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“Raided? Why?” She bashed her head against the back of her seat. “Sorry. I can’t stop myself from asking nosy questions.”
“It’s all right. My father was the cult leader, and he took multiple wives. Younger wives. Illegal wives. Including my mother.”
Her eyes shot open wide, and she covered her mouth.
He let out a mirthless laugh. “Yes. My father is a pedophile, and my mother was one of his victims. She was thirteen when she got pregnant with me. Fourteen when I was born. He was thirty-three.”
“I’m so sorry. I cannot imagine how hard that must be for you.”
“I’ve come to accept it, though I still wonder what ever happened to my mother.” He stared straight ahead at the snow coming sideways. “We were brought to Pennsylvania because that was where my mother was raised, and I think she considered going to see her parents. Never did as far as I know. She stayed here for about a year after the cult disbanded, but then one night she left. There was a note saying she was going back to West Virginia. Life outside the community wasn’t for her.”
“She left you alone?”
“I wasn’t alone. We stayed in a shelter for abused women. They contacted child services, and I was placed in foster care.”
“Did you get placed with a good family?”
“I was shuffled around until I turned twelve. Then I was placed with my ‘forever family.’ That’s what I call them. They’re the ones who got me through my teenage years, sent me to college, and helped me to make something of my life.”
“I’m glad you found them.”
“It was a God thing. He knew I needed them, and maybe they needed me, too.”
“I like that. God has a way of working things out for His purposes, doesn’t He?”
“Yes. Even stakeouts. Look at that.” He pointed. A white van, barely visible in the snow, made its way down the road. Noting the time on the dash, he sucked in a sharp breath of cold air. “It’s time. That may be our buyer.”
Chapter Nine
Before Cate had a moment to digest what Malachi told her, a van drove down the street, so she needed to keep her focus on the task at hand and not let herself become emotionally invested in the handsome park ranger seated beside her. Their relationship could never be more than a professional one. She didn’t live nearby, and she traveled for work more often than she stayed put. No man in his right mind would want to get involved with a woman who was never around. As another vehicle pulled past them, she glanced beside her and lifted an eyebrow. “Should we follow?”
She knew he’d been expecting a different vehicle, but the group could’ve had more than one.
“I don’t know. Could be them. Should we toss a coin?”
A laugh bubbled out of her. “Probably not. What does your gut tell you?”
He frowned. “Yeah. Go ahead. Follow.”
She slowly turned onto the road behind the sedan and kept a reasonable distance. Brake lights shone ahead of them, and she came to a stop as the sedan pulled in behind the van they’d seen earlier. It would be so much better if they could hear what the men said. “Want to call it in?”
Malachi nodded and lifted his radio. “Forest service will block off the road, and the Game Commission officers will join us here shortly. Wait until they arrive to approach.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” She heard the hitch in her voice. “What if they get away before the roadblock is in place?”
“No worries.” He grinned. “I have no intention of following my own advice.” His door opened without warning, and he was trudging through the snow to reach the stopped vehicles.
Before she could think through what she was doing, she hopped out of her truck and followed him. She was carrying. Her brothers insisted she learn how to shoot and get her conceal carry permit after what happened with the Continental Alliance, but she didn’t like guns and prayed she’d never have to aim it at a person.
Malachi was silent up ahead. Snow smacked Cate in the face and stuck to her eyelashes, making it hard to see him in the shadows of the tree line. It was clear he was attempting to remain hidden until he could hear what they were up to and determine if this was the exchange they were awaiting. A blast of wind whipped through her coat, and she folded her arms against the cold.
A child’s screams tore through the night, and she hurried to Malachi’s side. “What on earth?”
“I don’t know.” Malachi stepped out into the open with his badge and gun drawn and rapped on the window of the van. He identified himself when the driver rolled down his window. Cate remained a few steps behind him, prepared to assist if anything should go awry.
The words that came from the car left her stomach clenched in knots.
“My wife doesn’t want me coming to her house where her new boyfriend lives. I meet her here to drop off my son.” The poor kid. A pawn in the middle of his parents’ games. But not the reason they were there.
