Page 11 of Mountain Murder

There wasn’t anything he could do here. Lance took another step back. Audrey. He’d left her out there. Unprotected. He pivoted on one heel and raced for the garage.

“Lance, wait!” Ford’s warning wasn’t enough to stop him.

His hamstrings burned with every jab down the garage steps. Cold air filtered through an open door off to his left, and he hauled himself over a snowblower gathering webs and dust in his way. Nearly ripping the hinges off the damn thing, he landed on a cement pad that cut off just before the back yard. One look at the truck and Lance had his answer.

Audrey was gone.

Wind rustled through the trees that divided the property from pure wilderness, claiming his attention. Instincts honed over years of playing on the wrong side of borders told him she was in there. That the bastard had finally gotten what he’d wanted. That he’d taken her. Every muscle in Lance’s body hardened with battle-ready tension.

He brushed pine needles away from his face and stepped into the darkness.

A twig snapped under his weight, and he froze. Listening. For movement. For an attack. For Audrey.

“Ah, the knight in shining armor,” a voice said from the shadows. “You’re the one who took Audrey from me at the ranch. The one she ran to. Lance Whitcher.”

“You know my name. I know yours, too, Jake Dugan.” The promise of a fight pulled his shoulders back and tightened his grip on his weapon. “I don’t have to tell you how bad you screwed up, do I? Killing Inez after you used her to break into Whispering Pines Ranch. Then stabbing a cop. I could’ve overlooked both of those, given I’m supposed to be recovering at the ranch, but now you’ve really made me mad. Where is Audrey?”

“Right where I need her to be.” The voice shifted, as though on the move. The killer was circling him, looking for the best angle to strike. “As for Inez, well, she served her purpose, and I couldn’t have her identifying me before I was ready to confront Audrey. And the cop? I don’t like it when people get in my way.”

“Then you’re going to hate me.” Lance lunged for the spot he determined the voice had come from. And collided with something solid.

They hit the ground as one. Lance felt for the bastard’s collar and hefted the killer’s upper body off the ground. Then slammed his head against the son of a bitch’s. A groan ricocheted through the trees a split second before a fist connected with Lance’s jaw.

The impact twisted him to one side. Leaving him unprotected.

Indescribable pain shot through the top of his thigh.

His scream triggered a low ringing in his own ears as Lance grabbed for the blade protruding from his quad. He tore the knife free. Blood spread beneath his jeans and ran down his leg as he got to his feet. “That wasn’t very nice.”

“You can keep that one.” The killer’s silhouette shifted closer. “Think of it as a little parting gift.”

A distinct thud reached Lance’s ears.

Then a collapse of something heavy.

One second. Two.

Lance got to his feet, trying to keep the weight off his injured leg.

“Lance?” A sob tainted his name.

He knew that voice. Would’ve done anything in the world to hear it again. Lance dropped the knife. Adrenaline clouded his senses, but he hadn’t imagined her here. Reaching out, he fisted a handful of clothing and dragged her close. He pressed his nose into her neck. To prove she was really here. “It’s me. I’m here.”

“Did I kill him?” A tremor wracked through her.

Lance spotted the location where the killer had dropped. Only there wasn’t anything there. Scanning the surrounding trees, he tightened his hold on Audrey. “No. You didn’t kill him.”

The son of a bitch was gone.

CHAPTER SIX

A popping sound punctured through the exhausted haze, dragging Audrey down.

She peeled her face off the sweaty plastic chair she’d collapsed on while waiting for word on Lance. And came face to face with a little girl.

It took a second for Audrey to comprehend the low buzz of ringing phones, the smell of antiseptic, and the hustle of nurses and physicians ducking into rooms along the corridor. Battle Mountain’s undersized hospital wasn’t much, but when it came to emergencies, the staff worked efficiently with what they had.

“I love bubble gum.” The girl blew another bubble, almost as big as her whole face. The thin layer collapsed, and she took a few seconds to suck it back into her mouth. “But the flavor doesn’t last very long. Do you like gum?”