”

Both men stopped what they were doing and moved to the barn. The one horse in the stall Bryce had seen earlier must be Tinkerbell.

He could approximate how long ago Kylie had left, but not how fast she could push the horse. There was also no way to know exactly how long it would take to catch up with her. The trees were thick in some parts and would make it hard to follow a trail.

“I can saddle her if you show me the tack,” he told the men as they entered the barn. He wanted both of these guys to know he wasn’t a novice.

“Doesn’t make me no never mind.” Richard mumbled and unlocked the storage room. “I’ve stayed married all these years by listening to Lisa. Doesn’t make any sense riding a horse where you can drive. I just do what I’m told.”

Fred snickered, clearly knowing something Bryce didn’t. Then again...

“I appreciate the help, but aren’t you guys curious as to why I need the horse?”

And there it was as plain as day turning to night. These honest men compressed their lips and dug the toes of their boots in the dirt.

“Did Mrs. Mackey tell you something about me?”

“Tell us what, son?” Fred asked as innocent as a five-year-old with his hand in a cookie jar.

“You know. And you want me on this horse pretty badly. In fact, I’d say you’re practically throwing me on it.” Bryce looked at the mare and had a bad feeling. “Give me your keys, Fred.”

“What’s that you’re saying?” Fred held his hand, cupping his ear.

“Go ahead, Fred. He won’t find her in the dark on his own and we’re certainly not going to help him.”

“I will not.” The older man took a step back.

Richard looped the lead rope over the stall’s gate and crossed his arms in defiance. “If we’re lucky, he might be stuck out there all night and she’ll get clean away.”

Bryce opened his palm, taking a step closer.

Fred dug deep in his jeans pocket for the set of keys. He held them in a tight fist, not forking them over. “Maybe I should drive? That old motor gets kind of cranky.”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll get there faster on my own.” Wherever there happened to be. “Pick it up at my place tomorrow.”

Fred tossed. Bryce caught and hit the dirt running. Already tired, he should have been drinking a gallon of water to rehydrate. A slight headache had begun. Not to mention the idiot burn he had thanks to Jesse’s suggestion of taking his shirt off.

He shifted the truck into High and skidded to a halt at the end of the long private driveway.

“Which way?”

His cell had no reception. No GPS. They might have counted on that. But he had the map he’d downloaded of the area. With details. Lots of details.

Kylie was headed to the northeast portion of Richard’s property. Why would she go there? He enlarged the map and knew...there was no road that passed from US 281 on the west side of the Richard’s place to County Road 238 on the east.

It would delay him to double back toward Hico and try to cut her off.

“Where will I find her?”

Had she made arrangements to be picked up on the country road? Was she just going to hoof it to the next town? It wasn’t an impossible idea. But a faster way to disappear would be to hitch a ride. And if she walked the county roads northwest, she’d hit Highway 67 with plenty of traffic.

Everything rested with him making a logical guess.

He turned right instead of left back to town and pushed the truck harder than it had been pushed in a while. It sputtered a bit, but got the job done. The cooler air of twilight passed through the open windows. When he turned again, he could smell hay and cattle.

Working around Mrs. Mackey’s house for the past couple of weeks had brought back a lot of memories. The third time he’d called his mom, she’d asked him what was wrong and had kidded him about being homesick.

Homesick? He couldn’t wait to leave his family’s acreage and pass on his riding lawn mower duties to his younger brothers. They’d all left the house and were spread out across the country now, settled with families or kids on the way. He rested his elbow on the door and tapped a drum solo on the old-fashioned vent window.

Darkness was slowly growing. The moon wouldn’t rise for quite a while so it might be harder to see someone walking in the fields. He’d taken the most direct route to the next county road Kylie might be on. He turned right again and kept the truck in second gear.

Reminiscing was fine, but his job was to find Kylie Scott. After he got her back to headquarters in Waco, he’d find out how Fred and Richard had known about his cover. The only person who supposedly knew was Mrs. Mackey. Why would she tell anyone?

It was dark enough that unless Kylie had a flashlight, he wouldn’t be able to see her. He continued along the road at a normal pace for the truck. How would he explain this wild situation to Major Parker?

If she disappeared again on his watch, he might not have to explain anything to anyone.

* * *

THE DAY HAD already been long and exhausting before Kylie had started traipsing through uneven fields in her tennis shoes. She couldn’t rush. There was no flashlight or even a penlight in her bag. And it was just her luck that tonight there wasn’t even a moon.

Hours after leaving the horse, her legs were cramping and she was thirstier than she’d ever been. And hot. There was no breeze to cool the sweat that dripped in buckets down her back. She’d pulled her color contacts and stowed them in her bag.

She’d avoided the roads, but kept them just to her left. No one had driven past her. Or at least she hadn’t heard any vehicles. The birds she’d come across had practically scared her senseless.

Each time she’d carefully squeezed between the strands of wire fence from one field to the other, her fingers were crossed that there wouldn’t be a bull or something more dangerous in her path. She pulled herself through the last pieces of barbed wire fencing and picked up her bag, straightening and stretching her back.

The hardest part of the hike was done. She could follow this road to the closest thing this area had to a highway—a two-lane blacktop. Then all she had to do was hitch a ride and she was...

She was what?

The word free kept trying to finish the sentence. But she wasn’t free. If she was free to choose where she wanted to live, it would be Hico. She’d never felt more at home in a community. They accepted that she didn’t talk about her time before living there. They really didn’t know anything about her.

At least not the previous her. The Sissy Jorgenson her. Such a fake. It had taken a while, but Sissy had been laid to rest with all the cool kids she’d hung out with.

Unfortunately, Sissy wouldn’t have had anything to do with Kylie Scott. And she wouldn’t have waited two weeks to have a fling with the guy across the street. One look at his body and Sissy would have been all over him.

Bryce was nice looking. He was also a Texas Ranger ready to take her back to Austin whether she liked it or not. It didn’t matter if she knew about the Tenoreno family business. The attorneys five years ago had offered her protection in exchange for information.

Did they really think she would have walked away so quickly if she’d known enough to put those men behind bars?

Blinding headlights popped on in front of her.

“I was just coming to look for you.” Bryce’s voice came from next to Fred’s truck. “You going to run again?”

“Mind shutting off the floodlights?” Kylie saw his silhouette lean through the window and everything got dark again.

With no place to go and no energy to run, she accepted the setback, but not defeat. Somehow, she’d get away from Bryce Johnson and get on with another new start.

“Want a ride?” he asked with an air of innocence.

“Yes, if you’re heading back to Hico.”

“It’s on the way to Waco.” He casually leaned against Fred’s pickup.

“How long have you been waiting?”

“At least an hour.” Bryce tapped the old green truck. “Did the horse throw you or something during your evening ride? Get turned around finding your friend’s house or the way back? I know you weren’t attempting to run away. Right?”

She didn’t need to answer. He was making fun of her so she glared at him, even though he couldn’t see the glare in the dark. She wrapped her arms around her bag, almost afraid he might arrest her on the spot.

“Are you as starved as me? Or did Lisa give you something before you left?” Bryce continued, fingers tapping out an unknown rhythm against the old metal truck.

“I’m actually starved. And parched. Any chance there’s a water bottle in there?” She leaned on the warm hood.

“Nope. But it’s not far to Hico.” He threw his thumb toward the cab. “We can get something to go.”

“Nothing is open at this time of night in our little town.” The sun had been down a long time. Too long for the hood to still be as warm as it was. “You must be a really lucky son of a gun to choose the exact road I was heading to.”

“I like to think of myself as a highly skilled Texas Ranger. Come on, get in.”

“Who had his gun and ID lifted by little ol’ me,” she mumbled.

“There’s no reason to get nasty.”

“I’ll admit defeat when you confess how you found me.”

“I had a map. Calculated your foot speed—they teach us things like that.”

“And how long have you really been here?”

“All right. I tried several roads before deciding on this one. Satisfied? I got lucky and saw something moving from the road over there. Been waiting about fifteen minutes.”

“So you guessed.”

“Pretty much.” He grinned.

The dark wasn’t pitch-black, even with no moon hanging overhead. She could see that he’d found his shirt from where she’d hidden it in the barn. That meant he’d found his gun, too. Bryce could force her to go with him. If he was a dirty cop he could make her disappear. Especially now that she’d told Lisa she had to leave town.

No one would be looking for her.

There was nothing she could do to prevent it. Not here. She had to get back to town, maybe show her face at the Stop-N-Get It. But her instincts told her that Bryce was legit. A good person who believed he was following the law and had her best interests at heart.

Right. That’s what they all say.

“If I keep walking down this road...” She threw her chin in the direction behind the truck. “Are you going to arrest me?”

“Don’t make me, Kylie.”

Her fingers were already wrapped around the handle. She was getting into the truck, she had little choice. But she didn’t have to like it. They both got inside and slammed their doors.

“You need someone to look out for your safety,” he said softly, reaching for the ignition key.

“No offense, but I think I was doing pretty good without you.”

Exhaustion like she hadn’t felt in five years hit her like a slow wave as soon as she sat down. It started in her shoulders and crept up her neck, then down her back. She hadn’t stopped and had barely slowed, holding a steady pace across those fields. And yet, Texas Ranger Bryce Johnson had been waiting on her.

Just dumb luck? Or was he really that skilled?

Chapter Five

As soon as Bryce had put the truck in gear, Kylie’s head sank against the window and she was asleep. Totally and deeply. The mumbles and sleep jerking couldn’t be faked. Not that well. A little twitch, then a jerk that should have awakened anyone who was dozing.

Exhaustion had overtaken her. He’d probably have to carry her inside her house when they arrived. As long as there weren’t any alarms. Get a grip. They weren’t staying.

A quick stop to grab water and clothes. That was it. He was taking her to Waco. Tonight. No waiting. No discussion.

The truck was much too noisy to hear the sleepy words escaping her lips. He couldn’t see her face, but could imagine the soft worried crease across her forehead. He’d watched her all afternoon. Had suspected that she was up to something and should never have let her leave—especially with his gun.

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