LITMIR.BIZ

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taken ill. She kicked off the blanket wrapped around her waist and strode toward the front door.

      With her hand on the doorknob, she peeked through the window and her heart skipped several beats as she looked at the tear-streaked faces of Carla and Daniel McGowan. Bruce had better not be on one of his rampages, terrifying the children.

      Lana jerked open the door. “What’s wrong, kids? Where are your parents?”

      Carla placed a hand on her little brother’s shoulder just like Lana used to do with Gil. “Daddy’s not home. They’ve taken Mama. We hid in the closet.”

      Lana’s fluttering heart banged against her chest. She gathered the children toward her and into the house and slammed the door. “What are you talking about? Who took your mother?”

      She crouched in front of Daniel and wrapped her arms around his shaking body. Had Dale gotten involved in drugs along with her drinking? Bruce’s wife had been associating with some rough characters in the dive bars she favored.

      “I don’t know, Lana.” Carla sniffled and wiped the back of her hand across her nose. “Mama was downstairs watching TV. I heard the doorbell ring and then loud noises when she went to answer the door. When I looked through the banister from upstairs, two men were in the house and they were hurting Mama.”

      Lana put a hand to her throat. Dear God, what had Carla witnessed? “Is that when you hid?”

      Carla nodded. “I made Daniel get away from the stairs and we hid in the closet.”

      “Did these men look for you?” Keeping Daniel by her side, Lana walked backward toward the kitchen and her phone charging on the counter. Carla followed them.

      “They stayed downstairs, yelling at Mama. I kept quiet.” She patted her brother’s head. “And I kept Daniel quiet, too. Then I heard the front door close and I couldn’t hear anything else. When we went downstairs, they were gone—Mama, too.”

      Lana held up her phone and her hand had only a slight tremble. “Have you called 911 yet? Your father?”

      “I couldn’t find Mama’s cell phone and I didn’t want to stay in the house, so we ran over here.” Carla dropped her lashes. “Is that okay?”

      “Okay? That’s super amazing. That’s precisely what you should’ve done.” Lana blinked back her tears.

      Lana called 911 and told them as much of the story as she could. Bruce might’ve preferred to handle this on his own without the police, especially if one of Dale’s lovers or some drug dealer had her, but he’d just have to suck up the embarrassment on this one. It sounded like Dale was in serious trouble.

      “The police are on their way, sweetie.” Lana curled her free arm around Carla’s stiff little body, inhaling the sweet scent from her hair. “You are so brave, Carla. Did you hear what the men were saying to your mama? The police are going to ask you some questions.”

      “They kept asking her about a gerbil. Where was the gerbil? Where had she put the gerbil? We don’t have a gerbil.”

      “Of course not.” Lana bit her lower lip. That made no sense. “Did you get a look at the men?”

      “They had masks on.” Carla formed her fingers into circles and put them over her eyes. “Like when you go skiing and it’s really cold.”

      Daniel had been patting Lana on the back, so Lana squeezed him tighter. “Are you okay, Daniel? You’re very brave, too.”

      She didn’t want to play favorites.

      “They didn’t say gerbil, Carla.”

      “What, sweetie?” Taking Daniel’s hand, Lana sat back on her heels. “You didn’t hear gerbil?”

      “They didn’t say, where’s the gerbil? They said, where’s the journal? They hit Mama on the face and said, ‘Give us the journal, bitch.’”

       Chapter Four

      As the sirens wailed their approach, Lana shoved open the gate and pulled her jacket tighter, the gun heavy in her pocket. She’d left Carla and Daniel with a few of the ranch hands at her house. The kids had been afraid to go back to their own house, and she’d been afraid to leave them alone at hers.

      And after Daniel’s insistence that the word gerbil Carla heard was actually journal, she’d just been afraid.

      She’d tried calling Bruce a few more times, but he’d gone radio silent—probably on one of his own benders, which involved gambling as opposed to drinking—not the best environment for the children.

      When the squad cars’ lights illuminated the road to the ranch, Lana stood in front of the gate and waved her arms over her head.

      She ran to the driver’s-side door of the first car to roll through the gate. “The house is up ahead. I’ll meet you there.”

      “I’m Officer Jacobs. You’re Lana Moreno, right? Why don’t you hop in and tell me what’s going on?”

      Lana scurried in front of the police car, squinting against the lights and keeping her jacket close to her body so the officer wouldn’t see her gun. She slid into the passenger seat.

      “There’s been a kidnapping, Dale McGowan, the owner of the ranch.”

      “I know the McGowans. Was Mr. McGowan present?”

      “Bruce is out. I haven’t been able to reach him yet.”

      Jacobs nodded, his jaw tight.

      He probably knew Bruce from a few domestic violence calls they’d received—from Bruce. Dale had been known to throw a vase or two in a drunken rage, and while Bruce didn’t want to air their dirty laundry in public, he also didn’t want to be caught with his pants down if Dale ever did sue him for divorce. He’d wanted to have some ammunition ready in case that day ever came.

      Maybe now it never would.

      Hunching her shoulders, Lana hugged herself. All because someone was looking for Gil’s journal.

      “The kids okay?”

      “They’re fine. They hid, although the…kidnappers never made any effort to search the rest of the house for any other family members.”

      “Maybe they knew Mr. McGowan was out, and they didn’t want to harm the children.”

      “Maybe.” Lana slid a sideways glance at the officer. He’d already landed on his first suspect—the husband. She wouldn’t put it past Bruce to get rid of Dale to avoid the alimony, but not over a missing journal.

      As they reached the house, the other squad car pulled up beside them and another car roared in behind them. Jacobs exited his vehicle, his hand hovering over his service revolver on his hip as he turned to face the headlights of the oncoming car.

      Lana blew out a breath when the little rental squealed to a stop. “It’s okay. He’s a friend of mine.”

      Logan bolted from the car and swooped toward her. “Are you all right?”

      “I’m fine. Dale McGowan’s been kidnapped.” She leaned toward Logan. “How’d you know about this?”

      “I was in the lobby bar of my hotel and word spread like wildfire that there was trouble at the McGowan ranch.” He took both of her hands. “I’m sorry for Mrs. McGowan, but I’m glad it’s not you.”

      “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

      Logan squeezed her hands. “What does that mean?”

      “Stop! Don’t come any closer.” The officer’s voice cut through their conversation.

      Lana spun around to see the ranch hands, Humberto

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