LITMIR.BIZ

      Chapter 4

      Gray sat in the small cold office in the stables, paperwork before him on the desk and his favorite ranch dog Blackie, a lab mix, on the floor at his feet. Blackie growled, low and threatening and the hackles on his back raised, but he remained lying down.

      “What’s the matter, old boy?” Gray asked absently. He leaned over and scratched behind one of Blackie’s ears. “One of those old barn cats tormenting you?” There were dozens of cats on the property, mousers who kept the stable and outbuildings as free of rodents as possible.

      Most of the time the ranch dogs and cats played nice together, but Blackie had become more than a bit cantankerous in his old age. Blackie growled again and got to his feet and at the same moment a scream split the night.

      Shrill yet short, it shot a piercing edge of adrenaline through Gray as he jumped up from his desk and raced for the stable doors. He hit the night air and rounded the side of the stables and in the near-full moonlight casting down saw two things...Catherine’s Jeep parked in front of the petting barn and Catherine being dragged away from the vehicle by a man dressed all in black.

      “Hey!” Gray shouted, his heart pounding as he took off at a dead run. His hand automatically went for his gun tucked in the holster he wore whenever he was out on the property. “Stop or I’ll shoot.” Despite the threat, he could do no such thing as he couldn’t take a chance at hitting Catherine, who was in front of the man like a shield.

      The assailant froze and then dropped his hold on Catherine, who crumpled to the ground in a small heap as the man turned and ran. Gray raced forward and once he reached her, she motioned for him to go on and catch the man who had grabbed her.

      “Get in the Jeep and lock the doors,” he commanded as he flew by her. She’d be safe there and if somehow the assailant doubled back to her, she could always raise hell with the horn and drive off.

      The person had a good head start but Gray was in top physical shape and pumped his legs to achieve a speed he’d never reached before. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest. He had to catch him, he had to find out who had tried to grab Catherine. This man could be the answer to so many things that had happened.

      Despite Gray’s desperate need and the bright moonlight spilling down, once the attacker hit the dense woods, Gray lost sight of him. He clutched his gun tightly, willing and ready to use it if necessary.

      He stopped and listened and heard the crashing of brush and crackling of broken tree limbs someplace in the distance to his left. He took off in that direction, his mind completely focused on catching the man who’d attempted to harm Catherine.

      Fury drove him forward, half tripping over unseen roots. Shadowy tree branches slapped him in the face and shoulders as he raced forward.

      He ran for only a few minutes and then stopped once again to listen.

      Nothing.

      The only noise he heard was the faint whisper of the wind through the treetops and his own ragged breathing. He remained frozen for several long minutes, hoping to hear a sound, a breaking branch, a faint footfall, any kind of indication where the man had gone.

      Realizing that the attacker had the advantage of dark clothing to meld into the night shadows and that Gray really had no idea in which direction to give chase, he reluctantly turned and headed back out of the woods.

      As he emerged into the clearing he was stunned to see Catherine still on the ground, crawling on her hands and knees, the sounds of her quiet sobs filling him with a new terror.

      Was she hurt? Had he mistaken her condition as he’d raced by her in an attempt to catch the perpetrator? “Catherine!” He reached her side and crouched down where she was on her hands and knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you in the Jeep? Are you hurt?”

      She shook her head. “No...I’m fine, but it fell off...I have to find it.” She frantically raked her fingers back and forth through the grass as she slowly crawled forward.

      “What fell off? What are you looking for?” he asked, watching her and then glancing all around to make sure there was no more approaching danger.

      “My necklace...I just bought it today...for the baby...to celebrate. It fell off sometime when he had me. I need to find it.”

      Despite her obvious reluctance, he pulled her up to her feet and grabbed her by her shoulders to keep her upright. Her deep blue eyes gazed at him beseechingly in the moonlight.

      “What does the necklace look like?” he asked.

      “Aquamarine stone on a gold chain.” She punctuated the sentence with a thick sob.

      “Get in the car and lock the doors. If you see anyone, honk the horn. I’m going to get a flashlight and see if I can find your necklace.” He walked her to the car where he opened the passenger door and placed her inside. “Sit tight. I’ll be right back,” he said and then hit the button that would lock all of the doors.

      He raced back into the stables where he grabbed a high-powered flashlight and quickly returned with Blackie at his heels.

      He should have paid more attention the first time the dog had growled, that moment when his hackles had risen. Gray should have known something was amiss when the dog reacted to something he didn’t like. He’d obviously smelled the intruder nearby.

      Dammit, if Gray had only checked outside seconds earlier he might have been able to catch the attacker. He might now have had some answers. At least he’d gotten outside in time to stop what might have happened to Catherine.

      He shined the beam of the light inside the Jeep, assuring himself that she was safe and sound inside, although still crying and then he pointed the light to the ground and began to hunt for her missing necklace.

      He knew her tears weren’t just for a necklace she’d bought that day, but probably a reaction to what had nearly happened to her. The thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t left his desk when he had crunched a tight knot in the pit of his stomach.

      This was exactly what he’d been afraid of. It was the reason he’d wanted her to keep her pregnancy a secret for as long as possible.

      The attacker hadn’t wanted to kill her. He could have done that with a single thrust of a knife into her back, with his hands tightened around her neck right by the side of the Jeep. No, whoever it was hadn’t wanted her dead at all. He’d wanted her very much alive and away from the ranch.

      Gray’s anger grew as he continued to sweep the ground for the missing necklace. What had she been doing out here all alone at the petting barn after dark? Had she not taken his warnings seriously? Was she just that reckless to ignore the obvious dangers after everything that had already happened?

      He muttered a sigh of relief when his flashlight beam caught the shimmering blue and gold of the missing necklace on the ground. He plucked it from the grass and headed for the car, ready to get what answers he could from Catherine.

      She unlocked the car door and he slid behind the steering wheel and held out her necklace. She took it from him with a trembling sob and pressed it tight against her chest. “Thank you.”

      “Don’t thank me yet,” he replied gruffly. “I’ve got some questions that you need to answer and the first one is what in the hell you thought you were doing out here all alone in the dark?” The adrenaline that had crashed through him lingered as he waited for her reply.

      She dropped her hands

Скачать книгу