Ranger Redemption
Texas Ranger Heroes
Lynn Shannon
RANGER REDEMPTION
Copyright © 2019 by Lynn Balabanos
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by Maria Spada.
Scripture appearing in this novel in whole or in part from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Some secrets are worth killing for…
Criminal defense attorney Megan Hunt is determined to appeal her brother’s murder conviction. It’s a long shot, but she has to try—it’s her fault he’s in prison. After her aunt leaves a cryptic voicemail claiming she’s discovered new evidence, Megan returns home. She’s been warned to come quietly and trust no one, including her unforgettable ex-fiancé, Luke.
Texas Ranger Luke Tatum worked with the sheriff to arrest Megan’s brother using information she gave him. That one decision destroyed their relationship. Seeing her again rips open old wounds and ignites feelings he thought had long faded, but he won’t allow them to interfere with his investigation. Megan’s aunt was nearly killed in a car accident, and Luke suspects it was staged.
Determined to uncover the truth, Megan searches for the evidence and is attacked. She’s forced to accept Luke’s protection, even if being close to the handsome lawman threatens the carefully constructed walls around her heart. Yet the secrets surrounding the case are far more sinister than Megan or Luke imagined, and exposing them could prove deadly.
Also by Lynn Shannon
Available Now
Vanish
Ranger Protection
Ranger Redemption
Ranger Courage
Coming 2020
Ranger Faith
Would you like to know when my next book is released? Or when my novels go on sale? It’s easy. Subscribe to my newsletter and all of the info will come straight to your inbox!
This novel is dedicated to my parents. You taught integrity, perseverance, and a strong work ethic. Everything I’ve accomplished has grown from the seeds you planted. I love you.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-6
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
About the Author
One
Luke’s heart rate spiked as he steered his Texas Ranger-issued Suburban near the broken guardrail. Its jagged edges yawned toward the steep drop-off, and a foreboding cloud of smoke rose from the ravine. Acrid scents of burning oil and melted plastic overtook those of the wildflowers and grass. He radioed into dispatch. Backup was less than five minutes out. Judging from the plumes of smoke, any survivors in the vehicle below didn’t have that much time left.
The woman who’d waved him down ran up when he opened his door. “Thank goodness you’re here. I have my daughter in the car—”
“Were you injured in the accident? Anyone in your vehicle hurt?”
“No.” She swallowed hard. “I wasn’t involved. I was driving past and saw the break in the guardrail.”
“Good, then get in your truck and move half a mile down the road.” On the off chance the car in the ravine exploded, he didn’t want her anywhere nearby. “A sheriff’s deputy will come find you.”
Leaving the turret lights flashing, he pulled open the tailgate and snatched the first aid kit tucked between the crime-scene kit and the rifle. He also grabbed the fire extinguisher.
Lord, please don’t let me be too late. Give me the strength to help.
He raced to the road’s edge.
Below in the ravine, a sedan—or what Luke thought had once been a sedan—was now a hunk of twisted metal. Glass littered the rocks. Crushed vegetation indicated the vehicle hadn’t just gone over the edge of the drop-off from the winding country road; it had rolled several times before landing upside down. Flames shot out of the front end.
Luke’s chest squeezed tight. He hated fires.
He tore down the slope, smoke blowing in his face and obscuring his vision. His cowboy boots skidded along the gravel, and Luke slipped landing on his rear. The first aid kit jabbed him in the back. His hand, slick with sweat, nearly lost its grip on the fire extinguisher.
He righted himself and kept going. Smoke burned his lungs. His eyes watered. Luke held his breath, his pulse pounding in his ears.
The wind shifted. He took several deep breaths of fresh air and tasted ash on his tongue. Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he closed the last few feet with long strides. Heat from the fire seared him. He yanked the pin from the fire extinguisher and unloaded it.
Seconds. Precious seconds. But it might slow the fire down enough to get people out. In the distance, sirens blared. Tossing the empty fire extinguisher aside, he lunged for the opening created by the broken passenger-side window. A woman hung upside down in the driver’s seat. Blood ran from her head, coating the side of her face and her blonde hair streaked with gray. She was unconscious.
Luke sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, no.”
It was his ex-fiancée’s aunt, June. Megan could not lose the woman who’d raised her. Not like this. A stronger sense of urgency welled in his chest. He scanned the interior of the car. June was the only occupant. Ignoring the glass scattered along the roof, he drew
