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She scrambled backward, desperate to put some distance between the gunman and her. Ryker’s orders vibrated off the concrete and suddenly there was gunfire. Hannah's breathing grew shallow as she stayed low, hiding behind a collection of boxes. Her gaze searched the area for another weapon, but to no avail. Prayers fell from her lips. The sound of an engine rumbling to life was followed by more gunshots. Tires squealed. She caught sight of the van as it tore down the alley through large windows at the back of the bay.
The attacker had escaped.
She whimpered. Scrambling out of her hiding place, Hannah fell into a set of strong and capable arms. Ryker. His solid form held her up as her knees trembled. He pulled her closer until she was pressed against his muscular chest. “I’ve got you. It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Tremors worked through her entire body. She wanted to bury herself in his embrace and forget about the last fifteen minutes, but couldn’t. Hannah shoved away from Ryker. “Charlotte. She’s in the storage closet.” Bullets could tear through sheetrock. Fresh terror overtook her logic. She stumbled down the aisle of boxes, heading straight for her niece.
Was Charlotte okay?
NINE
Four hours later, Ryker’s pulse still hadn’t settled. The conference room in the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department was a quiet oasis compared to the bullpen beyond the closed door. Hannah was seated on his right, Charlotte settled on her lap with a bottle. The baby was unharmed and blissfully unaware of the perilous danger she’d been in. Her cheeks were rosy as she sucked down the formula greedily. Every time Ryker glanced at her—or her gorgeous caregiver—his chest tightened.
They’d almost died.
Mistakes had been made. His own. Self-recrimination battered the confidence he’d built up over the years as a Texas Ranger. He’d been in precarious situations with civilians before—domestic violence, incidents with hostages—but all of them were instigatedbeforehis arrival on the scene. What happened today at the courthouse was his screw-up. And Hannah had nearly paid the ultimate price.
That wouldn’t happen again. Not on his watch. He’d toss the woman over his shoulder and haul her out of danger next time if need be. His gaze drifted to the baby in her arms. Charlotte was another issue altogether. After this meeting, Ryker and Hannah were going to have a tough conversation. She had some decisions to make.
On the table, Hannah’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. She scooped it up, read the message, and then her shoulders sagged with relief. “The hospital will keep Pam overnight for observation since she hit her head, but her ankle is just sprained.” A new message came through, and Hannah chuckled. “Pam’s daughter says her mom is arguing with the doctor because she wants to go home. Not even a knock to the head can keep her down.”
Ryker laughed, relief loosening his muscles. He’d been worried about the older woman. “Sounds like she's gonna be just fine.”
The conference room door opened and several members of his team, along with his boss, filed in. Introductions were made and more than one ranger went gooey-eyed over Charlotte. It was an interesting phenomenon to observe. Hardened lawmen with years of experience dealing with the worst criminals went completely soft over one small baby. Not that Ryker could blame them. Charlotte was completely adorable. She ate up all the attention, offering everyone a toothless smile, before Hannah convinced her to take the bottle again.
Claire, her sheriff’s uniform wrinkled, marched in on determined strides, followed by several of her deputies. She took a place at the center of the table and waved for everyone to have a seat. “Let’s get started.” She gave a sharp nod to Ryker’s boss. “I’m turning this meeting over to Lieutenant Vikki Rodriguez. For those who aren’t aware, she’s in charge of Company A of the Texas Rangers. They are leading the investigation into the attacks on ADA Lawson and the bombing at the courthouse.”
Texas Rangers couldn’t assume control of a case without being invited to do so, and their investigations were often part of a larger task force in combination with local law enforcement. As sheriff, Claire was involved every step of the way. Joining their efforts was the most effective way to tackle tough cases.
Lieutenant Rodriguez rose from her chair. The leader of Company A was detail-oriented, tough, and kind. Ryker had always had a good working relationship with her. It helped that she treated her team like a family. The camaraderie in their unit was solid. While the lieutenant didn’t let anyone on her team get away with nonsense, she also extended understanding when personal issues arose.
Her dark hair was slicked back into a tight ponytail and her makeup-free face was stern. “Thank you, Sheriff. This morning, the bailiff in Judge Wingate’s courtroom received a call on his personal cell phone from an unidentified individual who claimed there was a bomb in the building. Understandably concerned, the bailiff alerted the judge and began an emergency evacuation of the building. The bomb squad—along with their canines—have been through every inch of the courthouse. No bombs were found.
“We believe the bomb threat was a well-timed ruse to create a panic in order to kidnap ADA Lawson,” Lieutenant Rodriguez continued. “The perpetrator escaped in an unidentified van from the courthouse after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement. During his struggle with ADA Lawson, however, he was injured when she stabbed him with a screwdriver. Local hospitals have been notified, but there’s no sign of him. Yet.”
“Do we know if this perpetrator is the same man who attacked Hannah in her home last night?” Claire asked.
Texas Ranger Elijah “Eli” Goodwin, his usual permanent scowl etched on his features, leaned forward. “Not with certainty, although it’s a safe bet. ADA Lawson fought off both attacks, drawing blood in the process. DNA will take time, but the blood type is a match. Either both attackers are AB- or we’re dealing with the same man.” Eli’s scowl softened as he glanced at Hannah. A faint smile played on his lips. “Nice job, by the way. The screwdriver to the leg was a brilliant move. The guy’s probably in a lot of pain. Is it wrong to hope the wound gets infected and forces him to a hospital so we can arrest his cowardly behind?”
A bolt of unexpected and white-hot jealousy streaked through Ryker. Eli was a childhood friend. They’d know each other for decades. Eli wasn’t known for flirting. He hadn’t so much as looked at a woman twice since breaking up with his fiancée five years ago. The man was as straitlaced as they came, a rule follower to a nauseating degree, and grumpy to boot. At any other time, Ryker would be amused to witness Eli so obviously intrigued by a woman. But not Hannah.
It was a ridiculous thought. One he had no right to. Hannah was free to date who she chose, and despite his critical attitude, she could do a lot worse than Eli. The ranger was loyal and went the extra mile with everything. Including caring for his friends. He’d bailed Ryker out of trouble many times over the years.
Still… Ryker was bothered. More than he wanted to admit. It didn’t help when Hannah blushed slightly. He forced his mind to focus on the task at hand. “Whether his wound becomes infected or not, we’re arresting his cowardly behind.” A round of Amens followed that statement from the law enforcement in the room. Ryker waited until they died down before continuing, “The perpetrator left Hannah a note last night linking her assault to Julie Anderson’s murder. If the courthouse attack was committed by the same man—and it probably was—this all links back to Thomas.”
“The perpetrator alluded to being paid.” Hannah patted the baby’s back in rhythmic movements. “I offered to double the amount. He laughed in response.”
“That’s one possibility.” Lieutenant Rodriguez nodded. “The perpetrator could be a hitman for hire. Someone Thomas Anderson contracted to kill you. But there’s another plausible theory.” She picked up a remote and clicked a button. An image of a man appeared on the far wall, courtesy of an overhead projector controlled by a laptop resting on the conference table. Ryker immediately recognized the kidnapper. His face was partially, although not completely, concealed by a ball cap.
“This photograph was taken from surveillance video at the courthouse,” Lieutenant Rodriguez said. “We haven’t been able to identify the perpetrator, but…” She clicked on the remote again. This time a side-by-side image appeared on the wall. One was the photograph of the attacker, the other was a police sketch artist rendering.
Hannah gasped. “That’s the man Thomas said threatened him in his office parking lot. The one who he accused of killing his wife. Cash.”
Ryker stiffened. She was right. There was a striking resemblance. The only differential was that the man from the courthouse had a large scar on his neck and the sketch did not. Tension coiled his muscles.
“It’s possible Thomas Anderson was telling the truth,” Lieutenant Rodriguez said. “He was approached by Cash with an offer to join forces in a drug scheme involving narcotics prescriptions. When Thomas refused, this man”—she pointed to the still photograph taken from the video surveillance—“retaliated by killing his wife.”
Ryker gritted his teeth together. “We looked into Thomas’s claims thoroughly and could never substantiate them. That composite sketch was done several weeks after Julie was murdered. That’s when Thomas offered this supposed theory about his wife’s death. At the time, he was already under suspicion. We were building a case against him, and he knew it.”
