Cowboy Country (86 page)

He smiled at her. “Good. I’ll see you out front in”—he glanced at his Rolex—“exactly ten minutes.”

“Okay.”

He kissed her hard. “That’s a good girl.”

She took the syringe from him as if it were a hissing snake and stuffed it into her pocket. “You’ll be out front for sure?”

“Absolutely.” He opened the door. “Now, get going.”

She gave him a frightened look before walking through the door.

Dumb bitch. If she thought he was hanging around to take the fall, she was crazier than a loony-bin resident. He waited until she turned the corner to walk casually toward the elevator. Two nurses and a doctor flew by him, obviously en route to something important. He didn’t think Tiffany had time to do her dirty work, but maybe she’d gotten lucky and Ava was dying right now.

Keeping his gait steady and his gaze up, he entered the elevator and rode it to the ground floor. The helpful old lady who had given him Ava’s room number was busy with a group carrying a large “get well” sign, balloons and flowers.

Snow had begun to fall again and the two other people in the parking lot had their heads down, against the howling wind, paying no attention to him. He found his white Hummer and climbed inside. For a moment, he looked at the second floor to Ava’s room. Had Tiffany done what he’d told her to yet?

He started the ignition and backed out of the parking spot. As soon as he was on the highway, he dialed 911 and reported an attempted murder in room 210. Before the operator could ask more questions, he hung up. Driving out of Laramie, he began to chuckle. Using one girlfriend to kill another amused the hell out of him. Tiffany had gotten on his nerves a month ago and Ava deserved what she got. Nobody ratted out Dario Abruzzo.

Tiffany might give him up to the cops—he doubted it—but if she did, he planned to be in Vegas by nightfall with a stone-cold alibi. One or more of his father’s men would swear on a stack of Bibles he’d been there the whole time.

By now, someone had probably discovered Callahan’s body. But he wasn’t worried about getting fingered for that one. Tracking the cowboy to the horse barns where he’d been alone had been a stroke of pure luck. Cracking him over the head with a shovel and stuffing his body in a stall had been too easy. He hadn’t even needed to use his gun. There hadn’t been a soul around; he’d walked away scot-free.

Ava had been much harder to kill.

But the deed was done now.

~*~

“Ava, wake up.”

In her drugged state, Ava had a hard time waking, but the voice was insistent. She opened her eyes and blinked. A blonde woman stood at her shoulder. It took a minute to recognize her, but when she did, Ava opened her mouth to scream.

“Shhhh.” Tiffany placed her fingers on Ava’s lips. Too weak to protest more, Ava nodded and Tiffany removed her fingers. “Where’s the driver?”

Ava couldn’t focus. “Paco?”

“I guess. The guy who drove you yesterday. Is he alive?”

“Yes.”

With a sigh of relief, Tiffany sank onto the chair next to the bed. “Listen, Ava. I never wanted to hurt you or that man. Dario asked me to go on a quick trip to Denver, but he didn’t say why until we were on the way. He made me try and get your cowboy to come into the hotel room, but I didn’t want to. Honest. And I had nothing to do with him killing your cowboy at the rodeo.”

Ava licked her dry lips. Her head swam. She wasn’t sure this wasn’t a weird, drug-induced nightmare. Who was dead? Not Levi. And not Paco. “Why are you here?”

Tiffany looked ready to cry. “Dario sent me to murder you.” As Ava shrank away she hastened to add, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to do it. I’m no killer. I’m a dancer, just like you.”

Ava shook her head, and pain slammed through it. Maybe letting Tiffany kill her might not be such a bad idea after all. “Then what—”

“I wanted you to know I’m sorry. And also tell you how far Dario’s willing to go to get rid of you. I’m not bumping off you or anyone else.” Tiffany stood. “I have to get out of here before someone sees me.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Run. Fast and far. Maybe go to New York.” She smiled sadly. “I’ve always wanted to be a Rockette.”

“Dario’s going to come after you.” They’d never been friends, but Ava didn’t wish to see the other girl dead and dumped in a landfill somewhere.

“I hope by the time he figures it out I’ll be so far gone he won’t find me. He’s supposed to be waiting for me in the parking lot, but I’m going out the back door and disappearing.” Tiffany moved to the door. “Be careful, Ava. Dario’s crazy and he’s not going to stop until he’s sure you’re gone.”

“What about you?” Ava asked. “How are you going to get away from him?”

Tiffany reached into her pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. “This. I stole it from Dario and smuggled it into my pocket when I changed.”

“Good thinking.” She guessed. Her brain felt like that scrambled-egg commercial on TV—all mushy and unclear.

“I might be blonde, but I’m not dumb.” She moved to the door. “I have to get out of here. Take care, Ava.”

“Tiffany, wait. You said Dario killed my cowboy…what did you mean?”

“I guess you wouldn’t know. Dario clubbed him like a baby seal at the rodeo last night and stuffed him in some horse stall. I have to go. Remember what I said.” She slipped through the door.

Ava’s eyes welled. If Paco and Levi were okay, that left Travis. Why hadn’t Levi said something? His brother was dead and he hadn’t told her? This had to be a nightmare. Nothing else made sense. Her head hurt trying to sort it all out.

She had begun to cry in earnest when two security guards, followed by her nurse and a doctor she didn’t know hurtled into her room. One of the guards said, “Are you all right, ma’am?”

“Yes. Why?” She swiped at her nose with a tissue. “I mean I don’t feel the best, but no different than this morning.”

“We got a report you were in danger,” the second guard said as the first one checked under the bed and the bathroom. “A 911 call that said someone was trying to kill you. Are you alone?”

They had really strong drugs in this hospital, because she had to be in a full-blown hallucination right now. Someone had called 911 and told them she was being attacked? Who would do that? Who would know Tiffany had been here? The only person who knew was Dario.

Dario.

Everything suddenly became clear and focused.

He’d set up Tiffany. He sent her here to kill Ava and he’d called 911 to have police catch her in the act. The man was diabolical. God help Tiffany when he found out she hadn’t been successful. Ava wondered how he’d come after her next. Because he’d figured out all their steps so far he was bound to figure out their next move, too.

“I guess it was a hoax,” the guard said. “If you’re sure you’re all right…?”

“I’m fine,” Ava assured him.

“I’m going to stay nearby just in case,” he told her.

“Thank you.”

The other guard, nurse and doctor all left. A chill raced over Ava’s skin and she tugged her blanket close.

After a light tap, the guard opened the door and stepped inside with Levi on his heels. “Do you know this man? He says he’s with you?”

“Yes, of course I do. He’s Levi Callahan.”

Levi stepped around the guard. “What’s going on around here?”

“Miss Demassi can explain.” The guard left them alone.

Ava took a shuddering breath. “Dario sent Tiffany here to kill me and called 911 to catch her in the act.”

His mouth fell open. “What?”

“It’s true. She came here and told me everything. Well, not the part about Dario calling 911, but all the rest.”

“Holy hell!” Levi looked like he wanted to punch something.

“Why didn’t you tell me Dario murdered Travis?” Tears splashed down her face. “My God, Levi. How are you even holding it together? You should be home with your family, not here with me.”

He sat in the chair next to the bed and took her uninjured hand. “First of all, Travis isn’t dead. He’s hurt, yes, but he’s recovering at home. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry, or feel guilty about it. I’m where I want to be.”

She continued to cry. “This is all so crazy. I just want to wake up and be back in my old life.”

He leaned forward and dabbed her face dry with a Kleenex he found on the bedside table. “I’ll do my best to make that happen. Trust me?”

She nodded. “I do trust you.”

“Good.” The look in his eyes dried her tears. She could tell if she were feeling better he’d be kissing her right now. She swallowed hard.

“Please tell me what happened to your brother.”

“We don’t know for sure, but think Dario snuck up on him and bashed him over the head with a shovel, then stuffed him in a stall with a high-strung horse. I think he was trying to make it look like the horse trampled him. Luckily, Travis didn’t die, but he’s got a hell of a headache.”

“I bet he hates me,” Ava whispered.

“Not at all. But I wouldn’t count on him friending Dario Abruzzo too soon.”

“I loathe him,” she said fiercely. “I can’t believe I ever dated him. He’s nothing like you—”

“Me?” Laughter filled his voice.

Shy now, she looked down. “Yes.”

“You’ve never known a cowboy before me?” He sounded amazed.

“No.”

“Then it’s about time you found out what you’re missing,” he said.

CHAPTER TEN

Their night at the hospital passed uneventfully and Ava and Paco were released early in the morning.

Although Paco didn’t hold her responsible, Ava felt terrible about his leg. He needed crutches to walk to the truck, and would be off work for the next six weeks. Levi told her his family planned to keep paying him, which took a big load off her mind. She knew how it felt to be worried about bills. He settled in the backseat, Ava in the front. Levi took the wheel.

They drove through Laramie and headed west. The storm had passed and the sky seemed impossibly blue. In the distance, the Medicine Bow Mountains strained toward the sky like giants stretching, their peaks powdered by the storm. A December chill hung in the air and Levi turned up the heater.

“Your ranch is near those mountains?” Ava asked. “They’re beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Levi said. “We live at the base of them. We run cattle on the Snowy Range in the summer months.”

“Paco told me about the Limousins. How they’re pretty.” She glanced into the backseat to where the man lay sleeping. He had his hat over his face, snoring softly. “He said you have horses?”

Levi nodded. “Sure. Wouldn’t be a ranch without them.”

“Are they nice?” Ava had always wanted a pony, but her mother claimed she couldn’t afford one on a single woman’s salary.

“You bet.” Levi reached for the knob on the CD player and turned it down. “We have ranch horses, a team and the bucking horses.”

She turned to face his profile. “You have your own bucking horses?”

He nodded. “Yup. We raise a few to practice on and my brother is in the stock contracting business. Trav’s boy is getting good, too.”

She held up her left hand and winced. “Wait a minute. Travis has a son? I thought you said your brothers were all single.” Good lord. Travis had been hurt because of her, almost killed, and he had a son? Her stomach bubbled with guilt. Would it ever lessen? How could these people ever forgive her?

“They are single. Liberty is, too. But Trav fathered a son in high school. Hunter’s mother gave custody of him to Travis. He’s raised him all these years.”

“My gosh,” Ava breathed. “How old is he?”

“Hunter’s fourteen.”

“I wish I had siblings,” Ava said wistfully. “And nieces and nephews. It would be so wonderful to have big family holidays and get-togethers.”

Levi chuckled. “You might want to rethink that after you meet my family.”

“You don’t get along?” She thought of her mother, who’d rather go on a cruise with a friend than visit her only daughter during the holidays.

“Oh, we get along great, but there’s a bunch of us and we’re loud and boisterous. Add in friends and cousins and it gets really wild. You’ll never be alone, but you’ll be protected.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Ava relaxed in the comfy leather seat and looked out the window at the passing scenery. A herd of animals moved in the distance and she pointed. “Look, Levi. Are those antelope?”

He glanced that way. “Sure are.”

The beautiful animals sprinted away from the highway toward the mountains with their tails held high. She stared in awe until they were mere specks in the distance. “I’ve never seen one before.”

“They’re common in Wyoming.”

A movement out of the corner of her eye caused Ava’s heart to jump. She turned her head too fast and a remnant of pain jabbed her behind the eyes. “Oh, ouch.”

“What’s wrong?”

She rubbed her eyes, taking care not to injure her aching left wrist. “Nothing. Just turned my head a little quickly and got a reminder of my headache.”

“What were you looking at?”

She laughed lightly. “Nothing.”

“Ava, I know that tone. Something scared you. What did you see?”

It wouldn’t do any good to lie to him. “A light-colored SUV just flew by us. But it was going the other way. It couldn’t possibly have been Dario.” She hoped.

“There are a lot of SUVs in this country,” he said. “More pickups, but sport utility vehicles are popular, too.”

“I know.” She leaned back in her seat. “I’m just jumpy.”

“Understandable after what you’ve been through,” he said. “But I think Dario’s hit the trail back to Vegas now that he thinks he’s eliminated us both.”

“Until he figures out Tiffany didn’t get the job done,” she muttered. “Then he’ll come back after us both with a vengeance.”

“If he’s that stupid he’ll come up against a whole pack of ticked-off Callahans.” Levi glanced at her with a grim expression. “He’d be smart to back off before he gets hurt.”

Before the conversation could continue, Levi turned off the highway onto a recently snowplowed road that wound through snow-covered pine trees and meadows, reminding Ava of a winter wonderland.