Killer's Prey by Rachel Lee - Conard County: The Next Generation 16 - Killer's Prey

Author:Rachel Lee - Conard County: The Next Generation 16 - Killer's Prey [Lee, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary
ISBN: 0373278411
Google: MXMqAAAAQBAJ
Amazon: B00CFX46LY
Goodreads: 17738207
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Dressed in his uniform, gun strapped to his hip, Jake lingered in the kitchen, watching Nora nibble at the huge breakfast Rosa had made.

“You’re going to be okay?” he asked yet again.

This time the look she gave him was almost ruefully impatient. “I’m going to be fine. Rosa promised to keep me busy, and I need it.”

“I’ll take care of her,” Rosa said. She stood at the sink rinsing his breakfast dishes. She said it with such determination that Jake knew he’d better hush. The woman could have a real temper when she needed it.

So he grabbed his winter jacket and started pulling it on. Just then Al came in the back door.

“Boss? We got three pickups on the way up the ranch road.”

Jake stiffened. Three pickups wouldn’t be the Langdon guy, but it might be trouble in another form, because they weren’t expecting anyone.

“Stay in here,” he said to the three of them. “You especially,” he said, pointing at Rosa and Nora. “Al, you know where the shotgun is. Watch from the window.”

“What are you expecting?” Nora asked, her face suddenly pale and pinched. “An invasion?”

“Actually, no, but this is unexpected. It could be anything.”

“I’m sorry. Now I’ve got you uptight, too.”

“Quit apologizing, dammit. When you live this far out, it just pays to be cautious. That’s all I’m doing.”

Then he went out front to meet his visitors.

He waited at the top of the porch steps, leaning casually against a stanchion as he watched the three trucks approach, their tires crunching on the frozen ground. Ah, that was Fred Loftis’s truck, he realized when it got close enough. That explained the kind of trouble on its way.

He almost smiled, expecting to enjoy this.

The trucks pulled into a semicircle in front of him and stopped. Loftis was the first to climb out, and soon five others joined him, three men and two women dressed in the same drab way he’d made Nora and his wife dress, like something left over from the thirties and captured in a black-and-white photo. Both women had the same worn-out look he remembered from Nora’s mother. The guys, on the other hand, looked like natural brutes.

What was it about this church? he wondered. They’d always stayed on the fringes locally, socializing only among themselves, but generally leaving their neighbors alone. Causing no trouble, but never really fitting in. Kind of interesting when you considered that Loftis himself was one of the most prominent businessmen in town. Jake wondered idly if he wasn’t most of the force in this group, controlling it through the power of the purse. God knew the rest of them could probably barely meet their bills.

He waited until they were arrayed in front of him. No weapons that he could see, so it was a good start to whatever.

“Howdy,” he said. “Something I can do for you folks?”

“I want my daughter back,” Loftis said. “She’s bringing shame on me by living with you.”

“No shame,” Jake said easily. “She has her own room, and she has a chaperone, my housekeeper.

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