17
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“Jesus Christ,” Wolfe groaned roughly.
Reagan knew just how he felt.
Every damn time they heard Amy’s story, it was as horrific as the first time.
“Son of a bitch,” Gage growled, pushing open the screen door and stepping outside.
Reagan didn’t move from her spot beside Amy; she didn’t let go of the woman’s hand. She hated that Amy had to continue to go through this over and over. It was bullshit and they all knew it. What they should’ve been doing was getting that bastard to show his face. Get him to come out on the Caine property, where they could rightfully take care of him once and for all.
Except that wasn’t the right thing to do, even if it was what everyone was thinking.
This bastard was crazy.
“And the night the detective came out?” Madison inquired, still all business. “She was in a fatal crash?”
“That’s correct,” Rhys told her, his gaze set somewhere outside through the large pane window. Reagan figured he was trying to erase the mental images now swarming his head, the hell Amy had been through at the hands of a madman.
“And someone tried to break into Amy’s house,” Lynx noted. “Reagan was there. Alone.”
Yeah, she tried not to think about that one. Every time she did, she wondered what would’ve happened if that asshole had come into the house. She would’ve shot first and asked questions later, she knew that much. That was what her daddy had taught her to do. If they came into the house uninvited, they knew the consequences.
However, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t have to deal with the repercussions of her actions. Protecting herself was one thing; the thought of actually shooting someone was entirely different. And not something she wanted to dwell on.
“And then the bar?” Madison continued to watch Rhys. “Do you have any leads on that one?”
Rhys raised an eyebrow and pinned her with an angry glare.
“You know assumptions won’t hold up in court,” she stated in that business-like tone she’d held on to since she’d arrived.
“No, they won’t.” Rhys dropped his eyes to the floor. “And no, we don’t have any solid evidence that leads back to him. We have ruled out other suspects though.”
“Other suspects?” Reagan asked, curious as to who they thought would do something so vile.
Rhys nodded. “Dean brought in Billy and the guy from the bar. His name’s Tommy.”
Reagan shook her head in disbelief. Sure, she might’ve considered the guy from the bar had locked them inside, but not once had she thought he had blown up the bar. And Billy… He was an asshole but not a murderer.
“Oh, come on,” she said, letting her disbelief ring through. “I turned him down. I’m not exactly worth killing over.”
Reagan watched her brother, noticed the way his eyes darted over to Lynx. She peered up to see him staring at her. The look on his face said she was way off base on that one.
Waving him off, Reagan leaned forward, releasing Amy’s hand for the first time. “So what now? You know the story. This guy should be spendin’ the rest of his life in prison with a cell mate named Bubba.”
“It seems clear to me that this guy is workin’ alone. He’s not gonna hire someone to do his dirty work,” Madison stated. “Which means we’re gonna have to get him to show his hand.”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
Madison cocked one eyebrow at Rhys, then smiled. “Without you here.”
“What?” Rhys frowned.
“You’re the sheriff,” she stated. “And although the plan is to get this guy arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder, I can’t promise you it’ll be aboveboard all the way.”
Lynx grinned. “I like this woman already.”
The screen door opened and Gage stepped inside. Travis instantly moved toward him and Reagan watched as the two men shared a moment. It was clear by their simple body language that they loved each other. In fact, it was so powerful Reagan had to look away.
“I just got off the phone with RT,” Gage announced. “Sniper 1 Security will be sendin’ someone down to Houston to keep an eye on this guy. At least we’ll know where he is for the time being.” Gage peered at Amy. “It won’t make this any better yet. But it’ll at least give us time to put a plan together.”
Amy nodded.
Reagan had to wonder why they hadn’t done that in the first place.
“And again, it’s important that the Adorite name get around,” Travis clarified. “They believe that this will draw him out, make him curious.”
Everyone seemed to be tossing that one around mentally, trying to figure out how it would work. Reagan had never heard of the Adorites, or the Southern Boy Mafia. She wasn’t sure how it was supposed to lure the police chief out of his jurisdiction. But what did she know.
“What if it simply stalls him out?” Lynx questioned. “If he thinks somethin’s goin’ on, he’ll lie low for a while. How does that help us?”
“It doesn’t,” Gage responded. “However, we need time to put a plan in place. Without him here.”
Lynx didn’t seem impressed with the response, but he didn’t say anything in return.
“What about the agents already planted here?” Wolfe inquired.
“They’ll remain here. All eyes are on Amy.” Gage nodded toward her. “They aren’t gonna let this bastard get close again.”
Reagan felt a little relief knowing that they would be keeping tabs on this guy. As much as she wanted this to be over with, she wanted to get her life back to normal. And that required not having to look over her shoulder every second of the day. No, she wasn’t this guy’s target, but it appeared he didn’t care who was collateral damage, and that meant they were all in the line of fire.
At least now, maybe they could relax a little.
Her eyes cut over to Lynx, who was staring back at her.
Then again, relax might no longer be a word in her vocabulary.
Lynx waited until Reagan went outside before he cornered Wolfe, Rhys, Travis, and Gage.
He glanced at each face. “I thought Amy was gonna go public.”
Travis shook his head. “Not yet. It’ll draw too much attention and only drag things out.”
“Drag them out how?” he asked.
“Once this hits the news, people will be all over him. And Amy. We need to lie low for a bit, see what his next step is.”
Lynx looked to Rhys and Wolfe, wanting to know if they were all right with this.
They both nodded in agreement.
“I want eyes on Reagan’s house then,” he demanded. “At all times.”
“Understood,” Rhys stated.
“When she’s there and when she’s not,” Lynx continued. “While everyone’s lookin’ out for Amy, I don’t want Reagan caught in the crossfire.”
Lynx didn’t give a shit that he’d gone territorial on the woman. He was going to protect her. Earlier, when she’d mentioned that she wasn’t worth killing for, the woman had been crazy. Lynx would take down anyone and everyone if it meant keeping her safe.
“Understood,” Travis said, glancing between Lynx and Rhys.
Lynx nodded, then turned to watch as Reagan stepped back through the door. Her eyes met his.
“If you need anything, you know how to get ahold of me,” Lynx told Rhys before moving over to Reagan. “You okay?”
She nodded, her eyes studying his face momentarily. “You really don’t mind if I borrow your truck for a little while?”
“Not at all.” He pulled the key from his pocket and handed it over to her.
“Do you want me to take you to your dad’s?” she offered.
“I’ll have Wolfe drop me off. Thanks though.”
She nodded, but her eyes didn’t hold his gaze for long. “I need to get home and take care of some stuff. I’ll talk to you later?”
He smiled. “You can bet on it.”
This time Reagan smiled and it seemed less forced than before. “Thank you again.”
“Any time.” And he meant that.
“Hey, old man!” Lynx called out to his father when he stepped inside the house an hour later.
“Kid,” Cooter grumbled, sounding as though Lynx had woken him from his nap.
“I need to borrow your truck,” he announced when he joined his dad in the living room.
Sure enough, Cooter was leaning back in his recliner, the television muted.
“You know where the keys are,” he replied.
“I remember back when I was sixteen and I asked to borrow that truck,” Lynx teased. The ’65 Chevy was his dad’s prized possession. He wasn’t keen on letting anyone drive it. “Or what about the time I snuck it outta the garage?” Lynx had made it almost to the road before his father had stopped him on their riding lawnmower of all things.
“Yeah, don’t remind me or I might change my mind.” The recliner shifted upright.
“I’m gonna need it for a few days.”
Cooter nodded, then reached over to pet Copenhagen when the dog ambled up to him. “Somethin’ wrong with yours?”
“Nope. I let Reagan borrow it.”
This time his father looked his way, his eyes questioning. “She doin’ all right?”
“Fine. Her truck was damaged durin’ the fire at the bar, apparently. I’m havin’ it sent down to Roy’s. See if they can get it up and runnin’.” Lynx left off the fact that the truck was pretty much toast. He was still hoping for the best. For Reagan’s sake.
Cooter turned. “Somethin’ goin’ on with you and Reagan?”
Lynx automatically shook his head.
“You sure ’bout that?”
“I’m sure.” It wasn’t a lie. There wasn’t anything going on with him and Reagan. Not yet anyway.
“That divorce final?”
“Almost.” Come tomorrow, he would be free and clear.
“Tammy stopped by here this mornin’,” Cooter informed him.
Lynx sighed. He should’ve known. She’d probably stopped by after Lynx had sent her on her way.
“She said you had a girlfriend.”
Great. He knew one day his big mouth would come back to bite him in the ass.
“I don’t have a girlfriend, Dad.”
“No?”
Lynx shook his head. “We’re just friends. And Dad, please don’t talk to Tammy.”
Cooter grinned. “She’s a nice girl. Got her priorities all mixed up, sure. But a nice kid.”
Priorities being her need to lie about being pregnant to get him to marry her in the first place. Or to fuck other men while they were married.
It wasn’t that Lynx even gave a shit about it. He didn’t care if she screwed every ranch hand who worked in Embers Ridge. He never should’ve married her in the first place, and no one regretted his actions more than he did. Had she really been pregnant, Lynx could’ve and would’ve been a good dad regardless.
“You be careful with Reagan,” Cooter stated, his eyes locked with Lynx’s.
“I will.”
“That girl’s been through enough shit already.”
“Trust me, I know that.”
“And she’s always had a thing for you, Lynx. If this ain’t real, don’t lead her on.”
Lynx paused for a minute, staring at his father. He wanted so badly to tell him that it was real, that, in fact, it was everything. However, Lynx had been down this road before. He’d defended himself when he had up and married Tammy, and look where that had gotten him.
“I know you care about her,” Cooter continued.
Lynx didn’t respond. He couldn’t.
“It’s obvious to anyone with eyes. Especially these past few weeks.”
He offered his dad a one-shoulder shrug.
“Be careful with her,” his father repeated.
“I will,” he said softly.
It was Cooter’s turn to nod, and thankfully, that meant the subject was closed.
For now.