Page 49 of Lone Star Wanted
Cassidy hesitated for half a second, then nodded. “We need to check on Travis anyway.”
“Go,” Rafe said. “I’ve got eyes on Ginny Lang and her possibly criminal daughter, who happens to wear a badge. No one’s getting to Ginny while I’m here.”
Cassidy exchanged a look with Kincade. He gave a small nod. They trusted Jericho. They trusted Ruby. And now… they’d trust Rafe.
“Thanks,” Cassidy said, then turned to go.
They slipped out the emergency exit and made their way back to the SUV. The air had cooled slightly as the sun dipped lower, shadows stretching across the parking lot. She climbed into the passenger seat, and Kincade fired up the engine, pulling out of the hospital parking lot.
Just as they turned onto the main road, red and blue strobes lit up the rearview mirror. “Sheriff Becker,” Cassidy said quietly, watching the county cruiser pull into the hospital drive.
Kincade didn’t speed up, didn’t react, just kept driving. “Rafe’s got it handled.”
She checked the side mirror to make sure Becker or his deputies weren’t following them. They weren’t. “I’m still worried about Ginny,” she muttered.
“I know,” Kincade said. “But if she sticks to her story, says she didn’t see or hear anything, there’s no reason for anyone to hurt her.”
Cassidy turned to face him. “Do you believe that? That she really didn’t see anything?”
He hesitated, eyes still on the road. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I do believe this—if she did, she won’t say it, not if it means putting Marlene at risk.”
Cassidy stared ahead again, her stomach twisting. “Even if Marlene had a hand in her abduction?”
“Especially if she did,” Kincade said. “That’s the kind of guilt that silences people. Ginny might protect her no matter what.”
Cassidy didn’t argue. Deep down, she knew he was right.
By the time they reached her house, the last of the light had vanished behind the hills. The porch was cloaked in shadow, and the windows were dark. No glow from a lamp. No sign of Travis.
Cassidy’s pulse ticked higher as Kincade unlocked the door. He stepped in first, sweeping the entry with a hand on his weapon. She followed close behind.
The house was silent.
“Travis?” Cassidy called softly, her voice echoing in the stillness.
No answer.
They moved through the house, checking each room. Everything was just as they’d left it except for the folded piece of paper on the kitchen island. Cassidy spotted it first. Her name was scrawled across the front in Travis’s handwriting.
She snatched it up, her heart catching as she unfolded it.
Cass, had to move. It’s not safe to stay in one place. I’m close to getting what we need, but I can’t risk dragging you into it. Too many ready to shoot first and cover their tracks later. Stay alert. Trust no one outside your circle. When I have proof, I’ll come back. —T.
Cassidy stared at the note, her fingers tightening around the edges. The words blurred for a second as the weight of them settled in.
Travis was gone… again.
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Chapter Thirteen
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The dryer clicked off with a soft metallic clunk, and Kincade pulled open the door, the rush of warm air washing over him. He reached in and grabbed his jeans and a clean black tee, shaking out the heat-softened fabric.
The familiar cotton and faint scent of detergent grounded him. He was down to just his boxers, and he needed to get dressed fast. He and Cassidy had statements to give at the county sheriff’s office, and he didn’t trust Becker not to try something slick like showing up at her house for another search.
He was tugging on a sock when the door swung open behind him. Cassidy stepped in, a laundry basket perched on her hip.
