Free Justice for Laine (Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Book 4) by Susan Stoker

on properties. Had to sit through an entire class for her realtor’s license, in fact. Laine thought back to what she’d learned in the eight-hour course . . . pipes sticking up, depressions in the earth, windmills, or random pieces of lumber lying around. They were all signs that there might be a well or mine, and to beware.
    Knowing she wasn’t going to be able to get out, Laine climbed to her feet carefully, and turned her attention to her immediate surroundings. She was standing in about six inches of black, murky water; luckily it wasn’t more. There were some sort of insects on the surface of the water and Laine couldn’t help but think of snakes and leeches. Figuring she was safe from snakes, thank God, as she didn’t immediately see any, her concern went to the bugs that decided she must’ve been sent by a higher power to feed them. They were on her legs and buzzing around her face. Laine waved a hand in front of her to try to keep them away.
    Her ankles hurt. They’d taken the brunt of the landing from her fall. She cautiously moved one; it throbbed, but she didn’t think it was broken. Somehow she must’ve used her hands to slow her fall on her way down. Whatever the reason, she was glad she wasn’t more injured than she was. Laine didn’t dare take her boots off to check her ankles, for fear if they started swelling, she’d never get them back on.
    The wooden boards lay around her, mocking her decision to step on them. She shifted and piled them up. When they were stacked, they made somewhat of a seat, which was high enough to be out of the water. It wasn’t comfortable, but at least she wouldn’t have to have her butt in the water all the time. The diameter of the well was probably around three feet, not huge, but she could turn around. When she sat, her knees had a bit of room, but not a lot. There was certainly no way to lie down. Sleeping wouldn’t be something that she’d be doing much of, that was obvious.
    Laine shivered. The sunlight wasn’t able to reach the bottom of the hole she was in because of the position of the sun, and she was wet from the water she’d landed in when she fell. As her situation sank in, Laine’s heart sank with it, and she swallowed the bile that crept up her throat.
    She was in deep shit. Her phone was sitting in her car . . . off. When she didn’t show up at Wes’s, he’d look for her. He was a Texas Ranger, he would use his connections to try to find her. The first thing he’d do was try to track her phone . . . but she’d turned it off to save the stupid battery.
    She hadn’t told anyone where she was going either. She’d never had reason to in the past. Rose, one of her friends at work, knew she had plans to tour a property, but not which one. Same with Wes. She’d texted him that she’d be at his place later, but she hadn’t told one person the address of the ranch. She was a smart, independent woman—who made a dumb mistake not to share the details with anyone as to where she was headed alone. When she made it out, she’d not make that mistake again.
    The first tear escaped her eye and Laine tried not to give in to the despair she was feeling. She wiped it away, knowing she was smearing dirt on her face, but not particularly caring at the moment.
    Wes would find her. She had to believe that. He always bragged about his success rate with his cases so he wouldn’t give up on her. The only question was—would he find her before she died of dehydration or infection or who the hell knew what else?
    Laine looked at the water at her feet, trying to determine if it was drinkable. She shivered; it was gross. There were both dead and live bugs floating on top and it looked absolutely disgusting, but Laine knew she’d be drinking it later if she had to. She’d do whatever it took to give Wes, and even Dax, the time they needed to find her. She had no doubt they’d be looking.
    Laine wanted to live. She was too young to die.
    Hearing a noise, Laine’s