at that shotgun and she could lose all her bargaining power.
The thought of someone sneaking into her house to steal Abby caused Renee’s stomach to clench and her hands to shake. Her heart pounded against her ribs so hard she feared he would hear it.
In a fluid motion, he took a couple of steps back and then was out the window a beat later. The second he disappeared, Renee moved toward the window. She withdrew her right foot the minute she planted it because of something sharp. Glass? Had the window been broken? It would explain how the man got in. She checked to make certain he was gone. A blurry figure darted across the lawn and into some kind of vehicle that was too far away for her to make out.
Now that she was safe, she set the shotgun down and moved to her daughter.
“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry. That scary man can’t hurt you now.” As Renee spoke the words, the weight of them struck. She cradled Abby to her chest and raced to her bedroom in order to check the lock there, needing to be certain that he couldn’t surprise her from another room. He’d slipped in and out so easily. Was he familiar with the layout? Someone who’d lived here prior? One of her movers?
There weren’t many people who knew she’d moved and there wasn’t much to the upstairs. The layout was simple. Two bedrooms, a linen closet and a bathroom with an authentic claw-foot tub was the extent of the space. Renee second-guessed herself for putting the crib in the other bedroom instead of in hers where she could watch over the little girl constantly. A child taken from his or her own bedroom had to be every parent’s worst nightmare.
While balancing the crying baby, Renee darted into her bedroom and felt around for her glasses. This time, she kept at it until she felt them. With one hand, she managed to put them on halfway straight. Next, she retrieved her cell phone from the nightstand and checked the lock on the window.
The need to check doors and windows on the first level overrode any other rational thought. She made her way downstairs and checked the front window. There were no other vehicles parked on her street.
Could someone have come through the back door? Renee ran there, too. She hadn’t heard anything else. Of course, it would be next to impossible to hear anything over Abby’s wails, the sound of which nearly broke Renee’s heart.
She called 911 even though she doubted the dispatcher could hear her. At least the person on the other end of the line would know Renee needed help.
The minute someone answered, she immediately rattled off her name and address. “I’m new in town and someone just broke into my house and tried to kidnap my daughter. Please send someone immediately. He’s out of the house but he could come back at any moment and bring friends.” The thought made her shudder.
Renee listened for a response. If one came, she couldn’t hear it. Abby was so worked up she was starting to choke.
The new life that was supposed to feel like a fresh start seemed to be collapsing around Renee. And she was hanging on by a thread.
* * *
US MARSHAL CASH O’CONNOR had had a night for the books. He gripped the steering wheel tighter as he navigated his rental onto the highway heading northbound, home. The felony warrant he’d forced himself out of bed at two o’clock in the morning after a whopping hour and a half of sleep to serve had gone downhill faster than an out-of-control skier on his last run.
Not only had the scumbag arms dealer Cash was trying to pick up in Houston gotten away, but the jerk had shot up Cash’s service vehicle and nearly shot Cash. Traffic was bad on the I-45, making the drive back to Katy Gulch take twice as long as it should. Traffic on Texas highways was becoming as unreliable as spring thunderstorms. He never knew when they’d occur or how bad they’d get until the exact moment one struck.
It was late. Cash’s stomach growled for the third time. He was in no mood to stop off for a bite. All he wanted was to get home to his log cabin–style house on the O’Connor family ranch, heat up some brisket to make a sandwich and have a cold beer. He’d skip the alcohol because he was on call, but