Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Dana Mentink (good fiction books to read .txt) 📕

they’d always chocked it up to better salesmanship, even though The Sauvage Run always had better customer reviews. Soon, Frank had opened a small bait shop that had eventually grown into a full-fledged outdoor gear shop. A year later he’d opened a bistro. A year after that, a coffee shop—

Nora gasped.

“What? What is it?”

“Frank owns a gun shop. I mean it’s the outdoor shop, but they sell guns.”

“Yes. So?”

Frank could’ve forged paperwork to make it appear Dexter had purchased a gun from his store. He would’ve easily had access to guns. He was good at shooting. He had access to rafting guides. He’s a county commissioner. Did commissioners have a working relationship with the sheriff’s office?

“I have to let you go, Aunt Linda.” She spun back to the filing cabinet and found the photograph. “I need to call Henry. I just remembered something. Just stay put until you hear from us, okay?” She hung up before her aunt could say goodbye.

Nora’s hands were shaking. No wonder Maya was scared. Frank had the entire town’s loyalty. The back door behind her creaked, but it had to be the wind. She had locked the door behind her the moment she’d entered. A quick glance over her shoulder to confirm—

“Put the phone down.” The barrel of the gun was aimed right at her chest. Her uncle’s face looked as calm and friendly as she’d ever seen. With his left hand, he slipped the back door keys into his pocket.

“You have a key.” She didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until her uncle gestured with the gun. “Aunt Linda said she got your key back.” The moment she spoke, Nora realized how foolish she sounded. Getting a copy made would’ve been too easy. That meant Frank could’ve entered the lodge office at any time to copy Dexter’s handwriting from the paperwork. “You forged the suicide note.”

His eyebrows pulled close. “Put the phone down, Nora.” His voice, while still smooth, held a stronger edge to it.

She turned around and placed the phone on the counter, picking up the gun she’d set down with her other hand while her back was to him.

“I suppose I would’ve been disappointed if you didn’t have your gun. I let him buy that gun at cost, you know. Set it back down and let’s talk. I really don’t want to have to hurt Henry.”

Her spine went ramrod-straight. As she did so, she could see her reflection in the laptop’s dark screen. That’s how Frank had spotted the gun. She studied the counter in front of her. There was no way to get a message to anyone. The only things in front of her besides the laptop were the Closed sign on the counter, which faced the front door, and the How Can We Help? sign, which faced her.

Nora placed the gun on the keyboard, the barrel facing the word Help on the counter. It was a long shot anyone would understand her attempt at a message, but the tiny streak of rebellion washed any remaining exhaustion away.

She spun around, her back blocking the keyboard. “What about Henry?”

“Step closer to me and keep your hands up.” The moment she did, Frank lowered his gun but still kept the barrel pointed at her legs. “Let’s play a little game. You tell me where you’re hiding Maya and the drugs, and I won’t kill Henry.”

She fought to keep her face steeled. He thought she had Maya? So, Maya had gotten away. But either that meant she was abandoning the plan to turn herself in and had disappeared off the face of the earth again, or she might be headed this way.

If Frank had Henry, then Maya would be walking into a trap. That left Nora with very few options. It was better to let Frank believe she was hiding Maya somewhere, though. Wasn’t it?

“Tell you what… I’ll tell you where the drugs are, and you let Henry go. Only then will we discuss Maya—and the only way I’m doing that is if Bobby is safe.”

Frank quirked one eyebrow and smiled, which did nothing to ease her anxiety. The back door burst open and a tall, wiry man with a ball cap pulled down low over his eyes appeared. “No sign of her.”

“All the rooms?” Frank asked.

“And under the beds. The ranger is in the backseat. Tied up and ready to go.”

Go where? Nora tightened her lips together and sent up a silent plea for wisdom and help.

“Good. Because it sounds like we have a trip to make. Time for you to take me to the drugs.”

Nora’s quick glance out the window revealed the sun dipping precariously low to the horizon. “It’s almost twilight.”

“Then you better utilize the fastest routes.” He glanced at the other man. “Get the raft ready.”

“Maya said the leader of the drug ring was powerful.” Nora’s lip curled. “I never thought of county commissioner as a position of power.”

“Now, see? Your aunt and Maya had vision, but not you. Never you.” He shook the gun barrel at her as if it was his finger wagging, shaming her. “Disappointing. County commissioner was just the first step. Your aunt would’ve made a good governor’s wife. But…depending on how you act tonight, maybe she still will. Couples often come back together after a crisis.”

Nora recoiled as he smiled.

“I wonder if a bullet shattering a leg is the same as a rock. Do you think Henry would know? Maybe it doesn’t hurt as much the second time,” Frank mused, waving his gun around. “Either you get moving, or I might want to find out.”

* * *

“You try to kick me and it’ll be the last thing you do with your legs,” the man grunted. He sliced a knife in between Henry’s feet, released the rope and then took one lengthy stride backward, raising a gun at Henry’s chest.

With his head still throbbing, and his wrists still tied together, Henry wasn’t sure his balance would allow him to successfully kick the man’s weapon away anyway. He