Read Online One Night Standoff by Delores Fossen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Delores Fossen
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baby okay?” he asked.
It took her a moment to switch gears, and Lenora pushed away the attraction that she shouldn’t be feeling anyway. Especially not a time like this. “She’s fine.”
Clayton blinked. “She?”
Lenora shook her head when she realized what he was thinking. “I’ve had ultrasounds, but I was still trying to make up my mind about knowing the sex of the baby. So the tech didn’t tell me.”
His forehead bunched up again. “You went through the trauma of the shooting when you were...what...just two months pregnant? Are you sure that didn’t harm the baby in some way?”
“Positive. I had a checkup just last week.”
That didn’t ease the tension in his face. “And you need another one after what happened today.” He cursed again. “I should have already thought of it. Hell, I should have already taken you to the doctor.”
Lenora was about to assure him that she would indeed see her doctor as soon as she left the ranch, but Clayton pulled out his phone, scrolled through the numbers and made a call.
“Dr. Landry,” he said, then paused. “No, it’s not about Kirby. I need you to come out to the ranch, though. To examine someone.” He paused. “A pregnant woman in her second trimester.” Another pause, and he looked at her. “Are you having cramps or anything?”
“No,” Lenora quickly answered. She wanted to grab the phone and tell the doctor this wasn’t necessary.
But what if it was?
Lenora stepped back and tried not to think of the worst-case scenario, but she did anyway. She couldn’t lose this baby. And it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a doctor check her out while she was making arrangements to leave and go someplace else.
“Dr. Landry’s on the way,” Clayton relayed to her as soon as he ended the call. “She’s not an obstetrician, but she does deliver some babies as part of her family practice.”
Before the last word had even left his mouth, Lenora heard the sound of a vehicle pulling to a stop in front of the ranch house. Normally, a sound that ordinary wouldn’t have shot renewed concern through her, but after the day Clayton and she had had, nothing felt normal and safe.
“You expecting anyone?” she asked.
“Maybe Ranger Griffin came back for round two.”
Clayton shoved back on his sunglasses and hurried to the door so he could look out the glass panel. He cursed.
Lenora hurried to his side, looked out at the visitor who’d just stepped from a black car, and she mumbled some profanity, too. This was not someone she wanted to see at the ranch. Not so soon after the latest attack.
James Britt, the head of the task force to which she’d once been assigned. Her handler. He was also her top suspect in these murder attempts.
With his hand over his gun, their suspect was making a beeline for the front door.
Chapter Seven
Clayton recognized the tall, dark-haired man walking up the porch steps. They’d met briefly when Clayton had been assigned to protect Lenora and Jill. Of course, at the time he hadn’t known that James was Lenora’s boss.
“I’ll take care of this,” Lenora insisted, and she might have tried to do just that if Clayton hadn’t caught her by the hand and forced her to stay put.
No way was he letting her go out there.
Clayton wasn’t ready for a confrontation with a man who might be working for the killer, Riggs. Not yet, anyway. First he wanted Lenora checked out with the doctor and then moved to someplace safe. But with James on his doorstep, Clayton decided to go ahead and question the man.
While Lenora stayed inside, that was.
The doorbell rang, but Clayton ignored it and phoned his brother Harlan. “I got a visitor,” Clayton explained. “Special Agent James Britt. I need a fast background check and let me know ASAP if you see any red flags on this guy.”
“You think he’s somehow connected to the shooting?” Harlan asked.
“At a minimum. He could be connected to Riggs.”
Harlan mumbled some
It took her a moment to switch gears, and Lenora pushed away the attraction that she shouldn’t be feeling anyway. Especially not a time like this. “She’s fine.”
Clayton blinked. “She?”
Lenora shook her head when she realized what he was thinking. “I’ve had ultrasounds, but I was still trying to make up my mind about knowing the sex of the baby. So the tech didn’t tell me.”
His forehead bunched up again. “You went through the trauma of the shooting when you were...what...just two months pregnant? Are you sure that didn’t harm the baby in some way?”
“Positive. I had a checkup just last week.”
That didn’t ease the tension in his face. “And you need another one after what happened today.” He cursed again. “I should have already thought of it. Hell, I should have already taken you to the doctor.”
Lenora was about to assure him that she would indeed see her doctor as soon as she left the ranch, but Clayton pulled out his phone, scrolled through the numbers and made a call.
“Dr. Landry,” he said, then paused. “No, it’s not about Kirby. I need you to come out to the ranch, though. To examine someone.” He paused. “A pregnant woman in her second trimester.” Another pause, and he looked at her. “Are you having cramps or anything?”
“No,” Lenora quickly answered. She wanted to grab the phone and tell the doctor this wasn’t necessary.
But what if it was?
Lenora stepped back and tried not to think of the worst-case scenario, but she did anyway. She couldn’t lose this baby. And it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a doctor check her out while she was making arrangements to leave and go someplace else.
“Dr. Landry’s on the way,” Clayton relayed to her as soon as he ended the call. “She’s not an obstetrician, but she does deliver some babies as part of her family practice.”
Before the last word had even left his mouth, Lenora heard the sound of a vehicle pulling to a stop in front of the ranch house. Normally, a sound that ordinary wouldn’t have shot renewed concern through her, but after the day Clayton and she had had, nothing felt normal and safe.
“You expecting anyone?” she asked.
“Maybe Ranger Griffin came back for round two.”
Clayton shoved back on his sunglasses and hurried to the door so he could look out the glass panel. He cursed.
Lenora hurried to his side, looked out at the visitor who’d just stepped from a black car, and she mumbled some profanity, too. This was not someone she wanted to see at the ranch. Not so soon after the latest attack.
James Britt, the head of the task force to which she’d once been assigned. Her handler. He was also her top suspect in these murder attempts.
With his hand over his gun, their suspect was making a beeline for the front door.
Chapter Seven
Clayton recognized the tall, dark-haired man walking up the porch steps. They’d met briefly when Clayton had been assigned to protect Lenora and Jill. Of course, at the time he hadn’t known that James was Lenora’s boss.
“I’ll take care of this,” Lenora insisted, and she might have tried to do just that if Clayton hadn’t caught her by the hand and forced her to stay put.
No way was he letting her go out there.
Clayton wasn’t ready for a confrontation with a man who might be working for the killer, Riggs. Not yet, anyway. First he wanted Lenora checked out with the doctor and then moved to someplace safe. But with James on his doorstep, Clayton decided to go ahead and question the man.
While Lenora stayed inside, that was.
The doorbell rang, but Clayton ignored it and phoned his brother Harlan. “I got a visitor,” Clayton explained. “Special Agent James Britt. I need a fast background check and let me know ASAP if you see any red flags on this guy.”
“You think he’s somehow connected to the shooting?” Harlan asked.
“At a minimum. He could be connected to Riggs.”
Harlan mumbled some
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