Texas ranch target, p.1
Texas Ranch Target, page 1
“Where are you going?”
Jaycee grabbed Brett’s arm, panic filling her face.
“I’m going to get our horse and we’re getting out of here. We can’t stay pinned down.” The horse was a bigger target for the sniper to hit but they could get out of range faster on it than on foot. He had to risk it.
He climbed to his feet and headed into the field, shielding his movement with the horse’s body as best he could until he reached it. Once he did, he quickly climbed into the saddle and headed toward Jaycee.
Gunfire erupted from the sniper but Brett moved quickly. He urged the horse into the brush where Jaycee hid, then lifted her up behind him.
Just as she settled in, shots fired again. The horse startled and she nearly slid as he bucked. Brett held on to the reins as Jaycee clung to his jacket.
“Get out of here!” she cried and Brett wasted no time.
He spun the horse around and took off.
Their safe, protective hideout had been breached.
Virginia Vaughan is a born-and-raised Mississippi girl. She is blessed to come from a large Southern family, and her fondest memories include listening to stories recounted around the dinner table. She was a lover of books from a young age, devouring tales of romance, danger and love. She soon started writing them herself. You can connect with Virginia through her website, virginiavaughanonline.com, or through the publisher.
Books by Virginia Vaughan
Love Inspired Suspense
Cowboy Protectors
Kidnapped in Texas
Texas Ranch Target
Cowboy Lawmen
Texas Twin Abduction
Texas Holiday Hideout
Texas Target Standoff
Texas Baby Cover-Up
Texas Killer Connection
Texas Buried Secrets
Covert Operatives
Cold Case Cover-Up
Deadly Christmas Duty
Risky Return
Killer Insight
Visit the Author Profile page at LoveInspired.com for more titles.
Texas Ranch Target
Virginia Vaughan
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
—Romans 8:28
This book is dedicated to my readers for your continued faithfulness and encouragement.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Dear Reader
Excerpt from Tunnel Creek Ambush by Kerry Johnson
ONE
Jaycee Richmond stared out the hotel window at the darkening skyline of small-town Jessup, Texas. Her phone dinged with another pop-up about last month’s murder of actress Whitney Warren and the failure of security expert Brett Harmon to keep the celebrity safe.
The press was blaming Brett but Jaycee knew they didn’t have the whole story.
Neither did Brett.
Jaycee had come to Jessup specifically to track him down. She had information about Whitney’s murder that he needed to know.
Information that could change his life.
And end hers.
Someone had already tried to silence her, sending her fleeing from her home yesterday in a spray of gunfire to search out the security expert. Only, Brett had been keeping a low profile since Whitney’s murder and the publicity surrounding it had all but shut down his security business. Probably only a handful of people knew he was heading here, and Jaycee was one of them. She’d had to use some creative ways of tracking him to his hometown, including tapping into his cell phone. She glanced at her computer screen and the GPS indicator that showed Brett was less than an hour away from arriving in Jessup.
Hurry up, Brett. I have something important to tell you.
She heard something and turned from the window. The doorknob on her hotel room door moved ever so slightly.
She gasped and reached for the gun she’d grabbed when the shooting at her apartment had started. She’d taken a class when she’d bought the gun for protection but had never fired it. Never had a reason to before now.
The man who’d already tried to kill her once had followed her to town.
She inched toward the door. She’d secured the main lock, which should prevent him from getting inside, yet she couldn’t resist checking it again. He must have noticed her movement from beneath the door because seconds later the door burst open. Jaycee tumbled backward, hitting her head against the dresser as the gun slipped from her hand. Her attacker grabbed her. He shoved her to the floor and pressed one hand over her mouth, his other arm crushing against her throat, cutting off her air. She kicked and struggled against him, trying to breathe but unable to budge him.
Panic gripped her as her vision tunneled. If she lost consciousness, she was going to die and Brett would never know the truth.
Her attacker would get away with murder again.
She flailed her hands for something, anything, to fight back with. One hand locked onto the lamp that had fallen to the floor during the struggle. She gripped it and swung it as hard as she could at the side of his head.
Her attacker loosened his hold and slumped to the side, unconscious.
Jaycee scrambled to her feet and ran from the room, hurrying down the stairwell before her attacker got up and followed her. Her heart raced as she burst into the lobby. No one was around and the front desk was unoccupied. Her gaze landed on the phone in the lobby. She had to call the police. She should have gone to them after he’d attacked her at her apartment but she’d wanted to come clean to Brett first about what she’d done.
Now, she had no choice. She headed for the table that held the phone. The elevator dinged, startling her, and she jumped and cried out. She spun around as the doors slid open. What if it was the man who’d attacked her?
She didn’t have time to wait for the police. She had to get out of there now.
Jaycee stumbled toward the front entrance and pushed through the doors. Her head pounded and blood dripped into her face, but she didn’t have time to catalog her injuries right now. She had to get as far away from her attacker as she could.
She hurried to her car, thankful the keys were still in her pocket. She started the engine and drove away. Her mirrors showed no signs of her attacker but that didn’t mean he wasn’t coming. He’d found her in Dallas and again here in Jessup. He wouldn’t stop until he’d silenced her for good.
A sharp pain ripped through her head and her vision blurred. The car drifted from the lane. She overcorrected the other way before bringing the vehicle under control. Thankfully, there were no other cars on the road.
Where was she even going? She didn’t know.
Until she did.
Brett was on his way into town and she’d tracked his phone. He was coming in on the main highway. If she had to, she would meet him halfway. He had to know the truth about Whitney’s death. He had to know it wasn’t his fault.
She needed to clear her own guilty conscience.
Headlights glared in her rearview mirror as a vehicle fast approached behind her. Fear swamped her. It had to be her assailant. He wasn’t finished with her.
She pressed the accelerator, speeding up. The vehicle kept coming. The pounding in her head intensified and her vision blurred again. Her head hurt so badly either from hitting the dresser or her attacker trying to cut off her air supply. She took a deep breath and did her best to push away the fuzz that was enveloping her mind.
She had to stay alert if she wanted to live.
She pressed the gas pedal again as the car pulled up behind her. It did no good. Her car was already going as fast as it would go. Her assailant’s vehicle was just faster. She felt his eyes on her and dared to glance his way as he pulled up beside her. His smug grin told her all she needed to know. She wasn’t going to make it out of this.
He jerked the wheel and rammed into her car, sending her vehicle spinning out of control. She screamed as it left the ground and flipped, again and again, finally stopping only when it bounced off the guardrail then skidded to a stop upside down.
Jaycee hit her head again and pain riddled through her. She blacked out but was certain it was only for a moment. When she came to, the other car had stopped and footfalls were hurrying toward her.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
The sound matched the pounding in her head.
Panic pushed her to unbuckle and crawl toward the shattered passenger’s-side window despite the protests of her aching body. She couldn’t give up now. She couldn’t allow him to win.
Then, suddenly, the thumping footfalls stopped. She pushed herself out of the car in time to see her assailant hurry back to his vehicle and roar away in the direction he’d come.
What had happened?
She forced herself to her feet and stumbled into the road. Headlights rolled over her. She raised her hands to shield her eyes from the blinding light as tires squealed, the smell of rubber sickening her.
A car headed straight fo r her.
* * *
Brett Harmon slammed on his brakes as a woman appeared out of nowhere in the road. He jerked the steering wheel and crossed the yellow line. Thankfully, there was no oncoming traffic this time of evening and this far out of town. His Charger skidded to a stop.
Adrenaline rushed through him at the near miss.
He’d almost hit the woman.
Then came the relief and the anger at being put into that situation again.
Two deaths in a month’s time?
He couldn’t be responsible for another woman’s death.
Brett threw the gear into Park then turned off the ignition and jumped out. He circled the car and headed toward the woman, stopping when he saw her. She was kneeling on the asphalt, her long blond hair disheveled. Both her hair and clothes were covered in blood from a gash on her head, but it was the look of confusion in her expression that really grabbed him.
He took a breath then noticed the vehicle on its roof and the smashed guardrail several feet away. From the looks of the car, she shouldn’t have survived that crash.
He approached her cautiously. She didn’t appear seriously injured but the confused look worried him. She could have suffered anything from a concussion to internal injuries. “Are you okay, miss?”
She didn’t speak right away and in fact almost seemed like she hadn’t heard him. However, as he took another step closer, she moved back from him. “Is there someone I can call for you?”
She raised her eyes to look at him then shook her head so very slightly. Suddenly all the angry heat and resentment he’d felt earlier washed away. His issues weren’t her fault. She needed help.
“What’s your name?”
She stared up at him, her eyes big and brown and round. Suddenly fear entered them along with confusion and panic.
“Do you know your name?”
She opened her mouth to speak. “I—yes, of course, I know my name. It’s...it’s...” She tilted her head, a clear indication she was trying to recall. Tears filled her eyes.
He knelt to her eye level. “My name is Brett Harmon. You look like you could use some help. What happened?”
Her face twisted, and she finally shook her head.
Brett pushed to his feet and held out his hand to her. “Why don’t you let me take you to the hospital?”
Her hand shook as she extended it, but she trusted him enough to allow him to lead her to his car.
She slid into the front passenger seat. His protective instincts kicked in. Her car was damaged pretty good and she’d probably suffered a concussion. It wasn’t unusual for deer to dart out into the road at night, making drivers swerve to miss them. That could be what had happened to her.
He walked around to the driver’s side of the Charger and reached for his cell phone. This woman needed help and to get to safety. He could call the ambulance but it would take them a while to get out here. The best thing would be to drive her to the hospital, but he’d also need some help when he got there.
He dialed the number for the Jessup Police Department and asked for the chief of police. The receptionist didn’t want to connect him until he informed her that the chief was his cousin and he had an emergency.
A few minutes later, Caleb came on the line. “Brett, what’s going on? I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“Hey, Caleb. We can catch up later, but right now I have a real problem. I was heading into town and I nearly ran someone over.”
His tone morphed into a more professional one immediately. “Was anyone hurt?”
“I didn’t hit her but she obviously needs help. It looks like her car flipped multiple times. She’s dazed but not seriously injured. The thing is, she can’t remember her name. I’m taking her to the hospital now.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Caleb stated.
Brett ended the call then slid his phone back into his pocket. He climbed into the driver’s seat and closed the door. He looked at the woman shivering in the seat beside him. “Do you need help putting on your seat belt?”
She didn’t speak, only looked at him like she didn’t understand what he was talking about. Finally, he reached over, grabbed the seat belt and put it around her. She seemed surprised by his action but didn’t stop him.
“I’m going to take you to the hospital. They’ll be able to help you there. It’s not uncommon to have some memory loss after a wreck. You probably hit your head.” In fact, he was sure of it based on the gash still dripping blood down her face. He found some napkins in his console and pressed one against her forehead to stop the bleeding. “Hold this here until we get to the ER.”
She took hold of the napkin as he’d asked but a single tear slid down her cheek, making a trail through the blood. She looked so fragile sitting in the passenger seat and he flashed back to Whitney lying on the floor in her hotel room, bleeding out in his arms, unable to speak. She’d trusted him to protect her and he’d failed her.
His firm had handled security for a lot of well-known celebrities, but Whitney Warren’s case had been different. She’d been engaged to a member of Brett’s marine squad; only, Tony had never made it home from their last mission. When Whitney had found herself with an unknown stalker, she’d hired his firm primarily because of the connection to Tony.
Brett had personally handled her security and he’d been confident in his ability to keep her safe. But everything on that job had gone sideways. Someone had gotten through his security measures and managed to murder Whitney. She’d died because he hadn’t been able to do his job sufficiently. Now his reputation, and his company’s, had taken a hit. The company’s rep was nothing compared to Whitney losing her life, but Brett was personally bearing all the blame for what had happened. And he wouldn’t be able to rest until he found the person who’d killed her.
Now, he’d stumbled upon another woman who needed his assistance. Well, he was glad to give her a ride to the hospital then let the police handle it from there. He couldn’t be responsible for anyone else at the moment. He started the engine and headed into town.
They arrived at the hospital and Brett parked by the emergency room doors. He called for help as he led the woman inside. Once he explained the situation, a nurse took over, escorting her behind a set of double doors. “You wait here,” she commanded Brett, leaving him standing in the waiting area.
He didn’t have to wait long before the hospital doors slid open and his cousin Caleb arrived. Another of his cousins, Luke, was with him. Luke, a former FBI agent who’d retired from the agency a few months ago, had resettled in Jessup on the ranch their grandfather had left them all a piece of.
Brett hadn’t seen either of his cousins in over six years and had only spoken to them a handful of times since then, but it was good to see them now.
Caleb approached him first. “Where is she?”
“The nurse took her back a few minutes ago. She looked confused and couldn’t tell me her name.”
“Did you check to see if she had any identification on her?” Luke asked.
“I didn’t,” Brett stated. “She already looked so violated, I didn’t want to risk searching her for that. She wasn’t carrying a purse but it could have been in the car. You’ll find what’s left of it over on the main highway about five miles south of town.”
Caleb nodded. “I’ll send Luke and one of my officers to investigate.”
Brett checked the GPS data on his cell phone then texted it to Luke. “That’s the location.”
Luke glanced at his phone and nodded, confirming he’d received the coordinates. “I’ll call Hansen and we’ll check out the area.”
Brett waited for Luke to walk off before he turned to Caleb. “I knew Luke had retired from the FBI but I didn’t realize he was working for you.”
Caleb shrugged. “He doesn’t really. We were together at the ranch when I received your call. Dispatch forwarded it to my cell phone. Luke decided to tag along. He helps out now and then when a case piques his interest, but he’s mostly retired and spending time getting to know his daughter.”
Brett had learned when he’d made plans to come to the ranch that Luke, upon his return to Jessup, had discovered his high school sweetheart had given birth to a child then given her to her sister to raise. She’d gotten custody back when her sister and brother-in-law had died in a car accident, but Luke hadn’t discovered he’d had a fourteen-year-old daughter until she’d been abducted by a human trafficking ring.
