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Wind whipped raindrops as Texas Ranger Ryker Montgomery maneuvered his way through dozens of police vehicles to the crime scene. The house was two stories with clean lines and a well-kept yard. A plastic baby swing hung from the arm of a giant oak tree. The sight of it made his chest tighten. Dispatch hadn’t shared much with Ryker about the crime scene, only that it was high profile and he was needed immediately.
He sent up a silent prayer heavenward. Children were a tender spot for any law enforcement officer, but Ryker had a special built-in rage for criminals that hurt or endangered kids. The bullet wound along his left side burned with a phantom pain. It’d been nearly thirty years since Ryker’s girlfriend, Alison, was murdered during a gas station robbery. He’d nearly lost his life as well when the killer shot him. They’d been fifteen. Riding their bicycles home from the lake after spending the afternoon swimming.
Alison had wanted a soda and a chocolate bar. She’d paid with her life.
“Ryker.” Gavin Sterling raised a hand in greeting from his place on the front porch. His colleague wore the official Texas Ranger uniform: khakis, white button-down, and cowboy boots. His dark hair was covered by a hat and a wedding band encircled the ring finger on his left hand.
Surprise flickered through Ryker as he shook his friend’s hand. “Are you back from your honeymoon already? I thought you had another week.”
“So did I, but Jacob started running a high fever a few days ago and Claire was worried, so we cut our trip short.” Gavin was married to the Fulton County sheriff. Her son from a previous marriage, Jacob, was everything to the couple. “Thankfully, it was just a bad bout of the flu. His fever broke last night.”
“I’m glad he’s okay.” Ryker provided his name to the officer at the front door for the crime scene log and then removed a set of booties from a box. He slipped them over his damp cowboy boots. “Is Claire here?”
“She’s inside.” Gavin handed Ryker a set of latex gloves. “Bennett is helping Luke with a double homicide, so I volunteered to take the lead on this.”
Ranger Bennett Knox and Ranger Luke Tatum were part of their team. Bennett normally handled cases in Fulton County, but there were times the rangers in Company A assisted each other with investigations. Ryker and Gavin had both filled in for him when he was called away. Like now. It was one benefit of having a close-knit group.
Ryker tugged on a set of latex gloves. “What do we have?”
“Break-in and attempted murder. Looks like a target hit.” Gavin frowned. “This house belongs to assistant district attorney, Hannah Lawson.”
That name drew Ryker up short. His gaze shot to the interior of the house, but there was no sign of the redheaded beauty. Dread swirled in his belly. “Was she hurt? What about Charlotte?”
“The baby is fine. Hannah’s got some bumps and bruises. She and the intruder fought. He got the upper hand and held a knife to her throat, but deputies arrived on the scene and knocked on the door. It was enough to distract the would-be killer. Hannah got free without having her throat slashed, but her attacker escaped.”
Anger pulsed through Ryker’s veins. He didn’t cotton to any woman being assaulted, but Hannah being attacked sparked his temper in a new way. They’d worked on several cases together since she’d joined the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. Ryker had grown to admire her deep commitment to her job and her family. “Take me through the scene.”
Gavin escorted Ryker inside. The home was decorated in pastel walls. A comfy sofa and bookcases created an inviting living room. Sheriff Claire Wilson—no, now she was Claire Sterling—stood in the corner of the room, observing a crime scene investigator as he coated a window ledge with black dust. Glass was scattered on the beige carpet. Claire offered Ryker a tight smile. “Not the best welcome home after my honeymoon.”
“No.” He gestured to the broken window. “Is that how the intruder got in?”
“Yep. The home has a security system, which he bypassed. Probably with some kind of jammer. Then he broke the window and entered the house.” Claire strolled to the staircase. Her blond hair was tied back into a tight ponytail and her shoulders were damp from being out in the rain. “This leads up to the second floor. There are two staircases in the house. My guess is, he went upstairs looking for Hannah after breaking in using the one off the living room, but she took the rear staircase into the kitchen around the same time. They missed each other.”
Ryker pictured it in his mind. “Okay, then what happened?”
“He realized Hannah was downstairs and used the same staircase to come into the living room. Hannah was in the kitchen.” Claire tilted her head to indicate Ryker should follow her. They went past a dining room and through a doorway into a spacious kitchen with a large center island. Crime scene investigators were photographing the room. Drops of blood, identified with bright yellow markers, spotted the tile floor. “The attacker jumped her while Hannah was attempting to escape up the staircase.”
“How did she know someone was in the house?”
“She heard the intruder when he came back down the stairs. She called 911 and grabbed a knife.” Claire’s expression darkened. “The intruder disarmed her and then used that same knife to threaten her.” She held up her thumb and forefinger within a breath of each other. “Hannah was this close to having her throat cut.”
Ryker felt that same heat rise in his veins. He wasn’t known for having a temper—the exact opposite, in fact. Nothing riled him, but this time, couldn’t quite contain his response. “Fingerprints?”
“None yet. Hannah said the guy was wearing gloves, so I’m not hopeful. Officers searched the outside of the home, especially near the broken window, but the storm erased any potential foot impressions.” She waved toward the blood spots. “We might get lucky with DNA. Hannah nailed some solid hits when she fought back. If the attacker is in the federal or local databases, we’ll identify him.”
“I’ll submit the paperwork.” Ryker glanced at Gavin. “Can you take it directly to the lab? Put a rush on it.”
“Absolutely.”
Ryker nodded his thanks. One benefit of being a Texas Ranger was that their cases got priority. DNA normally took weeks. In this case, it could be days. Catching Hannah’s attacker was essential. She was a prosecutor and a threat on her life was taken as seriously as one made on a fellow police officer.
“You should interview Hannah ASAP.” Claire held Ryker’s gaze. “She’s got information you’ll want to hear. She’s upstairs.”
His brow arched. “Okay.” He glanced at Gavin and then back at Claire. “Anyone want to give me a heads-up on what I’m walking into?”
“Hannah specifically asked to explain it to you.”
Nerves jittering, Ryker took the stairs two at a time to the second floor. Officer Jenkins—Claire’s newest hire—guarded a closed door. She shot Ryker a flirtatious smile, one he might’ve returned at any other time, but not now. His mind was solely focused on finding out whatever mysterious secret Hannah was holding onto. He knocked and paused momentarily before opening the door.
