Page 46 of A Ranger for Christmas
“Why?”
“Because the shipment had to get through. Once it was delivered, I would be off the hook.”
Kyle’s familiar face didn’t jive with the words of a stranger. “Why?”
“I owe them.”
“We’ve been friends for years.” This betrayal struck directly into her heart.
“I knew you were alive in that car. I planned to send help in the next day or two. Like you said, we were friends.”
She pressed trembling fingertips to her forehead. “Who do you owe money to?”
Sweat dampened his brow, and his face had paled. “Bad men who bought out my gambling debts with the promise that I do them a favor.”
“Gambling. I thought you’d quit.”
“I thought I had, too. And then, well, the itch returned while you were in Mexico.”
“Why didn’t you come to me? I would have tried to help.”
A bitter smile curved the edges of his lips. “You’ve bailed me out enough. And I couldn’t come to you again and see the look of disappointment on your face.”
The realization chased a chill through her body that left her cold and numb. “So you did this one favor.”
“Make a simple code. That’s all I thought I was doing.”
“They’ll never want one favor.”
The scorn in her voice hardened his expression. “I could have told them the Rangers had come to see you, but I didn’t. I thought if I could buy some time, this would all be over soon.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t believe this.”
“I like you so much,” he said, his voice a hoarse whisper. “I respect you. But I had to do this. You don’t know what they do to people who say no.”
Overwhelmed with sadness for a friendship she’d never had, she asked, “So what now?”
He squared his shoulders. “Get in my car. We need to go for a drive.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.” Kyle jabbed the gun. “Move. Now. If I don’t get this right today, I’ll be sent home to my parents in pieces.”
“So I’m supposed to just walk to my death?”
“Don’t be dramatic. Just walk.”
“No.”
“I’ll give them the name of your father and stepmother and your brothers.”
Blood drained from her face as she thought about what they’d do to her family. “You’re a monster.”
“No. I’m not a monster. I’m just a guy trying to get by.”
The Rangers raided the warehouse just after twelve noon and found huge stores of drugs as well as two dozen men moving and packing boxes for shipment. There’d been gunfire, blood had been shed, but in the end, the drug dealers were no match for the Rangers.
Lucas, as commander, had held back, letting the local SWAT team handle the actual takedown. A deep satisfaction burned inside him as he watched the collection of drug runners led to squad cars. When the building had been secured and declared free of explosives and traps, he’d gone in and inspected the stash. Millions and millions of dollars in neatly bound bundles lined the floor.
