Hot Alphas

by Lora Leigh

But he was off, running across the parking lot toward the open door to the cave. Cassie took off after him just as the dark-haired man raced out the open door with the heavy briefcase under one arm. Nate was almost on him when he raised his right arm, aimed that same gun he’d once pointed at Cass, and fired.

  Nate went down. Cassie screamed and her father, moving like a man half his age, launched himself after the one with the gun. Another shot echoed against the hillside. Cassie reached Nate as the sheriff’s car pulled into the driveway in front of the locked gate.

  Sobbing, she dropped to her knees beside Nate. He’d gone down hard without a sound, but she had no idea where he’d been hit. She touched his neck and found the strong, steady pulse right where it belonged. Relief had her sobbing as she tried to turn him over. She knew she had to apply pressure to the wound, but he was such a big man, and so damned heavy.

  She was only vaguely aware of two men racing across the gravel lot with guns drawn. One of them pulled her father away from the dark-haired man. The guy was moaning, but he stayed down.

  One of the deputies reached Cassie.

  “Help me turn him over, please.” Damn, she had to stop crying! “I can’t tell where he got shot.”

  “Nate’s been shot?” The deputy was a big man and he carefully rolled Nate to his side. Cassie grabbed her flashlight and raced the beam over his torso, but there was no sign of blood. He gasped for air and groaned as she ran her hands over his body, but it wasn’t until she found the bullet hole in his shirt pocket and the shattered cell phone in its metal case behind it, that she finally took a deep, calming breath.

  She pulled the phone out of his pocket and showed it to the deputy. “Look. It saved his life.” She tugged his shirt away, and the dark contusion covered an area too damned close to his heart. “Oh, Nate.”

  He blinked and gazed at her. “What happened?”

  “You got shot.”

  CHAPTER 6

  “I did? I feel like I got kicked by a mule.” Nate managed to sit up with the deputy’s help. He patted his hands over his chest. Found the hole in his shirt. Cassie showed him the phone, and he sat there, still slightly out of it, staring at the shattered plastic in the badly dented case.

  The first deputy was giving first aid to the injured man. The one who’d helped Nate sit up walked over to check on Cassie’s father. The old man had found a quiet place out of the way—a bench in front of the cave entrance—and he sat there clutching the briefcase.

  Cassie gazed down at Nate with eyes so filled with love, he fully expected her to say the words. Instead, she said, “Can you walk?”

  “I think so.” Nate grabbed the hand she held out to him and she tugged him to his feet. There was a lot to be said for a strong woman. They both walked over to check on Colonel Mac. Cassie squatted in front of him with her hands on her dad’s knees. “Dad, you’ve gotten so thin and bony. Look. You’ve got a big tear in your pants.” She pointed to a rip in the right pants leg.

  “Actually,” Nate said, “I think it’s a bullet hole.” He sat on the bench beside Mac. “What happened, Colonel? And thank you. You saved our lives.”

  “That son of a bitch told me he’d kidnapped Cassie, that I had to let him inside the cave or he’d kill her.” He hugged the briefcase tighter. “Turns out he works for the senator I once investigated. That’s why they made me retire, you know. Because I discovered things I shouldn’t have. I made some very powerful men very uncomfortable, and it’s all in here.”

  He patted the briefcase and stared at the wounded man lying on the gravel drive. “Damned fool. Benny’s going to hate this but his son was willing to kill for this info. Looks like when I tackled him, he fell on his own gun.” He chuckled. “I hope it hurts like hell, after what he’s put the two of you through.”

  He glanced at the hole in his pants. “That bullet that went through Jay is the same one that went through my pants. All because of this.” Mac stared at the briefcase and then shoved it at Nate. “You take it. Take it to the newspapers. What’s in there should have been made public over thirty years ago. It’s time.”

  Cassie sat on the other side of her dad and took his hand. “You were so brave, Daddy. I am so glad you’re okay.” She sniffed and wiped away tears with the back of her hand. “You saved us.”

  Her father turned and looked at Nate, and there was no sense of confusion, no lack of comprehension when he slowly nodded and then patted him on the shoulder. “You take good care of her, you hear? She’s very special, my girl is. Very special.” He gazed into the darkness and softly said, “I’m so tired. Will you take me home, now?”

  “Sure thing, Dad.” She glanced at Nate and sighed. “I’m going to take him over to the house. Marcus won’t mind for one night, will he?”

  “Not at all. Just a minute. I’ll come with you.” An ambulance was pulling in as Nate walked over and spoke briefly with the deputy. He walked back to Cassie and her dad. “We can go now. They’ll want to talk to us tomorrow.” He helped her dad to his feet and glanced once again at Cass. “Can he walk that far?”

  “He just took out an armed assailant. A little walk shouldn’t be a problem.” Then the three of them headed back to the house Colonel Mac had built for his wife so many years ago.

  Cassie helped her dad while Nate held on to the briefcase filled with the sort of stuff that just flat scared the crap out of him.

  * * *

  Cassie led her father into the master bedroom. He’d been the last person to sleep here—she’d kept her own room after he moved into the home, but it was fitting he should sleep here tonight. A pair of his pajamas still hung in the closet. “Here, Dad. Do you need any help?” She set his pajamas on the bed.

  He kissed her forehead. “Send your young man in. I dressed you when you were little, but you don’t need to dress me.”

  She laughed and hugged him. “I love you, Daddy.”

  “I love you, too, sweetie. But do you love that young man of yours?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, Dad. I do. I love him so much it hurts.”

  “Shouldn’t hurt, sweetie. Maybe you need to let him know. Take the poor boy out of his misery. Now go get him. I’m tired.”

  “Yes, sir.” She kissed her dad’s leathery cheek and left the room.

  * * *

  Nate was waiting when Cassie stepped out of her dad’s room. “He wants you to help him get ready for bed.” She stood on her toes and kissed him. “My room’s the first door on the left. Will you stay with me?”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “I love you, Nate. I wanted to say that to you before, but I didn’t have the nerve. Then tonight…” Her voice caught and she sniffed, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Tonight when I saw you go down, all I could think was how stupid I was, what a horrible coward that I hadn’t told you how I felt.”

  Cupping her face in his palms, he said, “I love you, too, Cass. Let me help your dad, and I’ll come in as soon as I can.” He kissed her, tasting salty tears and the sweetness that was Cassie. “Now go.”

  She nodded, turned toward her bedroom, and shot Nate a heated glance over her shoulder that had him hurrying to her father’s room.

  Colonel Mac was wearing his pajamas and a flannel bathrobe, but his shoes and socks were still on. Nate went down on one knee to help him take them off.

  “Not yet.” The old man stood and headed toward the door with a flashlight in his hand. “This will only take a minute, but I want you to come with me.”

  Nate grabbed an extra flashlight off the counter and followed him out the door. They didn’t go far—Mac stopped at the edge of the old vineyard. Turning around, he glared at Nate. “Do you love my daughter?”

  Nate grinned. “I do. I love her very much.”

  Mac nodded. “Good. I’ll just be a minute.”

  He took a few steps into the vineyard and paused by a particularly large and gnarled old vine. Nate quietly waited. Barely a minute later, Mac turned and headed back to the house.
As he passed Nate, he said, “Come on. What are you waiting for?”

  Grinning, Nate followed him back to the house and down the hall to the master bedroom. The colonel glanced over his shoulder and said, “Close the door.”

  Nate shut it.

  Mac walked across the room to a picture on the wall, moved it aside and uncovered a small safe. A few twists of the combination and the door swung open.

  He reached inside, pulled out a small, black velvet box, and held it out to Nate. “I had to ask Cassie’s mother for permission. It was hers, you know.” He smiled as he flipped open the lid to expose a beautiful emerald-cut ruby in a gold setting. “Mel didn’t wear it much. Only when we went out.” He chuckled, obviously remembering those nights. “She loved this ring, though. Said it was the color of good Zin. She wants it to go to Cassie and so do I. And I have a feeling you’re going to be needing a ring before too long.”

  He shoved it into Nate’s hand. “Take it.”

  Nate stared at the box in his hand. This wasn’t at all what he expected. “I don’t know what to say, except that I love Cassie and I just hope she’ll say yes.”

  “You’re a good man, Nate. You were willing to take a bullet to protect my daughter. That says a lot about a man. I want you to make her happy.”

  He raised his head, made eye contact, and said, “I promise, Colonel. I will do my best.”

  “Good. Now get out of here. I need my sleep.”

  “Yes, sir. Good night.” Tucking the box in his pocket, he added, “And thank you, sir. For your blessing as much as the ring.” The colonel was already in bed. He merely grunted and rolled over as Nate quietly shut the door behind him and headed down the hall to Cassie’s room. Nate tucked the small box with the ring in his pocket and stepped into Cassie’s bedroom. She was already in bed, but still awake.

  “Did I hear you go out?”

  Nodding, Nate began stripping out of his clothes. “Your dad wanted to talk to your mom. I took him out to the old vineyard. He only stayed there a minute, but he seemed happy about it.”

  “Thank you. I’m so glad.” She swiped her hand across her eyes and sniffed. “That’s the first time since he moved into town. He said he was too embarrassed to talk to her.”

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, Nate pulled Cassie across his lap. “What a night.” He kissed her.

  “I know. I keep thinking how badly I feel for Benny. I had no idea Andrews was his son. Benny’s last name is White.”

  “Stepson. He was a teen when Benny married his mother, according to the deputy. Still, something like this isn’t easy.” Nate yawned. “Let’s get some sleep.”

  Cassie scooted across the bed and slipped between the sheets. “It’s only a queen. I hope you’ll fit. And, Nate, I want you to know, there’s never been another man in this bed.” Blinking back tears, she raised her head. “And there will never be another man but you in my bed.”

  He pulled her close. “Your father asked me tonight if I loved you, but I think he’d already figured it out. I told him yes.”

  She was smiling when he turned off the light, and they met each other in the middle of the bed. “Let me hold you, sweetheart. That’s all I need tonight. I want you in my arms, knowing you’re safe, knowing that you love me.”

  He pulled her close, tucked her head beneath his chin, and she snuggled against him as if they’d slept this way forever. It felt like a beginning. A beginning of forever. As Nate drifted off to sleep, he decided he liked the sound of that. Liked it a lot.

  * * *

  Bright sunlight flooded the room, but it was Nate walking in and sitting on the edge of the bed with a cup of hot coffee that woke her out of a sound sleep. So many dreams last night, memories of her mom and dad, of the three of them here in this house, of picnics out in the vineyard. It was so restful, sleeping here again, in her old room.

  So filled with good memories, though waking up to Nate and a cup of fresh coffee made a whole new memory. “Good morning.” She sat up and took the cup he offered. “Did you go back to my cottage to make this?”

  “I did.” He smiled and brushed her tangled hair back from her face. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Mmmmm. This is good. There’s hope for you, yet. And yes. I slept really well. I dreamed a lot. Good dreams. Must have been from sleeping in my old bed.” She set her cup on the bedside table. “I hope Dad slept okay.” She spun her legs around to get out of bed, but Nate caught her up in the bedspread and held her on his lap.

  He kissed her. “Sweetheart? There’s no easy way to say this, but I am so sorry. Your father’s gone. He passed away sometime during the night.”

  “Oh.” She blinked, but she couldn’t stop the tears. Nate held her while she cried, but it wasn’t very long. It was fitting for a man who was ready to go, to die in his own bed in the house he’d built with his own hands so many years ago. “He seemed so good last night. So sharp when he had to be. I thought…” She shook her head. “I don’t know what I thought.”

  “You should go see him, sweetheart. I checked in on him a couple of minutes ago. He was smiling. At first I thought he was still asleep, but then I realized he was gone. I have no doubt your mom was waiting for him.”

  “He was ready.” She got up and went to the closet door, found an old bathrobe and put it on. She really needed to empty this place out for the new owner. “I’m going to miss him, though the father I knew was fading so quickly. Last night, as traumatic as it was, was one of the best nights he’s had in so many months. He was a hero.”

  “That he was. And when we turn that briefcase over to the newspaper, he’s going to be an even greater hero. I’ve been reading some of the stuff in there. It’s explosive, but it’s not something I would have felt safe sharing while he was alive. I think there’s a good chance that Jayson’s actions relate directly to the senator your father investigated so long ago. It could get ugly.”

  She stood on her toes and kissed him. “Then it should. Come with me? I want to say good-bye to Dad, and I want you with me. He was able to let go because of you, Nate. He’s been so worried about me. He met you, and he wasn’t worried anymore. He knows I love you.”

  Nate hugged her close. “That’s good, because I love you.”

  “It is good, isn’t it?” She took his hand, and together they went in to tell the colonel good-bye.

  Three weeks later …

  Nate walked Marcus Reed across the rough ground to his car. The memorial service for Cassie’s father had ended a few minutes ago, and Marc was needed back in San Francisco. His response to Cassie’s request had been all anyone could have hoped for, and he’d promised this piece of ground would never be replanted, as long as he owned it.

  But there was one more thing. They paused beside Marc’s new Tesla. Nate gave his boss one final pitch, and hoped like hell he’d agree. “Will you think about it, Marc? If there’s any way you can bring yourself to sell this small piece, just the three acres we discussed, I’ll do whatever I can to come up with the money for it.”

  Marc nodded. “We’ll work something out, Nate.”

  He gazed across the acres of neatly trellised vines and then stared at the older, head-pruned vines where Cassie stood talking with some of their neighbors. It was hard to tell what he might be thinking.

  “I hope we can. This piece of ground is special to Cassie. I already owe you so much, Marc. If you hadn’t hired me, I would never have met her. Never have found…” Laughing, he shook his head.

  Marc winked at him. “I recall advising you not to fuck with the winemaker. Shows me how well you pay attention.”

  Nate laughed. “I didn’t. I fell in love with the winemaker. That’s totally different.”

  “It is, Nate, and I envy you that.” He opened the car door and grabbed a manila folder. “I forgot to give this to Cassie. Would you mind?”

  “Not a problem.” Nate took the folder from him. “We’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”

  * * *

  Cassie s
tood among the gnarled and twisted old vines near the creek while Nate walked Marcus Reed to his car. They’d scattered her father’s ashes here today, in the same rich soil where her mother’s ashes had been spread so many years ago. A few of the neighbors had come for the short service, and her dad’s poker buddies from the home had been here as well. Even Benny, more quiet and reserved than usual. He’d been badly shaken by his stepson’s horrible betrayal.

  “Take care, Cassie.”

  “You, too, Myrna.” Cassie hugged the last of the neighbors to leave and waved good-bye to them. She saw Marc Reed’s Tesla slowly pulling out of the parking area. He’d become more than her boss over the past couple of weeks. Now she counted him as a friend. He’d stepped in with Nate and the two men had taken care of all the details associated with death. They’d left her to handle the work at the winery, which was the best therapy she could have asked for.

  “You okay?”

  She glanced up as Nate—looking so dark and sexy in navy slacks and a sky blue shirt the color of his eyes—crossed the driveway and then wrapped her in a tight hug. She sniffed. “Everyone has been so terrific. Even Marc.” She sighed. “Dad would have been so happy, the way everything worked out.”

  He set aside a big envelope he’d been holding and kissed her. “Cassie?”

  He had such a mysterious smile. “What?”

  Holding both her hands, he went down on one knee in the dirt. “I love you, Cassandra Parsons Phillips. I fell for you, oh, about five seconds after the first time I saw you. I’m sorry your dad isn’t here so I can ask him for your hand in marriage, but he already guessed my intentions. Besides, I figured that if I asked you here, where both your dad and your mom are resting in peace, that he couldn’t refuse. I hope you won’t, either. I want to marry you. Will you do me the honor of accepting my proposal? Will you be my wife?”

  Nate freed her right hand to pull a small black velvet box out of his pocket. She covered her mouth. This wasn’t happening. Nate? After less than two months he was asking her … but if he loved her even a fraction as much as she loved him, it made perfect sense.