Cardwell Ranch Trespasser - By B. J. Daniels Page 0,48
was heartbreaking.
Without a word, he took her in his arms. She was trembling. He took her over to the couch, then went to her liquor cabinet and found some bourbon. He poured her a couple fingers’ worth.
“Drink this,” he said.
“Aren’t you afraid what I might do liquored up?” she asked sarcastically.
“Terrified,” he said and stood over her until she’d downed every drop. “You want to talk about it?” he asked, taking the empty glass from her and joining her on the couch.
She let out a laugh. “I hardly believe what happened. Why would I expect anyone else to?”
“I believe you. I believe everything you’ve told me.”
Tears welled in her brown eyes. He drew her to him and kissed her, holding her tightly. “I’m sorry you had to go through this alone.”
She nodded and wiped hastily at the tears as she drew back to look at him. “You’re my only hope right now. We have to find out whatever we can about this woman.” And then she told him everything, from finding the shop vandalized to what led up to her being nearly arrested.
When she finished, he said, “We shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Surprised? I’m still in shock. To do something like that to yourself...”
“You knew Dee was sick.”
Hilde nodded. “What will she do next? That’s what worries me.”
Colt didn’t want to say it, but that worried him, too. “Maybe Hud has the right idea. Isn’t there somewhere—”
“I’m not leaving. Dee told me that I’ve never had to fight for anything. Well, I’m fighting now. I’m bringing her down. One way or another.”
“Hilde—”
“She has to be stopped.”
“I agree. But we have to be careful. She’s dangerous.” He felt his phone vibrate, checked it and saw that his boss had sent him a text. “Hud wants to see me ASAP.” Not good. “I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
“I’ll be fine. Dee won this round. She won’t do anything for a while, and I’m not going to give her another chance to use me like she did today.”
He heard the courage as well as the determination in her voice. Hilde was strong and, no matter what Dee had told her, she was a fighter.
“Would you mind if I came by later?”
Her kiss answered that question quite nicely.
* * *
HUD WAS WAITING when Colt arrived. He motioned him into his office. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he said the moment Colt closed the door and sat down.
“I beg your pardon?” He had a pretty good idea what the problem was, but he wasn’t about to hand him the rope to hang him.
“Tell me about the unauthorized request to run fingerprints you sent to the crime lab,” the marshal said.
That’s what Colt figured. Someone had caught his friend. He hated that he’d gotten the man into trouble. Sticking out his own neck was one thing. Sticking out someone else’s was a whole other story.
“They’re the woman’s now staying at your house, the one you call Dee Anna Justice,” he said.
Hud swore and slammed a hand down on his desk as he sat forward. “What the hell were you thinking sending an unauthorized request to the crime lab?”
“I was trying to protect you and your family.”
“That isn’t going to wash and you know it. Well, let me give you the news. There are no prints on file.” Hud let that sink in. “That’s right. Dee has no record. Satisfied?”
So she’d never been arrested. That didn’t surprise him given what he’d seen of her maneuvers so far.
“This is about Hilde, isn’t it?” Hud demanded. “You did this for her. This is so you can get closer to her.”
Colt got to his feet. “If that’s what you think—”
“You’re suspended.”
This, too, didn’t come as a surprise. He met Hud’s gaze. “If you really think I would use law enforcement resources to try to get a woman in bed, then I think you should fire me.”
“Damn it, Colt, you’re a fine deputy marshal and I don’t want to lose you. Two weeks without pay. Get out of here.”
He left Hud’s office, knowing there was nothing he could say. He’d taken a risk. It had cost him. Worse, it had only made Dee look more innocent.
“Colt,” Annie whispered, as he started for the door out of the station. He could tell that she’d probably heard everything. The department was small, the walls thin. She motioned him over and secretly slipped him a folded sheet of paper. “I think you’ll want to see this.”
They both heard Hud come out