A Threat To His Family

Owen muttered his thanks and then nodded. “You’ll have to make a statement about Laney’s accusations.”

Emerson gave another of those weary sighs. “I’ll come by in the morning to do that, too.”

Owen was about to ask him to go ahead and do it now. That way, Laney couldn’t say that he’d given Emerson preferential treatment. Of course, she’d likely say that anyway. However, he didn’t even get a chance to bring it up because Kellan appeared in the doorway. One look at his brother’s face and Owen knew that something else was wrong.

“I just got off the phone with San Antonio PD,” Kellan said, looking not at Emerson or Owen but at Laney. “They found your assistant, Joe Henshaw.” Kellan paused. “He’s dead.”

Chapter Four (#u1e014114-cdc3-5a6c-8343-dd0e1f760962)

The shock felt to Laney like arctic ice covering her body. She blinked repeatedly—hoping she had misunderstood Kellan, that this was some kind of cop trick to unnerve her. But she knew from the look in his eyes that it was the truth.

“Oh, God.” That was all she managed to say. There wasn’t enough breath for her to add more, but the questions came immediately and started fighting their way through the veil of grief.

“How?” she mouthed.

Kellan’s forehead bunched up, but he spoke the words fast. “He was murdered. Two gunshot wounds to the chest. That’s all we know at this point because the ME has just started his examination.”

Murdered. Joe had been murdered. The grief came, washing over her and going bone-deep.

“Joe’s apartment had been ransacked,” Kellan added a moment later. “Someone was obviously looking for something.”

“Terrance,” Laney rasped, though first, she had to swallow hard. “Joe was looking for him, and Terrance could have done this.”

Since neither Owen or Kellan seemed surprised by that, she guessed they’d already come to the same conclusion. Good. If that snake was responsible, she wanted him to pay. But then if Terrance had killed Joe, he’d done it to get back at her.

She was responsible.

This time she wasn’t able to choke back the sob and Laney clamped onto her bottom lip to make sure there wasn’t another one. Sobs and tears wouldn’t help now. Not when she needed answers. Later, when Owen and Kellan weren’t around, she could fall apart.

“The San Antonio cops found him in his apartment,” Kellan went on. “It appears someone broke in and killed him when he stepped from the shower. No defensive wounds, so it happened fast.”

That last part was probably meant to comfort her. To let her know that Joe hadn’t suffered. But in that instant, he would have seen his attacker and known he was about to die.

And all because of her.

Joe had not only been looking for Terrance, he’d also been looking for the safe-deposit box with those pictures. Someone had killed him because he’d been following her orders.

Laney groped around behind her to locate the chair because she was afraid her legs were about to give way. Owen helped with that by taking hold of her arm to help her sit. He was studying her, maybe to gauge her reaction. That was when she glanced at Emerson, who was doing the same thing.

“I suppose you’ll say I had something to do with this, too?” Emerson snapped, his words ripe with anger.

Laney didn’t have a comeback. Couldn’t even manage a glare for taking a swipe at her when she’d been dealt such a hard blow. But then the swipe only confirmed for her exactly what kind of person Emerson was. Not the sterling, upstanding DA of Longview Ridge. A man who was capable of striking out like that could be capable of doing other things, too. Like cheating on his wife. Of course, it was a huge leap to go from that to murder, but Laney wasn’t taking him off her very short suspect list.

“Emerson,” Owen said, no anger in his voice, though there seemed to be a low warning, “come back tomorrow and I’ll take your statement.”

Owen got a slight jab, too, when Emerson flicked him an annoyed glance. However, the man finally turned and walked out. Kellan looked at Emerson. Then at Owen. Finally at her.

She had no idea what Kellan was thinking, but something passed between him and Owen. One of those unspoken conversations that siblings could have. Or rather, she supposed that was what it was. She’d never quite managed to have a relationship like that with Hadley.

“SAPD will want to talk to Laney tomorrow,” Kellan said to Owen. He checked his watch. “But it’s late. Why don’t you go ahead and take Laney to the ranch so you two can try to get some rest?”

Laney practically jumped to her feet. “No. I can’t go there. It could put Addie in danger.”

“We’re taking precautions,” Kellan assured her. “And I didn’t say to take you to Owen’s but rather the ranch. You can’t go back to Owen’s place because the CSIs are there processing the scene, but our grandparents’ house is in the center of the property. No one lives there on a regular basis, so it’s been kept up for company, seasonal ranch hands and such. Plus, it has a good security system. Addie, Francine, Gunnar and Jack are headed there now.”

Jack was Kellan and Owen’s brother. And he was also a marshal. Another lawman. But that didn’t mean Laney could trust him.

“What about your fiancée?” she asked Kellan. Laney knew her name was Gemma, and she’d met her several times. “She shouldn’t be alone at your place.”

“She won’t be. She’ll be going to my grandparents’ house, too. Eli’s taking her there.”

Eli was yet another brother and a Texas Ranger. So, she would be surrounded by Slater lawmen. Not exactly a comforting thought, but it could be worse. As Addie’s uncles, they’d do whatever it took to protect the baby.

“I’ll have two reserve deputies drive Owen and you, and once Eli and Jack are in place at the ranch, I can have them come back here to help with the investigation,” Kellan told them. “With Owen at our grandparents’ house, Addie won’t have to be away from her dad.”

Until he’d added that last part, Laney had been ready to outright refuse. She hadn’t wanted to do anything to put the child in more danger, or to separate father from child. Still, this was dangerous.

“There’s a gunman at large,” she reminded him. “If he comes after me again, I shouldn’t be anywhere near Addie, Gemma or Francine.”

Owen stared at her a moment. “Whoever sent that gunman could try to use Addie to get to you. They would have seen the way you reacted, the way you tried to protect her. They would know she’s your weak spot.”

Addie was indeed that. It had crushed Laney to think of the baby being hurt.

Owen dragged in a weary breath before he continued, “It’ll be easier to protect you both at the same time, and it’ll tie up fewer resources for Kellan. He needs all the help he can get here in the office to work the investigation and try to get a confession out of Rohan Gilley.”

She mentally went through what he was saying and hated that it made sense. Hated even more that she didn’t have a reasonable counterargument. She was exhausted, and it felt as if someone had clamped a fist around her heart. Still, Laney didn’t want to do anything else to hurt Owen’s precious little girl.

“I’m a PI,” Laney reminded Owen. Reminded herself, too. “I can arrange for my own security. I’ll be okay.”

She saw the anger flash in Owen’s eyes, which were the color of a fierce storm cloud. “I don’t need to remind you that your assistant is dead. Or that you’re in danger. So I’d rather you not add to this miserable night by lying to yourself. Or to me—again. When it comes to me, you’ve already met your quota of lies.”

This was more than a swipe like the one Emerson had given her. Much more. Not just because it was true but especially because it was coming from Owen. It drained what little fight she had left in her and that was why Laney didn’t argue any more when Owen gathered up his things and led her out the front door to a waiting cruiser.

Obviously, Kellan and Owen had been certain they could talk her into this. Which they had.

“This is Manuel Garcia and Amos Turner, the reserve deputies,” Owen said when he hurried Laney into the back seat with him. The deputies were in the front.

Laney recognized both of them. That was because whenever she was in town or dealing with the other ranchers, she’d kept her eyes and ears open. For all the good it’d done. Owen’s ranch had been attacked, Joe was dead and she was no closer to the truth than she had been when she’d lied her way into getting a job with Owen.

It would have been so easy to slip right into the grief, fear and regret. The trifecta of raw emotions was like a perfect storm closing in on her. But giving in to it would only lead to tears and a pity party, neither of which would help.

“I’m sorry,” she said to Owen. That might not help, either, but she had to start somewhere. “Believe me when I say I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

The interior of the cruiser was dimly lit, yet she could clearly see Owen’s eyes when he looked at her. Still storm gray. It was a different kind of intensity than what was usually there. When he’d looked at her before—before he’d known who she was and the lies she’d told him—there’d been...well, heat. Though he might not admit it, she’d certainly seen it.

And felt it.

Laney had dismissed it. Or rather she had just accepted it. After all, Owen was from the superior Slater gene pool, and the DNA had given him a face that hadn’t skimped on the good looks. The thick black hair, those piercing eyes, that mouth that looked capable of doing many pleasurable things.