The Promise (The Protectors Book 4) Read online

Matthew took the folder she handed him. “We’ll leave this here. Is the other folder focused on Congressman Welsh?”

  “It is. Do you think Jasmine will read between the lines and realize that we thought she was involved?”

  He wouldn’t have expected anything less from the wealthy socialite. “Probably. We need to know what she intends to do with the information her private investigator found.”

  “I don’t think she’ll be going to the police.”

  Matthew held out his hand. “There’s only one way to find out. Are you ready to face the lion’s den?”

  Ashley squared her shoulders and placed her hand in his. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go.”

  ***

  Two hours later, Jasmine left the ranch. While Matthew cooked dinner, Ashley and Sean had finished a few chores around the ranch.

  Sean had come inside ten minutes ago. Ashley had stayed in the barn. She had a soft spot for Chan, Nathan’s horse, and Matthew couldn’t blame her. As well as having an easy-going personality, he was the most intelligent horse they’d ever owned.

  He opened the oven door, checked dinner, then headed out of the house toward the barn.

  Chan and Sandy were in their stalls, content to munch on their oats. There was no sign of Ashley. The tack room was empty, and so were the rest of the stalls.

  “Ashley? Are you in here?”

  “I’m in the loft,” she yelled from above him.

  Matthew stood in front of the ladder. “What are you doing up there?”

  “Feeding the cats.”

  He hauled himself up the ladder and stared at her. She was sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by their six barn cats. Grouchy sat on her lap, purring like a freight train.

  “You’ve made a friend.”

  She tickled Grouchy under his chin. “He’s a good boy.”

  Matthew could have sworn the old cat grinned. “Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Thanks.”

  Seeing Ashley sit cross-legged with straw in her hair made him wish for a lot of things that would never happen. He studied the line of her jaw, the way her mouth tilted into a smile when Grouchy licked her hand. She was as much at home on his family’s ranch as he was, only she refused to admit it.

  “Why didn’t you fly back to New York with Jasmine in her private jet?”

  “Too risky. If someone took a photo of us, Congressman Welsh would know something was going on.”

  He nodded and looked through the loft window. From this height, the land looked like a patchwork quilt. The early evening light painted the ranch in splashes of purple and deep green. In the distance, the Bridger Range rose and fell, shrouded in a blanket of shadows and mystery.

  Ashley patted Tabitha, their oldest barn cat. “I’m going to miss your cats. They’ve all got different personalities.”

  He watched Hoppy push Gonzo out of the way of the grits. “Some are bossier than others. I’m surprised you’re up here. I thought you didn’t like heights.”

  “I don’t, but I force myself to come up here each day. I might be able to stand on the roof of my apartment building when I get home.”

  “What’s on the roof?”

  “A garden. Mrs. Moretti and Mr. Stokes live in my apartment building. They decided to make a rooftop garden last year. Up until now, I’ve only seen photos of their flowers and shrubs. When I see the plants in real life, I’ll tell them it was because of your barn cats.”

  The happiness on Ashley’s face was almost enough to make him forget she was leaving. She was more content than she’d been all week. In some strange way, it felt as though the last three years had never happened.

  Sissy and Spinach, his twin cats, jumped off a hay bale. He moved his legs as they ran toward their dinner. “I’m surprised Jasmine agreed to your plan.”

  Ashley had convinced Jasmine that the only way she would come out unscathed from what Congressman Welsh had done, was to tell everyone her side of the story.

  They’d spent more than an hour together, talking about The Reaching High Foundation and Congressman Welsh’s involvement in its activities.

  Ashley lifted Grouchy off her lap and moved across to the cat bowls. “Jasmine wasn’t kidding when she said the non-profits she manages are important to her. Everyone assumes she’s another daddy’s-little-rich-girl, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. She knows what she’s talking about when it comes to business.”

  Matthew frowned. “She wasn’t very clever when it came to Congressman Welsh.”

  “I’ve met him at a couple of charity events. He’s a charmer. More people than Jasmine were sucked into believing his stories. The sad thing is that his fraud would have gone unnoticed if he’d won the mayoral election. Over time, his new salary would have more than covered the money he stole. No one would have known what he’d done.”

  “Has Jason called you with the results of the search warrant?”

  Ashley sighed. “Not yet.”

  “What are you going to do with the information Jasmine gave you?”

  “I’ll write a follow-up story, then send a copy of the interview to the police. I hope Jasmine’s charities survive what’s happened.”

  Tabitha rubbed against Matthew’s leg. He absently patted her head. “You’re getting more and more involved in this story.”

  “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”

  “I’m not a reporter, but I’d say one of the worst things you can do is become too attached to your story. What if Jasmine turns out to be a bad guy? What are you going to do then?”

  Ashley wiped her hands on her jeans. “I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. But just for the record, I don’t think she is involved in the fraud. She cares too much about the people she’s helping.”

  “I think you’re right, but you don’t have the proof you need. If it gets too messy in New York, you can come back here. Bonnie and Harry could come, too.”

  “I don’t think that would work. Bonnie and Harry are always bickering. I’m amazed they’ve survived living together.”

  Matthew frowned. “Bonnie was in trouble. Harry didn’t have a choice. He had to help her.”

  Ashley glanced at him. “Why did you help me?”

  He looked into her blue eyes and sighed. If she didn’t know by now, she never would. “I didn’t have a choice, either. I’ll see you inside for dinner.”

  “I’ll come with you.” She slowly followed him down the ladder, not saying anything until she had both feet on the ground. “Catherine and Toby are lucky to live here.”

  It wasn’t the right time to point out that she could have lived here, too. “We’ve all been lucky. A lot of kids aren’t able to experience what mom and dad gave us.”

  “I’m glad they didn’t mind me spending my weekends here.”

  “They enjoyed your company as much as I did.”

  Chan’s head appeared over the rail of his stall.

  Ashley stopped and rubbed his nose, smiling as he blew warm air onto her face. “Good boy,” she murmured. “I’ll see you again, sometime soon.” She gave Chan a final scratch before leaving the barn.

  Matthew wanted to believe that she’d be back, he really did. But life had a way of overtaking every promise Ashley made. He hoped that this time he was wrong.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The next day came around far too quickly. Ashley wove through the crowd of people at the airport, trying to find somewhere quiet where she could wait for Matthew. He’d left her beside the terminal building before looking for a parking space. She didn’t know what was happening today, but half of Bozeman seemed to be at the airport.

  It wasn’t that long ago that she’d arrived, feeling like a fugitive on the run and hoping no one recognized her. This time, she wasn’t wearing her black wig or baseball cap. It didn’t matter if anyone knew her. If all went to plan, her story would be published in The Daily Times in the next couple of days. If Congressman Welsh made headlines across Am
erica, her life could be crazy until another story hit the headlines.

  “I’m glad you decided to stay by the entrance,” Matthew said from behind her. “I wouldn’t have found you in this crowd.”

  Ashley handed him a cup of coffee. “This is for you.”

  “Thanks. Are you ready to leave?”

  “I am. It took a while to check-in my suitcases.” She glanced at the escalator. Upstairs were the security checkpoints and the boarding gate for her flight home. She turned to Matthew, not sure what to say to him. “Thank you for looking after me.”

  “You’re welcome. Call me when you arrive.”

  “Are you sure? It will be late when I land.”

  He frowned something fierce. “Call me. It doesn’t matter about the time.” Matthew looked down at her carry-on. “I meant what I said about coming back to the ranch. You don’t have to be in trouble—you can visit whenever you like.”

  Ashley bit her bottom lip to stop it from trembling. “Okay. I’d better go upstairs or I’ll miss my flight. Can I give you a hug?”

  Matthew’s arms opened. “You’d better.”

  As soon as she stepped into his warm embrace, she felt a hundred times worse. She already missed him and that feeling could only get worse.

  He kissed the side of her face and stepped away. “Take care.”

  The only thing Ashley could do was nod. If she didn’t leave now, she’d start crying. She quickly kissed his cheek. “Bye.”

  She wheeled her carry-on across to the escalator, vowing not to look back at the man she could never forget.

  “Ashley! Wait.”

  She turned around. Jason dodged a group of people standing in the entranceway and headed toward her. “I’m glad I caught you before you boarded. Where’s Matthew?”

  “Behind you.”

  Jason looked over his shoulder and shook Matthew’s hand. “Come with me.” He moved away from the escalator, finding a quiet area beside a statue of a moose. “I’ve got good news. The search warrants found more than we thought they would. The FBI has charged Congressman Welsh with a long list of felonies including racketeering, bribery, and fraud.”

  Ashley’s eyes widened. “When did that happen?”

  “About an hour ago.”

  Matthew touched her arm. “Are you all right? You look like you’re going to faint.”

  “I just…I didn’t think it would happen this fast. I need to call my editor.” She pulled her cell phone out of her bag. “Do you know if the FBI has arrested Jasmine Alfredo?”

  Jason shook his head. “She hasn’t been arrested, but her personal bank accounts have been frozen. She won’t be able to touch any money until the FBI has finished their investigation. The treasurer of The Reaching High Foundation has been cleared of any wrong doing.”

  Matthew stepped to his right, shielding Ashley from a group of tourists taking a photo of the moose.

  When her editor answered his phone, she told him what had happened and arranged to meet him as soon as her plane landed. After she ended the call, she looked at the time.

  “I need to leave or I’ll miss my flight.”

  “Come with me.” Jason led her and Matthew toward an elevator. “You’ll beat the line of people coming off the escalator.” He pushed the button and the metal doors opened.

  Ashley’s eyes filled with tears. “I’ll be okay on my own. I know where I’m going.” She threw her arms around Jason and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you.”

  “You did all the hard work.”

  “Maybe, but I wouldn’t have been able to get the search warrants without you. I’ll let you know what happens after my stories are published.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Before common sense kicked in, she stepped into Matthew’s arms and gave him another hug. She forced a smile as more tears filled her eyes. “Two hugs in one night. We’re setting a world record.”

  “If you don’t leave now it won’t be the only world record you’ll have to beat,” Matthew said gruffly. “You need to hurry or you’ll miss your flight.” He leaned forward and kissed her quickly on the lips. “Call me as soon as you land.”

  Ashley stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the first floor. When she was finally alone, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  There were lots of reasons why she needed to leave Bozeman. It was the best thing she could do for her career, she had friends she loved and a life in New York that was better and busier than what she’d ever had here. She’d left once, and she had even more incentive to do it again.

  The doors opened and she pulled her carry-on into the security area. With a trembling hand, she wiped her eyes and looked through a window at the crowds below.

  Matthew and Jason were still in the terminal building. While Matthew spoke to someone on his cell phone, Jason scanned the people around them.

  Ashley had no idea what he was looking for, but it must have been important. The frown on his face was enough to stop anyone getting close.

  When Matthew ended his call, Jason started talking.

  Matthew nodded a few times then looked at the people taking the escalator to the first floor. He said something to Jason, then rubbed his forehead.

  She hoped whatever they were talking about had nothing to do with her, because they seemed worried.

  A child screamed from somewhere behind her and Ashley glanced at her watch. She really needed to get through security.

  Her carry-on spun on its wheels as she hauled it to the nearest line of people. With her ticket clutched in her hand, she tried to think positive thoughts, but all she could see was the sadness in Matthew’s eyes when she’d said goodbye.

  ***

  As soon as she walked into the arrivals area of LaGuardia Airport, Ashley saw Bonnie. She was waving frantically from beside Harry.

  She smiled and waved at her friends. Her gaze landed on a man standing beside Harry. He had the same kind of guarded expression as Jason. He wasn’t here to welcome anyone home.

  Ashley moved through the crowd, heading straight into her friend’s open arms.

  “It’s so good to see you,” Bonnie said as she hugged her tight. “I made a sign welcoming you home, but Harry didn’t think it was a good idea to bring it.”

  Harry kissed her cheek. “Welcome home.” He nodded at the man standing beside him. “This is Special Agent Fallon. He works for the FBI.”

  “What’s happened?”

  Bonnie pulled her close. “Wait until we’re in the car.”

  Harry and Bonnie took a suitcase each, wheeling them quickly across the terminal. Ashley looked at the FBI agent. He was studying the people around them, blocking access to anyone moving too close.

  The wheels of her carry-on bumped over a mat as they left the building. Even at ten o’clock at night, the hot, sticky, summer heat hit her like a blast from a furnace.

  They moved quickly along the sidewalk, dodging families with mounds of luggage and people who looked as though they were lost.

  The FBI agent veered left. The lights on an SUV blinked as he unlocked the doors. “Get straight into the car. I’ll organize the bags.” He took her carry-on out of her hands and led her toward the passenger door.

  “I’ll sit beside you and explain everything,” Bonnie said from behind Ashley.

  As soon as they’d pulled on their seat belts, Special Agent Fallon started the ignition and drove out of the parking lot.

  Harry’s relieved sigh did nothing to calm Ashley’s nerves.

  Bonnie patted her hand. “Someone sent an email to The Daily Times this afternoon. They threatened to bomb our building if we didn’t walk away from the story about Congressman Welsh.”

  “Is everyone okay?”

  “As okay as you can expect. The police closed the building and told us stay away. The FBI interviewed everyone and want to see you as soon as you arrive.”

  “Where is Mr. Phillips?” Ron Phillips was Ashley’s editor. They were supposed to meet at his offic
e.

  “He’s with the FBI. We’re going there now.”

  Harry was sitting in the front seat. He turned around and glanced at Bonnie. “A team of FBI agents have been in my apartment. They want us to stay in a hotel for a few nights.”

  Ashley was confused. “Why were they there?”

  “Someone broke into Harry’s apartment this morning,” Bonnie said.

  “But Harry’s apartment building has cameras and locks everywhere. No one should have been able to get in without a security card.”

  “That’s what we thought, too,” Harry said. “The other apartment owners aren’t happy.”

  Bonnie sighed. “There’s something else you should know. The man who was outside your apartment before you went to Buffalo came back a few nights ago. Mrs. Moretti called us straight away.”

  Ashley leaned forward and spoke to Special Agent Fallon. “Do you think the bomb threat came from the person who’s looking for me?”

  “We don’t know.”

  “They’re probably trying to scare us,” Bonnie said. “No one would blow up an office building and hurt people because of a news story, would they?”

  “You’d be surprised,” Special Agent Fallon murmured.

  Ashley patted her pockets, looking for her cell phone. “I need to call Matthew. He asked me to let him know when I’d arrived.”

  Special Agent Fallon looked at Ashley in the rearview mirror. “Don’t use your phone. We’ll be at the FBI offices in half an hour. You can call him from there.”

  “It isn’t my personal phone. Harry bought it for me before I left New York.”

  “No phone call.” Special Agent Fallon’s voice was as flat as the stare he sent her.

  Bonnie’s fingers tightened on her hand. “Tell me about Bozeman.”

  Ashley didn’t know where to start. “It was hot, but not like this. I’d forgotten what clean air smells like. I enjoyed seeing Amy, Tess, and Erin again. It was almost as if I’d never left.”

  “Did you ride any of the horses on Matthew’s ranch?”

  Bonnie knew how much Ashley loved riding. “No. Maybe next time.”

  “You’re going back?”