Chapter 71

71

They were distracting him. It took Quade a bit to figure it out, but Hunter was distracting him on purpose. He'd practically badgered Quade into meeting him at his brother-in-law's place to screen audition tapes for a project Hunter and their pal Tucker Barratt were going to collaborate on.

Tucker had arrived two hours ago, looked for his cousin Brandt—who had been off with Meyra somewhere—and then they had driven out to the Preston Ranch.

He had to admit Nikki's brother Gil had a pretty impressive home movie theater in his basement. And Quade liked him. Gil was what Quade had always thought of as an old fashioned "man's man." Strong, honest, a little blunt at times, and came across as a little traditional in his views. He was recently married to the sheriff's deputy that Quade had met before. She was working now, but Nikki and Dusty were there.

They were planning Dusty's wedding to Nikki's brother Ben.

Ben and Fletcher were both there, Ben drooling over his fiancée, and Fletcher brooding over something.

Quade suspected he was that something.

He'd told the guy to back off of Dylan last time their paths had crossed. He considered Fletcher a friend, but Dylan…she made him want to protect her. Especially after…the dead guys.

Everyone knew they were the guys who had attacked Tucker's cousin. The town was full of questions. And gossip.

The police had kept Quade's part of things out of the media, for which he was very grateful, but there was a lot of gossip going around.

The guys had been locals, too.

One thing Quade didn't like about small towns was gossip. He was used to being talked about—his career rather guaranteed that. But he didn't like Dylan being hurt.

Quade didn't even know why Fletcher, normally a nice guy and everything, had so much of a problem with her.

"How's Charlotte?" Dusty asked, menu in her hand. They were ordering a big order from the pizza parlor. Quade was going to just enjoy hanging out with people he liked and respected. They way he used to before fame and fortune had taken normal away from him and everything.

"She's with her friends now. They are taking turns at the hospital with Gunnar. And Daniel, even Charlotte has sat with him," Tucker said.

"How is Lieutenant Coleson?" Sage asked. "I met her recently."

Quade tried not to react openly. He hadn't told Tucker who Heather was to him. He just wasn't ready yet. Not yet. Tucker had known Quade's other family for years, apparently. And they hadn't even realized it.

"Heather is most likely out of the woods, I've heard. Antibiotics have worked. She's going to be very weak for a while, but she should make a full recovery," Tucker said. "Her family is keeping everything quiet, but my aunt and uncle—Brandt's parents—are making a point of keeping up with how she's doing."

Quade let out a breath he'd been holding. That was what Cara had texted him, but he was glad to hear it from someone else, too.

He'd been worried, no denying that.

Of course, if Royal and Slater ever found out he was in contact with the family in Finley Creek, they'd probably gang up and kick his ass. Not that Quade was too worried—he could more than hold his own with his brothers, after all. If not, well, Tucker was even better at martial arts than Slater was.

Quade was just going to keep that knowledge to himself. His brother's ego needed to be protected, after all.

He and Tucker were catching up on their latest projects—Tucker was wanting to expand children's networking through his studio and Quade was a bit of an expert in kids shows—when the sound of a car flying up the drive came.

Nikki stood. She was a beautiful woman with long red curly hair.

Quade liked curly hair best on women, he decided. Dylan's was almost white and curled in every possible direction imaginable.

That was just one of the random things that stuck in his head. Sometimes, his thoughts went in a thousand and one directions. Drove his brothers insane, but Quade had long accepted who he was, mostly. Okay, so maybe he was working on that.

"Whoever that is, they are driving far too fast," Hunter said kind of rumbly. He followed his wife protectively.

He did tend to follow her everywhere and fuss over her. Quade and Dylan had laughed about that before. Dylan thought it was romantic. So had Quade. He knew what it was like to love a woman like that.

And to be afraid of losing her.

He had lived that hell, after all.

He would never forget.

Ben and Fletcher and Tucker and Hunter headed to the door.

Nikki looked out the window. "It's Dylan. Her car is distinctive."

"What's she doing out here? She was driving Dorie to Pinedale today. They aren't on the schedule to make deliveries. I'm surprised they are even in the county," Dusty said.

Ben already had the door open. "Something's wrong."

"That's Dorie driving. Where's Dylan?" Dusty asked.

The two women were already outside. Quade and the men followed.

Just as the driver of Dylan's little car, complete with band-aid stickers, squealed to a stop.

A blond teenager stepped out. " Dusty! Ben!"

Dusty was the first down the steps—her fiancé on her heels. "Dorie, what's wrong? Where's Dylan? What happened?"

"Help. You all have to go help." The girl was in a full-out panic mode. "We were run off the road. And there was a man there, two of them. In a van and a truck. And they were fighting with fists. And then Meyra was there. Back there. Dylan told me to get the baby in the car. And Meyra said to come here. To get help. Hurry."

"Baby?" Nikki asked. "What baby?"

"This one. She was in the van with Meyra. With him."

"With who? Brandt?" Dusty asked. "Dorie, look at me, sweetie. Look at me. We need you to calm down and tell us what's going on, okay?"

Dorie looked at her older sister. Then opened the passenger door.

And came out with a baby carrier. With a tiny baby inside.

Dorie pulled in a deep breath. But she was crying.

Somehow, the kid pulled herself together.

"Something really bad is happening. Dylan and I were on the highway by Wreck Curve Road, when a white van and a dark truck came right at us. Somehow, Dylan drove us right between the two of them without them hitting us, but we went off in the ditch. The other side. When we looked out, two men were fighting on the road. The drivers. Then…the van door opened. And Meyra was there. She had this baby."

"Who were the men?" Ben asked. He was a former military cop. "Where are they now? Where is Meyra? How did you get this baby?"

"That man kidnapped Meyra. But he let her go and took the man from the truck instead."

"Where are Meyra and Dylan now?" Ben asked.

"The man in the white van made Meyra get out and he put the man from the dark truck in his van and drove away with him instead. Meyra said to come here. To get help to a pole barn that used to be owned by Morris Preston. It's black, she said. And two or three miles north of Preston Road. She said Brandt was there. That they had been abducted and Brandt was drugged and the man in the white van took her away. They are trying to frame Brandt for what happened to his family in Finley Creek."

"Who is?" Tucker asked.

"The man from the dark truck. Meyra said his name is Judge Fisher. She said the other man in the white van was Bruce Tyler. They told me to bring the baby here and then they went back to help Brandt, too. Meyra was going back to him no matter what. And Dylan wouldn't let her go alone. They went back. They went back to get Brandt!"

"How did they get there?" Hunter asked. Gil had a phone to his ear.

"Dylan drove the dark truck. The judge's truck, I think. They told me to get help, no matter what. You have to hurry."

"Hell, they could be anywhere." Ben was already grabbing his keys from his pocket.

"We weren't very far away. Meyra said it was just a few miles up the road from the turn. Preston Road. It was only like ten minutes ago. You have to hurry. There were other men there, she said, including that Mr. King. Meyra said. And they had guns. You have to hurry. They had guns, and they already killed people. Including the baby's daddy. He's dead. He's dead and I don't know what happening to my sister and Meyra and Brandt right now! Hurry!"

Quade was two steps behind Ben and Fletcher.

He looked up—Dusty and Nikki were leading Dorie and the baby she held inside. Gil was calling for ranch hands, telling the first one right there to guard Dorie and the baby and the women no matter what.

Hunter and Tucker were already halfway to Hunter's truck. Quade jogged after them.

People were in trouble. He was going to help. No matter what.