One Last Kiss by Kat Martin
Chapter Fourteen
Sam was in trouble. The kind he had given up on long ago. Sam was in love with Liberty Hale, and there was no way it could ever work.
He knew she cared about him, maybe more than cared. But Libby was a beautiful, sophisticated woman who had studied at Columbia University, part of a wealthy, high-society family in New York. He couldn’t ask her to give all that up, no matter his feelings for her. It wouldn’t be fair to Libby.
He tried not to think of last night and how good it had been between them. Tried not to think about how he wanted to spend tonight—and every night until she left—in her bed.
Instead, he concentrated on the work he needed to do. He had a ranch to run. He didn’t have time to spend mooning over a woman.
It was check-out day for the current group of visitors. With group two arriving next week, it was amazing how quickly time passed. Which meant his time with Libby would soon come to an end.
The thought cast a dark pall over an otherwise spectacular day.
The weather was warm, heading toward hot, the heat nice for a change. Betty and Alice had already checked out, hugged him, vowed to come back next year, and driven off with a teary smile and a wave. The honeymooners were gone, too, thrilled with their stay in the Dove’s Nest and their adventures these past couple of weeks.
Sam had seen Libby earlier that morning, but not lately. He figured she would want to be there to say goodbye to Jenny, Caleb, Jordy, and Suzy.
His cell phone rang. He always felt a little guilty using it, but it was his job to run the place and keep everyone happy and safe.
“Bridger.”
“Sam, it’s Glen Carver. I’ve got some news you need to hear.”
“What is it?”
“Max Stoddard and Vince Nolan had another roommate. His name is Deacon Mitchell. Three weeks ago, Mitchell robbed a bank in Denver. Shot two security guards and got away with more than two hundred thousand dollars. One of the guards died, the other is in critical condition, but it looks like he’ll make it. There were three men involved in the robbery, but only Mitchell was identified. All three fled the scene.”
Dread formed a knot in his stomach. “You’re thinking Vince and Max are the other two men?”
“There’s no evidence at this point, but as I said, Mitchell was living in the apartment with them, and now they’re in the wind. We’ve got an arrest warrant out for Mitchell and a BOLO out on Stoddard and Nolan as persons of interest.”
“Anything else?”
“That’s it for now. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks, Glen.” Sam made a mental note to tell Big John, Julio, and the rest of the hands to be on the lookout for the men. They were likely miles from the area, but he didn’t like taking chances.
Shoving the phone back in his hip pocket, he headed for Cougar Cabin, where the Dunbars would be getting ready to leave. Sam stopped at the bottom of the porch steps when the door swung open, and everything inside him went cold.
Vince Nolan stood in the opening, his arm around Libby’s waist, holding her in front of him like a shield. A big semiautomatic pistol was pressed against the side of her head.
Vince’s lips curled into a smirk that was far from a smile. “I’ve got something that belongs to you, Bridger. You want her back—and the happy little family inside—you’ll do exactly what I tell you.”
The knot in Sam’s stomach tightened. “What do you want, Nolan? Name it and you’ve got it. Just let them go.”
The smirk faded. “You think I’m an idiot? We’ll let them go when we get what we came for.”
“And that is?”
“This rich bitch brings in the family jet to fly us the fuck out of here.”
How the hell did they know about Libby? But Libby and Jenny were friends. A memory stirred of the two of them sitting around the campfire talking about their families. He remembered Libby saying Martin Hale was her uncle. Either Vince or Max must have overheard.
Libby’s gaze met Sam’s across the distance between them. There was fear in her eyes but also determination. “I told Vince I could help them get away. I said I could arrange it if they would let the Dunbar family go.”
He should have known. It was exactly like Libby to risk herself to save the people she cared about.
“All right,” Sam said. “That sounds like it could work. You let the Dunbars go, and we’ll work out the details.”
Vince laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “I don’t think so. I think we all stick together till the jet’s on its way. We’ll leave the Dunbars here when we leave. We’re taking Libby with us to the airport.”
Sam wondered where they’d parked their old blue Ford. Too bad no one had spotted it.
“Once we’re on the plane and the pilot’s been told what to do,” Vince continued, “you can have her back.”
Sam clenched his jaw and fought to keep his hands from fisting. He could read the lie in Vince’s face. No way was he letting Libby go. He’d wanted her from the start.
“Why did you come back here, Vince?”
Vince smoothed a finger down Libby’s cheek. “The bitch and I have unfinished business.” He ran a hand over Libby’s breast, and Sam felt a fresh shot of rage.
Libby’s eyes slid closed, and Sam wanted to kill Vince Nolan.
Max Stoddard stepped up beside him in the doorway. “We figured Libby might be useful. Turns out we were right.”
Libby’s gaze met Sam’s. “I need my phone, Sam. All my contacts are in there.”
He didn’t want to leave her. He was afraid of what Vince might do while he was gone. He didn’t have any choice. “I’ll be right back.”
“One more thing.” Vince’s gun pressed more firmly against Libby’s head. “You call the cops, and we start shooting.”
Fear tightened Sam’s chest. He didn’t doubt Vince meant every word. “No cops,” Sam said, forcing himself to turn and walk back to the house.
Clara’s worried gaze met his as he stormed into the kitchen. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Vince and Max are holding Libby and the Dunbars hostage. They’re bank robbers, Clara. They want Libby to arrange for a jet to pick them up and fly them somewhere safe.”
“Oh my God, Sam. What are we going to do?”
“We can’t call the police, or they’ll shoot someone.” He glanced toward the window. “See if you can make your way around back. Find Big John and tell him what’s going on.”
He started for the stairs, stopped and turned. “And call Kade Logan.” Kade owned the biggest spread in the region, the Diamond Bar Ranch, just down the road. Kade was Sam’s best friend. “Tell him we’re in trouble and explain the situation. Kade may be able to help.”
Clara nodded, her face as pale as glass.
“And tell him definitely not to call the sheriff.” Sam raced for the stairs.
* * * *
Libby sat next to Jenny on the sofa. Jordy sat close to Libby on one side, while Suzy sat curled up next to her mom. Caleb was lying on the floor in the bedroom, his ankles bound, his hands tied behind his back. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his right eye was swollen almost shut.
By the time Libby had arrived at Cougar Cabin to say goodbye to the family, Vince and Max were already there. Another man was with them, the bearded man she had seen at the gas station. Caleb had put up a valiant fight against the men to protect his family, but he was battling three hardened criminals.
Libby had walked into their trap, and now all she could do was try to protect her friends. Her lips trembled. Vince was there because of her. Her looks had always attracted men, some good, some bad, but nothing like this. She was terrified of what was going to happen, but she couldn’t let the Dunbars down.
She heard Sam’s voice outside, met Jenny’s gaze for an instant, then rose from the sofa and hurried to the door. Vince drew his weapon and shoved it into her back. He cast her a warning glance as he opened the door.
“I’ve got your cell,” Sam called out to her.
“Set it on the porch and back away,” Vince commanded.
Sam complied. Vince kept the gun on Libby while he picked up the phone; then he hauled her back inside the cabin. Libby flashed Sam a last glance, hoping he could read the love in her eyes before Vince closed the door. The bearded man—Deke, Max had called him—lounged in a chair near the sofa as if he belonged there.
Max walked toward her, his lean, wiry body moving with purpose. He was smarter than Vince, but Vince was stronger. “Make the call,” Max demanded. “And don’t say anything more than necessary. Just tell them you need to leave early and arrange for the jet to pick you up as soon as possible.”
Libby swallowed and nodded. She phoned Bert Strieber on his personal cell. “Hi, Bert.” She hoped her voice didn’t tremble.
“Libby. It’s good to hear from you. How are things going at the ranch?”
She took a deep breath. She hated to lie, but there was nothing she could do. “Unfortunately, things aren’t going too well. I need to come home, Bert. I’m not going to be able to stay. I want you to send a jet to pick me up as soon as possible.”
“Are you sure, Libby? You know you’ll be giving up your inheritance.”
“I know. Please, Bert. Just do it. We can talk about it when I get back.”
Bert sighed. “If you’re sure it’s what you want, I’ll arrange for a charter to pick you up at the Eagle County jet terminal. I’ll call you back as soon as everything’s set.”
“Make it a priority, Bert.” She flicked a glance at Max, who looked harder than she remembered, with tight lines around his mouth and a dark edge in his eyes she hadn’t noticed before. “How long do you think it’ll be?” she asked.
“You’re close to Denver. Shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours. I’ll let you know.” Bert ended the call.
She knew he was disappointed in her. Libby wished she could tell him the truth, that she wasn’t ready to go back to New York. That the ranch was exactly where she wanted to be.
The thought struck her like a blow. Did she really want to stay? Did she want to give up her glamorous life in the city to live in the middle of nowhere with Sam?
And even if she did, would Sam want her to stay?
Whatever the answer, she didn’t have time to think about it now.
“The jet should be here in a couple of hours,” she said. “My attorney is going to call me back as soon as he has everything arranged.”
Vince walked over to where she stood near the window, slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “We’ve got a little time. Why don’t you and me go have a little fun?”
She tried to unwind his arm, but he was built like a bull and she couldn’t break his hold. “Get away from me, Vince.”
Jenny shot up from the sofa. “Leave her alone, Vince!”
“Mommy!” Suzy’s eyes welled with tears.
“Leave Libby alone,” Jordy said, standing up next to his mother, clearly Caleb Dunbar’s son. The tension in the room was thick.
The bearded man, Deke, spoke up. “Use your head, Nolan. You don’t have time for that now. You can have her when we get where we’re going.”
Libby’s insides crawled. Vince released his hold, and she took a step back. At the same time, her cell phone rang.
“It’s Sam,” she said as his contact info popped up on the screen.
Vince jerked the phone out of her hand. “What do you want, Bridger?”
She could only hear half the conversation, but it was enough.
“They’re fine,” Vince said. “For now.” Sam must have demanded to talk to her, because Vince handed her the phone.
“Are you okay?” Sam’s worried voice eased some of the fear inside her.
“I’m okay.”
“What about the Dunbars?”
She needed to give him as much information as possible. “Caleb tried to fight, and the three of them beat him pretty badly. He’s tied up in the bedroom. Jenny and the kids are in here with me, and they’re okay.”
Vince jerked the phone out of her hand and pressed the button ending the call. “You better hope Bridger keeps his cool and doesn’t call the cops.”
“He won’t.” At least Libby didn’t think he would. But Sam wouldn’t sit around waiting for something to happen. He would be taking action to try to resolve the situation. She trusted Sam. Libby just wished she knew what he was planning to do.
