Page 135 of Proof of Guilt

The note had chilled Ivy to the bone. It still did even several hours later. But it had been the final straw needed to convince Theo and her brothers that the only way to end this was to draw out the killer.

Not just for their sakes but for the gunman’s family, too.

Ivy now knew that Morris Carlyn?

?s family had indeed been kidnapped, and the cops didn’t think it was a staged crime scene, either. The person who’d hired Morris had likely taken them to get him to cooperate. If he’d lived, that is. He hadn’t, and Ivy prayed that meant the family would be released soon. While she was praying, she added several for Nathan and the rest of them.

She dies tonight.

If that was true, then she only had five or six hours before this monster tried to come after her. Five or six hours to get everything in place so that at least Nathan would be safe.

“It’s time to go,” Gabriel said as he disarmed the security system.

That was Ivy’s cue to give Nathan one last hug and kiss before he went off with Jameson, Cameron and Jodi. Ivy trusted all three of them to keep her boy safe, but even though she seemed to be the target, there were no guarantees the culprit might not try to use Nathan the way he or she had used Morris’s family.

“It’ll be okay?” Nathan asked, but it took Ivy a moment to realize he’d aimed that question at Theo. “You’ll take care of my mom?”

Theo certainly wasn’t the ice man–lawman right now. His eyebrows were drawn together, and muscles in his shoulders looked stiff. “I will.”

Nathan seemed to accept that because he nodded, went to Theo and hugged him. Everyone in the room looked surprised. Especially Theo. He hesitated just a moment before his arms went around Nathan to return the hug.

Ivy had been near tears all day, and seeing that put some fresh ones in her eyes. Over the years she hadn’t allowed herself to consider how Theo would be with Nathan, but she could see how much he loved their son.

Theo brushed a kiss on top of Nathan’s head, and the boy pulled back, meeting his gaze. “Will you teach me to ride a bull? Because Aunt Jodi said you used to ride them and that you were good at it.”

Theo shot his sister a “thanks for nothing” glance. “Maybe when you’re a little older,” he answered.

Again, Nathan seemed to accept that because he smiled, gave Theo another hug and then hurried to the door next to Gabriel. “I know,” Nathan said to him. “We gotta run fast when we get outside.”

Since every one of them had mentioned that in some way or another, Ivy was glad it had sunk in. She went to the door, too, and from the side window, she saw that Cameron had pulled an unmarked police car next to the porch. Earlier, he’d gotten Nathan’s things and put them in the trunk, and he’d already opened the back passenger’s door.

Jodi and Jameson didn’t waste any time getting Nathan outside and into the vehicle. Cameron immediately sped away. A second car with two reserve deputies followed them for backup.

“The new safe house is about ten miles from here,” Gabriel said, “but it’ll be a while before they get there.”

Yes, because Cameron would have to drive around to make sure they weren’t being followed. Gabriel had already explained that to her along with the assurance that all the vehicles had been checked and double-checked for bugs and tracking devices. Gabriel and the others had made it as safe as they possibly could, considering that Nathan would essentially be out in the open.

“Now it’s our turn,” Gabriel instructed.

Another of the deputies, Edwin Clary, pulled a cruiser in front of the house. This one was definitely marked with Blue River Sheriff emblazoned on the side, as was the one behind them that Deputy Jace Morrelli was driving. Along with Gabriel and Theo, that meant there’d be four lawmen driving her back to the ranch.

As Nathan and the others had done, they hurried to get into the cruiser, and Edwin drove them away. Ivy ended up in the middle of the back seat between Gabriel and Theo, and she automatically sank lower since she figured one of them would soon tell her to do that. However, she kept her head just high enough to help them keep watch.

“We’re going straight to the ranch,” Gabriel continued, “even if someone follows us.”

Ivy had figured that’s how things would be, but it still sent a chill through her to hear it aloud.

“What’s the plan once we’re there?” Edwin asked. The deputy made eye contact in the mirror with Gabriel as he turned onto the road that would take them back to the ranch.

“The hands know we’re coming, and they’re all armed. Not out in the pastures, though. They’ve been setting up some sensors and cameras they got from the office to set up motion detectors and surveillance spots on the paths that lead to the house. Once they’re finished, I want them out of sight.”

It was smart to set up the equipment. Because the road was highly visible from Gabriel’s house, but there were two paths that someone could use to get to them. In fact, the man who’d attacked Jodi ten years ago had used one of them. Maybe Travis had as well the night he’d murdered her parents. Those paths were lined with bushes and trees—the perfect place for a person to hide.

“Whoever comes after you,” Gabriel continued, “we need to take him or her alive. That’s the only way we’re going to be able to figure out who’s behind this.”

Yes, especially considering that Belinda and Morris were dead and Morris’s family was missing.

“That’s why I want the hands and all of us tucked away. I don’t want whoever’s coming to see too many guns and turn back.”

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