Dominic clutched Jess’s legs again, panic in his voice. “Dad’s home? He used to beat up Mom. And me.”
Before Jess could answer, Tyler leaned down to Dominic. “He won’t ever again, son. I promise you that.”
Mrs. Alvarez turned hard eyes on Ross. “What are you going to do?” she demanded. “Jessica needs to be kept safe from this man. What are you doing about it?”
Ross made a placating gesture. “First, we all calm down and take this somewhere quieter. You don’t need to worry, Mrs. Alvarez. Jess is under our protection.”
“For how long?” Mrs. Alvarez glared at him. “When Elijah and his bikers roll into this little town with their automatic weapons, how many of you will be safe?”
“She has a point,” Jess said. “These are seriously bad guys, Ross. They’re less volatile when they’re hanging out for a drink or a game of pool, but when they go to war, it’s no-holds-barred.”
“And Elijah is their leader?” Ross asked. He didn’t sound worried enough, but then, he’d probably had to deal with people like Elijah before. Small towns weren’t immune to crime.
“Elijah and Cade, yes,” Jess said. “I can tell you all kinds of dirt about them, if you want to know. Much of it is already in their files, but if you need more …”
Ross perked up. “You’d be willing to testify against them?”
Jess swallowed. Telling Ross about Elijah’s criminal contacts or where she reasoned Cade must have stashed the mess of cash from the drug dealing he’d been doing before he went to prison was one thing. Standing up in court and testifying was another. She might never make it to the witness stand if Cade and Elijah had anything to say about it.
On the other hand, if she could send Cade back inside and Elijah with him, it might be worth it to get them out of her life.
Or, Elijah and Cade might send guys to find her and take their revenge. And unless Elijah and Cade were given life sentences with no hope of parole, they could be out after a too-short amount of time. The reason they’d never stayed in long was because their convictions had been for lesser crimes they’d plea-bargained for. Cade had never stood trial for drug dealing because his lawyers had proved there was no evidence—at least none the police had ever found. He’d pled his assault charge down because he’d been able to convince the judge he’d been acting in self-defense. The other guy had attacked first—he had witnesses.
“I don’t know,” Jess said. “I want them to go away, but testifying puts Dominic at risk. If it was just me …”
Ross cut the discussion short and motioned for Tyler and Jess to follow him behind the counter. He asked Mrs. Alvarez to stay out front and look after Dominic—Mrs. Alvarez and her three friends surrounded Dominic without hesitation. Jess told him to stay put, giving him an encouraging nod. Dominic looked scared but was trying to be brave.
Ross led Jess and Tyler through the steel door in the back and down a hall into a room that held a wooden table with wooden chairs around it. Tyler closed the door and leaned against it, and Ross rested his uniformed hip on a corner of the table. The joking Campbell she’d met at the supper table her first night had gone. Ross’s serious expression belonged to a man who was all business.
“Jess, we can protect you,” he said. “Give you a new life, if you want. A new start, far from your past.”
Jess stopped her nervous pacing as a chill washed through her. “Like WITSEC, you mean?” The mother of one of Dominic’s friends, girlfriend of another of Elijah’s bikers, had gone into WITSEC, or at least Texas’s version of it. She and her son had vanished one morning, not appearing again until her boyfriend’s trial. He’d gone down on multiple drug dealing charges, and she’d vanished again.
Ross nodded. “You’d be safe.”
And could start over. They’d move Jess to a city far away, give her a new name and a new job, set her up with a bank account and a way to get her prescriptions. Elijah might try to trace her through those, but Jess wasn’t the only one on the planet to have MS.
Going into witness protection would mean leaving Riverbend, the friends she’d started making, the opportunity to work with Grace, and most of all …
Tyler.
Her heart broke. Tyler didn’t say a word behind her, and Jess couldn’t turn around to look at him.
She’d have to leave Tyler. Never see him again. She wouldn’t marry him, share his life, go to bed with him, wake up with him. The best thing to happen to her since Dominic was born was meeting her tall, dark, and sexy cowboy, and she’d have to turn her back on him.
She’d have to forget she’d ever experienced a glorious time with him. Fallen in love with him. Heard him say he loved her.
Her throat closed up but she managed to get out the words. “What are the chances I could go into WITSEC here?”
Ross shook his head, as she’d known he would. “Elijah has met Tyler. Too many people already know you’re here.”
She understood that. This was a small town, where a new person was noticed, remarked upon, discussed, speculated about. Mrs. Alvarez and her ladies tearing down here hadn’t helped, but they’d been afraid, and wise to flee Dallas. Elijah wouldn’t hesitate to beat Mrs. Alvarez and her friends until they confessed all they knew. He was that kind of guy.
Jess would have to leave Mrs. Alvarez behind too. Everyone she cared about.
But could she risk Dominic’s life? Jess could protect her son if she took him far from Dallas, Elijah, her former existence. If she’d only had to look after herself, the choice would be easier, but giving Dominic a chance to start again without having to look over their shoulders all the time would be golden.
If she stayed in Riverbend, defying Elijah and Cade, she’d put Tyler at risk too. Not only Tyler, but his entire family, including tiny Zach who was only hours old. Elijah was a monster, and Cade had trained him to be one.
Jess finally turned around and looked at Tyler. He remained against the door, his eyes holding quiet anguish.
“If it keeps you safe, Jess,” he said, his voice scratchy. “You should go.”
Tears burned her eyes. Ross was handing Jess a lifeline but a terrible choice. If she took up Ross’s offer, she’d be empty for the rest of her life, knowing she’d held happiness in her grasp only moments before it had slipped away.
But could she deny her son his safety? A chance to grow up without fear?
She couldn’t. Never.
Tyler understood that. Jess saw it in his eyes, read it in his heart. He was going to let her go, not demand she risk her life and her son’s to stay with him no matter what.
It had taken a lot for Tyler to ask her to marry him. Jess realized that, both from what Karen and his family had told her, and what little Tyler had said about himself.
It took even more for him to say now, Never mind. Go, and be safe.
This fact separated him from the kind of man her ex-husband was, from every other man Jess had ever met—Tyler would never take what wasn’t freely offered. He would always give.
She shared a long look with him, his blue eyes filled with sorrow and love. Jess wiped tears from her cheeks and swung back to Ross.
“Is there no other way? There has to be something else we can do.”
“Yeah,” Tyler said behind her. “Give us a rope, baby brother.”
Ross’s gaze rested on Tyler, understanding in his eyes, but also unhappiness. “I already did some research on Elijah and Cade. They’re bad guys, but they’re careful. Elijah has beat all his raps by paying his fines or doing his time and making sure he’s not caught for anything worse. The guy Cade beat into a coma actually put in a good word for him to the parole board—said that fights get out of hand. What we need is new evidence. As it is, there’s not very much to hang them with.”
Tyler came forward, brushing past Jess to lean to his brother, resting his hands on the table. “What if they’re caught doing something really bad? I can’t believe Elijah wanted Cade released so they could go skipping down a beach togeth
er. I met Elijah—he’s not a sentimental kind of guy. They must be up to something.”
Jess nodded, folding her arms tightly over her chest. “Probably a lot of things. Elijah deals in drugs and weapons. He and Cade had a business going, but nothing could be proved—Cade even gypped guys out of money from a drug sale. That’s why Cade got into the fight. But there was no evidence for the dealing, not enough to bring to a prosecutor, anyway, let alone a jury. I decided I didn’t want to know what they were up to after Cade went to prison, but I’ve seen a lot of Elijah. I know in my bones that they kept their contacts, maybe were even keeping up the business, with Cade directing from prison. Elijah went to visit him a lot.”
“Good.” Tyler’s animation returned. “So, Ross, how about if you talk to the sheriff and your cop buddies up and down central Texas and see if you can catch them doing dirty deeds? Fix up a nice sting operation? If you find direct evidence of arms or drug dealing, you won’t need Jess. She can sit tight here and they don’t ever have to know where she is.”
Ross considered this, but Jess saw his skepticism. “It could work. I’m thinking one reason the prison system let Cade go is so they can catch him going right back to this old business. If this were a movie, it would be the perfect solution. But what if Cade and Elijah know that and decide to stay quiet for two years? Three? More? Like I said, they’re careful.”
“Make them an offer they can’t refuse?” Tyler asked. “Set up something irresistible?”
“And then you have to be careful about entrapment,” Ross said. “Defense attorneys can tear apart a great sting if cops get too impatient.”
Jess joined Tyler at the table. Ross watched them calmly, an experienced man for his age of twenty-five. “Like I said, I might know where Cade’s stash is,” Jess told him. “You could set up someone to watch it until he comes to get it.”
“Good idea,” Ross said. “And we will. Again, he might wait two years.”
Jess deflated. She’d have to leave Riverbend to find it, anyway. She had an idea where Cade had hidden money and possibly weapons, based on past experience, but she couldn’t point to the place on a map. She’d have to ride there and check it out in person to make sure she remembered right.
She’d not tried to look for his money once he’d gone to prison, wanting to have nothing to do with anything he touched, and she wouldn’t feel right not simply handing it over to the police. She hadn’t felt certain enough to lead the police to it, and Elijah would have killed her for doing so. He watched her all the time. Besides, nothing might be there. Elijah could have moved the money for Cade while he was inside, or the two of them might have spent it already.
“Unless we motivate him to go get it.” Tyler moved closer to Jess, his warmth bolstering her. “Make him worry it’s gone, or make him need it.”
Cade was greedy, that was true. Wherever he’d put the money, he might rush to grab it if he worried he’d lose it.
Jess began to feel more optimistic, made easier by Tyler so near, and his brother with the same strength in his eyes.
“I could meet with Cade,” she offered. Not something she wanted to do, but anything to get him busted again. “Tell him I want to go back to him, but of course we need money. That I’m willing to help—”
“No,” Tyler broke in, tone savage. “You’re not going anywhere near the guy.”
Jess turned to him, her whole body tense. “He doesn’t think I’m very smart. Or strong. If he believes I’m willing to be under his thumb again, he’ll be generous. He’s like that. He didn’t dump me when he found out about my MS, because I was his. Didn’t matter whether he wanted to sleep with me or not, he didn’t want me or Dominic away from his control. He’d jump at the chance to have it back again.”
She didn’t know whether Tyler had told anyone else in his family about her MS, but she didn’t care if Ross heard. No more hiding.
Tyler’s eyes were quiet. “Not only no,” he said. “But fuck no.”
“Gotta go with Tyler on this one,” Ross put in. “Way too dangerous. You might never get away from him again, no matter how many cops we have following you.”
Jess faced them both, planting her hands on her hips. “You two have any better ideas?”
“Yes,” Tyler said. “I go to him. Make him think I already know where his stash is. Taunt him. Make him run to it and check.”
“Or he’ll just kill you,” Jess said. “Are you crazy?”
“I’d take muscle,” Tyler answered, as though this was reasonable. “Carter knows guys who look like killers, and they’ll do anything for him. I even had one of them keeping an eye on you at the bar—did you know that?”
Jess stilled. She remembered the biker who didn’t talk much to the others, but drank his beer and didn’t mess with anyone either. He’d been the one out in the parking lot having a smoke when Elijah had confronted her, the one who’d politely held the door for her when she’d gone back inside.
“You—” she spluttered.
Tyler broke in. “We can argue about it later. I wasn’t about to leave you alone and unprotected, Jess. I won’t do that now either. Ross could go with me undercover, and he’s got plenty of training to make sure we don’t get killed. I could wear a button mike or something. Our cousin Maddox up in Montana knows a guy who messes with all kinds of gadgets—Maddox sends us stuff in case it’s useful in our shows or for protecting our horses on the road.”
“I’d have to get this authorized,” Ross said. “And that will take time. I warn you, shit like this can take forever to set up.”
“Don’t worry about making it official then,” Tyler said. “I’ll go with Carter’s guys. You wander by, an off-duty cop. You see a crime, or evidence of a crime, so of course you have to call it in and investigate.”
Ross started to nod, but Jess swung around. “Tyler.”
He blinked, his blue eyes holding eagerness, a man ready to rush into battle. “What? I’m a good fighter, Jess. I know you saw me have my ass handed to me, but I was alone and half drunk and distracted. With backup, I’ll be fine. Besides, if Elijah’s as careful as Ross says, he won’t kill me in front of witnesses who can get him dragged off to prison. I promise I won’t go anywhere alone with him or Cade. I’ll be surrounded by backup all the time.”
“That’s not the point!” Jess’s voice rang out, resonating on the flimsy fluorescent lights. “I don’t want to go into witness protection, because I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want you to confront Elijah and Cade, because I don’t want to lose you. See a pattern?”
“Jess—”
She kept going. “So, yes, I’ll marry you, Tyler Campbell. Because I don’t want to lose you! Do you have that through your thick cowboy head? I want to marry you, because I love you!”
Chapter Eighteen
For a moment, Tyler couldn’t breathe. A buzzing in his ears drowned all other sound, and he didn’t think he’d heard right.
Jess McFadden couldn’t have just shouted that she’d marry him, and that she loved him.
Tyler opened his mouth, making a little gasping sound as air rushed back into his lungs. “Marry me?” he croaked.
Jess’s dark eyes glittered with tears. “I just said yes. How many times are you going to ask?”
Tyler’s mouth worked, his lips forming and discarding words until he gave up. “Son of a bitch,” was his hoarse whisper.
Ross whooped, sprang up, and pounded Tyler on the back. “Fast work, you lucky bastard.”
Tyler swayed under Ross’s thumping but barely noticed it. Jess started smiling, the smile growing wider and wider, and then she was in his arms, dragging him down to kiss him.
The kiss convinced him. Jess’s mouth was hot, caressing, needing, giving, while her arms held him steady.
Tyler heard Ross quietly walk out of the room and close the door. He’d probably gone off to spread the news, but Tyler didn’t care. He pulled Jess closer, pouring every bit of longing into the kiss.
Fast work, R
oss had said. Adam, Grant, and Carter had wooed their ladies, or should have been wooing them, for years. Screw that. Tyler wanted Jess now.
She was lithe against his body, her breasts cushioning him, her lips soft but skilled. He ran his fingers along her arms, already knowing the map of her tatts but eager to learn more.
Agitation worked its way through his euphoria, making Tyler reluctantly break the kiss.
“This is why I need to nail Elijah’s hide to the wall,” he said, cupping Jess’s face in his hands. “And your ex’s next to it. I don’t want either of them giving you hell ever again. I want you free of them.”
Jess’s stubborn look returned, and she took a step back. “And this is why I don’t want you anywhere near them. Let Ross and the police do the stakeout.”
“While we hide for years, hoping Elijah doesn’t figure out you’ve run off with the stunt rider from Riverbend? Maybe Ross is right, and WITSEC is best.”
Tyler heard the sadness in his voice, saw answering sadness in her face. “No,” Jess said firmly. “A minute ago I wanted that, to protect Dominic. I still want to protect him, but damn it, I’m tired of running, tired of hiding. We tell Cade where I am and that I have his money, and when they come after me, Ross and the sheriff will grab him.”
“Hell, no.” Tyler’s words rang out. “Not using you as bait. No way, no how.”
“Because you confronting them wearing a button mike is more rational?” Jess glared at him. “I’m not letting you get yourself killed.”
“I’m not letting you get yourself killed either!” Tyler roared. “I already did that to one fiancée. I sure as hell am not going to lose you, Jess.” His voice dropped to a faint croak. “Sure as hell not.”
He hadn’t told Jess the entire story about Lindsey, but she would have heard enough in this busybody town. Jess’s eyes softened, and she came to him, resting her head on his chest.