CHAPTER SEVEN
HENRY DROVE HER back to her house as the sky deepened to twilight. He walked her to the door and stepped inside. It didn’t take him long to make sure that Barnes hadn’t already broken in and was waiting for her.
Back outside, he walked quickly to his car and drove away. He hadn’t noticed anyone loitering in the area, but he also had made a point not to look too hard. He wanted Barnes to think it was safe for him to make his move. The sooner this ended, the better for all of them.
Six blocks away, after making sure he hadn’t been followed, he pulled over and parked. His Glock was strapped on under his big winter coat. He climbed out and wove his way through her neighborhood, this time looking for Barnes. He didn’t expect to see him.
Billie Dee was convinced just as he was that Barnes would strike in the dead of night. He would want the advantage of surprise. He would also want the darkness to help him make a clean getaway. The man was a cold-blooded killer and vindictive as hell, but he wasn’t suicidal. He’d already taken care of one marshal—and filed harassment charges because the feds had been following him when he got out of prison.
Under normal circumstances, local law enforcement would be notified that Barnes was in Gilt Edge and a danger to one of its citizens. But since the sheriff’s brother and sister were her employers, Henry had guessed that Billie Dee didn’t want Flint knowing. Not that his friend in the Justice Department wanted the local sheriff involved, either.
The program already had a black eye after Barnes had gotten to Billie Dee at the safe house. The last thing the Justice Department wanted was this turning into a media circus. If anything happened to Billie Dee... That was when his friend had called, glad that Henry was living just miles from where Billie Dee was working. The Justice Department had known for months that Gary Barnes might be getting out of prison. They had feared Billie Dee would run if she knew.
So Henry had made a point of getting to know her. What he hadn’t expected was that he’d fall in love the way he had. But the woman was warm and funny, sweet and loving, and she could cook. He had felt himself coming back to life just being around her. And all the while, Gary Barnes had been hanging over their heads.
If all went well, no one would ever know what was going to happen here. If it didn’t...well, then everyone would know because he and Billie Dee would be dead.
As he neared the back of her house, he slowed. Last night’s snowfall gave him the advantage of knowing if anyone had been sneaking around the house. Or if anyone might be in the backyard.
Keeping to the growing darkness of the pines, he advanced on the house looking for tracks. There were none—other than his own—and there was no way to hide them. He went to the back, pretended to check the electric meter under the eave, then stepped to the back door. Up the steps and back down. Then he went around the opposite side of the house as far as one of the pine trees that had the least amount of snow under it.
Backtracking to the rear door, he hoped to at least confuse Barnes if he noticed the tracks. He would hopefully not think too much of them since he was more than aware there had been a US marshal watching the house.
Henry tapped and Billie Dee quickly opened the door and let him in. “No problems?” She shook her head. He could see that she was nervous. “Well, we’re in for the night,” he said as he shrugged off his jacket.
* * *
HENRY’S PLAN WAS SIMPLE. “He’ll want to get you alone, which is good since you don’t want him coming to the saloon and involving anyone else. So the best thing we can do is go back to your house and wait for Barnes to make his move.”
Billie Dee still didn’t like Henry being involved. But seeing his holstered gun and the way he carried himself, she had no doubt that the man knew what he was doing. She felt herself relax a little. Still, when she thought of Gary Barnes her blood ran cold.
“I have something for you,” Henry said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun. “You said you know how to use it, right?” She nodded and took the weapon. “It’s loaded and ready to fire.” He met her gaze. “Do you think you can kill him if you have to?”
“To save myself, probably. To save you, most definitely.”
Henry smiled at that. “I’m going to lie low, but I want you to do what you usually do. I want him to think you’re not worried. I want him to be cocky and make the first mistake. So I’m assuming that you cook here as well as the saloon.”
“How did you know that?” she asked, surprised.
“Because it’s what you do. It’s what you enjoy.”
She nodded. “How about fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, greens and—”
He held up a hand. “I’m going to need to be able to waddle at least later if Barnes hits the house tonight.”
“I’m not hungry either, but you were right. I need to cook.”
“Go for it. I’m going to make sure that all the windows and doors are locked. If you need me—”
“Oh, I’ll holler—don’t worry.” She went to work.
* * *
AS HE MOVED through the house, Henry listened to Billie Dee singing in the kitchen. The song didn’t have her usual cheerfulness in it, but she was making an attempt at normal. His heart swelled with love for the woman. He could smell chicken frying and marveled at what an amazing cook she was. His boys would love that about her.
He thought of Tom and C.J. and felt his chest constrict. He had to be on his game tonight and not just for Billie Dee and the future he was planning with her. His sons and daughter needed him. Maybe one day, he and Billie Dee would be grandparents.
That thought startled him a little. He didn’t know if she had children. If she’d ever been married. If she had family somewhere.
Telling himself there would be time for all that, he moved through the house as darkness closed in around it. Barnes would come like a thief in the night. But where would he strike first? And would he come alone?
That was what Henry tried to figure out as Billie Dee began to sing “Amazing Grace” in the kitchen. It was one of his favorite songs. He stopped for a moment to listen. The sound of shattering glass at the back of the house was quickly followed by Billie Dee’s scream.
Before he could move, the window next to him shattered. He spun around, pulling his weapon as he did, but he wasn’t quite quick enough. The brick caught him in the temple.