Relentless Protector. Colleen Thompson

she was somehow involved because it was easier than dealing with his own debt to her family.

      “Do you want to stand here arguing until we lose the light, or would you rather do something to help your kid?” Angry with both himself and the situation, he heard his voice coming out far harsher than he meant it to. Trying to make up for this, he opened the door for her, then scooped up the little dog, who limped behind as it kept one front paw raised. Gently, he deposited the trembling animal on the floorboard, sparing a moment to stroke its head to reassure it that he meant no harm.

      Looking back to Lisa, he asked, “How ’bout you let me give you a hand up, too?”

      He thought she would argue, refusing his offer out of spite. Instead, she sighed and nodded, clearly realizing how tough it would be to climb up into the cab without aggravating her injured arm.

      He moved in close behind her. Too close, because the scent of her, or of whatever sweet vanilla shampoo she’d used, touched off an attraction as instinctive as it was unthinkable. But he smelled the blood on her, as well, a sharp reminder that their situation was deadly serious. After boosting her up to the seat, he ran around the truck and jumped inside.

      As he started toward town again, he registered the fact that Lisa had bent over in her seat. Just as he was about to ask what she was doing, she shoved aside her straw bag and then sat up and showed him a spiky, ball-like seed between her fingers.

      “Just a burr between his paw pads,” she said, nodding toward the dog. “Otherwise, he seems fine.”

      Within minutes they rolled into the tiny town of Coffee Creek. What must have once been a small but thriving little farm and ranch supply stop had withered to a collection of boarded brick and peeling wooden buildings. Even the tiny post office had been closed, he noticed, but the lone holdout, the Texas Two-Step, had a handful of pickups and a peeling old sedan parked out front. There was no sign of her Camry, but he hadn’t figured the abductors would waste any more time here than they had to.

      He pulled up to one of the fuel pumps and told Lisa, “I’ll start pumping and then go inside to ask questions. I want you to stay—”

      “You’ve got to be kidding,” she said as she got out, carrying the straw handbag. Pausing just a moment, she gave the dog a pat. “Stay, Rowdy. I’ll be right back.”

      Cole hurried after her. “You’re pretty bloody,” he warned. “You might alarm whoever’s—”

      “Two crazy criminals took my son,” she snapped as she strode toward the low brown building. “Do you really think I give a damn whose appetite gets spoiled?”

      The door jingled as she pushed it open and charged inside, as bold as any Ranger. And Cole could only pray that in her state of mind she wouldn’t start a panic—and that word had not preceded their arrival of a desperate bank robber and his female accomplice on the run.

      Chapter Five

      In spite of the bell that announced her entrance, none of the half dozen people gathered near the counter turned a head to look Lisa’s way when she walked in. Instead, they were clearly transfixed by a wildly gesticulating, red-faced man with his back to her.

      “Then I watched that scrawny, tattooed bastard make off with my Explorer, right out of this lot. Where the hell’s that deputy?”

      An attractive brunette in a blue smock gestured for calm. “Now, take it easy, Clem. I just got off the phone with the sheriff’s office. They’ll have someone out in no time at—”

      “Which way was he driving?” Lisa interrupted. “And did you see an older silver Camry with a woman and my little boy inside?”

      Every head snapped toward her, horror written in their faces as they took in her blood-spattered shirt and bandaged arm.

      “Please,” she begged the owner of the stolen SUV, “you have to help me. They carjacked me in Coopersville and took off with my son inside the Camry. He’s only five years old.”

      “You poor thing,” said the brunette, whose name tag read Karla. “You’re hurt, darling. Let me call an ambulance—”

      “There’s no time. I’ll be fine.” Though pain hovered in the background, Lisa barely registered it.

      “We’ve been trailing them in my truck,” said Cole, who had come in behind her. “I’m Captain Cole Sawyer, Army Ranger, and I witnessed the abduction.”

      The firm authority in his voice demanded both respect and cooperation as he added, “We’ll need a plate number, and a good description of the vehicle and where it was heading, a few supplies and a quick fill-up so we can try to catch them.”

      Clem was the first to recover from his shock. “You’ll find my Explorer?”

      “The boy’s our first priority,” Cole answered, “but I’ll do what I can.”

      A man with a bushy gray mustache and a cowboy hat quickly nodded. “I served our country, too, sir. Let me get you started with that fill-up.”

      As he hurried off, Karla took charge, asking Cole and Lisa, “You notify the Tuller County Sheriff?”

      “The kidnappers took my purse and phone,” Lisa said.

      Cole shook his head, his mouth tightening. “And I didn’t have one on me.”

      The waitress nodded. “Tell me, what do you need?”

      In record time, Karla, who was apparently the owner, directed her customers to help gather up first-aid supplies, drinks, food and assorted other items they deemed helpful, while the owner of the stolen Explorer described his four-year-old blue SUV.

      Once they were ready, Cole tried to press a handful of twenties on Karla, but she waved him off.

      “Forget it.” Her compassionate blue eyes found Lisa’s, and she pulled something from her pocket and pressed it into Lisa’s hand. “Just get out there and find your little boy.”

      It was a cell phone.

      “Reception’s pretty spotty out here, but you’ll find places you can use it. I’ve got another phone here.” Karla jerked her chin to indicate a corded model on the counter. “I’ll look up the Tuller County Sheriff’s number and let them know what you’ve told us.”

      “Please tell them about my son,” said Lisa. “If you have something to write on, I’ll give you his name and my Camry’s plate number so they can put out an AMBER Alert right away.”

      “Of course.” Karla hurried to get her a pen and order pad.

      “Thank you so much.” Lisa was humbled by the generosity and teamwork of these total strangers. And struck by guilt at the way Cole was stepping up, when only a few minutes before she’d been so convinced he was going to abandon her that she’d been willing to risk everything to stop him.

      The weight of the straw bag on her shoulder reminded her of the item she’d slipped inside it earlier to ensure his cooperation, but she pushed regret aside to leave her information for the sheriff. As soon as she was done, she and Cole rushed back to the truck, though this time she insisted on climbing inside on her own power.

      Heading in the direction Clem had indicated, they quickly turned onto an even smaller, southbound county road that Lisa had never before noticed, much less traveled. Out here, there were no streetlights, and the few houses were flanked by barns and other outbuildings. Stars were popping in the cloudless night sky, more of them by the minute, but they did little to relieve the gathering darkness, or the even bleaker blackness threatening to swamp her.

      She couldn’t stand to think of how Tyler must be feeling tonight, scared and alone with those two monsters who’d taken him. Couldn’t put it out of her mind, not even when Rowdy jumped onto the seat and nuzzled her hand, offering whatever small solace he could.

      “They could have split up,” she said, her voice shaking.