Page 14 of Protecting the Newborn

The only reason she’d been able to return fire and cause the gunmen’s truck to crash was because Ruston had been driving. If she’d been alone with Abigail and behind the wheel, it was entirely possible those thugs would have managed to overtake her and force her off the road.

When Ruston stepped out of the SUV, Duncan came out of the house, providing cover. Ruston moved fast, throwing open the back door so he could help her get Abigail unstrapped from the infant seat. The moment they’d done that, Ruston scooped up the baby. Gracelyn grabbed her go bag, and scrambling out right behind him, she hurriedly followed him into the house.

Once they were all inside, Duncan closed and locked the door. He used his phone to rearm the security system and then to make a quick call to Carmen to tell her to assist Slater. As much as Gracelyn wanted the extra backup here, it was best for Slater to have more help. That way, there was a better chance that the two gunmen would be caught.

Joelle was there in the foyer, and she was also armed. Despite being mega-pregnant, Ruston’s sister still looked more than capable of defending her family home.

“Gracelyn,” Joelle said and didn’t add the customaryit’s good to see you. Still, the woman didn’t look upset or angry at the intrusion. Just the opposite. Joelle’s face turned a little dreamy when her attention landed on the baby.

Dreamy and then suspicious. She aimed her suspicion at her brother.

“She’s not our child,” Ruston was quick to explain. “This is Abigail, and she’s Gracelyn’s niece.”

Joelle seemed a little disappointed about that, and then her expression morphed again. She became all cop. “Slater said someone fired shots at you?”

Since the question seemed to be directed at Gracelyn, she nodded and hooked her go bag over her shoulder. “Two armed men. Slater and Woodrow and now Carmen are looking for them.”

“I’ll fill you in on the attack,” Ruston added, aiming glances at both his sister and Duncan. “Any reports from Slater yet?”

Duncan shook his head. “But I’ve sent them out some more backup, and I’ve got a half dozen ranch hands patrolling the grounds.”

Gracelyn was once again thankful for all these measures, but she wouldn’t breathe easier until the two men were caught. Caught and questioned. Hopefully, they’d make some confessions, too.

“Any chance the baby’s parents are responsible for the attack?” Duncan asked, aiming the question at Gracelyn.

She wanted to be able to say no, to deny that Allie could have had any part in this. But she couldn’t. “I don’t know where my sister is,” Gracelyn admitted. “And Allie has a bad history with Abigail’s father, Devin Blackburn.”

Duncan jumped right on that. “Bad? How?”

“An arrest for assault and another for computer hacking. He also has several restraining orders from previous relationships. No jail time, though. When Allie disappeared a few weeks ago, she left me a note saying she was going back to Devin.”

“Did she?” Duncan pressed.

“I’m not sure. I’ve been monitoring Devin’s social media accounts, and there’s no mention of Allie.” That didn’t mean, though, that Allie wasn’t with him.

“Devin was also interviewed during the baby-farm investigation,” Ruston supplied. “Interviewed after Gracelyn and I were attacked there,” he clarified. “There was no evidence to charge him with anything.”

“But you think he could be guilty,” Duncan stated.

“I want to go back through the report of the interview, but Devin has the right skill set to have been involved. Computer hacker, money to set up an operation like that and a connection to a known baby broker.”

Duncan nodded. “I’d like to read that report, too.”

“I’ve gone through it many times,” Gracelyn admitted. “Especially after my sister got involved with Devin.”

“Was that involvement before or after the baby-farm investigation began?” Ruston asked.

“During,” Gracelyn answered. “I pressed Allie about the timing, and she said she’d known Devin for years before they became lovers, and that their involvement had nothing to do with the farm. Or what happened to Ruston and me.” She paused. “I don’t know what’s true and what’s not.”

But she needed to find that out fast.

Abigail whimpered, her arms flinging up in the air as if startled. Maybe from a nightmare. If so, Gracelyn hoped it was a nightmare the baby would soon forget. Still, she went to her and eased her out of Ruston’s arms and into her own so she could try to soothe her.

“The nursery is already set up,” Joelle explained, “so you can use that, or there’s a playpen that I’ve already put in the guest room if you don’t want to be away from her.”

Gracelyn didn’t even have to think about this. “The playpen.” It was basically a portable enclosure that could also be used for sleeping. And it would keep Abigail with her.

Joelle nodded. “It’s there and already set up. I can also have whatever you need delivered.”

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