Alone and Afraid (Rocky Mountain Home Series Book 1) (7 page)

Brooke was terrified as she looked down and saw Digger covered in blood where he lay on the kitchen floor.

Chase had murder in his eyes.  If he got the chance
, he’d rip that man in two.

The man who called himself Mr. Drake sneered at Chase and Brooke and ordered, “Get over here.  We’re going to take a little walk.  On this walk, you both will have an unfortunate accident,” he laughed.

Chase half-turned toward Brooke and said, “We better do what he says, he’s got a gun.”

Brook wondered briefly if this was code for something.  She knew Chase also had a gun, but if the ugly man noticed it in the back of Chase’s waist, Chase wouldn’t have the gun for long.  So Brooke walked close behind Chase as she tried to keep the fact of the hidden gun secret.

The man walked them out into the woods for almost half an hour, when he finally told them to stop.  Brooke noticed the ground dropped off just a few feet ahead of them.  Was this his plan?  To push them over the cliff where they wouldn’t be found, possibly for months?

Chase maneuvered
Brooke behind him as he turned to face Mr. Drake.  Chase kept one hand behind himself on the pretense of helping to steady Brooke.  Brooke used her right hand, and removed the gun from the back of Chase’s jeans.  She placed it in Chase’s hand.  She felt relieved when she noticed out of the corner of her eye, that Chase closed his hand around the gun with his finger on the trigger.

“Ok, now we have some fun.  First, you, Ms. Troublemaker
, will jump over the cliff.  But don’t worry, your boyfriend here will be right behind you.  Maybe you’ll both be lucky and land by each other’s side. Wouldn’t that make for a romantic story?”  Again he laughed.

“Now
, back up more and turn around and jump, or I’ll shoot you both right here,” he said as he motioned with his gun.

Chase jerked his head towards the right as if he heard something, which made
Mr. Drake turn also.  That’s when Chase pulled his gun around and pulled the trigger.

Brooke saw Mr. Drake fall and Chase immediately
ran toward him, removing the gun from his hand.  Brooke took a few steps forward because she felt she stood too close to the cliff.  Then she went down on her knees.  When she raised her head, she saw the sheriff and his men running towards them. 

Brooke was oblivious to what happened for the next few minutes.  She was just so thankful that
she and Chase were alive.

“Sheriff, look closely at his hands,” Chase said.

“Yep, I guess we got our man.  Cuff him boys and take him to the patrol car.  He isn’t dead now, but take my word for it, he’ll soon wish he was,” the sheriff said.

Chase enveloped Brooke in a hug and helped her up.  “It’s over, Sweetheart.  Let’s get you home.”

“Digger!” Brooke croaked out.

“Don’t worry about that dog.  He’s stronger than you and I put together.  I already had one of my men call the vet.  He was breathing and crawling out the back door when we found him.  I’m sure the vet has him in his operating room as we speak,”
said the sheriff.

“What about Mrs. Blake?  You can’t let her get away
, she’s guilty in all this too, I’m sure,” Chase said.

“After your phone call
, I sent another car to pick her up, while we came here.  She’s probably singing like a bird right about now,” the sheriff answered.

They walked back to
Brooke’s home and tears filled her eyes when she saw Digger’s blood trail in her kitchen.

She spoke to Chase in barely a whisper, but he heard every word.  “Yes, we’ll go see the vet and wait for word on Digger. Will that be a problem, sheriff?”  Chase asked more out of respect for the sheriff and the job he had to do, but Chase knew he and Brooke were going to be at the vet’s office no matter what the sheriff said.

“No problem, we’ll catch you there when we’re done with Mr. and Mrs. Drake,” said the sheriff as they all walked out the front door.

A short time later, as Chase and Brooke sat silent in the waiting room, the vet came out and told them the good news
. “The bullet missed his heart, but only by inches.  We had to do some repairs to his lung where the bullet penetrated, but I believe after a long rest, he’ll be his old self again,” the kind veterinarian told them.

Brooke threw her arms around Chase’s neck and cried.  She cried tears of joy, as well as tears of reli
ef. It was all over.  She had many questions that she wanted answered, but that could wait.

Since the Vet told Chase that they’d be keeping Digger for a few days, Chase took Brooke home.  He knew his first chore would be the clean
-up in Brooke’s kitchen.  When they returned to the cottage and Chase again saw Digger’s blood trail, Chase was glad he shot Mr. Drake.  He’d shoot him again if he had the chance.

The sheriff called and said he’d be over in a couple of hours to tie up loose ends.  Brooke flopped down on the sofa, drained of all energy.

“Can I get you anything, Sweetheart?”  Chase asked after he cleaned the floor of all signs of blood.

“Yes, you can come sit with me,” Brooke said with a half
-smile due to the affectionate name Chase had called her.

Chase lowered hi
mself down next to Brooke and pulled her into his arms.  She felt like a weight was lifted as she snuggled close to him.

With both hands tenderly cupping his face, Brooke softly touched his lips with hers.  The kiss turned more intense
and Brooke wanted more.  Her fingers worked slowly unbuttoning his shirt, until Chase covered her hand with his.

“Are you sure?  Once we get started down this path, I doubt I can make a u-turn,”
he said huskily.

“I’m sure.  I want you.  I want to make
love with you.  Now,” she whispered in his ear.

Chase helped her up and carried her to her bed.  He took his time undressing her and trailing kisses down her side.  Then he lowered his jeans to the floor and continued where he left off.  She pushed him off her and straddled his body
, as she returned the favor.  This is exactly what they both needed and wanted.

Sometime later, they both lay spent and satisfied
, and still curled in each other’s arms.

“I hate to say this, but we’ll have to get up.  The sheriff will be here soon,” Chase whispered
, as he kissed her breasts, one at a time, once more.

Brooke smiled.  She felt sexy
, content, and happy.  She finally came home.  This is where she belonged.

As they dressed, the knock came at the front door.  Knowing it was the
sheriff; Chase answered it right after zipping up his jeans.

“Hello, sheriff.  Come on in
.  Brooke will be right here,” Chase said, as Brooke hopped down the hall.  Her crutches were still in the living room.

“
Sheriff, please sit.  We’re wondering if you have the whole story for us,” Brooke said.

“I have as much as we
’re going to get.  It’s the same old story of greed and money,” he said. “It seems Mrs. Drake, the one who owned the house next to you, refused to sell to the developers.  Mr. Drake, her brother knew there was a lot of money to be made by selling, but the house wasn’t his until his sister passed away.  He did hold a small percent of the house until then, but the sister had all the say so where the home was concerned.  He took the next two weeks planning.  He sent his wife to the Lonely Motel to rent a room and he drugged his sister.  He rented the room next to his wife’s.”  The sheriff stopped for a brief moment to catch his breath.

“Then Mr. Drake went through the connecting door between the two rooms and they placed his sister in the tub tied up.  They threatened her with a pocket knife
, hoping she’d sign the deed over to Mr. Drake.  When she kept refusing, Mr. Drake slapped her, which made her scream.  That’s who you heard that night.  To shut her up Mr. Drake’s wife stabbed her sister-in-law repeatedly.  They wrapped her in the shower curtain and Mr. Drake was just about to put his sister’s body in the trunk of his car, when the front desk called about the noise.  So instead, he moved his sister’s body to his room and placed her all wrapped up in the bed and covered her up.  When the sheriff came, he didn’t do a thorough check, just spoke to the wife who used her maiden name and then he spoke to Mr. Drake who used an alias.  The sheriff saw the back of a woman’s head in the bed, and since Mr. Drake said it was his wife sleeping, the sheriff left it at that.  Early the next morning, Mr. Drake placed the body in his trunk.  He heard you explain to the sheriff the night before where you were going the next day, so he decided to frame you for the murder.  It might have worked, if Chase here wouldn’t have come into the picture.  We just yesterday received the fingerprints on the note that was left on your car.  They were Mr. Drake’s.”

“Poor Mrs. Drake.  To think Mr. Drake killed his own sister, and all for money which he will never get now,” Brooke said sadly.

“Sheriff, why did Mr. Drake come after Brooke?” Chase asked.

“Mr. Drake’s wife knew eventually Brooke would remember where she saw Mr. Drake and herself, and that Brooke would put the pieces together soon enough.  So they had to get rid of her too.  They wanted that to look like an accident.  Unfortunately, Chase, you were also here, so you’d have to go too,”
the sheriff finished.  “That’s the entire story.  It’s over for you both and you can get on with your everyday lives.  And I can get on with the knowledge I won’t have to constantly run out here to your cottage,” the sheriff laughed as he walked towards the door.

“Thank you, sheriff,” Brooke said.

Chase shook the sheriff’s hand and thanked him again.  Then he returned to the sofa and whispered in Brooke’s ear.  “How would you feel about slipping back into bed for a few more hours?”

The gleam that came to her eyes and the smile upon her lips was answer enough for him.  That was how Brooke wanted to spend all her mornings.  At home and in bed with the man she loved.

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