Secluded with the Cowboy

Chapter Three

Moments ago Nicole had wakened from a nightmare, sitting up on her bed. Her neck arched. Her mouth stretched open, wide-open, as if to scream in terror. Only a tiny moan escaped.

No one can hear me.

She knew that wasn’t true. She was free. And yet her eyes darted wildly. The room was hazy. The wallpaper faded into concrete walls. She looked down at her hands. Though she wasn’t bound, she couldn’t pull her wrists apart. Invisible handcuffs held her.

“No,” she whispered. She was at home in her own soft, comfortable bed. She was warm, clean and safe. Alone.

No one can see me.

Concentrating, she struggled to control the rapid beating of her heart. She forced her wrists to separate. With one arm on each side of her body, she lay back on the pillows. Her body went stiff. Frozen, she waited for the panic to subside.

Her stomach churned. She bolted from the bed, raced to the bathroom and vomited. Her eyes avoided the mirror as she rinsed her mouth and brushed her teeth. Coward! She didn’t want to see the self-doubt in her eyes, didn’t want to confront the fear that caused her heart to throb inside her rib cage.

She could pretend that she was all right, but it was a lie. Until Nate was caught, she was shackled inside her own terror.

Looking back at the bed, she knew going back to sleep was out of the question. Though Dylan had promised to stay with her, she was kind of glad that he hadn’t. She didn’t want him to see her fall apart.

Pulling on her robe and slippers, she went downstairs where she heard Dylan talking to Carolyn and that big, tall FBI agent with the dark, piercing eyes. They were making plans to catch Nate, and she could help.

Dylan sat beside her at the dining-room table. “You don’t have to do this, Nicole.”

“I can handle it.” If she ever wanted to rest easy, she needed to know that Nate was behind bars. She looked toward the FBI agent. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

Carolyn rested her hand on the man’s broad shoulder. “This is Agent J. D. Burke. Otherwise known as my fiancé.”

That was a shocker. Carolyn hadn’t been serious about anyone in years. “Congratulations.”

“They’re a good match,” Dylan said with a wry smile. “Burke’s the only man I’ve ever met who just might be tough enough to handle my sister.”

Ignoring her brother, Carolyn turned to Nicole. “Can I get you anything to eat or drink? Coffee?”

“Herbal tea,” she said. Something to soothe her stomach. “Chamomile with honey. The teabags are on the second shelf—”

“I know where to find the tea.”

Never before had Nicole seen her sister-in-law prepare any sort of food or drink. “Don’t tell me you’re learning how to cook.”

“I can zap water in the microwave.” She glared at Burke, who was doing his best not to smirk. “Don’t get any ideas. I’m not about to turn domesticated.”

“The thought never crossed my mind.” Burke watched as she stalked toward the kitchen, then he took a seat at the head of the table, directly to Nicole’s right. In a calm but authoritative voice he said, “I’m not going to pressure you. My questions will help figure out Nate’s behavior patterns so we can predict what he’ll do next.”

“FBI profiling,” she said.

“How do you know about—”

“I watch TV.”

“Then you know what I want,” Burke said with a grin. “Why don’t you start at the beginning? Tell us about the day you were kidnapped.”

Nicole exhaled a long sigh, remembering that day. They’d been having trouble at the ranch—incidents of sabotage in the south field had culminated in a fire that burned down the old stable. Dylan had hired Longbridge Security to keep an eye on things, but tensions were still high.

“Jesse Longbridge warned me not to go off by myself. If I wanted to take a ride, I was supposed to let him or one of the other bodyguards know.”

But she’d been angry. Dylan had been trying to weasel out of an appointment at the fertility clinic the following day because he claimed that he needed to be at the ranch until all this sabotage was straightened out. For eight months they’d been trying to get pregnant, and the timing of this appointment was crucial. How could he refuse? It seemed as if he just didn’t care about having a baby.

“I broke Jesse’s rule,” she said. “I needed some time alone. So I went to the barn, saddled up and rode. I headed toward the creek near the south pasture.”

She’d dismounted and gone to the water’s edge. Her teeming emotions had blinded her to the approaching danger. She hadn’t seen the two men lurking in the trees. “The man who grabbed me was Sam Logan—the leader of the Sons of Freedom. They’re that cult that rented the Circle M from Nate to set up their compound.”

“We know,” Burke said.

“I didn’t recognize the other guy, but I later learned that his name was Pete Richter. I struggled. One of them hit me. Everything went black.”

“Do you remember gunshots?” Burke asked.

“Was someone hurt?”

Dylan cleared his throat and took her hand. The grave expression in his eyes told her that bad news was coming. “Jesse went after you. He was shot, and was in a coma for a couple of days. But he’s better now.”

“A coma…” His injury was her fault. If she hadn’t gone running off by herself, none of this would have happened.

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Carolyn said as she returned to the dining room with Nicole’s herbal tea. “Nobody blames you.”

“But I—”

“Jesse’s a professional bodyguard. When he got shot, he was doing his job,” Carolyn said. “Besides, he’s definitely recovered. He’s better than ever.”

“What do you mean?”

Carolyn placed the steaming mug on the table in front of her. “There might be wedding bells in the future for Jesse and our neighbor, Fiona Grant.”

Nicole’s burden of guilt lifted. She wasn’t surprised that Fiona, a young widow, had found love with the handsome bodyguard. “First you and Burke. Then Jesse and Fiona.”

Carolyn chuckled as she plopped into a chair on the opposite side of the table. “That’s right.”

“Jeez.” Nicole shook her head. “I get myself kidnapped for a week and come back to find everybody coupled up. Are you going to have a double wedding?”

“Not a chance,” Dylan said. “Carolyn’s not about to share that spotlight.”

Burke drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “Let’s get back to your story, Nicole. What’s the next thing you remember?”

She sipped her chamomile tea. She would have preferred gossiping about these newly formed couples, but she knew it was important to talk about what happened. “Maybe I should just skip ahead to when Nate showed up.”

“Let’s keep going in order,” Burke said. “You were with Logan and Richter.”

“They took me to the Circle M. I was only stunned for a couple of minutes.” She remembered checking herself for injuries. Her father had been a doctor, and she knew that head injuries could be dangerous. If she’d had a concussion, it was minor. “We left the Circle M almost immediately. My hands were tied in front of me. I was blindfolded and gagged.”

“How were you transported?” Burke asked.

“On horseback. There were two guys. Richter and Thurgood. Much as I hate to give those kidnappers credit for anything, Butch Thurgood was a good horseman. He held me in front of him on the saddle.”

“He was a former rodeo star,” Carolyn informed her.

“Well, he did a good job of controlling me and his horse at the same time. We headed up the Indian trail that starts near the south pasture and leads to the pass.”

“And they took you to a cave,” Carolyn prompted.

“That’s right.”

“Carolyn,” Dylan said in a warning tone. “This is Nicole’s story. Let her talk.”

Nicole continued, “We stopped at a high cave overlooking the trail. I was hoping and praying that nobody would come after us. Butch and Richter had the perfect vantage point. I could tell they’d been there before when they set up camp. I figured it was something to do with the Sons of Freedom.”

She paused, realizing that she’d missed a lot while she’d been held captive. “What happened to the SOF, anyway? When Nate took me to the Circle M, we were alone.”

Burke explained, “The SOF was part of a network of survivalist groups that was smuggling guns and drugs. We mounted a major FBI operation to take them out. All the women and children were rescued. The men are in custody, including Sam Logan.”

“What about their horses?” she asked. “They had eight or ten at the Circle M. And two Arabians.”

“We’ll make sure they’re taken care of,” Dylan said. “I’ll send a couple of hands over in the morning.”

Her kidnapping had set off a wide-ranging course of events. A major FBI operation? Women and children rescued? “When did all this happen?”

Dylan leaned toward her. “Everything happened at the same time. Nate must have planned it that way for maximum confusion.”

“How did he know the timing?” she asked.

“He had an informant. Someone who betrayed us,” Dylan said darkly. “So while the FBI closed in on the SOF, Carolyn and I had our instructions. She went to deliver the ransom, and I rode to meet you at the creek.”

She glanced toward him, half expecting to see reproach. Instead, his gaze was steady and calm. For once in his life, Dylan seemed completely nonjudgmental. He wouldn’t growl and tell her that she’d made a mess of things.

He was her anchor. Lacing her fingers through his, she clung to him.

“I’m confused,” Carolyn said. “You were abducted by the guys from the SOF. How did you end up with Nate Miller?”

“At the cave.” She continued to gaze into Dylan’s cool green eyes. “They fell asleep, and I tried to escape. My hands were still tied, but I managed to get the ropes off my ankles. I climbed down the side of the cliff. And I ran right into the waiting arms of Nate Miller.”

“Ouch,” Carolyn said. “Talk about jumping from the frying pan into the fire.”

“I thought he’d help me. He was wearing a black ski mask, which I thought was a little strange, but the night was chilly.”

“How did you know it was Nate?” Burke asked.

“I know how,” Dylan said. “She recognized his horse.”

She nodded. “I’m a vet. I know livestock better than people. I’ve never treated Nate’s horse, but I’ve seen him plenty of times in that little corral in Riverton. I worried that the animal wasn’t getting enough exercise.”

“You went quietly with Nate,” Burke said.

“That’s right. I climbed up on the saddle and rode with him. I didn’t bother with untying my hands because I wanted to put distance between us and the kidnappers.”

“And you rode to Fiona Grant’s property,” Burke said.

“Nate told me we were supposed to wait inside the barn. That’s when he took out his gun.”

And she’d realized how foolish she’d been to trust him. “He ordered me to climb down into a little room hidden under the floor. He left my hands tied and used a shackle on my ankle to tether me to the bed frame. Then he left. I was alone.”

No one could help me. That little cell under the barn floor wasn’t badly furnished. The single bed was fairly comfortable. There was light from a lamp beside the bed. The walls and ceiling were insulated, so it was fairly warm. “That’s when it hit me. I might not get out of this mess alive. I had time to think. And I was scared.”

Dylan reached toward her, but she pulled away. Part of her wanted to curl up in his arms and sob. She wanted the warm reassurance of his love. But not right now. “I need to keep going, Dylan. I might remember something useful, something that will help catch Nate.”

“Did he talk to you?” Burke asked.

She nodded. “He used a whispery voice. As if I didn’t already know who he was. I played along. It seemed prudent to pretend I didn’t know his identity.”

“Smart move,” Burke said. “It might have saved your life. Did he mention any specifics?”

She concentrated, trying to recall through the miasma of fear and frustration that colored her time in captivity. “Mostly he talked about how much he hated the Carlisles. He blames us for every bad thing that’s happened to him. Losing his herd. The failure of his marriage.”

“Sounds like he’s obsessed,” Burke said.

“Exactly.” She nodded. “If he catches the sniffles, he’s pretty sure that the Carlisles infected him.”

“What else do you remember?”

“Threats. He told me that if I didn’t cooperate, he’d destroy everything I cared about. He’d wreak havoc. Kill the people and the animals I love. Burn down the buildings.” An involuntary shudder rippled through her. “And he sounded like he’d relish every minute.”

“His hatred gives him a reason to stay in this area,” Burke said. “The rational course of action would be to run.”

“He’s not rational.” But he was exceedingly clever. Though he hadn’t planned the kidnapping, he’d taken advantage of the situation. He must have followed Butch and Richter when they took her to the cave. As soon as their backs were turned, he’d grabbed her.

“Tell us about when he made those proof-of-life videotapes.”

She turned to Dylan. “I tried to signal you with a clue to his identity. I kept making the sign of the Circle M—Nate’s ranch.”

“We noticed,” Carolyn said. “But we misinterpreted the meaning. We thought your clues about Circle M referred to the SOF. They were the ones living at the ranch.”

She groaned. “That makes perfect sense.”

“Did you have any further contact with Butch and Richter?” Burke asked.

“They were the ones holding me when I met with Dylan by the creek. Both of them had rifles in their hands and were ready to shoot.”

“They partnered up with Nate,” Carolyn said. “Why would they do that after he double-crossed them? He snatched you away from them at the caves.”

“He must have promised them a share in the ransom,” Burke said.

Nicole shuddered. Nate had a way of getting people to do what he wanted. “Butch didn’t seem like such a bad guy. If it had only been him, I might have tried to escape. But Richter was mean.”

“You have no idea,” Carolyn said. “He was stalking Fiona, trying to get his hands on that damned ransom.”

“What happened to him?”

“He’s in custody,” Burke said.

“And Butch?”

“He was murdered by Richter.”

Butch was dead. Jesse had been seriously injured. The violence depressed her. And she knew it wasn’t over. As long as Nate was at large, there would be more carnage.

Burke asked, “What happened after you talked to Dylan?”

“Everything got confused. They locked me in the trunk of a car. I tried to pay attention and figure out where we were going.”

“What did you notice?” Burke asked.

“The smell. I think we stopped at the gas station in Riverton. Silas O’Toole’s place.”

“Did you hear anything?”

“Not until Nate came. He drove the car to his little house in Riverton and marched me inside. I was locked up in his closet. Gagged the whole time.”

The only positive thing about being stuck in a closet was that he let her come out and use the bathroom while he stood guard, gun in hand.

“After a day and a half, he took me back to the Circle M’s root cellar.”

“When you were at his house,” Burke said, “did you hear anything through the door?”

“I heard him on the phone.” She remembered his plain, ugly house. “He had toys for his son. A shiny red tricycle in the middle of the living room. And a new cowboy hat. Maybe they were supposed to be Christmas presents.”

“Did he mention his son?”

“He never spoke the child’s name, but he did talk about how sons need their fathers.” She remembered the whispery voice, eerie and creepy. “‘A boy needs someone to show him how to be a man.’ He said that more than once.”

Carolyn shuddered. “Is someone keeping an eye on Nate’s ex-wife and son?”

“Don’t worry. The sheriff is making sure that Belinda Miller is well protected.” Burke leaned forward. “Maintaining contact with his son gives Nate another reason to stay in this area.”

“I think we’ve got our answer about what Nate’s going to do next,” Dylan said. “He’s got a vendetta against us. He won’t quit until he gets even.”