Texas Holiday Hideout Page 17

  Lanie continued to track the secondary cell phone. She’d purposefully called Adam on his primary phone, so as not to alert him they knew about the secret phone, which was still giving them directions to his location. He’d turned off the highway close to where an old feed-supply store used to be. The building had been abandoned since Miles was a kid. The perfect place to hide out or make a prisoner exchange.

  Lanie pulled up behind a cluster of trees and they got out. Josh and Griffin and their respective teams were following behind. Lanie pointed to a silver sedan parked in front of the building, along with several SUVs.

  “That’s Adam’s car.”

  Miles recognized it, too. It wasn’t the SUV he’d used to smash through Miles’s family home. He must have abandoned that vehicle and switched to his own.

  Lanie kneeled down. “I’ll try to get close and scope out who is inside, then we’ll work out a plan.”

  She checked her weapon and stood, but Miles quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back down as the door to the feed store opened and Adam emerged from the building.

  “He’s coming out.”

  Adam walked to his car, opened the trunk and pulled something out. Miles gasped when he saw Melissa being dragged from the trunk. It took everything inside him not to run to them right then and pound Adam into the ground for stuffing her into that trunk. Lanie touched his arm and he glanced at her, reading the meaning in her expression. He would have the opportunity to make Adam pay for his actions. He just had to hold on.

  The door to the building opened again and several men walked out, including Richard Kirby, along with two men who looked to be his protection detail. So he had definitely been in town, although Miles suspected Adam had been the one behind recruiting kids for the attacks. It was more his style. Kirby would have just killed Melissa without all the fuss and drama. And he doubted a professional hitman actually needed a security detail. Either way, Miles was certain these men tied back to Shearer in some way.

  Adam dragged a bound-and-gagged Melissa toward the group. He shoved her to her knees in front of Kirby. “There she is. Now, I want those assurances that my debt is paid.”

  Melissa’s eyes were full of terror and Lanie had to touch his arm again to calm him. “Not yet,” she whispered. He nodded his understanding, but it took every ounce of willpower he had to keep from reacting.

  Kirby kneeled and stared at Melissa. He seemed to be studying her. Then he stood and pulled out his cell phone. “You did good.” He pressed a button on the phone, then placed it to his ear. “It’s her, boss. The woman who can identify me. Your guy in the marshals office finally came through for us.” He paused for several moments, then nodded. “I understand.” He ended the call, then slipped the phone back into his pocket. “Mr. Shearer thanks you for your assistance. He’ll call you when he needs you again.”

  “No!” Adam stiffened and pulled out his gun, pointing it at them. “I was promised that if I took care of her, my debts would be cleared. I’m through. I’m done being ordered around by you or Max Shearer or anyone else.”

  Kirby rolled his eyes. His tone was sharp and biting when he responded to Adam’s demands. “You are done when we tell you you’re done. Not before.” He made a motion and one of the muscle men grabbed Adam and shoved him to the ground next to Melissa.

  Kirby reached into his pocket and pulled out his own gun. Miles’s heart sank. He was going to kill her right then and there. It was time for them to act before it was too late.

  Lanie raised her weapon and motioned for her team to move in. “US Marshals. Nobody move!” she yelled as the team sprang into action and surrounded the group.

  Miles ran toward them, his gun trained on Kirby. “Put the gun down! Put it down!”

  But all three men reached for their guns and began firing. Kirby turned his weapon toward Miles and fired. Miles returned fire and a shootout ensued. Melissa screamed beneath the tape covering her mouth and sprawled out on the ground. He prayed she stayed down and wasn’t hit.

  He shot Kirby several times—shots meant to disable, not to kill—before the man went down. He fell to the ground, but managed to raise his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I give up. You win.”

  The other two men were already on the ground and the deputies ran to surround them.

  Miles hurried toward Melissa, but before he could reach her, Adam grabbed her and picked up a gun, pointing it at Melissa’s head as he dragged her toward the building.

  “Don’t come another step, Miles, or I’ll kill her.”

  Miles fought to remain calm despite the way his heart hammered against his chest. He couldn’t let Adam see his desperation and rage. He had to remain calm if he didn’t want this matter to escalate.

  “You don’t want to hurt her, Adam.”

  “I don’t want to, but I will.” He backed up. “Now you’re going to tell your people that we’re getting into my car and driving away. Once I’m out of danger, I’ll drop her off somewhere. I won’t hurt her. I promise.”

  Miles trained his gun right between Adam’s eyes. It wouldn’t be an easy shot to make and there was a real risk that he might hit Melissa instead, but there was no other shot he could take. Adam knew what he was doing. He was using her as a shield very effectively. It would have to be a head shot and that was dangerous to Melissa, too.

  Adam grinned at him the same way he had a hundred other times. He knew what Miles was thinking, always believed he could predict the way Miles’s brain worked. “You won’t risk it, Miles. Face it, you’re not that good of a shot. I’ve been on the shooting range with you, remember.” He pressed the gun into her face. “You won’t risk taking it, not with this one. You won’t risk hurting her.”

  He was right, but that didn’t mean he’d won. Miles wasn’t alone. He had a team of people that included his brothers and Lanie. Adam wouldn’t leave here with Melissa. Even if Miles couldn’t get a shot off, the people with him wouldn’t fail him. It was the reason he’d come here to the sanctuary of his home, where he knew for certain his brothers would have his back.

  Adam laughed. “I’m not the only one who broke the rules, you know, Miles. You did, too. We’re not supposed to get emotionally involved with the witnesses, but I think you did, didn’t you?”

  Adam was trying to bait him, to force him to lose his focus, but that wasn’t going to happen. Still, he couldn’t refute his former friend’s words. “You’re right, Adam. I did break the rules. I fell in love.”

  “See! You’re not so perfect, Miles.”

  “I never said I was perfect, but I’m not the one with a gun to a witness’s head.”

  Adam stepped backward, heading closer to the car. He dragged Melissa with him. Miles briefly took his eyes off Adam long enough to see the fear in her expression. He tried to silently reassure her that everything was going to be okay. But was it? He didn’t know. Adam had the upper hand when he had Melissa as his hostage and he’d already crossed more lines than Miles would have believed he was capable of. His friend was gone, and only an enemy stood in front of him. Adam had already taken away Miles’s sense of family at the marshals service and his confidence in his team. Miles wasn’t going to allow Adam to take this from him, too. He wouldn’t allow him to take Melissa. Not when she was this close to him. He couldn’t lose her now, not now.

  God, please guide my actions.

  “Adam, please don’t do this. We can work this out. Just let her go and you can walk out of here.”

  “Now why don’t I believe you?” Adam asked.

  He knew Melissa was his only leverage and he wasn’t walking away—or driving away—unless it was in handcuffs.

  “I’ve never lied to you.”

  “That’s not true,” Adam demanded. “You lied when you said you were coming home to take care of your father. He wasn’t sick. You didn’t trust us. Why should we trust you?”

 
“My job was to protect the witness from a leak in the agency—from you. I did my job.”

  “I thought we trusted one another. Guess that was another lie.”

  He didn’t flinch. “It’s the job, Adam. If you can’t handle it then you should have moved on.”

  “You know what this job does to you, Miles? It makes you realize that no one can really be trusted.”

  He didn’t want to hear excuses. There wasn’t one. “Let her go.” But Adam wasn’t listening. He was trying to work out a way to survive.

  Miles was going to have no choice but to shoot him.

  “Adam, stop this,” Lanie demanded from behind Miles. She, too, had her gun trained on Adam. “You know how this is going to end. Don’t force our hand.” She lowered her gun, then put it away and took a step toward Adam, but not far enough so that she was in the line of fire. Miles realized what she was doing. She was distracting Adam, trying to throw off his concentration so that even if he didn’t surrender, at least he might loosen his grip on Melissa.

  Miles had missed his partner and was glad she had his back.

  Miles locked eyes with Melissa while Lanie had Adam preoccupied. He needed her to fight and tried to silently send her that message. She needed to fight off Adam the same way she’d fought to survive all this time. Who else could have escaped an assassin’s aim and a mob boss’s wrath?

  She nodded her understanding and started to struggle against Adam, squirming and jerking until she finally loosened his hold enough to slip through and fall down.

  Before Adam could react, Miles shot, hitting Adam in the neck and sending him to the ground.

  Melissa crawled away, while Lanie hurried over to Adam to check for a pulse. She looked at Miles and shook her head, indicating she didn’t find one. “He’s dead.”

  Miles put away his gun and hurried to Melissa, pulling the tape from her mouth. He helped her to her feet and cut the tape from her hands. Once free, she threw her arms around him and he pulled her close. “I thought I’d lost you,” he said as a wave of relief knocked the wind out of him. Tears streaked her face and he wiped them away with his finger before he kissed her. “I love you, and I don’t want to lose you.”

  She leaned into him. “I love you, too, Miles, and I don’t ever want to lose you, either.”

  He kissed her long and hard, but refused to release her, even to walk to the car. “Let’s go home,” he whispered.

  * * *

  Christmas Eve turned out to be another mild and sunny day and Melissa agreed to let Lawson and Bree—who’d returned home early from their trip to learn about all that had happened—and Kellyanne put Dylan on one of the horses. Lawson reassured her that he’d made certain the mare was calm and that they would all be right there with Dylan as he rode around the corral.

  She smiled at her son’s laughter and felt sad again that she’d soon have to leave this place. They’d found refuge here...and so much more. She didn’t want to go.

  She turned and saw Miles still on the porch, phone to his ear. He was talking to his supervisor about her case. She had been glad to learn that the ranch hands Miles’s brothers were mentoring hadn’t been involved in any of the attacks against her, but several local college kids had been charged for doing Adam’s dirty work and targeting her and Dylan. After being arrested, Kirby had immediately begun bargaining for a deal. He was willing to plead guilty and testify against Shearer. And, according to Miles, the US Attorney’s Office was ready to make that trade. Kirby’s guilty plea meant that Melissa wouldn’t have to testify against him, which also meant there was a chance she wouldn’t have to remain in witness protection.

  The thought of returning to the home she’d shared with her mother saddened her. Nothing was left for her there. Everything she wanted was right here with Miles. He’d told her he loved her and she’d said the same to him, but what did that mean for them now? It was easy to love him, but could she ever truly trust a man who could never share all of his life with her?

  She’d been so sure that the answer to that question was no—but when she’d been held captive, she’d realized what truly mattered to her...and her answer changed. If that man was Miles, she could. She trusted him in a way that transcended everything else. When she’d been trapped in that trunk, she’d had no choice but to believe that God would protect her despite how distant He’d felt, and throughout this ordeal, He’d been with her, watching over her and guiding her to Miles. She trusted Him even without being privy to every detail of His plan because she knew He was a good and loving God.

  She knew that about Miles, too—knew she could trust him implicitly with her life and with Dylan’s. And if he had to keep things secret from her because of his job, she trusted him enough to understand and accept that.

  He ended the call and slid his cell phone into his pocket as he headed toward the corral. She loved the way he walked and talked and kept an eye on her even while pretending not to. He leaned against the fence and waved to Dylan, who squealed with delight when Kellyanne walked the horse past them.

  “That was Griffin. He says they’ve determined the threat against you has been neutralized. They don’t believe anyone is coming after you anymore. Shearer’s network has been dismantled and you won’t have to testify.”

  “So they’re cutting us loose.”

  He nodded. “I agree with them. I’ve looked over the case and I don’t think there’s anyone left that wants to do harm to you or Dylan. There’s no reason for it anymore. Kirby has taken a plea and he’ll testify against Shearer, and the men in his circle are doing the same.” He turned and look at her. “You’re free, Melissa.”

  She sucked in a breath at the word free. She wasn’t sure she even knew what it meant anymore. It had been so long since she’d felt true freedom. For too long, she’d been stuck in a rut, feeling trapped and caged. But she could go anywhere she wanted to go now and be anyone she wanted. She could finally give Dylan the life she’d always dreamed he would have.

  She turned to Miles, then leaned in for a kiss. “I don’t want to go anywhere, Miles. You’ve shown me what true freedom looks like, freedom in love and trust. How could I ever walk away from that?” She reached for his hand and wove her fingers through his. “I love you, Miles Avery, and I don’t want to ever leave you.”

  His face broke into a smile and he pulled her close. “I was hoping you would say that. I’ll turn in my notice to Griffin to transfer out of WITSEC this afternoon. I can’t promise I won’t travel in my new position with the US Marshals Service, but at least there won’t be any secrets between us.”

  She shook her head. She hadn’t expected him to give up his job. “I don’t want you to leave WITSEC. That’s not what I want.”

  “I don’t care about it. I care about you. I love you.”

  “If you weren’t in WITSEC, I know Dylan and I wouldn’t be here today. You went above and beyond to keep us safe. I don’t think we would have made it if we’d had another marshal. It’s important for you to stay in WITSEC.”

  “I don’t want to keep anything from you, Melissa. I want to be able to share anything and everything with you. I don’t want there to ever be any secrets between us. I want you to trust me.”

  “I do trust you, Miles. If I’ve learned anything through this entire ordeal, it’s that, even though I couldn’t see God’s plan, He was working for me all along. It’s the same with you. I trust you, Miles, absolutely and completely. What Shearer and Kirby and even Adam Stringer meant for evil, God used to bring me to you. I trust Him. And I know that any secrets you keep from me won’t be because you don’t love me. I’ll love you no matter what. And I want to be your wife and make a family with you.”

  He took her hands and held them. “Are you sure?”

  She’d never been more certain of anything in her life and she told him so.

  “In that case, will you make me the happiest man alive an
d marry me, Melissa?”

  “Yes, I will marry you, Miles Avery.”

  He let out a whoop and lifted her up, spinning her around as happiness bubbled up through her.

  Dylan squealed again and Kellyanne cheered. Then Melissa and Miles turned to see Kellyanne, Dylan, Bree and Lawson watching them, smiles plastered on their faces.

  “Does this mean you really are going to be my sister?” Kellyanne called, and Melissa smiled and leaned into Miles.

  “It does.”

  She closed her eyes and silently thanked God for finally bringing her all he’d ever wanted—a husband, a home and a family that loved her and Dylan.

  * * *

  Be sure to read the first book in Virginia Vaughan’s Cowboy Lawmen miniseries, Texas Twin Abduction, available now from Love Inspired!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Cave of Secrets by Shannon Redmon.

  Dear Reader

  Thank you for joining me for Miles and Melissa’s journey! I am enjoying writing this new series and this book was no different. I loved the idea of pitting a heroine with trust issues with a man whose job it was to keep secrets. In the end, Melissa learned that the trust she had in Miles had less to do with what he did than who he was.

  Like my characters, I’ve had to learn that trusting God doesn’t rely on what He gives me or what He does or doesn’t allow to happen in my life. I trust in the Lord because of who He is—Savior, provider, loving father and so much more.