Rocky Mountain Revenge Read online

  For Grace’s sake, he needed to make the trip as quickly as possible. Or was it for his sake? The ride could get awkward. They hadn’t spent more than a few minutes in each other’s presence since the day of high school graduation. Not that he had any lingering feelings for her. He had grown up and realized a childhood love rarely manifested into a lifelong, lasting relationship. He’d moved on, discovering Grace had made the right decision by not marrying him. If Evan had learned one thing from his marriage, it was that he wasn’t marriage material. Now a widower and single father of a six-year-old boy, he’d likely remain single.

  Camden. His son was a blessing. Thankfully, he was spending the night with his maternal grandparents.

  Evan exited the building and found Grace standing at the back of her SUV, Barkley at her side. The cargo liftgate was open.

  “What are you doing out of the vehicle?” He increased his stride and reached her side in time to lift the large suitcase out of the back.

  “I’m unloading the necessities.” She shrugged. “I saw the light come on, so I figured all was safe.”

  He scrubbed his hand across his face. “Still. You should have waited on me.”

  “I knew you were on your way out, and we’re in a hurry. We need to get to the hospital ASAP.”

  He couldn’t argue with that, but he’d have to find a way to make her understand the seriousness of the situation. She was a target.

  Evan sighed. In a few minutes, they were going to be inside a vehicle for a two-hour drive. He’d wait until then to hammer home the facts and how she had to follow his instructions if she wanted to stay safe.

  “Get the dog. I’ve got the bag.” He closed the liftgate and ushered her into the building. “As far as I could tell, both the indoor and outdoor kennels looked full.”

  Animals barked and meowed in the far reaches of the clinic, masking their footsteps on the old tile floors. If he hadn’t already cleared the building, he’d be concerned someone could sneak up on them in this environment.

  “That’s okay. It’s probably best to leave Barkley in the apartment. It’ll feel more like home.” Grace started up the stairs, and he touched her arm and halted her.

  “About that. The exterior door to the apartment was unlocked when I went in. Maybe no one thought physically locking it was important since there’s a digital door lock. But that’s not the case. While it’s convenient not having to dig out a key, digital locks are easily hacked.”

  Surprise registered on her face, and her eyes widened. “It should have been locked. We always use both the key and the code to enter the exterior door.”

  “The apartment looked undisturbed. I’ll need you to do a quick check, though, to be sure nothing is missing.”

  They entered the small one-bedroom apartment, and Grace did a hurried walk-through. “Nothing seems to be missing, but I can’t be positive. It’s been almost two years since I last stayed here.”

  That would mean she hadn’t been home since Andrew Porter had died. Though he’d rarely run into Grace when she’d come to Blackberry Falls, it surprised him it had been so long since she’d visited. Maybe coming home after losing her dad had been too painful.

  Evan probably understood the pain of loss better than anyone. It had been difficult for him to return home after his wife had been murdered. Beautiful, compassionate Lisa. He’d felt the loss of her presence everywhere in town. Eventually, he learned to avoid the painful places. Even finding excuses not to attend church, where he missed her sweet, soprano voice and the feel of her hand in his during prayer in the early years of their marriage. Before she’d slipped into depression.

  He’d let Lisa down as a husband and as a protector. Most days, he barely stayed a step ahead of the wave of guilt that threatened to drown him.

  There would be no way to outrun the tsunami that would engulf him if he failed to protect Gracie, too.

  * * *

  Grace filled Barkley’s water bowl and placed it a few feet from his dog bed. “All done. Let’s get to the hospital.”

  It had been an hour since the air ambulance had transported Chloe to Memorial, and Grace was anxious to get to the ER to see if her sister was awake. She also wanted to question the doctor about Chloe’s condition.

  Evan motioned for her to lead the way down the stairs and back through the clinic. “I need you to check one more room before we leave.”

  She half turned on the stairs to look at him, raising an eyebrow. What had he found on his walk-through?

  “The office tucked in the corner behind the receptionist desk looks like it may have been ransacked. Or the person it belongs to is unorganized and messy.”

  Grace pressed her lips together to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside her.

  “What’s so funny?” Evan looked at her like she’d lost her mind.

  Nothing. Nothing at all. Sadness washed over her. Chloe’s messiness had been a family joke for years.

  She took a few steadying breaths. “That’s Chloe’s office. Unorganized and messy is her nature. I’ll look, but I can almost guarantee the mess has Chloe written all over it.”

  He led her to her sister’s office, stopping her in the doorway. “Don’t touch anything until you’re sure it’s the way Chloe would have left it.”

  She nodded. “Sure. No prob—”

  The front door of the clinic burst open, and Evan pushed her into the office, turning to block her as he pulled his gun.

  “What is going on?” James Osborne’s voice boomed. “Why are you prowling around my clinic, chief?”

  “First, it’s not your clinic. Second, I’m not prowling.”

  “Oh, really. Then why did several of the neighbors call to tell me someone was skulking through the kennels, upsetting the dogs?”

  Grace tamped down the anger that threatened. The busybodies of Blackberry Falls were at it again. If any of those neighbors had looked closely, they would have seen it was the police chief’s SUV in the parking lot and not an intruder’s. Or maybe they had noticed and were looking to start the gossip mill. She sighed and slipped further out of sight. At least she no longer had to figure out whether or not to notify James about the night’s events.

  Evan holstered his weapon and walked into the reception area, his footsteps echoing on the tile floor.

  “There was an incident at the farm this evening. Grace and I thought it best to bring Barkley here.”

  “What? Where’s Chloe?”

  Thankful Evan was the one dealing with James, she turned and looked at her sister’s office, tuning out the conversation in the reception area.

  A raincoat, two Porter Animal Clinic T-shirts and an oversize tote bag covered the filing cabinet in the corner. It looked more like forgotten exercise equipment in someone’s bedroom than an important piece of office furniture. In typical Chloe fashion, files that should have been in the cabinet were stacked in multiple piles on the desk. Even with modern technology, her sister preferred to work with paper copies. Once accounts were settled, she knew Chloe scanned copies into the computer and shredded the originals. A few files she’d obviously been working on before leaving work for the day lay open, contents scattered across her closed laptop. Could the laptop hold answers to Chloe’s attack?

  When Chloe had called to tell her about her marriage problems, she’d also mentioned that some things at the clinic hadn’t been adding up lately. Hence, Grace taking a leave of absence and returning home to take over the clinic from James while they searched for a replacement.

  The men’s footsteps drew closer. Grabbing the tote bag off the cabinet, she quickly shoved the folders and the laptop into it. Then she noticed a file without a label peeking out from under the desk blotter. She shoved it into the bag, slipped the strap over her shoulder and turned, making eye contact with Evan as he and James entered the room. He glanced at the tote and raised an eyebrow. She pray
ed he wouldn’t ask about the bag and James would think it was just her oversize purse.

  “Grace!” James pushed past Evan and came to stand in front of her. Gray eyes looked at her accusingly. “Why didn’t you call to tell me someone attacked Chloe and she was injured?”

  She took a deep breath, releasing it before answering. “I wasn’t sure of proper protocol since she’s your ex-wife...or she will be after next week.”

  “I realize that.” He shoved a hand through his short, chestnut-colored hair. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want to know what’s happening to her.”

  “I’m sorry. I had planned to call you once we left here. Chloe and Barkley had to be my primary focus.”

  “Of course. You’re right. The main thing is I know now. So, come on. I’ll drive you to the hospital, and we’ll find out how she is.” He grasped her wrist and dragged her toward the door.

  Grace pulled free, stepping back and bumping against the desk. She rubbed her wrist.

  James turned and took a step in her direction.

  “Whoa.” Evan blocked his path. “As Grace pointed out, you’re in the middle of a divorce. There’s no reason for you to go to the hospital. I’ll take her as planned.”

  “But—”

  “No, James.” She offered a sympathetic smile. After all he’d put her sister through, Grace never would have thought she’d ever feel sorry for James. “Evan’s right. I know you don’t automatically stop caring about someone because the relationship is over. But you no longer have the right to be by their side when they’re injured or in pain.”

  For the second time in as many hours, she avoided Evan’s eyes, remembering how she’d had to restrain herself from driving down to check on him a few times in the past fifteen years—most recently, four years ago when she’d heard of his wife’s murder. He’d been her childhood best friend, and a part of her would always want to know he was okay. But, like James, that hadn’t given her the right to be where she wasn’t needed. Or wanted.

  She touched his arm. “I’ll let you know how she is. I promise.”

  “Okay. I’ll be at home, waiting for your call.”

  “Actually,” Evan interjected, “I’d like you to stop by the station first.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I need you to give a statement.”

  James paled. “You can’t think I was the one who attacked Chloe.”

  “No. I sa—” Grace swallowed the rest of her words when Evan squeezed her hand and gave a subtle shake of his head.

  “I’m an upstanding member of this community.” Anger flashed in James’s eyes as his voice rose. “Just because my wife decided she didn’t want to be married any longer doesn’t mean I’d want to kill her.”

  His words struck her like a sharp jab to the solar plexus. Chloe had told her about James’s temper, but she’d never seen a hint of it before now. He had always been soft-spoken and mild-mannered.

  “Look. I’m not accusing you of anything. It’s standard practice to interview the husband, especially if the parties are in the middle of a divorce.” Evan’s tone softened like he was talking to a buddy. “Honestly, I fully expect your alibi to check out. What I’m really hoping is that you can offer some insight into who might be behind the attack.”

  James’s jaw twitched. After a long pause, he conceded. “Okay.”

  They all exited the building and locked up. As they turned to leave, Evan clapped James on the back. “I’ll call Lieutenant Johnson and let him know to expect you.”

  James opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked as if he still wanted to argue, but he nodded, climbed into his vehicle and sped away.

  Evan opened the door for Grace. She settled into the passenger seat of the police SUV, thankful there was room for her up front so she didn’t have to ride in the backseat like a prisoner. Then he jogged around the front of the vehicle, slid behind the steering wheel, started the engine and backed out of the parking lot.

  “Okay Gracie, now that we’re alone, why don’t you tell me what’s in the bag besides the file I saw you swipe?”

  THREE

  “I’ll answer all of your questions,” Grace said. “After I call the hospital to check on Chloe.”

  “Do you think they’ll tell you anything over the phone?”

  It was just like him to express aloud the concerns she was trying desperately to silence in her head. “I don’t know. But I’ve gotta try.”

  He gave a slight nod. She performed a quick internet search on her phone and located the number. How had anyone survived not knowing the well-being of loved ones in pre–cell phone days?

  After fifteen minutes of being transferred multiple times and finally getting to talk to someone in the ER, she disconnected. “All they could tell me was that she is stable and the doctor will talk to me once I get to the hospital.”

  “Stable is good, right?”

  “I don’t know. It may be their standard reply to anyone who calls to ask about a patient.” She bit her lower lip.

  “I’m sure she’s receiving the best care.”

  “I know. But what if her attacker gets to her before we can?” Grace shifted in her seat, the vinyl squeaking in protest.

  He activated the blinker and took the access ramp onto an almost empty interstate. “I already have a guard outside her door.”

  “Who? How did you get someone there so fast?” She studied his profile. While some men his age were graying, his copper-colored hair had developed blond highlights, which made him look younger than his thirty-three years.

  “Do you remember Ryan Vincent?”

  “Played football with you, right? Was two or three years behind us in school? His parents own the Flying V Ranch.” She paused, picturing the family that hosted church fellowship picnics on their ranch every summer on the Fourth of July. “He had four brothers and one sister... I don’t remember her name...but she and Chloe were good friends in school.”

  “Yeah. Well, Ryan is now co-owner of the private security agency Protective Instincts, based in Denver. On the drive to the clinic, I called to see if he had a bodyguard he could send to the hospital until we got there.”

  Relief washed over her. “I’m so glad he could send someone.”

  “Actually, Ryan is the guard outside Chloe’s room. His sister—Bridget—is at the hospital, too. On lookout in the waiting room.”

  “Really? Wow. Send me their bill when you receive it. I’m more than happy to pay whatever it costs.”

  He shook his head, a frown marring his face. “You don’t get it, do you?” Sadness laced his words. “Ryan and Bridget are helping a friend from home. They aren’t going to send a bill requesting payment for the time they’re at the hospital tonight.”

  “But protecting people is their business. Not paying them would be like going to a doctor who’s an acquaintance and expecting a free examination.”

  “No. It’s like being at the park and twisting your ankle. The town doctor who has known you your entire life is there. He wraps your ankle and instructs you to ice it when you get home. He will not send you a bill, unless you go to him for follow-up treatments. Then he’ll bill you for his services.” Evan spared her a quick glance before turning his attention back to the road. “If we need to hire Protective Instincts to provide around-the-clock protection for Chloe—which is likely, unless I can get the Denver PD to provide a guard—then we’ll figure out how they need to bill their services.”

  Grace opened her mouth and closed it again. Evan would think she had lost her mind if she mentioned she’d rather hire someone who wasn’t from Blackberry Falls to guard Chloe, and rightfully so. Grace’s fear of others knowing her business and her discomfort with the gossip that went with the small town way of life weren’t important right now. Chloe’s safety was. Grace would have to withstand the scrutiny that came with others knowing she’d failed
to protect her little sister, just as she’d withstood the numerous times her teachers had marched her to her mother’s classroom to tell her mother how disobedient she had been.

  “Now, what’s in the bag?” Evan interrupted her thoughts.

  “Chloe’s laptop.” She pulled the laptop out of the tote sitting beside her feet on the floorboard and settled it on her lap. “I also swiped a couple of hard-copy files from her desk. They were open, so I’m assuming they’re files she was working on that kept her at the office so late today. I’ll look at those after we get someplace where I can lay everything out. I thought I’d see if I could find clues to help us figure out why someone would want to hurt Chloe.” And me. Opening the screen, she pressed the power button.

  “You think her attack is connected to the clinic?”

  “I’m not sure. Last week, she discovered drugs missing from the clinic inventory.” Grace drummed her fingers on the laptop as she waited for it to boot up.

  “What kind of drugs?”

  “Clenbuterol and Levothyroxine.”

  He frowned.

  So she explained, “Clenbuterol is a steroid-like drug used to treat breathing disorders in animals, and Levothyroxine is a synthetic T4 hormone replacement used to treat hypothyroidism in both humans and animals.”

  “Could those drugs be used to make a horse run faster?”

  “It’s illegal to do so, but yes.” Grace typed in the pass code and the computer desktop filled the screen.

  “You know your sister’s password?”

  “It was a guess.”

  “Obviously a good one. You got it right the first try.”

  “Chloe doesn’t like change, so I tried the password she used for the laptop Dad bought her for her eleventh birthday.” Her smile quivered. The memory of Chloe as a child engulfed her. She had thought she was so grown, getting her very own computer. Grace had felt like her father was spoiling his youngest daughter, but he’d insisted the gift was more about providing his girls with a way to stay in touch once Grace left for college than it was giving Chloe free rein on the internet.