Kitabı oxu: «Last Stand In Texas»
Two people whose dangerous pasts are never far behind...
Will their secrets catch up to them
Stranded in small-town Texas, desperate to keep her daughter from her serial-killer ex, Faith Thomas must rely on covert operative Léon Royce. But he, too, is on the run, hiding his real identity and denying his real attraction to Faith. Protecting her and Zoe becomes his mission...one he’ll risk his life—and heart—for.
Award-winning author ROBIN PERINI’s love of heartstopping suspense and poignant romance, coupled with her adoration of high-tech weaponry and covert ops, encouraged her secret inner commando to take on the challenge of writing romantic suspense novels. Robin loves to interact with readers. You can catch her on her website, www.robinperini.com, and on several major social-networking sites, or write to her at PO Box 50472, Albuquerque, NM 87181-0472.
Also by Robin Perini
Finding Her Son
Cowboy in the Crossfire
Christmas Conspiracy
Undercover Texas
The Cradle Conspiracy
Secret Obsession
Christmas Justice
San Antonio Secret
Cowboy’s Secret Son
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk
Last Stand in Texas
Robin Perini
ISBN: 978-1-474-09351-4
LAST STAND IN TEXAS
© 2018 Robin L. Perini
Published in Great Britain 2019
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
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Version: 2020-03-02
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This one’s for all my Carder, Texas, Connections
readers. Your letters and encouragement urged
me to tell more CTC stories. This book wouldn’t
exist without you. Thank you for loving the
Carder, Texas, world as much as I do.
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
About the Author
Booklist
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Epilogue
About the Publisher
Prologue
The humidity weighing down the late spring breeze buffeted against Burke Thomas like an unwanted lover. At least the burning Texas sun would be at his back on his return to the civilized side of Dallas˗Fort Worth.
The curtains from his ex-wife’s dilapidated house shifted and she peeked out. At the sight of her, an exploding ache burst at the base of his skull. If killing Faith were a viable option, his life would markedly improve. He wanted nothing more than to break through the front door and give in to his desire.
Instead, he bit the inside of his cheek to rein in the unfeasible need.
Burke forced himself to take a slow, deep breath before turning on his heel and striding calmly to his Mercedes. He could maintain control. He was in control.
He opened the car door, but the new-car smell didn’t possess the crisp, clean scent he savored. He peered down at the seat. A small streak of mud marred the leather.
Zoe.
His nails bit into his palm, piercing the skin.
Dirt from his daughter’s jeans had soiled his car.
Unacceptable. His child needed etiquette lessons. Now. If it wasn’t too late already.
He removed a plastic bag from the glove compartment and pulled out a clean rag and leather conditioner. Carefully, he swiped the mud away. His movements grew frantic, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. The shine would reappear. It had to.
Zoe. Zoe. Zoe. Zoe.
With each swipe his daughter’s name circled in his mind. He had to get control of her. If he could instill appropriate behavior in her as a seven-year-old, perhaps she wouldn’t take after her mother. He’d come to the obvious conclusion that delayed training had been the problem with his ex-wife. Before he’d fully molded her, she’d ruined everything and forced him to divorce her.
After one last, vicious swipe, he studied the glistening surface. It would do.
He slid into the Mercedes and with a quick turn of his key, the engine roared to life. He glared at the now-closed curtains and screeched away from the house.
No more delays. He tapped his phone.
“Mr. Thomas?” his lawyer answered.
“Deliver the document. Now.”
“It’s Friday night after five. Our couriers have left for the evening. We can accommodate you first thing Monday.”
“Tonight. Within the hour. Or do you want me to take my family’s business elsewhere?”
Burke smiled. He could almost hear the man choke through the phone.
“Of course not, sir. The revised custody agreement will be in your ex-wife’s hands within the hour.”
“See that it is.”
With a curse, he threw his phone across the seat, the frustration hammering his skull. His skin itched as if a rash bristled just beneath the surface. It was happening again. It always happened when Faith defied him.
Burke needed relief.
Sweat popped against his brow. He gripped the steering wheel. The familiar urge rose through his spine and into his head. The need settled and expanded, impatient and undeniable.
Why not celebrate Faith’s latest punishment with his own personal gift to himself? Hadn’t he denied himself enough tonight?
Burke jerked the steering wheel and guided his vehicle straight to the ideal hunting ground. He needed a woman.
With each passing stoplight, his skin prickled in ever-escalating anticipation. More often than not, he relished foreplay more than the act itself.
Tonight would be memorable. For both of them.
The search wasn’t quick or easy, but Burke possessed remarkable patience. After two hours, his entire body brimmed with eagerness. He opened the car’s passenger door for his choice, rounded the vehicle and joined her in the front seat.
Burke flipped on the air conditioner and sent his guest a sidelong glance. She was perfect for his plans tonight. Her eyes, in particular, had caught his attention. Big, emerald-green and noteworthy. Plus, she possessed the lithe figure Faith had lost the moment she’d gotten pregnant.
The woman’s blond hair was just the right color, as well. It probably wasn’t real, but he could live with one flaw. Besides, the dye job wasn’t half-bad.
Either way, she would do nicely; she’d give him exactly what he needed.
She settled against the upholstery seat cover with a sigh and shot him a come-hither look. What was her name again? Randi, Brandi, Candi? It didn’t matter. He’d just call her sweetheart.
He ran his hand through her long blond locks. She hadn’t caked them up with hair spray like some women did. He let the silky strands slip through his fingers and bent his head to her ear. “It’s too public to do what I want to do to you. How about a ride?”
“You got the money, I’m all yours,” she said, her voice husky with need, her words slurred with intoxication.
His gaze scanned the road and surroundings. No police cars or cabs. He didn’t worry about cameras. He knew exactly where they were located, and he’d paid well to disable those on his preferred route. He’d seen to the necessary detail the first time he’d used the Shiny Penny Bar as one of his selection zones. Tonight, all the vehicles were dark. No witnesses. He was safe.
She placed her hand on his leg. “Where are we going?”
“A midnight drive.”
“How about a little preview?” She ran her fingers high on his thigh and sent him a flirtatious glance.
He gripped her arm to stop her from exploring too soon. “Not yet, sweetheart. I have big plans for you.”
By the time they reached an elaborate garden park, Burke’s heart pounded with anticipation. He pulled onto a side street and grabbed the prepacked supply kit from behind his seat. He held out his hand to her. “Come with me. I have something to show you.”
He pulled her close, his arm pressing her rail-thin body against his. He led her to a locked gate and shimmied through the rails.
She grinned and slipped through after him. “You’re so bad.”
“I haven’t even begun.”
He wound his way through the English-style hedges to a small wall of trees. He pushed a branch aside. “After you, my dear.”
She ducked through the lush oaks. He followed. They were enclosed in a small clearing, hidden from prying eyes.
“We’re alone.” She smiled and leaned against him, crushing her breasts into his chest.
“All alone,” he whispered quietly, staring down at her, studying his choice.
The moon shone down from the break in the treetops. The gleaming light made her skin appear smooth and ageless, blurring her face so he could ignore the discrepancies with the woman who haunted his dreams.
Perhaps this one would quash the hunger inside of him.
He stroked her cheek with his thumb, across to the cleft in her chin. His heart kicked up a notch. The flaw proved she wasn’t his dream lover. She wasn’t even Faith.
His pulse raced, his breathing quickened. He should’ve been disappointed, but he wasn’t. His body hardened with excitement of what was to come.
“What are you waiting for?” she whispered, nestling closer, grinding her hips against his.
“Almost,” he whispered. He removed a plastic-lined sheet from his bag and spread it out, before guiding her a few steps to its center. His body tingled. “It’s time.”
She reached down to his zipper. He slapped her hands away, grabbed her hair and yanked, forcing her to look into his eyes.
She clutched at his hands. “Ow! What are you doing?”
With a smile, he tugged harder. Her eyes blurred with tears before the true nature of her predicament dawned on her less-than-Mensa intellect.
Burke smiled when fear, then panic widened her eyes.
He pulled a knife from the sheath at the small of his back and whipped the blade around. With joyful precision, he sliced long and deep across her throat. She clutched at her neck, but he knew his business. He’d studied. Diligently. For years.
She was dead in seconds.
Her body dropped to the ground. Her eyes stared sightless at the moon. He looked down at her and sighed. The cut had been deadly accurate, but life always left too soon. The efficient kill was a necessary sacrifice. He couldn’t afford for her to resist too much. Scratching and fighting might result in evidence, something he refused to tolerate.
Burke knelt and tugged over his supply kit. He’d been looking forward to this one. The Eyeball Killer had fascinated him since the man’s first mention during Burke’s research.
He laid out his tools and studied her face. Green eyes were the rarest in the world. They would be a nice addition to his collection. He would have liked to collect brown, gray and blue, and maybe even hazel, as well. Too bad his discipline only allowed him the one opportunity to copy a unique modus operandi.
Discipline and preparation. That was what made him successful. And uncatchable. Regardless of his father’s concerns.
Burke pushed her hair aside. Clutching the knife oh so slowly, he pressed the blade at the corner of one of her beautiful, blank and lifeless eyes.
Everything up to this moment had been foreplay.
Now for the main event.
THE MORNING LIGHT broke through the space between the kitchen curtains.
“Can I take the tablet Daddy gave me to school?” Zoe ran into the room at full speed and skidded to a stop in front of her mother, a huge smile on her face.
Faith folded the legal-sized paper and returned the custody agreement to the envelope for the umpteenth time. She rubbed the bridge of her nose to ease the building headache. She couldn’t believe Burke had filed for full custody.
Undeniable proof she’d been a first-class fool. How many years had she believed she’d married Prince Charming, that he’d swept her out of the Shiny Penny, where she’d barely made enough to pay rent, and into a fairy tale? The only good to come of her marriage with Burke was her daughter. And the lesson Faith’s mother had tried to teach her—never rely on anyone but yourself.
With a sigh, she gulped another swallow of coffee. She’d left Zoe with her neighbor half of Friday night hoping to find Burke, praying to talk some sense into him.
She’d finally located him near the bar where they’d first met, but not before he’d hooked up with another woman. Must’ve been some night, because he’d been incommunicado ever since.
Not that she cared. She’d stopped loving him long ago, but Zoe’s well-being was at stake. Zoe irritated him more than anything. She couldn’t imagine him taking care of her every day, seven days a week. He wanted a perfect china doll for a daughter. A child he could show off and then shoo away. Zoe would never be that. Faith’s daughter was a tomboy through and through. She was messy, eager and independent. And definitely not a wallflower. Faith loved every inch of her.
She slid the rubber band off the morning paper. She’d have to fight the Thomas family machine to keep her daughter. To do that, Faith needed a job with more regular hours than her diner gig.
Intent on searching the classifieds, she spread the paper out. Below the fold on the front page, a photo screamed out. A familiar-looking blond-haired woman smiled at her. The caption chilled Faith’s soul.
“Local Woman Murdered. No Suspects.”
Quickly, Faith scanned the story and stopped at a single paragraph. Mandy Jones’s time of death was estimated between seven and ten.
Faith dropped the paper on the kitchen table, her body frozen in shock and disbelief. Faith had seen Mandy that night. She couldn’t make herself believe this was possible, and yet, she knew what she’d witnessed.
Mandy Jones in the passenger seat of her ex-husband’s car.
Chapter One
Three months later
The gray clouds threatening the West Texas sky earlier in the day had turned black. The air sizzled with electricity, and a rare drizzle of rain seeped into Stefan’s skin. He peered at the sky. Strange, but the weather matched his mood today, so he’d go with it.
He ducked his head and darted up the Carder Texas Public Library’s steps. Rain rolled off the brim of his Stetson, the incessant damp reminding him of the mountains of the tiny European country he’d once called home. A home on the other side of the globe. A home he hadn’t visited in years. A homeland that believed he’d been assassinated along with his older brother during a failed coup d’état.
Instead, he was alive and well and impersonating a native Texan so convincingly he sometimes forgot he wasn’t one.
“Hey, Léon, how’s it going?”
“Can’t complain.” Stefan didn’t blink at the use of his long-term alias. He tilted his hat in acknowledgment as the deputy limped past the library. Smithson had almost died a few years ago. Now he and his wife had a couple of kids and the guy never stopped smiling.
Something Stefan could never see happening for himself.
He couldn’t afford connections or family. Which was why last night he’d made one of the toughest decisions of his life.
Stefan tapped his Stetson to remove the water and pushed through the double doors of the library.
A small girl sat at the front desk. A too-big baseball cap cocked to one side on her head. Her light brown hair fell halfway down her back. She looked up at him and smiled. “May I help you?”
He really should ignore her, or scare her with a terrifying frown, but instead he walked over to the desk. “Just browsing. Worked here long?”
“Do you have a library card?” she asked in a very professional tone. “You can’t check out a book without a library card. My mom told me that.”
Stefan fought back a smile at the girl’s confident antics. “Nope. I like to read here.”
“I don’t have one, either.” She leaned forward. “It’s a secret.”
He bent down so he could make out her whispered words. “I’ll keep your secret.”
“You’re funny. I like you.” She grinned up at him.
“Zoe.” An urgent whisper sounded from his left.
“Uh-oh.” The little girl bit her lip. “That’s my mom. I’m not s’posed to be up here.”
A woman hurried over, an adult version of the imp in front of him. However, instead of Zoe’s charm, she wore an expression that froze him.
He recognized the look. Not apologetic, not angry, not worried. Panic laced her eyes and had tightened her mouth.
Stefan took a step back from Zoe, putting space between them.
Zoe’s mother scooted between her daughter and Stefan in mama-bear mode. “I’m sorry if she bothered you.”
“Zoe was very helpful,” he said with a wink at the little girl. “I definitely need to get a library card.”
“See, Mom.” She straightened her shoulders. “I told you I could help.”
Her mother closed her eyes for a moment and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Do you need any assistance?” she asked him, entire body taut, practically begging him to refuse.
If he had any sense, he’d walk away right now. Most women would have smiled at him with warm eyes, but she did the opposite.
Retreat would be the best option. These two weren’t any of his business, but something made him hesitate. Should he break his own rules, just this once? They looked like they could use someone in their corner.
The grip on his hat tightened. He couldn’t believe he was even considering the idea.
“I’m browsing for now. I expect I’ll see you around.” With a quick nod at Zoe, he headed to the fiction aisles, keeping the pair in his peripheral vision.
As soon as he’d turned away, Zoe’s mother ushered the little girl toward the back of the library.
Interesting. The sleeves of the woman’s shirt showed a bit of fraying. Her shoes were scuffed. He recognized the Magic Marker polishing up the toe, but she colored her hair. The brown was almost too perfect. She’d fastened her locks away from her face with a clip, the strands hanging long and silky and infinitely touchable down her back, but with a slightly uneven edge, as if she’d cut it herself. Her gold-colored small hoop earrings might have appeared real at one time, but the tinge of green peeking through revealed the truth.
Her gaze had darted back and forth, hyperaware of her surroundings. He’d like to have seen her smile. He’d bet her eyes would light up just like her daughter’s.
Stefan caught himself in his poetic musings. Okay, so she was attractive. Very attractive. Her body filled out her jeans very nicely with just enough curve to make a man notice twice. And he had. He’d also bet she was on the run and low on cash.
His curiosity—and interest—aroused, he worked his way down the book stacks. He could use a bit of intel, and he knew just who to ask. After he completed his primary task.
He scanned the sea of authors’ names and even flipped through a couple of books. Surely one of the monikers would appeal.
A new identity came with a new name.
He’d be relieved to get rid of Léon Royce. He’d never liked it, but he’d been almost dead when it had been decided so he’d made the best of it. In some ways he already regretted this decision, but he didn’t have a choice.
If he were honest, at first, he’d loved the CTC job: danger, excitement, helping people no one else could help. But ever since the Jennings fiasco, he’d volunteered for every dangerous, out-of-the-way job that CTC could throw at him, praying the next challenge would reignite a spark. Something inside of him had broken when that family had died.
Truth was, he should’ve left sooner. Would have, if not for the connections he’d made at Covert Technology Confidential. Except those relationships that kept him here also made him vulnerable.
He needed a new start, a new life, which made his curiosity about Zoe and her mother all the more odd.
Stefan wandered the stacks and each time he rounded the south end, his gaze veered to the woman. Definitely an upgrade from the middle-aged, sour-faced library assistant who’d stalked him when he’d visited several months ago.
The sound of creaking footsteps stiffened his spine before he recognized the rhythm of the familiar gait of the head librarian.
“Léon. You’re back. I haven’t seen you all summer,” a familiar voice said.
He faced her and feigned surprise. “Mrs. Hargraves, how do you sneak up on me in those boots?”
Not that she really had, but they both played the game. Still, she’d realized he’d been gone for months, which meant she’d been watching for him. His behavior had become too predictable. Another sign he should move on.
Mrs. Hargraves smiled, a beam of pleasure in her eyes at his compliment. “Practice. If I’m going to avoid wearing quiet, ugly librarian shoes, I’d better be able to walk this place without making a sound.”
She could probably sneak up on 99 percent of the clientele, too. According to Carder legend, Mrs. Hargraves had been the librarian since the 1960s. Dressed in jeans, Ropers and a flannel shirt, she sure didn’t dress or act like any librarian he’d known, but the woman knew her books.
Over the last couple years, he’d let her pick out one book for him whenever he visited. She rarely went wrong. His favorite to date was Inherit the Stars by James P. Hogan.
“I’ve been saving this for you,” she said, handing him The Prince by Machiavelli.
He nearly choked. He jerked his chin to meet her gaze. Did she know? Or did she think he needed lessons in being authoritative? Either one made the back of his neck itch.
“Thanks.” He took the book, forcing a smile.
“I can see there’s something wrong.” She frowned at him. “Are you okay after your...trip? Not like that last one, I hope.”
Okay, so she was observant, too.
“Or...” She paused for a moment and glanced behind her. “Is it my new assistant you’re interested in?”
A small sense of relief loosened his neck muscles. So his favorite octogenarian had matchmaking on her mind.
He returned the book to the shelf. “You caught me. I may have noticed both of your new helpers.”
Mrs. Hargraves rocked back on the heels of her boots. “The last one quit and Faith needed a job. I liked the look of her. Been here a couple of months. She’s always on time, she’s no trouble, and that girl of hers is a pistol. Reminds me of myself when I was a youngster.”
Faith. Her name suited her.
“You’re collecting strays.”
“Maybe.” She crooked her finger at him, and he bent closer. “Faith’s in big trouble. Skittish as a newborn colt. I don’t know what kind of problem, but I get the feeling whatever she’s running from is about to come to a head. You could help her.” She narrowed her gaze. “I have a strong suspicion of what you folks do out at that ranch.”
He didn’t respond. “Thanks for everything.” He kissed her cheek and started to walk away.
She grabbed his shirt. “She needs you. Don’t ignore your gut.”
Muffled whispers sounded from the tables at the back of the library. Stefan sent Mrs. Hargraves a subtle nod and followed the noise. He paused just out of their sight.
“What have I told you, Zoe? We can’t draw attention to ourselves, and you promised you’d work on your reading.”
“I hate reading. I’m bored. I want to go home and play baseball with Danny. I can’t miss the next season of Little League. He’ll kill me.”
“Look, Slugger, we need to stay here just a little longer. Then...”
“You keep saying that. I want to go home with Daddy. I know he doesn’t like you, but he likes me. He wouldn’t make me sit hours and hours and hours reading stupid books all the time. He’d buy me stuff to play with. Cool stuff.” Zoe jerked away from her mother and plopped down at a table scattered with crayons, construction paper and children’s books.
Ouch. Faith’s daughter could strike a bull’s-eye.
Faith stared at Zoe with tortured eyes. Stefan had seen it before. The heartache. The dejection. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but they clearly needed help.
Seeing a woman that afraid of being found didn’t sit well with him. They needed help. Help he could give. If he could convince them to trust him.
THE RAIN PELTED Carder with no signs of letting up anytime soon. A rainbow crossed the gray sky of the horizon, leading to nowhere. Faith stood in the doorway of the library and studied the expanse of dark clouds. They portended the future much more than the pink and blue and green. Rainbows were supposed to hold magic and hope. She’d lost count of the days since she’d believed in either.
Zoe still did, of course.
Faith attempted to cloak herself in optimism. Maybe their luck could change, but somehow she doubted it. From the morning she’d realized what her ex-husband had done to her car breaking down in this middle-of-nowhere town, she and Zoe hadn’t caught a break. She’d fought against the panic of being discovered every day. Sometimes she succeeded, but she’d been unsettled since the stranger had shown up at the library today. Something to do with how his gaze had pierced right through her, how he’d seemed to see too much and how Zoe couldn’t stop talking about him.
She didn’t know how long she waited before the rain finally tapered off. The library had closed an hour ago, but Faith couldn’t afford for their clothes to get wet or dirty. She didn’t have the money to go to the Laundromat twice in a week.
“Looks like it’s letting up,” Mrs. Hargraves said.
“Thanks for letting me stay.” Faith shifted on her feet. She didn’t like making small talk. It led to relationships, and relationships meant being noticed.
“I don’t mind driving you home, honey.”
“That’s okay. I have to hit the store first. I’m out of your way.”
“Nothing’s out of the way in Carder.”
Faith didn’t respond. Mrs. Hargraves had hired her off the books. It was best no one knew where she lived, not even someone as seemingly honest as her boss. Faith had to be careful. If no one knew where she lived, she could relax enough to close her eyes at night. At least for a few hours. “Pack up, Zoe. We’re going home.”
Her daughter ran up to her with a frown. “It’s not home, you know.”
Before Faith could respond, her daughter rushed to the back of the library. Heat flushed her cheeks and she glanced at Mrs. Hargraves. “Sorry.”
The librarian patted her arm. “Don’t you worry about it. She’s a good girl, just a little frustrated today. Rain’ll do that. I couldn’t ever live in Seattle or somewhere like that. I’d be in a bad mood all the time.”
“Thank you.” Faith met the older woman’s gaze. She’d saved their lives. “For everything you’ve done.”
“You’ve helped me, honey. I’m not getting any younger. Speaking of which, I’m telling you, if I had fifty years back, I’d be all over that man who took a shine to you today.” She winked. “You know who I’m talking about.”
Faith didn’t pretend not to know. “He barely said a word to me.”
“He was watching you all right.”
“Watching me?” A chill froze Faith. “Why?”
“The fact that you’re a very attractive woman might be the reason.” Mrs. Hargraves arched a brow in disbelief. “Come on, Faith. I saw that look you gave him. Besides, Zoe certainly liked our Léon.”
Léon. So her boss knew him. Faith relaxed a bit. Burke had no connection with Carder, so he wouldn’t know Léon, either. She was being paranoid. Again. “I couldn’t place his accent.”
Pulsuz fraqment bitdi.
