be. He needed to talk to Tory, his high school sweetheart, about what that could possibly be. He’d been back home for only three weeks, and in that time he’d been helping the police chief and sheriff to strengthen the case against Mederos that had gone to trial a couple of days ago.
If he was honest with himself, he’d been putting off talking with Tory. When the Texas Ranger position came up, he’d wondered if it had been a sign from God that it was time for him to return home to live after seventeen years.
As he turned onto the highway that led out of town, his cell phone rang. “What’s up, Paul?” The police chief in El Rio, a town with a population of twenty thousand and the county seat, had been a good friend when Cade grew up here. It had been nice renewing that friendship.
“I’ve sent two officers to Tory Carson’s house. She just called. Someone broke into her house and trashed her daughter’s bedroom. One of the windows was broken. She said blood is everywhere.”
Michelle’s room! Cade made a quick U-turn and headed back into town. “Where’s her daughter?”
“Tory is hoping at the basketball game. She’s heading to the high school gym to see.”
“I’m already heading that way. It shouldn’t take me long.”
“I’ll meet you at the gym. If you find Michelle before I get there, call me and I’ll go help the police officer secure the crime scene.”
When Cade disconnected the call, he pressed his foot on the gas pedal. Is my daughter missing? The question froze him to his core. Criminals like Mederos would stop at nothing to walk away from his trial without a conviction.
Ten minutes later he raced into the high school lobby to find Tory rushing to a set of double doors that led into the gym, her mouth set in a firm, determined line. Her gaze locked with his right before she slipped inside.
Cade hurried his pace, entering the gym seconds behind her. He caught up with her and halted her progress. “Where’s Michelle?”
She yanked her arm from his grip. “What are you doing here?” she asked in a quiet but furious voice.
“Paul called me to help.”
Her eyes swept around the gym and scanned the floor where the game took place. “Just stay out of my way.”
Several people glanced at them. Cade buttoned his tan suit jacket so his gun or his badge didn’t show and moved up behind her, searching for Michelle over Tory’s shoulder. “I don’t see her playing,” he whispered, realizing they were already making a scene.
“Or sitting with her team.” Tory shoved her way through the spectators until she broke free of the crowd around the doors and quickened her steps toward the team members and coaches on the sidelines.
Then two players on the opposing team parted and revealed Michelle out of bounds, throwing the ball into play.
His daughter was safe. Some of his tension flowed out of him.
Tory kept going while his daughter ran toward her team’s basket. A Mustang player passed the ball back to Michelle. Cade wanted to watch, but he needed to catch up with Tory while he called Paul and let him know that Michelle was safe.
Tory stopped at the edge of the home team’s bench. Sounds of cheers erupted around Cade, and he looked out onto the court. Michelle had scored. It had been years since he’d been in this gym. He’d been looking forward to seeing her play tonight. But the moment he’d been looking forward to was now tainted with a threat to Michelle because of Tory’s job.
“I wish they would take a break. Michelle would never forgive me if I ran onto the court and snatched her off it.” Tory stood rigid next to Cade, her arms folded over her chest, while following her daughter’s every move. Tension poured off her, her teeth digging into her bottom lip.
A minute later, the fans jumped to their feet, yelling, “Go Mustangs.” Forgetting for a few seconds why he was here with Tory beside him, Cade added his encouragement. A girl threw the ball to Michelle who had a better position to take the shot, and she tossed the ball into the air.
The swish as it passed through the net set the crowd off again, and Cade cheered, grinning as though he’d made the shot. “That’s the way to play.”
Tory threw him a piercing look. Cade sobered.
The visiting coach called a time-out.
“Finally.” Tory charged toward the head coach as the players came off the court.
Cade followed.
“Coach Bates,” Tory called out.
The balding man glanced in her direction, his forehead wrinkled. He took several steps to Tory. “Is there something wrong, Mrs. Carson?”
“I need to take Michelle out of the game,” Tory said while Cade scanned the crowd for any threat, many fans watching what was happening between the coach and Tory. “There’s been a threat.”
“Against the team?”
“No, my daughter. She’s in danger.” Tory finally pointed to Cade. “This is Ranger Cade Morgan. He’s here to escort her from the gym.”
Cade spied Michelle marching over to them, her cheeks red, her blue eyes so like his own, darkening with questions. He touched Tory’s elbow and nodded toward Michelle a few feet away.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
“You need to leave with me now. I’ll explain everything outside.”
“But I can’t. The game just started. We barely have the lead.”
“Sorry. This isn’t up for debate.” Tory grasped Michelle’s hand, then looked at the crowd still bunched around the exit.
Cade stepped forward. “We’ll use the back door.” Then to the coach, he asked, “Is it still locked from the outside, but we can leave through it?”
The man nodded, still bewildered.
“Let’s go.” Cade took up the rear while indicating the exit at the far end of the gym where fewer people stood. “Wait at the door.”
Cade continued to assess his surroundings. The man Tory was prosecuting right now was ruthless. But he wouldn’t let his daughter—or Tory—be Mederos’s victim. Tory paused at the doors leading into the back hallway where the weight room and a smaller gym were located. Michelle stopped and turned to watch the game.
Seeing the two together was like staring at a younger version of Tory, except for Michelle’s blue eyes. Both had long, curly blond hair, a thin build and an oval face with a sprinkle of freckles across their pert noses.
“Let me check the hall first.” He went through the double doors first, inspecting the corridor on both sides. Empty. “Okay, let’s hurry.”
Cade trailed right behind Tory and Michelle, frequently glancing behind him. When they reached the rear exit, Cade went out first, checking the area. Now all they had to do was round the building and make it to his SUV in the parking lot.
He
