Survive The Fall (Dark Eagle Book 1)

by Julia Bright

  “Sweet. So you have a safe room?”

  “If you noticed, when we entered the door up top, there was a short hall. That hall has a security door that slides out. It locks from the inside. That way, if I need to lock myself in, I can. Then there's a wired phone down here. I haven't canceled the contract yet. I probably will in the next month or so.”

  “Why cancel?”

  “It's a silly expense. No one uses it.”

  “But what if the door is stuck and you're trapped down here? Does your phone work in here?”

  She pulled out her cell phone, and her brows rose. “I guess not.”

  He grabbed his phone and showed her that there were no bars. “What about Wi-Fi?”

  She shook her head. “Nope, not down here.”

  “You should keep this line,” he said, his voice commanding.

  The expense wasn’t that much, but she didn’t like having something she didn’t use “I'll think about it.”

  She took two steaks and a pound of ground beef from the freezer before looking over her shoulder at him and grabbing another hunk of meat. “I'm grabbing a roast for this weekend. You fine with me assuming you'll be out here for dinner?”

  “Sure.”

  Her gaze hit his, and interest fired in his eyes. She recognized the lust and chuckled. “Slow down, cowboy. I'm not ready for anything more than friendship. I'm messed up, and I can't think straight.”

  “I'm okay with friends.”

  “You sure?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah. I need to get my head on straight too. I want to keep looking into these terrorists.”

  “Are you curious or do you think you could do something?” she asked.

  “I'm not sure. I mean doing something is great. Killing that guy, it felt good. Like I'd righted a wrong.”

  She nodded and headed up to the main floor, placing the steaks on the counter and putting the rest of the meat in the refrigerator. They both headed to the computer room, neither of them saying anything as they searched for information.

  After an hour she checked on the steaks, deciding they needed a few minutes on defrost in the microwave.

  “What are you thinking about?” Adam asked.

  She blinked and stared at him, her mind nearly blank. “I don't know. I was trying not to think. I guess I like having you here.”

  He waggled his brows, and she rolled her eyes. He laughed even more as he opened the refrigerator.

  “Mind if I have a beer?”

  “Go ahead. I'd like one too.”

  Being in the kitchen with Adam, just chilling and hanging out, was pleasant. She enjoyed how they were together.

  The food was excellent, the company even better. Adam told her stories about being in the military.

  “So how did you become a Ranger?”

  He blew out a slow breath and shook his head. He pushed the last of his broccoli around with his fork before he shrugged. “Jenkins and I had just graduated boot camp, and we were fresh little snots. We decided we could go to Ranger school. It was freaking tough. We cried like babies during training at one point. But I guess it ended up being worth it though Jenkins got killed. A lot of guys die in war. It sucks.”

  “I'm sorry you lost him.” She reached out and touched his shoulder. His head whipped up, and he blinked at her like he'd forgotten she was there.

  “It's rough some days. What we did in Algeria helped.”

  “I'm glad.”

  “Well, I should go. I have work next week, and I need to do laundry and clean a little.”

  “Sure.” Disappointment wove through her, making her sad. She didn't want him to go, but he didn't live here.

  “I'll come out this weekend?” His voice rose on the last word, and she smiled, thinking he was adorable.

  “I'd be disappointed if you didn't come see me.”

  He stepped close, and for a moment she thought he would kiss her, but he squeezed her tight before he took a step back and moved to the door.

  “Lock up.”

  The laugh escaped at his words. “No one ever comes out here. I'll be fine.”

  “Okay, but just promise me you'll lock the doors.”

  “I will don't worry. I lived in the city long enough to know to lock up.”

  He glanced away then back to her. “I'll see you later.”

  She watched him drive away, wondering if she'd missed an opportunity.

  “Oh well,” she said to no one as she moved to the kitchen to clean up. So much of the last few months had been spent searching for The Desert Snake. She wasn't sure what to do. She guessed she needed to figure out the fence and what to order. The paperwork, bills, and receipts for the ranch sat on the desk in her grandfather's office. After cleaning the kitchen, she moved to the desk and began working through the paper, paying bills she needed to pay.

  Now that Zaeim was dead, she had time. Her mind wandered, and she thought about the search for more terrorist. What if she could do something? She pushed away the thought. Her life was here now, not off trying to save the world.

  Her grandfather had trusted her with the ranch, and she couldn't allow it to fail. Tomorrow, she'd focus on business here. This place was amazing, and if she needed cash, she would take a few computer jobs to even the money out.

  14

  Adam missed Kelsey before he even left her property. They'd been through a lot, and she'd given him the guy who had killed his best friend. Seeing the look in Zaeim's eyes just before he snapped his neck had been worth everything. He was happy to be the one to take down such a big piece of trash.

  Spending time with Kelsey was just as nice as he'd assumed it would be. He enjoyed her quick humor and how she changed, becoming serious. He'd love to have her in his bed again, but he would wait. After a quick shower where he jerked off to thoughts of his angel, he gathered his clothes, pre-treated the ones with stains, and separated them by color. He'd wake early and head out to a laundromat and tackle the chore. He didn’t mind doing tasks like laundry, but he would rather be spending time with Kelsey.

  Sleep took a while as his brain switched from memories with his dead buddies to thoughts of killing Zaeim. He reached up and touched his stars, saying each man's name aloud. He couldn't promise them he'd kill the bastards behind their deaths like he'd done for Jenkins. That bugged him almost enough to jump up and try searching for information, but even with Kelsey's help, he still wasn't sure where to start.

  The next morning, he wanted to head out to see Kelsey, but he had to take care of his laundry. Work called, and he agreed to pick up a shift. He wanted the cash to buy land and stay close to the woman who filled his mind.

  Kelsey's spread was impressive. She'd inherited the property, but it was still amazing. He needed something of his own before he tried to have a relationship with her.

  The money she'd paid him helped, but he needed at least five thousand dollars to put a down payment on the ranch. Maybe he'd find extra work. He wasn't afraid to work hard, and he had a goal now. Well, kind of a goal.

  Regular work after heading to Algeria with Kelsey was boring. No matter what happened, it wasn't as huge of a rush as he'd gotten when taking down a terrorist. On Friday evening after work, he headed out to Kelsey's place. It had only been a few days, but he missed her like it had been a month since he’d seen her.

  It was crazy how his emotions reacted around her. She wasn't supposed to be more than a quick fling, and when he'd met her in that bar, it wasn't supposed to develop into anything more. But here he was driving out to her house on Friday evening, thinking about surprising her.

  The sun was still up, but soon it would dip low so early he'd almost never see it.

  When he got close to her house, he saw her standing in the driveway, one hand raised as she shook it. The other held her phone. She spun around, her eyes shooting daggers until she recognized him. Then she shook her head, a growl of anger fresh on her lips when he stepped out of the truck.

  “You were supposed to pick up the fenc
e supplies and fix the fence yesterday.”

  Her voice rose with each word. Worry filled him as he stepped closer. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes narrowed, lips turned down.

  “If you didn't do the work, why did you tell me you had?” Her teeth were clenched, her brows furrowed. He wondered if the guy on the other end of the line knew how close he was to dying.

  She ended her call and stuffed her phone in her pocket before growling.

  “You okay?” Adam asked.

  “Yeah. You good with driving out to the pasture and fixing a fence with me?”

  “Sure thing. I can help you with supplies.”

  “No need. I loaded the truck before I called Mitch.”

  He held out his hand, and her brows pinched together.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Let me drive. You tell me where to go, and I'll take you there.”

  She blew out a breath and then laughed. “Sure. Okay. I guess I am kind of wound up.”

  He didn't agree because he didn't want her ire. She didn't seem in the mood.

  The land was beautiful, full of drama with the canyon cutting through the middle of the property. Her spread was huge, striking. A beautiful piece of land he didn’t think would ever be matched. He hadn't realized how much he wanted a place like this. The room he rented in Cheyenne wasn't bad, but it was small. There were so many people around it drove him crazy sometimes. He wanted this peace and quiet where he could be by himself without any noise.

  “It's just up here. Past that stand of trees. There's a little cut-off.”

  “Okay.” He slowed and then pulled off the main dirt track. They were climbing up a low hill. Once they were at the top, he stopped the truck and looked around. “It's amazing up here.”

  “It is. I thought about selling, but I want this place. I like having the quiet.”

  He nodded as his eyes scanned the area. “I've been thinking about buying a place.”

  “That would be…good.”

  Her voice drifted off, and he wondered what that was about. She stared out the window, saying nothing until they came to the fence.

  “You ever fix a fence?”

  Her question made his insides twist as his inadequacies were placed front and center. He'd done a lot of cutting fences in the army, but he hadn't fixed one. “Nope, but I'm sure we can figure it out. We'll patch it, and then your workers can come out and fix it on Monday.”

  She nodded and then sighed. “Shit, I thought they were doing their jobs. Now I wonder what they've been doing while I’ve been paying them.”

  Adam grabbed the toolbox and a roll of wire. “I'm game to help you as much as you need.”

  He watched her, noticing she seemed a little spaced-out like she was miles away. They stepped over to the fence, and she stared at the mess, her nose curled in disgust.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  “That I need to find some new ranch hands.”

  He didn't need to put his nose into her business, but he worried about her. If those men weren't doing their jobs, then she needed to find new people to help her.

  They began the awkward task of fixing the fence. Neither of them knew what they were doing, but they got the hang of wrapping the wire then stringing it over to the fence post before cutting the piece. With only about six feet of wire wasted, he didn't think the job they did was too bad.

  By the time they loaded everything into the back of the truck, it was dark. He cut the headlights, drawing a confused shout from Kelsey.

  “Hey, what's up?”

  “Look up.”

  “What,” Kelsey asked as she came around the front of the truck.

  “The stars. That was one of the few things I liked about the army. They'd dump us in the middle of nowhere, and I'd get the chance to watch the stars splashed across the sky.” He moved closer to her and pointed up. “See the Milky Way?”

  “It's beautiful. When I was a kid, we'd sit out and talk about the stars, planets, everything because that's how my dad was. He encouraged us to learn. I kind of wish he'd encouraged my brother to be stupid.”

  He doubted she meant that, but she had a point. If her brother and dad hadn't traveled to Italy, they wouldn't have died.

  She sighed, and he moved before she stepped away. This woman made his heart swell, and his stomach tighten with anticipation. Being close to her was like eating his favorite ice cream. She brought light to his world. He didn't think he was good enough for her, but he wanted to be. The trip to Algeria wasn't her. She wasn't a killer. That had all been because of her dad and brother, not who she was. On the other hand, he was a killer. The army had made sure of that.

  He brushed back a lock of her hair, thinking she looked incredible in the starlight with the wind lifting the strands. He could just make out her face and her expression. She wasn't walking away, but she also wasn't moving closer.

  Maybe this wasn't the time to take them to the next level again. The sex that first night had been the exception for her.

  “Let's head back. It's late.” His voice was deeper than he'd expected and sounded a little too rough with emotions.

  “Sure. We need to eat and clean up. Hey, it's late, why don't you sleep out here?”

  He froze, his breath catching in his chest. Was she for real?

  She held up her hand and shook her head. “I meant in the guest room.”

  Disappointment filled him, but he nodded anyway. Thank goodness it was dark, and she couldn't see him well. “I knew that.”

  “It's not that I don't want to, I just—”

  “You take things slow, right?”

  She chuckled. “Usually.”

  “I know that night wasn't normal for either of us. I'd like to get to know you, and yes, I'd like to see you tomorrow, not just to search out terrorist, but to talk to you and I don't know, do stuff,” he said.

  “That's good. Because I'd like for you to be here when I wake up.”

  Her words twisted through him, making him feel warm all over. He’d convinced himself he wasn’t relationship material, but with her, he wanted that more than he liked to admit.

  He opened the door to the truck and hopped in, waiting for her before he spoke. “Then we can eat breakfast together before we look for the bad guys.”

  She chuckled, her gaze cutting to his. “Why are we still looking? What would we do with the information?”

  “I don’t know, but I want to know who is out there causing trouble.”

  They were silent on the ride to her house. No cars were coming down the road because they were on private property, no people near, it was just the two of them and the animals. Once at her house, they put away their equipment then stopped in the kitchen to wash up and eat a sandwich.

  Neither of them said much, but he found it comfortable to just sit around and hang out together. They cleaned up, wiping down the table before she prepared the coffeemaker for the next morning.

  “Forward thinking, I like that,” he said. Her chuckle warmed him

  “You don't want to experience me without coffee.”

  Heat bloomed, and he reached for her, pulling her close. His lips found hers, and she opened, tilting her head back. Her body pressed up against his sent a thrill like magic through him. She reminded him of home and goodness.

  She adjusted just a little, but it was enough for him to register the contact. More heat washed over him. He wanted her closer. She'd said she didn't want to rush this, and though he needed to touch her again, he wouldn't push his luck.

  He ended the kiss and stepped away. “Tomorrow we'll spend a few hours looking on chat sites, then maybe we'll check out our handiwork on that fence?”

  Her smile made her eyes bright. “Sure, that sounds like a plan.”

  “Good, now, how about you show me where the guest room is?” He leaned in his lips at her ear. “I want to spend time getting to know you, but my body wants to just spend time pressed up against you.”

  The shiver she released r
ocked him. It was beautiful and made him even harder. She stepped back, and he groaned when she reached up to cup his face.

  “You're a hard man to resist, Adam Whitney.”

  “I'm not sure why we're resisting this.”

  “Because I think you're worth more than what we'd have if we jumped into bed again and didn't try to get to know each other.”

  “I hear your words, but my body hasn't caught up. I need to take a cold shower.”

  Kelsey cleared her throat and stepped away, heading down a long hall. “This way.”

  He followed, watching her hips sway as she walked. The woman had no clue how sexy she was.

  She stopped and pushed open a door. “I'll set extra towels out, and I have a blanket on the end of the bed. There are more blankets in the closet. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask.” He groaned, and she rolled her eyes. “Anything besides me. I haven't been sleeping well so I'll be up before dawn.”

  “I haven't either. I'll start the coffee if I'm up before you.”

  She nodded then stepped close, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. He held her, thinking this hug was more than just getting physically close. She'd been through too much to have done it alone. He wondered how her friends had reacted to her moving out here.

  He leaned back and placed his fingers under her chin, tilting her head so he could look her in the eyes. “If you need anything, I'm here.” He brushed his lips over hers before stepping into the bedroom and closing the door.

  It was the last thing in the world he wanted to do, but one more minute with her and he'd have her pressed up against the wall. Though she said she wanted to wait, her eyes were begging for more. If he pressed her, she would have sex. That's not the kind of relationship he wanted. If they got together again, he wanted her to want him too.

  When he woke the next morning, he still had wood though he'd taken care of it in the shower the night before. He did a quick jack-off session before brushing his teeth and pulling on some clothes. The kitchen was quiet, but he found the coffee fresh in the pot.

  Where was Kelsey? He was about to go looking for her when the kitchen door to the patio opened.