Her Heart-Stealing Cowboys [Hellfire Ranch 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (36 page)

“Knock it off, Tag,” she muttered.

Van Sisk glared but remained silent.

Neither Tag nor Boone seemed perturbed. They started to walk away but Rebecca stepped forward.

“You have to uncuff him.”

“No, I don’t,” Tag said.

“Yes, you do. Every single step is being monitored, remember? This is still a live investigation into Fischer’s death. Just because you have him doesn’t mean you can start ignoring the rules. He gets the same treatment as everyone else. Innocent until proven guilty.”

Shock flashed over Tag’s face and Boone groaned.

“What the hell, Bex? You know as well as I do he’s guilty.”

“Yes, but we’ve done all we can to gather the evidence. Now we hope the court agrees with us. But in the meantime, take off his cuffs. Let him make his phone call. Get him into clean clothes and a hot meal if he wants it.”

Tag’s emerald gaze sparked angrily for a moment before he sighed and his shoulders sagged. “Are you going to be a know-it-all for the rest of our lives?”

She blinked a couple of times. Boone reached over and closed her mouth with an audible click.

“Come on, kids, let’s take this to the outer office.
After
you take off the cuffs,” he reminded Tag.

“Yeah, yeah.”

He walked into the cell and freed Van Sisk.

She saw the tension threading Tag’s shoulders.

“You made several mistakes, Van Sisk,” he said.

“Tag,” she said warningly.

He lifted a palm. “Fischer was an ass and he didn’t deserve to die but he was a part of this whole mess so I suspect he knew the risks.” Tag shifted a half step closer.

Boone headed for the cell but Rebecca caught his arm. “Wait.”

“I get that you’re a lowlife son-of-a-bitch who doesn’t give a shit for anything other than your bottom line. But what I don’t get?” Tag’s hands fisted. He took a step backward. “What I don’t get is how you could beat a sweet old lady senseless and leave her for dead.”

Van Sisk’s head jerked up. It was the first reaction he’d made since being pushed into the cell. “She’s alive?”

“No thanks to you,” Tag spat.

Relief and regret mixed on the man’s face. “I’m glad,” he said softly. “I didn’t want to kill her but a job is a job, right?”

Tag spun on his boot and stomped from the cell. He slammed the door shut and clicked the lock.

“Van Sisk, when you’re ready to make that call, let me know,” Tag said. His tone was even and professional.

The man didn’t reply as he sank onto the cot. He stared blindly at the ground.

Tag grabbed her hand and pulled her with him into the outer office. He slammed the heavy iron door shut then leaned back and breathed harshly.

Rebecca moved into his arms to hold him close. His heart pounded hard against her chest and she felt the tremors he was trying to hold at bay.

“I’m proud of you,” she whispered.

He stroked her hair then rested his cheek against her head. “Why’s that, Bex?”

“You didn’t even accidentally knock him down.”

Tag’s rusty chuckle rattled her jaw.

“She’s got a point,” Boone said. “You did good, Tag.”

“I’ll just be glad when you guys get him out of my jail.”

She understood that. No one wanted a repeat of what happened to Fischer.

“I’m waiting for a secure vehicle to arrive then I’ll haul his sorry ass down to Austin,” Boone said. “Tag, have you heard from Masters yet? He’s riding shotgun on this one.”

“Uh, Ranger Masters called about twenty minutes ago. He said he’ll be here by two.”

“Good.” Tag scrubbed his palm over his face. He looked tired. No, more than tired, he looked worn out.

Her maternal instincts stirred and she looked at Boone. “Can you and Deputy Stewart handle the transfer without Tag?”

“No,” Tag answered for them. “It’s my district and my prisoner. Before you argue, think about what we’ve been talking about. Not a step out of place. Leaving my brand-new deputy to take care of this prisoner transfer would leave a loophole open not even you could close.”

She huffed but knew he was right.

“Why don’t you and Wade go home? I’ll be along as soon as Van Sisk is gone.”

“No,” she said.

Wade echoed her firm statement.

Tag rolled his eyes at both of them.

The phone rang and Stewart answered it. “Sheriff, it’s Doc Mayers.”

“Put it through to my office,” he said. Tag tapped her on the nose. “At least sit down and relax. Or go wander the Hex. Something.”

She shooed him away and walked to Wade. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore and tired. Tag wants me to go to the hospital but it’s just a little flesh wound.”

She snorted. “You got hit by a bullet. That’s neither little nor something to ignore.”

“Let’s keep an eye on it. I promise if it gets any worse, I’ll go to Methodist.”

Rebecca wanted to push him to getting checked out but she also battled her inner need to take him and Tag home and lavish them with a night full of cuddling.

“All right, I’ll hold you to that,” she told him.

Just as Tag emerged from his office, the outer door opened. Rebecca sucked in an appreciative breath at the tall man who stepped inside. He was easily over six feet, but not quite as tall as Tag. He had the wide shoulders of a football player without any extra padding.

“Rebecca,” Wade nudged her.

“Hm?”

“Breathe. And quit staring. You’re going to give him a complex.”

The chisel-jawed man at the front must have heard because he flashed a dazzling white smile. When he took off his mirrored sunglasses, she gasped at the beauty of his ice-blue eyes.

“Good afternoon.”

His deep baritone held a Texas drawl as long as any she’d heard so far.

Tag’s big body pressed against her back just as Wade took possessive hold of her hand. Rebecca shook herself from the stupor that grabbed her and cleared her throat. “Sorry,” she said.

Boone stepped into the fracas. “Gideon. You been going to a tanning bed, son? You look more Cherokee than I am.”

Gideon Masters gave a rolling laugh. “Don’t worry, Boone. I’d never try to steal your mojo.”

“Good thing, too.”

Gideon strode closer. “Tag,” he said and held out his hand.

Rebecca noted the neutral tone of his voice. The Texas Ranger didn’t sound afraid, just wary.

Tag reached around and grabbed the man’s hand. “Gideon. Damn, it’s been too long.” He moved out from behind Rebecca and pulled the man into a back-slapping bear hug.

Rebecca smothered a laugh at the wide-eyed shock on Gideon’s face but she noticed it morphed into delight. His palms slapped at Tag’s wide back before he pulled away.

“Who is this lovely lady?” he asked when Tag released him.

“Rebecca Lyons,” she said and held out her hand.

He took it and to her delight bent over and brushed a soft kiss over the back. “Enchanté.”

“Oh, brother,” Wade muttered.

Rebecca winked at him. “Don’t knock it, Wade. Manners are very sexy.”

Gideon choked and stepped back hastily.

Tag’s laugh boomed around her. “Don’t worry, Gideon. She’s taken.”

“She is?” The Ranger looked at her with relief. “I mean, what shame.”

Boone clapped him on the shoulder. “This guy is twice as bad as I’ve ever been, Rebecca. A born flirt and a fast runner.”

“Sounds like a perfect match for Samantha,” Wade murmured.

Boone’s face pulled into a dark frown and Rebecca lifted a brow.
That’s an interesting look.
She’d have to grill him about it when he returned from Austin.

“Tag, you have everything ready for the transfer?” Boone asked.

“Yep. Come in to my office. I’ll need your signatures on a few places.”

Gideon groaned. “Man, I hate paperwork.”

Tag grinned. “I know.”

They moved into his office and Wade nudged her again. He looked worried.

“Don’t get your boxers in a knot,” she told him. “I can appreciate eye candy just as much as the next girl without having to buy any.”

“Huh?”

She jerked her head toward Tag’s office. “Gideon Masters.”

Wade shrugged. “He gets that almost as much as Boone. It’s no big deal.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Wade crowded her personal space into oblivion.

His serious expression notched her tension up a little more. “Wade, what is it?”

“This will all be over in a few minutes. Van Sisk will be gone.”

Realization hit her. She smiled and cupped his jaw then rose on tip toe and kissed him lightly. “But I won’t be.”

His fingers trembled when he stroked her cheek. “How long will you stay?”

She didn’t know how to answer that.
Forever
trembled on the tip of her tongue but she didn’t want to take anything for granted. They’d spent the last week in a haze of surrealism. What would happen when their worlds went back to normal?

Not to mention she had her practice in Boston to deal with. What would Deidre do for a job? Would she move down here?

The thoughts tumbled over and over in her head but the only thing she could do was smile and kiss Wade again.

She heard Deputy Stewart cough.

“Can it, Stewart,” Wade said and pulled her close.

“The FBI car is here,” he said.

Rebecca pulled away. “Right.”

Tag, Boone, and Gideon emerged from the sheriff’s office just as the two black-suited agents walked into the building. Boone strode up the aisle and greeted them. The conversation was low and intense. Rebecca caught snippets but they were enough to make her shiver.

The FBI considered Allen Van Sisk a vital component of their on-going investigation. She knew that probably meant any charges against him for Fischer’s murder and Sadie’s assault were going to be pending for a very long time.

She wondered how Tag was taking it.

The big lawman didn’t say much as Boone and Gideon ventured into the back and returned a moment later with Van Sisk in ankle and wrist manacles.

“He still hasn’t made his call,” Tag reminded Boone. “I want to know who he calls when he does.”

“Right.” Boone slipped his sunglasses on. “I’ll let you know when he’s in Austin. You good here, Rebecca?”

She nodded and he gave a slight smile then grabbed Van Sisk’s arm and herded him out the door. Moments later he capped the man’s head with his big palm and helped him into the black car with darkly-tinted windows. The two new agents slipped in on either side of Van Sisk and shut the doors. Gideon climbed into the passenger side and Boone opened the driver’s door. He waved one last time then dropped into the car.

The car roared to life, reversed, then took off down Nettletree Street heading out of Freedom.

“Holy shit, what a day,” Tag muttered. He studied Wade. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been worse.”

“Yeah? When?”

“That time I thought I could ride bulls.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened. “You didn’t!”

His look was forlorn. “I did. Lasted about one-point-four seconds, then the beast, aptly named The Destroyer, bucked me off and into the dirt. If not for the rodeo clowns, I’d probably have lost a limb at the very least.”

Rebecca’s cell phone trilled. “I want to hear more about this,” she told him as she dug in her purse. She didn’t recognize the number but it was the Boston area code. “Hello?”

“Miss Lyons, it’s Detective Garner.”

The flatness of his voice sent a chill down her back. “Detective. What’s wrong?”

Tag and Wade snapped to attention in front of her.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” he said grimly. “I’m standing outside of the building that used to house your office.”

“Used to?” she whispered. “What happened to it?”

“An early morning fire took the whole place down.”

Rebecca swayed. Tag caught her and reached for the phone. She shook her head wildly. “Was anyone hurt? Deirdre,” she gasped. “Is she all right?”

“Yes,” Garner said. “She’s fine. We think the fire was set between four and five this morning. There were two people inside. One is in critical condition.”

Her stomach rolled like she’d had bad sushi. “Who?”

Garner sighed. “I can’t divulge that information, I’m afraid.”

“Of course. I’m sorry. Do you know who did it?”

“Well, that’s where we got lucky.” Garner’s voice brightened. “Surveillance cameras from the brownstone across the street had an excellent view. Our perp is a well-known petty thief. Mostly pickpocketing, smash-and-grabs from cars, that kind of thing. We pulled him in and he was singing in minutes. Said there was no way he was going to jail for a creep like Gaughan. Your tip was dead on. That’s pretty impressive for a gut feeling, Miss Lyons.”

Rebecca gasped and this time she leaned into Tag’s solid chest. Her knees quivered with relief. “Well, that’s how it goes sometimes, Detective.”

“We picked up Gaughan a few minutes ago. Hate to tell you but I think he was pretty obsessed with you. Had pictures of you in frames all over his house, scrapbooks full of press clippings that look like they include everything ever written about you since you graduated from law school.”

She swallowed hard. “That’s so strange. I never met him before he came to me to defend him.”

“He’s not talking right now but we’ve got some pretty strong evidence. Why didn’t you tell me about those texts you received?”

Rebecca shook herself. “I didn’t have the time. Things have been a little chaotic down here in Texas.”

“Yeah, well, we found three disposable phones as well and the only number in any of them was yours. Based on the texts and the things happening at your office, I think he was escalating.”

“Oh my God, Carrie Dawson! Did you find her?”

Garner’s silence was so long she nearly cracked her phone with the tension.

“Yeah. Don’t know if she’s going to make it, though.”

Something in his voice told her he was holding back. “What aren’t you saying, Detective?” She used her most authoritative court voice on him.

“Miss Lyons, Carrie Dawson could be your twin.”

Even though she’d been expecting something like that, the news still hit her hard. “Whatever she and her family needs, I’ll take care of,” she said. “Can you get me contact information?”