Chapter Thirteen

Back at the ranch, Bree glanced around the living room and saw nothing but frustrated expressions. Her own expression fell into that category as well. For the past four hours while the nannies and Sandra had watched the babies, Luca, Joelle, Slater and she had been digging through social media and newspaper archives to try to find a photo of Nathan wearing the ring.

They’d all struck out.

There’d been plenty of pictures of Nathan, but so far, his hands hadn’t been visible in any of them. So, Bree had moved on to a different approach. She was calling jewelers who specialized in making and selling rings for the A&M School of Medicine. So far, she wasn’t having much luck with that either, even though she had introduced herself on the calls as legal counsel for the Texas Rangers and was looking for information pertinent to an investigation. The people she’d spoken to had all been cooperative, but none had a record of Nathan purchasing such a ring.

Duncan was clearly getting some frustrating news as well because he’d started pacing and muttering under his breath while he listened to the latest call he’d received. Bree seriously doubted he was hearing anything that would give them hope that this case would soon be solved.

And that’s why she would have to push the visit to Nathan.

Duncan, Slater and Luca weren’t just going to agree so she needed to come up with an angle to convince them. She considered that while she made a call to the next jeweler on her list. As with the other calls, it took her a couple of minutes to work her way through to speak to the manager, and then a perky-sounding woman who introduced herself as Laine Martinez came on the line. Bree went through her spiel again, and as she’d done with the others, she gave the woman three names to search. Nathan’s and two others that Bree had plucked from A&M class rosters. That way, the person wouldn’t solely home in on Nathan’s name and try to contact him.

“The ring would have been purchased about eight or nine years ago,” Bree explained. “But please check for a couple of years in either direction in case—”

“Nathan Bagley,” Laine confirmed. “Yes, he did purchase a ring from us.”

Bree practically sprang to her feet, and it got the attention of the others, except for Duncan who was still on the phone. Slater, Luca and Joelle, however, came closer.

“I’m putting you on Speaker,” Bree informed the woman. “I have three police officers with me who’ll want to hear this. You can verify that Nathan Bagley bought a ring from you?”

“He did. The ring had the Texas A&M School of Medicine logo and is fourteen-karat yellow gold with a full carat diamond in the center. A custom design,” she went on. “And because of the design, it was priced higher than most class rings. He paid just under five thousand dollars for it.”

Not a fortune but still expensive. Maybe so expensive that Nathan hadn’t been able to part with it.

“Do you have a receipt for the purchase?” Bree asked.

“Not a paper one, but all the information is here in my computer files. Would you like me to send you a copy?”

“Yes,” Bree couldn’t say fast enough, and she gave the woman her email address. The moment Bree saw the info pop into her inbox, she thanked Laine, ended the call and pinned her attention to Luca.

“No, I don’t want you going into Nathan’s house to look for the ring,” Luca snapped, and then he sighed, and his expression softened. “It’s too dangerous.”

“It is,” Duncan verified, having obviously heard the gist of what Bree had learned. He put away his phone and joined them. “We’ll get to the ring and Nathan, but first, I need to tell you about Aubrey. The tech’s got the number she called, but it was made to a burner. The recipient of the call was in Saddle Ridge.”

Bree wasn’t sure whether to groan or curse so she did both. “All three of our suspects were in Saddle Ridge at the time of the call,” she pointed out.

Duncan did some groaning and cursing of his own. “They were, which means the footage didn’t help us narrow down anything. Well, nothing except Aubrey being responsible for the fire, and there’s no sign of her.”

Bree had to hope that would soon change since there was an APB out on the woman. Of course, Aubrey might have already fled.

“I went ahead and told Brandon to cut Manny loose,” Duncan added. “His lawyer was squawking about no evidence to hold him, and he’s right. So, I told Brandon to let him go with the warning that he not leave the state.”

If he was truly guilty, Manny might run, but Bree figured he’d just stand his ground and fight any charges. Nathan would no doubt do the same, which was why they needed more proof. Or something they could use to exclude them as suspects.

Duncan took out his phone again. “I’m calling the hospital to see if Nathan is on duty.” They waited, and like her calls to the jewelers, it took him several connections to get to someone who knew the answer. “He went home about an hour ago.”

“I have an idea of how to deal with Nathan,” Joelle said. She didn’t continue until everyone faced her, and she kept her attention on her husband, maybe because she knew she’d have to convince him to go along with any sort of plan. “Since we now have proof that he bought a ring, I could go to his place with backup,” she quickly added, “and ask him about it.”

This time there were three negative responses. Luca, Slater and Duncan. Duncan’s was the loudest.

“Hear me out,” Joelle demanded, and Bree noticed her sister instantly switch to cop mode. “We aren’t going to get a search warrant, not without alerting Nathan that we could be onto him being a killer. He’d just toss the ring before we got there and maybe say he lost it. But if I show up in an official capacity, with backup,” she added again, “then I could question him about the ring. If he denies owning it, then you could use his lie to get a warrant and come straight over before he has the chance to dispose of it.”

“And if he attacks you?” Duncan snarled. In contrast, he sounded more like a worried husband than a cop.

Joelle sighed. “He won’t because Bree and Slater will be with me.”

A hushed silence fell over the room. But it was short-lived. Then, the grumbles and complaints came.

“Nathan could be behind the attacks on Bree,” Luca was quick to point out.

“Yes,” Joelle admitted, “but he’s also smitten with her. Mercy, what a word,” she muttered. “But it’s the truth. He’ll be on his best behavior if Bree is there because he’s trying to win her over.”

“That’s true,” Bree said, earning sharp looks from Duncan, Slater and Luca. She went to Luca and ran her hand down the length of his arm while she met him eye to eye. “The attacks have to stop, and Aubrey is still at large. If I can do something to prevent Gabriel from being in danger, then I’ll do it. And I’ll go in armed,” she said. “With Joelle and Slater.”

Judging from the tight sets of their jaws, Luca and Duncan weren’t convinced. Slater, however, seemed to be seeing the logic of this so Bree continued with the argument.

“The three of us can just show up at Nathan’s,” Bree spelled out. “Joelle or Slater could read him his rights, and I could hang back, looking sympathetic and acting as if he’s being railroaded. That’ll make him less defensive and more inclined to play nice. More inclined to lie, too, since he won’t want to admit he has anything that can be linked to Brighton.”

“I’ll use my phone to record him,” Joelle said, taking up the cause, “and if he lies, you get the warrant. Slater and I will detain him so he can’t leave the room and toss the ring. If he admits he has the ring, then I’ll ask him to let me take it into evidence for processing. If he refuses, get the warrant. This can work,” she insisted.

Luca looked as if he wanted to curse a blue streak. Probably because he knew it could work as well. But he was also aware of something else.

“Yes, it’s a risk,” Bree admitted. “We could be attacked going to or from Nathan’s house, but we could be attacked anywhere. Including here.” Mercy, it twisted at her to voice that last part, but it was true.

“Maternity leave hasn’t made me forget how to be a cop,” Joelle pointed out to Duncan. “And I’m a good cop. I’ll keep my eyes on Nathan the entire time, and if he tries to pull a gun, he’ll have three people pulling theirs.” She shifted to Luca. “I’m not going to let that scumbag lay one finger on Bree.”

The silence came again, and the moments crawled by before Duncan sighed. Bree could tell from his expression that they had convinced him, but he turned to Luca, no doubt to get his take on the plan.

“I could go in with Bree and Joelle,” Luca said, but then he immediately waved that off. “No, because Nathan would just get defensive. But I’m going to his house,” he insisted. “I’ll wait outside in the cruiser.”

Bree would feel safer with Luca that close, but that left them with a big problem. “The babies have to be protected,” she stated, though she was certain no one had forgotten that.

“I’ll stay here,” Duncan said, taking out his phone again. “And I’ll have Woodrow and Sonya come and stay as backup. I’ll have them drive by Nathan’s place on the way here to make sure he’s actually home.” He made the call to get that started.

“You’re okay with this plan?” Joelle asked, glancing first at Slater and then Luca before her attention settled on Bree.

Slater shrugged. “This could definitely shake things up. Maybe it’ll shake in the right direction.”

Luca settled for a nod, and Bree could practically see the nerves tightening in every part of his body. “Give us a minute,” Bree said, taking hold of Luca’s hand, and she led him out of the living room.

Since Sandra, the nannies and babies were using the family room and adjoining kitchen, she didn’t head there. Instead, she took Luca to Duncan’s home office, a room that had once been her father’s. Yes, there were memories of him here, but at least it was private. She stepped inside with Luca and shut the door.

Then, she kissed him.

Bree hadn’t actually intended to do that, but her body was calling the shots here so she kissed him long and deep. Kissed him until she felt some of those nerves start to settle. It worked for her, too, though she knew there’d be a price to pay for this. She could end up with a broken heart since she was falling for Luca all over again. For now, she just enjoyed the moment. The heat.

And Luca.

Definitely an enjoyment, and her body went a little slack in places. The man certainly had a calming effect on her. A surprise since at the same time, he could make her want him more than her next breath.

It had been like this that last time when they’d ended up in bed. The night she’d gotten pregnant with Gabriel. And it stunned her to consider they could easily end up in bed again. Things certainly seemed to be moving that way, and even though she’d been the one to initiate the kiss, Bree didn’t think she was ready for that big of a step.

Especially now.

When their son was possibly still in danger.

She eased back, immediately feeling the loss of the heat, and she stared into his eyes. “I can apologize since I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No apology needed or wanted,” Luca let her know. “Did you kiss me to distract me from this plan?” he asked.

“No. But maybe I did it to try to level myself out. I want to do this,” she was quick to add. “I need to do this, but I know things can go wrong.” He groaned, but she cut him off. “Trust me when I say I’ll do everything to stay safe. So will Joelle and Slater.”

Luca stared at her for a couple of seconds and then let out a slow breath. “I do know it, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying.”

She nodded. “And I’ll be worrying about you since you’ll be parked outside Nathan’s house. We’ll both be worried about Gabriel,” she added before she stepped back. “I need to go upstairs and get my gun.” She’d put it on the top shelf of the closet when Slater had brought it over for her with some clothes and her toiletries.

“I’ll check with Duncan to see if he wants to put any more security measures in place, and then I’ll meet you in the cruiser,” Luca said, and they headed off in different directions.

After Bree had gotten the gun and headed back downstairs, she saw Woodrow and Sonya pull to a stop in front of the house. It was showtime, and just as Sonya and Woodrow came inside, Joelle gave Duncan a quick kiss before Slater, Bree and she headed out to Duncan’s cruiser. Bree took the back seat, and Slater got behind the wheel. Joelle was shotgun.

“Does Luca know you’re in love with him?” Joelle asked.

Bree frowned at her sister. “Who says I am?”

“Me,” Joelle and Slater said in unison.

Bree extended the frown to her brother, though he probably couldn’t see her face since his focus was on keeping watch around them. “It’s my guess you kissed Luca when you carted him off like that,” Slater went on. “And it’s also my guess that the two of you enjoyed that kiss way too much.”

“Is there a point to this?” Bree asked, huffing.

Slater glanced back at her just long enough to flash her one of his cocky smiles. “Yeah, the point is love, little sister, and that’s what you’re in when it comes to Luca.”

Bree wanted to dispute that. Couldn’t. Because, heck, Slater and Joelle could be right. But even if they were, she had no intentions of trying to work out her feelings right now.

“I’m looking for gunmen,” she muttered, pinning her attention to their surroundings.

Thankfully, Joelle and Slater did the same. Also thankfully, Luca hurried out of the house and into the cruiser, and Bree hoped he wasn’t picking up on the vibe that was still lingering around because of the short conversation she’d just had with her siblings. There was no need for Luca to be distracted with thoughts of how they felt or didn’t feel about each other.

Slater immediately drove away, not exactly speeding but not dawdling either. They were all on edge. All bracing for the worst to happen. However, there were no signs of a gunman or any other vehicles for that matter.

They made it all the way into town before they encountered any traffic, and it was minimal. Slater took the turn off Main Street and drove the two blocks to come to a stop in front of Nathan’s place. As the deputies had said, Nathan’s car was in the driveway, indicating he was home.

The two-story white Victorian wasn’t the biggest or most impressive in Saddle Ridge, but it did have an old money air about it, and Bree knew it was one of the first houses built in the area. At least one hundred and fifty years ago. And it’d been in Nathan’s family the whole time. He’d inherited it from his parents after their deaths when Nathan had been in his twenties.

“See anyone hell-bent on trying to kill us?” Luca asked, his gaze combing both sides of the street.

Bree was about to say no, but then her attention landed on the front window, and she saw Nathan standing there, staring out at them. Maybe he’d heard the sound of the cruiser approaching, but it didn’t seem to Bree that he’d been expecting them.

Just the opposite.

He was scowling, possibly the cold, hard stare of someone who wanted them dead. Nathan moved away from the window, and a couple of seconds later, the front door opened.

“Let me phone Duncan so he can listen in,” Joelle said, making the call, and when he answered, she reached for the door handle.

Bree reached for hers, too, but she also gave Luca a look. She didn’t repeat that she’d be careful, and he held back on anything verbal. But both of those things passed between them, and then Bree got out to go to the house with Slater and Joelle.

“What’s this about?” Nathan asked, clearly directing the question to Bree. “What happened?”

“May we come in?” Bree tried to keep any wariness and emotion out of her voice. She probably failed though because there was plenty of emotion since Nathan could indeed be a killer.

Nathan wasn’t quick to agree to invite them in, but he finally stepped back. Not before shooting Luca a glare in the cruiser though. “What’s this about?” he repeated.

“We have a few questions for you,” Joelle said. She, too, had leveled her voice, and she was actually attempting a pleasant expression. “And we didn’t want you to have to go into the sheriff’s office.” She took out her phone and lifted it to show him that it was connected to a call. “Sheriff Holder is listening.”

Nathan eyed her with suspicion. “So, you brought the sheriff’s office here to me, and that includes backup waiting in the cruiser,” he grumbled, and he shifted his attention back to Bree. “Are you all right?”

There it was. That creepy concern that Bree in no way wanted from this man. “I’m holding up,” she settled for saying.

He continued to study her. “I’m here for you,” Nathan murmured. “You know that, right?”

His words made that icky feeling skyrocket, but Bree held back on saying anything. She didn’t want Nathan on the defensive before they even got started.

“We don’t want to take up too much of your time,” Joelle interjected. “But since this is an official visit, I’m going to remind you of your rights.” She didn’t wait for Nathan to agree. Joelle just went ahead and recited the Miranda.

Nathan’s eyes narrowed, and he whipped his gaze to Slater. “Have you come here to try to pin something on me?”

Again, it was Joelle who responded. “Actually, we were hoping you could help us clear up something. Something that could eliminate you as a possible suspect.”

“I haven’t done anything to make me a suspect,” Nathan snapped. “What the hell is it you think I’ve done now?”

Bree’s skin was practically crawling from being in the same space as Nathan, but she pushed that aside and went closer to him. Not too close but she wanted to do something to diffuse the anger she could see building inside him. She knew Joelle and Slater wouldn’t be able to do that, but she could.

“We were hoping you’d help with the investigation,” Bree said. “There’s been some accusations, and while we’re not at liberty to divulge specific information about the case, we need your help.”

Nathan blinked, and just like that, the bulk of the anger faded. Probably because he might think if he did help, then it might earn him some brownie points in her eyes.

“What kind of help?” he asked.

Bree waited until Joelle gave her a slight nod before she continued. “We need to know if you have a Texas A&M class ring.”

Clearly, Nathan hadn’t been expecting that because his eyes widened. “What does a ring have to do with the investigation?”

“Maybe nothing,” she managed, “but it was just something that came up. Again, we can’t spell out the specifics.”

Nathan’s gaze stayed pinned to her. “This has something to do with Brighton’s murder? And with you being run off the road?”

“Possibly,” Bree admitted. Then, she waited for what she was certain would be the denial.

The moments crawled by. Nathan’s intense stare was making her stomach knot and twist. Her breathing and heart rate weren’t faring much better either. But once he lied, she could stop the pretense of being nice to him—

“I have a Texas A&M ring,” Nathan said.

Bree’s heart dropped. This definitely wasn’t what she’d expected him to say. They’d needed the lie to get the warrant.

Had Nathan figured that out?

Or was his admission simply the truth with no ulterior motive?

Bree didn’t want to believe that, but she had to admit her personal feelings for Nathan were playing into this. She despised the man, and she’d maybe let that convince her that he was a killer.

“Uh, may we see the ring?” Bree managed to ask.

Again, Nathan didn’t jump to agree, but he finally muttered some profanity. “I don’t wear it often because it’s bulky and could scratch a patient during an exam.”

Or leave bruises on a woman . But Bree didn’t voice that.

“I keep it in a safe in my bedroom.” Nathan paused, continued to stare at Bree “Do you want to go upstairs with me while I get it?” he asked.

Bree figured that Duncan was silently yelling for her to say no, but she had no intentions of going anywhere alone with Nathan. Slater, however, quickly volunteered.

“I’ll go,” her brother said, causing Nathan’s scowl to return in full force, but he didn’t refuse.

Joelle and she paused in the foyer, watching as Nathan and Slater went up the stairs. Bree knew her brother was a good cop, but she felt the instant sense of worry and dread. She didn’t want Slater alone with Nathan in case he tried to attack him and run.

“We’ll come, too,” Bree insisted.

That caused Nathan to stop, and he looked down at Joelle and her. Nathan wasn’t doing a good job of covering up his anger, but there was also a touch of that ickiness, too, as if a small part of him was pleased that she’d be in his bedroom.

They all went up the steep stairs to a large bedroom at the front of a narrow hall. The door was open, and Bree could see the king-sized bed. Not antique. Nathan had gone for modern here, and nothing seemed out of place. Still, she continued to look around as Nathan went to a landscape painting on the wall and slid it to the side to reveal the safe.

While Nathan put in the combination, Bree looked around and knew that Slater and Joelle were both doing the same thing. They didn’t have a search warrant and were not able to get one, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t spot something obvious that would link Nathan to Brighton and maybe the attacks. Of course, if there had been such a thing lying around, Nathan almost certainly wouldn’t have invited them into the room.

The safe door made a clicking noise when Nathan opened it, and he took out a wooden box that he set on the foot of his bed. There was no lid so it was easy to see the contents. Assorted rings, watches and cuff links. Nathan plucked out the ring and tried to hand it to Bree. She looked at it but didn’t touch it.

“May we take this into custody for a while?” Slater asked, pulling out a plastic evidence bag from his pocket.

“Custody?” Nathan challenged. The anger had risen again. “What the hell is this? Who said something about me and this ring that would make you want to take it?” He stopped, stared at Bree. “What do you think you’ll find on this ring?”

“We’re not at liberty to say,” Joelle stated before Bree had to come up with a response.

Nathan did more staring, and then he cursed. For a moment, Bree thought he was going to refuse to give Slater the ring. He didn’t though. He practically shoved it into Slater’s waiting hand and then they all headed back downstairs.

“Was it Manny or Tara who lied to you?” Nathan came out and asked once they’d returned to the living room.

“What exactly would they lie about?” Joelle countered.

Nathan huffed. “Well, I’m guessing it’s about the ring, and that’s why you want to take it and send it to a lab. You’re expecting to find something. Maybe DNA. Maybe gunshot residue.” He leaned closer to Bree. “You won’t. You won’t find anything because I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Both Manny and Tara had said pretty much the same thing about their innocence. And maybe they were innocent. Heck, maybe Nathan was as well, but someone was responsible for the nightmare that had been set in motion.

“I hope you’re taking Manny’s jewelry in for processing,” Nathan went on. “Or arresting him. The man’s a liar, and he’s dangerous.”

“How so?” Bree asked.

Nathan smirked. “How many lies has he told you? I’m betting a lot,” he quickly tacked on to that. “Yet, he, or maybe Tara, convinced you that I had something to hide and that you’d find it on that ring. Don’t you see what he’s trying to do?” But he waved that off. “No, of course you don’t. You have trouble seeing what’s right in front of you.”

Bree frowned. “What does that mean?”

He tipped his head to the front of his house. “Luca,” he said and leaned toward her again. “Has it occurred to you that if you’re dead, he gets custody of your son? Sole custody,” he emphasized.

Bree had to bite back a whole lot of profanity, and she didn’t take the bait he’d just tossed at her. Nathan could want her angry. Or scared. He could want her to say or do something that would compromise the investigation. Then again, maybe he was delusional enough to believe he could put a wedge between Luca and her.

He couldn’t.

And as long as she knew that, there was no need for her to unleash some venom on him.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Bree said, using her lawyer’s tone.

She glanced at Joelle and Slater to see if they had all they’d come for, and both gave her confirming nods. That was all Bree needed to turn and get the heck out of there. She didn’t glance back to see Nathan’s reaction. She just left out the front door with her siblings.

Luca had his gaze pinned to the house, but he was also on the phone with someone. One look at his face, and Bree knew that he was aware of what had happened in the house. Well, maybe not aware of that last part that Nathan had hurled toward her.

“Woodrow was listening to Duncan’s phone,” Luca explained as she slid into the back seat with him. “And he called me to tell me that Nathan fessed up to owning the ring.”

She nodded, but that was all she managed to do because Luca’s shoulders suddenly snapped back in reaction to something Woodrow had said. “Where?” Luca demanded.

That one-word question and his expression were more than enough to send a jolt of fear through her. The fear only intensified when Luca snapped, “Drive,” to Slater. “One of the hands just spotted Aubrey near the ranch.”