“You and Colt got an update on Mellie while I was saying goodbye to Emily,” Addison muttered. She took a sip of the whiskey and grimaced. Yeah, definitely not much of a drinker.
“Mellie’s still alive.” And that was somewhat of a miracle. After all, she’d been shot in the head. “She’s in surgery.”
The alarm flashed through Addison’s eyes. “Her attacker could come after her—”
“Pete’s guarding her, and we’ve requested assistance from law enforcement in nearby towns. We’ll make sure she’s not left alone.”
There would be so much protection if the idiots came after Mellie, then they’d get caught. Reed was all for that as long as no more harm was done to innocent people—and for him, Mellie fell into that category.
“It’s all too much.” As if she didn’t know what to do with herself, Addison stood and paced to the front window. Then the back. “The marshal really will call as soon as he’s at the safe house, right?”
Reed nodded, confirming something that Addison already knew. Emily was in good hands, but neither Reed nor she would rest easy until they got that call.
He watched her do the nervous pacing, and when she was on her fourth round, Reed stepped in front of her. His intention was for her to stop. And she did. By plowing right into him.
Suddenly, his arms were filled with Addison, and his arms clearly thought that was a darn good thing.
It wasn’t.
Ditto for what happened next. Addison didn’t step away from him, something she’d gotten really good at doing. Nope. She didn’t use that particular skill set here. She stayed put, her body right against him.
Yeah, he got some bad idea as to what to do about that.
She looked up at him. Blinked. Because she was so close, she picked up the rhythm of his breathing, and like the body contact, she didn’t do a thing to break the eye contact, either. Of course, Reed was pretty much doing nothing, either. Well, nothing except drinking her in as if she were his for the drinking.
Their breaths didn’t help things. As his chest rose, so did her breasts. More touching. And yes, she noticed, but he was pretty sure he noticed first.
There was a storm brewing inside him now, but it was a storm of a different kind. All fire and heat.
All bad.
Because he could go there with Addison, but that didn’t mean he should.
“I’m having the same battle,” she whispered. No need to clarify. They both knew exactly what was happening.
“Are you winning?” he asked.
She shook her head. “You?”
He lifted his eyebrow. “I’m a guy. We never win battles like this.”
But this was more than just a guy kind of thing. This was Addison, looking like silk and sin. Probably feeling like it, too. He knew every inch of her.
And he wanted to know it all over again.
“I think we just lost the battle,” she said, her whispered breath hitting against his mouth.
Yeah. They’d lost it minutes ago, and Reed was bright enough to admit it and do what he couldn’t stop himself from doing.
Taking Addison.
So that was what he did. Reed lowered his head and kissed her, and it was all they needed to get them both moving in the wrong direction. Because it didn’t take much of a kiss for them to know that a kiss wasn’t going to satisfy much of anything. He’d been over a year without her, and his body was yelling that reminder to him.
Addison jumped right into the action with some kisses to his neck. Reed let that kick up the old heat inside him while he backed his way to the door and locked it. Best not to have any of the McKinnons walking in on this because Addison was determined to get his shirt off.
Reed would have helped if he hadn’t been so determined to get hers off.
They managed to keep up the breakneck speed of the body kisses while they grappled with the tops. Reed won. And he tossed hers aside so he could go after her bra. The moment he had her breasts free, that was the direction where he took the kisses.
His shirt was only partly off, with just one arm free, but Addison stopped her clothing removal efforts when he took her nipple into his mouth.
She made a wicked little sound. Part pleasure, part relief.
The pleasure smacked into Reed, too, and it upped the pace. A lot. Addison pulled at his clothes as if they were in some kind of speed contest. Reed played that game as well, but he slowed when he finally got her naked.
She was perfect.
Like always.
But then their trouble had never been about a lack of attraction. The proof of that was in her hot gaze and searching hands. Her hands found pay dirt when she unzipped him and slid her fingers around his erection.
Now it was Reed’s turn to make that sound of pleasure, though his lacked the silk of Addison’s.
Her fingers worked some magic and made this seem even more urgent than it already was. So urgent that Reed felt himself sliding down to the floor with her. His back landed against the door. Addison landed against him on his lap.
Exactly where he wanted her. Especially since she was naked.
She freed him from his boxers and in the same motion took him inside her. Finally, things slowed. For just a few moments. That was because the pleasure nearly blinded him, and Reed lost his breath. It didn’t matter. Nothing did at this point except taking this even further.
And they did.
Reed caught on to her hips, moving her in the rhythmic motion that would make this end way too soon. Of course, if it lasted too long they’d both probably pass out from the lack of breath and the breakneck pace.
There was a huge advantage in their positions. It put them face-to-face. So he could see Addison when she got close to shattering. He could also kiss her. Something that Reed did just as he pushed into her one last time.
And she did shatter with that kiss.
With her mouth on his, their bodies slick with sweat and the world spinning like crazy, Addison slipped right over the edge.
Not alone.
Reed was right there with her.
* * *
ADDISON DIDN’T HAVE to give all this much thought to know that it’d been a bad idea.
Well, it’d been a bad idea for Reed anyway. For her, it’d been an incredible reminder of just how good they could be together.
A reminder she didn’t need.
She’d always known that. Had always known she’d blown their marriage when she went behind his back to take those dangerous fertility drugs. And now she knew that having sex with him wasn’t going to fix anything.
In fact, it would make things worse.
This would be yet something else to add to Reed’s already full plate. Something that would make him feel guilty for giving her false hope that things could somehow be mended between them. But after nearly being killed several times and having her baby in the middle of gunfire, Addison had no intention of having false hope.
Or even real hope.
Even if she was still in love with her ex-husband.
Great.
This was not the best time to realize that with the pleasure still vibrating through her body. Mercy, he smelled good. Looked even better. And both of those were things that were better pushed aside.
Addison eased away from him and got up so she could gather her clothes. However, Reed took hold of her hand and pulled her back to him.
“Uh-oh. I know that look,” he said. “It’s called regret.”
Yes, but surprisingly she didn’t see the same look on his face. “I’m not sure what I’m seeing in your expression,” she countered. “Was this a reminder that making love to me became a chore?” she asked.
“A chore,” Reed repeated. This time he gave her a different look. As if she’d sprouted
an extra head or something. “Making love to you could be called plenty of things but never a chore.”
“Not even when we were working so hard to make a baby?”
“Even then.” He shrugged, tried to scowl. It was somewhat diminished by the fact that he was nearly naked.
She waited, wondering if they were finally about to have that heart-to-heart that he’d been avoiding since their divorce, but he only grumbled something she didn’t catch and let go of her hand so he could start dressing.
Almost immediately, the peep show went away after he pulled on his jeans. Then he reached for his shirt to cover up that toned, perfect chest. Addison picked up her clothes, too, but because she’d shed more of her things in the foreplay frenzy, Reed finished ahead of her and took out his phone.
“I’ll call Colt and see if there’s an update on Mellie’s condition,” he said. “Or anything else.”
It was too soon for Marshal Walker to have reached the safe house with Emily and the others. The marshal had told them that he would have to drive around for a while to make sure they weren’t being followed. Still, Addison moved closer to Reed so she could hear if there was any news. However, she couldn’t tell much, since Reed remained silent after he asked about Mellie.
“Thanks,” Reed said to Colt several moments later, and he took a deep breath before he turned to her. “Mellie made it out of surgery. She’s critical but stable.”
Though it was a long shot, Addison had to ask, “Has she said anything about her attacker?”
“Not yet.” He sounded more hopeful than his expression indicated.
Still, they had to stay positive. Unless they caught one of the kidnappers and got information from him, Mellie was their best chance at learning who had succeeded in nearly murdering her. Because her attacker was likely the same person who’d gone after Reed, Emily and her.
Before Reed even had time to put his phone away, it rang again. Just like that, her mind came up with all kinds of worst-case scenarios. It was too soon for Marshal Walker to call them.
Unless something had gone wrong.
This time, Addison moved even closer to Reed, and her heart sank when she saw Unknown Caller on the screen.
Was the kidnapper calling to say that he’d taken Emily?
“It’s me,” the man said the moment Reed hit the answer button.
Cantor.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Cantor continued, “that I’m guilty of trying to kill you. But I didn’t.”
“You were in that car by the Sweetwater Ranch,” Reed fired back, putting the call on speaker. “I saw you.”
“I wasn’t there voluntarily. I was kidnapped at gunpoint from the hospital, thrown into that car and driven to the ranch. I didn’t have anything to do with that attack or the others.”
“Really?” Reed snapped. “Then who did fire those shots?”
Cantor groaned. “I don’t know. That sounds like a lie, but it’s the truth. The guy wore a mask, and he drugged me. I could barely see my hand in front of my face much less make out who had me.”
Addison latched right on to that. “Had?”
“When the drugs wore off, I managed to bash him in the head with a flashlight that I found on the floor of the car. I hit him hard a couple of times, but he was still conscious and tried to shoot me again. I got out and started running.”
Again, Reed made no sound to indicate he believed him. With reason. Canton had lied about his identity from the get-go.
“Where are you?” Reed asked.
Cantor didn’t jump to answer. “I’d rather not tell you in case your place is bugged. Whoever’s trying to kill me nearly succeeded, again, and I’d rather not go another round with a killer.”
“Same here. Where are you?” Reed repeated.
“I’ll meet you at the sheriff’s office in Sweetwater Springs. I need to check on someone first.”
“Mellie?” Reed provided. “Because she’s not at your hotel room.”
“Where is she?” Either Cantor was faking his surprise or else he truly hadn’t heard that she’d been shot. Of course, it was in his best interest to pretend to be surprised. After all, he was also a suspect in the woman’s attack.
“She’s safe,” Reed said. “Now tell me about Cissy. Did you father her baby?”
“No.” Cantor cursed, repeated his answer. “Nothing like that. She was a sweet kid. More like a sister, you know. I knew she was in some kind of trouble, and I just wanted to help her.” He groaned. “Now somebody killed her.”
“You’re sure that somebody wasn’t you?” Reed snapped.
“I’m sure,” Cantor snapped back. “I don’t expect you to believe me, but I loved her. No way would I have ever hurt her. Not Mellie, either. We aren’t close the way Cissy and I were, but Cissy would have wanted me to look after Mellie. And that’s what I was trying to do. That’s why I had her come to my hotel room. I didn’t think anyone would look for her there.”
Maybe. But Cantor had a big reason to lie about this. He could be charged with Cissy’s murder. And maybe he tried to kill Mellie because she’d learned the truth about him—that he was her sister’s killer.
“About that meeting at the sheriff’s office,” Reed continued, “go there and turn yourself in.”
Addison figured Cantor would have some kind of excuse as to why he couldn’t do that. But it wasn’t an argument she heard.
“Hell. They found me,” Cantor mumbled.
Before he could say more, Addison heard another sound from the other end of the line that she definitely didn’t want to hear.
Gunshots.
Chapter Sixteen
“Cantor?” Reed shouted into the phone, but he was talking to himself, because the man had already hung up.
Or maybe Cantor had been forced to hang up because someone had shot him again.
Of course, all this could be some kind of ploy to draw Addison and him out into the open. Reed wasn’t about to fall for it again. They’d nearly been killed the last time.
He pressed in Colt’s number and was about to relay the details of his conversation with Cantor, but Colt spoke before Reed could say anything.
“We got a problem. A couple of them,” Colt added quickly. “Marshal Walker called and said someone’s been following him the whole drive to the safe house.”
“Oh, God.” Even though Reed didn’t have the call on speaker, Addison obviously heard every word. “Is Emily okay?” she asked.
“She’s fine.” But Colt didn’t seem very certain of that. “There’s not just one vehicle but two following the SUV. The marshal’s tried to shake them, but he doesn’t want to have to get into a situation where he has to outrun these guys, so he’s headed back here to the sheriff’s office.”
“Not good,” Reed said as fast as he could. “Cantor’s on the way there, too, and he could have kidnappers on his tail.”
Colt cursed. “Then we have no choice but to return to the ranch.”
Reed didn’t like that idea at all, but the problem was there was no totally safe place for Emily. Or for Addison. Still, he couldn’t have the marshal driving around, trying to shake attackers who might try to take the baby.
“Yes, bring her here,” Addison insisted.
But Reed didn’t jump to agree to that. He first had to think through the logistics of this. The kidnappers had used the wooded area in front of the ranch to attack them, and they could already be out there, ready to do it again.
“Emily’s out there with the kidnappers,” Addison reminded him. Not that he needed a reminder. This situation was bad right now, but it could get even uglier if the kidnappers started firing shots when the SUV arrived.
“What about the back road to the ranch, the one that runs up behind the land that Rosalie and her husband
are clearing for their new house?” Reed asked. “It’s gated off.”
And it didn’t have nearly as many trees behind which the gunmen could hide.
“Yeah,” Colt answered. “I could get a couple of the armed ranch hands over there to open the gate and make sure it’s safe.”
Reed would want more than a couple of men with guns. He’d want as many ranch hands as they could spare, because once the marshal drove in, the kidnappers might try to follow.
But that left them with another huge problem.
“The kidnappers could still attack the front of the ranch,” Reed said. “I don’t want anyone getting hurt.” Or worse, a two-prong attack where they’d all be caught in the middle.
Colt stayed quiet a moment, obviously giving that some thought.
“I can draw the kidnappers out,” Addison volunteered. “It’s me they want. If they see me, they won’t go after anyone else, including Emily or a member of Colt’s family.”
Reed gave her a flat look to let her know that he’d just nixed her suggestion.
However, it did give Reed an idea.
“We need to secure the front of the ranch,” he said to Colt. “And we could allow the kidnappers to follow the marshal through the gate on the back road. Once the SUV carrying Emily has gotten safely out of the way, then we could close in on whoever’s following them.”
“That might work,” Colt finally said. “There are two old hay barns, just off the ranch road, and we could use one of them for cover. If the kidnappers follow the SUV onto the grounds, we could close the gate, trapping them.”
“Not with Emily anywhere nearby,” Addison protested.
“She won’t be,” Reed answered. “We can have the marshal take her to Cooper’s house.” It was only about a hundred yards from the main house, but in case the kidnappers made it onto the ranch grounds, there were no outbuildings near Cooper’s place that they could use to hide in or launch an ambush from.
“What about Cooper’s wife and son?” Addison asked, shaking her head.
“They aren’t there,” Colt said. “They’re in San Antonio visiting friends.”
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