Finger On The Trigger

Nowhere close to that. Rachel was only thirty-one. Since Griff was five years older, that’d been another reason Warren had wanted him to keep his distance from Rachel. It had been a big deal when she was just sixteen, but no longer seemed an obstacle. However, there were other obstacles now, including the fact that Rachel might never trust him again.

Griff continued to look around. So did Rachel, and because she was so quiet he heard the rhythm of her breathing change. For one heart-stopping moment, he thought it was because she’d seen someone lying in wait for them, but he soon figured out it was because the ranch had come into view.

He hated that this place was no longer a sanctuary for her. No longer a home. And he wondered if it ever would be again. Her mother would be getting out of the mental hospital soon, and it was entirely possible that Helen would file for a divorce. No one would fault her if she did. But that meant one of Rachel’s parents would almost certainly move.

Griff turned onto the ranch road and immediately spotted several hands near the gate. They opened it for him, and he drove through. As planned, Court turned around and headed back toward town. Griff kept watch in the rearview mirror to make sure the hands closed the gate behind them. They did.

Rachel eyed the main house and then Court’s place, which was just up the road. “Is Rayna living there now?” she asked.

Rayna Travers was Court’s girlfriend and likely soon to be his fiancée. “No. Not yet. She’s still living at her place.” A small horse ranch not far from there.

Rachel’s eyes widened. “She’s not alone, is she? Because the shooter could go there.”

He quickly shook his head. “She’s at a horse show in Dallas. I’m sure Court has someone watching out for her.”

In fact, there was no doubt in Griff’s mind about that. Court was clearly in love with Rayna and would take plenty of precautions to make sure she was safe. Ditto for taking those precautions for his sister. Both Court and Egan would work this case to make sure the danger ended fast. Griff just hoped it was fast enough that there wouldn’t be another attack.

“So far, Rayna hasn’t been included in the new threats we’ve been getting,” Griff added.

“We? You’ve been getting them, too?”

He nodded. “Court, Egan and your dad, as well. And your mom. Obviously, we haven’t let her know about that, and yes, we’ve alerted the hospital. Egan hired a private guard to watch her.”

The guard wasn’t only because of the new threats, though. It was because a month earlier someone had kidnapped the woman, and Egan and Court wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again.

A heavy sigh left Rachel’s mouth. “How bad are the threats?”

Bad. In fact, they still twisted away at him. And while he would have liked to have sheltered Rachel from knowing the exact words, he wouldn’t keep this from her. He’d learned his lesson about doing that. Besides, if he sugarcoated it, she might not take it as seriously as she should.

“The person who sent them wants Warren to suffer,” Griff answered. “He or she says Warren will watch his children die one by one until he has nothing left but misery in his life.”

Rachel shuddered and turned away from him. “Please tell me you have a suspect.”

“Too many of them,” he admitted. “Along with Alma Lawton, who could be connected to Whitney, there are plenty of criminals who’d like to get back at Warren for arresting them. We’re making our way through the case files now.”

But the investigation was moving at a snail’s pace since they were basically having to use the looking-for-a-needle-in-a-haystack approach. Because it might not be an actual convicted criminal who was doing this, but rather someone connected to a person who Warren had managed to convict. Warren had made more enemies than friends during his long reign as the sheriff of McCall Canyon. He’d made an ample share of enemies in his business dealings, too. So, yeah, definitely slow going.

Rachel looked up at the house when Griff pulled to a stop in front of it. The porch lights were on, and Griff spotted one of the hands in a truck parked in the side driveway.

“You know the drill,” Griff reminded her. “Move fast.”

She did. Rachel got out of the cruiser and hurried up the porch steps, but the door opened before they reached it. Griff automatically went for his gun, but it was only Ruby, the McCalls’ longtime cook and housekeeper. The woman was more family than employee, and immediately pulled Rachel into a hug.

“I’m so glad you’re home,” Ruby whispered to her.

Griff hated to cut the reunion short, but he didn’t want Rachel out in the open any longer than necessary. That’s why he took both women by the arm and maneuvered them inside.

“Are you all right?” Ruby asked, pushing Rachel’s hair from her face. “Egan called and said there’d been some more trouble. I figured we’d already had enough of that.”

“We have,” Rachel assured her. “And I’m fine.”

No, she wasn’t. She looked ready to collapse, and Ruby must have noticed.

“Should I do anything special to be certain that she stays safe?” Ruby asked Griff.

“Make sure all the windows and doors are locked and set the security system. I’ll call the head ranch hand and see where he has guards posted.” Griff took out his phone to do that, but Rachel’s cell rang.

She sucked in her breath when she saw the screen, so Griff knew this was important. He went to her and saw the name.

Warren.

Rachel’s hand was trembling when she pressed the button to put it on speaker. “Where are you?” she snapped.

“Rachel?” It was Warren all right, but he sounded groggy or something. “Is that you?”

“Of course it’s me. You called my phone, remember?”

“What?” Warren mumbled something else that Griff didn’t catch. “Are you all right?”

“No, I’m not,” she answered, her tone edged with anger. “Are you in Silver Creek? And did you attack Griff and me tonight?”

Griff expected Warren to jump to deny that last question. He didn’t. Instead, Warren groaned. “Someone tried to hurt you,” he said, but he slurred his words, making Griff wonder if the man was drunk.

“No, someone tried to kill me. Was it you?” Rachel demanded, her voice much louder than before.

“God, Rachel.” Warren groaned again. “I’m so sorry. But I just don’t know.”

Chapter Five (#uf810f83e-bb69-5a7e-9dfa-4dca5ed3d3c6)

Rachel paced across the living room of the ranch house, each time checking out the huge bay window as she walked past it. There was no sign of Egan or her father yet, but according to Egan’s last text, they should be here any minute.

Maybe then she could get answers.

Answers that she certainly hadn’t gotten the night before, when her father had called her. He’d sounded disoriented, maybe even drunk, but she’d never witnessed him having more than a beer or two. Certainly not enough alcohol to make him forget where he was. Or if he’d had something to do with the attacks.

She heard Griff’s footsteps, but even before she could see him, he grumbled out a warning. Probably because he heard her footsteps, too. “The pacing won’t help. They’ll get here just as fast if you’re sitting.”

Yes, but there was no way she could sit with all this restless energy inside her.

Griff came from the direction of the kitchen, carrying two mugs. She could tell from the smell that one was the strong coffee he favored. The other was her usual tea, which he handed to her.

“Ruby fixed it,” Griff added, “so it should be good.”

Rachel had a sip, nodded. It was exactly the way she liked it, and she made a mental note to thank Ruby the next time the woman came in to check on her. Which would no doubt be very soon. Ruby had been making those checks ever since Griff and she had arrived at the ranch the night before, and the frequency had increased in the past hour, since Egan’s text.

“I talked to Court a couple of minutes ago,” Griff said. “Your father is more lucid this morning.”

“But?” Rachel definitely heard the uncertainty in his voice.