Stranded With Ella

by Shelley Munro

  “Did you mention the ghost to the cops?”

  “Do I look crazy?”

  A slow smile curled across his face, making him appear more approachable. “No, you look gorgeous.” He tugged a lock of pink hair.

  “Can I stay with you?”

  “Yeah, but you need to stay close to the house.”

  “Have you found something?”

  “Yes and no. Nikolai is giving the information to Summer. It’s time to take what we have to the cops.”

  “Dillon, there is something else. It sounded as if they wanted to grab me specifically because they were pissed when they didn’t find me. They mentioned you.”

  “Crap. That changes things. Tell me exactly what they said. Did you tell the cops this?”

  “No. I just reported the break-in.”

  “Better tell Summer, and she can mention that to the cops.”

  Ella wrinkled her nose. “Molly and Connor won’t be happy with me for withholding information.”

  “They’ll get over it.” Dillon took her hand and hauled her toward Nikolai and Summer. He maintained his grip and heat roared along her arm.

  Ella risked a glance at Summer and got hit with a teasing smile. Still, Dillon didn’t release her hand.

  “The break-in at Ella’s place has something to do with the birds and Hana’s murder,” Dillon said. “Summer, you need to tell the cops that. It’s connected, but make sure they wait two days before they do anything. It looks as if they’ve shipped out the birds they had on hand. If they go in today, there won’t be any evidence.”

  “What will you do now?” Summer asked.

  “We’ll stake out a trap and photograph them removing the birds and resetting the traps,” Dillon said.

  “I’m helping.” Ella lifted her chin. “I refuse to stay in the house.”

  “You’re right,” Dillon said unexpectedly. “You’ll be with me like a tick on a dog. Close.”

  Summer sniffed. “Dillon, if that’s all the sweet-talk you have it’s no wonder you’re alone.”

  “I’m alone because these bastards murdered my wife when she got too close to their lucrative operation,” Dillon snapped.

  Ella flinched his words like a slap. That sure put her in her place and halted any ideas of happy ever after.

  11 – The Sting

  Ella situated one of the daypacks full of food on her shoulders, grabbed her overnight bag and waited while the two men took possession of the larger packs.

  “I’ll take that for you,” Dillon said, snatching her overnight bag from her before she could protest. He stormed off, leaving Nikolai and Ella alone.

  “Don’t mind Grumpy,” Nikolai said with a lazy grin. “I ignore him. It’s best if you do too.”

  Ella gave an imperceptible nod of understanding and set off after Dillon. He powered away with his long legs, but she didn’t try to maintain his speed. The man drove her crazy with his snapping and snarling. He had a softer side. She’d witnessed it, savored it during their lovemaking. Right now, however, a sane woman would take one peek and flee. She wished she could walk away, but thoughts of him had filled her mind since their last meeting.

  Each time she tried to shove him out, he returned, helped in part by the friendly ghost since the pair had become entwined in her mind.

  A dose of his bad temper might cure her once and for all.

  Dillon pushed his legs faster, eager for the pulse of muscles and the rapid pump of his heart that told him he was alive. It was his fault those men had invaded Ella’s home. He’d placed her in danger.

  He paused, his mind busy with the angles. How the devil had they learned he and Ella were friends? Two possibilities. One—someone had watched him either arrive or leave Ella’s place. Two—Ella had told someone and word had spread around the district of Eketahuna.

  No, a third option. The neighbor had placed a camera on his property to record his comings and goings. He cursed under his breath, wishing he’d thought of this before, because if this proved correct, Ella was in danger again.

  When he arrived back at his vehicle, he dumped his pack and Ella’s overnight bag in the back. By this time, Nikolai and Ella approached the vehicle.

  “Ella, did you tell anyone you were with me?” he asked.

  “Only that I stayed during the storm until I could get out safely. Are you accusing me of gossip? What was I meant to tell people?”

  “I’m worried about why these guys hassled you to get at me.”

  “I don’t gossip.” Her voice emerged as crisp as a drill sergeant’s dress uniform. The slight tilt of her nose as it lifted higher in the air made his lips twitch. He resisted the humor with difficulty.

  “I wondered if the neighbor is spying on me,” Dillon said. “Not at the house but near the driveway where I mightn’t notice a camera.”

  Nikolai frowned. “Hana caused them problems. It would make sense for them to keep an eye on her.”

  “They murdered her, didn’t they?” Ella asked.

  “That’s our suspicion,” Nikolai said.

  “Maybe that’s why she’s hanging around,” Dillon murmured.

  He caught Nikola’s incredulous expression.

  “Ask Ella why she drove out to visit me the first time. The day the landslide came down,” Dillon said.

  Nikolai stored the rest of the bags in the back, and Ella stuffed herself in the remaining gap. Nikolai climbed in the front.

  “Hana has been haunting me. She spends her time between my cottage and here, and she has been driving me batty. I’m not getting much sleep.”

  “Unless you’re with me,” Dillon said.

  “One plus for you,” Ella quipped.

  Nikolai chuckled. “You’re pulling my leg.”

  “Does his face look as if he’s telling lies?” Ella asked, indicating the somber Dillon. “And you can ask the two guys who broke into my house last night. She scared the crap out of them with her wailing and tossing things across the room. If it wasn’t for Hana, the pair would’ve stayed a lot longer.”

  Dillon drove to his property, and once the house came into sight, he scanned for cameras.

  “Hell,” Nikolai said. “You’re right. There is a camera in that tree. It’s pointing toward your house.”

  “How would that work? Is it battery operated?” Ella asked.

  “My guess is it’s on a motion sensor,” Nikolai said.

  “I don’t see any others.” Dillon coasted to a stop outside his house. “One is probably enough to make certain I’m away from the house.”

  “No, there’ll be another one somewhere,” Nikolai said. “Around the back, because they’d want notice of when you’re near the boundary fence. A second camera would lessen the chances of discovery.”

  “We should inform the cops.” Dillon tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

  “These people are well-organized,” Nikolai said. They have to be with the big money involved. How are we going to catch them?”

  “Somehow, we need to locate any cameras spying on us and stop them recording. They probably have them set up to send a notification to their cell phones.”

  “That’s plain creepy.” Ella stiffened, her voice rising in pitch.

  Once they searched for cameras, they were easier to spot. They found three around his house plus the initial one Nikolai had spotted.

  “And that answers your question about how they knew to hit Ella’s place,” Nikolai said. “You two groped each other outdoors.”

  Hell. He had. She had. A scowl attached to his mouth and dug deep. His hands fisted. The way they’d taken something private between him and Ella and recorded it brought a sense of violation.

  “Suggestions?” he asked Nikolai.

  “We decide which route is the best to come and go from the house and disable one camera to give ourselves an exit point. We’ll need to make sure we appear in front of the other cameras regularly. Make sure they think we’re hanging around the house.”

  “Plan,” Di
llon said. “Ella, you’re with me at all times. Don’t sneak off to get some me-time.”

  Nikolai rolled his eyes, but his brother-in-law didn’t understand how the guilt at Hana’s death sat on his shoulders, heavy as a pack filled with a week’s rations.

  “Ella? I want your promise. These dudes aren’t playing tiddlywinks.”

  That one earned him a guffaw from Nikolai and a grin from Ella. Making people laugh—that was more Josh than him. He felt his own lips quirk, and suddenly, they were all chuckling.

  Dillon’s sat-phone rang. “Williams.”

  “Dillon, the cops want to talk to you. I’m handing over the phone to Connor.”

  “Your sister has explained everything and given us the evidence. You think we should wait a few days until we execute a search warrant. Is that correct?”

  “Yeah. We’ve found cameras on my property. They’re keeping track of where I am and what I’ve been doing. They’ve watched me poking around and realized Hana was nosing into their affairs. That’s why she’s dead.”

  “You will not take things into your own hands.” A statement.

  Dillon opted for honesty. “I want to, but my brother-in-law and I discussed this and decided it was better to call you. They’ll have advance warning if you travel in by vehicle. And I’m not sure what’s going on with the neighbors on the other side. Maybe nothing since they’re not as close as I am.”

  “Your sister said you’re both SAS. Generally, I’d prefer civilians to stay away from an operation, but we could do with help,” Connor said. “I’d like to hear your plan.”

  “The sheds where they store the birds are empty at present. The helicopter came two days ago, and we’re guessing they took delivery of the birds on hand. We’re assuming they’re selling the birds on the dark web.”

  “What sort of birds are we talking about?” Connor said. “Which species have you spotted in the traps?”

  “One was a kokako and another was a greenish parrot. No idea of the variety.”

  “A kaka?”

  “No, I’ve seen flocks of kaka perched in the trees. They don’t venture near the traps. One trap held a wood pigeon.”

  “I’ve spoken with my superiors, and we agree to wait for at least two days. Stay away from your neighbor and let him get on with his bird trapping.”

  “What if he gets another shipment of birds away?” Dillon asked.

  “We’ll be watching,” Connor said in a hard, determined voice. “They will not get away from us this time.”

  * * * * *

  Tension vibrated in the room, in the air, until Ella wanted to scream. She’d spent the afternoon inside, boredom and uneasiness driving her to cook and clean. The same apprehension beset the two men, and they filled their afternoon by fixing the fence around the barn and scrutinizing the alpacas.

  Now, darkness had fallen.

  “The roast meat scent is making my belly rumble,” Nikolai said. “Nose heaven.”

  Ella hid a smile. “Thank you.”

  Dillon prowled back and forth instead of taking a seat at the dinner table. “My gut is twitchy.”

  “Mine too,” Nikolai agreed.

  “You suspect they’ll come here. Tonight?” Ella asked.

  “It’s a strong possibility. If not tonight, tomorrow,” Dillon said with confidence. “They failed to grab you last night. They’ll come again.”

  Ella’s forehead scrunched. “But why do they want me?”

  “Because Dillon has pissed them off,” Nikolai said. “They want to send him a warning.”

  “Which they did when they barged into your house uninvited.” Dillon swiped his hand through his hair. “Summer shouldn’t have brought you here.”

  “I could have left with your sister,” Ella snapped.

  Nikolai shot a wide grin at Dillon. “He’s made himself responsible for your safety. He likes you.”

  Dillon loosed a curse and sprang at Nikolai.

  Nikolai darted out of his way, his hands raised in a surrender position. “Payback, mate. Payback.”

  Dillon released a snarl, and Ella decided that was enough. She stood and crossed the kitchen to get to Dillon. She placed her hands on his shoulders and waited until his attention centered on her. “Let’s make a plan. You guys are excellent at using your brains to save people.”

  Nikolai’s amusement dropped away. “Ella is right. An early warning system—that’s what we need. Doesn’t need to be fancy. A trip wire of some description that makes a din when they blunder into it.”

  “Good,” Ella said, turning her full attention back to Dillon. “What else? You guys scheme while I serve dinner.” She pulled two cans of beer out of the fridge and handed one to each man before she returned to her pot of beef curry. By the time she drained the rice, Nikolai and Dillon sat at the table and debated stringing wires versus rope and almost empty paint cans.

  Ella served the curry and carried over two plates with man-size servings. She returned to the counter for her dinner and claimed the seat next to Dillon. “Do we have a plan? Will we have time to get ready if they come tonight?”

  “We do,” Nikolai confirmed.

  “Can I help?”

  Dillon cast her a searching glance before nodding. “You can.”

  “What about the cameras they’ve put up to watch you?” Ella asked. “Will that be a problem?”

  “If I were them, I’d watch to make certain we were inside. They’d assume they were safe at night,” Nikolai said.

  “And not watching the camera recordings,” Dillon concurred. “We’ll set our traps as soon as we’ve finished eating. Let’s put one camera out of commission to give ourselves an easy way out of the house. Great curry, Ella. Thank you for cooking dinner.”

  “I second that,” Nikolai said and pushed away his empty plate. “Are there seconds?”

  Ella gestured toward the pots on the cooktop. “Help yourself.”

  Arranging the tripwires, or ropes in this case since the materials on hand restricted them, fascinated her. She carted ropes and cans back and forth, watching and taking mental notes as the men assembled the crude alarm system. A man entering the property stealthily would miss the rope at ankle height.

  “That should do it. I’m going to take a shower. Coming, Ella?” Dillon held out his hand to her.

  Without a second thought, she placed her fingers in his.

  “We’ll see you in the morning, earlier if we have visitors,” Dillon said to Nikolai.

  “What about the dishes?” Ella asked.

  “I’ll do them,” Nikolai said. “You cooked dinner.”

  Dillon tugged on her hand and she followed him to the bathroom. “Strip.”

  Ella blinked at him.

  “Please. I’d like to shower with you.” He turned on the water and rapidly disrobed.

  When she dawdled, he helped her by unbuttoning her red shirt.

  “This shirt was an inspired choice.” He grinned, a beam wide enough to make a comedian proud. “Bright red like a matador’s cape. No way they would’ve missed your presence.”

  “I wore it because it’s my favorite shirt. I needed a confidence booster today.” She shimmied out of her vintage-inspired jeans and pulled off her socks at the same time.

  “Hana warned you?”

  “Yes. If she hadn’t…” She trailed off, a shudder working through her.

  “You were smart hiding. It was the best plan. Otherwise, you might be dead. I couldn’t stroke your luscious breasts again or suck your neck at the spot that makes you gasp.” He followed words with action, and she did gasp. “I love your curves. So sexy and perfect for a man to grip while he’s thrusting into your wet pussy.”

  His words thrilled her as much as his sensual caresses, but before she gave in to her coursing needs, she had a question. “Why were you grumpy with me today? I didn’t—hadn’t—done anything wrong.”

  Dillon sighed. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’ve already lost Hana and coming close to losing you as well…�
�� He pressed his forehead to hers before nudging her under the warm water. “I’m trained as a soldier. It’s my job to protect, and I’ve failed with both of you.” He stepped into the shower and closed the door behind him.

  “It’s good I came to you,” Ella said. “I can knock sense into that stubborn brain of yours.” She tapped him on the side of the head. “I bet Hana loved you for giving her a new life.”

  Dillon swallowed, his throat working as his eyes closed. When his eyes opened again, grief filled them. “She loved me, but I couldn’t return… I…I didn’t feel the same way as her. It was clear she hoped our friendship might deepen. She told me not to worry, but her death…”

  “Oh! I never realized. The local gossip… Your parents didn’t know?”

  “No,” Dillon said.

  “I’m sorry. That must’ve been difficult. For both of you.” Her expression was shrewd as she studied him. “You’re burdened with guilt because she died in what you thought was a safe place.”

  “How could I not be?”

  “Hana was happy here. My gut tells me she was content. I bet she helped pick the colors for the rooms and set about making a home for both of you.”

  “She did.”

  “Hand me the soap.”

  Dillon offered her the soap and she turned him to rub it over his broad back. A citrus scent filled the shower as suds swirled down his spine and over his fine backside.

  “Hana made me come here,” Ella said. “She must have a purpose. She loved you, and although you didn’t love her in the same way, she wants your happiness.”

  Dillon turned to face her. “Me and you? You like me?”

  “Quite a bit, actually.” This confession was a bad idea, but she preferred truth to evasion.

  “I’m returning to Afghanistan soon.”

  “Yes, but that doesn’t matter. Not right at this moment.”

  He stared at her, his blue eyes dark and stormy and serious. “I have no words.”

  “No problem,” she said, reaching up to kiss him.

  In pure Dillon-style, he took over the kiss, his hands wandering her hips and breasts. Her arse. When her blood roared through her veins and desire drove her reactions, he pulled back.