Anyplace But Here (Oklahoma Lovers 4)

“I’ll bet Sanders was here. And from the look of things, he might have caught Emily going through his files.” Hunter ran his hand down his face. God only knew what Sanders’ reaction to finding Emily might have been.

He tried to remember what he knew of the man. Very little, only that Emily mentioned he’d seemed relieved when told at the reading of the will that he’d inherited the other half of the business.

All this time their focus had been on disgruntled clients. Perhaps they’d overlooked an obvious suspect.

“I think you’re right. If he found her snooping, he could have panicked. I don’t like the looks of this, Henderson.”

Just as Hunter bent to pick up one of the papers, a woman’s scream rent the air, the sound going right to his gut.

“Emily!”

His steps ate up the distance to the window in time to see Emily race into an old decrepit building situated behind them and slam the door. A chunky man, not too fast on his feet, ran after her. He looked familiar, and with what he and McNeil had discovered here, and his memory from the courtroom when he’d testified, it had to be Sanders.

Hunter’s heart dropped to his stomach at the sight of the man waving a gun as he chased Emily down.

Dammit to hell!

Emily turned, the papers she clutched in her hands shaking as badly as her knees. She stared into those black eyes, filled with terror and determination, and in a flash she knew.

Sucking in a breath, she said, “You killed Louis, didn’t you?”

Sanders held the gun with both hands. “Louis needed killing. He refused to shut down the business and give me my half of the money so I could leave. We made a deal at the beginning. Five years, then we would cut out. But no, he got involved with you, bought himself a fancy house, started to believe his own story. Except bad blood always shows, doesn’t it? Did you know he was a two-bit bank robber at one time?”

Emily managed to find her voice. The man seemed almost as frightened as she was. Maybe she could talk calmly to him, convince him he didn’t want to make things worse by hurting her. “Actually I did know that. He killed Mr. Henderson’s father in a bank robbery eighteen years ago.”

“Well, what do you know? Small world, wouldn’t you say?” One hand released his grip on the gun and he waved it through the air. “None of that matters. Your boyfriend is going to hang for the murder. I’ve been watching the trial—he’s done for.” Still aiming the gun at her, he said, “Drop those papers.”

The documents slid to the floor, much like she thought she would do if she didn’t get ahold of herself. Her mouth was dry, her heart pounded, and she felt weak all over.

“

Emily!”

Sanders jerked and glanced at the window behind him. “Who’s that?”

Hunter. She recognized his voice immediately. Relief flooded her, even though he certainly wasn’t close enough to help. She wasn’t out of danger yet.

“Come over here.” Sanders motioned with the gun. He reached out and grabbed her arm as she came close. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pushed the gun to her temple and dragged her to the window. Looking down at the two men who stood there, he said, “Henderson. Why the hell isn’t he in court?”

Hunter cupped his mouth with his hands. “Sanders, let her go. That building isn’t safe. It could collapse around you any minute.”

“Well, if it does, she’s going with me.”

Emily’s heart banged against her ribs with the feel of the cold metal pressed up against her head. Sanders’ grip on her waist tightened, and she whimpered as pain shot through her. She looked out the window as nausea welled up from her stomach. Hunter was down there with another man wearing a badge.

They both stared up at her and Sanders in the window. “Emily. Hang on, honey. I’ll get you out.”

“Like hell you will, Henderson. This gal is my ticket out of this town.” Sanders’ voice sounded desperate, like he was trying to convince himself with his words.

“Release her and we’ll let you leave,” the other man said.

“Nope. I’m not that dumb. I want a horse and money brought here. Then once we’re far enough away, I’ll let her go.”

“Hunter, he killed Louis!” Emily grunted as Sanders hit her in the side of her face with the gun.

“Shut up.”

The man with Hunter looked toward the window. “Sanders, we need time to get the money and horse. That building could very well disintegrate under your feet.”