Loree didn’t realize she’d pulled the trigger until she heard the explosion and watched McQueen’s arms flail out as he staggered backward to the ground.
“Oh, God,” she cried as she dropped beside him, jerked free the linen sticking out of his pocket, and pressed it to the dark stain spreading over his white shirt. He groaned.
Dewayne knelt beside her. “You gut shot him, Loree. He’s as good as dead. We gotta get out of here.”
“Help me stop—”
Then McQueen released a deep roar and grabbed her wrist. The blood coating her hands made it easy to slip free. She stumbled back.
“You bitch! I’ll drag you into hell with me.” He started to laugh. “Mark my words! I’ll drag you into hell with me!”
“And he did. He did drag me into hell. I lived alone, afraid that if I had a family, what I’d done would reach out to hurt them. I didn’t know I’d already hurt you.” Tears streaming along her cheeks, Loree doubled over and pressed her face to her knees.
“You thought you could outdraw him?” Austin asked stunned.
“Blame it on my youth, my grief, or my shame. I just didn’t want anyone to know everything that led to that night, all that happened that night. And I couldn’tnotdo anything.”
“So once you shot him, you left?”
Wiping at her tears, she nodded. “He was fumbling to get his gun out of his holster so we mounted up and rode out. We came to a river. I couldn’t get his blood off my hands. I tried and tried, but I couldn’t.” She started wiping her hands on her gown. “Sometimes, I feel like his blood is still there.”
Austin had listened with increasing horror and dread … and more, with the realization that she spoke the truth. She was tied to the land … the missing link the detective had uncovered. He dropped beside her and took her ice cold, trembling hands into his. “Loree, listen to me.” He shook her until her head snapped back and the vacant gaze left her eyes to be replaced by tears.
“I’m so sorry, Austin. I never knew anyone went to prison for killing McQueen. I thought we were safe. I would have come back and confessed if I’d known—”
“It doesn’t matter, but I gotta talk to Dallas right now. I want you to go into the house and take care of Grant. Can you do that for me? Trust me to take care of everything. All right?”
“You’ll tell the sheriff, won’t you? We’ll clear your name—”
He pressed his finger to her lips. “I need to talk to Dallas tonight. Then we’ll decide tomorrow what we’re gonna do.” He put his arm around her and helped her stand. She was trembling as badly as he was. He escorted her into the house, eased her into bed, and brought the blankets around her, tucking them below her chin.
“Don’t hate me, Austin,” she said quietly.
“I don’t hate you, Loree. You take care of Grant if he wakes up. Remember months back, before he was born, when we said he has to come first? That still holds true. Nothing’s changed that.”
She gave him a weak nod. Lord, he didn’t want to leave her, but he knew it was imperative that he talk to Dallas as soon as he could. “I won’t be long,” he promised.
He hurried from the house, saddled Black Thunder, mounted up, and rode through the night like a man hounded by demons.
Dallas loved those first few moments when he crawled into bed and his wife cuddled up against him. She purred like a contented kitten, and he hadn’t even gotten around to ensuring her contentment yet.
He covered her mouth with his, drinking deeply of the glory she offered.
The bedroom door banged against the wall, and he shot out of bed, naked as the day he was born. He jerked a blanket off the bed to cover himself and glared at his baby brother. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I need to talk to you,” Austin said, his breathing labored. His worried gaze shifted to Dee. “You, too.”
“Do you mind if we get dressed?” Dallas barked.
Austin looked him over as though just noticing his lack of apparel. He gave a brusque nod. “That’d be fine.” He disappeared down the hallway.
Dallas looked at Dee. “The last time one of my brothers burst into my bedroom like that, I lost a wife.”
Smiling, she slipped out of bed and reached for her wrapper. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that happening this time.”
He pulled on his trousers before following her to his study. Like a caged animal, Austin paced back and forth in front of the window that ran the length of the wall. He pointed to the desk without breaking his stride. “Why don’t you sit down?”
Dallas dropped into the leather chair behind his desk, propped his elbow on the armrest, and rubbed his thumb and forefinger over his mustache while Dee sat in her chair beside the desk and drew her legs up beneath her. Austin continued his pacing.
