Page 25 of Murder at Rescue Ridge

As he sat waiting, he half expected—hoped?—that Nikki would come walking in saying she brought bail money. A sliver of disappointment lodged in his chest when it was his older brother Kade instead.

“How are you?” Kade asked. The dark circles cradling red-rimmed eyes gave the impression he hadn’t slept in days.

“I’m surviving,” Conrad said. He’d eaten scrub brush when he’d been thrown on the ground at the ranch, and his pride had taken a hit. But he was physically fine. “Everything okay with Bree and the baby?” Kade had a kid now, which he’d only learned about days before his daughter had come into the world.

It seemed to dawn on Kade that he must look like hell. “They’re good. The baby is sleeping through the night a couple times a week, but that’s not why I’m here.”

Conrad nodded. “Have they charged me with evading arrest on top of murder?”

“I told them you went camping and that the trip had been planned. Technically, you didn't leave Sturgess property, so a good lawyer can get you off fleeing charges.”

At least there was some good news in there. “Thank you for covering for me.” He placed his hands on top of the table and clasped them together. Leaning forward, he asked, “Have you heard from Nikki Guidry?”

“Should I?” Kade asked, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion, and then it dawned on him. “She was with you.”

“That’s right,” Conrad confirmed. “Have you heard if she’s all right?”

Kade seemed taken aback by the question. “I’m guessing she’s fine, or I would’ve heard something. I haven’t spoken to her, but from what I gather, she’s telling everyone that she was with you voluntarily, and there was no cause for alarm.”

Had she just made herself an accomplice to murder? Dammit. It wasn’t the news he’d wanted to hear, but there wasn’t squat he could do about it while locked in a cell. She was very likely trapped in her own nightmare with her family. Somehow, he believed she would be able to talk herself out of it and make it seem like she was doing everyone a favor by taking off with Conrad—she was that persuasive.

“Hold tight,” Kade said. “I’m working on getting you out of here.”

“Is that an option on the table?” Conrad asked. He’d spent the past few hours expecting to be transferred to a minimum-security prison.

“I hired a hotshot criminal defense lawyer.” Kade shot a hard look and put his hand up to stop Conrad from protesting. “He’s one of the best and is currently making an argument for the court to give you an ankle bracelet device to monitor you until you receive a fair trial. That way, you can stay on the property.”

“Is there a chance they’ll go for it?”

“The attorney warned me not to get my hopes up but said it’s worth taking a shot,” Kade said.

Hope stirred in Conrad’s chest that he might actually walk out of this placeandget to see Nikki again. He could explain to her stepfather or anyone else who wanted to know why she’d gone with him instead of doing the smart thing and turning him in.

“Hang in there,” Kade said. “We’re working as fast as we can to get you out of here and back to the ranch.”

Conrad noted his brother didn’t use the word, home. Would the ranch ever be considered their real home after the abuses they’d suffered at the hands of Beaumont? Then again, would Conrad have enough freedom to find out?

“I appreciate everything you’re doing,” Conrad said and meant it. He’d be lost without his siblings, which was a big part of the reason he’d tried to bring Beau into the fold. Everyone might have different opinions, and there might be grand-scale personality clashes, but he’d never doubted for one minute that any one of his siblings would be there for him if he needed help.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Kade said, pushing up to stand. “The next time I see you, I hope we walk out of here together.”

Conrad nodded.

Kade disappeared, leaving an empty seat in his place.

To Conrad’s surprise, the jailer didn’t immediately return to take him back to the holding cell. The officer must’ve been busy with another inmate. Conrad wiggled his hands to see if he could break out of the cuffs. The move might’ve been a bad idea but his mind raced while he sat there, and he needed something to focus on besides what might be happening to Nikki right now. Was she safe? Back home? On her way back?

One question caused an ache to form in his chest. Would he ever see her again?

The door opened. Kade must have forgotten to say something. Conrad looked up.

“Who are you?” he asked the mid-fifties, graying at the temples stranger. The man was roughly six feet in height with a runner’s build and wore a scowl. Was he the new lawyer?

“My name is Heath Alastor,” he said, like that should answer Conrad’s question. “Nikki is my daughter.”

9

Nikki needed to find a way out of the SUV with its blacked-out windowsso she could go tothe jail. The thought of Conrad locked behind bars caused a knot to form in her stomach. It was her fault, too. Heath had overstepped his bounds with the reward. She needed to find a way to fix this.

---