case.”
Bennett’s phone beeped with a loud siren. He yanked it from his pocket. A message with a red alert and coordinates flashed across the screen.
“What is it?” Emilia asked.
“Someone is attempting to breach the ranch gate.”
Emilia’s heart leapt into her throat and then slid back down to her chest, beating out a rapid tempo. “Which gate? The front one?”
“No. The rear entrance. Hold on, we have cameras.”
Bennett tapped on his phone, bringing up the video. Emilia leaned over his arm to see. She inhaled sharply. “Randy King. What on earth is he doing?”
The former sheriff was rattling the gate in a rage. Then he kicked it. His truck appeared to be running behind him, the headlights illuminating the surrounding area.
Bennett’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know what he’s doing, but I intend to find out.”
She followed Bennett to the front door, snagging her coat from the rack. “You aren’t going without backup. I’m coming with you.”
“Absolutely not. There’s no danger, Emilia. Sheriff King isn’t going to hurt me.”
“Unless it’s a trap.” She shoved on her boots. “We don’t know the extent of Malcolm or his father’s connection to Derrick. They could be hiding a relationship with him. Or we stumbled into something we don’t understand yet. Sheriff King didn’t show up on your property at midnight for tea and cookies. He’s obviously angry.”
Bennett grabbed his own jacket. “I interviewed Malcolm alone.”
“Which I objected to, if you remember. Besides, that was a calculated risk. You were hoping he would tell you the truth. This is different.”
She keyed in the code on the gun safe in the foyer closet and removed her service weapon. Emilia checked to ensure it was loaded.
“Don’t be stubborn, Bennett. I saw the images of your truck from the shooting a few nights ago. The killer was aiming for you. He’s looking to get revenge. Or he wants you dead so he can get to me. Either way, your life is at risk as much as mine. It’s smart to do this together.”
He paused and then nodded. “You’re right.”
Bennett removed his own gun from the safe and holstered it. They slipped into the wintery night and headed for Bennett’s truck. The windshield was frosted over.
Emilia shivered inside her coat. She hadn’t bothered to holster her gun. Instead she gripped it in her hand, taking comfort in the familiar weight. The truck rumbled to life and flew down the main driveway.
Within short order, they were on the dark country road that wrapped around the ranch. Emilia’s gaze swept across the woods, searching for any potential threats. Maybe it was an overreaction. After all, Sheriff King had been a lawman until his forced retirement due to Parkinson’s. But something inside whispered to stay on her guard. She wouldn’t ignore her instincts.
“There he is,” Bennett muttered, as the black truck came into view. “Stay back, Emilia, and cover me.”
He stopped the vehicle. Emilia jumped from the seat and used the open passenger-side door as a shield. Adrenaline flooded her veins, but her hands were steady and her movements sure. She kept her weapon ready as Bennett rounded the front of the truck and called out, “Sheriff King.”
Randy came into view of the headlights. His hair was disheveled and one pant leg was hooked on the top of his boot. He carried a shotgun. “’Bout time you showed up, boy.”
Bennett stopped, his hand going to the holster on his hip, but didn’t draw his weapon. There was no need for him to. Emilia had a clear shot and she would keep him safe. The weight of Bennett’s trust settled on her shoulders like a warm cloak. He didn’t just respect her as a woman, but as a cop too. It mattered.
Regret rippled through Emilia. Bennett had nearly kissed her tonight. She’d wanted him to, but panic set in at the last minute. The handsome Texas Ranger was wheedling his way past her defenses and into her heart.
Please, Lord. Watch over us, especially Bennett.
“You need to stay away from my son.” Randy raised his shotgun slightly. “Do you understand me, Ranger? Don’t come near my boy asking questions about Derrick Jackson. Malcolm doesn’t know anything about that killer.”
Randy’s words were slightly slurred. Parkinson’s affected the nervous system, so it could be a product of his disease. Or perhaps the former sheriff had been drinking. Either way, waving the shotgun around was asking for trouble. He could accidentally shoot Bennett.
Emilia kept her breathing steady and her weapon fixed on the older man. It took all