“I’ve got your cell,” Sam called out to her.
“Set it on the porch and back away,” Vince commanded.
Sam complied. Vince kept the gun on Libby while he picked up the phone; then he hauled her back inside the cabin. Libby flashed Sam a last glance, hoping he could read the love in her eyes before Vince closed the door. The bearded man—Deke, Max had called him—lounged in a chair near the sofa as if hebelonged there.
Max walked toward her, his lean, wiry body moving with purpose. He was smarter than Vince, but Vince was stronger. “Make the call,” Max demanded. “And don’t say anything more than necessary. Just tell them you need to leave early and arrange for the jet to pick you up as soon as possible.”
Libby swallowed and nodded. She phoned Bert Strieber on his personal cell. “Hi, Bert.” She hoped her voicedidn’t tremble.
“Libby. It’s good to hear from you. How are things goingat the ranch?”
She took a deep breath. She hated to lie, but there was nothing she could do. “Unfortunately, things aren’t going too well. I need to come home, Bert. I’m not going to be able to stay. I want you to send a jet to pick me up as soon as possible.”
“Are you sure, Libby? You know you’ll be giving up your inheritance.”
“I know. Please, Bert. Just do it. We can talk about it when I get back.”
Bert sighed. “If you’re sure it’s what you want, I’ll arrange for a charter to pick you up at the Eagle County jet terminal. I’ll call you back as soon as everything’s set.”
“Make it a priority, Bert.” She flicked a glance at Max, who looked harder than she remembered, with tight lines around his mouth and a dark edge in his eyes she hadn’t noticed before. “How long do you think it’llbe?” she asked.
“You’re close to Denver. Shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours. I’ll let you know.” Bert ended the call.
She knew he was disappointed in her. Libby wished she could tell him the truth, that she wasn’t ready to go back to New York. That the ranch was exactly where she wanted to be.
The thought struck her like a blow. Did she really want to stay? Did she want to give up her glamorous life in the city to live in the middle of nowhere with Sam?
And even if she did, would Sam want her to stay?
Whatever the answer, she didn’t have time to think about it now.
“The jet should be here in a couple of hours,” she said. “My attorney is going to call me back as soon as he has everything arranged.”
Vince walked over to where she stood near the window, slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “We’ve got a little time. Why don’t you and me go havea little fun?”
She tried to unwind his arm, but he was built like a bull and she couldn’t break his hold. “Get away from me, Vince.”
Jenny shot up from the sofa. “Leave heralone, Vince!”
“Mommy!” Suzy’s eyes welled with tears.
“Leave Libby alone,” Jordy said, standing up next to his mother, clearly Caleb Dunbar’s son. The tension in theroom was thick.
The bearded man, Deke, spoke up. “Use your head, Nolan. You don’t have time for that now. You can have her when we get where we’re going.”
Libby’s insides crawled. Vince released his hold, and she took a step back. At the same time, her cell phone rang.
“It’s Sam,” she said as his contact info popped upon the screen.
Vince jerked the phone out of her hand. “What do youwant, Bridger?”
She could only hear half the conversation, butit was enough.
“They’re fine,” Vince said. “For now.” Sam must have demanded to talk to her, because Vince handedher the phone.
“Are you okay?” Sam’s worried voice eased some of the fear inside her.
“I’m okay.”
