Top Gun Guardian

by Carol Ericson

  Her bottom lip trembled, and she turned and pressed her forehead against the cold glass of the window. She hadn’t even been there for him when he’d lost his parents. “Almost there?”

  “Willow Road Ranch is just around the next bend.”

  “It has a name and everything?”

  “Thought I told you all about it.”

  His clipped words made her bite her lip. He’d told her all about the ranch where he’d grown up. The more he’d talked about it, the more evident it had become that he planned to stash her there after their marriage. So the more she’d tuned him out.

  “Did you tell me why it was called Willow Road Ranch?”

  “Wait and see.”

  He wheeled the truck around the bend and turned down a paved road. One more turn and the asphalt gave way to something less civilized. The tires of the truck crunched and spewed gravel in a cloud of dust and then trundled between the reaching branches of a line of willow trees. The thin sticks, bereft of leaves, created a spiky tunnel toward the sprawling ranch house that lay ahead.

  Raven pressed her nose to the window. “This must be beautiful in the spring when the trees have all their leaves.”

  “It is.” He nudged Malika’s rounded shoulder. “Looks like she needs a nap before you go on your shopping spree.”

  Sighing, Raven blew a puff of air against the glass. This hideaway was going to be a minefield of emotions for both of them. Buzz had wanted to have their wedding right here on the ranch…in the spring.

  Buzz had invited her to White Cloud several times to meet his parents and his sister, but she’d always found some excuse. Now she’d never meet his parents.

  The truck rolled to a stop around the circular drive, and Buzz tipped his chin toward a garage at the end of the property. “My truck should be in there, and then I can return this one to its rightful owner.”

  “I still can’t believe he just let you take his truck.”

  “That’s White Cloud.”

  Raven left the door of the truck open as she leaned against the hood. “The house looks pretty good for being abandoned.”

  “It’s not exactly abandoned.” Buzz ducked into the truck and scooped up a sleeping Malika. “My manager, Shep Ochoa, has been with our family for years. He takes care of the ranch, and one of his daughters makes sure the inside is habitable. So we should have clean sheets, warm water and a working furnace and electricity.”

  Raven stretched. “Sounds like heaven about now. Keys?”

  “Under the mat, of course.”

  “I’ll unlock the door while you keep a tight hold on our precious cargo.”

  Buzz adjusted Malika’s drowsy form so that her head rested on his shoulder.

  Gulping, Raven crouched down and swept her hand beneath the mat. The man was a natural. The fact that some woman hadn’t snapped him up yet surprised the heck out of her. Surprised her and pleased her.

  She jingled the keychain. “Probably right where you left them. Heckuva place, White Cloud.”

  Opening the door, she stepped aside to allow Buzz through with Malika. As he crossed the expansive great room to a door just beyond the staircase, Raven dropped the keys on a table and took a turn around the room.

  Raven didn’t know quite what she expected from ranch décor, but she knew it wasn’t this rustic room filled with charm and comfort. Sliding glass doors led to a wooden deck that commanded a view of the ranch, rolling hills fringing the landscape. A huge stone fireplace took up half a wall while Native American wall hangings graced another.

  She dropped into a deep, rust-colored chair and kicked off her shoes just as Buzz appeared.

  “Is Malika still sleeping?”

  “Yeah, she mumbled a few words I didn’t understand and then went out like a light. Guess she didn’t sleep too comfortably on the plane.” He perched on the edge of the sofa across from her and clasped his hands between his knees.

  “Probably had a lot to do with all the excitement and terror of running through the U.N. with me.”

  “I’m impressed at how you handled yourself, Raven. Those years in Prospero must’ve rubbed off on you.”

  A lot had rubbed off on her. Hunching her shoulders, she folded her arms. “That little girl is resilient and she shouldn’t have to be. It’s not fair.”

  “It’s good to be resilient. Look at you.”

  Raven snorted. She’d hardly hold herself up as an example to anyone. Didn’t Buzz realize her resiliency was what kept her from making a commitment to marriage and family?

  “Yeah, just look at me.” She spread her arms and stretched her legs in front of her.

  “You don’t even have a toothbrush, and you’re not falling apart.”

  “Don’t remind me or a total breakdown just might be around the corner.”

  Buzz pushed up from the sofa and yawned. “I think I’m going to follow Malika’s lead and get some sleep. I have some toothbrushes in one of the bathrooms if you want to freshen up a bit before hitting the shops.”

  “Maybe I’ll do that.” She snagged her purse from the floor. “You know, I haven’t even checked my messages since we literally flew out of New York. Maybe my boss, Walter, has some news.”

  “Just don’t tell him where you are. Don’t tell anyone.”

  “Got it.” Raven slid open her phone and frowned—a text message from a restricted number. “This could be Walter.”

  She clicked the button to open the message and gasped. She dropped the phone. It hit the coffee table and bounced to the hardwood floor.

  Buzz jerked his head up. “Bad news?”

  Raven licked her lips. “I just got a message from Malika’s would-be kidnappers. And they’re not happy with me.”

  Chapter Five

  Adrenaline pumped through Buzz’s body and he clenched his hands, ready to do battle with unseen enemies. He dropped to the floor to retrieve Raven’s phone and flipped it open. Reading the message, his jaw tightened.

  Return the girl or die.

  As Raven said, the message came from a restricted number, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t trace it back to a cell phone. But how did these maniacs get Raven’s phone number? And how did they know she had Malika?

  Raven rubbed her palms on her slacks. “It’s just a message, right? They don’t know where we are.”

  “How do they know you have her?” Buzz tapped the phone against his palm. “And how did they get your number?”

  Hunching her shoulders, Raven shoved her nervous hands into her pockets. “They knew she was in that anteroom at the U.N. and probably knew she was with a female translator. There are several ways they could’ve gotten my name. Same goes for my cell phone number. Maybe they’re just guessing she’s with me.”

  “Would your office give out your number?”

  “Under the right circumstances. Look, these guys were able to infiltrate the General Assembly with weapons. They probably have someone on the inside.”

  “You’re good, Raven Pierre.” He held up the phone. “I’m going to see if we can get a trace on this restricted number.”

  “Be my guest.” She pulled her hands out of her pockets and hugged herself, which should’ve been his job. “The message is meaningless, just an empty threat…right?”

  “You and Malika are safe here, Raven. If any strangers show up in White Cloud, I’ll check them out.”

  She relaxed her shoulders and attempted a smile. “Yeah, those old coots at the Arapaho would have a line on any stranger in under ten minutes.”

  “That’s right.” He brushed a strand of black hair from her cheek. “Just don’t let them hear you calling them coots, especially old ones.”

  “Are you still tired? You’re the one who flew all night.”

  “You go ahead and take a nap. I’ll check out the phone and then hit the sack. Then I’ll take you and Malika into town for some shopping.” He gestured at her sophisticated ensemble. “You’d better get yourself a pair of jeans and some boots…the kind without
five-inch stiletto heels.”

  “I think I can manage that. Bed?”

  Buzz raised one eyebrow. He could make a salacious joke right now, but the image of Raven sprawled across his bed upstairs had him tongue-tied. A slow flush crept up Raven’s neck and settled in her cheeks.

  “I—I mean is there a bed for me somewhere.” She pressed her hands to her face. “A bedroom I can use?”

  Clearing his throat, Buzz said, “There are plenty of bedrooms upstairs and a few should be made up. When you get to the top of the stairs, hang a left. The yellow room on the right should be good to go.”

  “Thanks.” She snagged her bag and heaved it over her shoulder.

  Buzz stopped her halfway to the staircase. “Clean towels and those toothbrushes I promised are in the cupboard in the hallway.”

  “Wake me up by noon, sooner if Malika wakes up.”

  He nodded and watched the sway of her hips as she ascended the stairs, high heels dangling from two fingers. Swallowing hard, he smacked the counter that ran between the great room and the country kitchen as he perched on a stool.

  Did he think it was going to be easy having his ex-fiancée parading around his house? Sleeping in one of his beds? Just not his?

  His subconscious must’ve jumped into action when he’d been thinking up a cover story for them on the fly. How convenient to pretend Raven was his wife. He’d always believed he could get her to change her mind about their relationship if she’d only spend some time in White Cloud.

  Deep down Raven yearned for the very things she pushed away with both hands. Home. Family. Stability. She’d never had them, so she pretended she didn’t want them, figured they were out of her reach. But he knew better.

  Buzz smacked the counter again. Get over it, man. How’d that saying go? She’s just not that into you.

  He pulled his own cell phone from his pocket, one of many untraceable models he carried. He punched in the number for Colonel Scripps, one of the men behind Prospero, and the man who had assembled the former Prospero team members to find Jack Coburn.

  “Colonel, it’s Buzz.”

  “You’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest at the Agency and with those guys from the Dignitary Protection Division. Seems you took off with President Okeke’s daughter, and they’re none too pleased with the kidnapping.”

  “Kidnapping?”

  “That’s what they’re calling it.”

  Buzz scraped his stool back and hunched over the counter. “I made previous arrangements with President Okeke. Did they tell you that?”

  “President Okeke is keeping mum.”

  Buzz worked his jaw. “He’s not accusing me of kidnapping his daughter, is he?”

  “No, but he hasn’t mentioned any special arrangements either, which has the CIA hopping mad…at you.”

  “I have no intention of tipping off the Agency as to my whereabouts, Colonel. I’m keeping this little girl safe until the trouble in Burumanda settles down.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “You’re going to keep her safe until the unrest in Burumanda is over and until you find out what it all has to do with Jack?”

  Buzz scratched his chin. “You accusing me of using a little girl as collateral for intel on Jack?”

  The colonel coughed. “I know you wouldn’t do anything to put that girl in harm’s way, Buzz. But I also know you wouldn’t relinquish an opportunity to gather information on Jack’s situation.”

  “I do know the same terrorist group that sold drugs to finance a biological weapon is the same terrorist group that’s behind the attempt on Okeke’s life and the foiled kidnapping of his daughter. This group is linked to Jack’s disappearance and our old nemesis, Farouk, is leading the charge.”

  “Speaking of the foiled kidnapping, I understand our own Raven Pierre saved the day.”

  His own Raven Pierre. Buzz traced a pattern on the tile countertop with his fingertip. “Yeah, Raven put her Prospero training to good use.”

  Colonel Scripps let out a long breath on the other end of the line. “Is she with you?”

  Buzz choked. “Is Raven with me? You know better than that, Colonel.”

  “Sure, I know better.”

  “I called for a favor.” Buzz twirled Raven’s cell phone on the tile. “Can you get a trace on a restricted number sending a text to a cell phone?”

  “I can use my sources to give it a try, but if it was a pre-paid phone sending the text, it can’t be traced. If this person calls again, get me on another line and we can try to get the phone company to use the tower triangulation to locate the general location of the caller.”

  Fat chance of that happening. Buzz gave the colonel the information from Raven’s cell phone anyway, avoiding any mention of Raven herself or the text of the message. Colonel Scripps had enough to worry about. He didn’t need to think about one of his agents on a mission with Buzz’s ex-fiancée.

  Buzz ended the call and stretched, glancing at his watch. Maybe he would get a little shut-eye before he took Raven and Malika into town. He bolted the front door and looked in on Malika. That little girl had done a number on Raven. Or maybe Raven believed in that Chinese proverb that once she’d saved Malika’s life, she was responsible for her forever.

  He took the stairs two at a time and eased open the door to the yellow room. A lavender fragrance still wafted from the connected bathroom, but Raven was out cold in the bed.

  Buzz crept into the room and tugged the covers over Raven’s bare shoulders and up to her chin. He closed his eyes as desire, strong and potent, coursed through his blood stream.

  If Farouk didn’t kill him, being holed up with his beautiful, untouchable ex-fiancée would.

  RAVEN’S EYELIDS FLEW OPEN and her heart pounded. A dream. It was just a dream. Someone had been pursuing her through the halls of the U.N. She’d been running and running but couldn’t find Malika. Malika’s screams were growing fainter and fainter.

  Wiping a hand across her mouth, she rolled to her side. She held her breath. A scream—a real one this time—resounded from downstairs. She scrambled out of bed and stumbled toward the door, realizing she’d shed her clothing before crawling between the sweet-smelling sheets.

  She snatched her blouse from the back of the chair and shoved her arms into the sleeves. Tripping down the stairs, she fumbled with the buttons with trembling fingers.

  When she hit the bottom step, Buzz called from the landing. “What is it? What’s going on?”

  “It’s Malika. She’s screaming.” Raven swung around the corner of the balustrade and rushed to the open bedroom door where the cries had subsided to whimpers.

  She careened into the room and pounced on Malika’s bed. “Shh, what’s wrong, sweetie?”

  Malika pressed her small body against the headboard, her eyes wide. “The men are coming. The men are coming to get me.”

  Raven pried Malika from the headboard and clamped the girl’s waiflike frame to her chest. “It’s okay, Malika. The men aren’t here. You’re safe. You’re safe with me and Buzz.”

  Malika snuffled against Raven’s shoulder and rolled her head to the side. “Mr. Buzz is here.”

  Raven cranked her head over her shoulder, her gaze sweeping down all six feet three inches of Buzz standing in the doorway, clad in a pair of faded blue jeans hanging low on his slim hips.

  “Is everything okay?”

  Raven nodded. “I think Malika had a bad dream, and she’s not the only one.”

  Buzz twisted his wrist to peer at his watch. “It’s just about noon anyway. Time to go into town.”

  “Would you like that, Malika?” She stroked the girl’s hair. “Do you want to buy some clothes and eat some lunch?”

  “Yes. I had a dream.” A tremble rolled through her body and Raven squeezed her tighter.

  “I had a dream, too. I’ll bet it was the same dream, but we’re safe now. Do you want to take a bath before we go out?”

  “Yes, and then we buy clothes?�
��

  Spoken like a true fashionista. “That’s right. You have your priorities straight. Is there a bathroom downstairs with a tub, Buzz?”

  He pointed to the ceiling. “Upstairs.”

  Malika scooted out of bed and Raven held her hand as they followed Buzz up the staircase.

  Raven opened the cupboard door and filched a toothbrush for Malika. “Go in my bathroom and brush your teeth. I’ll start the bath.”

  Raven squeezed some toothpaste on Malika’s toothbrush and cranked on the water in the tub. She squirted a steady stream of pink liquid into the steaming water and tossed the bubble bath bottle back into the basket at the head of the tub. The ranch house was completely outfitted and ready for a family.

  When Raven returned to the bedroom, Buzz was propping up the doorjamb with one bare shoulder. She steered clear of conducting an inventory of the rest of his body. She knew it well—slabs of hard muscle shifting across his chest, a six-pack of ridges so firm you could balance a glass of wine on them, biceps strong enough to keep you safe forever.

  She scooped up her bra from the chair, along with her slacks and shivered beneath her light blouse. Apparently, Buzz wasn’t bothering with the niceties like she was. His gaze raked her body and she shivered again, this time under the hot intensity of his stare.

  Glancing down, she cursed under her breath. In her haste, she hadn’t buttoned her blouse properly. One edge of the blouse revealed the curve of her hip as the buttons gaped across her chest, practically baring one breast. The pulse in her throat beat a slow, seductive rhythm.

  Buzz took one step toward her and she gulped. Her skin tingled as if he already had his hands on her.

  “I am finished, Raven.” Malika’s clear voice cut through the sultry air between Raven and Buzz.

  Raven snapped back to reality and climbed into her wrinkled slacks. She adjusted the buttons on her blouse and tossed the bra onto the bed. “Be right there.”

  She helped Malika undress and steadied her as she climbed into the oversized tub. “Buzz, can you please get Malika a towel?”

  “I’m on it.”