Branded by Lust: 4 (Night Seekers) by Desiree Holt Read Free Book Online Page B

situation.
    And every one of them seemed to be singing the same song.
Had Logan seen pictures of the ranger’s body? Did it look like those of Julie
and Wade? Did he have any idea what kind of creature did this? Was he still
convinced it was a beast out of legend that actually was real? And what was he
going to do about it? A lot of them still remembered the other killings and
even seasoned hunters knew whatever had killed the ranger wasn’t anything
they’d had contact with before.
    Rebecca ate her sandwich and listened, assessing the tenor
of the conversations and the mood of the community. Logan was right. Just like
The Crown, if you wanted to learn anything, this was the place to come. By the
time they made their way out of the Big Horn—with Moose refusing to give them a
bill for their lunch—her head was spinning.
    “If everyone in this town thinks the Chupacabra might be
real and wants you to follow up on it, why doesn’t the sheriff take the hint?”
    Logan cranked over the ignition on the truck and adjusted
the heater. “Rance Danvers is an old-line, old-time sheriff. He’s been around
for a lot of years. Like I told you, he was senior deputy when I left and
moving him into the spot was the easiest thing for the commission to do.”
    “But doesn’t he have to stand for election?” Rebecca asked.
“That’s the way it usually works.”
    “I think the county commission doesn’t seem to be inclined
to move him out. And truthfully, except for the Chupacabra killings, there’s
not a whole lot of crime in the county. But he’s stuck on his theories.
Period.” He pulled out onto the highway. “I usually had to work around him.”
    She glanced at him with curiosity. “Do you ever regret
leaving? Or think about coming back?”
    “No. I miss the ranch and I get back here when I can. When
my brother and sister-in-law were killed, finding that beast became the total
focus of my life. That’s why I jumped at Craig’s offer. There are a lot of
bright, knowledgeable men on the staff who could easily take Danvers’ place if
the commission would get off its duff and quit coddling him.”
    “Do you think people will put pressure on him with this new
kill?”
    “I don’t know.” Logan shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out soon
enough. I just hope we can track this thing, with or without Danvers, before it
hits kills two and three.”
    Rebecca couldn’t control a slight shiver. “The photos of the
park ranger’s body were just as gruesome as all the others we’ve seen. Don’t
you think if you showed the sheriff the other photos he’d see the similarity
and change his opinion?”
    “Honestly?” Logan wheeled around a corner and pulled into a
parking lot in front of a square building. “I think he might actually be afraid
to take a good look at this. It’s a lot safer if you don’t operate out of your
comfort zone. You don’t have to look for answers you don’t have. Okay, we’re
here. Let’s go see what kind of reception we get.”
     
    This is like old home week , Logan thought when they
walked in. Almost.
    At first everyone stared, obviously stunned by his
appearance. Then Doug Hayward—part of the detective division and dressed in his
usual jeans and a blazer—cracked a smile, came forward and held out his hand.
    “Damn!” he said. “I thought we’d seen the last of your ugly
face around here.”
    Logan laughed, relieved at the reception he was getting.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
    He shook hands with everyone and introduced Rebecca, aware
that they all looked at her with more than passing curiosity. Even though he
was emphatic about identifying her as a team member and his partner, he could
still see speculation in some eyes. He wondered if he was being quite as good
at concealing his feelings as he thought.
    “Rance around?” he asked finally.
    “In his office,” Doug said. “Just knock on the door. He
doesn’t have anyone with him.”
    “Come in,” a familiar