Her Cowboy Savior (The Winchester Cowboys Series Book 2), page 14
“I’ll go out to the car with you so you won’t have to make an extra trip back inside, honey.”
Haley’s heart broke. Debra was such a wonderful person, and she would be leaving her without saying a word. But it was for the best. Debra would only argue and get upset about her going if she told her.
Fifteen minutes later, she was in the ranger’s black truck, her heart bleak at leaving her new family.
They made it to the bank on time, but just barely, and Haley withdrew $8,800 from her account. She stuck the thick envelope in her purse as Jim left the window.
He glanced at her as he headed out of the parking lot. “You said this was the first thing you needed. What else can I do for you?”
She looked at him and bit her lip. “I need you to take me to the ranch to pack my things, and then, after that, back to Llano, to a hotel.”
His brows rose. “You’re leaving the Winchesters’?”
She waited a moment until she got her voice under control. “It’s the only way to protect them. I’m going to buy a car tomorrow in Llano. I’ve found a place that has several I can afford.”
He frowned. “Have you thought this through? The people after you will still think you’re at the ranch.”
“I’ve considered that. Once I’m out of the state, I’m going to make another withdrawal from my account and then use one of my credit cards. They should catch that and realize that I’ve run. Then they’ll leave the Winchesters alone. After that, I have cash and I’ll use it exclusively.”
He glanced away from the road again. “So you have thought this through.”
“Yes, and it’s the only way I can protect them. I can’t let them get hurt again.”
He turned his eyes to the road. “You’ve got to stay in touch with me. Promise me that.”
“I will.”
“I took photos of all the men at the ranch that attacked you, and I’ll be putting them through facial recognition when I get back to the office. I won’t be surprised if they’re known felons.”
They rode in silence for miles as she imagined her heart breaking into a million pieces. The thought of not being with Carson while he was injured made her sick. And if law enforcement couldn’t resolve this issue, she might never see him again. She bit back a sob and looked out the side window.
Jim must have picked up on her distress. “You can call me anytime. I’ll give you an update or call if you just want to talk, okay?”
She nodded, unable to speak.
When they arrived at the ranch, he came inside with her and held Aria while she packed her things. The bodies had been removed, but the bloody evidence of the gun battle was all over the house. She shuddered, suddenly nauseous as she went back to her room.
Aria’s stuff seemed to have multiplied. When she finished packing, Jim loaded everything into the back of his truck. She went outside and stood looking back at the house. It had become more of a home to her than anything she could remember.
As the ranger climbed into the truck, she opened her door. She wouldn’t look at the house again. She couldn’t bear it.
Carson woke up to find himself alone in his hospital room. He vaguely remembered Haley being there, but where was she? His arm and leg hurt, and he suddenly remembered the firefight at the ranch. How were Landon and his dad?
He searched the bed beside his hip and found the remote. Holding it up, he pushed the call button.
Eventually, a woman in scrubs walked in. He said, “My dad and brother just had surgery here too. Ken and Landon Winchester. I’m sure my mother, Debra, is with one of them. Can you ask her to come in here?”
“Of course.” The nurse left the room.
He turned his head and scanned his surroundings. Where could Haley be? Surely she hadn’t left the hospital? Wait, maybe Aria had gotten fussy. But how would Haley have gotten back to the ranch? He closed his eyes, too exhausted and confused to consider the matter anymore.
His mom walked through the door a few minutes later. “I’m sorry, honey. I was in Landon’s room. He’s in a lot of pain despite the medication he’s on.” After sitting down beside him, she told him all about his dad and brother.
“Where’s Haley, Mom?”
“She went back to the ranch so Aria could sleep, honey. That was a few hours ago. The ranger stopped by, and he took her.”
The ranger took her? What had he come to the hospital for? He sighed. “Okay. I’m glad they’re going to get some rest.”
“How’re you feeling, honey?”
“I’m hurting, Mom. But I guess that’s expected.”
“Not necessarily.” She pressed the call button and asked for his nurse, requesting more pain meds for him.
“Thanks, Mom. I’m sure I’ll be fine now.”
She stood and kissed his cheek. “I’m going back to Landon’s room.” She reached into her purse and pulled out his phone. “Call me if you need me, honey.”
Once she’d gone, he called Haley. It rang several times, but she didn’t answer, the call going to voicemail instead. He said, “Hey, just checking in on you. I hope you’re okay and getting some rest. Call me in the morning, honey.”
He closed his eyes, then, hoping the pain medicine would arrive soon. Getting shot was hell.
Carson woke in the darkened room. The only light came from a dim lamp over the tiny sink. He peered around him. Still no Haley—but then, that didn’t surprise him. He was glad that she was home and asleep in her bed. Wasn’t she? He still couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t answered his earlier call.
He hurt badly and searched for the remote. Finding it, he pushed the call button. When a voice answered, he said, “Hi, is it time for my pain medication? I need it.”
“I’ll check, Mr. Winchester.”
He frowned, hoping that it wouldn’t take long.
Thirty minutes later, after another dose in his IV, he felt better. Still, he couldn’t help worrying about Haley. She was his last thought as he drifted back to sleep.
After breakfast, which came pretty early, he called and again got Haley’s voicemail. Now he was worried. This wasn’t like her at all. He called his mom. “Have you heard from Haley this morning?”
“No, honey, but maybe she’s sleeping in.”
“Maybe, but with Aria, she would probably be up already, don’t you think?” He could feel his pulse speeding up. “Mom, I’m worried. Do you think you could go home and check on her?”
“Of course, honey. Your dad and brother seem to be a bit better this morning, although Landon had a bad night. The doctor ordered a morphine pump a little while ago, and it’s taken the edge off his pain.”
“I’m sorry to ask this of you, Mom, but I don’t know what else to do. Haley should be answering her phone. Something may have happened to her.”
“I’ll leave now, son, and I’ll call you when I get there.”
He sighed and laid his phone on his bedside table. He’d done what he could.
However, as the minutes passed, his anxiety rose. He knew fretting wouldn’t make the situation better, but he couldn’t help it. Grinding his teeth in frustration, he stared out the window, imagining the worst.
Eventually his doctor came in, making early rounds. He smiled at Carson. “I’m discharging you tomorrow. You’ll see PT today, and I’m writing a script for you to start physical therapy at home once you heal up some more.”
“Thanks, doctor. I’ll be glad to get home.”
“I want you taking it easy. No bearing weight on that leg of yours. With your arm in a sling, there’ll be no crutches for you for a while. You’ll be in a wheelchair. Someone here will work with you to get one ordered and delivered to your home.”
He groaned. “I hadn’t realized I couldn’t use crutches, but I should have known.”
“Don’t worry. I’m requesting that they send some home with you. Your arm will get better before your leg does.”
After his doctor left, he called his mom.
“I don’t know anything yet,” she told him. “I just pulled up to the house. Let me call you back in a few minutes, son. Try not to worry.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
But he did worry. He watched the minutes tick by on his phone.
He startled, hurting his arm, when his phone finally rang. “Mom? Is everything okay?”
Heart banging his chest wall, he heard the words he’d been dreading. “Honey, she’s not here.”
“Could you tell if she’s been there? Did she leave a note?” He could hear the fear in his voice.
“All her things are gone. Everything. She’s left us, sweetheart.”
A cry wrenched from his throat. “She can’t have! It’s too dangerous for her to be alone. Mom, why would she do this?”
“I don’t know, Carson. Maybe she feels it’s best. She told me how sorry she was that you all had been hurt. She thinks it’s her fault.”
“Oh God, I can’t believe this.” He grabbed his head, trying to make sense of it. More men could come after her, and then there was little Aria. How could she take care of the baby on her own while she was on the run?
A wave of dizziness hit him, and he closed his eyes. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Honey, why don’t you call that Ranger? Maybe he’ll know something.”
“Good idea.”
He tried Jim’s number but got his voicemail. He left him a message, trying not to sound frantic. He’d never felt so helpless in his life.
He tried Haley again, but it still went to voicemail. He left her another message. He knew he sounded desperate, but he didn’t care.
Then he called his mom back. “I can’t reach her. She’s in danger, Mom. I can’t believe she did this!” He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “I’m getting discharged tomorrow. My doctor came by a little while ago. Unfortunately, I’ll need a wheelchair. Because of my arm injury, I won’t be able to use crutches.”
“Oh Lord. Will Landon need one too?” Then she said in a worried tone, “Do I need to go buy one? Where will I get it?”
“No, Mom. Apparently, there’s someone here who’ll arrange all that.” He considered Landon’s injury. “I’m not sure if Landon will need one or not. His leg injury is pretty bad. Maybe he’ll need a wheelchair at first. His doctor’ll know.”
But he couldn’t think about that now. He had to find out if Haley was safe. “I’ll talk to you when you get back here, Mom. Thanks for going out there.”
Unable to bear the silence, he called Landon’s room. When his brother answered, he asked, “Has your doctor been in yet?”
“Yeah,” Landon said. “I’m in for at least a couple more days. But apparently I’m well enough for PT today. Can you believe that? My leg hurts like crap, even with the morphine. I asked the doc to up my dose, and he said he would. He just left.”
“Have you talked to Dad yet?” Carson glanced out the window. A hawk flew by so close that he could almost count his feathers. Was he hunting mice in the flower beds? His mind was rambling, an attempt to deal with stress.
“Yeah, he’s getting out tomorrow. It’s a good thing. You know how he hates hospitals.”
“Did Mom tell you that I can’t get hold of Haley?”
“Yeah. You still can’t?”
He clenched the phone tighter. “She’s gone, Landon! She’s taken all her clothes, everything of Aria’s, and she’s disappeared.”
“Oh God, Carson. I’m so sorry. Did she leave a note?”
“Nothing. I don’t know why she left—except Mom said she thinks that us getting hurt was all her fault.” He ran his hand through his hair. “But that’s so wrong! I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m all stove up. I can’t drive. Hell, I can’t even use crutches!”
His phone beeped. He was getting another call. He looked at the caller ID. “Haley? Where are you, honey?”
Before she could answer, he said, “Listen, you don’t need to worry about us. Just come back. It’s too dangerous for you out there on your own!”
In a calm voice, she said, “You don’t need to worry about me. I’ve bought a car, and I’m going where nobody can find me. Far away from you and your family, so you’ll be safe.”
In near panic, he said, “No, don’t do that! They’ll find you, and you’ll be all alone. Everything’s fine here. Come back home, Haley.” His throat closed as fear overwhelmed him. He had to say something to change her mind.
“I’ve made my decision. I’ll never endanger you or your family again. Please try to understand.”
He said, “I don’t understand! You’re not just endangering yourself. You’re putting Aria in danger. It’s not right.”
“Carson, I’m much safer someplace they don’t know where to look for me. Now, listen to me. I have a plan. I left as soon as I bought the car this morning. I’m heading out of state. In a couple of hours, I’m going to stop and use my credit card. Whoever’s looking for me will see that. They won’t come to the ranch.
“I’m heading to New Mexico. I’ve looked up the road and found a Wells Fargo about five hours away. I’ll withdraw cash from my account there, and they’ll see that. Then I’ll use cash from then on out, so they won’t be able to track me.”
He kept quiet, considering what she’d said. It didn’t sound half bad for a quickly-put-together plan. “Okay, where are you going to stay?”
“I haven’t decided yet. I won’t be able to call you. Once they know I’ve gone, they’ll start looking at your phone calls. I’m going to ditch this phone anyway, just in case.”
Fear jabbed his insides. “I’ve got to be able to get hold of you, Haley.”
“I promised to keep in contact with Jim. His phone should be safe. He said he’d let me know what happens with the container.” She paused. “Carson, honey, I can’t come back until the situation is resolved. I won’t put you in danger again.”
“Haley.” His voice broke. God, he wasn’t going to change her mind. “What if something happens to you?” He sucked in a ragged breath. “I’ll never get over it, sweetheart.” His chest felt like ice, frozen with fear. “You said you love me, and I love you, honey. I just can’t lose you like this.”
“We know when the container’s due in. If all goes well, then I’ll come home.”
“Haley, please—”
“Carson, I’ve got to go. I love you. Never doubt that.” Her voice broke as she ended the call.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared out the window. She was truly on her own now. They were both alone and there was nothing he could do about it.
Chapter Fourteen
Two days later, Haley left the small town in New Mexico where she’d been staying. She was heading for Oklahoma, keeping on the move every day.
So far, her plan was going well, and Aria seemed to be adapting to their life on the road. Of course, Haley had to stop every three or four hours to feed and change her, but most of the time the baby traveled happily in her car seat, sleeping or looking quietly around. The pacifier was a godsend at keeping her calm.
Haley had stopped and purchased a bottle warmer that worked in the car or with a regular electrical outlet. That made preparing Aria’s bottles simple.
Once out on the highway, she put in a call to Jim. “I’m leaving New Mexico.” She went on to tell him where she expected to stop for the night. “Is there anything new on your end?”
“We’ve done a deep dive into Harbor Tech’s other business dealings. Our IT guys have been hard at it. We’re still piecing things together, but human trafficking isn’t the only illegal thing they’re into. And it’s looking like it’s the Russian mafia that’s running the trafficking.”
She shivered. If the news reports could be counted on, the Russians had a reputation for being exceptionally brutal. And they were the guys who were still coming after her?
“I guess you noticed I got a new phone number?” she said.
“I figured. I’ll update your contact. Keep in touch and be safe.”
She ended the call, feeling desperately alone. As she stared out the window at the desolate New Mexico landscape, she missed Carson horribly, hating that she’d had to leave him while he was injured. Her eyes filled with tears, and she blinked them away. There were long days to go before the container would arrive at the Port of Houston. She had to stay alive until then.
Carson wheeled himself across the living room and spun around, returning in the same direction. He and his dad had just come home from the hospital, but Landon was still there.
His mom was making a late lunch in the kitchen, and his dad lay dozing in his recliner. The ride home from the hospital had been hard on him.
Carson was worried sick about Haley and frustrated as hell that he couldn’t reach her by phone. She’d only been gone two days, and he was already going crazy. How could she go out on her own when she was in such danger? And with Aria?
He got angry every time he thought about it. Anything could happen. And here he was, stuck in a damn wheelchair, useless and unable to do anything to protect her. He couldn’t even get up the porch steps by himself. Thankfully, some of their hefty neighbors had come by when they’d arrived home and had lifted him inside.
The thick bandage on his leg made him itch, and even with the intense pain he felt from his wound, he wanted to tear it off. Despite the medication, his arm was still incredibly sore, and the fact that it kept him in a wheelchair was an endless source of frustration.
His mind continued to spin in circles. Why were the women he loved always leaving him? The deep pain he felt from Haley’s abandonment was all too familiar, and he hated it. Though he’d tried to ignore it, this morning a deep anger burned in his chest.
As he wheeled himself to the window to look out again, he gritted his teeth. How could she have left him? She’d said that she loved him—and then she’d abandoned him. He was trying to understand, but it was so damned hard.
