She shook her head and sat up. “Jonathan said he talked to a stranger while we were away. I haven’t questioned him too much for fear I would make him afraid.” She shook her head. “I should caution him about Brace. He must be careful.”
Wade had every reason to believe that Brace Duncan was a madman. But he also believed that Caroline was just overreacting to something that could easily be explained. She had been running and hiding for so long, she saw danger everywhere.
“You are allowing your fear of Brace to make you suspect everything that happens and to see trouble when there is none.”
“Why won’t you believe me?”
Wade glanced toward the door when someone knocked. He frowned and pulled the cover over Caroline. “It must be important, for someone to disturb us at this time of night.
“Just a moment,” he called out, getting out of bed and drawing on his trousers. He grabbed his shirt, pulled it on, and went to answer the door without buttoning it.
“Mary?” he asked, opening the door a crack. “Is something wrong?”
“I’m sorry to bother you. Frank and Elliot Webber are downstairs. They say it’s important.”
“Let them know I will be down directly.”
He buttoned his shirt and tucked it in his trousers. Then he pulled his boots on and leaned over to place a lingering kiss on Caroline’s lips.
He saw the fear in her eyes and realized just how upset she was. “This is just business. I should not be long.” He gave her another kiss and allowed his hand to drift across her breasts. “Wait for me.”
When Wade went downstairs, Frank and Elliot Webber were waiting for him in the entry. It was easy to see that they were brothers, because each had a shock of brown hair and deep-set gray eyes. Big and heavily muscled, they were a force to be reckoned with. Each of them looked as if his nose had been broken. It was reputed that the Webber brothers liked a good fight, especially after consuming too much whisky. But they were men Wade trusted, and that was why he had enlisted their help to protect Caroline.
“Sorry, sir,” Frank said, jerking his cap off and digging his elbow into his brother’s ribs, reminding him to do the same. “I thought you might want to see what we found.”
Wade shook hands with both men. “What have you there?”
Elliot held the derringer out to his boss. “Someone was lurking about in the yard. He ran off when he realized I’d seen him. He’s a sly one—we couldn’t catch him. But he left footprints where he went over the back wall, and he dropped this.”
Wade took the gun and turned it over in his hand. “Did you get close enough to describe him?”
“No, sir. I’m sorry. It was too dark, and he was too far away. If I met him in daylight, I wouldn’t even know him.”
Wade valued their opinions, so he asked, “What do either of you make of this?”
“I think someone was up to no good. I can’t say who, and I can’t say why, but maybe you know, since you have us looking out for Mrs. Renault.”
Wade had almost made another grave mistake with Brace Duncan. The man was in New Orleans just as Caroline had warned him. He should have trusted her instinct. Because he had been careless, evil had come close to her tonight. And unless Brace was apprehended, he would not stop until he got even closer to Caroline.
Frank watched his boss check the gun to see that it was loaded. “What do you want us to do, Mr. Renault?”
Wade’s mind raced ahead to what must be done to keep Caroline safe. “I want the guard doubled—no, tripled. Choose whomever you trust so you men can work in round-the-clock shifts. I want the house protected at all times.”
“I agree, sir,” Frank said.
Elliot looked confused. “To cover such a big area, we’ll have to use five or six men at all times.”
“Do whatever you have to. I want one man watching every door.”
“And when the missus is in the garden?”
Wade clapped Elliot on the back. “I’ll leave it up to you. I owe both of you for tonight. You may have saved Mrs. Renault’s life.”
“This man is trying to kill her?” Frank asked, attempting to sort it all out in his mind.
“He has killed before, and he will not hesitate to do so again.”
Wade didn’t realize he was pacing as he described Brace with the perception of a bounty hunter.
“The man’s name is Brace Duncan. He is of medium height, has dark hair, and wears stylish clothes. He had a mustache, but he could have shaved it off. He wears a gold ring on the little finger of his left hand with the letter D inscribed on it.”
Wade stopped pacing and looked from one man to the other. “You must understand and make the others understand—this man is dangerous. Make sure you are all armed.”
“We won’t let you down, sir. You can depend on us.”
“I do. You must not allow any strangers on the property, is that understood?”
Frank answered for them both. “Yes, sir.”
Wade walked toward the stairs. “Have Mary give you something to eat. I will want the two of you to stay here at all times. Tell her to find you a room in the house.”
Wade quietly entered the bedroom and placed the derringer on the dressing table. He knew that Caroline had fallen asleep, because he could hear her slow, even breathing. He quietly undressed and slipped into bed beside her and took her into his arms.
Mon amour, he thought, pressing his mouth against hers. She barely stirred in her sleep.
At what point had she become his life, his reason for being? If anything happened to her, he would find no joy in existence. He pulled her tightly to him and spread kisses over her face. So this was what it felt like to love someone to the exclusion of everything else, to put another’s life before one’s own? He felt as if his heart had been ripped to shreds because of the hurt she had been forced to live through.
He touched his lips to her ear and whispered softly, “I cannot go back to what I was before you came into my life. I was dead inside until you breathed life into me.”
She opened her eyes and blinked as if coming out of a deep sleep. Seeing the fire in Wade’s eyes, she reached up and stroked his cheek.
“I tried to stay awake but I was sleepy.”
The emotions pouring out of him were so strong, he was staggered. He could not talk or think clearly. “Go back to sleep, sweetheart.”
“You will stay with me this time?” she asked sleepily, burrowing herself against him.
“I will be right beside you always.”
Brace entered his dark hotel room, not bothering to light a lamp. He fell back on the bed, thinking how near he had come to being caught tonight. It looked like Renault was keeping guards at his place, which would make it harder to draw Caroline out, but certainly not impossible.
He rubbed his hands together. He had scraped them on the brick wall, and he had torn his trousers when he climbed over it. Rage lingered in his heart. No brick wall would keep him away from Caroline.
He had to think of a plan, something the bounty hunter would never expect. He had to find someone who knew details about their daily life. There would be a hole somewhere in Wade Renault’s defenses, and Brace was determined to find out what it was.
At first he had thought he would just shoot Renault, but that would be too easy. He wanted Renault to suffer—wanted him to cry out in agony knowing the woman he loved was dead!
He should have realized that Renault would fall in love with Caroline when he sent him after her. He’d thought he had selected well by choosing a dispassionate man with a reputation for being cruel and detached.
He had been wrong.
The blood ran cold in his veins when he thought of Caroline lying beside Wade Renault.
“You will be sorry, Caroline. You will learn that you belong to me, and no one else.”
Caroline opened her eyes, feeling calm and rested. She turned her head, and her face bumped against Wade’s wide chest. She propped herself up on the pillow and watc
hed him as he slept. With his intense spirit, she could only imagine the warmth he could pour into a woman if he loved her. She wanted badly to be that woman, but he had married her for a far different reason.
His dark lashes lay like silk against his tan cheeks. She loved the way his ebony hair fell across his forehead. His mouth, she could hardly resist kissing. She lightly touched a lock of his hair and jumped when he grabbed her hand, coming instantly awake.
For a moment, she saw the adversarial look of the hunter in his golden eyes until he realized who had touched him. His mouth moved into a smile, and he stretched slow and long, then pulled her toward him.
“So you want to play,” he taunted, rubbing his thumb over her lips.
“I was just watching you sleep. Did you know that you are a very handsome man?”
His smile was lazy and sensual. “I am glad you think so, although I have not heard any woman say that to me before.”
“They were probably too frightened of you to tell you how they felt. Besides, I don’t want to think of you with other women.”
He studied her face, looking for the truth in her eyes. “You have nothing to be concerned about, Caroline. You have erased them from my mind.”
She gave him her most seductive look. “Perhaps you need more reminding that I am your wife.”
He pulled her on top of him, yanking up her nightgown so her bare flesh touched his. She felt him swell against her, and caught her breath. Leaning slowly toward him, she touched her lips to his. “Mmm,” she breathed, flicking her tongue out and touching his mouth, bringing a groan from him.
He rolled her over, pinning her beneath him. “I hope you intend to wake me this way every morning.” He nudged her breast, then ran his teeth over the swollen nipple. “I can think of no better way to start my day.”
His mouth ground against hers, and she was lost to the flowing emotions that passed between them.
“I want to hold you forever,” he muttered, sliding into her.
“And I want you to,” she answered, trembling, sighing, biting her lip, and then surrendering.
It was sometime later, when Caroline was curled up next to him, that Wade broached the subject he dreaded. “You were right about Brace. He is in New Orleans.”
“God help me,” she whispered. “I felt certain that he was here, but I had hoped I was wrong.” She felt sick inside, and bile rose up in her throat. “How did you find out?”
“He was here, just as you said. I am sorry I did not listen to you when you warned me.”
She trembled, burrowing closer to him.
“So it was him that Jonathan saw in the garden.”
“It would seem so.”
“Then we must send Jonathan away so he will be safe. Send him to Nelly and Yance.”
Wade could feel the panic rising in her, and he gathered her close. “It is best for Jonathan to remain here with us. I have good men guarding the grounds, and Brace will not be able to slip past them. I want you to remain in the house and keep Jonathan with you.”
“My first instinct is to run, but I promised myself I would never do that again.” She looked into his eyes. “I know you will keep us safe. It’s just that Brace is a destroyer of lives. He destroys without feeling guilty about it.”
“Caroline,” he breathed her name into her hair. “I could not go on without you.”
She drew back and stared at him—was he admitting he loved her?
“I have never heard you say that before.”
“I guard what belongs to me. You and Jonathan are mine.”
She closed her eyes, knowing that was as close to a declaration of love as he had ever made.
“Our son and I are very fortunate to be under your protection.”
He felt her relax against him, and he knew she was drifting off to sleep. Had he done enough to protect her? For the first time doubt nagged at his mind. Caroline knew the danger, he reassured himself. If she stayed within the safe boundaries he had made for her, Brace could not get to her.
He shifted his weight, but she did not move. Could there possibly be anything he had overlooked? He pressed his lips against her cheek and heard her steady breathing. Life was just so damned good now—but there was always the threat of Brace hanging over them.
He had men searching the town and many of the outlying areas, looking for the man. So far, there was no clue to where he was staying. But he was nearby and he was a determined killer.
Brace would have to surface sooner or later, and when he did, Wade would be waiting for him.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Brace had searched for days to find a deserted place where he could lure Caroline to him. He was anxious to get his hands on her, so much so, he had considered storming the house and taking his chances. But reason returned when he discovered the house in the swamps; it was perfect for his needs. It was far enough away from everything that he would draw no attention to himself. The house was in pitiful condition, damp and dark. The cane-bottom chairs were wobbly, and the bed sagged in the middle; the blankets he had thrown on the mattress were already musty and dank.
But the derelict house suited his purpose just fine; nothing would dampen his spirits now. Caroline was as good as in his hands.
He smiled as he mounted the horse he had acquired from the livery stable. He would find Renault’s weakness and use it against him.
It was late afternoon when Brace rode past the Renault estate, gauging the number of men on guard there. If he hadn’t stirred things up by almost getting caught, Renault would not have brought in so many men. One of them was clipping the hedges at the side of the house, and another was just standing under the shade of a tree, keeping vigil. They were all fools if they thought they could stop him.
One of the guards looked his way, and Brace waved as if he were out for a leisurely ride. The man waved back. No suspicion there.
He had decided that there was no way he could enter the estate at the front. And he had very little doubt that there would be even more men watching the back of the house.
He had to talk to the boy he had spoken with. He had no notion how the boy figured into the lives of Renault and Caroline, but he had to find a way to draw the child’s attention. He needed an ally on the inside. He didn’t know much about kids, but he figured they could be bribed easier than an adult.
A plan was forming in his mind. He would hide behind the back wall until either Caroline or the boy came along. He certainly wasn’t foolish enough to tangle with Renault: he couldn’t beat him unless he outsmarted him in some way. But the day would soon come when he would have his revenge on the bounty hunter, one way or another.
He heard someone coming down the path, and he ducked behind the wall, listening carefully. The footfalls were light, so it had to be the boy.
He edged himself halfway up the wall and called out, “Lad, come over here. I want to talk to you.”
Jonathan went to Brace without hesitation. “Sir, what are you doing on our wall? Why don’t you come to the front of the house if you want to see us?”
“I found this lying in that field over there,” Brace said, holding out a gray and yellow striped ball. “I thought it might be yours.”
“No. My ball is red.”
“What’s your name?”
The boy took a bite of an apple before he answered. “I’m Jonathan Renault. What’s your name?”
The hated name of Renault twisted in Brace’s gut, but he managed to smile. “My name is a secret. Can you keep a secret, Jonathan?”
“I can if I want to.” He took another bite of his apple.
“Do you know Caroline?”
“Sure I do. She’s my mommy.”
Brace was taken aback. He had been asking questions around New Orleans about Renault, and no one mentioned that he had a son. “Are you sure she’s your mother?”
“Of course. I guess I ought to know who my mommy is. And Wade is my father.” He had finished his apple and threw the core toward the pond,
missing it by inches. “What’s your secret?”
“I know someone who lives in your house—someone who is a good friend of mine.”
“You know me. You saw me before, but I don’t think we are friends.”
“I know Caroline.”
The child frowned, sensing that something wasn’t quite right. “No, you don’t. She would have told me if she knew you.”
“But she does. You see, we have been friends for a long time. I’m from far away where she once lived. I came here because I want to surprise her.”
The child swung onto a low-hanging branch so he could be even with the man. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Don’t you think that your mommy likes surprises?”
Jonathan thought about that. “I guess so. I guess everyone does.”
“Why don’t you come with me, and we’ll ride into town, and you can buy her a little gift. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“You mean I could ride on a horse with you?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. Just climb up here, and I’ll lift you over the wall. You’ll have to hurry.”
At that moment Frank called out to the boy. “Jonathan. Where are you hiding? You’re wanted in the house.”
The boy’s face crumpled into disappointment. “I can’t go with you right now.” He hopped down from the branch. “I guess Mommy wants me.”
“I’ll be here the same time tomorrow, if you decide you want to go with me into town. Remember, tell no one about our visit—let this just be our little secret.”
Jonathan nodded. “I won’t tell anyone. I gotta go now.”
Brace smiled to himself. He had found Renault’s weakness.
It was the boy.
As it happened, it was over a week before Jonathan again made his way to the back wall. In that time, Brace had been there waiting every day, ever vigilant for a chance to draw the boy to him, his temper mounting. He had been forced to hide like a coward when the guards patrolling the grounds came his way. His anger was almost more then he could swallow, and he was beginning to lose all reason. He had even considered making a run for the house and shooting anyone who got in his way. It really didn’t matter what happened to him. All he could think about was seeing Caroline dead.
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