Her Cowboy Avenger. Kerry Connor

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      “As soon as she’s locked up, you might find it hard getting paid for whatever work you’ve done.”

      “Guess I’ll worry about that when the time comes.”

      The man grimaced, his mouth tightening with barely controlled anger. “Even if you don’t believe she’s a killer, take my word, she’s no good. Probably no surprise there—her family wasn’t, either.”

      The man let the comment hang in the air, probably expecting Matt to be curious enough to ask for more details. Heck, most people probably would be after a comment like that. But Matt already knew all about Elena’s family. He’d met Ed Reyes himself, knew full well what kind of man he was. And Elena herself had told him more than this man could begin to, just as he’d told her things…

      Not that he could admit that to this man. But even if he could, he wasn’t about to. He didn’t like bullies, never had. And Travis Gerard had bully written all over him. It made Matt wonder what kind of man Elena’s husband had been, if this was the type of person he’d considered his best friend in the world. Matt’s reflexive dislike for Bobby Weston grew deeper.

      “Her old man was a drunk,” the deputy finally said when the silence went on too long. “Her mother took off when she was just a kid. With a background like that, probably makes sense that she wouldn’t consider her own marriage worth much.”

      “What’s your point?”

      “I’d think you’d want to know the kind of person you’re working for.”

      “Why would her family make a difference when it comes to working for her? That’s her family, not her.”

      Travis Gerard’s eyes narrowed, fresh contempt shining from them. “So you’re that kind of guy, huh? Doesn’t matter what kind of person you work for?”

      “I’m just wondering why you’re wasting your time trying to scare me off. What does it matter to you if I get paid or not?”

      “Her husband was a good friend of mine. I don’t like the idea of her out there, going about her life like nothing happened, like she didn’t kill a good man in cold blood.”

      “Then prove she did it,” Matt said. “Trying to scare me off isn’t going to get that done.”

      The deputy’s face went dark red, his whole body tensing, and for a second, Matt was positive the man wanted nothing more than to deck him, was just about ready to throw that punch.

      Matt held his ground, not about to back down, ready to take the blow if he had to. He was ready and willing to go toe to toe with this arrogant ass, but raising a hand against a Texas deputy was a surefire way to get in trouble, and there wasn’t much he could do for Elena if he landed in jail his first day in town.

      Finally, Gerard took a step back, giving his chin a belligerent tilt. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

      “Don’t worry, Deputy,” Matt returned coolly. “I consider myself warned.”

      With a curl of his lip, Gerard turned on his heel and stomped away.

      Matt watched him go, the knot of tension in the pit of his stomach only tightening. He didn’t feel the slightest bit of relief that the deputy had backed down, his awareness of just how bad the situation was weighing down on him too heavily.

      Whether or not Travis Gerard was right about the rest of the town—and the slashed tires indicated he just might be—the fact that the local law was gunning for Elena was confirmation enough that she needed help. Damned if he was going to stand by and watch her be railroaded. Unfortunately, she probably needed more help than he alone could offer, he had to admit. Luckily he might know someone who could provide some assistance.

      Climbing into his truck, he pulled the envelope out of his pocket, found a pen in the glove compartment, then reached for his phone, hitting the speed dial.

      A familiar voice answered after a few rings. “Triple C.”

      “Piper, it’s Matt.”

      “Matt, where are you? Is everything okay?”

      “Everything’s fine,” he said, dodging the first question. “I just need you to give me Pam’s phone number.”

      She didn’t say anything for a long moment, and he braced himself for her answer. “Everything can’t be fine if you want to talk to an FBI agent.”

      “I just have a little bit of a situation here and I’m hoping she’d be willing to do something for me.”

      “Is there anything Cade and I can do to help?”

      He had no doubt that if he said the word, she and Cade would hightail it to Western Bluff as fast as they could, no questions asked. That was the kind of people they were, not just the people he worked for but his closest friends in the world. “You can give me Pam’s phone number,” he said simply.

      She fell quiet again, then slowly began to recite the digits. He immediately jotted them down on the back of the envelope. “Do you need me to repeat it?” she asked when she was done.

      “No, I got it.”

      “We’re here if you need us, Matt.”

      “I know,” he said gently. “I appreciate that, Piper.”

      “Take care of yourself,” she said, then disconnected the phone.

      Swallowing a sigh, he dialed the number she’d just given him and waited for someone to answer.

      The call was picked up on the third ring. “This is Pam,” a voice almost exactly like the one he’d just spoken to said in a no-nonsense tone.

      “Pam, it’s Matt Alvarez.”

      She fell silent for a few moments much like her sister had. “Matt,” she said flatly, her voice devoid of Piper’s natural warmth. “This is a surprise.” She gave no indication whether it was pleasant or otherwise.

      “I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m in a situation and could use your help.”

      “What is it?” He quickly outlined Elena’s circumstances. “This case doesn’t fall within federal jurisdiction,” she said when he was finished. “There’s nothing I can do officially.”

      “I know that. I was just hoping for some information.”

      “What kind of information?”

      “For now, anything you can give me on the town, on Elena and her husband, the sheriff and whether he can be trusted. Obviously, you have resources that I don’t. I’m not asking for anything illegal or that would get you into trouble. Just anything you can give me that you think I need to know, though I might need to come back to you later the more I learn here.”

      She didn’t say anything for a long moment again. “This woman must mean a lot to you.”

      His mind instantly wanted to deny the idea. Elena didn’t mean anything to him. Not anymore.

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