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  Both he and Ethan gave chase. As they did, he thought the man looked small and slight. Turning onto the road, the man picked up speed, and he did too, Ethan keeping pace at his shoulder.

  Chapter 48

  Saffron awoke with a jolt. She could hear the distant barking of dogs, from Ethan’s ranch, and found it strange such a familiar noise had woken her up. Sitting up, she frowned at the empty space beside her in bed. Rory should be there, but never would again. As she’d known, hoping he’d forgive her hadn’t been enough. He was done with her, and she’d have to deal with it.

  Zandra had called Saffron earlier, after her visit with Rory. She’d tried to explain Rory’s anger and frustration at being locked up when innocent, and how he wasn’t thinking clearly. Saffron, her heart cracking, had ended up just outright asking what Rory had said when Zandra relayed her apology. She hadn’t been surprised that Rory didn’t want to see her, nor hear from her, not even through Zandra. He was done with her, as he should be. She’d screwed up, royally. She’d ruined the only healthy romantic relationship she’d even had, with the only man who’d ever loved her. Her love for him tore her heart to shreds, for he’d never love her again.

  She’d destroyed her relationship with Rory, but she could still help clear his name. Boone’s plan to catch the actual offender was a good one, if somewhat dangerous. He’d assured her, though, that the man was unlikely to get past the eight men guarding her property. She was bait, but in as safe a way as he could arrange. Knowing Boone worked for Witness Protection, between him, Ethan, and the others, she felt safe, even as she was still a target.

  As she swung her legs over the mattress, knowing she’d never be able to get back to sleep, she looked to the clock radio. The screen was black. It wasn’t storming, she could hear how still the night air was outside the open window. Someone had cut power to the house, again. The intruder had come back. Her heart racing, she reached for her cellphone, when a man’s voice boomed, freezing her in place.

  “Where the fuck are my drugs?”

  Chapter 49

  The man Boone followed ran fast, moving at a speed that exceeded Boone’s, even with his long legs. Already breathless, sweat poured from him, stinging his eyes. He had to catch the man. It was Rory’s only chance, and he had to help Rory this time. Although he’d tried all he could, he was of no help to Rory during the manslaughter trial. He’d employed the best lawyer he could afford, been a character witness for Rory, and had asked Ethan to do the same. None of it had helped. He should’ve done more then, even as he hadn’t known what to do. Maybe he should’ve done more before the assault ever occurred. Zandra had assured him it wasn’t true, but he often wondered if he’d been too hard on Rory as a teen. Unwilling to see Rory battle with his temper as Boone and their father had, he’d lectured Rory endlessly about curbing his anger. Had that made his brother angrier, more prone to the violence that led to Rory’s attack on Parsons? He couldn’t know, but if he had failed Rory in the past, he couldn’t repeat that failure now. He was his little brother’s one and only chance to avoid a lifetime prison sentence.

  Pushing himself, his lungs and legs burning as surely as if they were actually on fire, Boone achieved a burst of speed and, closing in on the man, launched himself forward to bring him down. The man hit the ground hard, and emitted a surprised grunt as Boone landed atop him. Breathing heavily, Boone jumped to his feet, grabbed the man, and dragged him to his, surprised at how light he was. As Boone’s eyes took in his face, he realized he was a teenager, no more than sixteen years old if he had to guess.

  Exchanging a surprised look with Ethan, he knew his friend shared his thoughts. This teen couldn’t be the fentanyl dealer.

  “Let me go!” the young man demanded, trying to pull away from Boone. “What the fuck man, I didn’t do anything!”

  “What were you doing outside her house?” Ethan demanded.

  “Nothing. Some guy paid me and my friends twenty bucks each to run past her house. That’s it. I swear. Let go!”

  Swearing loudly, realizing they’d been duped, Boone let go of the youth to race back to Saffron’s house, Ethan on his heels.

  Chapter 50

  Terrified, Saffron leapt toward her cellphone, but the man grabbed her arm and pulled her away from it. Her heart in her throat, she forced herself to look at him, her terror increasing when she saw he wore a balaclava. Hard, ruthless eyes stared at her from the dark mask. This was the drug-dealer, the man who’d been terrorizing her for weeks. She didn’t understand how, but he’d gotten past the men outside her house, and she was in serious peril.

  “My drugs, bitch. I know you found them. Where are they?”

  When she struggled against his hold, he tightened his grip, and she hissed as his fingertips dug into her flesh. She had to get away from him. He’d never believe she didn’t have the drugs, and her stomach lurched painfully. What would he do to her? Panicked, she struck out as hard as she could, her fist finding purchase in his face. Releasing a startled grunt, he jerked his head back, and she hit him again, this time aiming for his exposed throat. With an odd choking noise, he let go of her, and she bolted from the room, away from her phone, and the ability to call for help, but having no choice.

  After dashing down the staircase, she ran out her open front door. She couldn’t see Ethan or Boone. Where were they? They were supposed to keep her safe. Unsure what to do, she hopped in place. Inside the house, she heard the man swear loudly. It sounded like he was on the lower level of the house already. He’d be behind her in a moment. With another look around, still not seeing Boone or Ethan, she ran around the house, heading for the alpaca pens, hoping some of the other men would be there. As she neared the girls’ pen, she couldn’t spot anyone and knew, had someone been around, they would’ve seen her. Where were the men? Terror pricking her skin, she knew how visible she’d be in the pastures, and abandoned the thought of trying to run to Ethan and Zoë’s house for help. It was too far, and the way there too exposed. Doubting she’d make it to the barn without the intruder spotting her, she scrambled over the fence, and hid amongst the alpacas, a few of them starting nervously at her movements, but most held their places.

  Keeping low, she peeked between two furry bodies to see the direction she’d fled from. The man was heading toward the pen, taking long, quick strides, seemingly focused on it. He must have thought the same way she had, that he would have spotted her in the pastures, or heading for the barn, had she taken either of those options. She moaned. He’d be upon her in a moment’s time. Realizing Neenee was on one side of her, she placed a shaking hand on the alpaca, who snorted. It sounded fearful to Saffron, seeming to echo her own terror.

  Where were Ethan and the others? Boone promised her she’d be safe. As the man stopped before the pen, she bit her lip to prevent a scream leaving her lips. Maybe, if she stayed perfectly still, if she stayed quiet, he’d move on to the next pen, and she could sneak away. Her heart was beating so fiercely she thought the alpacas would surely hear it and be spooked. They were already so scared, she could smell the nervous scent they gave off as they stomped their feet, and emitted sharp, agitated sounds. If they all bolted suddenly, she’d be completely exposed to the man. Biting her lip harder, she watched him intensely. Now that he was closer, she could see his eyes. They scanned the alpacas. He knew she was with them.

  “I already killed one of these things,” the man called out loudly, “I’ll slaughter every last one until there aren’t any left to hide behind. Now, come out, and give me my damn drugs!”

  Tears burning her eyes, she stood, holding her hands up before her. The alpacas around her parted, exposing her completely. “Okay, I’m coming. Don’t hurt them.”

  “Whatever lady, these things are weird. Stupid too. That night, that one came right up to me, and the others watched me kill it.”

  As she inched closer to the fence on wobbly legs, he drew closer to it, causing some of the alpacas to squeal and dart away. Neenee, however, took a few step
s forward, and spit at the man.

  “Get over here now,” the man demanded. “Move faster, or I’ll stick one of them.”

  Shaking badly, she climbed back over the fence, sucking in a breath at how close he was, so close she could hear his heavy breathing. He reached for her, and she winced. Neenee darted her head over the fence, and bit down on the side of the man’s head. Saffron couldn’t be sure, but thought the alpaca had probably bitten his ear. Screeching, he jumped back, his hand over the side of his head.

  “Fuck!” He roared. Inside the balaclava, his eyes narrowed as he surged toward her.

  Oh, God! Oh God, oh God! I’m going to die. For all the good it would do her, she stepped back. Rory, I’m so, so sorry for what I did to you.

  A blur flew past her, knocking the man down. When the two figures hit the ground, she realized Boone had tackled the man. Then she spotted Ethan standing close, pointing a gun at the man. The man twisted in Boone’s grip until Ethan’s resounding voice stilled him.

  “I’ve got a pistol on you. It’s a Beretta 418, and obviously my girlfriend’s gun, but it’s a nice little weapon, and I’ve got deadly aim. I suggest you stay perfectly still.”

  The man’s shoulders slumped in defeat. Boone got to his feet, and dragged the masked man to his. Keeping his focus on the man, Ethan addressed her.

  “Saffron, go to the house and call Myles. Remember what to tell him.”

  She rushed away, her heart pounding even as relief began to crack through her fear. It was finally over, she wasn’t in danger any longer. Mentally, she ran over what she’d agreed to tell Myles, that Boone, certain of Rory’s innocence, had approached her with the concern the real bad guy would strike again, still thinking the drugs were in her house. He’d recruited Ethan to be with him that night, to guard her house, in case the man showed up. She wasn’t to mention the other men who’d been present, or how well the entire operation had been planned out. Figuring Boone had a reason for that last part, she was prepared to tell Myles exactly what Boone had instructed her to say.

  Curiosity burned within her, too. Who was under that mask? Was it Mark Astley? A complete stranger to her? Supposing she’d find out soon enough, she entered the house, and rushed to the stairs to head to the bedroom for her cellphone. The most important thing to accomplish now was getting Myles out here to arrest the man Boone and Ethan had caught. Her adrenaline faded on the third step, and she grabbed the railing tightly, her head spinning as a lightning bolt of exhaustion ripped through her, buckling her knees. Tears threatened to erupt, but she blinked rapidly as she forced herself to take another step. She still had a part to play, and she had to get through it. Later, she could collapse in bed and cry, in shock, fear at how close she came to harm, and in relief that the nightmare was over. She was finally safe, and Rory would soon be free.

  Chapter 51

  After radioing the other men to let them know about the ruse, and telling them to release the teenagers they’d caught, Boone then told them they could depart as he and Ethan had the man in custody, plus Myles was on his way. He didn’t want any of the others to be stuck here answering Myles’s questions. The plan was for Saffron to tell Myles only he and Ethan had been present, fearing the true perpetrator of the crimes would return to recover his drugs. He didn’t want to take any chances, primarily that some lawyer would get wind of how a group of men were present, and, considering Boone’s law enforcement experience, claimed his client had been set up, entrapped, or had his rights infringed upon in some manner.

  He pulled the balaclava, bloodied on one side, from the man. Appearing to be in his mid-twenties, the drug dealer was unknown to him. “Know who he is?” he asked Ethan.

  “Yep. Bart Yovenko. His father owns the feed store in town.” Ethan’s eyes narrowed at Bart. “Why, Bart? You’ve been terrorizing a woman for weeks. Over drugs? I know you sell weed, but this is a big step up.”

  “A stupid one,” Boone commented as he stepped directly in front of Bart, pulling his back rigidly straight, ensuring the much-smaller man saw his full height. “So, you stashed fentanyl in an abandoned house, and then panicked when she moved in. My guess is you’re nothing but a little dial-a-doper, and tried to curry favour with your boss. Maybe you bragged about having the perfect hiding place, or claimed you’d be able to sell that amount of fentanyl quickly. When you couldn’t access it though, I’m guessing your boss was none too pleased. He threatened you, and you panicked.”

  He looked over Bart’s blackened eye, and split lip, injuries at least a day or two old. “Huh. Guess you already got a warning about speeding up the recovery of the drugs. Nice shiner.” After shoving Bart hard enough to cause him to take a few staggering steps to right himself, he glared at him. “Who do you work for?”

  “Nobody,” Bart snapped, defiantly.

  Boone smirked, not certain who this little shit thought he was dealing with, but more than willing to show him. “See, that’s not gonna fly with me. You can play that game with the cops, but not me. You will answer me. Who do you work for?” His voice was deeper now, more demanding.

  “He’ll kill me man. Take me to jail, I don’t care, but I’m not ratting him out.”

  “Sure you are. You just need a little persuasion.”

  He delivered a hard punch to Bart’s midsection, the impact of his fist against flesh was as satisfying as the sound of air rushing from Bart’s lips. Waiting until Bart stood straight again, he arched a brow. “Names. Now.”

  “I can’t.”

  Another hard shot had Bart bent over, his hands on his knees. “Fuck man, stop it. I can’t tell you, he’ll kill me.” The defiance was long gone from Bart’s voice, and fear had seeped in. Good, Boone could use that.

  “Probably, but if you cut a deal, I’m thinking the RCMP will be much more interested in bringing him down, and allowing you a lesser charge. Say, maybe possession instead of trafficking? That was a lot of pills recovered, enough to put you away for life.”

  “He’ll kill me if I squeal. He’ll know. I won’t do it.”

  Boone unleashed another hard punch. Fuck, it felt good, but he had to keep a lid on his simmering temper. He wanted to kick the living shit out of Bart, but that wouldn’t help Rory. “Yes, you will. Here’s the thing. He might kill you, and I’m sure he can get to you in prison. Wouldn’t surprise me at all. You’ll get shanked probably, maybe have your throat slit. That sounds about right. It’ll hurt, but it’ll be over fairly quick.” He landed another vicious blow, in the same place as the last two. “However, being beaten to death will be slow, and hurt much more. I bet I forgot to tell you I used to be a cop. I’d tell you what I do now, but what’s the point? Suffice it to say, I have some experience with criminals. Real criminals, not like you, you fucking little wanna-be. Organized crime, mafia, Bratva, Triads, you know the big guys. See, when they take someone out who’s wronged them, they do it slowly, painfully.”

  When Boone delivered another devastating shot to the same spot, Bart cried out, and fell to his knees.

  “You’re killing me man.” His voice was a harsh croak.

  “Probably. Gut shots hurt like hell, but the real damage happens inside. If you’re lucky, I’ll splinter your ribs, one will pierce an artery, and you’ll bleed out. Internally, mind you, which takes longer than what you did to that alpaca, but you will bleed out. Or maybe I don’t. Maybe I just continue to hit you until your ribs shatter, and expose your organs. Then they get hit. Bruised. They start to bleed, but slowly. The pain is excruciating, and it takes hours to die like that.”

  Pulling Bart to his feet, he unleashed another strong punch, his hand aching, knowing he ran a real risk of severely injuring, if not killing, the man. Bart released another pained cry. Boone allowed him to fall to his knees again, and then heard the disapproving click of Ethan’s tongue. It was a warning he was going too far. He appreciated Ethan’s concern for him, but if this asshole didn’t talk soon, he’d merely start punching his other side.

  “Okay,”
Bart sobbed out, “okay, I’ll tell you.”

  “Smart man.”

  Boone yanked him to his feet where he stood hunched over, moaning, his arms wrapped around his abdomen. As sirens reached his ears, Boone took a hold of Bart’s upper arm, and began to walk him toward Saffron’s house.

  “That’ll be Corporal Patton arriving to take you into custody. You’re going to immediately tell him the name of your boss. I’ll be standing right there, to make sure you do.” After a few more steps, he leaned closer to Bart. “Oh, one more thing. Remember when I told you there wasn’t any point in me telling you what I do for a living now? I just thought of a good reason. Just in case you think that, when in the presence of Corporal Patton, you can clam up because I won’t hit you in front of him, know this: I won’t hit you in front of him because I’m not losing my job over your sorry ass. However, I’ve worked in law enforcement for years. I have contacts, people who owe me favours, and I’ll see to it that you serve time in a facility where there will be no protection for you, where you’ll be counting the minutes until you die.

  “I work for the Witness Protection Program. Now, if the information you provide is good, or the name you provide is well-connected, then that’s where you’ll end up, a protected witness, kept safe from your boss. I’ll keep you safe. I’ll personally see to it that you’re safe. But if you dick around, try to finagle deals, and extend the time an innocent man sits in a cell for something you did, well, gee, I don’t know how well I’ll protect you when the time comes. So, do you understand your options here?”

  “Yes.”

  Boone patted his back. “Good. I look forward to hearing the information you relate to Corporal Patton then.”

  The loud sirens cut as the cruisers parked, and flashing lights illuminated the area before them as they made their way closer to the house. Myles, along with his constables Nick, and Terry, rushed toward them, and as Terry secured Bart’s hands behind his back, Boone stared at Bart expectantly.