Disarming the Rancher Read online

  “I believe so. He took off in a fit when we were outside,” Buck stated.

  “What was his condition?” Brax fished out his cell phone and palmed it.

  “I’d say he was pretty upset. He cursed all of us directly and said a few other choice words I’d rather not repeat,” Buck admitted before glancing at Raleigh.

  There was probably nothing Buck could say that would surprise her considering she’d been with guys nearly twenty-four seven for the past fourteen years, but she appreciated the courtesy.

  “I’ll let security know to watch out for him. Do you know if he’s carrying any weapons?” Brax asked.

  “No idea,” Buck admitted.

  Brax made a quick call while Raleigh helped Buck ice his nose.

  “I’ve got this. It’s nothing I haven’t had happen before.” Buck waved off her help, so she handed over the ice.

  “Where is everyone else?” Raleigh asked him.

  “Hunting after Jake,” Buck supplied.

  “Let’s go see if there’s anything to worry about in Jake’s room,” Raleigh said. She waited for Brax to finish his call. “Are you coming?”

  “I better warn my family members to steer clear of Jake and call security if they spot him,” he said without looking up. “Go on ahead without me. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

  “Okay.” She turned to Buck. “Ready?”

  “Reckon I won’t leave a trail of blood.” Buck nodded, so they headed toward the stairwell.

  “Do you really think Jake could be capable of making the bomb?” she asked Buck as they climbed the stairs.

  “To be honest, I don’t know. If you’d asked me two days ago, I would have defended the kid until the cows came home.” His face morphed into a half-grin at the saying and his timing of being on a cattle ranch. “Now, maybe they’ve come home.”

  Jake’s room was the first door on the left, down the hall from Raleigh’s.

  “I know what you mean. I knew Wade wasn’t doing the same job as Sharon but with all the touring and song writing it became easy to ignore the signs that he was abusing his job. Plus, I wanted to believe he was trying his best,” she admitted. There were a handful of people in the world she could truly trust and only one name stood out that made her feel like she could truly be herself around him. And that was Brax.

  “He hoodwinked us all,” Buck admitted as they entered Jake’s room.

  There was a backpack and a ticking noise.

  Raleigh backed away from the sound. Buck took a step in between her and the bag as she muttered a curse. She reached for her cell phone as they moved toward the door without turning. She called Brax.

  “There’s a backpack in the middle of Jake’s room and it might have a bomb inside.” The minute she made it to the hallway, Buck grabbed her arm and made a run for it.

  “Get out of there,” he immediately responded. “I’m on my way up.”

  “Don’t bother, we’re coming down,” she managed to get out in between gasps.

  “Quick question. Are we one hundred percent sure everyone is outside?” he asked.

  She relayed the question to Buck as they made it halfway down the stairs.

  “As far as I know they are,” Buck said. The ice pack got chunked and he lost footing halfway down, his boot slipping on the carpet. His arms went out to either wall and he was able to right himself before going down on his bottom.

  Raleigh kept on without missing a beat, a half step behind him. Brax met them at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Send out a text. Tell everyone to get out of here. I’ve done the same,” he said. “No one is inside this place except the three of us and that’s only for about three more seconds.”

  Buck wasted no time running through the kitchen, his hand clasped around Raleigh’s arm, pushing her thighs to their burning point with Brax on the other side of her, urging her to run faster.

  Once outside, she immediately texted on the group message.

  “I just alerted Jake to the fact we were in his room. I forgot he was on the chat,” she said, gasping for air. Her side ached and her lungs burned, but they’d made it.

  “Everyone is outside and away from the house. It would take more explosives than the kid could possibly have on him to bring down a house this size,” Brax reassured. She would have to lean on his opinion because she had no idea what they were dealing with or why.

  Texts started rolling in as Brax urged the three of them to keep going until they reached the relative safety of the barn. The thought Jake had had full access to the property didn’t sit well with Raleigh. “What if he places explosives in a number of places?”

  “My thought exactly.” Brax immediately moved to the stables and started opening doors. “Get the horses outside in the exercise pen.”

  Buck went to work, looking like a pro at handling horses and she remembered his wife and kids lived on a small horse ranch in North Texas. She thought about how much they must miss him and made a promise right then and there to change their schedule as soon as she could. He needed to be with his family. The others needed time for theirs or to find one, whatever stage they were in. Kenny’s mental duress might have to do with the fact his marriage had fallen apart. Kenny was always going to be Kenny, but being away from home so much couldn’t have helped his situation.

  Raleigh didn’t stop until all six stalls were empty and the horses were safely outside.

  Then, she looked at her phone. She stared at the message from Jake for a long moment before looking up. “Jake says he hasn’t been in his room since early this morning and there shouldn’t be anything ticking in it.”

  17

  Buck’s head came up and his shoulders flew back. The older man was most likely thinking the same thing as Brax. Jake wasn’t responsible for the backpack sitting in the center of his room with a ticking noise coming from it.

  Was it a warning? Or was it the real thing? Other questions followed. Who put it there? Why? Was it meant to scare or destroy?

  “No one is going inside until we know for a fact it’s safe in there,” Brax insisted. “I’ll get Lawler on the line and see if he can send a unit.”

  The call to the sheriff was short and sweet. Lawler promised to reroute the bomb-sniffing dog who was on his way home and meet him at the ranch.

  After passing along the information, Brax turned to Buck. “The kid might be innocent.”

  “I hope so,” Buck stated.

  “But I’m not taking any chances with any one of our lives,” Brax stated.

  Raleigh studied the back of the house. She twisted her hands together and paced. “It just doesn’t add up.”

  “Wade is in custody,” Brax agreed.

  “He is obviously guilty of stealing from the band.” She shook out her arms like she was shaking out the tension stored there.

  “The man is no magician,” Brax pointed out. “He can’t be in two places at once.”

  “Maybe he hired someone to set up Jake,” Buck offered.

  “Anything is possible.” Raleigh nodded. She thought about the break-in at her nana’s. “It suddenly doesn’t seem random that Nana’s house was broken into while a bomb was being set up here.”

  “Distractions,” Brax muttered. “Someone is playing one step ahead of us.”

  “At this point, I’m guessing someone tipped off people to our presence in town. The crowd at Nana’s yesterday morning sure found us fast,” Raleigh said.

  “Not a whole lot of folks drive on the road in front of the ranch out this far unless they have business with us. So, it’s highly possible the crowd alerted the bomber,” Brax agreed. “Or this is some twisted joke by someone on the inside.” His mind snapped to Kenny, but would he be that cruel?

  “Someone breached the ranch. Nowhere is safe for us,” Raleigh stated, sounding more resigned than anything else.

  “Where is Jake now?” Brax asked, glancing around.

  “No idea. I’ll ask everyone to meet at the barn.” Raleigh fired off a text.

  “I have to meet the sheriff,” Brax stated. “Go on ahead without me.”

  Brax started to walk away and then stopped. He turned around.

  “Hold on a second. Has anyone seen Hardy recently?” he asked.

  “He should have checked in with me long before now.” Raleigh gasped.

  Not good. That was not good.

  “Let me give him a quick call to check in.” Raleigh held up her phone.

  She did, shaking her head after a few moments.

  “He’s not picking up,” she said.

  Others started filing into the barn. Tim and Randy were first. Willie was a few steps behind. Jake, Hardy, and Kenny were nowhere to be seen. The possibility they could be together struck a nerve. Brax doubted Jake would go anywhere near Kenny if there was another option. Their feud couldn’t possibly be for show. Could it?

  Hardy was a head-scratcher too. He had been right behind Raleigh without fail since she’d arrived. The fact he was missing in action sent a cold chill racing down Brax’s spine.

  “Still nothing.” Raleigh stared at her cell. She shrugged.

  “Hey, Buck, why don’t you explain what’s going on to the guys in the barn? Bring them up to date?” Brax asked.

  “Will do.” Buck nodded and then took off.

  “I don’t know where Hardy is,” Raleigh said on a sigh. “I’m starting to get worried about him.”

  “It’s understandable, considering he’s been one step behind you since your arrival. His absence sends up a red flag,” he agreed. “The sheriff will be here soon with the bomb sniffer.” The fact Brax’s family were in danger added insult to injury. “We’ll be able to clear the house soon.”

  “Hopefully.” Her eyes were huge, and he could see tension lines
forming on her forehead.

  “We’ll find Hardy,” he said, knowing full well it was a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep. Adam, Prudence, and the baby had been out on a walk. They were safe at his mother’s place. Adam said he would await word from Brax before returning to the house.

  “And what about Kenny and Jake?” she asked.

  “We’ll find them too,” he reassured. It also occurred to him the two of them might not want to be out in the open right now where anyone could take a shot from the tree line. Granted, they’d have to be a good aim, plus account for wind at this distance. But he wasn’t in the mood to take chances. “Let’s head inside the barn until the sheriff arrives.”

  The entire situation was surreal, the news getting worse with each passing minute. Something was niggling at the back of Raleigh’s mind, and yet she couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

  As she rounded the corner outside of the barn, an image scorched her brain.

  “Brax,” she whispered.

  He stopped dead in his tracks. “Stay behind me.”

  She felt him reach out for her and tuck her behind him, essentially blocking Kenny from seeing her.

  “Don’t you dare hide,” Kenny said to her. His voice was dark and there was a desperate quality. “Come out and face the music or I pull the trigger.”

  Kenny had the barrel of a handgun pointed at Jake’s right temple. A bead of sweat rolled down Jake’s forehead.

  “Don’t do—”

  Jake’s sentence was cut off by the butt of the gun being slammed into the back of his skull. The young guy grunted as his head jutted forward.

  “Stop,” Raleigh shouted, trying to push past Brax, who was basically a steel door.

  “No, you’re not going over here,” Brax whispered, his voice a study in calm, whereas she was running on pure emotions. He put his hands in the air. “Take me instead.”

  “It’s too late,” Kenny stated. “I’m not getting out of this one alive unless I take her with me.”

  “We can take off together like you asked before, Kenny. Go to Mexico where they’ll never find us,” Raleigh was desperate. She would promise anything right now if it meant getting Jake back safely.

  “Not going to happen, Kenny,” Brax stated. “Let’s come up with another plan.”

  Kenny jerked Jake around. The younger guy dropped to his knees. Raleigh lurched toward Kenny.

  Brax caught her in midair.

  “What do you think he’s going to do with you when you get over there?” he asked her out of the side of his mouth.

  She jerked free from his grasp in one move.

  “I can’t stand by and watch this happen when I can do something to stop it.” She bolted toward the fence.

  Brax came after her. She could feel him right behind her but Kenny brought the weapon up, pointing it directly at her chest.

  “Stop or I shoot her,” Kenny stated.

  “We both know you won’t do that,” Brax countered, but he stopped anyway.

  She might have acted on impulse, but Jake was young and her responsibility in many respects. No, it wasn’t ideal to play into Kenny’s hand, but what choice did she have? Stand by and let him kill Jake?

  The minute the sheriff arrived, Kenny would bolt into the woods and take Jake with him. The second Kenny didn’t need the greenhorn, he’d shoot him and dispose of the body. The image of the sweet kid left in the woods for wild animals to destroy sent another cold chill racing down her spine. The image would stamp her thoughts for a very long time.

  There was no way Raleigh could let that happen.

  The word that had been niggling at the back of Raleigh’s mind surfaced…distraction.

  Kenny had been trying to pressure her into dropping the rest of the band. When that didn’t work, he’d hit on her. And kept pressuring her all the while ripping her and the band off financially.

  All of which was one big distraction. With Kenny’s constant pressure, she was keen to walk the other way when he approached, giving him a wide berth and plenty of freedom to do whatever he wanted behind her back.

  “I’m here right now, Kenny.” She stood at the fence. “Let Jake go.”

  Jake’s eyes were red-rimmed but he held it together. He shouldn’t have to go through this. Not after the abuse he’d suffered growing up. White-hot anger ripped through her when she really looked at Kenny. At what he’d become.

  “Take the little jerk.” Kenny picked Jake up by his shirt and tossed him toward the fence.

  Raleigh saw the plan in Jake’s eyes moments before he executed it and far too late to stop him.

  Jake hopped to his feet and performed a back-wheel-kick. His heel connected with the weapon in Kenny’s hand. The gun went flying. Raleigh scrambled over the fence as she heard Brax charging from behind.

  Raleigh launched herself toward Kenny as he dove toward the weapon. She stretched her arms out as far as she could for Kenny as she lurched forward. He ducked out of her grasp and she landed on the hard clay earth with a thud. Her foot twisted underneath her and she felt her ankle snap.

  There was no time to worry about an injury. Kenny was fighting Jake.

  Brax easily hopped the wooden fence as the others came out. Confusion as to what was happening was stamped all over their faces. But the second recognition dawned, they were scrambling to get over the fence.

  Kenny went down easily the second Brax entered the scene. With a grunt, Brax picked Kenny up and then tossed him back down on the ground like he was a ragdoll. Kenny’s limp body slammed to the earth as Brax dropped down, pressing his knee in the center of Kenny’s back. In the next second, Kenny’s arms were being jerked up behind his back.

  “The sheriff is here,” Jake shouted.

  Raleigh tried to move toward the weapon, but nearly passed out from the pain in her ankle. Anger roared through her as she tried to process Kenny’s betrayal, and couldn’t fathom it. They’d been family for fourteen years. They’d been a couple. How could he have changed so much that she didn’t recognize him anymore?

  Relief washed over her and through her as she realized it was over. The threat was gone. She could get back to her life again. Her life?

  Raleigh wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole, except to say that making music was her life. The rest of the guys were safe now that Kenny had been caught. Kenny in league with Wade? Her brain was still having a hard time processing the betrayal, but at least they knew what they were dealing with now. No more bombs. No more threats of dying.

  Raleigh could finally exhale. She inched toward Brax, nearly passing out from the pain in her ankle.

  “You’re okay. Stay right there,” Brax’s calm masculine, whiskey over ice cream voice washed over her and through her. “Help is on the way.”

  Sheriff Lawler came running. He had fair skin, and ginger hair in a military cut. He had a hawk-like nose and compassionate honey-brown eyes. He wore jeans, boots, and a tan shirt with the word, Sheriff, embroidered on the right front pocket.

  The lawmen immediately took over for Brax, who gave the elevator version of what just went down before rushing toward Raleigh. She managed to sit up, with his help, wincing as she moved her ankle. Jake made his way over, looking pretty busted up. His mouth was bleeding as was his nose, but he shook it off.

  “I don’t know how to thank you,” he started, but Brax waved him off.

  “You’re part of the family now. That’s what families do for each other,” Brax said as Jake used the fence post to support himself.

  The sheriff read Kenny his rights as Brax pressed a tender kiss to Raleigh’s lips.

  “We’re okay,” he whispered.

  “This scumbag is going to spend the rest of his life behind bars for attempted murder,” Sheriff Lawler said, forcing Kenny to stand. Lawler looked at Raleigh. “Your business manager is willing to testify that Kenny here has been pressuring him to syphon money from the band. Kenny believes that he’s the reason for the band’s success. Therefore, he has rights to take the money and you, Ms. Perry.”

  Raleigh grunted. “He doesn’t deserve me or the band. We were his family and this is how he treated us.”

  Head low, Kenny didn’t look over at her. It was probably a good thing because it seemed to be taking all of Brax’s willpower not to take Kenny down personally.

  Brax studied Jake.