Dark Secrets

Dark Secrets

A Western Escape

By

Desiree Holt

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Desiree Holt

ISBN: 978-1-61333-268-9

Cover art by LFD Designs

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

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Also by Desiree Holt

Joy Ride

1Night Stand Stories

Night Mission

He came Upon a Midnight Clear

The Edge

Lust Becomes You

~Dedication~

For every cowboy who passes by my house, but most of all to our very own sexy sheriff. I’m keeping him all for myself.

Chapter One

Fuck!

Just plain fuck.

This sure as hell had turned out to be a colossal waste of his time. Searching the isolated areas of the Laramie Mountains was not Hawk Blackwater’s idea of how he should be spending the night. For five hours he’d been freezing his ass off, chasing an elusive glimmer that danced on the side of the mountains. He’d changed locations four times already, but it seemed no matter where he moved, the light appeared someplace else.

From the moment he’d left the big city to take on the job as sheriff of the tiny town of Freewill, Wyoming, he’d had enough to occupy him with battling the tension on his staff and getting the people of Freewill to trust him. With the cloud of suspicion hovering over all the deputies, he wasn’t sure which of his people he could rely on—and wasn’t that just a damn shame?

He was sure they’d think he was nuts if he tried to assign one of them to check out the lights he kept getting calls about. One of the ranchers especially had pestered the shit out of him, wanting him to find out what they were. Of course, for the first couple of weeks there hadn’t been any lights to see.

Then today the man had called again, screeching in indignation. They’re back, they’re back, he nearly shouted. I saw them last night. I bitched about them to Sheriff Foster, and he never did anything. Now they’re back. I’m telling you, something strange is going on. If you’re a real sheriff, you’ll get yourself out there tonight and find out what they are. Let’s see if you’re smarter than Foster was.

Real sheriff my ass.

But here he was in the desolate mountain landscape, cold and miserable, looking for a phantom. For lights that winked at him and then disappeared.

Fatigue made his bones ache and he struggled to focus. He rubbed his eyes then lifted his binoculars again, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the lights that flickered at random in the distance. It seemed they showed up sporadically for a few days before disappearing again for weeks. Before too much longer, the first edge of dawn would creep up in the sky, the lights would disappear, and he would be empty-handed. Again.

He sighed, his bones aching in the chill that had rolled in around midnight. It was a damn sight warmer in Phoenix, where he’d grown up. Except for a stint in the Army he’d worked there as a cop until the river of crime flowing through the city wore him out. He was still feeling his way—with Freewill, the county, the people. But his father, a full-blooded Yavapai, had assured him he would enjoy living there and had given him an introduction to the tribal council at the nearby Yavapai reservation. He hoped to get over there sooner than later.

Leaning back against his SUV, he lifted his Stetson, raked his fingers through his hair and tilted his head backward. The sky was a sea of black velvet, the air so clear he could see the tips of the mountains and the stars winking like diamonds. It might be damn cold here, even if it was only September, but it beat the noise and the haze of the city.

He lifted his binoculars again, but there was nothing to see anymore. And he still had no idea where the lights had come from or what the hell was going on.

Damn.

A coyote howled in the distance. In the stillness of the night, it sounded almost like the frightened cry of a human being. Hawk touched his rifle, which rested against the door of the SUV next to him. Better safe than sorry. Coyote roamed at will in the area, along with bighorn sheep, wolves, and the very dangerous grizzly bear. Although the cry had come from far away, he didn’t want to be caught off guard.

Fifteen minutes later, he was about to call it a night and head home when a flicker caught his eyes. Still far away but in a different location.

Well, shit.

Easing his tired body into the SUV, he cranked the engine and cursed the chain of events that had him out there alone. Tracking was damn near impossible in the Laramies. He was grateful for all the time his father had spent with him in the wilderness outside Phoenix, teaching him to track, to recognize the marks of the various animals. To find safe footing. Otherwise, he sure as shit would be lost in this dark unknown territory.

Still, in his gut, with instincts honed by his years in the Phoenix Police Department, he knew something illegal was happening almost right in front of him. He just didn’t know what. But the possibilities sent a shiver skating over him. Old timers would say the lights were a sign death was coming.

He just hoped it wasn’t his.

***

The two men shut off their lanterns for the last time and climbed into the truck they’d stashed before setting out to the meeting point in the mountains. The blond man shivered and turned up the collar of his jacket. Tonight had seemed longer than usual, the ride to deliver the goods more of a pain in the ass, the air colder with an early winter chill. They’d have to start dressing more warmly.

I wish to fuck this whole gig was over, the brown-haired man told him in an irritated tone of voice. I’m fucking getting tired of this.

We’re getting paid damn good to do this, and you know it, the blond pointed out, tired of his friend’s attitude. A couple more jobs and we can quit this shit.

I’d like to quit now, Brownie grumbled. I have a feeling we’re about to get our asses in a sling. Blackwater seems like the type to poke his nose where it isn’t wanted.

Blondie shrugged. He’d had the same feelings himself. If he does, we’ll just send him to keep John Foster company.

We can’t keep doing this, Brownie protested. Sooner or later we’ll get caught. I say we’ve been very lucky all this time.

Blondie stopped the truck, put it in Park, and grabbed his friend by his shirt front. You listen to me. We can do whatever it takes to protect ourselves. You want to spend the rest of your life looking out at the world from behind bars? Just keep that picture in mind. He shifted into Drive, and biting back his own fears, he coasted down the road’s incline. What they were doing was very dangerous. If the people they were doing this gig for decided they were too big a risk, that their usefulness was at an end, their lives wouldn’t be worth a penny.

He swallowed back the bile rising in his throat and tried to shift his thoughts in another direction. But the fear still gripped his stomach like a cold fist.

Chapter Two

Hawk Blackwater sat kicked back in his chair, booted feet on his desk, his Stetson tipped down over his eyes. It was his first chance to catch a quick power nap after a very long night and a busy morning in the office.

Is this how you waste the county’s money, big guy?

Hawk opened his eyes and pushed back his Stetson to see Brady Gaines, lounging in the doorway to his office.

At least you ought to close your door, the man laughed. Keep the entire office from seeing their boss sleeping on the job.

Go away, he grumped. I spent most of the night chasing shadows, and all I got for it was a headache and no sleep.

Still checking out reports of mysterious lights in the hills? His friend lowered himself into one of the chairs on the opposite side of the desk.

Uh huh. And they’re all in different places. Something’s going on in this county, and I’m damned if I can figure out. He sat up, dropping his feet to the floor. It seems as if no matter where the lights show up they disappear by the time I get there. I tell you, I’ve got a bad feeling about whatever this is.

Why don’t you send one of your deputies next time?

Hawk made a rude noise. You know why I can’t. Or won’t.

The position of sheriff had conveniently opened at a time in his life when he needed a change. He’d come to hate city living, and battling the crime rate in Phoenix had become a never-ending source of frustration. A casual email from Brady, his old Army buddy, had brought him to this town, and the opportunity to interview for the job of sheriff. He’d stayed at the Misbegotten Gaines Ranch, met all the members of the Gaines’ family, and gotten a feel for the differences between Arizona and Wyoming and the quirks of the county. It hadn’t taken long for him to know this job and this place were exactly what he’d been looking for.

The county commission had been up front when they’d offered him the job. Something was going on in the area. Something illegal. John Foster, the previous sheriff, had shared his concerns with the commission, telling them he was worried one or more of his deputies was involved. But he’d been shot to death before he could get to the root of it, his body found by extreme hikers on one of the less accessible mountain trails.

This was the only crime of