Page 141 of Proof of Guilt

He’d said something about a desk job in San Antonio, but Ivy wasn’t sure if he was certain of that or not. It was one thing to love his son and want to spend time with him, but it was another thing to completely alter his life.

“Is something wrong?” Theo asked, his attention on Gabriel now.

Because she’d been so caught up in the conversation, Ivy only then realized that Gabriel probably hadn’t come up there to talk about their future. That sent her pulse racing, and it raced even more when Gabriel didn’t jump to answer.

“Look at the camera that shows the old house,” Gabriel instructed Theo. “You’ll have to zoom in.”

Ivy practically ran back to the laptop so she could see what was going on, but after frantically searching the screen, she had to shake her head. She didn’t see anyone moving around or lurking in the shadows. But she did see an open window on the second floor.

“I’m pretty sure that window was closed last time I checked, and I didn’t notice it until a few minutes ago.”

It was open, not fully, though, only by a couple of inches. Since there were no lights on in the old house, it was just a gaping dark space. However, Ivy could see the reason for his concern—that window was lined up directly with Gabriel’s house.

“The hands searched the place when we were on the way here,” her brother continued, “but someone could have been hiding.”

Yes, there was a huge attic along with enough rooms and closets that the hands could have missed someone. Someone like a gunman.

“Have you seen any kind of movement in the window?” Theo asked without taking his attention off the screen.

“No. And I considered having a deputy and a couple of hands go down there to check it out, but I decided against it. Too risky at this point.”

Definitely, because the deputy and hands would be out in the open and could be gunned down.

“Just keep a close watch on it,” Gabriel told them. “I’ll focus on the other cameras.”

Good idea, because whoever had opened the window could have meant to do that as a distraction. Maybe to lure them out. Or maybe just to take their attention off another hiding place.

Gabriel started to leave, and Ivy followed so she could relock the door. But Theo said a single word of profanity that stopped them both. With Gabriel right behind her, Ivy went back so she could see for herself what had caused Theo’s reaction.

And her heart went to her knees.

Because of what was now in the open window of the old house.

The barrel of a rifle.

* * *

FROM THE MOMENT they’d come back to the ranch, Theo had known an attack was possible. Likely, even. But it still gave him an adrenaline spike to see that weapon now pointed at Gabriel’s house.

“Get in the shower now,” Theo told Ivy.

Gabriel rushed out of the bathroom, no doubt so he could get to one of the windows downstairs so he’d be in position to return fire if it came down to that. Theo locked the door behind him and carried the laptop into the shower with Ivy and him, but not before Ivy grabbed a gun.

Her breathing was already way too fast, and Theo considered trying to do something to help her level it. But if he pulled her into his arms now, it would definitely be a distraction, and he needed to keep his attention on the rifle.

It was already dark, but there was enough of a moon to see the light glint off the barrel. Enough to see, too, when the barrel shifted just a little, and Theo spotted the scope on it. The shooter was taking aim at something, and he hoped it wasn’t a ranch hand or deputy who wasn’t hidden well enough.

“A shot from there would be able to make it here,” she said.

It wasn’t a question. She knew it could. But he hated to hear the slight tremble in her voice. Both of them wanted this showdown, but there was plenty of worry and fear, too.

Theo watched as the barrel shifted again, and he steeled himself for what he figured would come next. He didn’t have to wait long.

The gunman fired.

Three shots, one right behind the other. Theo couldn’t tell exactly where they’d landed, but they’d definitely hit Gabriel’s house.

The shooter turned the barrel again, and the goon fired more shots. Not at the house this time. It didn’t take Theo long to figure out what had been the gunman’s new target.

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