From Tall, Dark, And Cherokee, winner of the Best Romance
Novel in the 2024 Imaginarium awards at Imadjinn….first chapter read with
links!
Chapter One
A deep growl of thunder rattled the windows in the church
and did not bode well for a wedding. Kaitlin heard it and thought it sounded
like the advance cry of a great dragon, one who winged across the stormy May
sky to deliver ill luck and bring danger. She’d always heard that the sun
shines on happy brides so a thunderstorm must mean the opposite. That suited
her mood well—she wasn’t a happy bride or one who
wanted to be here.
The ivory ball gown style wedding dress fit as if made for
her. The long sheer sleeves were trimmed with the same floral appliques that
decorated the gown and veil. Kaitlin drew a breath, difficult since the
bead-encrusted bodice fit too tight, and let it out slowly. The veil, attached
to her head with a Juliet cap, extended down to her ankles. The skirt was
tulle, edged at the bottom with the same floral lace, and boasted a train that
belled out behind her several feet. She could walk in it unless she used
mincing steps but she couldn’t run, not in the white Manolo Blahnik kitten
heels with rhinestone toes.
Otherwise, she might have bolted from the church, leaving
behind her bouquet, a cascade of white roses and pale pink peonies. She still
almost ran but more thunder echoed and heavy rain battered against the windows,
which kept her in place. Kaitlin didn’t want to marry Dr. Chad Cox today or any
other time. The huge and gaudy-to-the-point-of-ugly engagement ring caught the
light and she wanted to remove it. Her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Chardonnay,
popped into the space where Kaitlin waited. Tiny tables and chairs along with
Jesus-themed posters on the walls indicated it was usually a Sunday school
classroom.
“You look absolutely gorgeous!” Chardonnay cried. “Oh my
God, you’re a vision, a dream. You’re more beautiful than a movie star. Are you
ready to make the walk down the aisle? Chad is there, waiting.”
Apparently, her lack of enthusiasm wasn’t obvious. As a
high school English teacher in everyday life, she felt like an imposter in the
fancy bridal ensemble. Although once Kaitlin had believed she could love the
tawny-blond doctor with his flourishing clinical practice, she now loathed
Chad. He had all the telltale habits of a drug user and she knew beyond doubt
that he wrote opioid prescriptions for anyone who requested one. In the past
few months, she’d suspected that the drugs he prescribed for his so-called
patients came from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the worst drug
cartels operating out of Mexico. Over the last few days, she’d become certain,
when she came to the clinic ready to plead to postpone the wedding and overhead
a heated discussion about payment. Her fiancé, Dr. Cox, hadn’t been sharing the
profits. Kaitlin slipped out before anyone saw her but she knew now.
Since then, Kaitlin had worried and stewed, debating
whether to go to the police, leave town, or go through with the ceremony. After
many sleepless nights, she was no closer to a decision than she had been at the
start so here she was, about to walk down the aisle.
In addition to the major misgivings, she also had a dark
intuition that something terrible was on the horizon. Kaitlin never claimed any
psychic gifts but she had a touch of what her granny had called the “fey,” and
her instincts were seldom wrong.
She moved like a woman caught in a dream, picked up her
bouquet, and nodded as she followed Chardonnay into the sanctuary. Her two
bridesmaids, Trina and Amber, were there, dressed in the champagne lace
confections they’d chosen. The music began and she followed them down the aisle
with measured tread, walking, pausing, and continuing. Kaitlin heard more
thunder roll as lightning illuminated the stained-glass windows. Midway down
she noticed a man seated on the bride’s side, one she didn’t recognize.
He wore a black Armani single-breasted suit with a crimson
shirt and tie. His black eyes burned with an inner fire as they met hers and
although his hair was short and well-trimmed, Kaitlin thought it should be
flowing about his shoulders like a warrior. That was probably because he was
Native American but she’d never seen him anywhere until now. There was a power
in their shared gaze, some strange recognition, something she couldn’t
understand.
Kaitlin squared her shoulders and advanced. At the end of
the long aisle, Chad waited on the right, his groomsmen flanking him. The
priest waited in white vestments trimmed in gold for the joyous occasion of
matrimony. If only he knew, she thought. Once there, she handed her
bouquet to Trina and stepped into place.
From rehearsal she knew they would light a family candle
each, then the unity candle while the cantor sang the song they’d chosen. Right
now, she didn’t even remember what it was. A sharp clap of thunder drowned out
the music for a moment and the lights dimmed. Just as they did, she heard a
shot. It whizzed past her by mere inches but missed. Instead, it struck the
stained-glass window at the left of the altar. The multicolored pane shattered
and bits of glass flew in all directions. Kaitlin gasped and glanced about.
Another shot followed the first and she tried to kick off
her shoes but failed. The lights went out and the crowd erupted with noise.
Kaitlin turned to seek shelter and considered diving under the closest pew when
strong arms grasped her.
“Come with me,” a low voice whispered in her ear. “Let’s
go.”
He smelled masculine and musky. Although Kaitlin couldn’t
see him, she let him propel her toward an exit in the dim light. They entered
an unfamiliar corridor and then out through a door she didn’t know existed,
emerging at the side of the church. He hurried her a few more steps to where a
late-model black Chevy Tahoe was parked. The man opened the door to the rear
passenger area and pushed her inside, then dashed to the driver’s seat. He
started the engine and they pulled away from the curb in one swift motion. The
broken window in the sanctuary was visible as he drove away.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked, panting for breath.
“And what happened?”
Kaitlin realized in addition to those major questions she
didn’t have her purse, tucked away hours earlier, and she had no idea what this
man’s name might be. Was he a hero or a villain? She had no clue.
“Protective custody,” he said. She could drown in his voice—rich, smoky, and low-pitched, bass not tenor. “That was
an attempt on your life, as a warning for your fiancé, Dr. Cox, from CJNG.”
“The Jalisco New Generation Cartel?” Kaitlin said. “Why
would they come after me?”
Now that he drove, he’d donned a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses
despite the stormy weather. “To teach him a lesson.”
Her brain seemed stuck. “With me?”
“Yes. Apparently, the good doctor has been failing to
return the profits, stupid move on his part. If they kill you, it’s a warning
that he’s next on the list unless he pays what he owes them.”
It matched what she’d overheard earlier. She still didn’t
recognize him, though.
“Who are you? Why were you at my wedding? And how do you
know?”
He laughed and her anger rose, combining with fear for a
volatile emotional stew.
“Shane Raincrow, United States Marshal,” he said. With one
hand he flipped open his ID and badge. “I was at your wedding because there
were indications that a hit might take place, information provided courtesy of
a little piggy who squealed to save his skin.”
“An informant?”
“A snitch, yes.”
Her heart was still racing and Kaitlin thought she might
puke. Good thing she hadn’t eaten today, due to butterflies in her tummy. “Why
didn’t you just come and tell me before the wedding?”
He switched lanes and continued to drive at breakneck speed
as they headed west out of Springfield. “Would you have listened or believed
me?”
She started to say that she would have but the truth was,
she probably wouldn’t have paid any attention.
“Besides, you weren’t alone for more than a few minutes.
The groom’s sister, what’s her name, Chablis…”
“Chardonnay.”
“Okay, Chardonnay was with you. There wasn’t an optimum
moment.”
Kaitlin digested this and shook her head. “Are we being
followed?”
There was no humor in his voice this time. “I hope not.”
“Are you taking me to jail?”
Raincrow glanced into the rearview mirror at her. “Why
would you think that? Are you guilty of something?”
“I’m not.”
“So, no jail. You won’t have to wear an orange jumpsuit.”
His quip reminded her that she still wore her wedding gown,
veil, and shoes. Kaitlin plucked the veil off and tossed it beside her on the
seat.
“I don’t have anything else to wear.”
“It’ll be provided.”
He still hadn’t told her where they were headed.
“Where?”
Raincrow sighed. “At the safe house.”
“What safe house?”
“The one where I’m taking you,” he said. “That’s all I can
tell you right now. It’s confidential information.”
Kaitlin wanted to stamp her feet against the floor, kick,
and scream. He might smell wonderful and have a voice that resonated but this
man was annoying. He frustrated her with his reluctance to tell her the tiniest
fact.
“Well, was anyone hurt or killed at the wedding?”
“I don’t know … I pulled you out,” he said.
“Well, I imagine Chad is wondering where I went.”
She said it but wondered if he even cared. He hadn’t been
very attentive lately, focused on his work at the clinic and his drug dealing.
Maybe he never had been and she hadn’t noticed. For the last year, her focus
had been her job—teaching literature at a local
high school—and the wedding. Growing up in a
household where if they weren’t destitute, they were poor, they always saved
the margarine tubs to use in place of name-brand storage containers and wore
hand-me-downs or thrift shop bargains. For Kaitlin, dating then being engaged
to a medical doctor, had been a dream come true. Now, it had become a
nightmare.
“I wouldn’t know,” Shane Raincrow said. Something in his
voice warned that he did and that Chad didn’t miss her at all. “What about your
family? Aren’t you concerned about what they think?”
If he had a file on her, he already knew she had none.
“I don’t have any family,” she told him. She was an only
child and she’d lost her parents years ago in a car-versus-train accident, long
before she began dating Chad. She had been fourteen and after, she lived with
her granny until she died during her first year of college.
His voice softened as he said, “I know you lost your
parents and I’m sorry. I can relate. I thought there might be someone else,
aunts or uncles or grandparents.”
Kaitlin sat back and crossed her arms. She did have an
aunt, a couple of uncles, and some scattered cousins. For now, she wouldn’t ask
any more questions that he wouldn’t answer. She'd bide her time and see where
they ended up. Her guess that they were headed for Joplin, Missouri, on the
Oklahoma line proved to be wrong. For one, Highway 60 didn't go to Joplin and
he never changed the route. The only time he slowed was when they came to one
of several small towns along the way. He drove like the proverbial bat out of
hell and they reached Neosho in thirty-four minutes, less than half the time it
should take if he obeyed the speed limit.
He slowed down as they entered the city on the two-lane
highway, through an older section of town. Kaitlin gazed at the homes they
passed, many wedged beside businesses, and cringed. “Is this safe house
nearby?” she asked. “This looks like anything but a safe neighborhood.”
“No, it’s not.” Raincrow hadn’t become any more
communicative.
“What time is it?” She had removed her watch for the
ceremony.
“Quarter till four.”
That had to be wrong. Her wedding began at 3:00 so more
than forty-five minutes had surely passed. “It must be later than that.”
“It’s not.”
“How much farther until we get where we’re going?” she
asked. “When do I get some clothes to change into?”
“The suitcase you had packed for your honeymoon is in the
back,” the Marshal said. “Hopefully you packed some basic stuff. The rest will
be waiting for you.”
They’d planned a vacation in Cancun so she had swimsuits,
shorts, tank tops, and sundresses. There were a few pairs of jeans and two
t-shirts which would have to do until she got something else. Kaitlin didn’t
think she’d even packed a jacket, which now she would like to have. Her bag
contained just a few of her things. Chad had insisted that the rest go in his
much larger bag. The sheer sleeves on the tulle gown weren’t made for warmth
and although it was May, it seemed cool.
“All right,” she replied. “How long till we get there? I
don’t suppose you’ll tell me where.”
“Classified information, but we’re going to get a motel
here tonight.”
Kaitlin started to ask why, then didn’t. He wasn’t going to
tell her. At least in a motel room she could change, take a long, hot shower,
and make some calls. She hoped for a comfortable room but he pulled into an
old, one-story motel that dated from the 1950s with exterior corridors. She
groaned. “We’re staying here? I saw signs for several chain hotels. Why
can’t we go to one of them?”
“It’s just for one night,” Raincrow said. “I need a place
to stay, one where I can watch to see if anyone trailed us. It’s cheap but
clean. I’ve stayed here before.”
He pulled in near the office and turned back to Kaitlin.
“Stay here. Don’t make me handcuff you.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Shane Raincrow grinned and she saw how handsome he was. “I
would, Kaitlin.”
“You know my name!” As soon as she spoke, she realized how
dumb that sounded. Her name must be the bare minimum of what he knew.
“Of course—why wouldn’t I?
Don’t go anywhere.”
She adjusted her attitude. If the man attended her wedding
just to see if any snipers or hit men showed up, he’d have to know her name. He
probably had a file on her. Kaitlin steamed as she waited for him to return. He
was obnoxious. He was insufferable. He was a real pain even if he was
good-looking, especially when he smiled.
He returned with one key. “We’re going to be roommates.”
“I won’t share a bed with you!”
“Then it’s lucky we got the last double room,” he told her.
“Let’s get inside.”
The room, though small, was neat and there were two beds. A
desk with three levels held a 20-inch television, a rotary dial phone, a
microwave oven, a small coffee maker and a mini-fridge. Two beat-up chairs
flanked a small table near the window. The sink was located outside of the
small bathroom that had a commode and a basic tub/shower combination. A wobbly
nightstand between the beds held a single lamp. The bedspreads smelled like
laundry soap so Kaitlin figured they were clean. Raincrow rolled her suitcase
inside and carried his sole bag.
“It’s after 4:30 and I’m hungry,” he said. “Another storm
looks to be moving in so let’s get something delivered. Any preference?”
Right now, she could eat oatmeal and she wouldn’t care. If
she didn’t eat, it wouldn’t be a problem. Food wasn’t a big priority.
“I don’t care.”
“Not on the menu. Pizza? Fast food? Burgers? Fried chicken?
Deli sandwiches? Asian or Mexican? What sounds good?”
She shrugged. “I just want out of this dress.”
Surprise flitted across his face, as if he’d forgotten what
she wore. “Tell you what—I’ll go take a shower.
You can shuck it while I’m in the bathroom.”
He sounded almost kind so she nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”
Kaitlin waited until she heard the shower running, then she
removed the gown which was difficult. The delicate fabric slipped beneath her
fingers and she could have used a second pair of hands to work the tiny
buttons. Asking Shane Raincrow to assist wasn’t an option, however. She managed
to get out of the dress without tearing it or resorting to scissors. She did
her best to hang it on the one rack in the room, then changed into a pair of
denim capri pants and a hot-pink sleeveless blouse. She kicked off the Manolo
Blahnicks and slid her feet into canvas shoes. He emerged, damp and dressed in
a faded pair of gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt featuring the seal of the
Cherokee Nation. As attractive as he’d been in the suit, Raincrow was hotter in
casual clothes.
“You’re Cherokee,” she said.
“Totally,” he replied with a grin. “And starving now. Did
you decide what you’d like to eat?”
“I’m not picky, whatever you’d like.”
Using his phone to access one of the delivery services, he
said, “All right but no bitching if you don’t like what I order.”
Kaitlin figured he’d go for he-man food, rare steak or huge
burritos or a giant burger, but when the food arrived, he’d ordered lemon
chicken, Yushang beef, Kung Pau Chicken and Peking Shrimp with rice, egg rolls,
and crab rangoons. The aromas rising from the cartons aroused her missing
appetite and she decided she could eat a little. She ate a few bites because
the food was delicious until she realized that by now her guests would have
been sitting down for dinner.
“What’s wrong?” Raincrow asked. “You quit eating.”
She sighed. “It would have been dinner by now, Tuscan
chicken or sirloin steak, then the cake.”
The confection had been four tiers, trimmed with real
flowers and no cheesy topper with a bride and groom. She’d chosen a light and
luscious lemon cake with vanilla buttercream frosting. It had been a beautiful
cake and it would have tasted so good. And, it would have been the best part of
the wedding.
“Missing Dr. Golden Boy?” he asked, raising one eyebrow as
he reverted to rude.
Hot words bubbled into her mouth but she didn’t say them.
She didn’t miss Chad, not at all, but the wedding she’d spent more than a year
planning had fallen apart and she’d almost died. Until she’d overheard the
argument at his clinic, Kaitlin had believed her future was secure. She had
known the life she’d live, one with the security of a doctor as the main
breadwinner, in a lovely Mission-style house. Now her future was as uncertain
as the weather, uncharted and more than a little scary.
“No,” she managed to say. “No.”
Then she pushed away her paper plate and began to cry, the
tears she’d held all day erupting into reality. Kaitlin put down her head and
sobbed.
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