The Dangerous Gift (19 page)

Dan continued despite Jared’s anger, “Darleen has lost a lot of blood, mainly because someone, probably her, pulled out whatever stabbed her. Does this look familiar?” Dan held up a clear evidence bag that contained Jared’s bloodstained knife.

Jared nodded. “That’s my knife, but I didn’t stab her. I was out cold until I saw both her and Jen injured beside me. Where’s Ryder? He must have hit me. Perhaps he turned on his sister. He’s fixated with Jen. He wouldn’t want her hurt.”

“Perhaps, but there’s no sign of him here, or at the buildings the federal team have discovered. We think Jennie was held there, but she must have escaped to end up here.”

Jared found it difficult to speak further, and the paramedic intervened. “No more questions until he’s had the C.T. scan.” The paramedics lifted Jared onto a stretcher.

Dan nodded and patted Jared’s arm as the paramedics carried the stretcher past him. “Don’t worry, we’ll sort this out.”

Jared closed his eyes and wondered why he didn’t tell Dan that Jen had stabbed Darleen. Dan must suspect either him or Jen in the absence of Ryder; it seemed the most likely explanation. Hopefully Dan would believe it was self-defense, but how would they prove it?

***

Ryder

There was so much blood. Ryder shuddered as he viewed the chaotic scene from the old barns through his night vision binoculars. He didn’t mean to disobey Darleen, but when he went to reclaim the truck, he saw the dust clouds and lights of the sheriff and other official-looking vehicles. He wanted to go back to get Jennie and warn Darleen, but he was confused and finding it difficult to breathe. Finally, he hid in the back of the barn with the rats and the cats who hunted them until the cars passed by. Then he ran for the truck and searched in the glove compartment for a weapon. Nothing.

Ryder didn’t have a gun, but he did have the night vision binoculars. He watched, feeling strangely detached as his sister put a knife to Jennie’s throat. He shut out the pain by closing his eyes, but the voyeur within him made him look again. This time Jennie wielded a knife and thrust it into his twin. Ryder recoiled in shock as Darleen reached up and pulled the knife from her body before she keeled over in a pool of her own blood. Ryder screamed, but no one heard in the chaos that followed. The barn shook with the vibration of a passing helicopter. Ryder waited for it to pass and then drove the truck out of the barn to escape the horror.

***

Jennie

Jennie moved restlessly on the hard bed, unable to get comfortable. She swallowed and discovered her throat was sore and dry. She needed a drink, and her heavy eyelids wouldn’t open. She moaned softly and reached out tentatively.

A warm, strong hand touched hers. “Jen, how are you feeling?” Jared’s deep voice was incentive enough for her eyes to open. A grey tinge gave his face an unhealthy pallor, and dark circles outlined his eyes. When did he last sleep? “Do you need some water?”

Jennie nodded. “I’m so thirsty.”

Jared took the cup from the side table and gently supported Jennie’s head as she drank greedily.

“Not too much. You’ve just come out of a heavy sedation.” Jared removed the cup but continued to support Jennie’s head.

Jennie’s hand gravitated towards her head, which ached when she touched the raised bumps on her skull. “What happened to me? It’s a blur. I’m not sure what’s real. Ryder pulled me off Springtime, and I must have hit my head because I woke up in a dark, musty room with him, surrounded by hundreds of photographs of me. Darleen had a knife and we fought.” Jennie shuddered. “She was laying on me, covered in blood…” She stared at Jared, unable to voice her greatest fear.

Jared avoided her gaze. “You were lucky to avoid surgery. Your brain swelled after you fractured your skull, probably when you fell from Springtime. Darleen almost stabbed you, but you stopped her with my knife.” He paused, his gaze wary.

Jennie trembled as the implications hit home. “I stabbed Darleen.”

Jared pulled her shaky body closer. The contact was painful for her bruised head, but Jennie ignored the pain. She needed his warmth and strength to keep her from falling apart. “She was so still. Is she…?”

“No, she’ll recover. You did what was necessary. She would have killed you.” Jared pressed his mouth against Jennie’s bruised head and kissed her so gently, it was more a movement of warm air than a kiss.

“How do know? You were out of it. Will I be arrested?” Tears coursed down Jennie’s cheeks. Darleen had won after all.

“There was an audio recording. It’s patchy and poor quality, but Darleen’s threats are unmistakable. She pulled the knife out of her body, and it was in her hand when the paramedics found her. If she’d left the knife in, the blood loss would have been minimal. So you have nothing to worry about.”

Jared slipped onto the bed and pulled her against his hard body. Jennie sighed and curled closer to him.

There was a brief knock on the door before it opened and the sheriff entered. “I just need to ask Jennie a few questions. The doctors have agreed to let me if you feel up to it, Jennie.”

“Can’t this wait, Dan? She’s only just woken up.” Jared eased off the bed, his muscular body a physical barrier between her and the sheriff.

“Now would be best, Jared, before Jennie’s thoughts are colored by outside factors.” Dan pulled a plastic chair from the corner and sat down on the other side of her.

“I’ve told Jen about the recording.” Jared paced as he spoke.

“Good, this shouldn’t take long, then.” Dan took a notebook from his top pocket.

“It’s fine, Jared,” Jennie’s husky voice interrupted. “I’d rather get this over with now.”

“
Okay, but I’m staying. No arguments.” Jared returned to the bed and put his arm gently around her.

Dan smiled despite the gravity of the situation. “Tell me what you remember, Jennie.” She recounted her hazy memories, and Dan seemed satisfied. “Did you set the mobile phone to record?”

Jennie thought back. “No, it was dark in the cellar. I called Jared, and then the signal disappeared. I left the phone on in case I could call him back, but we found each other. I forgot about the record app. Perhaps I pressed it in the dark. What did it record?”

“Darleen’s confession to the three murders most importantly, and her attack on you and your comments to Jared before you lost consciousness again. I doubt you will be expected to face a self-defense hearing if the district attorney agrees. You will both have to give evidence at Darleen’s trial, but that’s all.”

Jennie smiled. “Thanks, Dan, that’s such a relief.”

Dan stood up. “I’ll take your statement in the morning, and Jennie, thanks for your help.” He nodded to Jared and left them alone.

“I’m so relieved.” Jennie snuggled against Jared. “Maybe now we can get on with our lives?”

***

Ryder

Ryder sat in the stolen car and watched the comings and goings at the emergency care centre. He rubbed his eyes and almost didn’t recognize the face that stared back at him in the rearview mirror. He opened the window, but the rancid smell remained. He’d been driving around, changing cars for twenty-four hours, but he couldn’t leave like Darleen asked him to, not until he knew what had happened to her and Jennie. Instinctively, he knew his twin wasn’t dead, but he would have to go inside to find out. Alive or dead, she was here. He’d heard the news on the radio.

The thud of car door jolted him back to reality. He looked round. Hot air enveloped him and stole his breath. Too bright. He raised his hand to shield his eyes. His body banged against the metal of the car. His hands restrained behind his back. A distant voice urged a response, but he didn’t understand…

He was pushed into another car, and the chill of the air conditioning made him shiver. Movement. He looked round in panic as the shiny building receded.

“Darleen…” Lucid now, Ryder realized he was in a police car flanked by two burly, uniformed men. The tears flowed uncontrollably. He would never see his twin again.

Epilogue

The Unicorn Ranch, Texas, Ten Months Later

Jennie

Jennie rocked in her favourite chair on the porch as the last rays of sunshine disappeared from the sky. The baby in her arms slept soundly, his tiny fist pressed against his perfect rosebud mouth. The occasional sucking sound was the only noise to break the silence. Jennie pressed a gentle kiss to his soft, downy cheek and offered up a silent prayer of thanks for how wonderful her life was now. The terror and anguish of the last months were finally at an end, and the family she’d always wanted was now a beautiful reality to carry on the Unicorn’s legacy, but it so nearly wasn’t the case.

Jennie’s mind returned briefly to Darleen’s trial, which was now thankfully over. Convicted of the three murders, Darleen faced life imprisonment and continued psychiatric evaluation. Her twin resided in a secure mental institution for an indefinite period after his arrest and subsequent psychiatric evaluation. The federal authorities searched the Pegasus and found two bodies in the old cellar, who were identified as Darleen and Ryder’s grandparents. Sadly, they’d never left the ranch. Indicted for their murder, Darleen would stand trial again within the next few months.

Jennie closed her eyes and let the bad memories drift away. Deep sadness over Annie, Ralf, and Harry’s deaths remained for her and Jared, but given time to grieve, they had both begun to heal, helped by the birth of Antonio Ralf Harry Stewart, their son, a miracle child who had survived his mother’s dangerous riding accident. He was a delightful surprise she attributed to the steamy shower she’d taken with Jared. They’d married three months into her pregnancy and worked tirelessly to build up the dude ranch that was now a resounding success, with bookings into the following fall.

A butterfly kiss enticed Jennie to open her eyes. She smiled at her sexy cowboy.

“Shall I put him in the cradle?” Jared gently removed the sleeping baby from his mother’s arms. They felt empty without him, but Jared soon rectified that by pulling Jennie into his and kissing her until her toes curled and her body softened in expectation of what was to come.

The doting parents checked that their son slept safe in his cradle before they scampered upstairs like teenagers, eager to satisfy their mutual craving, made all the sweeter and more precious by their years apart and close encounter with death.

The End

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Acknowledgments

Heartfelt thanks to Susan for your advice and support with this story. Thanks also to Shehanne, Tracey, and Fiona for reading, offering useful insights, and encouraging me not to give up.

About the Author

Writing has touched my life in every decade. At fifty, I took a risk and made writing my career, fulfilling a lifetime ambition.’

I enjoy writing blogs, book reviews and especially stories. Vivid imagery, atmospheric settings, strong females and sensual males are essential for my stories. Everyday life and ordinary people inspire me. How would someone react, if faced with something extraordinary? A thread of romance runs through my all my books, whether they be suspense, fantasy or historical.

I want to let my readers escape their lives for a while, experience new places, new people and most importantly, new emotional lows and highs My favorite parts of the writing process are; finding a person, event or place that makes me want to write a story about it and the writing itself; when your fingers cannot type fast enough, to transcribe your thoughts.

Family is very important to me. My two children are my greatest achievement to date. I am an animal welfare supporter and regularly use social media to promote animal welfare issues.

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