Page 8 of Valor (Long Hot Summer: Christian Romantic Suspense #2)

CHAPTER EIGHT

Owen noticed Angela standing beside the table with a concerned look on her face, and for a moment, he worried Emily had confided in the woman. Telling Angela that she was being kidnapped and held against her will. Then he pushed the doubt aside.

Emily was the only person he could trust. She understood he was only trying to keep her safe. When Emily mentioned how she cared about him, his foolish heart had done a little flip in his chest. A sense of keen longing hit hard. If things were different...

But they weren’t. He couldn’t change who he was. Or the things he’d done. Owen steeled his resolve to be noble enough to let her go.

Sooner rather than later.

He eyed the bill and pulled cash from his pocket. “Ready?”

“Uh, yes of course.” Emily slid out of the booth and pushed the puppy into his arms. Angela’s eyes rounded in surprise when she saw the dog. “Hold Bear for me. I need to use the restroom. Then we’ll need to find a quiet place to feed Bear.”

Without giving him a chance to respond, she brushed past him and headed to the restrooms.

“You’re really not supposed to have dogs in here.” Angela glanced nervously around. “You’d better take him outside.”

“I will as soon as Emily gets back. But it’s not like he caused a problem.” He nuzzled the puppy’s soft head. “We rescued him in the woods.”

Angela’s expression softened. “Oh, he is a sweetie.”

It was tempting to ask if Emily confided in her. Then he decided it didn’t matter. Even if Emily had said something, they’d be long gone before the server could take any action.

Angela flashed a smile, then hurried away. He stroked the puppy’s soft fur as he waited for a solid five minutes before Emily emerged from the restrooms.

“Ready?” She took the pup and headed for the door. “Let’s find a park where Bear can eat in peace.”

“Yeah, okay.” He knew the dog practically inhaled his food, so giving him breakfast wouldn’t take long. They strode to the truck and got inside.

Then he headed through town until he found a monument that doubled as a park. He glanced over at her. “Will this work?”

“I like it.” Emily’s smile warmed him from the inside out. “Thanks.”

She acted as if he’d given her a diamond ring rather than finding a park to feed their puppy. No, that wasn’t right. Bear belonged to Emily. He couldn’t take a puppy with him on the search for Hernandez.

He wanted the drug kingpin to pay for killing Oliver.

Emily set Bear down to play in the grass, then filled the single bowl he’d grabbed from the cabin with puppy food. Bear ate with enthusiasm, and when he was finished, Emily brushed out the crumbs, then added water to the bowl. They lingered longer than they should have, but he understood she wanted to make sure Bear did his thing before they hit the road.

Watching Emily throw the stick for the puppy, he debated the wisdom of pushing forward on this path. Their escape from the gunman was likely temporary. The guy could be rolling into Dayton as they sat there. He abruptly stood and scooped up the empty dog dish.

“We need to go.” He was hit by an abrupt sense of urgency to get away.

“In a minute.” Emily nodded at Bear. The puppy made circles as he sniffed the grass. “He’s almost finished.”

Sure enough, after another circle, the pup squatted. Emily praised the dog afterward, using some tissues she must have taken from the bathroom to clean up the mess. The pup was so excited he jumped up to lick her face. Little Bear was clearly eager to please.

He could relate. He wanted to make Emily happy too.

Should he consider her request to turn himself in? To try to work out a deal with her brother? Put an end to his journey to get justice for his brother?

Owen forced himself to turn away from Emily and Bear. No, he wasn’t going that far. He’d set his course. Despite Emily’s claim, it was too late to change his path now.

But it was shocking how badly he wanted to.

He yanked the truck door open and set the dog’s food and dish inside. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed Emily cuddling Bear close as she crossed over to join him. She seemed in no hurry, maybe assuming they were safe now that it was daytime.

“Ready?” He opened her passenger-side door, trying not to sound as impatient as he felt.

“Yes.” She slid into the seat, settling Bear on her lap.

He shut the door and quickly jumped in behind the wheel. He drove slowly through the town so as not to get pulled over by a cop. He didn’t think Dayton was big enough to have its own police station, but he felt certain there was a county sheriff’s department in the area.

Five minutes later, they were back on Highway 14 leaving Dayton behind. He breathed a tiny sigh of relief. It felt good to be on the move, even though he wasn’t convinced that they’d lost the gunman.

It seemed as if no matter how many times he took out one bad guy, there was another popping up like one of those Whac-A-Mole games.

“Was that a sign for Ranchester?” Emily’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“Yes.” He had noticed the sign too. It had been a long time since he’d come this way, back when he’d infiltrated the drug ring. More than twelve months had passed, and it was disheartening that he still hadn’t accomplished his mission. Granted, getting shot hadn’t been a part of the plan. Enter Emily Sanders into his life. And as much as being shot had hurt, he couldn’t really deny that meeting Emily had been worth it. Shaking off his ridiculous thoughts, Owen focused on the winding highway. “I think that’s where we pick up Interstate 90.”

“So soon?” Her brown eyes widened as if she was upset. “I can’t believe we’re really leaving Wyoming.”

He flicked a gaze at the rearview mirror. No sign of a vehicle behind him, yet with the winding highway, he may not see a tail right away. “We’re not leaving Wyoming anytime soon. My only goal is to get you to safety.”

“No, your goal is to get me to safety in a way that allows you to keep searching for Hernandez.” The hint of bitterness in her tone surprised him.

But he couldn’t deny the truth of her statement, so he remained quiet.

“Why is this so important to you?” Emily shifted in her seat. “I mean, obviously you loved your brother. I totally get that part. But killing Hernandez won’t change the fact that Oliver is gone. All that will do is put a dark stain on your soul.”

He clenched his jaw, then suddenly decided she may as well understand what he was dealing with. “My brother had to take care of our sick mother because I was too busy making money and building houses. I had a girlfriend and wanted to propose, so I was saving my money for a stupid ring. By the time I figured out that Oliver had gotten involved in drug trafficking to make ends meet, it was too late.” He shot her a grim look. “If I hadn’t been so selfish, none of this would have happened. I sent some money home to Oliver and my mom, but obviously not enough. The drug money was easy, yet it didn’t take long for Oliver to realize he was in way over his head.”

“What happened then?” Emily asked when he paused, lost in the painful memories of the past.

This was the worst part of the story. But he forced himself to tell it anyway. “As soon as our mom passed away, Oliver called to tell me he wanted out of the drug business. He wanted to go straight. Then he told me that Domingo Hernandez wouldn’t allow him to leave the organization. That walking away was not an option. Next thing I know, Oliver was found dead of a gunshot wound to the back of his head.” He swallowed hard, and added, “My younger brother was shot execution style as a warning to anyone else who thought it would be easy to turn their back on Hernandez and the drug business.”

She paled. “That’s horrible.”

“That’s reality.” He took a deep breath to get his anger and frustration under control, then continued. “Hernandez is slippery. He moves around a lot and has a cadre of drug enforcers protecting him. Still, I was getting close to the guy, working my way up in the organization. Then I got shot by someone I believe was working for Hernandez. I didn’t tell any of the guys on my crew that I was Oliver’s brother, but I suspect Hernandez figured it out and tried to get rid of me.” He shrugged. “You know the rest.”

“Why on earth wouldn’t you just go to the police?” She sounded exasperated. “Seriously, Owen, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. A carpenter turned drug dealer seeking revenge against the man who killed his brother?”

“I did contact the police.” He tried not to sound defensive. “I spoke first to a Denver cop named Will Minor, then he put me in touch with a Colorado DEA agent named Colin Granger.”

“Really?” She looked shocked. Which didn’t say much about what she’d thought of him before now.

Yet she’d claimed to care about him, despite thinking the worst.

“Yes.” He shook off the foolish thought to finish his story. “I figured I needed help getting to Hernandez. Granger told me to feed information about big drug buys to Will Minor. Even after I worked my way into Wyoming, I was supposed to use the Colorado cop as my liaison.”

“When did you make that call to the police? Before or after you were shot?” Emily asked.

“Two weeks before I was shot.” When she opened her mouth, he held up his hand. “I know what you’re going to say. I don’t know for sure who set me up. Hernandez, Granger, or Minor. For all I know, all three of them could be working together. Regardless of who is responsible for shooting me, you can see why I’m not jumping on the turn-myself-in bandwagon. I believe one or both law enforcement officials are in deep with Hernandez. That they’re getting paid to look the other way. I don’t have any other explanation for how we’ve been tracked from one place to the next. Not to mention why Doc and Dee were murdered.” Their deaths still haunted him. “At this point, I can’t trust anyone.” Except you , he silently added.

“I wish you’d have told me about this earlier.” Emily looked upset. “I am sure Doug will find a way to protect you. He mentioned that he’s had to ferret dirty cops out in the past. I am confident he’ll do the same for you. If Colin Granger or local cop Will Minor are involved, Doug will track them down and make them pay.”

“Maybe.” He wasn’t convinced Doug would even believe him. Granted, her brother had been smart enough to figure out one of the local Cody police officers was involved. Seeing Doug in action last January had convinced Owen the guy would do whatever was necessary to see that justice was served.

Including arresting Owen for the crimes he’d committed. No matter what Emily said, there was no mistaking the anger simmering in Doug’s eyes over the way Emily had taken care of him. His brief interaction with Doug back in January had not been the least bit friendly.

Her brother would always hold him responsible for what she’d gone through. And Owen couldn’t blame the guy. Sure, he had done everything possible to make sure Emily hadn’t been physically hurt, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been scared out of her mind. The fact that she’d treated him with kindness and respect had been humbling.

And how had he repaid her? By making her a target too. She’d been attacked in her own home and nearly killed.

“Owen, please?—”

“No, Emily. I can’t risk running into another dirty cop.” He grimaced. “Realizing one of the Cody cops was involved was bad enough.”

“Yeah, I remember.” She stroked Bear’s fur as the little guy snuggled against her. “Still, the fact that you went to the DEA in the first place is important information that changes everything.”

He swallowed a sigh. Her loyalty to her brother Doug was admirable. But the guy was not going to believe Owen’s version of events over a fellow DEA agent. Especially since Owen had participated in transporting illegal drugs. “No, it doesn’t.”

“Yes, it does,” she insisted. “Let’s pull over in Ranchester. I’ll find a phone to call Doug. He’ll work with you on this.”

He was tired, crabby, and not in the mood for her Pollyanna attitude toward life. He hadn’t slept in what felt like forever and didn’t want to keep rehashing the same thing over and over. He wasn’t turning himself in, and that was the end of it!

He was about to shut down the conversation once and for all when he caught a glimpse of a dark SUV behind him. The vehicle appeared on a straighter than usual stretch of highway, but then quickly disappeared as he took the next curve.

The image of Angela and Emily speaking together flashed in his mind. On the heels of that came a surge of anger. “You already called your brother, didn’t you?”

Emily bit her lip and reluctantly nodded. “Yes. Don’t be upset. I know Doug will help you.”

He wasn’t upset; he was deeply wounded. He’d trusted her.

But she’d betrayed him.

He planted his foot down on the accelerator, increasing his speed to get to Ranchester. He needed to find a place to drop Emily off so she could wait for Doug. It was the only viable option if he hoped to avoid prison.

Pushing his wounded feelings aside, he told himself this was for the best. If he could buy himself even five minutes, he’d hit Interstate 90 and then hopefully get lost among the other travelers. Friday in May should have plenty of travelers hitting the road for a long weekend.

This could work. Once he knew for sure he’d left Doug and the gunman behind, he’d find a place to stop and regroup. To figure out his next steps.

Yeah, it was well past time for him to move on without Emily.

Unfortunately, that thought hurt as much if not more than her betrayal. Leaving Emily behind was the right thing to do.

But deep down, Owen silently admitted he’d never forget her.

* * *

Emily winced when she realized Owen was eyeing the rearview mirror with a grim expression etched on his features. Was it possible Doug was closing in on them? Maybe he’d already been on his way to Dayton before she’d called using Angela’s phone.

She resisted the urge to twist around in her seat to see for herself. Not that she’d be able to tell if the car behind them belonged to Doug rather than the gunman. To her mind, one car looked very much like another.

Yet she was convinced the SUV they saw earlier this morning had been Doug all along. He’d come to pick her up from the Elk Horn cabin, and when she wasn’t there, set out to search for her by driving up and down Highway 14.

She was surprised he hadn’t brought Maya and her K9, Zion, with him. Or one of the other Sullivan siblings. He and Maya lived on the ranch. A wave of doubt washed over her.

Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner? Of course, Doug would have brought a search dog and handler along.

And if so, maybe the gunman was hot on their tail.

She reached for Owen’s arm. “That may not be Doug behind us.”

“Nice try.” His voice was harsh as he shook off her grasp. “Give it up, Emily. I should have expected you to use Angela’s phone to make that call to your brother, but I’ll admit you caught me off guard with that stunt. I wish you’d have told me, though. I could have left you at the café with Angela in Dayton.”

“I’m sorry.” She wasn’t sure why she was apologizing, because in the same circumstances, she’d probably do the same thing all over again.

“No you’re not,” he snapped. “Quit pretending.”

Bear yawned and pushed himself upright. She stroked the puppy to soothe him. Maybe the little guy could tell she was worried.

“I’m sorry you’re upset with me, Owen. But take a moment to think this through. If Doug was searching for me in the middle of the night, then why didn’t we see any sign of Zion, Maya’s search and rescue K9? Zion has incredible SAR skills. She would have easily tracked our scent through the woods, leading Doug and Maya right to us.” Her voice pleaded with him to listen to reason.

He frowned. “Why would he bring the dog? It’s not like a K9 can track people moving around in cars. Besides, you told him where you were located, so he probably decided there was no need to bring Maya and Zion.”

“True.” She gnawed her lower lip, trying to figure out if Doug would have brought a K9 team along on the trip or not. Last week, Maya had confided in her that she was newly pregnant, barely twelve weeks along. Knowing Doug’s overprotective nature, she could see him making the decision to head out to pick her up alone, leaving Maya and Zion behind. The tension eased from her shoulders. “Okay, maybe I’m overreacting.”

Owen muttered something she couldn’t decipher under his breath. Then he pressed his foot harder on the accelerator, increasing their speed even more. As they took the turns and twists in the road, she caught the occasional glimpse of the town of Ranchester up ahead.

She realized he was doubling down on his intent to leave her and Bear behind despite not knowing who was driving the car behind them.

“Owen, let’s talk about this,” she began.

“Not now.” Between glancing at the rearview mirror and watching the road, she could tell he was too distracted by the situation to listen.

She expected him to barrel through town, dropping her on the other side closer to where the interstate was located. But when he reached the town, he hit the brake and wrenched the wheel into a last-minute right-hand turn.

She let out a squeak as Bear dug his nails into her legs, fighting to stay in her lap. She tightened her grip on the puppy with her left hand while clinging to the arm rest with her right. “What are you doing?”

Owen didn’t bother to answer. A moment later, he’d taken another turn and entered the Community Church parking lot. He chose a spot near the front of the building, one that could not be seen from the main highway, which ran behind the structure. There were only two other cars in the lot. She eyed the clock. It was quarter past nine o’clock in the morning, which meant there could be an upcoming service.

For all they knew, the car behind them was heading for the church. Maybe there was nothing sinister about the vehicle at all.

“Stay here.” Owen released his safety harness, pushed out the driver’s side door, and moved quickly along the east side of the building.

She belatedly understood his intent was to stay pressed along the church while taking a long look at the car that had been behind them on the highway. The speed limit was low enough that he should be able to get a good look at the driver. She was tempted to get out to stand beside him, as she’d probably recognize her brother faster than he would.

But Owen clearly intended for her to stay in the truck. When she spied the key he’d left in the ignition, she unlatched her seatbelt. She lifted Bear and set him on the passenger seat beside her, then levered herself up and over the center console. She had to move the seat forward to accommodate her shorter frame. Once she was set, she gripped the steering wheel tightly and waited.

The seconds ticked by slowly. Had the car already gone past? Or had Owen decided to take off on foot? He’d stolen this truck; she had no doubt he would steal another.

And if he did that, would she ever see him again?

Apprehension had her pulse surging into the triple digits. She took several deep breaths, trying to remain calm. But when two full minutes passed, she couldn’t help but think something was wrong. Surely it wouldn’t take that long for the vehicle behind them to swing past their location.

Suddenly Owen was sprinting toward the truck, scowling when he noticed she’d gotten behind the wheel. Rather than jumping into the passenger seat, he yanked the driver’s side door open. “Get out.”

She frowned without moving. “Did you see who was driving the car?”

“I couldn’t get a good look at the man, but he fit the general description of your brother.” He grasped her arm and tugged. “I’m not kidding, Emily. I really need you to get out of the truck.”

“I think we should stick togeth?—”

“No!” He shouted so loudly that he startled Bear, who scrambled to his feet and stared at them, watching with dark eyes as if trying to figure out if something was wrong.

Without warning, Owen yanked her from the driver’s seat. She was so surprised he’d physically grabbed her that she didn’t resist, stumbling a bit as he forced her out and away. Then he leaned into the truck, picked up Bear, and shoved the dog into her arms. Lastly, he removed the bag of dog food and the bowl, dropping both items at her feet. “Take Bear’s things and go inside the church. Borrow their phone to call your brother and stay there until he comes for you. Understand?”

Her mouth dropped open at his no-nonsense directive. “You’re leaving me here?”

“Yep. The church will provide the cover you need until your brother gets here.” With that, Owen slid in behind the wheel and slammed the car door shut. She reached out to grasp the door handle to stop him, but it was too late. He already had the truck in motion, backing out of the parking space so fast she had to jump back to avoid being hit.

Holding Bear close, she stared in shock as Owen drove away without looking back.