Page 57 of The Sheriff's Baby

She hadn’t needed any further proof that this was a hired gun. A person capable of cold-blooded murder.

“Did you kill him?” she had to ask.

Still no reaction, though, she heard the driver. He growled out a “shut up.” Maybe meant for her. Maybe meant for the big guy as a reminder not to say anything. Either way, the two words had been so low that she hadn’t been able to tell if this was Hamlin or Brad who were both out on bail. It was possibly neither of them since the driver could be a hired gun as well. This way, their boss took no risks and kept their hands clean.

Her body shifted and leaned as the driver threaded the car around the ranch trail, and Joelle pushed all thoughts of their suspects aside. Instead, she tried to focus on the shifting and leaning. If she timed it right, she might be able to shove herself against the big guy. Might be able to ram her elbow into his gut and strip him of that billy club and stun gun. But any hopes of that vanished when the driver came off the trail and onto the road.

Joelle glanced around again to get her bearings, and she recognized where she was. It was, indeed, the road that led to Saddle Ridge, and to the interstate, but they weren’t heading in that direction. Just the opposite.

The driver didn’t stay on the road for long, though. He took another turn onto another ranch trail. The car bobbled over the uneven surface, and Joelle knew even if she managed to somehow jump from the vehicle, she could be killed since there were thick trees on both sides of this trail.

The minutes crawled by before the car exited out onto another road. She recognized this one as well. And her heart dropped when she realized where they were going.

“You’re taking me to my family’s ranch,” she muttered.

Neither man responded, but Joelle didn’t need their confirmation. This wasn’t the main route to get to the ranch. This was a much less traveled farm road, one she’d used as a teenager to learn to drive.

They were taking her to Duncan at her family’s ranch.

But she immediately rethought that. Duncan would almost certainly be on his way back to his place. And he would be driving the usual faster route. He wouldn’t see her. In fact, maybe these goons were taking her there to hand her off to someone. To their boss. Though Joelle couldn’t figure out why they’d choose her family ranch for the exchange, she knew she had to be ready to try to escape.

The goon behind the wheel took the turn onto the ranch grounds. Again, not the usual front driveway but rather the back trail that led from the road to the pasture. It was dirt and gravel, not paved like the other, but it was in decent enough shape since it’s how her father had often had hay and feed delivered to the barn.

Even though it was hard for her to see the front driveway, Joelle did her best to look around and tried to spot Duncan. Or Woodrow and Ronnie since they were backup. She couldn’t see any of them so it was entirely possible that the two deputies had followed Slater and him back to Duncan’s place.

And that could be what the goons had counted on.

Maybe that’s why they’d left Luca and Carmen alive. It would have ensured one of them would be able to call for help, and Duncan would come running. Once he arrived at his place, though, Duncan would see she wasn’t there.

Would he think to come back here?

It was possible, but it was just as likely he’d be frantically trying to shut down the interstate exits and roads to try and stop the goons from getting her out of the area.

The driver pulled to a stop at the end of the road. Directly in front of the back door of the barn. The loading door was wide enough to accommodate a vehicle, but he didn’t open it and park inside where the vehicle would be out of sight. However, he did park, and he immediately got out, throwing open the door on her side and pulling her out. He put the stun gun to her stomach again.

Goon number two made a fast exit, too, and he hurried to his partner so he could hook his arm around Joelle’s waist and get her moving. Again, not into the barn but across the backyard.

And that’s when Joelle realized where they were taking her.

They were dragging her straight toward the well.

DUNCANWANTEDTOsmash his fist into the steering wheel. But that wouldn’t help him get to Joelle. Still, the smashing would give him a hard jolt of pain that might rid him of some of the anger, fear and frustration bubbling up inside him. Then again, nothing would help that.

Nothing but finding Joelle and making sure she was safe.

Slater was on the phone to Carmen, and since the call was on speaker, Duncan was hearing what a hellish situation was waiting for him at his place. The ambulance was on the way to get Luca who apparently had a head injury. Carmen had one as well and was bleeding from being hit. And while all of that was important, it wasn’t at the top of his worry list.

Joelle was.

And she hadn’t been seen since two masked SOBs took her. The ranch hands hadn’t spotted anyone. Hadn’t seen a vehicle. That could mean the kidnappers had taken Joelle into the barn and were waiting for some kind of showdown. But it was just as likely they’d had a vehicle on one of the ranch trails and used that to escape with her. If so, she could be anywhere by now.

Duncan couldn’t let that thought linger in his head. Like bashing his fist on the steering wheel, it wouldn’t help, and right now, he just had to focus.

Where would they take her?

And why?

For the baby? So they could wait until she delivered and then try to sell the child? Maybe. But like the other times he’d considered that, it just didn’t feel right. Four months was a long time to hold a woman, and if it was the baby they wanted, then why not wait to take her until closer to her due date?

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