Blackstone Ranger Chief Read online

  But as the wedding drew closer, she knew deep in her heart something was wrong. Plus, there were whispers here and there, about Jameson’s connections to the cartels down south. A few days before the wedding, she scrounged up all her courage to go to his penthouse on Central Avenue to tell him she wasn’t going to marry him.

  However, he probably wasn’t expecting her show up one late one evening. From where she stood in the entryway, she could hear the shouts and harsh words, but she walked right in anyway. Jameson was there, but he wasn’t alone. Aside from his two bodyguards, there was a fourth person—a short and balding man she had recognized as the local police chief. She quickly apologized and excused herself, and dashed out.

  The next day, Jameson acted like nothing had happened, but he did have one of his bodyguards put a large duffel bag in the trunk of his car. The duffel bag.

  Then the morning of the wedding came and she saw the headline on her phone’s news alert notification: Police Chief Suspected of Bribery Found Dead in the Desert. Her instincts screamed at her, and she immediately went to retrieve the bag in the trunk of her car. She could barely open it because her hands shook so bad, but when she did and saw the cash, it all connected and clicked in her brain; there was no way she could marry Jameson.

  His scornful voice knocked her out of her reverie. “I don’t have time for this. You’re mine, bought and paid for, and you’re coming back with me. Tonight.”

  “Coming with you? Are you going to tie me up and take me forcibly?”

  “If I have to.” His tone was serious. “But I know you’ll come with me. Unless you want something to happen to your dear old daddy.”

  She flinched visibly. While it was David’s fault she was in this mess, she didn’t hate him enough to want him dead. And she already knew what Jameson was capable of. Her throat burned with unshed tears, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

  The sound of an approaching vehicle made her start. She thought it was J.D., but no, it was a different truck, a familiar dark blue one.

  Damon.

  But it couldn’t be! He was going to be gone until tomorrow, he said.

  “Oh look, it’s your boyfriend.” His dark brows snapped together. “Now what is he doing here? I thought I saw him leave the restaurant.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You saw—”

  “Don’t look surprised, darling.” The way he said that term of endearment made her skin crawl. “I tracked you down a week ago, and I’ve had eyes on you since then. Why do you think I had your other friend’s tires slashed? I couldn’t risk him coming back here with you. We could have taken on your little mechanic friend, but he would have made things messy. Wouldn’t want to hurt the precious heir to the Russel fortune.” His eyes turned sharp as flint. “Are you screwing him, too? Maybe I should have had you when I had the chance. Here I was, being a gentleman, giving you space and letting you decide when to come to my bed. And then you go and fuck the first cock that comes your way.”

  She drew in a sharp breath as the truck’s engine quieted and the headlights turned off. Do something, her brain screamed.

  “I should kill him for touching you, but I don’t have time. Just get rid of him,” Jameson ordered. “You know what I’m capable of.” He nodded at his two bodyguards, who discreetly patted the guns she knew were holstered under those suits. “Tell him we’re going for a drive to talk things through.”

  Terror gripped her chest, rendering her unable to make a sound. So, she just nodded.

  The truck door opened, and Damon stepped out. As he walked up the driveway, her heart leapt at the sight of his familiar, strong frame. She allowed herself to drink it all in—his handsome face, that tiny dent in the middle of his chin. Those strong arms that held her and kept her safe. No, she couldn’t let him die. She loved him too much.

  “Anna Victoria, I—” He stopped as he was halfway up the porch steps. That unnerving green gaze of his zeroed in on Jameson. “What’s going on here?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Damon had been halfway to HQ when he realized he was making a mistake. Each minute that passed that he wasn’t with Anna Victoria was one he regretted. Gabriel had been right—there was nothing extraordinary about the situation with the moose shifter. So, he called Daniel and told him to handle it, then turned his truck around to go back to Anna Victoria.

  The snowfall had picked up considerably, so he had to be careful as he drove back to town. He was thinking of what to say to her, how to express what was happening inside of him. As he neared J.D.’s place, he felt more alive. And at the same time, more at peace.

  Anna Victoria quieted that part of his soul that was restless, calmed The Demon, and made his life more vibrant. Though he’d never felt it before, he was pretty sure he was head over heels for her.

  Which was why the moment he saw that other man with her on J.D.’s porch, his stomach sank, and his chest filled with hot, searing jealousy. The Demon rose again, its claw ready for action.

  “What’s going on here?”

  “Damon,” she began. “This is Edward Jameson.”

  Two large men in expensive suits flanked another older, smaller man in an even more expensive suit. From the tips of his well-polished leather shoes to the top of his slicked-back hair, he oozed that rich, I-can-buy-you-ten-times-over presence. Hell, he even smelled expensive. “Who the hell are you?”

  “I’m her fiancé,” the prick said smugly.

  Blood roared in his ears as a growl rattled from deep within. The Demon was raking its mighty claws against its human prison, eager to get at this rival male. Damon, too, wanted to rip this fucking guy’s head off. He turned to Anna Victoria. “Is this true?”

  Jameson cleared his throat. “I said—”

  “I wasn’t talking to you, asshole.” His voice had turned inhuman, and he couldn’t help feeling satisfied to see the other man’s face flash briefly with fear and surprise before that smarmy mask slipped back on. “Anna Victoria? What is he doing here?”

  “He came to see me,” she said. “He wants to talk.”

  “About what?”

  “I came to take her home,” Jameson said.

  “Over my dead body!” Rage filled every corner of his body. He was sorely tempted to let The Demon out, but murder was still illegal, after all. Still, it took every ounce of control to leash back the creature that wanted to shred this man to pieces.

  “Why don’t you ask her, then?” Jameson’s beady eyes zeroed in on Anna Victoria. “Darling?”

  “I made a mistake leaving him at the altar.” Her eyes darted around. “Mr.—Edward and I are going to go for a drive to work things out. You should go.”

  He couldn’t believe his ears. “Anna Victoria—”

  “I said, go. Please.” Her face turned away from him, focusing on Jameson. “Just … leave, Damon.”

  A knife-like pain sliced deep into his gut. “You can’t mean that.”

  “I-I do.” She still wouldn’t look at him. “Leave, Damon. We can talk about this in the morning.”

  “You leave with him now, and you won’t hear from me again.”

  Her eyes closed. “Fine.”

  A crushing sensation wrapped around his rib cage, making it difficult to breathe. He couldn’t move a muscle. Couldn’t make a sound. Couldn’t do anything, as if any attempt to stray from his current position would shatter him into a million pieces. It was unbelievable that he would know the feeling of both love and heartbreak in the span of five minutes.

  “Perhaps we should just leave,” Edward said. “Darling?”

  She nodded, and he draped an arm around her, leading her away from him. It was like a movie playing in his mind, as if he was detached from the whole thing, watching her—his mate—walk away from him and choose another man.

  He didn’t even realize the three black SUVs had peeled away, the screeches of their tires a shrill disturbance in the silence of the evening. No, he simply stood there for what seemed like eternity, letting thick
white flakes of snow blanket around him and melt on his face.

  The light of an oncoming vehicle jolted him out of his trance. The truck stopped in the empty spot next to the Mercedes, and J.D. hopped out, Gabriel following her from the passenger’s side.

  “Hey, Damon,” she greeted cheerfully. “I’m glad you changed your mind! Guess who got his tires slashed? Didn’t have enough spares, so I told him, why not bunker down and join us for girls’ night? We can braid his—Damon?” A frown marred her face. “What’s wrong?”

  “Damon.” Gabriel dashed to his side. “Damon, what’s the matter?”

  How could he explain? He couldn’t even form the words in his mouth. “She left.”

  “She left?” J.D. asked incredulously. “Who? Anna Victoria?”

  He managed a nod.

  “Where did she go?” Gabriel asked.

  “Home.”

  “Home?” he echoed. “What do you mean, home?”

  “To Albuquerque,” he said. “Or she will. Anyway, she’ll explain everything to you when she comes back with her fiancé.” The word coming from his own mouth made him want to retch. “They went for a drive. To talk in private.”

  “Fiancé?” J.D. exclaimed.

  “Yeah. Showed up here. Said they were going to work things out.”

  “And how the hell did he even know she was here in Blackstone?” J.D. asked.

  “She must have told him where she was.” Had they been talking all this time? Was it all a lie then? Being with him? Why the hell would she sleep with him if she was still talking to that bastard?

  “Damon, man, I’m sorry,” Gabriel began, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I can’t even—”

  “No!” J.D. stamped her foot down for emphasis.

  “No?” Gabriel frowned. “What do you mean, no?”

  “No, as in, I don’t believe it! She wouldn’t leave you to go to another man. She’s your mate.”

  No one would ever call J.D. sweet or naive, but in this instance, Damon was beginning to think those were suitable descriptions for his friend. “It’s okay, J.D.,” he began. “She fooled us all.” Me, most of all, he added bitterly.

  “There’s something wrong here,” J.D. insisted. “Damon, you’re her mate! What does your bear say?”

  A growl vibrated from his chest. The Demon roared, as if telling him that something wasn’t right here. Shut up! His damned bear was confused. Was this what happened when mates broke up? Would his bear continue on an even deeper spiral?

  “Goddammit!” J.D. grabbed his arm. “Damon, Anna Victoria is in love with you. She said so herself after you left Rosie’s. Tell her, Gabe.”

  “She said the words,” Gabriel said with a shrug. “But if she left …”

  “No, no, this is wrong.” J.D. paced. “I need to think.” Pivoting on her heel, she marched up to the front door. “Guys!”

  The alarm in J.D.’s voice made his spine straighten. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “The lock … it’s been broken. My house … holy fuck!”

  “What?” Gabriel sprinted up the steps. “Motherfucker, what happened in here?”

  Something in his gut flared, and he bounded toward the entrance. “What the—” Disbelief scrambled his brain as he took in the sight before him. The living room had been ransacked—furniture flipped over, couch cushions slashed, keepsakes and books tossed to the ground.

  J.D. rushed out of the spare bedroom. “They went through the entire house.” Her teeth gritted together and her hands curled into claws. “Motherfuckers.”

  “What happened, Damon?” Gabriel said. “Tell us.”

  Did Jameson do this? He hadn’t seen it himself, but that bastard did have those two suited bodyguards with him, so they could have done this in no time. He took a cushion off the floor and sniffed it. Same cologne as Jameson. He could picture it in his mind—that bastard sitting on the sofa as his henchmen ransacked the place. But why? “Fuck,” he cursed.

  “Damon,” J.D. said. “Tell us what you know. Now.”

  He went through the story as quickly and succinctly as he could. Really, there wasn’t much to tell. He arrived, and Jameson and Anna Victoria were on the porch, and then they left. But as he replayed the events in his mind, he tried to recall more details. How Anna Victoria’s voice shook as she spoke. The way she flinched when Jameson put his arm around her. And how she refused to look him in the eye when she told him to go.

  “No way she wanted to go with him,” Gabriel concluded. “But—” His head turned toward the door, body going stiff as a board. “There’s someone out there.” Without another word, the lion shifter sprinted out the door.

  “What the heck—Gabriel!” J.D. called as she went after him, Damon hot on her heels.

  A sharp cry caught their attention, and they ran toward Anna Victoria’s car. Gabriel was on the ground, wrestling with a man in a suit. It was no contest, though, as Gabriel quickly put his opponent in a chokehold. “Where is she?” he growled, loosening his grip. “Where did that bastard take her?”

  The man said nothing, so Gabriel squeezed his arm around the man’s neck again. “Where is she?”

  The Demon roared inside Damon, wanting to join in and rip the man’s face off.

  “Guys!” J.D. exclaimed, pointing to something in the back of Anna Victoria’s car. “Look.”

  Damon turned to the trunk, which had been popped open. A black duffel bag sat inside and bundles of cash peeked out from the open zipper.

  “Holy fucking moly,” J.D. gasped. “What the hell is that doing in there?”

  Damon walked over to Gabriel and his prisoner. “Are you going to talk, motherfucker?” he asked.

  “Fuck you,” the man said, spittle flying out of his mouth.

  It was obvious the man was loyal to Jameson. “Take care of him,” he ordered Gabriel.

  The lion shifter nodded and tightened his grip until the man passed out. With a disgusted sound, he got up and brushed himself off. “Bastard.”

  “What are we going to do?” J.D. asked, a worried look on her face. “That asshole fiancé of hers probably kidnapped her.”

  “And then sent his bodyguard back to get the money,” Gabriel added. “What was Anna Victoria doing with this much cash in the trunk of her car? Did she have it all this time?”

  “Doesn’t matter.” A fire blazed in Damon’s chest. Anna Victoria was his mate, and anyone who dared take her away would regret it. “The only thing that does matter is getting her back.” And for once, he and The Demon were in agreement. “Call P.D.,” he said to Gabriel. “Ask their patrols to keep a lookout for three black SUVs heading out of town.”

  “Will do, Chief.” He fished out his phone. “I’ll have them pull all security footage around the area too. If they give me grief about it, I’ll remind Police Chief Meacham about that large check I wrote for the policeman’s fund.”

  “Damon?” J.D. put a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”

  His brain was focused on a task. And when he was determined to accomplish something, he never gave up. Anna Victoria was his. He would get her back, even if he had tear down every town and rip up every road from here to Albuquerque. Turning to J.D., he said, “I’ve never been better.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Hope drained out of Anna Victoria as the minutes ticked by and they drove farther and farther away from J.D.’s house. The look on Damon’s face when she told him to leave shattered her heart into pieces, but what could she do? She had to save him. Edward Jameson’s ruthlessness knew no bounds. He had a police chief killed, what would he do to Damon?

  Marrying Jameson would be a small sacrifice to keep Damon safe.

  Still, the idea that Damon hated her made her chest contract with pain. I love you so much, Damon.

  But he would never hear those words from her. Maybe it would have been better if she never came here in the first place. If she’d never met him and just drove on. Or stayed at home and gone through with the wedding. And by the looks of i
t, she would have ended up in the same place anyway. Married to a vile man she didn’t love.

  Not wanting to further wallow in her grief, she instead focused outside. The snow was falling fast. Oh, she would miss the loveliness of the snow in the mountains. Miss the view from Damon’s porch. Miss the—

  Her thoughts made a complete one-eighty as they passed a familiar road sign. Welcome to the Blackstone Mountains.

  Her head snapped toward Jameson, who sat beside her in the back seat of the second SUV. “Where are we going?” When he didn’t answer, she called the driver’s attention. “Are you lost? You’re going the wrong way. This isn’t the way back to New Mexico.”

  “No, it’s not,” Jameson said, his voice completely emotionless.

  Dread sank in her stomach, and her limbs felt paralyzed. Despite her chest squeezing the air from her lungs, she managed to say, “You were never planning to take me back to Albuquerque, were you?”

  Slowly, Jameson turned to her. “No, darling.” The dark, emptiness in his eyes made her skin crawl. “I can’t risk it. You’re a loose end.”

  Oh God. Fear sank into her chest. “But you can have the money back,” she said, panicked. “I didn’t spend it. Never even took it out of my car. It’s all there.”

  “But you were there that night,” he began. “You saw us, didn’t you? Police Chief Ryan and me at the penthouse. You’re the only one who can link us before he died.”

  You mean, before you killed him, she wanted to scream, but bit her lip. “I won’t say anything. Please. You can have it in writing. If … if we get married, they can’t make me testify against you.”

  He scoffed. “Too late, Anna Victoria. You shouldn’t have left me at the altar and jilted me.”

  “My father will—”

  “No one knows I’ve tracked you here or that I’m even here now,” he interrupted. “According to my private plane’s manifest, I’m currently up in Vermont. Your friends back home will simply think you ran away to start a new life, while everyone here will assume you’ve gone home and reconciled with me. As for your father … well, he’ll be distraught, but it won’t matter, because he will never find you.” He glanced out the window. “I have to admit, you couldn’t have picked a better place to hide from me. A town full of shifters who don’t care for anyone but their own,” he sneered. “It’s the perfect place to get rid of you. Maybe I won’t even have to hide your body, and one of these animals will devour what’s left of you.”