“Not when your business is connected to those listening devices we found at the Prescott ranch, and certainly not when you’ve been colluding with Bret McGowen to instill fear,” Martinez said, brandishing her credentials.
Richards opened his mouth to protest but was swiftly silenced by the firm grip of an agent tightening around his arm.
For Heather, a wave of relief washed over her, the tension she'd been holding onto snapping away as the adrenaline ebbed.
As the agents loaded him into the back of a vehicle, she felt her adrenaline begin to ebb. It would only be a matter of time before they located Bret and held him accountable for his part in Darren Richard's illegal dealings.
“Nice work out there,” Lyle whispered, appearing by her side and folding her into his arms. The feel of his warm, masculine body against hers made her heart begin to gallop all over again. His face was soft with pride, and Heather couldn’t help but smile back.
“I couldn’t have done it without you all,” she said, her voice quivering with emotion.
When they returned to the ranch, Heather's nerves were still humming. She didn't think she'd ever be able to settle until Bret's whereabouts were accounted for. Darren had admitted that he was working with Bret. But where was he? Was he still in Dallas, letting Darren handle the dirty work?
Clearly, Darren’s objective was to take over her business, giving him another false entity to run dirty money through. And Bret was his accomplice. If Bret hadn’t been seeking revenge, her business most likely would never have been on Darren’s radar.
Heather got out of her Jeep and it was mere moments before Lyle was beside her, as if he never wanted to let her out of his sight again.
Thankfully the guests who'd been at the ranch had left. They weren't expecting another set of customers until the end of the week, which would give them time to restock and get ready.
"I should probably start moving my stuff back into the cabin."
"Not until we get the word that Bret's been apprehended," he said.
She had to admit, his words gave her some relief.
They made their way into the kitchen where Mike was perusing recipes. He looked up. "I can't tell you how difficult that was for me to stay behind."
"But I appreciate you keeping Charlotte," Lyle said. "Where is she, by the way?"
"She's up in her room coloring with the puppies. Said the cat was going to give the dogs a tutorial."
Lyle laughed and went up the stairs, just to make sure all the animals were behaving. But when he got to Charlotte's room, his heart began to pound. Pudge was curled on the end of the bed. The puppies were burrowed under the pillows. But Charlotte was nowhere in sight.
"Charlotte!" he called and strode to the window, checking below in case she was playing outside.
The alarmed sound of his voice drew Heather, Joe and Mike upstairs.
"What's wrong?" Mike asked.
"Charlotte's not here."
"What do you mean she’s not here? Where else could she be? I left her here playing with the puppies. I've been in the kitchen the whole time. I would have seen her if she'd gone outside."
"If she'd gone out the kitchen door," Kenny said from the hallway. "She could have used the front door."
"Damn it," Mike said. "I was watching her." His tone was both worried and defensive.
"Calm down," Lyle said, even though he wanted to scream and run at the same time. "We'll find her. She's probably in the barn."
Heather's heart was beating so hard she thought she might be sick. She wanted to believe that the little girl was in the barn, but there was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Charlotte rarely went anywhere without Pudge. And Pudge was fast asleep on the yellow quilt at the end of the double bed.
They all raced out of the house. “Charlotte!” Lyle shouted again, desperation clawing at his throat.
Moments crawled by like hours as they searched the property, frantically calling out her name until it echoed off the walls of their sinking fears.
As the reality of the threat settled back in, a wave of confusion morphed into paralyzing panic. "Charlotte!" Heather’s voice cracked as she ran and searched every place she could imagine the little girl playing.
And then it hit her like a thunderclap. Darren Richards’ final words—‘Intimidation doesn’t come without consequences.’
