The Marshal's Justice (Appaloosa Pass Ranch 4) by Delores Fossen Page A

marshal looking at a potential suspect.
    The very one Crossman had warned them about.
    “Get started on answering those questions I just asked,” Chase demanded. “How did you even know they were here?”
    “When I heard there was blood found at Quentin’s house, I hired a team of private investigators to start checking the hospitals. I thought if he was seriously hurt, he would need some help.”
    Chase shook his head. “Quentin wasn’t admitted here under his own name.”
    “I didn’t figure he would be,” Malcolm readily answered. “Not with April and him being in WITSEC. But I had the PIs check this particular hospital because I thought Quentin might try to come here. Because of your past connection to April.”
    Past? That was not the right thing to say.
    Malcolm wasn’t an idiot. At least she didn’t think he was. So maybe he was just pushing Chase’s buttons on purpose. And in Malcolm’s case, April was fairly certain that jealousy was involved here. She hadn’t done anything to lead Malcolm on. In fact, she’d been out and out rude to him on numerous occasions, but that hadn’t caused him to back off.
    “You knew I was in WITSEC?” she asked. “For how long?”
    “Practically from the first day I met you.” Malcolm paused, smiled again. But this time, there was discomfort in that smile. “I don’t allow many people into my life. I’ve been burned by those who are only after my money. So, after we met at the hospital, I ran a background check on you.”
    April glared at him. Both Quentin and Chase groaned, but it was Chase who responded. “Nothing would have turned up about April in a normal background check.”
    “My staff was thorough,” Malcolm said as if choosing his words carefully. “And soon they found Quentin.”
    Quentin didn’t just groan that time. He cursed and looked at her. “I had no idea he knew you. He never said.” Then, his gaze flew to Malcolm. “What the hell were you trying to do? Get information on April?”
    “I was trying to figure out a way to keep Bailey and her safe,” Malcolm said without hesitating.
    “It wasn’t your job to do that,” Chase pointed out.
    That put some fire in Malcolm’s otherwise ice-blue eyes. “Well, you didn’t do a very good job of it, did you?”
    April had known Malcolm only two months and she’d never seen his temper flare. She was certainly seeing it now. But then, so was Chase’s. She didn’t want this to turn into a man contest, not when they were so short of answers. Still, Malcolm was giving her the creeps.
    “Did you hack into WITSEC files to find me?” she asked, and April didn’t bother to make it sound friendly.
    Malcolm looked as if she had punched him. “Of course not. I wouldn’t have endangered you that way. The PIs used facial recognition software and matched it to some old photos of you they found on the internet.”
    The marshals had deleted as many photos as they could find, but April had always known there might be some still floating around. That was the main reason the marshals had wanted to place her in a different state, but April had always figured if someone wanted to find her hard enough, they could.
    And apparently Malcolm had.
    “April,” Malcolm said, coming closer to her. At least that’s what he tried to do, but Chase blocked his way. Despite that, Malcolm snagged her gaze from over Chase’s shoulder. “I know this all must seem strange to you, but what I felt for you was instant. Love at first sight.”
    She dropped back a step. “You don’t even know me.”
    “That’s not true. We spent all that time talking when Bailey was in the intensive care unit. You cried on my shoulder.”
    Chase glanced back at her.
    “I would have cried on anyone’s shoulder then,” April explained. She huffed, tried to say this in a way that would make it crystal clear to Malcolm. “I don’t have those kinds of feelings for you. And I never will.”
    If he was fazed by that, Malcolm didn’t