Renegade Protector

by Nico Rosso

  He stood still to take in this side of the orchard. The trees weren’t planted on a perfect grid, and the gaps between them created some worn paths. Unwinding a length of wire, he wrapped it around a tree about two feet above the ground.

  “I get it.” Mariana took the spool from him and walked to another tree. She coiled it around that side, keeping the wire tight. “Did you get a pair of cutters? I have some in the barn.”

  He found the new ones in a bag and tossed them to her. The muscles of her forearm flexed in defined lines as she worked the cutters, and the wire was severed with a sharp click. She hefted the spool and Ty pointed her to the next pair of trees. Once that wire was strung, they climbed higher on the hill and continued.

  At the top of the hill, they walked to the road that split the orchard. He explained, “If anyone comes down here, they’ll hit the wires and get funneled onto here. It makes them exposed targets and slows their approach.”

  “Targets,” she repeated back in a whisper. Her unfocused eyes scanned the orchard and her home below.

  “If anyone comes.” He placed a gentle hand on her elbow.

  The clarity returned to her gaze. “Have you done this before?” She walked to the next tree and started winding the wire around it.

  “Similar principle.” He took the spool and unwound it across a gap. “We locked all the doors but one in a hotel hallway, flushed a suspect down from the floor above right into our hands.” She tossed him the cutters and he severed the wire once it was secure.

  The spool was nearly empty, so he started a new one on the next pair of trees. Mariana’s pace slowed, her expression pensive. “Has Frontier Justice done this before?”

  “Not for a while.” Eroding her confidence with too much truth wouldn’t help this fight.

  She stood her ground, not taking the spool to walk it out. “How long?”

  There was nothing to be gained from a lie. Her sharp gaze cut into him and would find it out. “Hundred years.”

  He expected fury, but got a wry smile. She took up the spool and commenced with the work. After a few more pairs of trees, she stilled again with a sudden realization. “Pete knows you’re staying here.”

  “Some of his best police work.” Ty couldn’t forget the look on the cop’s face when he looked at the rope in his basket. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  After a long moment, she shrugged it off. “Hell, who cares what he thinks?” The fluid motion returned to her body and the two of them progressed through the rest of the orchard. The wire ran out as the sun descended toward the glowing Pacific.

  A cool breeze smelled like the sea and made the leaves shiver around them. Ty and Mariana collected the empty spools and other gear and walked down toward the house. Mariana knocked her shoulder against his and said, wryly, “Don’t tell me, all the hotels in the area are booked and you’re going to have to stay the night here.”

  “Don’t need to. I’m staying on my yacht in the bay.”

  She chuckled, then grew serious. “You’re staying until things are safe?”

  The question rang through him, shook him. He’d promised that he would stay by her side throughout the trouble. After that? His mind couldn’t answer. There was no sensible way to project that far ahead. But an ache deep in his chest urged him to tell her he would remain as long as she would have him.

  Her phone rang. “Private caller.” She held it for him to see. He nodded and she answered with the phone between them. “Hello?”

  The man’s voice was loud enough for Ty to hear the sneer. “I can’t figure out if you’re stubborn or stupid.” Ty felt Mariana tense next to him. Her mouth tightened and her hand trembled. His own fury blasted up from his legs and through his chest. If this son of a bitch was standing there instead of hiding behind a phone, Ty would take him apart. The man continued, “What’s it going to take for you to figure out there’s only one way out of this? And it’s an easy way that ends with your bank account full of cash.”

  Mariana spoke with deadly precision. “If you were a human being, you’d know why I’m never going to sell.”

  “But I’m not.” The man laughed. “I’m one of those nightmares you can’t kill.”

  Mariana’s lips curled into a snarl. “So why’d you drive away scared yesterday?” Striking back loosened her posture.

  The man was silent. She’d hit a good nerve. He came back with, “I know where you were—”

  Ty cut him off, knowing the man’s confidence had been rattled. “They’re not paying you enough to risk your life.”

  “It’s her life at risk.” For the first time some emotion shook in the man’s voice as he tried to convince them. “And yours if you’re standing too close.”

  “You’re going to get hurt.” Ty didn’t let up. “You thought this was going to be easy. But this lady isn’t easy. I’m not easy.”

  Silence on the other end of the line.

  Ty told the man, “The next bullet is for you.” He punched the disconnect button on Mariana’s phone and was left with ringing in his ears as his rage ebbed.

  Mariana pocketed her phone and turned a circle, searching over the darkening landscape. “Is he here?”

  Ty shook his head. “Guy like that couldn’t pass up an opportunity to drop a scare like that. He would’ve said if he could see us.”

  She shuddered. “Bastards.”

  He took out his own phone. “He won’t stay silent long. I’m going to call in the others.” Hopefully they could drop their lives and show up in time. “Get them here by tomorrow.” He was midway through writing the text when Mariana’s stillness drew his attention. Putting the phone away, he focused on her.

  Tears glossed her eyes. She looked at her trees. “You knew how bad this was going to get.”

  “I’m preparing for the worst.” He’d give anything to stop the coming storm from her land.

  “We have to save this place.” She said it like a promise to the land surrounding them. He’d had ulterior motives for wanting to preserve the orchard and house, but they were insignificant as he looked at her strong profile set against the shadowed hills. Whatever he did now, it was for her.

  Chapter Ten

  Anger numbed the fear. Or it was the hot water pounding her back in the shower. Jolts of tension still ran up her limbs, spurred by the confrontation at the Hanley Group and the threatening phone call, but she was learning to channel them. Watching Ty operate, smooth until just the right moment to release his fury, she started to understand her own power in this fight. Mr. Hebert and Mr. Innes had been so shaken they’d called security on her.

  Not that the trouble was over. She knew better than that.

  The plumbing pipes rattled around her. Far cry from a fancy resort shower. They’d probably deck it out with marble for miles, a big glass box around her to catch all the steam from the six showerheads. She had a claw-foot tub, but theirs would have water jets and could seat four. A long vanity with two sinks, instead of her single enameled antique. There must be thousands of expensive hotel bathrooms like that around the world. No one else had a room like hers.

  As soon as she turned the shower off, she heard the downstairs one turn on. The pipes got only a moment’s rest before clanging like a distant train struggling to find a station. Beneath that stream of water was Ty. Her skin was still warm from her shower. It grew hotter as she imagined his lean muscles glossed wet. Her imagination had him drawing a bar of soap over his chest, then down his abs and lower... She dried herself more vigorously, as if it was possible to distract herself from the need that yearned from deep.

  She threw on ordinary jeans over everyday panties. The T-shirt and sweatshirt were functional and comfortable. She brushed out her hair and tried to lose herself in the routine. But nothing felt normal. Every stitch of the clothes was felt by her tuned nerves. The brush in her hair brought back memories of Ty�
�s hand there, holding her during the kiss.

  That kiss. And the one today. So different, but all part of the silent communication between her and Ty. She’d only just started to know this connection. The thought of losing it made her chest ache. Pursuing that feeling with Ty, though, left her lost. The path was dark, unknown.

  But she had to take the next step.

  The shower turned off downstairs. She left the bedroom and went to the ground floor while trying to interpret the sounds of Ty getting dressed. Was that his T-shirt being pulled down over his chest? A belt buckle clinked. His jeans must be pulled across his hips.

  A sudden concern quickly cooled her thoughts. Something was different in the guest room. Trouble? But Toro had been cruising calmly through the house. She stood in the doorway and inspected from floor to ceiling to pinpoint what change had caught her attention. Night had fallen outside, but the curtains weren’t drawn. She would be in plain view.

  Then she saw it. The top sash of the window rested securely in place with no gap on the edge. The tension drained from her, replaced by a fresh energy when Ty stepped into the hallway. He wore a tank top under his partially zipped hoodie, giving her a clear view of how the cords of his neck joined the clean lines of his collarbones. “You fixed it?” she asked.

  He glided forward. “The least I can do as a guest.”

  The nearer he came, the more her confidence grew. She’d expected the opposite, but her need for this man cut through all the chaos of her life with striking clarity. Seeking a connection with Ty wasn’t a complication. It was an answer.

  She met him in the hallway. “I don’t want you to sleep in the guest room tonight.”

  His gaze deepened on her. The air hummed with electricity between them. It seemed to crackle when he stepped nearer. Her skin brightened, awaiting the contact. His first caress was a whispered “I want you.”

  The heat of his words cascaded down her body. With her nerves already tuned to him, it was like liquid fire. She needed to burn with his touch and closed the gap between them. “Yes,” she told him, her hands curling into his sweatshirt. “Yes.” She brought her chest to his and tilted her head up. “Now.” Her word ended in a kiss. Ty devoured her and she gave all of herself. And she fed herself on his need.

  His hands moved up her back. She held him closer, her sensitive breasts raining sparks from where she rubbed against him. One of his hands swept into her hair. Hot skin contrasted against damp cool. She opened her mouth, asking him deeper. He sank into the kiss and wound an arm around her. The two of them gripped each other.

  The ordinary space of the hallway transformed into a spot of ferocious need. She’d understood the hunger as it was building, but was surprised by the urgency. As if the danger could return any second and tear Ty away from her.

  A flush burned her skin from her neck, down her chest and belly, to between her legs. From the impression of his arousal in his jeans, she knew Ty felt the same. The strength in his kiss told her, as well. His tongue slid against hers, probed into her, inciting a raw hunger.

  She dug her nails into his chest through his sweatshirt and stopped the kiss long enough to murmur, “Upstairs.” He nodded, stubble lightly rasping her cheek. Even the smallest texture of his body set her off with an aching want to discover more.

  They loosened their grip on each other enough to walk up the stairs. She led and he ran his hands down her waist and over her hips. Once she reached the bedroom, he held her and brought his chest against her back. Her fingers found the fronts of his thighs. His hands searched up across her belly and higher. A moan escaped her throat when his mouth found the side of her neck in a gentle kiss.

  Her voice grew louder when his palm swept up over her breast. She arched, pressing into the sensation. He circled her erect nipple and built the fires inside her higher. His kisses continued on her neck. She reached up and stroked down the side of his face. He murmured warm words into her flesh.

  All the sensations swirled around her and threatened to sap the strength from her legs. She only needed to tilt her shoulders toward the bed and Ty moved with understanding. He turned her and lifted her with easy strength, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist and drape her arms over his shoulders. She felt the impression of his sidearm, but would not let that reality take away these moments. Only the small lamp on her bedside table burned, casting a diffused pink across the bedroom. The light drew the lines of Ty’s intense face. It shone in his eyes, but only the surface. The depths were unseeable.

  The glow disappeared when she leaned in to kiss him again. Coiled around him, weightless in his arms, she was more free than she’d ever felt. Their lips met, open and unashamed. Her body gripped him tighter. Her hips ground against his. He growled into her mouth.

  She floated on Ty’s powerful legs as he walked her to the bed. Gently, he laid her down there, then leaned next to her. His long fingers ran through her hair with a hypnotic rhythm. She unzipped his hoodie and explored his chest with her hands. The muscles were firm, and his abs trembled slightly when she touched them. That same thrill ran through her. Her clothes, which had seemed so comfortable when she’d put them on, now scraped at her sensitive nerves.

  She tugged his hoodie off one shoulder. “Take this off.” Easing the fabric off, he gave her a full view of his powerful arms. She gathered the hem of her sweatshirt. “Take this off.” He smiled hungrily and helped sweep the sweatshirt from her. His eyes seemed like they would burn the rest of her clothes away.

  He started to lift his tank top, then paused. “This?” She nodded and it was gone in a flash. He was muscled like a warrior. She’d seen the scar by his collarbone, but there were others, too, silent reminders of the battles he’d fought and won.

  His hands rested on her ribs and gathered the fabric of her T-shirt. “This.” The depth of his voice relayed his need, but he waited for her consent. She pulled the T-shirt off, leaving her in a simple bra. This was more naked than she’d been with someone since the split with Pete. Even clothed, she felt more exposed with Ty than she ever had with that man. Ty saw her.

  And from the slow breaths that moved him, he liked what he saw. He caressed her with his gaze, then with his hands. Hot skin to hot skin. She soaked it all in and still thirsted for more. Unhooking her bra, she gave more of herself to the sensations. His attention drew a needy moan from her, first as his hand circled her breast, then as his mouth found her nipple. Her eyes closed as she concentrated on the rain of sparks he created. She raked her nails across his back, inciting a deep rumble from him.

  He kissed the center of her chest, then moved higher to her throat, her chin and finally her mouth again. Embracing him now brought all the skin of their chests together. The sparks gathered to brighter points of heat. She grew wet. His erection surged against his jeans.

  Ty was so powerful, so capable, and still she was able to move him. She proved it further by dragging her mouth across his stubbled cheek and capturing his earlobe between her lips. He hummed pleasure. His arm wrapped tighter around her.

  Her hand skimmed down his flat stomach to the waistband of his jeans. His breath slowed. Hers raced. For a second she tried to decipher his rugged belt buckle, but he quickly took over. The metal unclasped. She savored the pleasure of undoing the top button of his jeans, then told him, “You don’t need these.”

  He kicked out of his shoes and socks before pulling his pants away. He returned to her in only a pair of boxer briefs that revealed just how aroused he was. “What don’t you need?” he asked with a wicked smile. She grinned back and swept off her jeans. He skimmed his hands up her legs, like he was molding her out of fire. His hands stopped on her hips, over her panties. “What do you need?” The smile was gone, replaced by his depth of passion.

  A tremble reminded her how new this was. It quickly added to the thrill of finally releasing herself to the hunger with Ty. “I need you.”

  H
e hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties and dragged them down. She swiveled free of them. Completely naked. But unafraid. She tugged at his boxer briefs and he removed them. Neither of them had anywhere to hide. The honest hunger in his eyes told her he didn’t want to hide. And she wanted his unique perception on all of her.

  His hand moved up the inside of her thigh slowly. His gaze was fixed on her face. She knew his attention was tuned, making sure she was comfortable with every progression. That care only made her want him more. His fingers reached the wetness between her legs and sent surges of heat up through her. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around his erection. He pressed forward through her touch and moaned. They shared the sensation, bodies rocking.

  Before she completely ran out of breath, she slowed her pace on him and tilted her head toward the bedside table. “Condom,” she explained. He was gone only a moment before returning with the wrapper. He sheathed himself and brought her back into his arms.

  He shifted the two of them farther onto the bed, then turned so that she straddled him. He gripped her hips. Their gazes locked. She leaned down and kissed him. Their lips brushed against each other as she pressed backward, taking him inside her. Neither moved. She reveled in the hot expanse of pleasure. It grew in intensity when she began to pump up and down along him.

  His fingers dug into the flesh of her hips. His mouth curled into a carnal smile. She braced herself on his chest and rode harder as he thrust with her pace. Her thirst grew deeper. The only relief would be release. The first taste of a climax approached. It built higher on her speeding pulse and rushed breath. Close, it was so close.

  “Yes, Mariana.” Ty was reading her and must’ve known that all she needed was her smoky name from his mouth to send her over the edge. The orgasm crashed through her. She called out, voice filling the room while the waves of fire rolled.

  Her shaking arms couldn’t hold her any longer and she collapsed onto Ty’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as she found her breath again and opened her eyes. She tried to tell him with a kiss all the pleasure she’d just felt. He growled and turned them so she lay on the bed, him above her.