Just a Hint--Clint

by Lori Foster

  Clint wanted to hit him.

  He wanted to hit the other one, too, even though that fellow did no more than linger in the room, looking around and sort of…absorbing things. Clint didn’t like it that they were here, that they’d gotten the better of him, that they’d caught him unawares. He’d have to show them who was in control.

  But first things first.

  He shut and locked the door, then went to Julie Rose. She still appeared miffed, so he caught her chin and tipped her face up. “I trust you, babe. They just took me by surprise.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  Her frown smoothed away and she smiled.

  “Well, all right, then.”

  Damn, her smiles were great, taking her from plain to sexy in the blink of an eye. Clint bent and kissed her, quick and hard, and that made her flush. He smoothed her cheek with his thumb and smiled, too.

  A little rattled, she gestured to Jamie. “Come on in and sit down, Jamie. Would anyone like coffee?”

  Coffee? Clint couldn’t believe her attitude. He snorted, then walked over to the one known as Jamie Creed, the one with supposed psychic powers. “So you think she’s in danger?”

  Jamie didn’t blink. “I know she is.”

  Clint couldn’t help it—he got drawn in. Jamie was so sure of himself, and there was a mystical air about him that rocked Clint’s logical foundation. He believed in intuition and instinct. Perhaps Jamie just had a bigger dose than most.

  He had no reason to trust Jamie, except that Julie Rose trusted him. Given the two men were her friends, and they were here now, Clint figured he might as well clue them in. “I’m afraid you’re right.”

  “I know I am.”

  Smug bastard. “Like she said, come in and sit down. Since you’re her friends, I don’t have to kill either of you.”

  Joe laughed and tugged on a small diamond stud in his ear. “I was never in danger of being killed.”

  With an evil smile, Clint said, “It’s hard to fight with a broken arm.”

  Joe shrugged. “I’ve fought with broken bones before. But losing your gonads…now, that’d slow a man down.”

  Clint took that on the chin. His shoulders bunched, his hands curled into fists. “Not if he thinks he’s defending his woman.”

  Julie made a sound of affront. “Your woman? What kind of chauvinistic, caveman comment is that?” She shook her head, but then said in a smaller voice, “Really? Am I your woman?”

  Jamie circled the room, stopping in front of them all. He gained their undivided attention just by moving. He turned to Julie. “You need to leave here.”

  Clint’s muscles bunched even more. Jaw out, eyes burning, he growled, “She’s not going anywhere.”

  “She has to.”

  “Not without me.”

  Dark, sort of spooky eyes took his measure.

  “No, not without you.” Then Jamie dropped a bombshell. With no warning at all, he said, “I know you love her.”

  Clint drew back. “What?”

  “What!” Julie all but shrieked at the same time.

  They looked at each other.

  Joe Winston chuckled. “Get used to it, buddy. Jamie does this stuff all the time, telling things you don’t want told, forcing you to bare your soul before you’re ready. He’s an aggravating ass, but he sort of grows on you after a while.”

  Julie whipped around, giving Clint her back and wringing her hands together. “Jamie,” she hissed in an agonized whisper, “please behave.”

  Clint took a step toward her. He didn’t want her upset, but he had no idea what to say. He wasn’t good at apologizing, or spilling his guts, or getting all emotional and mushy. Hell, he was a soldier by nature, not a damn poet. “Julie…”

  She held up an imperious hand, palm out, stopping whatever malarkey might have come out of his mouth. “No,” she said. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.”

  That pissed Clint off. “The hell I don’t.”

  Jamie interrupted their budding argument. “We need to get her away from your place. Not this very second, but soon. You’re the target now, not her, so being near you is dangerous to her.”

  That distracted everyone. Clint looked at Joe, who just shrugged, before glaring at Jamie. “What the hell are you talking about? Julie was the one kidnapped.”

  Joe’s feet hit the floor with a solid thud. “You were kidnapped?”

  Julie’s chin went in the air. “Clint told me not to talk about it.”

  “For the love of…” Clint threw up his hands.

  “That was then. Not now.”

  Shrugging, Julie said, “Yes, I was kidnapped. Clint rescued me before I was hurt.”

  “Thank God.” Joe looked at Clint with new respect.

  “Then Robert—my ex-fiancé who hired Clint to get me back—asked Clint to keep me for a while.”

  Intrigued, Joe leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “He asked Clint to keep you?”

  Julie nodded.

  “And why’s that?”

  Clint gave up. “Maybe coffee is in order after all. Let’s go in the kitchen and I’ll tell you everything.” He headed that way first, but noticed Julie Rose hanging back, giving Jamie hell in a whisper.

  He shook his head.

  Joe nudged him. “You haven’t told her yet?”

  Clint knew exactly what Joe meant. “I’ve only known her a few days.” He got the coffee down out of the cabinet and set it on the counter. “And those few days have been spent trying to sift her friends from those people who only pretend to be her friends.” Clint glanced at Joe. “Julie Rose seems to trust everyone, but I’m more cautious.”

  Joe nodded. “No hard feelings. I’d have been cautious, too.”

  Giving his acknowledgment of that, Clint added, “Today, I think I finally got it figured out.”

  Joe leaned against the counter while Clint rinsed out the carafe. “You think you know who had her kidnapped?”

  “Her ex-fiancé’s new girlfriend.”

  Julie strolled into the kitchen, looking sassy and sweet in her new clothes and with her newly styled hair smoothed back into place. “Marie Ragon? Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Joe tugged at his earring. “Used to be, I would have discounted a woman. Experience has taught me not to be so dumb.”

  As Clint filled the carafe, he wondered what run-ins with female villains the indomitable Joe Winston had suffered. “Babe, you caught her in bed with your fiancé. She wants you out of Robert’s life. That gives her a motive.”

  “But I am out of his life. That is, we’re only friends now.”

  “That’s not the way he tells it. Marie, and everyone else, believe you’re still engaged.”

  “Why would they think that?”

  “Because that’s what Robert tells them. He said he’s afraid if your Uncle Drew found out you weren’t together, he’d cut him off and ruin him financially.”

  “Oh.” Julie pulled out a chair. “Yes, if Uncle Drew thought Robert had hurt me, he might retaliate that way. I told you that he feels responsible for me.”

  “Marie also has the means, given she’s Asa’s sister.” And then to Joe, “Asa is this little slum king who has a record a mile long. He likes to think of himself as powerful.” He turned to Julie. “He had Robert beat up.”

  Worry brought Julie back out of her seat. “Is Robert okay?”

  “He’ll live.”

  “Clint Evans, that is not an adequate evaluation of his health.”

  Despite everything, Clint grinned. Julie Rose was so amusing when she got fired up. “He’ll be okay, but it might take a few weeks.”

  “He found out about Robert and Marie, didn’t he?”

  “No. If he had, Asa might’ve killed Robert. He’s damn protective of Marie.” Clint turned the coffee machine on and crossed his arms over his chest. “Marie was raped once. Since then, I gather Asa hovers over her like a guardian angel.”

  “Oh, my God.” Julie covered
her mouth with a hand. “That poor woman.”

  “Exactly. You can imagine how Asa would feel to know Robert had made her a mistress. Robert probably would not live out the day. But actually, the bone of contention between them now is that Robert interfered in a business deal and it cost Asa money.”

  “Money that Asa wants him to pay back?” Joe asked.

  “That’s about it. Only Robert doesn’t have the money. All he has in free cash is the money Julie’s uncle gave him for her ransom.”

  Outraged, Julie dropped back into her seat again. “He wanted to use my ransom money to pay off Asa?”

  “Afraid so. Robert figured he couldn’t have Asa arrested because that might alienate Marie. He can’t pay him off because your Uncle Drew would know and not like it. He’s trapped.”

  Joe comprehended the entire scenario. “So he hired you instead of just paying? And in doing that, he probably saved her life.”

  “Likely. If the bastards had gotten their money, Julie Rose would have been dead before I could have reached her.”

  “So in a way,” Julie mused, “I owe Robert my gratitude.”

  “Don’t even think it.” Clint sat at the table near her, and Jamie came in, still looking around as if he hadn’t seen an actual apartment before. Did he live in a damn cave, then? Clint wondered.

  Julie asked, “What did Asa do to Robert, exactly?”

  Still watching Jamie, Clint shrugged. “He has a few cracked ribs, and his face looks like hamburger.”

  She winced. “Poor Robert.”

  “Don’t you dare feel sorry for him, Julie Rose. He probably started all this by cheating on you with Marie. And he thought Asa had you from jump, sort of to get even, to force him to pay up. But he didn’t level with me. He half hoped I’d take care of Asa for him, so Marie wouldn’t be able to blame him. If he had any conscience at all, he’d have told me every damn detail up front, to better the odds in your favor.”

  Julie patted his hand. “I’m sure he took one look at you and knew you’d keep me safe.”

  Disbelieving her attitude, Clint turned to Joe, and Joe half smiled. “Women,” Joe said. “You gotta love them.”

  There was that damn L word again. Clint fought a grimace. To change the subject, he barked at Jamie. “Why the hell do you keep pacing around? You’re making me jumpy.”

  Jamie stared at the kitchen window with a frown. “It’s not me making you nervous. It’s your instincts.” Jamie frowned, drew a deep breath, and said in an eerie hush, “Something’s going to happen.”

  Unable to dredge up any doubt in the face of Jamie’s absolute conviction, Clint pushed back his chair and stalked to the window. He looked out—and caught a flicker of sunlight on steel. “Down.”

  Joe Winston reacted, tackling Jamie and taking him to the floor while Clint turned and dove for Julie.

  The kitchen window shattered, blown out by a bullet—that narrowly missed Clint’s head.

  Julie lay flat on the floor, dazed, with Clint crushing her, completely covering her with his muscular body. Someone had shot at him! She struggled to get up.

  Joe cursed as he rolled off Jamie. “That was too damn close for comfort.”

  Pushing up to his elbows, Jamie turned his head toward Clint. He seemed unfazed by the assault. “You’re the target now, not Julie.”

  “Oh, no.” Julie’s throat felt tight. “But why?”

  Clint helped Julie ease into a sitting position.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” She shook all over and couldn’t stop touching Clint, but she wasn’t hurt. Dear God, she’d almost lost him. “You were shot at.”

  “I’m okay.” Livid, Clint turned to Joe. “It has to be Marie. And I’ve had enough.”

  Typically for Joe, he rubbed his hands together. “Let’s go get her, then.”

  Julie grabbed Clint before he could stand. She knotted her hands in his shirt and tried to shake him. “You have to call the police!”

  Jamie stood and brushed himself off. “I don’t know.”

  Everyone turned to him. Joe groaned, Julie didn’t know what to feel, but Clint just looked more furious.

  “You don’t know what?” he demanded.

  Jamie stared at the shattered window and shook his head. “Who did this.”

  “It was Marie.”

  Shaking his head, Jamie said, “It might have been a man.”

  “Marie probably hired some of Asa’s thugs.” Clint pulled Julie closer, as if to prepare her, then admitted, “The guy who took Julie, Petie Martin, was found shot to death.”

  It felt like someone had shoved all the air out of her lungs. Julie couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Her world was coming down around her. First, Joe and Jamie showed up with ominous predictions, and then Jamie said Clint loved her and…now this.

  “If you’re wrong,” Jamie mused, “then Marie could be a target, too.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.” Clint watched Joe sneak over to the sink and peer above the basin to see out the window. “It’s clear?”

  “Far as I can tell. But I wouldn’t take any chances.”

  “Me, neither.” Curled around Julie, Clint dragged her out of the kitchen and well away from any windows. Even now he wanted to protect her, when Jamie had just explained that he was the one in peril.

  “Scott wanted to come with us,” Joe told them once they were all situated in the sitting room.

  “But with no sheriff around, he had his hands full.”

  That surprised Julie. “Where’s the sheriff?”

  “He finally quit. He hadn’t been of much use in years anyway. But now Scott has his hands full keeping things together and trying to find someone to fill the position.”

  Jamie looked at Clint, his gaze unflinching. “But that’ll work out in the end.”

  Sometimes Jamie was so hard to understand. Julie wrapped her arms around her middle. “So Scott believed you, Jamie? When you told him I was in trouble.”

  Appearing disturbed, Jamie paced away. He rubbed the back of his neck, his head down. “Yes.” His face pinched. “Everyone seems to take me seriously these days.”

  Jamie didn’t look happy about that, prompting Julie to go to him. Clint didn’t want to let her go, but she patted his hand and he finally understood. She touched Jamie’s back. “Are you okay?”

  He didn’t answer. “I don’t like this.”

  “This?”

  She’d never seen Jamie so troubled before. He was generally the most enigmatic, unreadable man she’d ever met. He simply didn’t show emotion.

  He slanted her a dark, almost angry look, then shrugged away her touch and strode to Clint. “We need to leave here right now.”

  “But we have to call the police,” Julie protested. “Someone tried to shoot Clint.”

  “He can take care of that later. I don’t like to mix with the police.” Jamie didn’t take his gaze off Clint. He stated again, “We have to get both of you out of here.”

  Joe propped his hands on his hips and addressed Clint. “I’ve known Jamie awhile now, long enough to know to heed what he says. If he says it’s not safe to stay, then it’s not.”

  Jamie frowned in thought and shook his head. “Actually, it’s unsafe not to go.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense, Jamie.”

  He rubbed his forehead. “It makes sense somehow.”

  Julie patted his shoulder, to let him know it was okay. “Whatever you say, Jamie.” She hoped Clint meant it when he said he trusted her, but this would be a huge test of his faith in her. “I’m ready if you are.”

  Aggrieved, Clint studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Yeah, all right. What the hell? But where are we going?”

  Jamie headed for the door. “To see Robert.” He looked over his shoulder at Clint and held out his hand. “I’ll drive your vehicle. You go in Joe’s truck.”

  Joe laughed. “Nice try, Jamie, but you don’t have a driver’s license.” Jamie started to speak, and Joe
held up a hand. “I understand what you’re saying. Whoever shot out the window might still be out there, which means Clint and Julie won’t be safe in a recognizable vehicle.”

  Julie glared at Jamie. “Then it wouldn’t be safe for you either.”

  “No, it wouldn’t,” Joe said.

  Clint smoothed her hair back from her face.

  “I don’t think anyone would recognize her like this. Her hair’s different, her clothes are different from what she usually wears. Let me grab a hat and sunglasses, and maybe no one will notice us. We can all go in Joe’s truck.”

  “We won’t all fit.” Calm as death, Jamie again held out his hand for Clint’s keys.

  “Forget it,” Clint growled at him. “Julie doesn’t want you hurt, so you damn well won’t get hurt. Understand?”

  “It’ll be a squeeze,” Joe interrupted. “But with Julie on your lap we’ll manage.”

  Within five minutes, they were ready to head out the door. Clint asked Joe, “Are you armed?”

  “Got my knife.”

  Reaching to the small of his back, Clint produced the lethal blade that Julie remembered from the night he’d rescued her, when he’d used it to cut her ropes. “Me, too. I also have a Beretta 9mm—”

  Jamie said, “You won’t need it. It’d be better to leave it behind.” He turned to the door. “Let’s go.”

  To Julie, it seemed that Jamie was in an awful rush. Annoyed, but keeping his temper in check, Clint pulled on a baseball cap and dark sunglasses. To help in their disguise, they walked out with Joe’s arm around Julie, Jamie in front, Clint following up the rear. Both Joe and Clint were watchful, reminding Julie again of how alike they were.

  Once they were on the road, it didn’t get much better. Joe drove, but his gaze constantly scanned the area, just as Clint’s did. Jamie leaned sullenly against the passenger door, unconcerned with his surroundings, lost in thought.

  It all seemed very scary and suspenseful to Julie. She didn’t have what it took to be a mercenary or a bounty hunter or a law official. Being a teacher provided all the danger and excitement she could handle.

  Clint absently rubbed her back, and occasionally he pressed a kiss to her temple. Did he care about her? Jamie claimed he loved her, but they hadn’t known each other long. Long enough for her to be certain of her feelings, but men were different. Big, badass, kick-butt men were especially wary of love and all the trappings.