Montana Rescue (Sleeper SEALs) (Volume 6)

by Elle James

  They were still alive. Now, they just had to find the bastard who’d tried to kill them.

  * * *

  Mad Dog could kick himself. He’d been sent out to help Jolie find and remove Nadir from circulation as a terrorist on home soil. So far, his batting record sucked.

  He’d almost gotten himself killed three times and Jolie twice. Perhaps the Navy had been right to medically retire him. Why Lambert had hired him as a Sleeper SEAL wasn’t clear. His boss must have seen more in him than he was seeing in himself.

  Jolie had saved his ass twice now. He hoped he could return the favor before something awful happened.

  He drove to town without uttering a word, his mind on what had almost happened and what could still take place. He focused on situational awareness. Making love to Jolie should be the last thing on his mind. But it wasn’t. And it quite possibly could have gotten them both killed.

  He considered contacting Lambert and bowing out of this gig. Jolie needed someone who had his head in the game, and who was physically capable of protecting her should the need arise.

  Call him a dumbass, call him stupid, but he couldn’t bear the idea of someone else taking over this operation. What if they had no more luck then he had keeping Jolie safe? What if Jolie took a hit because he wasn’t there to take the bullet for her?

  The answer to his problem was that he’d have to keep his dick in his pants until this was all over. Then, and only then, could he consider making love, touching or kissing Jolie. From now until Nadir or whoever else was harassing and trying to kill Jolie was neutralized, Mad Dog had to remain hands-off of the CIA agent.

  He made their first stop the sheriff’s office. The sooner the state crime lab got involved investigating the explosives the better.

  Jolie entered first and stopped in front of a big man wearing a sheriff’s star. “Sheriff Barron?”

  The man turned and frowned. “Do I…” His face broke out in a huge grin. “Jolie Richards? Is that you?” He engulfed her in a bear hug so tight he lifted her off the ground. “I heard you were back in town. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? The missus will want to bake a cake or something.” He set her back on her feet and stared at her, his smile intact. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, girl. Where have you been keeping yourself?”

  “I got a job on the east coast,” she said. “I’m back in town to clean up the old place and put it up for sale.”

  The sheriff’s smile faded, and he shook his head. “Now, that’s news I didn’t want to hear. I had high hopes you’d come back to the ranch to live. Your daddy loved that place.”

  “My job is back east. I can’t keep up with the ranch and my work. The place needs someone fulltime.” She stepped back and waved toward Mad Dog. “Sheriff, this is Caleb Maddox, my fiancé.”

  The sheriff held out his hand. “You have to be someone special to snag this girl. She’s a keeper. A chip off the old block.”

  Mad Dog shook the man’s hand, gratified to find the sheriff had a strong grip that brooked no argument and showed no softness. His open face and friendly manner wouldn’t be misconstrued with weakness. “She’s special, all right. I knew it from the very beginning.”

  Jolie touched the sheriff’s arm. “Could we speak to you in private?”

  The sheriff’s brow knit. “Certainly, come back to my office. Can I offer you a cup of coffee?”

  “No, thank you,” Jolie answered. She followed him down a hallway and turned into his office.

  Mad Dog closed the door once they were all inside.

  The sheriff waved them to the seats across from his desk and sank into his office chair. “What’s wrong?”

  Jolie shot a glance at Mad Dog, but took the lead, telling the sheriff about her conversation with Deputy Wells, the motorcycle riders, the cave and the two explosions. When she was done, she sat back and folded her hands in her lap. “And one other thing...”

  The sheriff shoved a hand through his graying hair. “As if that wasn’t enough?”

  “This is confidential.” She paused.

  Sheriff held up a hand as if swearing in court. “Whatever you say in this office, stays in this office.”

  She nodded. “I work with the CIA.”

  The older man’s lips twitched, and then stretched into a grin. “I knew you were destined for great things.” He shot a glance toward Mad Dog. “This little lady was the best shot in all of the tri-county area. Could fire anything from any position and hit it dead on.” He returned his attention to Jolie. “So, what’s got your knickers in a twist?”

  “I have a radicalized terrorist on my tail. I came here to unofficially smoke him out on my old stomping grounds. Hopefully, away from a crowded city where others could be caught up in the crossfire.”

  “You think he might be responsible for the troubles out at your place?”

  “I’m not sure if he’s had contact with the local gang. If he has, it increases my exposure and makes it more difficult for me to single him out.”

  Mad Dog sat forward. “We think the gang was responsible for the explosion in the cave. We know they damaged the house and were the ones raising hell on motorcycles, but we don’t know if they were the ones to set the explosives in my truck.”

  “They could have, given they knew how to set an explosion with a tripwire,” Jolie said. “But we can’t be sure.”

  “I’ll have the state crime lab team come out to investigate and ask them to put a rush on the job.”

  “If you think for a moment that I’ve put anyone in this town in danger by being here, tell me,” Jolie said. “I’ll leave and take my terrorist with me. I just need a couple more days to see if I can get him to show himself.”

  “You’re playing with fire, Jolie,” the sheriff said. “Are you sure you’ll be safe out there on your ranch? Do you want me to send a unit out to stand guard 24/7?”

  Jolie smiled toward Mad Dog. “I have my fiancé. He’s a trained Navy SEAL. He’ll have my six.”

  Sheriff Barron turned to Mad Dog, his gaze sweeping his sturdy frame. “Is that right?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll do my best to keep Jolie safe.”

  “Good. If you need anything, just give me a call.”

  Jolie shook her head. “No landline out there.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that. I’ll have a unit check on you on a random basis.”

  “That would be nice.” Jolie stood. “If you see anyone new in town, let me know. I expect he’s not far behind me, if he’s not already here.”

  The sheriff rounded his desk and hugged her again. “I hope you’ll reconsider and stay in Eagle Rock. We could use more good people like you two.”

  “Thank you,” Jolie said. “Give your wife my love. I’ll try to get by to pay my respects—after I’ve solved my problem, not sooner.”

  He nodded. “I understand.”

  Mad Dog shook the older man’s hand. “Thank you for taking time to hear us out.”

  “I’ll be out this morning to look around, and I’ll come out again when the crime lab team gets here. Where are you headed now?”

  “We wanted to pay a visit to an old friend,” Jolie said. “Hank Patterson. You don’t happen to know where we can find him, do you?”

  The sheriff wrote out an address and sketched a drawing of the roads they should take to get there.

  “Thank you, Sheriff.” Jolie led the way out and stopped before exiting the office building, allowing Mad Dog to go first.

  “You’re catching on,” he whispered as he passed her.

  “I know when to choose my battles,” she retorted.

  Mad Dog stepped out of the building with a grin on his face. The woman had pluck and attitude. She’d need it over the next few days. The not knowing part was the hardest. They might not see Nadir coming until he showed up in their faces. They had to be prepared for anything. From what Lambert had said, Nadir was also very good at recruiting people to do his bidding. They might not know who was after Jolie until it was to
o late.

  With the eye of a trained combat veteran, Mad Dog scanned the parking lot, neighboring buildings and rooftops. When he was certain no one was lying in wait to pick off Jolie, he allowed her to exit the building, wrapped as much of his body around her as possible and walked her to the SUV.

  Once she was inside, she ducked low in her seat and waited for him to climb in next to her.

  “There’s a grocery store on the corner of Main and Pine,” Jolie pointed out. “We can get the…bacon there.”

  Her slight hesitation before the word bacon let Mad Dog know she was thinking of the other item he’d wanted to get before their next romp on the mattress.

  He didn’t say anything, but that next romp was going on hold until they had their terrorist. He’d forgo the condoms until that point to ensure they didn’t sacrifice their vigilance. Nadir would be looking for opportunities to do more than sabotage a truck.

  Mad Dog wasn’t even sure it was safe to return to the house. He’d talk with Hank and ask if there was somewhere else they could go. What they needed was a bomb-sniffing, attack dog to check the house and stand guard at night.

  Whoever had set the explosives on his truck had done it in the night, while Mad Dog and Jolie were otherwise occupied or asleep. The saboteur could just as easily have set explosives around the house and blown them away while they’d slept.

  Perhaps Hank had some of his former special operations men who had time to provide security for a fellow SEAL and his woman.

  After two explosions, and attacks by a raccoon and a motorcycle gang, this cat was running out of lives to spare.

  Mad Dog pulled into the grocery store Jolie had indicated.

  “I’ll get the groceries.” Jolie said. “You don’t have to go in.”

  Like hell he’d stay in the truck. “I’m going in.”

  Jolie was already out of the truck before he could get around to her side and provide protection.

  Frowning, he hurried to her. “Dammit, do you want me to paint a bright red target on you?”

  “I looked around as we drove up and didn’t observe anyone lurking around the store or perched on any of the nearby rooftops. I’d say it’s fairly safe to walk ten feet to the door.”

  He didn’t argue with her, just slipped his arm around her waist and ushered her toward the door, using his body as a shield.

  Once they were inside, Jolie snagged a cart and left him as she headed down the canned goods aisle.

  Mad Dog headed for the refrigerated meats area and selected a large package of bacon, all the while keeping watch on the entrance and Jolie’s location. She’d moved on to the snacks and bread, and then over to milk and eggs.

  For a moment, Mad Dog lost sight of her behind a large display rack of brightly colored bouncy balls. He leaned left, and then right, but couldn’t see Jolie.

  His pulse kicked up a notch even though there was probably a good explanation for why he couldn’t see her.

  That didn’t ease his mind one iota. With the package of bacon in his hand, he hurried toward the front of the store, hoping Jolie was headed that way.

  Sure enough, she’d finished on the milk and eggs aisle and had taken her items to the check-out counter.

  The store clerk had half of her items bagged and was ringing up the rest when Mad Dog stepped up behind her.

  “Did you find everything you needed?” he asked.

  She nodded without looking up, her cheeks slightly flushed.

  Mad Dog placed the bacon on the conveyor belt, adding it to the other purchases. When Jolie reached into her purse for her credit card, Mad Dog was a step ahead. He handed his card to the clerk and paid for the items.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Jolie protested.

  “I’m eating, too, and I’m not paying for the room, so let this be my contribution.”

  Jolie nodded and quickly gathered bags while Mad Dog signed for the purchase, shoved his credit card back into his wallet and grabbed more bags to carry out to the SUV.

  Maybe it was him being overly sensitive about everything related to Jolie, but she was acting strange. The normally, in-control woman was twitchy and avoiding eye-contact.

  Perhaps, it was just as well. The mental distance would help him keep his shit together.

  At least, he hoped it would.

  11

  Jolie waited while Mad Dog performed his surveillance of the surrounding area before stepping out of the store. She hoped he hadn’t seen what she’d secreted away in the bag, before he’d joined her at the check-out.

  As hot as they were in the sack the night before, all she was getting from Mad Dog that morning was stiffness and a hands-off kind of vibe. Had the truck explosion shaken him that much he’d reconsidered making love to her again?

  Her chest tightened. That kind of reasoning would explain why he hadn’t stocked up on condoms in the store.

  Of course, it hadn’t stopped her from grabbing a month’s supply. It was buried beneath the cheese slices and a loaf of bread. Because he wasn’t saying much, Jolie felt the need to fill the silence. “It’s cool enough that everything in the vehicle won’t melt or spoil anytime soon.”

  “Good, because we still need to go to Hank’s.”

  Using the directions Sheriff Barron had given them, Mad Dog headed out of town on one of the state highways. Several miles out, he turned to stop at the gate of the White Oak Ranch, lowered the window, punched the intercom button and waited.

  A man’s voice came over the speaker. “White Oak Ranch, how can I help you?”

  “Caleb Maddox and Jolie Richards here to see Hank Patterson.”

  “One moment.”

  A long pause ensued, followed by a click, and the gate swung open.

  Mad Dog pulled through the open gate and drove the long drive, through a stand of trees and up a hill to a beautiful, sprawling ranch house. Unlike Jolie’s older home, this one appeared new. Rock and cedar framed massive windows with views of the scenic Crazy Mountains as a backdrop.

  Mad Dog parked beside the house, got out and rounded the SUV to open Jolie’s door.

  Jolie sat in stunned silence, staring at the home and view. “Wow. This place is beautiful.”

  “Jolie?” A woman’s voice sounded from the porch.

  Jolie dropped out of the truck and glanced up to see a beautiful woman who could be none other than the Hollywood mega-star, Sadie McClain. She didn’t wear makeup, and her hair hung in disarray around her shoulders, but it was her. This was how Jolie remembered her from their school days.

  Sadie balanced a baby girl on her hip as she descended the stairs to the ground. “Jolie Richards? Is that you? I haven’t seen you in forever.”

  Jolie smiled and hurried across the yard to greet her old friend. “Hi, Sadie.”

  When Sadie reached her, she hugged her with one arm and holding the baby with the other. “Hank said you were in the area, and I’d hoped to see you. Look at you. You’re as pretty as ever.” She hugged her again. The baby patted Jolie’s shoulder and giggled.

  Jolie smiled and asked, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to this little cutie?”

  Sadie laughed. “Jolie, meet Emma. Emma, this is Jolie. Can you say Jolie?”

  The baby gurgled something unintelligible and laughed.

  Sadie laughed with her. “She’s trying to form words but hasn’t quite mastered the concept. I’m sure once she starts talking, there’ll be no shutting her up.” Sadie didn’t seem to mind, she hugged Emma to her and kissed her with a loud smack on her cheek.

  Sadie turned to Mad Dog. “And you must be Mad Dog. The guys have been talking about you non-stop since they got back from Colorado.” She held out her hand to him.

  When he reached out to take it, the baby leaned sharply forward.

  Sadie dove to catch her, but Mad Dog scooped her up before she fell from her mother’s arms.

  Sadie laughed. “I think someone wants to get to know you.” She held out her arms. “If you want me to take her,
I can. She has a habit of spitting up on people when you least expect it.”

  “I can handle a little spit,” Mad Dog said and blew a raspberry on the child’s chubby belly. “Hey, Emma. Who’s your favorite uncle?”

  Jolie smiled. This was a side of Mad Dog she hadn’t seen. Though the man had been raised by an uncaring father, he was a natural with the little girl. He’d be great with children of his own.

  Inside her belly, she suddenly felt a hollowness. She’d always imagined raising her own children on the ranch where she’d grown up. She’d pictured her father teaching them how to ride and shoot and rope steers.

  She swallowed hard at the lump forming in her throat. Her father wouldn’t be the one to teach her children anything. And her job would preclude her from ever having children. What woman would risk having children when she could be the target of a terrorist at any given moment?

  Three men emerged from the house and descended the steps to surround Sadie, Emma, Jolie and Mad Dog.

  A tall man with brown hair and green eyes clapped his hand on Mad Dog’s back. “Mad Dog, you old son-of-a-bi—”

  Sadie touched his arm. “Hank...”

  “Sorry.” The man grimaced, and then grinned. “You look better than the last time I saw you.” He touched his own chin. “Glad you scraped the wool off your face. You don’t look like something the cat dragged in.”

  Mad Dog’s lips twisted in a wry grin. “Thanks, I think.”

  Hank touched the baby in Mad Dog’s arms. “I see you’ve met my girls.”

  “I have.” Mad Dog held Emma, smiling. “You are going to have your hands full with this one. Wait until she’s a teen.”

  Emma leaned toward her father and giggled.

  Hank took her, tossed her into the air, caught her and kissed her cheek. “I have a special shotgun for that time and a team of Spec Ops guys I can deploy on surveillance missions.”

  Mad Dog laughed. “I know you’d do it, too.” He turned to Jolie. “Hank, this is Jolie Richards. Jolie, this is my old commander, Hank Patterson.”