Now, in the vermin-infested shack that served as her hideout, Marie weighed her options. She had no gun, nor did she have enough cash to buy another weapon on the street. She could steal one, but that might be too risky. Maybe she should just cut her losses and head for the border. At least she’d be alive and free.
But being rich in Mexico meant having access to anything she wanted. Being poor in Mexico—along with being foreign, alone, and ugly—was no better than being dead.
She’d had some setbacks, but it was too soon to give up. After the break-in and the shooting, the Blue Coyote would be under close watch. But maybe the drugs weren’t there after all. Maybe Stella had hidden them somewhere else. Or maybe she’d need some kind of password, to let Abner know that she had Stella’s permission to search.
She wouldn’t know for sure until she’d carried out and reported the hit on Erin Tyler. Even though the gun was gone, there were plenty of other ways to get rid of the girl.
It was time for Plan B, whatever that was.
* * *
Just after making the turnoff to the Rimrock, Beau pulled off the gravel lane and stopped his rental car. Driving behind him, Luke could see the yellow crime scene tape ahead. This, then, was the place where Will Tyler had been ambushed and shot.
Stopping a few feet behind Beau, Luke climbed down from the cab of his truck. Beau hadn’t asked him to get out, but he wasn’t about to wait for an invitation. If any vital piece of evidence could clear him, he wanted to make sure it hadn’t been missed.
Beau was already out of the car, standing next to the yellow tape but not trying to cross it. He made no objection when Luke came up beside him. The two men stood in silence for a moment, gazing at the flattened grass where Will’s body had fallen.
“Did the sheriff happen to mention whether they’d found the bullet?” Beau asked. “I was hoping he’d tell me, but he was too busy for questions.”
“I’m guessing they didn’t. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have let me out until they’d run ballistics to compare it with my gun. I was hoping they could do that. It would go a long way toward clearing me.”
“That’s your only gun?”
“Yes, and it’s legal.” Luke’s gaze swept the open rangeland, dotted with scrub and carpeted with parched, yellow grass. The graveled lane was bordered on both sides by a shallow bar ditch. To the east, perhaps a half mile off, lay the house and outbuildings of the syndicate-owned ranch that had once belonged to the Prescott family. A red-tailed hawk, circling overhead, was the only thing moving in the cloudless sky. “Where do you think the shooter was?” he asked.
“Somewhere beyond the left side of the road, I’d guess, since Will was hit climbing out of his truck to move that tire,” Beau said. “They’d need some cover—but that patch of mesquite out there would’ve worked, and it’s close enough. The shooter would’ve needed a pickup to haul that big tire and dump it in the road. Then he would’ve had to hide the pickup, come back, and wait for Will. Lord, can you imagine the cold planning that must’ve taken?”
Luke wondered whether Beau was trying to make him squirm with those words. But he could hardly blame the man for being bitter and suspicious. Will had been Beau’s brother, and though he’d heard that the two weren’t on good terms, the lifelong bond between them would still run deep.
“I’m guessing the sheriff took the tire,” he said.
“Yes, and Will’s pickup, too,” Beau responded. “The investigation team will go through every inch of that truck. If the bullet’s there, they’ll find it. Let’s go. I called Erin to let her know we’d be coming.”
Beau climbed back into his car. Luke drove behind him, his thoughts churning. Beau had phoned Erin, so she’d know he was coming back to the ranch. Beyond that, he had no idea what to expect from her. Would she be cold? Angry? Would she defend him, or maybe even attack him?
He tried to tell himself it wouldn’t matter if things had changed between them. But he was lying to himself. Erin mattered. She mattered more than anything in his wretched, solitary life. And now he’d probably lost her for good.
His eyes searched for her as he drove into the yard, but she was nowhere to be seen. Only Rose was waiting, alone, on the porch. Beau parked below the steps and went into the house. Rose followed him.
Luke drove past the house, parked his rig at the side of the duplex. He’d left the place unlocked, with the key on the kitchenette counter. Hopefully, he’d find things unchanged. He could carry his duffel bag inside, clean up, grab a beer if the fridge hadn’t been emptied, and maybe catch some sleep before facing the afternoon—and Erin.
She hadn’t come out to meet him or even been waiting on the porch to see him arrive. Not a good sign. But if she hated him for leaving, or because she thought he’d killed her father, or maybe both, he couldn’t blame her. She was in pain—and some of that pain was his fault.
His duffel was behind the front seat. Slinging the strap over one shoulder, he climbed out of the cab, locked the truck, and mounted the steps to the front porch. The doorknob turned in his hand—at least he wouldn’t have to ask for the key. And after a night in jail, this place would feel like a five-star hotel.
He pushed the door open, stepped inside, and dropped the duffel on the overstuffed chair. The window blinds were closed, veiling the rooms in shadow. As his sun-dazzled eyes adjusted to the dimness, Luke became aware that he wasn’t alone. Braced for anything, he walked into the bedroom.
Erin was sitting on the side of the bed. Without a word, she stood and walked toward him.
“Erin—” He couldn’t read her emotions. “Erin, I’m so sorry.” He knew that the words were meaningless. Nothing he said could touch what she must be feeling now.
Standing close, she met his gaze. He saw the tears in her eyes. “Don’t talk,” she said. “Just hold me.”
He drew her against his chest, cradling her in the circle of his arms. She breathed in tiny sobs of r
elief, her body trembling like a frightened child’s. His lips brushed her hair, kissed her forehead, kissed the tears from her closed eyes. The tenderness that stirred in him was like no force he’d ever known. He would give his life to protect this woman—even if it meant having to protect her from himself.
“If you hadn’t come back, I don’t know what I’d have done,” she murmured.