Bucking Bronc Lodge 04(38)

“Oh, I have plans,” he said in that same low murmur. “Plans for you and the boy. And nobody is getting in my way.”

The horse slowed, and Jordan squinted to see who was climbing off.

Not Miles, but Wes Lee, one of the other security guards. Miles must have asked him to check things out.

“Haddock,” Lee called as he strode toward the campsite. “Where are you? Brody called and said Miles has been calling you and Jordan.”

Jordan tried to warn him. “Watch out—”

Dugan slammed his fist against her head, and she sank to the ground. A second later, a shot rang out.

Tears and blood trickled into her eyes as she tried to lift herself up to fight back. Then Lee collapsed onto the ground, and she choked back a scream.

Lee was shot. Maybe dead.

God help her. She had to figure out a way to save Timmy and the other boys herself.

She struggled to stand up, but her head spun, then Dugan punched her again. She staggered, gasping for a breath, so dizzy she felt sick. Before she could recover, he yanked her arms behind her and tied them together, then shoved her up against the tree.

He’d said he had plans for her and Timmy.

He had tortured and raped the other women he was accused of killing before he’d viciously slashed their throats.

Was that what he had planned for her?

And after he killed her, would he kill Timmy, too?





Chapter Eleven




Jordan swallowed back her fear. She would not let this man get inside her head. He thrived on terrorizing women, so showing him she wasn’t afraid was the only way to win.

The night sky twirled sickeningly as he strode over to Lee, kicked his gun away, then checked her phone.

A cry caught in her throat as he scrolled down her caller log. He was going to let Miles know he was here. That he had her.

Because more than anything the madman wanted Miles to suffer.

She struggled with her bindings, determined to free herself and protect the kids, but Dugan turned, his eyes boring into hers, and she stilled. She had to play this smart.

Get inside his head instead of letting him intimidate her. She didn’t have his physical strength, but she could use her skills to talk to him, maybe convince him that hurting Timmy wasn’t the answer.

After all, he was deviating from his pattern. Dugan killed women for the pleasure of it. Probably because of something that had happened in his past.

But killing children wasn’t part of his M.O.

The situation had changed, she reminded herself. Timmy had witnessed his mother’s murder. That detail differed from the other murders. There had been no witnesses. No kids around.

No one left behind to identify him.

Although by coming after Timmy, Dugan only made himself look guilty. And who knew if Timmy would ever remember or be able to testify...

Something had triggered Dugan to veer from his usual methodical, cunning, well-planned attacks, to escalate enough to take chances. Which meant he was out of control.

And even more dangerous.

She shifted, working the ropes binding her against a rock. The stone jabbed her fingers, scraped at her skin, and she felt a drop of blood roll down her palm. Dugan twisted to watch her, and she forced herself to be still.

She needed to keep him talking. Stalling might give Miles and Brody enough time to devise a rescue plan.

But in spite of her bravado, Dugan strode over, knelt beside her and waved a knife in front of her face as he punched in a phone number. Fear crawled through her.

If he was out of control, he might kill them all, and she couldn’t stop him.

* * *

MILES WAS SWEATING BULLETS by the time they made it back to the BBL. Just as he swerved into the drive to the main ranch house, his cell phone trilled.

Miles flipped it to check the caller ID, his heart pounding when he spotted Jordan’s name. Dammit. Maybe he’d panicked for nothing.

But the moment he connected the call, a bad feeling pinched his gut. It wasn’t Jordan’s voice, but a low breathing.

“Jordan?” Miles said. “Are you there?”

“Oh, she’s here.” A sinister laugh echoed back. A voice he recognized as Dugan.

He closed his eyes and gripped the seat edge, grappling for control and praying at the same time. “If you hurt her or my little boy, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

Another laugh, loud and long this time. “Careful now. You are a man of the law, McGregor.”

Mason was looking his way, his brows raised in question.

Miles jumped from the Jeep and paced back and forth. “I don’t give a damn about the law right now.”

“But you do want your son back, don’t you?” Dugan asked.

Miles motioned for Mason to park at the house. He’d get Brody and the others and they’d surround the ranch if they needed to. “Let me talk to Timmy,” Miles snapped.