Just a Hint--Clint

by Lori Foster

  He made a sudden decision and didn’t give himself a chance to reconsider. “Julie Rose, we can do one of two things here.”

  Her eyes were huge and watchful. An anticipatory stillness settled over Mojo and Red.

  “We can call your fiancé and drive straight through. The two of you can decide what you want to do.”

  Red snorted and Mojo stirred restlessly.

  Personally, Clint hated that idea, too, so he offered the next solution before she could give the first much thought. “Or we can stop for the night, and you can tell me anything you remember about those bastards. It’s possible Red, Mojo, and I can figure out why you were taken, and who was behind it.”

  Julie bit her lip. Her chest rose and fell with deep, uneven breaths. “You’ll keep me safe?”

  “You have my word.”

  She nodded, rubbed at her tired eyes. “Let’s stop for the night, please.”

  Chapter Three

  Julie pulled awake with a wide yawn when the van stopped at a motel. How long she’d slept, she had no idea. The men had been quiet, the night dark. She’d dozed in fitful spurts, waking every so often with her heart in her throat, her stomach jumping. But Clint was always there, warm and solid behind her, and without a word, he’d calm her with his nearness.

  Mojo had wanted to tend her myriad scrapes and scratches, but she’d put him off. She felt stretched to the limits and simply couldn’t abide his touch any longer. He was a nice man—dark and silent—and she knew he wouldn’t hurt her.

  But logic wasn’t a part of her reactions at the moment.

  They’d run the air-conditioning in the van, and at first she’d been horribly chilled, cold deep down inside herself. The shivers had started after her decision not to go directly home, and she hadn’t been able to still the quaking in her body.

  Then Clint had wrapped both massive arms around her, and his heat sank right through to her bones. Sitting in his lap on the cargo area of the van, his hard body touching all along her side, she was able to get a little sleep.

  It was the first rest she’d had since the kidnapping, when she’d been taken right out of her bed in the early morning.

  “You were asleep, and we didn’t want to wake you,” Clint rumbled in explanation near her ear, “so we didn’t stop for food. But we’ll get something to eat in just a minute, all right?”

  Her stomach growled an answer, making her blush. “Thank you.”

  Red left the van and went to the small glass-enclosed office. Julie watched him open his wallet, and guilt assailed her. Yet she had nothing with her, no money, no I.D. She’d make it up to them later.

  The small motel was seedy, ugly, and mostly abandoned. An assortment of work trucks were parked in scattered disarray throughout the parking lot. What few patrons it boasted were likely congregated in the all-night bar and grill adjoined to the property. Half the security lights were out, leaving the lot in deep shadows. The only real illumination came from the neon signs in the bar and office.

  Red returned, then pulled the van around to the back, close to the room he’d just procured. Julie went carefully to her knees and watched through the window in awe. She’d never been to a place like this before, but the men didn’t appear to see anything amiss.

  Mojo slid from the front seat, stretched his long, hard body elaborately, then opened the sliding door on the side of the van. Clint helped her to her feet, holding her as if she had two broken legs instead of one sprained ankle. Limp with exhaustion and strain, Julie let him.

  Mojo reached into the van for her, and because she couldn’t stop herself, she shrank back.

  Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought.

  He would be insulted, take her rejection personally, maybe even think she didn’t like him when she liked him just fine.

  It was over now. Thanks to Clint and his friends, she hadn’t been raped, hadn’t been hurt that badly. Mostly she’d just been scared out of her wits. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to dredge up just a modicum of calm reason and courage.

  But the idea of anyone else touching her made her skin crawl and her heart stutter. Ashamed of her reaction, she hid her face against Clint’s chest. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s all right,” he murmured. “Mojo understands.” And somehow, being the amazing man he was, Clint got out of the van with her clinging to him like a sticky vine.

  Her feet never touched the pavement. Clint swung her up into his arms as if it were expected of him. Red pulled a few duffel bags out of the van, and Mojo retrieved a large first aid kit. After locking the van, the three of them went to the door assigned them.

  One door.

  Julie gulped. Surely they didn’t expect them all to share a room?

  Mojo turned the lock and stepped inside to flip on lights.

  The sudden glare after all the darkness made her shy. She knew she looked a wreck, and though logic told her it shouldn’t matter, she hated to be seen so haggard. She wasn’t a beautiful woman, but she always did her best to make a nice appearance. Her clothes were usually tidy, fit well, and her hair was always…

  God, what was the use? At the moment she was filthy and sweaty and looked as if she’d been dragged through the dirt, her hair was so tangled. She peered up at Clint’s rugged face, at the way his stormy green eyes watched her, and she managed a smile. “You can put me down now.”

  He walked over to one of the double beds and set her on the edge. Thankfully, the room appeared clean, if a bit tattered.

  Mojo continued past them and opened an adjoining door. He placed two of the bags inside and set the other on the floor by her feet. Thank God, there were two rooms. But maybe that meant they would give her one on her own.

  Without realizing it, she knotted her hands in apprehension. She was a grown woman, too old to be afraid of the dark.

  But still her stomach cramped.

  Clint stood there looking down at her. “You’re awful quiet all of a sudden, Julie Rose.”

  Julie noticed her bloody, dirty knees, the grime on her naked toes. Her eyes burned and felt gritty. “I need a shower.”

  All three men stared at her.

  At their prolonged attention, she shifted self-consciously. “You said we’d be here for the night, correct?”

  Clint nodded. He still stood very close to her, and she appreciated that. “Yeah.” He searched her face. “I thought you wanted to eat.”

  “I do. But I need to shower also.” She could smell herself, and that was a truly appalling realization. Not only had she missed her morning shower, but the cabin she’d been taken to had been hot and stuffy and dirty. She’d sat on the floor, been pushed to the ground…Julie curled into herself, reliving those awful moments.

  Clint interrupted her thoughts by giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “We also need to talk.”

  Yes, they had to talk. “All right. But after my shower.”

  He looked surprised at her ready agreement.

  Red propped his hands on his hips. “We passed a Wal–Mart just a minute back down the road. Want me to go grab you a change of clothes? I’m not great with ladies’ styles or sizes, but if you give me a clue, I can probably at least find you a simple dress and sandals so you’ve got something clean to change into after your bath.”

  Clean clothes sounded heavenly. “They’re open all night?”

  “It looked lit up.”

  Such a generous offer made her feel weepy again. What had she ever done in her life to deserve a rescue from such fine men? “That would just be so wonderful, Red.” And not to push her luck, she couldn’t help adding, “A toothbrush, too? And a hairbrush? And some lotion?”

  Red took a step back. He looked at Clint, who shrugged, then to Mojo, who just pursed his mouth.

  Red coughed. “Okay, uh, make a list. Mojo can grab us some food from the bar while I’m gone.”

  She turned to Clint. Her heart pounded in the now familiar fear. “You’ll stay here with me?”

  His eyes warmed and his
voice gentled. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Her relief was out of proportion, and she knew it. No, he wouldn’t leave her. He’d come for her, saved her, carried her and protected her.

  Clint found a pencil and pad next to the television anchored on top of the chest of drawers. He handed them to Julie, and while she wrote, the men watched her.

  Attempting moderation, Julie scrawled down everything she might immediately need. A thought occurred to her, and she hesitated, then decided what the heck. Making sure the men couldn’t see, she wrote panties, size five, at the bottom of the list, then folded it in half.

  “Here you go. Be sure to keep the receipts and I promise I’ll pay you back just as soon as I can.”

  Red tucked the note into his pocket without comment. He looked up at Mojo. “Grab me a sandwich and beer, will you? And cake if they have any.”

  Julie wrinkled her nose. Beer and cake?

  She realized Clint still watched her and quickly switched to a smile. “A sandwich sounds wonderful. With chips and pickles and a Diet Coke.”

  All three men gaped this time, leaving her flustered and too warm. “What is it?”

  “Diet Coke?” Clint snorted. “You should be drinking a milkshake or something.”

  Red shoved him, indicating that at least he realized she’d just been insulted.

  Julie glared at all three of them. “Did I question your beers with cake? Did I? No, I did not. And for your information, my father drank everything diet, so I just learned to like the taste. It’s not like I’m watching my weight.”

  Clint slanted her a sardonic look, and muttered, “Like you have any weight to watch.”

  Bristling, Julie looked at Red. “Well?”

  “Well, what?”

  “Aren’t you going to shove him again?”

  Red grinned. “Sure.” And he slugged Clint on the shoulder, but Clint was barely jarred by the action. He just rolled his eyes.

  “It’s been a long day and I think we all have better things to do than play around. Mojo, go grab some food, and Red, don’t spend all night shopping. She doesn’t have to dress like a prom queen, so anything clean will do.”

  Julie started to object to his tone, if not his intention, and Clint stepped closer. “And you,” he said, not two inches from her nose, “if you want your bath, get moving. Because I for one feel a little responsibility to your fiancé, whether you do or not. We really should give him a call.”

  Julie lifted her brows. That was at least one thing she could straighten out easily enough. “I’d agree completely if I had a fiancé. But I already told you that I do not.”

  Clint crossed his thick arms over his chest. He nodded to Mojo and Red, who took the hint and left. Then he faced Julie again.

  “In that case,” he rumbled, his eyes hot on her face, “I’d like to know who the hell hired me.”

  Robert was limp, sated, his every nerve ending still twitching in pleasure, when the distinctive ring of his cell phone made him jump. His home phone was set up to transfer calls to his cell phone. But who would be calling at this time of the night?

  Marie was in the shower, singing her little heart out, happy as a lark after the amazing sex they’d just shared. She was so refined, so particular about her appearance—except when he made love to her. Then she was a complete wanton.

  Naked, Robert stretched over the side of the bed, snagged his trousers, and managed to retrieve his phone on the fourth ring.

  “’Lo.”

  “Robert?”

  Oh God. He bolted upright, his brain buzzing. “Julie?”

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  Thoughts whirled, too many too fast to grasp a single one. Relief, fear, confusion. He stared at the bathroom door, willing Marie to linger a little longer. “Honey, where the hell are you?”

  “I’m safe now. We’re in a small motel.”

  “We?”

  “Yes. The men you hired got me away.”

  His mouth fell open. Dear God, did that mean Clint Evans had killed Asa, because he knew Asa wouldn’t have given her up without a struggle. He didn’t know how to ask. And he felt a little sick, imagining Marie’s reaction to the loss of her brother. He rubbed his forehead, shaken to the core, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

  “I probably won’t be home until the morning, though.”

  In the morning. Robert let out a breath of stark relief and tried to swallow down the emotions choking him. He didn’t want Julie hurt, but Marie would be so upset if Julie came home now. She was insanely jealous of Julie, no matter how many times he told her that he loved her, not Julie.

  He’d promised to end things with Julie, and so far he’d been successful in his deception. “I can’t believe it. You’re really safe?”

  “Yes.”

  “Jesus.” Incredible. Beyond incredible. What would Marie do without Asa? Would she thrive away from that dominating bastard, or would she fall into a decline? “Tell me what happened, Julie.”

  “I’m not sure what happened, but someone took me—I don’t know who or why. Did the ransom note say why?”

  “Money.” Robert’s tongue felt too thick, his words too heavy. “They said they wanted money. That’s all.”

  The shower shut off, making him jumpier with the sudden quiet. He lowered his voice as he climbed out of the bed and reached for his slacks. “Julie…”

  “Robert, why did you tell Clint that you were still my fiancé?”

  He tripped trying to step into his slacks and banged his knee on the nightstand. “Goddammit.”

  “Robert?”

  “Just a minute, sweetheart.” Keeping the small phone caught between his ear and shoulder, he held on to the waistband of his slacks and half dressed, then stepped outside onto the veranda. The exposed aggregate surface irritated his bare feet. The sounds of insects droned in the night.

  Silently, he closed the sliding doors and moved into the deepest shadows at the far end, beneath a lush flowering vine that scaled both stories of Marie’s quaint home. He could see into her bedroom, but Marie wouldn’t be able to see him.

  “Julie.” He tried to sound calm, reasonable.

  “Honey, the man I hired has a dangerous reputation. I don’t want you to worry.” He rushed to add, “I think you’re safe enough with him for the night. But I wanted him to think we were still together, to protect you. Regardless of what has happened, I still care deeply for you. And you know…” He hesitated, not sure how far to push her. “Well, you know how I feel. For me, it wasn’t much of a lie.”

  Silence greeted him. Julie could be so stubborn, so independent in her thoughts. Why couldn’t she have just a little of Marie’s loving, giving nature?

  His tension grew, until finally she said, “I guess that makes sense.”

  Robert slumped against the railing and rubbed his face. The changing light in the bedroom alerted him. Marie opened the bathroom door and stepped out, enticingly wrapped in a white towel, her thick, dark hair piled on top of her head. She looked at the empty bed, frowned, and sashayed out into the hallway, calling Robert’s name.

  Robert gripped the phone hard. “Julie, is Evans there?”

  “Evans?”

  “Clint Evans.”

  “Yes, he’s right here.”

  Memory of those cold, disturbing eyes made Robert shiver, even though the night was uncomfortably muggy. He kept his gaze glued to the bedroom to watch for Marie’s return. “Why don’t you put him on a moment, dear?”

  “Why?”

  Sweat began dampening his body, and Robert silently cursed. Did she have to question him on everything? “He’s the expert, Julie. I want to hear what he has to say to me.”

  She hesitated, as difficult as ever, then answered with a shrug in her voice. “Okay.”

  Muffled sounds reached him before Clint’s dark, ominous voice crackled over the line. “I got your fiancée for you, Burns.”

  He said that with a sneer, Robert was sure of it. Obviously, Julie had already e
xplained that they weren’t engaged. Not anymore. Had she told Evans everything? Had she told him that she dumped him when she discovered him in bed with Marie?

  Robert hoped not. Not that it really mattered, he supposed. Evans had been hired to do a job, a job he’d accomplished, so he’d be paid, and his involvement ended there.

  “Thank you. I’m stunned and relieved that you managed it so quickly.” Gauging his words, Robert posed the concern uppermost in his mind.

  “You didn’t give Asa my name, did you?”

  “It wasn’t necessary.”

  That told Robert very little of what had transpired, so he rephrased the question. “Did Asa…put up much of a fight?”

  “No fight at all. In fact, he was cordial.”

  “But…that doesn’t make any sense.”

  As if fed up with the subterfuge, Clint said, “He didn’t have her, Burns. But he helped me to find her.” And with a hint of glee, “I’d say you owe him for his assistance.”

  The phone slipped from Robert’s numb hands, hitting the patio hard. He didn’t have her? Shit, shit, shit. Robert snatched the phone back up, took two deep breaths to calm himself, then put it to his ear. “You must be jesting.”

  If it wasn’t Asa, then who? Robert felt certain Julie had been taken because of him, not for any other reason. The mystery of it left him scared spitless.

  “I’m not a man given to jokes, Burns. Funny that you missed that during our meeting.”

  Robert almost groaned. “I didn’t actually mean…”

  “No, someone else had her kidnapped.” Clint’s voice lowered even more. “I’m curious as to why.”

  In the distance, Robert heard Marie approaching, still calling his name. It felt as though the world was closing in on him. He had to hurry. “Jesus, man, I don’t know why. If it really wasn’t Asa, then…” Inspiration struck, and he hurried on. “That’s just it, don’t you see? Until I can find out who’d do this to her, I don’t think it’s safe for her here.”

  There was only a moment’s pause before Evans said, “I’ll agree with you on that.”