Chapter 29

29

Dale was doing the best he could. What had happened in Texas over the past several days had jeopardized everything. Everything.

The police had names now. Names that could lead right up to Masterson County, if careful digging took place.

Michelle's cousin's son Steven wasn't going to recover. He was going to be in a coma probably for the rest of his life. Dale was thinking that was a good thing, though Michelle was understandably distraught. That boy just knew too much about everything—and the police knew he was involved now. It was better that Steven couldn't talk now, couldn't name names.

She had always been too fond of him, though Dale had never understood it. She had even funded part of his college tuition eighteen years ago. Said she'd felt obligated for what had happened to his mother when the boy had been a toddler, but she had never said what that was.

Now, Steven was in a Finley Creek hospital wasting away. And she was afraid to go to him, in case the connection was probed. Dale wasn't stupid—Steven had nearly killed several people, including a forensics tech related to a damned billionaire out of St. Louis.

And then there was Bruce Tyler.

Who was enjoying toying with Dale now.

Tyler had sent Dale a photo of Sierra walking along the main street of Masterson, with a man he thought was that Dr. Paterson she had spoken about to him before. Paterson was far too old for Sierra, but it was the idea that Tyler, a man everyone knew had hurt his own children, had been that close to Sierra…

Dale was going to have to do something. Quickly.

To protect Michelle, somehow.

He just needed to figure out what.

She knocked on his door again. Dale just watched her; he loved her. More than anything. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for this woman. Anything.

Or the daughter they had created between them.

"Michie, what is it, darling?"

"I'm just worried. What if…we've made a mistake that comes back to haunt us?"

"We haven't. I am making sure of that. Don't worry. I will take care of everything." And he would. Dale would do whatever it took.