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Suddenly Thad yanked her by the hair and dragged her toward him. She screamed again, fighting him as he threw her to the floor. Her head hit the tile and pain ricocheted through her temple.
He straddled her, then lifted the gun and pointed it at her head.
Rose’s vision blurred, death whispering her name. Another image came out of nowhere—another gun. Another man. The sound of a gunshot firing.
Blood spraying everywhere. The floor, the walls...
What was happening...?
Thad’s fingers closed around her wrists, tightening so painfully that a sob escaped her.
But reality surfaced and the blurred image of the other shooting faded. The will to live kicked in, giving her a surge of adrenaline, and she used one hand to knock the gun upward. He cursed, and she slammed her fist into his crotch, causing him to double over and roll off her.
She lunged to get away, crawling on her hands and knees into the bedroom, but another gunshot pinged off the floor beside her. Her foot hit the lamp as she tried to get up, sending it crashing to the floor.
Terrified, she reached for the gun and managed to snag it. They struggled with it, both trying to gain control, but the gun went off. Thad grunted, then his eyes widened in shock and he looked down at his chest.
Blood oozed from his torso and soaked his shirt. Frantic, she pushed herself up, grabbed her purse and ran outside. The night sky was dark, void of stars, the endless sea of wilderness swallowing her as she raced to his sedan.
“You can’t get away,” Thad shouted as he staggered onto the porch after her.
She jumped in the car, keeping her eyes on Thad, her hand trembling as she fumbled with the keys. Three tries and finally the engine fired up.
Thad staggered down the steps, one hand to his bloody chest as he collapsed. She pressed the gas pedal, shifted into Reverse and sped backward, slinging dust in her wake. Thad managed to lift his head and raised the gun and fired again, but he was too far away and the bullet hit the dirt.
She swung the sedan around, stomped on the accelerator and roared down the graveled road to the highway. Nausea clogged her throat as she dug in her purse for her cell phone. Dammit, she had no service!
Tears streamed down her face as she drove back toward Pistol Whip. She repeatedly checked over her shoulder in case Thad found a way to follow her. But she didn’t stop until she drove into the small town and parked at her rental house.
Fighting a sob, she careened into the drive, threw the car into park and dove out. She ran up the steps to the porch, the keys jangling as she let herself inside. Her phone was ringing as she entered. She flipped on a light in the hallway, then raced to get it.
Whoever it was, she’d get rid of them and call the sheriff. Maddox McCullen would know what to do. He’d help her.
But a sinister voice echoed from the other side of the phone. “You can run, but you can’t hide, Rose. I’ll find you.”
“No, Ray, I’m not exaggerating.” Maddox grimaced at the fact that Ray had even suggested such a thing. “Dad is...dying. Emphysema.”
Silence stretched between them for a long minute. Maddox braced himself for Ray to deny his father’s request. How he’d explain that to his father he didn’t know.
“I’ll think about it,” Ray said in a belligerent tone.
“Do more than think,” Maddox said tersely. “The least you can do is to say goodbye to him. You two might have butted heads, but he is your father.”
Ray muttered something ugly that Maddox couldn’t understand, but he refrained from asking him to repeat it. He didn’t want to know.
He’d given up understanding Ray a long time ago.
His phone beeped that he had another call, and he sighed in relief. Sad that he welcomed a work call to save him from talking to his own flesh and blood. “I’ve got another call I have to take. Now get your butt home. If you don’t, I’ll track you down and drag you back to Pistol Whip myself.”
He didn’t bother to wait on a response. He clicked over to answer the other line. “Sheriff McCullen.”
“Sheriff, it’s Rose Worthington.”
Maddox frowned at the way her voice warbled. “What’s wrong, Rose?”
“Someone...my fiancé...he tried to kill me tonight.”
Shock bolted through Maddox. He’d seen Rose around town, even lusted after her a few times. How could a man not? She had silky red hair, raspberry-ripe lips and a body that made a man want to bury himself inside her.
But he’d been too busy taking care of his father and the ranch, and protecting the town, to get entangled with her. Besides, she’d had a ring on her finger.
“Did you hear me?” Rose said. “He tried to kill me tonight.”
Maddox swung into professional mode. “Where are you?”
“My house,” Rose said. “Please hurry. I’m afraid he’ll come after me.”
“What’s your address?”
“Two-thirty-one First Street.”
“I’m on my way. Just stay on the line.” Maddox fastened his holster and gun and hurried outside to his squad car. “Tell me what happened?”
“Before he attacked me, I heard him talking on the phone. He said I’d be dead before morning. He had a gun and I tried to run, and he grabbed me and...the gun went off.”
“Are you hurt?” Maddox flipped on his siren and sped toward the street where Rose lived. A Mustang pulled out in front of him, and he beeped his horn and passed it, irritated to see the driver on his cell phone. If he’d had time, he’d have pulled the jerk over, but Rose sounded terrified and he needed to hurry.
She might still be in danger.
* * *
ROSE SHIVERED AS she peered out her front window. Was Thad dead?
Or if he’d survived, had he followed her here? Was the person he’d been talking to watching her?
Nausea rolled through her, and she checked to make sure the door was locked, then looked down and realized she was still wearing her robe. Her diamond glittered beneath the light, a reminder of how excited she’d been when she and Thad had left for their trip. All her hopes and dreams were going to come true. Thad loved her.
All lies.
Revulsion mingled with humiliation. She ripped off СКАЧАТЬ