by Donna Grant
It didn’t surprise Owen at all that Virgil would want Orrin close. The brothers bickered often, but each one would do anything for the other. They were as close as Owen and his brothers weren’t.
Owen felt the resentment rolling off Wyatt in waves. It was always the same whenever anything with Orrin was discussed. Owen kept pace with Callie until they reached the barn. Then he stopped next to Natalie as they moved inside. Only then did Callie shove aside a bale of hay and press a button.
Cullen jumped back as the ground emitted a small noise a second before a piece of earth slid back, revealing narrow, metal stairs. Owen glanced at Natalie to see she wasn’t surprised by any of it. He sighed and walked down the stairs after Natalie. He hurried to the bottom, taking in all the computers and electronics as well as several rooms that branched off.
“This way,” Callie said as the latch slid closed above and she moved past the four of them.
Wyatt followed her around the line of computers, past a conference room with glass walls and a large black table with plenty of chairs around it, to what appeared to be a wall of metal.
She halted before a steel door and punched in a code. It unlocked with a click. Callie pushed it open and held out a hand for them to take a look.
Cullen let out a whistle. As soon as Owen walked inside and got a glimpse of all the rifles, handguns, grenades, bullets, and other various weapons, as well as night vision goggles and communication devices, he understood.
“Damn,” Cullen said with a smile. “A dream come true.”
Callie sidled past them to a small laptop in a back corner where Natalie waited. “Take whatever you think you’ll need. I need to let the DOD know you’re going after Orrin.”
“No one said we’re going after him,” Wyatt declared in a voice devoid of any warmth.
“He’s your father,” Natalie said in dismay.
Wyatt shrugged. “He got two more family members killed. He should’ve learned the first time.”
Owen sidled between them and held Natalie’s gaze for a moment. Then he looked at Callie. “First, Wyatt is an idiot, and we are going after Dad. Second, don’t send anything. Whatever we do, we aren’t taking orders from the government about this.”
“That means we won’t get their help either,” Cullen pointed out.
Wyatt grunted behind them. “Perhaps that’s for the best. We shouldn’t trust anyone now.”
Owen swiveled his head to Wyatt. “Agreed.”
“Ditto,” Cullen said.
Wyatt coolly turned away and began gathering weapons.
Owen released a breath and found Natalie watching him. They had yet to have a conversation alone. He wasn’t sure what to say. Sorry wasn’t nearly enough.
“I think it’s time Natalie explained why she’s here,” Cullen said.
CHAPTER FOUR
Owen had wanted the conversation between him and Natalie done in private, but perhaps it was best that it be done now in front of the others.
That way, he wouldn’t be so wrapped up in his conflicted feelings and aching to hold her again.
He waited, eager to hear how she’d gotten pulled into this mess. Once he knew, he could figure out a way to get her out and safely back to her life—as far from him and the danger as he could get her.
“Back in late July, Orrin asked me to meet him for lunch,” Natalie began.
Wyatt put a clip in a pistol and turned to her. “Is that something he did often?”
“Never before. It was so odd, that I almost didn’t meet him.”
“But you did.” And Owen wanted to know why.
Callie clicked a pen several times. “It was after we got the request for Orrin and his team to take the mission in Russia. There was something about the orders and Ragnarok that didn’t sit right with him.”
“How do you know?” Cullen asked. “Did he say something?”
Callie shook her head. “It was the way he acted. I asked him what was wrong, but he told me probably nothing. I saw him doing some research on Russians in the area. Natalie’s name came up.”
“Because I spent three years in St. Petersburg working before returning to work for the Russian Embassy in Dallas,” Natalie explained.
Owen couldn’t believe she had lived in Russia. What else had she done? And why did he feel as if he’d been left out of something important.
Because he had. He’d willingly walked away from her.
To keep her safe. To keep her alive.
“Why Russia?” he asked.
“Orrin wanted to know the same thing,” she said with a small smile. “I explained that during college, I learned I was able to pick up languages easily, which led to me changing my degree to linguistics. I favored Italian and Russian. When I was offered a job in Russia, I decided to take it.”
Wyatt pulled back the slide on a pistol, letting it click back into place. “So you speak Russian fluently?”
“Yes,” she affirmed.
Owen frowned. “Did Dad tell you about his possible assignment?”
“Not a word.” Natalie sank onto one of the stools. “He asked me if I had seen or heard anything about Ragnarok.”
Wyatt gave a nod of his head as he braced his hands on the table. “Norse mythology.”
“It’s an end of world scenario,” she said. “I hadn’t seen or heard anything about Ragnarok. As soon as I told him that, the rest of the lunch went pleasantly with no more such talk. Then, a few weeks later, I saw a report where Ragnarok was mentioned.”
“That’s when she called me,” Callie said. “By that time, Orrin and the team were already in Russia collecting the bioweapon.”
“So the bioweapon is Ragnarok,” Owen stated.
Natalie glanced at Callie before she said, “Yes. After I saw the report and called Callie, I tried to do some digging into it. When I found nothing, I decided to ask my boss. He became agitated and closed off. The next day, I learned I wasn’t allowed in his office without him there.”
Cullen raised a brow. “He’s got something to hide.”
Owen’s gaze didn’t leave Natalie. He saw the way she fidgeted. There was more to her story.
But Callie beat him to the punch when she said, “That’s not all. Tell them, Natalie.”
“I learned they were tracking everything I did on my computer at the embassy,” Natalie explained. “My clearance was restricted, and I soon found that I was being followed.”
“Even outside of work?” Wyatt asked with a frown of worry.
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Is that everything?” Cullen asked.
Natalie wrinkled her nose. “I wish. I almost didn’t go into work today after Callie told me what happened to Virgil and Charlotte, but I decided to head there and do one last search for anything pertaining to Ragnarok. I knew it couldn’t be coincidence that Orrin asked about the very thing no one wanted to talk about. I didn’t know about the mission. I only knew he was gone.”
“But you put two and two together,” Owen said.
She nodded, her green eyes meeting his. “I have a feeling I won’t be employed much longer. I snuck back into my boss’s office to find the report and read more. I didn’t find it. But I did find a piece of paper with my name on it and the word Ragnarock below it. Underneath that was something else—the Saints.”
“Who the fuck are the Saints?” Wyatt asked.
Callie shrugged. “I’ve not had a chance to dig. But she can’t look anymore.”
Owen couldn’t believe Natalie had gone as far as she had. “Absolutely not. Did you find anything on Ragnarok?”
She swallowed loudly. “Before my clearance was lowered, I only found a mention of Ragnarok pertaining to something a scientist was working on in Russia.”
“Too bad we don’t know more,” Cullen said.
Natalie looked at each of them. “I had to come. Not because the embassy knows I’m looking into Ragnarok, but because I might be able to help with the Russians.”
; “Shit,” Wyatt stated in a low voice.
Cullen crossed his arms over his chest. “Dad felt something wasn’t right, so he talked to Natalie. The Russians know Natalie is looking into Ragnarok. Our government is leaving Dad hanging in the wind as well as ordering us to give them all intel we come across. This is a shit storm of epic proportions.”
“We trust no one but who is in this room,” Owen said.
Everyone gave a nod of agreement.
Natalie pushed away from the wall. “If y’all are through with the house, Callie and I can start cleaning up. It won’t be long before visitors begin arriving to pay their respects.”
“And see another murder here,” Cullen murmured.
Owen frowned then. “Where are the bodies?”
“More importantly, where were you two when Virgil and Charlotte were shot?” Wyatt asked the girls.
Callie lifted her gaze to Owen, her face going slack. “I took Master Ben for a ride, checking some of the fences as I did.”
Owen couldn’t believe the stallion was still around. He’d have to bring the horse an apple.
“I heard the gunfire,” Callie continued as she sat straight, her eyes going unfocused. “I raced back as fast as I could, but I was too late. I usually keep to a strict schedule, but I was worried since I hadn’t heard from Orrin after they reached Delaware. Virgil suggested I take a ride to clear my head.”
Cullen walked to Callie’s side. “It’s not your fault.”
“I might’ve been able to stop them had I been here.” She swallowed hard, her unfocused gaze directed at the wall.
“If you’d been here, they would’ve killed you, as well,” Wyatt pointed out.
Owen nodded slowly. “I’m glad you weren’t. Without you, we wouldn’t know half of what we do.” He then looked to Natalie. “And you?”
“At my house. I was the second call Callie made.”
“I’d like to know why she called you,” Wyatt said.
Owen would, as well.
“We were doing our own research on Ragnarok here,” Natalie said. “We were careful never to speak of it over the phone. Anyone listening would think we were just meeting for drinks to chat.”
Before he got a chance to ask, Callie said, “Orrin gave me a number to call if anything ever happened to him. The man who answered had me explain the scene, as well as tell him about the last time I heard from Orrin. He ordered me not to touch anything because he was sending a team. Within thirty minutes, a chopper arrived.”
“CIA?” Owen asked.
Callie shrugged. “They wouldn’t talk to me except to tell me to get out of the house. I watched them take Virgil and Charlotte, as well as gather bullet casings and other evidence. Then they were gone. An hour later, Mark and his men arrived. Though they didn’t seem surprised to discover the bodies missing. I didn’t ask what he knew.”
Owen looked at his brothers. “We will.”
“We’re going to need that phone number,” Wyatt said.
Callie blinked and slid her gaze to him. “Orrin said it was for emergencies only.”
“I think this constitutes an emergency.” Wyatt’s gaze narrowed as he looked her up and down. “Don’t you?”
Just when it appeared Callie was about to launch into an argument, Owen said, “Let’s all take a few to digest everything.”
“And come up with a plan,” Cullen added.
Natalie stood from her place on the stool. “I’ll start cleaning up.”
“I’ll help since I’m finished gathering what little evidence was left,” Cullen said after looking longingly around at the base.
Owen slapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll be back, kid. Then you can play in here for as long as you want.”
“Stop calling me that,” Cullen growled.
After Owen and Wyatt had a look around the ops center and went through emails, they returned to the house to help the others.
For the next two hours, the five of them worked to remove any trace of blood from the residence while discussing different plans of attack. At one point, Owen looked up to see Wyatt helping Cullen take the recliner out behind one of the barns.
At the same time, a white Chevy Suburban drove up.
“Mrs. Turnbill,” Natalie said as she went to the door.
CHAPTER FIVE
“We brought food,” Mrs. Turnbill said as she handed Callie a large, covered dish.
The other three ladies followed Wanda and handed dishes to Cullen, Wyatt, and Owen, who were forced to step out onto the porch.
“Get the tea, Natalie,” Mrs. Turnbill urged.
Natalie turned, her legs feeling wooden and her stomach unsure if it should remain in her throat or plummet to her feet. This was how she’d felt since first seeing Owen again.
It was worse when that chocolate gaze of his landed on her. Then she couldn’t remember which way was right and which was left.
While they’d been cleaning, she’d had a task to focus on, something to do other than try to keep her hands off Owen. Now, there was company.
But that company made her think of those responsible for Virgil’s and Charlotte’s deaths. Were they lurking somewhere, waiting to strike again?
Her gaze landed on Owen. She didn’t want him to know how frightened she’d been up until he arrived. To realize that she’d been followed made her sick to her stomach.
What was this Ragnarok that people would kill for? Surely this wasn’t the only bioweapon Russia had. No. It meant that there was something special about Ragnarok.
“Natalie?”
She jumped, remembering that she wasn’t alone. The bioweapon was quickly forgotten as Owen’s eyes met hers briefly. She shot Mrs. Turnbill a smile, then the elderly lady said her name again.
It took everything she had to make herself walk to the back of the Suburban. Her hands shook so badly that it took two tries to get the doors open. Owen was the only man to ever make her so anxious. Even after all these years, he still had the same effect on her.
Natalie grabbed the two jugs of sweet tea and turned. She came to a halt when she found Wyatt standing there. She took in his thick beard, which hid most of his face, and his gold eyes trained on her.
There was a flicker of annoyance in those golden depths. “What are you doing here?” he demanded in a soft voice that did nothing to hide his anger.
“I explained that pretty clearly.”
His gaze remained locked with hers. “Is that the only reason?”
“I know you never liked me, Wyatt, but you were gone when Owen left. He’s the one who called it off. Not me.”
“You think I don’t like you.”
She blinked. Was that a question or a comment? And that’s all he was going to say about her statement? “I know you don’t like me.”
“I’ve never given that indication.”
Natalie shifted the gallon jugs. The handles were pinching her fingers. “Don’t worry. I’m not here for Owen.”
“Really.”
Again, she wasn’t sure if it was a question or not. Natalie moved around him. “Really.”
She walked up the porch steps and tried to hand the sweet tea to Cullen, but the youngest Loughman merely smiled and opened the screen door for her.
Natalie was pretty sure they had all lost their minds. She just wanted to give the tea to someone and get back to searching for Orrin and Ragnarok.
Mrs. Turnbill was setting the dishes in the fridge when she saw Natalie. She then glared at Owen. “Don’t just stand there, son. Help her.”
Mrs. Turnbill had a way of inflecting her voice that could get anyone into action thanks to her years as a teacher. Owen was no different. He reacted instantly, reaching for the tea.
Their hands touched. A tingling sensation rushed up her arm and into her chest. She looked up at him. Their gazes clashed, held, as heat and desire simmered between them.
Fourteen years hadn’t dulled the passion. It had only intensified it.
Natalie scrubbed he
r hands on her jeans and took a step back. She turned and found Cullen and Wyatt blocking the exit to the front door.
“I’m sorry about Virgil and Charlotte. They were good people,” Mrs. Turnbill told the boys.
Cullen’s smile was sad. “That they were. They were able to get a handle on all three of us as no one else could. They’ll be sorely missed.”
“I hope you find who did this,” she said.
“Seen anyone around town out of the ordinary?” Cullen asked her.
The old woman shook her head of white hair before looking at her friends. “No, we haven’t. Do you think whoever did this is still around?”
“We don’t know,” Owen replied.
Then it hit Natalie. She’d been young when Owen’s mother was murdered, but it had been the talk of the small town for months. Everyone speculated that it was because of Orrin’s work with the military, especially when the FBI showed up. As far as Natalie knew, Melanie Loughman’s case had never been solved.
Now there were two more murders after Orrin had returned to town. Coincidence? She doubted it.
She made her escape from the house after a few minutes. She walked across the yard to the paddock and held out her hand to the filly. The foal wouldn’t come to her, but the mare did. Natalie rubbed the horse’s forehead. Owen had given her a love of horses. She’d always admired the beautiful creatures, but she hadn’t known how much fun it was to ride until Owen.
“Nat.”
Her hand stilled and her heart missed a beat at the sound of his voice. She glanced over her shoulder as she continued to pet the mare, the foal coming closer before backing off at the last minute.
“Hi,” she finally answered.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk alone.”
She rubbed her cheek on the sleeve of her shirt. “I know.” She turned to face him. “You look good.”
His smile was warm. “So do you. I thought you were leaving this small town and never coming back?”
“Yeah,” she said with a small laugh. “It’s not as bad as I used to think.”
Dark eyes watched her.