Wilde Horses

by Jannine Gallant

  He took her hand and rose to his feet with a grunt. “I can walk.” His breath hissed out. “My side hurts like a mother.”

  “You must have turned away just before the coals went up in flames. The hair on your right side is singed a little. Thank heavens you had on long sleeves.”

  He slid his left arm around her bare midriff. “I’m just thankful you didn’t go out to light the grill tonight.” He coughed again. “With no protection, that blast would have taken all the skin off you.”

  She maneuvered them down the porch steps, avoiding the dog who stayed close to Blake, then walked around the house to the garage. Opening the passenger door of his car, she helped ease him onto the seat before running around to the driver’s side. “Move it, Duke. Sorry, buddy, but you have to stay here.”

  Pushing his hand into the pocket of his slacks, Blake pulled out the keys. “Here.”

  She took them, started the engine and backed out, keeping an eye on the dog before pulling forward. When they reached the gate, she hit the remote. “What happened to make the coals go up in an explosion like that?”

  He adjusted the seat and pulled his shirt away from his side. “If I had to guess, I’d say someone poured gasoline on the briquettes in the bag. I thought they smelled strange, but I was in a hurry so didn’t investigate further before I tossed the match onto the stack. I bet the same son of a bitch drugged Duke.”

  She hit the brakes. “What?” Her voice rose. “You think someone tried to injure you on purpose?”

  “Yeah, I do. Turn left up ahead.”

  Her stomach twisted. “Blake, we have to call the police.”

  “You can do it when we get to the clinic.” He pointed then winced at the movement. “The building is just up ahead.”

  She clamped her lips together as she turned into the parking lot and chose a space close to the front door. Stepping out of the convertible, she slammed the door and met him at the front bumper. “Is your side the only place that’s burned?”

  “My upper arm is probably worse.” When tears sprang to her eyes, he touched her cheek before pushing open the clinic door. “Hey, they’ll slap some balm on me, and I’ll be fine. The good news is my ears have stopped ringing, and I can hear.”

  With a nod, she followed him to the front counter where the woman behind the desk gave Blake an awestruck look and assured him he could go straight back where a doctor would see him immediately. Eden’s smile was grim. If she’d been the one to light those coals, she sincerely doubted she would have received such prompt attention.

  Blake paused in the doorway leading to the exam rooms. “Are you coming?”

  “I’ll stay out here and call the police instead.”

  “Okay. I’m sure I won’t be long.”

  Eden wasn’t as optimistic. She passed by a young woman with dark circles under her eyes holding a baby and an older man with a bloody bandage on his hand and took a seat near the window. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she dialed 9-1-1.

  “9-1-1 operator, what’s your emergency?”

  “My name is Eden Wilde, and I’m a friend of Blake Benedict’s. Someone entered his estate in Malibu a short time ago and tried to seriously injure him.”

  “Is this person still on the property?”

  “No, but neither are we. Blake was burned and in pain, so we went straight to the urgent care clinic in Malibu. A doctor is seeing him now.”

  The woman’s voice was sharp. “You’re not in immediate danger?”

  “No, but I figured calling 9-1-1 was the easiest way to report this.”

  “If you’ll give me your current location, an officer will be there shortly to take your statement.”

  Eden glanced down at a magazine lying on the end table beside her chair and read off the address label. “Thank you for your help.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ve notified dispatch, Ms. Wilde. You can hang up now.”

  Eden thanked the woman again and clicked off her phone. Less than a minute later a patrol car swung into the lot. The magic name of Blake Benedict getting quick service again? Or maybe the local police were always this responsive in upscale neighborhoods.

  She stood and walked over to the door when two officers entered the clinic.

  “Eden Wilde?” When she nodded, the first officer, a woman with a chin-length, blond bob approached. “I’m Officer Reynolds, and this is my partner, Officer Cruz.”

  The second woman had thick black hair secured in a bun and deep brown eyes. Her looks were so striking, Eden wondered if she modeled on the side, but she was all business when she spoke.

  “You told the 9-1-1 operator someone broke into Blake Benedict’s estate?”

  “They didn’t have to break in because we left the gate to the beach unlocked while we took a walk. After we returned, we found Blake’s dog sick and drowsy and suspected he’d been drugged, but there was no sign of an intruder. Nothing was taken from the house, so we dismissed our concerns.” She took a breath and steadied her voice. “When Blake lit the coals in the grill a short time later, they exploded in a huge puff of flame. I ran out of the house and found him on the ground with his shirt smoldering.”

  “Maybe he just poured on too much lighter fluid.” Officer Reynolds’s blue eyes were skeptical as she glanced up from taking notes on a small pad.

  Eden clenched her fists. “I’ve done that before, and you might singe the hair on your hand as a result. You don’t light your clothes on fire and burn your whole side.”

  “Is that what happened?”

  Eden turned toward the Hispanic officer and nodded in answer to her question. “Yes, his side is red and looks like it might blister.”

  “We’ll want to speak to Mr. Benedict and also take a look around his estate.”

  “I’m not sure how long he’ll be in with the doctor.”

  “What’s your relationship to Mr. Benedict?”

  Eden met the blond officer’s direct gaze. Was she imagining the judgmental overtone? “We’re…dating. I met Blake when he was filming in Wyoming, and I’ve been staying with him for the last week.”

  “Do you have some I.D.?”

  “I do at his house. I’m afraid I didn’t stop to grab my purse before driving him to the clinic.”

  “We’ll need to see that.”

  Am I a suspect? “I’ll be happy to provide I.D. as soon as I take Blake home.”

  “That’ll be fine.” Officer Cruz glanced toward the inner office door when it opened.

  Blake walked out, carrying his shirt, with bandages taped across his right side and upper arm. Someone had washed most of the soot off his face, and a smaller pad covered his cheek. Eden had to admit he looked sexy as hell in a wounded hero sort of way. For the first time since they’d walked into the clinic, Officer Reynolds was all smiles.

  When a nurse followed him into the waiting room and motioned for the woman with the baby to go on back, Eden waited for her to walk by before approaching Blake. “How are you?”

  “Second degree burns. Apparently, I’m lucky.”

  She touched his good arm. “This is Officer Cruz and Officer Reynolds. They want to speak to you about what happened.”

  “No reason to question you here, Mr. Benedict.” The blond cop moved in on his other side. “I’m sure you’ll be more comfortable talking to us in your own house.”

  He smiled. “Thanks, I appreciate that.”

  Eden resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Do you need to get a prescription filled?”

  “The doc gave me some sample pain pills and ointment for tonight. I can call the pharmacy tomorrow.”

  “Great. Let’s go home, then.”

  Two hours later, Blake shut the door behind the investigators who’d arrived to process the scene. They’d dusted for prints at the beach access and on the side porch along with removing the bag with the remaining briquettes, the bottle of lighter fluid and a sample of the dog barf. He stepped over Duke, stretc
hed out in the middle of the floor, and approached the table.

  Eden set down plates filled with fajitas and let out a sigh. “What an ordeal. How’re you feeling?”

  “Exhausted, the same as you are, and hungry. My burns don’t hurt much, so I guess the pain pills are working.” He sat opposite her. “Thanks for making dinner.”

  “No problem. After I showed the officers my I.D. and they checked their list of wanted felons or whatever it was they suspected I might be, they seemed to lose interest in me. Since you were fully occupied, cooking was the least I could do. In a grill pan on the stove. I may never barbecue again.”

  “My enthusiasm for outdoor cooking has waned a little since someone tried to roast me like a marshmallow.” He took a bite of his fajita and chewed. “Excellent.”

  “Thanks.” She nibbled at her own meal, lacking the energy to eat. “So, do the cops have a suspect?”

  “I told them all about the incidents on the ranch. Officer Reynolds said the detectives who take over the case will look into a connection.”

  “I bet she’s bummed she won’t get to follow up with you.”

  He grinned. “She mentioned she moonlights for a security firm and offered to give me a great deal on personal protection.”

  “I bet.”

  He covered her hand when she reached for her napkin. “I turned her down.”

  “Are you sure you should have? Maybe hiring a bodyguard would be smart.”

  “Forget it. I don’t want anyone around in the evenings.” He squeezed her hand. “Except you.”

  “Great. But I’m not some bad-ass cop who can annihilate all the bad guys.”

  His eyes sparkled. “I think you’ve been watching too many police dramas.”

  He was so handsome, despite the singed hair above his temple, her heart ached. The damage from the explosion could have been so much worse. A shudder rippled through her.

  “Hey, eat your dinner.”

  “I’m not very hungry.” She let out a sigh. “Who do you think is responsible?”

  “Obviously it wasn’t Zane if he’s in Wyoming, but I still can’t believe Max would hurt me. As for Hayden, I don’t like the guy much, but he really has no motive.”

  “Actually, Zane isn’t in Wyoming. The rumor is he headed to San Diego after leaving the ranch, which is where he’s from originally.”

  Blake paused with his fajita half-way to his mouth. “You mentioned that before, but I’d forgotten. Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive that’s where Roman said he was going.”

  “Well, then, maybe your ex-foreman knows you’re here and has been spying on us all week. Damn, I guess I should clue the police in on this little twist.”

  She frowned. “We could check his whereabouts ourselves, first. If Zane is innocent, I don’t like the idea of slandering him to no purpose. If we discover he isn’t in San Diego like he told Roman, then we can notify the detective taking over the case.”

  “That seems reasonable, but how are we going to verify where he was this afternoon?”

  “My dad will still have his personnel records with contact information from when he was hired. Granted, it’s old info, but maybe they include a family member from San Diego. We can start with a simple phone call.”

  “Sounds too easy, but you can try.” He dropped a hand over hers again. “After we finish dinner.”

  “I’m not hungry.” She turned her palm over to thread her fingers through his. “I can’t believe this happened again. Zane was angry when he quit his job, but he made it clear he didn’t want anything more to do with me.”

  “If not him, then who? I don’t doubt for a minute some deranged star-hater might want to kill me, but not that a psycho would follow me here from Wyoming to do it. And the idea of two different homicidal creeps pushes credibility past the limit.”

  “I agree.” She sighed. “Maybe whoever is responsible left fingerprints all over the bag of briquettes, and the cops will be able to make an arrest soon.”

  His smile might have been intended to ease her worries, but his eyes were clouded with doubt. “Let’s hope so.”

  She tightened her grip on his hand. “What are you thinking?”

  “That we’re missing something. The whole situation just feels…off.”

  “That frightens me even more.”

  His gaze met hers and held. “It scares me, too.”

  * * * *

  Blake blinked in the morning light streaming through the window and stretched out a hand to touch Eden. Except her side of the bed was empty. Trying to ignore the pain throbbing down his right side, he sat up and glanced around the room. A light shining under the adjoining bathroom door set his mind at ease. A moment later, she entered the room wearing a robe. Damp hair hung down her back.

  “You’re up and showered.”

  She nodded. “It’s past seven. You slept soundly. How’re those burns?”

  “They hurt.” He swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and held out his hand. When she came closer and took it, he held tight. “You’re so beautiful and tempting, but while I’m certainly willing, I don’t think I’m able.”

  She touched the bandage on his cheek, and her eyes darkened with emotion. “Then I’ll refrain from taking advantage of you. Do you want to shower before I put more ointment on those burns?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be quick.”

  In the bathroom, he stood in front of the mirror to peel off the bandages, wincing when the tape tugged at reddened skin. He grimaced at the series of blisters that had formed. Getting into costume today was going to be a bitch. Thankfully, the spot on his face didn’t look too bad, but the hair over his temple was singed. He’d have to get it cut. John was going to freak when he saw him, and if he didn’t get his ass moving, he’d be late. After a quick shower, he dressed in shorts and grabbed a T-shirt from his dresser drawer before heading to the kitchen where the smell of coffee and bacon made his stomach growl.

  Eden glanced over and smiled before cracking eggs into a pan. “Your pain pills are on the counter. You can take them with breakfast.”

  He nodded, poured himself a cup of coffee, then swallowed the meds. “Thanks for cooking.”

  “I’m a regular Suzie Homemaker lately. I also fed Duke and let him out. I’ll play nurse after you eat, and then we can go fill your prescriptions.”

  “If you wouldn’t mind doing that while I’m at the studio, I’d be grateful.”

  She turned away from the stove with a plate in her hands. “You’re going to work? Are you kidding?”

  “Makeup should be able to fix my hair and face. Thank God I’m fully clothed in the remainder of the scenes.”

  “How can you work if you’re uncomfortable and in pain? Surely John will understand.”

  Blake could imagine the director’s reaction if he called in sick. A smile curled his lips. “I’m pretty sure nothing short of death would be an acceptable excuse at this point in the process.”

  “Unbelievable.” She plunked down his plate on the bar counter.

  He eased onto the stool and picked up a fork.

  “Just moving hurts you.” She scowled before turning back to the stove to cook her eggs. “Oh, I talked to Dad while you were in the shower. He gave me Zane’s parents’ phone number.”

  “Have you called them?”

  “Not yet. Since you’re determined to go to the studio, if you’re up to driving, I’ll call while we’re on the freeway.”

  He picked up a slice of toast covered in marmalade. “I can drive. I’ll be perfectly fine as soon as the pain pills kick in. I just hope I can remember my lines.”

  She sat beside him and eyed him steadily. “It would serve John right if you didn’t. Eat your eggs before they get cold.”

  “Now you sound like my mom.” Reaching out, he tugged her toward him then kissed her. When he finally pulled away, he smiled at the hint of desire shining in her eyes. “Good thing you ar
en’t.”

  “I’m definitely not.” The heat faded to be replaced by worry. “But I’m just as concerned as I’m sure your mom would be if she knew about these accidents. I assume you haven’t told your family?”

  “Are you kidding?” He turned back to his eggs. “They’re in Arizona, blissfully unaware some lunatic has put a target on my back. Hey, I think those pills are working. My pain level has subsided from a seven to a three. I need to get moving before it flares up again.”

  “Geez, you can practically forget you’re covered in second degree burns. By all means, let’s hit the ground running.”

  He grinned. “You’re cute when you’re sarcastic.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Good to know.”

  A half hour later, they drove in fits and starts through rush hour traffic toward the studio. With only half his attention on driving, Blake focused on Eden’s end of her conversation with Zane’s mother. From what he could gather, the Wildes’ former ranch foreman was in the clear.

  “No, Mrs. Hoffman, it isn’t urgent I reach him. I’m sure he’ll return my call when he has some free time. I won’t keep you any longer. You, too. Enjoy your cruise. Thank you. Bye.” Eden clicked off her phone and stuck it in her purse.

  “I take it Zane is indeed in San Diego.”

  She nodded. “He had dinner with his parents last night. A farewell party before they leave today on a cruise. Boy, that woman likes to talk. Sounds like Zane is interviewing for a position in New Mexico this week.”

  “So, he couldn’t have doused the bag of coals with gas before racing back to establish an alibi?”

  “Not a chance.” She let out a sigh. “I’m glad he isn’t responsible. I’d hate to think I was such a horrible judge of character.”

  “Hey, sometimes love makes you do stupid things.”

  “I don’t doubt it, but not in Zane’s case.”

  “So where does that leave us? When I called John to fill him in on what happened, I asked if Max was still available if we needed him. Apparently my stunt double flew to Europe a couple of days ago, so he’s in the clear, too.”