Page 45 of Blind Trust
“This is my family’s property. Their friends,ourfriends, are on these trails, and someone is shooting at them.” Something shifted in Lyla’s expression, exposing a vulnerability he didn’t normally see. “I have a responsibility to keep everyone safe.”
Nic brushed his thumb over her brow. “Lyla, they were shooting at you.”
15
“They were shooting atyou.”
If Lyla hadn’t been stunned by her fall from Sir Winston, the ominous words Nicolás had delivered while she was flat on her back would’ve done it. After the mini tracker attached to her wrist had detected her fall, a signal led Hank and his team to her and Nicolás. They arrived on all-terrain vehicles and brought a medic who did another quick assessment before allowing her to ride back to Etta and Tully’s house. She’d never, ever felt unsafe at her grandparents’ home, but now the cold, hard possibility was that she had led trouble straight to their doorstep.
She walked to the window overlooking the front lawn. The last of the guests were leaving, and party staff were cleaning up what was left of the Whitlock annual event her mother and Etta had seamlessly concluded without too many guests realizing what had happened.
Thankfully most of the riders from the first two groups had finished the hunt. The last group had safely been on the opposite side of the property from the shooting, and those close enough to hear the shots over the barking hounds seemed to dismiss it with the simple explanation that it had been a hunter on a nearby property—not an entirely unusual occurrence for this area.
Except Tully and her father confirmed deer hunting season didn’t start for another two weeks.
Now Nicolás was with them, the sheriff, and a few of hisdeputies, searching the area for the shooter while she had been ordered to stay back with Jack, Brynn, Kekoa, and Elinor. She’d been ready to argue, but a single look from Nicolás had kept her quiet. And here. Waiting and worrying. Wondering.
“They were shooting at you.”
Lyla bit the inside of her lower lip. Who? Was this another one of Jerry’s parting gifts? She blew out a breath. If it was, it was just brilliant enough to get her respect. Arranging to have her killed but doing it after he killed himself so he couldn’t be charged was next-level evil. It also didn’t fit the profile of someone like Jerry.
So, why? What had she done to him to deserve such hostility? Surely her role in his arrest didn’t warrant this level of vindictiveness, and even if it did—he was dead. What was the point? And who was his point man now? Terrel was taken into custody last night...had he been released? But again, nothing about his personality made her believe he wanted to harm her. He just wanted the money.
“Lyla,” Brynn said softly behind her. “You need to stay away from the window.”
She looked over her shoulder. “What?”
“Standing in front of a window probably isn’t a great idea right now.”
“Oh.” Lyla stepped away but glanced outside again. The only people she could see out there were Etta, her mom, the staff, and her great-aunt Effie, who was sitting at a table with a teacup and saucer in hand, clueless about the danger lurking nearby. Panic cinched her chest. “We need to get them. It’s not safe out there.”
“Lyla.” Jack walked over, his voice commanding but gentle. “Your father already had plainclothes security on-site. The sheriff called in more officers who are monitoring the perimeter and searching the area closest to your grandparents’ property.”
She wished Jack’s reassurance made her feel better, but it only reiterated his belief that someone out there had tried to use her for target practice.
“It’s a precaution,” Brynn said, her quiet tone steady as she stated the fact. Sometimes Lyla forgot Brynn had had her own fair share of close calls working for the CIA. “Until we figure out what’s going on.”
“Would you like some more water? Something to eat?” Elinor looked out of place and scared. Kekoa put a hand on her shoulder, and she leaned into his touch. “Can I get you something?”
Lyla wasn’t really in the mood to eat, but she wasn’t going to tell Elinor that. It was clear the woman was looking for something to do or a way to step away from her own memories of danger not too long ago. “Sure, that would be nice. Thank you.”
Kekoa started to escort Elinor out of the house, but Brynn stepped in and gave him a reassuring look before he kissed Elinor’s forehead and then returned to the couch.
Lyla felt horrible. This was her fault, but she didn’t know why.
The front door opened, and the sheriff walked in with Walsh. Nicolás came in behind them, his eyes flashing to her for a moment before the men paused in the foyer where they held a quiet discussion. A flicker of annoyance started in her middle at their hushed tones, as if she was some vulnerable victim to protect.
This was exactly what she had wanted to avoid when she asked Nicolás to have her back. She wasn’t a victim, and if shehadbeen the intended target, someone had just made a huge mistake endangering her family.
Lyla marched toward them, the muscles in her backside aching from the fall. “Did you find anything?”
“We didn’t locate the shooter.” The sheriff faced her. “But we’ve got officers canvassing the property, and Mr. Fox, uh, your father, and Tully are talking with the closest neighbors. So far, all of them have denied firing any weapons or giving permission to anyone to hunt on their properties, but that doesn’t mean hunters didn’t trespass.”
That was true. Etta and Tully’s thirty-plus acres were mostly unfenced. On occasion during hunting season, hunters had trespassed,but it was rare. Now it was a little too coincidental, given Jerry’s final threat and the direction of the shots.
“In my experience, deer tend to scatter when they hear the hounds, so my gut tells me there’s more to this than an illegal hunter. We searched the general area looking for any shell casings, but without a tighter search perimeter it might take a couple of days or longer before we find anything.” The sheriff slipped on his hat and exchanged a look with Walsh. “I’d like to get out there and chat with the Feds. Given the status of some of the guests, I’m surprised they’re not pulling rank. But they’re willing to allow us to determine criminal intention before stepping in. You’ll keep us updated on your end?”
“We will.” Walsh shook the man’s hand. “Thank you.”
