But this side of it provided the best shelter. He moved soundlessly through the soft, fresh snow, not worried about leaving tracks. He could see the back of the house ahead through the trees. He would have to cross the creek at some point and then he would be exposed for twenty yards before he reached the rear of the building. Fortunately the neighbors next to the house had a high fence. He just hoped they didn’t have a barking dog.
At the creek’s edge, he tested the ice. It was always thinner along the bank. The ice broke under his weight with a loud crack. He felt his boot break through. He took another step—farther out this time, then another. He would hear the ice groaning under his weight. He was almost to the middle when a light came on at the back of the house, and Jon froze.
CHAPTER TWENTY
MATTHEWS RUBBED A hand over his face as he turned on the kitchen light. He couldn’t sleep. Aimlessly, he opened the refrigerator and peered around inside. Beer. Leftover pizza and a few condiments. He closed the door and tried the cupboards. Empty except for a large bag of Cheezies. What the hell?
He unrolled the top. Someone had already gotten into them. Not that he minded. He took out a handful. Canada’s brand of Cheetos. He could live with that.
His stomach roiled, but he ignored the nauseous feeling, knowing it had nothing to do with what he was putting into his system right now. Nerves. His skin hurt as if his whole body had broken out in a rash. Half the time, he felt as if he would jump out of it.
Too much hinged on this deal going down without any problems. He had to relax. He had to believe that this would work. He’d been assured that the men at this end knew what they were doing and had done it numerous times before without a hitch. He was betting everything on it—including his life.
He had to believe he was in good hands, given the highway patrolman—if that’s what the officer really had been—who’d given him the note. So, he shouldn’t worry. These people had everything under control.
But even as he thought this, he knew the real hitch was asleep in a bedroom in this very house. Kate. He wanted to trust her, but he knew he couldn’t. Earlier, he’d been sure she was about to blow everything when she’d tried to get the officer’s attention. Even with leverage, she had too much fire in her.
Which threw him for a loop as he thought of the quiet, easygoing woman he’d targeted. That Kate had been docile, easy to manipulate. It had taken more time than he’d expected to work his way into her life, but she’d finally agreed to marry him and take off her old wedding ring. He’d thought then that he had her. And he had, he was sure of it. If the SUV hadn’t broken down and they hadn’t ended up in Buckhorn... If she hadn’t seen that damned carpenter...
But all that aside, he hadn’t known this Kate. The one with fire in her eyes, who glared daggers at him. The one who looked as if she could scratch his eyes out. The one who everything about this deal depended on.
Rubbing his neck, he realized that if he’d just taken a different road across Montana everything would be different now. They probably would be planning their wedding—after this quick trip to Canada. She wouldn’t have known what was really going down. He would have made sure of that.
Unfortunately, she was too smart, too independent, too much better than him, and she would have realized it even if she’d never laid eyes on that carpenter, if he was being honest with himself. Even if he hadn’t had her daughter taken hostage.
Strange how in the middle of the night he often saw things more clearly. Jon Harper—whether or not he was her husband—had made her realize the kind of man she wanted. And that man wasn’t Collin. If it hadn’t been Jon, then it would have been someone else who opened her eyes.
He felt a bitter twist of his gut at the thought that he hadn’t measured up to even some scarred, broke carpenter living in some two-bit town. He’d watched her fall in love with the man within a matter of days. He wasn’t even sure that she cared whether the man was her long-lost husband or not.
Balling his hands into fists, he knew he would never forgive Kate for that. How had he thought that maybe everything wasn’t lost? Whatever had happened in Buckhorn, it had changed everything. When he looked at her, he saw a different woman. This woman was stronger, indomitable. Dangerous.
It was as if Jon Harper had brought out the real Kate. He thought how ironic that was. Now, though, Collin didn’t know what to expect from her, and that made this whole thing even more precarious.
He ate another handful of the Cheezies and closed the bag, stuffing it back into the cupboard. He knew he still wouldn’t be able to sleep. He wished he could go for a walk, but no way was he leaving Kate alone. For all he knew, she could be lying in the spare room awake, just waiting for him to do something like that. He hated to think what he might come back to.
As it was, he planned to sleep with one eye open. Opening the refrigerator again, he pulled out a beer and, sitting down at the table, took out his phone. By this time tomorrow, they would be back in the States, his job over. He’d get his cut, and then...
He took a swig of the beer, eyes narrowing. And then what? He thought of Kate in the next room sleeping when he couldn’t. At that moment, he hated her even more. How could he let her go when this was over? She’d go to the cops. He had no doubt about that. He’d hoped they would be married after this, so even if she figured out why they’d gone to Canada, she couldn’t testify against him.
The thought now made him laugh. She would have seen through him at some point, anyway. Maybe it was better this way. Everything was out in the open. Soon it would be all over. He’d have the money he needed. He could say that he dropped Kate off in a city that had car rentals. The last he saw of her, she was headed back to Buckhorn and Jon Harper.
Everyone would believe him. He’d told her daughter Mia about what was going on, so it wouldn’t come as that much of a surprise to her—or anyone in Buckhorn. No one would suspect him when Kate never turned up. In fact, once it came out about Jon Harper’s past, he’d be the likely suspect in her disappearance.
And if her body was ever found? He’d make sure it never did happen. But if it did turn up, it would still appear that Jon Harper was the killer. By then, the mob would have taken care of him. The man would finally, truly, be dead. Case closed.
Collin realized there was one fly in the ointment. The younger daughter. Once he’d taken care of Kate, he’d have to order his associate to take care of Danielle. He couldn’t afford to leave any loose ends.
He started to relax a little as he finished his beer and got himself another one from the refrigerator. He’d thought of everything. Once he’d taken care of business, he’d place an anonymous call and get the word out in Oklahoma City as to where they could find Justin Brown. That’s if Nels hadn’t already.
Collin smiled to himself, feeling a little better. Kate had complicated things, but in the end, it was all going to turn out fine. Better than fine. Tomorrow, they would pick up the wedding dress and then the rental SUV would be taken to the shop to make a few minor alterations on it.