The Marshal's Justice (Appaloosa Pass Ranch 4) (8 page)

She shook her head, glancing back at her brother, but Quentin had a startled expression that was similar to her own. “You know Malcolm?” her brother asked her.

“Yes. And I take it so do you.” She folded her arms over her chest and snapped toward Malcolm. “Why are you here?”

Malcolm didn’t seem put off by her brusque tone. He went closer to Quentin and placed the flowers on the table next to the bed. “I came to check on you. I was sorry to hear of your injury. Are you all right?”

“I’ve been better.” Quentin was still studying April’s reaction. “What’s this all about?”

Chase stepped between Malcolm and her. “Start talking. How did you even know Quentin and April were here?”

Malcolm certainly didn’t extend a smile to Chase. “You’re the marshal. Bailey’s biological father.” He didn’t exactly add any endearment to that label.

“Bailey’s
father
,” Chase corrected. No endearment for him, either.

Part of April wanted to be flattered that Chase was jealous. After all, Malcolm was good-looking. But that wasn’t a jealous look Chase was giving the man. He was a marshal looking at a potential suspect.

The very one Crossman had warned them about.

“Get started on answering those questions I just asked,” Chase demanded. “How did you even know they were here?”

“When I heard there was blood found at Quentin’s house, I hired a team of private investigators to start checking the hospitals. I thought if he was seriously hurt, he would need some help.”

Chase shook his head. “Quentin wasn’t admitted here under his own name.”

“I didn’t figure he would be,” Malcolm readily answered. “Not with April and him being in WITSEC. But I had the PIs check this particular hospital because I thought Quentin might try to come here. Because of your past connection to April.”

Past?
That was not the right thing to say.

Malcolm wasn’t an idiot. At least she didn’t think he was. So maybe he was just pushing Chase’s buttons on purpose. And in Malcolm’s case, April was fairly certain that jealousy was involved here. She hadn’t done anything to lead Malcolm on. In fact, she’d been out and out rude to him on numerous occasions, but that hadn’t caused him to back off.

“You knew I was in WITSEC?” she asked. “For how long?”

“Practically from the first day I met you.” Malcolm paused, smiled again. But this time, there was discomfort in that smile. “I don’t allow many people into my life. I’ve been burned by those who are only after my money. So, after we met at the hospital, I ran a background check on you.”

April glared at him. Both Quentin and Chase groaned, but it was Chase who responded. “Nothing would have turned up about April in a normal background check.”

“My staff was thorough,” Malcolm said as if choosing his words carefully. “And soon they found Quentin.”

Quentin didn’t just groan that time. He cursed and looked at her. “I had no idea he knew you. He never said.” Then, his gaze flew to Malcolm. “What the hell were you trying to do? Get information on April?”

“I was trying to figure out a way to keep Bailey and her safe,” Malcolm said without hesitating.

“It wasn’t your job to do that,” Chase pointed out.

That put some fire in Malcolm’s otherwise ice-blue eyes. “Well, you didn’t do a very good job of it, did you?”

April had known Malcolm only two months and she’d never seen his temper flare. She was certainly seeing it now. But then, so was Chase’s. She didn’t want this to turn into a man contest, not when they were so short of answers. Still, Malcolm was giving her the creeps.

“Did you hack into WITSEC files to find me?” she asked, and April didn’t bother to make it sound friendly.

Malcolm looked as if she had punched him. “Of course not. I wouldn’t have endangered you that way. The PIs used facial recognition software and matched it to some old photos of you they found on the internet.”

The marshals had deleted as many photos as they could find, but April had always known there might be some still floating around. That was the main reason the marshals had wanted to place her in a different state, but April had always figured if someone wanted to find her hard enough, they could.

And apparently Malcolm had.

“April,” Malcolm said, coming closer to her. At least that’s what he tried to do, but Chase blocked his way. Despite that, Malcolm snagged her gaze from over Chase’s shoulder. “I know this all must seem strange to you, but what I felt for you was instant. Love at first sight.”

She dropped back a step. “You don’t even know me.”

“That’s not true. We spent all that time talking when Bailey was in the intensive care unit. You cried on my shoulder.”

Chase glanced back at her.

“I would have cried on anyone’s shoulder then,” April explained. She huffed, tried to say this in a way that would make it crystal clear to Malcolm. “I don’t have those kinds of feelings for you. And I never will.”

If he was fazed by that, Malcolm didn’t show it. “Forever’s a long time. People change.
You
might change.”

“Enough of this. Tell me how you know Tony Crossman,” Chase came out and demanded.

Malcolm pulled back his shoulders. “I don’t know him. Not personally anyway. I’ve read about what he did, of course, and with Quentin and April scheduled to testify against him at his upcoming trial, I figure that means he’d like to get back at them.” He shifted his attention to April. “Is Crossman the one who kidnapped Bailey?”

She lifted her shoulder. “Crossman seems to think you’re responsible. Or at least you know something about it.”

“I don’t!” There it was again. That temper. “I wouldn’t hurt you or Bailey. Unlike him.” Malcolm jabbed his index finger at Chase.

That put a hard, dangerous look in Chase’s eyes. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

However, Malcolm didn’t answer. His attention went back to April instead. “There’s something you should know. After I found out who you were and that the marshal here was Bailey’s father, I had a background check done on him.”

“You what?” she snapped.

Chase didn’t say a word, but April could practically see every muscle tightening in his body. Despite that, Malcolm still didn’t even spare Chase a glance.

“Marshal Crockett didn’t tell you?” Malcolm pressed.

April tried to tamp down the uneasiness that was racing through her. She failed. “Tell me what?”

She didn’t like that smug look that Malcolm got. Now he looked at Chase, and the smug look intensified tenfold. “The marshal hired a lawyer, and he’s planning to challenge you for custody of Bailey.”

Chapter Eight

Oh, man.
This was not something Chase wanted to discuss with April right now, but judging from how fast her expression went from shock to anger, he didn’t have much of a choice.

“You did what?” she asked. Not a shout. No, this was barely a whisper. Probably because her throat had clamped shut.

“Come on. We need to talk,” Chase said. It was stating the obvious, but he didn’t want April to start an argument with him while they were still in the room with her brother and Malcolm.

Especially Malcolm.

Later, Chase would settle up with that idiot, but for now he had some explaining to do. The question was, would April actually listen? There was only a thin thread of trust between them, and this sure wouldn’t help.

She didn’t resist but didn’t exactly cooperate, either, when Chase took hold of her arm. She slung off his grip but marched out into the hall with him. Since there was a stream of nurses, doctors and visitors, and the guard, too, Chase kept walking until he found a private waiting area.

“Did you hire a lawyer?” April asked the moment he shut the door.

Chase looked her straight in the eyes. “I did. But hear me out before you get more upset.”

Too late. April pushed herself away from him and headed to the other side of the room.

“How could you?” She sounded angry. And worse, she sounded hurt.

“I only talked to a lawyer because I thought if I had custody, it would be better for Bailey. She’d have a real home with a large family. A grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins. I thought she deserved that.”

He could also see the anger and hurt evaporating from her body. Well, the anger anyway. And April certainly didn’t jump to argue with him about the family part. She just stood there with tears shimmering in her eyes.

“You thought it was best for Bailey, and in a way, it is.” April shook her head. “God, Chase. I’d miss her so much. It’d break my heart to lose her.”

Cursing himself, cursing Malcolm, too, Chase went to her. “I didn’t tell you about visiting the lawyer because I nixed the idea. Yes, Bailey would have a good home at the ranch, but it wouldn’t necessarily be a safe one. Crossman’s thugs could get to her there.”

Of course, they’d gotten to her at the WITSEC house, too, but Chase figured the Crockett ranch was the first place Crossman would send his hired guns to look for her. Then, he could use Bailey to get to April.

April looked up at him. Maybe trying to decide if he was telling her the truth. He was. But after everything that’d gone on between them, Chase wasn’t sure she’d believe him. So, he did something to prove it.

Something stupid.

Chase kissed her.

One touch of his mouth on hers and he got a fast reminder of why they’d landed in bed in the first place. This fire. Always there.
Always.
And the fire didn’t seem to care that they weren’t suited for each other.

After just a few seconds, Chase was ready to force himself away from her and give her permission to slap him into the next county. But when he went to pull away, April took hold of him and held on. She also made that silky sound of pleasure. Just a slight sound that came from deep within her throat, but it was yet another jolting reminder that he was playing with fire.

That didn’t stop him.

In fact, it got worse. Because Chase deepened the kiss, dragged her closer until they were plastered against each other. With every part of her touching every part of him. Definitely not good, and thankfully that
not good
part finally made it through to his brain and he stepped back from her.

April stared at him, her breath gusting. “Wow,” she muttered. “Was that your way of apologizing?”

“I wish.” But unfortunately saying I’m sorry had nothing to do with that kiss.

She nodded as if she knew exactly what he meant. And she probably did. This wasn’t a good time for the old attraction to fan these flames. It was a distraction. A nice one that he could still taste and feel. But a distraction nonetheless.

“Does this mean you’ll hate me even more now?” she asked.

Chase opened his mouth to answer that and realized he didn’t know quite what to say. “I don’t hate you,” he finally admitted. “I hate what you did.” And he also hated he felt things for her he didn’t want to feel.

She nodded, might have jumped deeper into this conversation that they shouldn’t be having, but the door flew open. Chase automatically pulled his gun, and he didn’t holster it when he saw their visitor.

Malcolm.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” the man said to April.

He volleyed glances between Chase and her, maybe picking up on the vibes still in the room. Or maybe April and he just looked as if they’d kissed each other’s brains out. Either way, Malcolm’s sour expression said he didn’t like it.

“I hope you didn’t lie your way out of this,” Malcolm snarled when his attention settled on Chase. “You went to see that lawyer and I can prove it.”

Chase was about to set things straight with this clown, but April stepped in front of him. “Malcolm, it’s time for you to leave.”

Obviously, that wasn’t the response Malcolm had been expecting. “You’re taking his side?”

“Yes. He’s Bailey’s father. Chase was only thinking about her best interest when he saw the lawyer.”

Malcolm threw his hands in the air. “He was trying to take your daughter away from you.”

Chase was so tired of this. “
Our
daughter. Mine and April’s. And in case you didn’t hear her, April just asked you to leave. Now I’m telling you to get out of here.”

The anger flared through Malcolm’s eyes. “You’re using your badge?”

“No. This isn’t about a badge. This is about me telling you to leave, or I’ll drag you out of here.”

That didn’t cool down any of Malcolm’s anger. “I was there for April and Bailey when you weren’t. I gave April comfort when you didn’t. And I would have paid any amount of ransom to get Bailey back.”

Chase was about to tell this jerk that he hadn’t been there to comfort April only because she hadn’t thought it was safe to let him know that Bailey had been born. But maybe Malcolm already knew that. Perhaps because Malcolm had been the one who’d planted those cameras and bugs at Chase’s house.

Maybe he’d also been the one to kidnap Bailey.

The man’s feelings for April seemed obsessive, and if he’d been able to “save” Bailey from the kidnappers, then Malcolm might have believed that would help him win over April.

Malcolm must have realized that his anger wasn’t going to earn him any points with April because his expression softened. “Promise me you’ll call me if you need anything,” he said to her.

“I’ll be fine,” she answered. Which, of course, wasn’t much of an answer in Malcolm’s eyes, but the man must have decided that was the best he was going to get right now.

Malcolm nodded, and without giving Chase even another glance, he turned and walked out. Only then did April release the breath she’d been holding.

“I swear, Malcolm wasn’t like this when I met him in the hospital,” she insisted. “He was nice. Charming, even.”

Chase believed her. That was classic stalker behavior, and he was betting if he dug a little deeper into Malcolm’s past that he would find a pattern of this kind of behavior.

Well, unless Malcolm was faking it.

“I need to see if there’s a connection between Crossman and Malcolm,” Chase told her, and he holstered his gun.

She nodded without hesitation, which meant April had already come to the same conclusion. Crossman could have hired or coerced Malcolm into getting close to her so he could have the opportunity to do some very bad things to her.

Like kidnap Bailey.

“You said you didn’t meet Malcolm until after Bailey was born,” he continued, “but I saw that lawyer three months ago. So, how did Malcolm know that?”

He could almost see the thoughts racing through her head. “You’re thinking Malcolm had me, and you, in his sights before he introduced himself to me.”

Chase shrugged. “Either that or his PIs got very lucky. I only visited that lawyer once, and I didn’t exactly share the news with anyone. In fact, I didn’t even tell anyone in my family.”

April closed her eyes a moment, shuddered. “If Malcolm’s working for Crossman, then he could have found me right after I went into WITSEC. Maybe Crossman didn’t want to kill a pregnant woman so he waited until after Bailey was born.”

Maybe but that didn’t explain why Malcolm or another of Crossman’s hired guns hadn’t killed April afterward. Unless Malcolm had developed feelings for her.

Not exactly a settling thought.

He really needed to find out if there was a connection between Malcolm and Crossman.

Chase heard the footsteps in the hall, and he reached for his gun again. False alarm this time because it was Jax.

“You’re not going to believe who just called the hospital,” Jax said. “Renée. And she’s demanding to speak to Quentin. I’ve got her on hold for now, but I thought you might want to listen in on the conversation.”

He did. “Did Renée say where she was?” Chase asked.

“Not yet. I’m hoping she’ll let something slip.” Jax sounded as if he had a score to settle with the woman. And in a way, he did. Because Jax could have been hurt or worse when Renée escaped. Plus, innocent people didn’t usually try to run from the law. The trouble was, Chase wasn’t exactly sure how Renée fit into this mess, but maybe he’d find out.

“I figure Renée might say more if she thinks she’s just talking to Quentin,” Jax explained. “But if the conversation doesn’t go our direction, I’ll let her know we’re there.”

Good plan. They hurried back to Quentin’s room. Quentin was sitting up in his bed, the hospital phone already in his hand. Jax pressed the button to take the call off hold and then put it on speaker.

“Renée?” Quentin said.

“Thank God. It’s so good to hear your voice.” Renée’s words rushed out with her breath. “How badly are you hurt?”

“I’ll live. Where are you?” Quentin asked. A question that Jax had probably told him to ask.

“I’d rather not say over the phone, just in case someone’s listening. But I need to see you. I’ve missed you so much, Quentin, and there are things I have to tell you.”

“What things?” Quentin pressed.

“Can’t get into that now. But later. How soon can we meet?”

Quentin looked at Jax, and Jax jotted something down on the notepad next to the phone. “Soon,” Quentin read from the note. “Can you come here to the hospital? I’d love to see you.”

Renée hesitated. “I doubt that would be safe. I mean, they’re probably guarding your room, right?”

Quentin relayed the next part of what Jax wrote. “I can get rid of the guard. Just come here so we can talk.”

More hesitation. “Promise me this isn’t some kind of trap,” Renée finally said.

The door opened, and a nurse pushing a wheelchair started to come in, but Jax motioned for her to wait.

“I swear it’s not a trap,” Quentin said to Renée before Jax could write down his next response. “I need to see you, but I also need to find out some other things. Like why my WITSEC identity was blown. April’s, too. Any idea who’s responsible for that?”

“I don’t know,” Renée answered right away. “I’m still working on that.”

“Is that why you were with the men who kidnapped my niece?”

Renée let that question hang in the air for several moments. “We can talk about that when I see you. Quentin, I’ve been through so much.” A hoarse sob tore from her mouth. “I have to tell you about the baby.”

“Did you really have a baby?” Quentin snapped. “You told me you were pregnant, but I wasn’t sure if it was a false alarm or not.”

More hesitation. “We can talk about it when I see you. I can be there in an hour. Is that enough time for you to get rid of the guard?”

Quentin waited until Jax nodded. “That’s enough time. Don’t be late.”

“I won’t be. I love you, Quentin.”

He didn’t respond, and after several moments, Renée ended the call. “I take it I won’t be meeting her alone,” Quentin immediately said to Jax.

“You won’t be meeting her at all. In fact, she won’t even make it into the hospital. I’ll arrest her in the parking lot.” Jax went to the door, opened it, and the nurse was still there.

“I have to take Mr. Taylor to have an MRI on his shoulder,” she said. Taylor was the alias Quentin had used when he’d been admitted to the hospital.

“Hold on a sec,” Chase insisted.

He checked her name tag. Kitty Gagnon, and the woman made a sound of surprise when he took her picture with his phone. Then, Chase made a call to confirm she was indeed a nurse. It took him several minutes to work his way through to the hospital chief, but he verified that the woman was indeed Kitty Gagnon and that she was a nurse assigned to this particular floor. Only then did Chase motion for her to get Quentin into the wheelchair.

However, before the nurse could take him out of the room, April caught Quentin’s hand. “Did you have anything, and I mean
anything
, to do with what’s been happening?”

Quentin cursed, shook his head, but it took him a long time to say the answer aloud. “No.”

April let go of him, and the nurse wheeled him away with the guard following along behind them.

“Go ahead and get April out of here,” Jax told Chase, and he took out his phone. No doubt to start getting backup in place so he could arrest Renée when she arrived. “I’ll follow you out.”

Chase didn’t waste any time getting her out of the room and heading toward the exit. “You believe Quentin when he said he didn’t have any part in this?” Chase asked her.

She huffed, pushed her hair from her face. “I wish I did. It’d help us narrow down our suspects.”

Yes. Because three was too many. Or there were possibly even four if Renée, Malcolm or Quentin weren’t working for Crossman.

What Chase needed to do was make a trip to the jail. Not to talk with Crossman. He wasn’t sure the man would tell the truth. But maybe the visitors’ logs and the guards would be able to give him some information that would link one of their suspects to Crossman. If he could just make that connection, then other charges could be filed against Crossman and his assets could be frozen.