it and set it on the table.
“I do.” The fact that she did still didn’t make sense. But it did bring her the only semblance of peace she could find at the moment.
“Jane.” He caught her hand as she stabbed her fork into her breakfast. “We’re going to find out who you are and who hurt you. I promise.”
“You do?”
“I do. And I don’t make promises I can’t keep.” The determined glint in his eye convinced her. Settled her. Warmed her. “I’ll get you home, Jane. You have my word.”
Since coming back to the ranch, Leo had grudgingly adjusted to the poor internet connection and cell service. One of the reasons his plans for the ranch were on hold. Difficult to run a business these days without being online. But for now, a landline was all he had.
The absence of anything other than local channel television hadn’t been a disappointment as he much preferred books or music to wind down his day, and he had his grandfather’s vinyl record collection on permanent rotation. But as he stood in the doorway to the living room, where Jane had curled up on the sofa, tucked in under his great-grandmother’s hand-stitched quilt, he realized how many problems technology could solve for his current predicament.
Predicament.
Odd choice of words for a beautiful interloper.
“You sure you’ll be okay?” He set a glass of water and new cup of java on the coasters on the coffee table. “I can postpone the repairs until—”
“Unless you plan to stand there and watch me sleep, there’s nothing more you can do for me, Leo.” She snuggled down on her side, her eyes already drooping. “I’m just going to sleep for a while.”
“Yeah. Well, since I’m not going to be here to check on you, I set the kitchen timer for an hour.”
She flicked her gaze to his.
“If you won’t go to the clinic in town to have your head checked, that’s the trade-off. When you get up to turn it off, set it again. I mean it, Jane.”
Her nose scrunched. “That’s such a silly name. And I don’t need a babysitter.”
Leo wasn’t so sure. “Hey.” He crouched so they’d be eye to eye. “It’s either the timer or I pack you into the truck and take you to the clinic.”
Shuddering, she ducked her chin and curled into herself. “They’ll call the police.”
Which was what Leo’s gut was telling him he should have already done. Someone had attacked her. Kidnapped her. Stashed her in some secluded shed so he could come back and do whatever he’d planned to do with her. “Then I think dealing with a kitchen timer should be an easy enough compromise.”
“Logical. That’s irritating.”
She might have meant it to be teasing, but he saw the flash of fear in her lovely brown eyes at the mere idea of calling the authorities. “I shouldn’t be gone more than a few hours. TV remote is by the chair over there. Some movies are on the shelf. Help yourself to whatever you need.”
“I just want to sleep,” she murmured even as her eyes drifted closed.
“Yeah. Sleep.” Leo knew he should leave. But he found himself positively transfixed by the vision of this beautiful, strong-willed, mystifying woman on his sofa. He didn’t want to leave her. But he couldn’t stay, either. Not when there were chores to be done and questions to answer.
The sooner he got to both the better. He stood up and patted his leg, quietly calling Ollie. The dog obeyed, looking up at him with expectant eyes. “You stay with her, boy. Okay?”
Ollie whined, no doubt realizing he wouldn’t be venturing outdoors much today.
“How about we go with steak for dinner,” Leo offered with a gentle, encouraging pet.
A quiet bark of approval set his mind at ease. “Then you keep an eye on Jane. I’ll be back soon.”
Leo retrieved his jacket and hat and headed outside, his boots hitting the ground with purpose as he walked to the barn. The morning breeze had obscured most of the barefoot tracks Jane had left on her arrival, but an occasional drop of dark blood gave him a good enough trail to follow, which he did, into the tree line on the far end of the property.
Admiration and anger mingled inside Leo as he realized just how far and how difficult her walk had been. She had to have been disorientated. Dizzy. Confused. And yet somehow, she’d found her way here.
Broken branches and disturbed shrubs gave him a general idea as to the direction she’d come. It was a good two, three miles in before he’d hit anything resembling a road, but that road would circle back and outline a good portion of Roaring Springs. Not that he’d had much time to explore as of yet. But maybe this was the excuse he’d been looking for.
“First things first.” He needed to get that line of fence repaired before the cattle decided to test its strength. Leo returned to the barn and house, circled around to the front porch and climbed into his truck.
He made the drive up and around to the far end of the property in silence with the windows open and the Colorado summer breeze his chosen companion. Not quite as entertaining or comforting as Ollie, but he felt better about leaving Jane knowing his dog was with her.
It wasn’t long before he’d loaded up the feed trailer at the silo, and made a more efficient trip up to the herd. Normally he let them graze the pasture, but he needed them away from the fence line, so he deposited the feed well away from the sagging sections of fence. Tomorrow he’d move them to the northern pasture, which should give him a breather for a couple of days.
* * *
They thought he’d killed her.
He’d have found the idea of murdering Skye Colton amusing if it didn’t irritate him. Why hadn’t he thought of that himself? He could have. There had been plenty of opportunity, given his proximity to the friendliest and most outgoing of the Colton offspring.
Reason overruled him. Killing Sabrina Gilford had brought enough attention. Attention that included the FBI, and they were nobody’s fool. Better to play it safe. Stick to the plan. Remain where he was, in plain sight, watching every move the Coltons and Gilfords made.
Every day he listened to the worry, felt the barely retrained fear over Skye’s disappearance, the dead women he’d all but laid at their door. It fed him. Nourished him. Emboldened him. The tension gave him a particular kind of jolt, and wasn’t nearly as satisfying as squeezing the life out of those women. One after another after another.
Maybe...maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was time to strike harder, deeper, rip their hearts right out of their chests by eliminating their precious Skye. Maybe...
Tight lips stretched into a thin smile as he allowed himself to daydream watching the life drain out of those lively brown eyes. Pleasure shot through him like an intoxicant as his mind raced, settled.
