Ridge (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood Book 4) Read online

  RIDGE

  TEXAS BOUDREAU BROTHERHOOD

  By

  KATHY IVAN

  COPYRIGHT

  Ridge – Original Copyright © June 2020 by Kathy Ivan

  Cover by Elizabeth Mackay

  Release date: June 2020

  Kindle Edition

  All Rights Reserved

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are fictionally used. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead is coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, downloaded, transmitted, decompiled, reverse engineered, stored in or introduced to any information storage and retrieval system, in any form, whether electronic or mechanical without the author’s written permission. Scanning, uploading or distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without permission is prohibited.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic versions, and do not participate in, or encourage pirated electronic versions.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Description

  Books by Kathy Ivan

  Author’s Note

  Editorial Reviews

  Dedications and Acknowledgements

  Newsletter Sign Up

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty – Epilogue

  Excerpt from Lucas

  Newsletter Sign Up

  Books by Kathy Ivan

  About the Author

  RIDGE – Texas Boudreau Brotherhood

  Nothing says nice to meet you like a loaded shotgun.

  A notorious drug cartel is using Maggie White’s property as a shortcut to transport heroin across Texas. It’s up to undercover DEA agent Ridge Boudreau to stop the deadly shipment, and determine if the shotgun-wielding beauty is as innocent as his heart wants to believe or neck deep in a pack of lies.

  BOOKS BY KATHY IVAN

  www.kathyivan.com/books.html

  TEXAS BOUDREAU BROTHERHOOD

  Rafe

  Antonio

  Brody

  Ridge

  Lucas (coming soon)

  NEW ORLEANS CONNECTION SERIES

  Desperate Choices

  Connor’s Gamble

  Relentless Pursuit

  Ultimate Betrayal

  Keeping Secrets

  Sex, Lies and Apple Pies

  Deadly Justice

  Wicked Obsession

  Hidden Agenda

  Spies Like Us

  Fatal Intentions

  New Orleans Connection Series Box Set: Books 1-3

  New Orleans Connection Series Box Set: Books 4-7

  CAJUN CONNECTION SERIES

  Saving Sarah

  Saving Savannah

  Saving Stephanie

  Guarding Gabi

  LOVIN’ LAS VEGAS SERIES

  It Happened In Vegas

  Crazy Vegas Love

  Marriage, Vegas Style

  A Virgin In Vegas

  Vegas, Baby!

  Yours For The Holidays

  Match Made In Vegas

  One Night In Vegas

  Last Chance In Vegas

  Lovin’ Las Vegas (box set books 1-3)

  OTHER BOOKS BY KATHY IVAN

  Second Chances (Destiny’s Desire Book #1)

  Losing Cassie (Destiny’s Desire Book #2)

  Hello Readers,

  Welcome to Shiloh Springs, Texas! Don’t you just love a small Texas town, where the people are neighborly, the gossip plentiful, and the heroes are…well, heroic, not to mention easy on the eyes! I love everything about Texas, which I why I’ve made the great state my home for over thirty years. There’s no other place like it. From the delicious Tex-Mex food and downhome barbecue, the majestic scenery, and friendly atmosphere, the people and places of the Lone Star state are as unique and colorful as you’ll find anywhere.

  The Texas Boudreau Brotherhood series centers around a group of foster brothers, men who would have ended up in the system if not for Douglas and Patricia Boudreau. Instead of being hardened by life and circumstances beyond their control, they found a family who loved and accepted them, and gave them a place to call home. Sometimes brotherhood is more than sharing the same DNA.

  This is Ridge Boudreau’s story, and Ridge came alive to me the moment I started writing about him. Maggie is the perfect heroine for somebody like Ridge, because she’s a feisty, independent woman with secrets of her own, and keeps Ridge constantly on his toes, trying to figure her out.

  If you’ve read my other romantic suspense books (the New Orleans Connection series and Cajun Connection series), you’ll be familiar with the Boudreau name. Turns out there are a whole lot of Boudreaus out there, just itching to have their stories told. (Douglas is the brother of Gator Boudreau, patriarch of the New Orleans branch of the Boudreau family.)

  So, sit back and relax. The pace of small-living might be less hectic than the big city, but small towns hold secrets, excitement, and heroes to ride to the rescue. And who doesn’t love a Texas cowboy?

  Kathy Ivan

  EDITORIAL REVIEWS

  “In Shiloh Springs, Kathy Ivan has crafted warm, engaging characters that will steal your heart and a mystery that will keep you reading to the very last page.”

  —Barb Han, USA TODAY and Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling Author

  “Kathy Ivan’s books are addictive, you can’t read just one.”

  —Susan Stoker, NYT Bestselling Author

  “Kathy Ivan’s books give you everything you’re looking for and so much more.”

  —Geri Foster, USA Today and NYT Bestselling Author of the Falcon Securities Series

  “This is the first I have read from Kathy Ivan and it won’t be the last.”

  —Night Owl Reviews

  “I highly recommend Desperate Choices. Readers can’t go wrong here!”

  —Melissa, Joyfully Reviewed

  “I loved how the author wove a very intricate storyline with plenty of intriguing details that led to the final reveal…”

  —Night Owl Reviews

  Desperate Choices—Winner 2012 International Digital Award—Suspense

  Desperate Choices—Best of Romance 2011 –Joyfully Reviewed

  DEDICATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  A special shout out to all the readers who keep me going. I will admit there’s no greater feeling in the world than bringing my characters to life and having readers not only identify with them, but want to be part of that world. I really wish Shiloh Springs, Texas, was a real place, because I want to live there.

  To my sister, Mary. She is always there, helping me, encouraging me, and generally doing whatever it takes to get the writing done. Trust me, if she wasn’t there prodding me, the books might never be finished.

  And, as always, I dedicate this and every book to my mother, Betty Sullivan. She loved reading and shared her love for books with me at a young age.

  More about Kathy and her books can be found at

  WEBSITE:

  www.kathyivan.com

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  www.facebook.com/kathyivanauthor

  Follow Kathy on Twitter at

  twitter.com/@kathyivan

  Follow Kathy at BookBub

  bookbub.com/profile/kathy-ivan

  NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

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  RIDGE

  By

  KATHY IVAN

  CHAPTER ONE

  “How big is her property again?”

  Ridge Boudreau sighed, rubbing a hand across his nape. He hated dealing with pencil pushers, especially ones who couldn’t seem to remember information they’d been told a dozen times. Surely he had the information somewhere in all the files stacked on the table in front of him.

  “Roughly twenty thousand acres. That’s approximately thirty-one square miles,” he added, before Roland Abernathy could ask. His boss, Daniel Kingston, shot him a sympathetic look and shrugged, as if to say “what’re you gonna do?” Ridge and Daniel had worked together for several years, from the time Ridge was a rookie agent, learning the ropes of working with the Drug Enforcement Agency, taking down the nickel and dime dealers. He considered the man a good boss, easy to work with most of the time. Unless you screwed up. Then he’d hand you your head on a platter.

  “And you’re sure this Mary Margaret White knows about her property being used to run contraband, even condones it?” Roland pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, blinking owlishly through the magnified lenses. “We can’t afford to make a mistake. She’s got the kind of money that she can hire the best lawyers in the country.”

  “That’s why I’m going in undercover. Nobody’s gonna swarm her property in a massive strike without proof. Besides, if she’s a willing participant in drug running, we’ll toss her backside into jail, same as the rest. I don’t care how much money she’s got; she’s not above the law.”

  “Boudreau,” Daniel sounded weary, which he probably was, considering he’d flown in on the redeye. “Are you positive we’re looking in the right place? Her background doesn’t suggest she’d put up with drug shipments running through her property.”

  “I’ve had geological surveys done of her place and the surrounding area. Most of it’s still undeveloped wilderness. She’s carved out about ten acres for her house and surrounding lawn, pool, stuff like that. The rest of it is unincorporated. We’ve done flyovers with high-tech drones and haven’t seen anything unusual. But there are places where the trees are thick and obscure portions of the property. Without being able to go onto the land itself and search, we’re working blind.”

  “Her file has some pretty big holes in it; otherwise, I’d say we could simply question her and her neighbors. But those holes make me think Ms. White might have something to hide. Boudreau, you know what to do. Survey the place, get chummy with the owner, and bring me proof. I’d like to exonerate her, if we can.”

  Ridge leaned back in his chair, studying his boss through hooded eyes. He’d swear the man looked like he’d aged ten years since the last time he’d seen him a few months previous. The lines around his mouth were deeper. The crow’s feet around his eyes had nearly doubled, and there was a sallowness to his skin that worried him. Could Daniel be sick?

  “If she’s got nothing to hide, I’ll be in and out, and we’ll move on. Figure out where the trucks are disappearing to, because they are vanishing without a trace. I’m gonna figure it out.”

  “I know you will.” Daniel stood and motioned for Roland, who made a mad scramble to gather all the papers and files he’d spread out on the tabletop. “We’ve rented rooms at a bed and breakfast. Got the last two rooms. We’ll meet up there once you’ve got some intel. You sure you don’t want me to bring the team in?”

  Ridge stood and shoved his hands in his pockets, to keep from grabbing all Roland’s papers and shoving them into his briefcase. Something about the guy got on his last nerve. This was only the second job he’d worked with him, and he hoped he’d manage to keep his cool, instead of mussing up the dude’s perfectly styled hair or his shiny shoes. In a small town like Shiloh Springs, Roland stood out as a tourist with a capital T.

  “Not yet. We’ll keep this low key for now. If we need ’em, I’ll let you know. If too many people show up on Ms. White’s land unannounced, she could slam a lid on her operation so tight it might take months, maybe even years, before we got another chance to bring it down.”

  “True. You sure your family doesn’t know you’re undercover on a job this close to home?”

  “I haven’t told them anything. But most of my brothers are in law enforcement in one form or another, and they’re smart. They won’t blow my cover.”

  “I expect you to report in every twenty-four hours, got it?” Daniel’s eyes narrowed and Ridge read the older man’s determined expression. “No exceptions. I don’t hear from you, the op is off and we’re coming in.”

  “Twenty-four hours.”

  Ridge watched the two men, so different yet with the same end goal, walk out the front door of the coffee shop, pile into a nondescript sedan, and head back toward Shiloh Springs. Reaching into his wallet, he pulled out several bills, then added a couple more for a bigger tip. His fingers skimmed across the newspaper clipping he carried in his wallet, and he pulled it out, unfolded it, and studied the photo.

  Mary Margaret White. The grainy black-and-white photo didn’t do justice to the intelligence burning in her gaze as she stared out from the picture, or the quirk of her smile, lifting one corner of her mouth the tiniest bit higher than the other. She fascinated him. From the moment he’d heard mention of the possibility of trafficking so close to his home, he’d promised himself to find out who allowed drug shipments to cross their property, and put them away. And he would—even if it meant putting away Mary Margaret White. He knew his job, and he’d do it.

  Look out, Ms. White. I’m coming for you.

  Maggie moved the mouse with her right hand, staring at the display on her computer. Well, sugar-foot. The blips on her screen lit up like twinkle lights on a Christmas tree. Somebody was flying drones over her property. Again. Wasn’t the first time. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the monitor, noting the almost grid-like pattern of the drones.

  “That’s it. You suckers are going down.”

  Shutting off the program, she marched to the closet by her front door and yanked it open, grabbing the shotgun and her hunting vest, the pockets already loaded with extra shells. Slamming her arms into the holes, she shrugged it on, and slapped her old straw hat on her head before storming out the front door.

  After a quick sprint to the garage, she swung onto the seat of her Jeep, placing the shotgun on the passenger seat. She’d grown up with the Remington 870. Her daddy gave it to her when she was twelve. And like any good Southern girl, she took very good care of her guns. Speeding out of the garage, she headed down the gravel path leading away from her house and further into the densely wooded area beyond.

  She had a pretty good idea what the drones were looking for, and she wasn’t about to have her secret uncovered. Not now, and maybe not ever. It had taken a lot of hard work and money getting things exactly the way she wanted, and nobody with a fancy flying camera was undoing all her hard work.

  She drove a couple of miles deep into her property before she pulled over and killed the engine. Closing her eyes and leaning her head back, she listened. The air was still and hot, without a breeze. Dead quiet, with no sound. Even the birds were silent. It seemed the entire forest held its breath, waiting. Long moments passed and still she heard nothing. Was she wrong? Could her computer program have a glitch and there really wasn’t anything to see here?

  Ah, wait. There it was. The sound she’d been listening for. The low hum increased, and she swung her legs out of the Jeep and ju
mped to the ground, reaching back inside for her Remington. Her baby, who never let her down, never missed. Tilting her head, she listened, focusing on the sound as it grew closer. She held her breath, remained perfectly still and for a long moment, all she heard was the pounding of her own heartbeat in her ears.

  Lifting the shotgun to her shoulder, she positioned it at just the right angle, where it simply became an extension of her. Sighting her target, she slid her finger onto the trigger, gentle as a baby’s caress and waited. Patience was the name of this game, and she had all the time in the world. Just a little bit closer and—

  BAM!

  The explosion of sound reverberated through the trees. Overhead, the frantic flapping of wings broke the stillness at the sharp echo of the gunshot, the leaves whipping around at the birds’ flight. She couldn’t contain her smirk as she watched the pieces of the drone scatter to the earth’s floor, decimated and destroyed. There’d be no resurrecting that sucker. Standing over it, she plucked up a piece, and studied the ravaged hunk of metal and plastic.

  “Hmm, that’s interesting.” Gathering the pieces scattered on the ground, she carefully piled them on the back seat of the Jeep. She’d take them home, study them. See if maybe they’d yield a clue as to who kept flying drones over her property. Then she would figure out a plan on stopping them.

  On the way home, she took a circuitous route. There were rutted roads and pathways all over her property, many of them she’d intentionally widened enough for the Jeep to drive along. Others were little more than footpaths she could follow on horseback or with one of the motorcycles she kept for traversing her property.

  She loved this land. It’d been in her family for decades, passed down through the generations, and now it belonged to her. It was ripe and fertile, the earth undisturbed for the most part, nurturing the natural flora and fauna, and she meant to keep it that way. More than one powerful city slicker had approached her family, wanting to buy up the land and build everything from strip malls to housing developments to a fancy resort. None of their offers had been received with anything but a resounding no thanks. She wasn’t about to change that trend now.