To the west, the sun dipped behind the mountains, turning the horizon a stunning shade of pink, transforming clouds into hues of blazing gold.
He felt her tremble and looked to see tears streaming down her face, the last rays of the sun casting her skin in a pink glow.
“It’s beautiful.”
While she watched the sunset, clearly awestruck, he found himself watching her. “Yes. Beautiful.”
Chapter 13
They arrivedhome to find a black SUV with government license plates parked in front of the house.
Naomi’s pulse spiked. “Do you know them?”
“It’s McBride.” Chaska parked in the driveway, then reached over to give her hand a squeeze. “No matter what he’s here to tell us, it’s going to be okay.”
She climbed out and made her way across the lawn to the front steps, Chaska close beside her carrying her camera bag. They found McBride sitting in the living room, armed and wearing body armor, Winona in the chair across from him, Shota leashed and sitting beside her, eyeing McBride warily.
McBride got to his feet when they walked in.
So did Shota.
The wolf pushed past McBride to greet them, giving Naomi’s hand a lick, then flopping onto his side at Chaska’s feet.
“How was your day?” Winona looked relieved to see them.
Naomi answered. “It was wonderful.”
Until now.
“Give me just a minute, McBride.” Chaska rubbed the wolf’s belly, tousled his fur, grabbed his muzzle, speaking to him in Lakota.
“I’ll feed him and get him settled for the night.” Win got to her feet, took Shota’s leash and led him out of the room.
“That’s a beautiful animal. Winona tells me the wolf led them to you, Ms. Archer. That’s an amazing stroke of luck.”
“Yes, it was.” Naomi sat beside him, propped her crutches against the sofa, her heart beating a little too fast. “You have news?”
Why else would he be here?
“I do, and I wanted you to hear it from me.”
That didn’t sound good.
McBride grinned. “We got him.”
Relief washed through Naomi in a wave, her eyes going shut, the breath leaving her lungs in a rush. She inhaled, opened her eyes. “How? When?”
“Our search teams located him hiding in an abandoned vehicle several miles west of Crestone. We surrounded him, and that was it. He tried to rush one of our officers, probably hoping we’d shoot him. The officer decked him instead.”
Naomi’s stomach sank. “He’s … he’s still alive?”
If he was alive, he might escape again, and then…
“Any chance he’ll escape again?” Chaska stood at her end of the sofa, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze on McBride.
McBride shook his head. “Not a chance. He’s in lockdown—disciplinary segregation. I can understand why you’re worried, Ms. Archer, but I wanted to bring him in alive for a reason. Suicide-by-cop would have been the easy way out. I want him topayfor the two correctional officers he killed in Texas—and for what he did to you.”
Naomi heard the suppressed anger in McBride’s voice and knew that he meant what he’d said. “What will happen to him?”