“Paul called me to help.”
Her eyes swept around the gym and scanned the floor where the game took place. “Just stay out of my way.”
Several people glanced at them. Cade buttoned his tan suit jacket so his gun or his badge didn’t show and moved up behind her, searching for Michelle over Tory’s shoulder. “I don’t see her playing,” he whispered, realizing they were already making a scene.
“Or sitting with her team.” Tory shoved her way through the spectators until she broke free of the crowd around the doors and quickened her steps toward the team members and coaches on the sidelines.
Then two players on the opposing team parted and revealed Michelle out of bounds, throwing the ball into play.
His daughter was safe. Some of his tension flowed out of him.
Tory kept going while his daughter ran toward her team’s basket. A Mustang player passed the ball back to Michelle. Cade wanted to watch, but he needed to catch up with Tory while he called Paul and let him know that Michelle was safe.
Tory stopped at the edge of the home team’s bench. Sounds of cheers erupted around Cade, and he looked out onto the court. Michelle had scored. It had been years since he’d been in this gym. He’d been looking forward to seeing her play tonight. But the moment he’d been looking forward to was now tainted with a threat to Michelle because of Tory’s job.
“I wish they would take a break. Michelle would never forgive me if I ran onto the court and snatched her off it.” Tory stood rigid next to Cade, her arms folded over her chest, while following her daughter’s every move. Tension poured off her, her teeth digging into her bottom lip.
A minute later, the fans jumped to their feet, yelling, “Go Mustangs.” Forgetting for a few seconds why he was here with Tory beside him, Cade added his encouragement. A girl threw the ball to Michelle who had a better position to take the shot, and she tossed the ball into the air.
The swish as it passed through the net set the crowd off again, and Cade cheered, grinning as though he’d made the shot. “That’s the way to play.”
Tory threw him a piercing look. Cade sobered.
The visiting coach called a time-out.
“Finally.” Tory charged toward the head coach as the players came off the court.
Cade followed.
“Coach Bates,” Tory called out.
The balding man glanced in her direction, his forehead wrinkled. He took several steps to Tory. “Is there something wrong, Mrs. Carson?”
“I need to take Michelle out of the game,” Tory said while Cade scanned the crowd for any threat, many fans watching what was happening between the coach and Tory. “There’s been a threat.”
“Against the team?”
“No, my daughter. She’s in danger.” Tory finally pointed to Cade. “This is Ranger Cade Morgan. He’s here to escort her from the gym.”
Cade spied Michelle marching over to them, her cheeks red, her blue eyes so like his own, darkening with questions. He touched Tory’s elbow and nodded toward Michelle a few feet away.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
“You need to leave with me now. I’ll explain everything outside.”
“But I can’t. The game just started. We barely have the lead.”
“Sorry. This isn’t up for debate.” Tory grasped Michelle’s hand, then looked at the crowd still bunched around the exit.
Cade stepped forward. “We’ll use the back door.” Then to the coach, he asked, “Is it still locked from the outside, but we can leave through it?”
The man nodded, still bewildered.
“Let’s go.” Cade took up the rear while indicating the exit at the far end of the gym where fewer people stood. “Wait at the door.”
Cade continued to assess his surroundings. The man Tory was prosecuting right now was ruthless. But he wouldn’t let his daughter—or Tory—be Mederos’s victim. Tory paused at the doors leading into the back hallway where the weight room and a smaller gym were located. Michelle stopped and turned to watch the game.
Seeing the two together was like staring at a younger version of Tory, except for Michelle’s blue eyes. Both had long, curly blond hair, a thin build and an oval face with a sprinkle of freckles across their pert noses.
“Let me check the hall first.” He went through the double doors first, inspecting the corridor on both sides. Empty. “Okay, let’s hurry.”
Cade trailed right behind Tory and Michelle, frequently glancing behind him. When they reached the rear exit, Cade went out first, checking the area. Now all they had to do was round the building and make it to his SUV in the parking lot.
He gestured in the direction they should go, his grasp on his gun. Tory grabbed Michelle’s hand and headed to the left side of the gym.
A few feet from the corner, Michelle halted and tugged her hand free. “What’s going on? You’re scaring me.” She looked over her shoulder at Cade. “Who are you?”
He pulled his jacket open. “I’m Cade Morgan and you two are in danger. I’m here to take you to your house for Chief Drake.” He wanted to say so much more. But there was no time for that right now.
Michelle’s eyes widened. “Mom, is that true?”
Tory flashed him a penetrating look, meant to stop him from saying anything else. “Yes. We had a break-in at the house.”
But Cade would say or do whatever was needed to keep them safe. He stepped around the pair and peered around the corner. “It’s clear. My SUV is on this side of the parking lot. We’ll head for it.”
The exit door they used opened. Cade ushered the two around to the side of the building before anyone saw them. He peeked at whoever was coming outside. Three teenage boys, dressed in sweats, left the rear of the gym. They didn’t appear to be members of the biker gang.
He quickly covered the short distance between himself and Michelle and Tory.
“Why can’t we drive home in our car?” Tory asked as she halted at the front side.
“Because it’s been sitting out in the parking lot for the whole town to see and have access to.”
“So is yours.”
“But I’m not the one they’re after.”
The color drained from Tory’s face.
“Who are they?” Michelle plastered herself against the brick building, distress taking over her expression. “Mom?” She glanced between him and Tory.
“I’ll tell you later. We need to do what Cade says. He was your dad’s best friend in high school. He has our best interest at heart.”
“But why would—”
The sound of motorcycles roared through the air, coming nearer as riders entered the school parking lot, all wearing the skull and crossbones emblem on their jackets.
Trapped.
Cade poked his head around the corner. There were three bikers. The motorcycles went up and down the rows of vehicles. His SUV was fifty feet away. Too far to run to undetected.
Cade withdrew his cell phone and placed a call to the police station. “I need at least one squad car if not two to come to the parking lot at the high school gym. There are three members of Mederos’s gang patrolling the cars. Have the officers put their sirens on.”