ever find a birth certificate for Addie or you?” she asked, not sure he would even answer. They’d had so many uncivil discussions about his paternity. Well, his insistence that Willie Lee was a killer anyway, and Karina thought he might just blow her off.
Much to her surprise, he didn’t.
“No. And believe me, I looked. The county clerk said that some home births don’t get registered.”
Neither would someone wanting to hide those babies. But why would Willie Lee have done that?
No answer for that, either. No answer for a lot of things, but Karina was certain she could get to the bottom of it if she could just talk to Willie Lee. He’d have to come out of the coma first, and there were no indications when or if that would ever happen.
“Addie’s scar is barely visible,” Cord went on. “Yours will fade, too.”
All in all, it was a kind thing to say. And a surprising one since it took this civil conversation to a different level.
“I must really look bad for you to be so nice to me.” Karina was only partly joking. She was dead certain she looked bad.
The corner of his mouth lifted. Almost a smile. Almost. But it was gone as quickly as it came. He leaned forward, his gaze connecting with hers, and she could see that he was all lawman again. Not that he slipped out of that mode for more than a second or two.
However, the brief change in his demeanor gave her another reminder of that drop-dead-hot thought she’d shoved aside earlier. And continued to shove aside now. Hard to do, though, with him right in front of her.
He was pure cowboy with that tousled hair and those bad-boy eyes. Sadly, he was her type, and her body just wouldn’t let her forget that wherever she saw him. Thankfully, Cord didn’t seem to notice.
Or maybe he did.
He gave her a look. The kind of look a man would give a woman who was hands-off. Which described how he felt about her to a T.
He cleared his throat, looked disgusted with himself. “I keep going back to that note found on the tree.”
Good. A change of subject. Exactly what she needed to get her mind back on track.
“The note said, ‘Remember what I told you, Karina-girl,’” Cord continued. Not that he had to say the words aloud. They were etched permanently in her mind. “And you did remember.”
She nodded. “‘You know exactly who I am, Karina-girl, don’t you?’” she repeated. “But here’s the problem with that. I don’t know who he is. I really don’t.”
“Then why would he say that? He could have put a lot of things in that note, but he didn’t.” Cord paused, apparently waiting for her to will the memory into her consciousness.
When she didn’t come up with anything, he huffed. “All right. Let’s try a different angle. Who would want to kill you? An ex-boyfriend, maybe? A stalker?”
Karina didn’t get a chance to answer because the sound of footsteps had Cord springing to his feet and drawing his gun.
However, it was only Rocky.
Her ranch hand was all right. The killer hadn’t taken him after all. He looked a little disheveled, but that was it.
The relief she felt didn’t last long, though, because of Cord’s reaction. She was usually the one to get his jaw muscles stirring, but they were stirring like crazy now. Ditto for the glare he shot Rocky.
“Where were you?” Cord snapped. Definitely the lawman now.
Rocky pulled back his shoulders. “Out looking for the guy who attacked Karina, of course.”
“You were supposed to go with the sheriff. I heard him tell you that.”
Rocky’s gaze shifted to her, and he looked as if he wanted her to defend him. But she couldn’t. “Going out there on your own was dangerous,” she reminded him. And stupid. “You could have been killed.”
He threw his hands up in the air in an I-give-up gesture. “I just wanted to find him before his trail turned cold.”
“And did you find him?” Cord challenged.
Rocky’s jaw muscles tightened, too. “No. But I did see him. After I heard the explosion.”
That got her attention. Cord’s, as well. Cord made a circling motion with his finger for Rocky to keep going with the details.
“I’m pretty sure it was him,” Rocky went on. “I mean, how many men are running around the woods this time of night?”
Maybe plenty since the guy had almost certainly had help in blowing up the ambulance. “Did you actually see his face?” Karina asked.
Another “no.” Rocky made a sound of frustration. “He was wearing dark clothes, though, just like that man who attacked you in the barn. I know it was him, Karina.” He turned to Cord. “I followed him all the way to a farm road before I lost sight of him. I think that’s the direction of the Appaloosa Pass Ranch, the one the Crocketts own.”
Cord didn’t waste a second. He took out his phone and fired off a text. Probably to Jericho.
Karina touched her fingers to her mouth. “You don’t think the killer will go after your sister?”
Cord didn’t answer right away. “I don’t know. I don’t know who or what we’re dealing with here.”
“We’re dealing with the Moonlight Strangler,” Rocky said as if it was gospel.
That earned him another glare from Cord. “You need to go to the sheriff’s office and give your statement. Now.”
Rocky looked ready to argue with that, but Karina nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll be there as soon as the doctor releases me.”
It still took Rocky several long moments and a few volleyed glances before he huffed, mumbled something she didn’t catch and headed out. Cord followed him, stopping in the door to watch him leave.
“How well do you know Rocky?” Cord asked with his back still to her.
Karina wanted to be upset with his tone and the question itself, but it was something a lawman would want to know. “Not long. I just hired him earlier this week. But his references checked out,” she quickly added. “He hadn’t worked with cutting horses in a while, but I decided to give him a chance.”
Mainly because he’d been the only one who had applied for the job.
“References can be faked.” Cord made a sound that could have meant anything and sent another text. “I told the Crocketts it would be a good idea to lock down the ranch.” He finally turned, walked back to her. “You trust Rocky? Any gut feelings about him?”
“Yes, I trust him. No reason not to.”
Was there? Maybe it was because of the frayed nerves, but Karina mentally went through the handful of interactions she’d had with the man.
“He works well with the horses, but the truth is, I don’t know much about him,” she admitted.
That was partly her fault. She’d been so preoccupied with Willie Lee and staying in business that she hadn’t even bothered to get to really know the man she’d hired. A man who was living just yards from her.
“I’ll have a thorough background check done on him,” Cord said. He walked closer, standing over her and looking down at her. “Now, back to the question I asked before Rocky came in. Is there anyone who would want to do you harm?”
Karina didn’t even have to think about this. “DeWayne Stringer.” Just saying his name aloud caused her stomach to churn. “He’s a wealthy cattle broker over in Comal County and lives near my ranch. I’ve had run-ins with him for nearly a year now since he bought the property next to mine. He wants me to sell him my land so he can