by Barb Han
He grunted.
This time, his heart might not recover. He felt more for Katherine in the few days he’d known her than he’d ever felt for his ex-girlfriend.
And that scared the hell out of him.
* * *
KATHERINE RUBBED TO ease the chill bumps on her arms. Her attraction to Caleb was a distraction. His square jaw. Those rich brown-gold eyes reminded her why fall was her favorite season. He was so damn sexy. With his body flush to hers, everything tingled and surged.
The wind had picked up and the threat of rain intensified. There was a breeze blowing now with pockets of cooler air blasting her. The temperature between her and Caleb had shifted, too. The question was why?
Not that any of this mattered. Those men would find them. They were going to kill her, Caleb and Noah.
She glanced at her watch. “If we’re going to make the drop, we’d better get going.”
He shook his head. “Not a good idea.”
“I don’t have a choice. Noah won’t survive without his medicine. I have to get it to him.”
“You can’t save him if you’re dead. You have to know it’s a setup. I won’t allow them to hurt you.”
She bristled. “I have to go.”
“I don’t like it. They’ve set a trap.”
“At least I’ll be in the middle of a busy mall.”
“That won’t stop them. It’s absolutely out of the question. They won’t allow anything to happen to Noah as long as you’re alive. They know it’s the only leverage they have. They let him die and there’s no deal.”
Katherine had to figure out a way to drop the medicine, especially since she didn’t have the file. Didn’t he understand she had to take the risk? Those jerks may very well be setting her up. What could she do about it? Bottom line? If she didn’t show, what chance did Noah have?
She couldn’t allow that to happen. She would have to convince Caleb.
“I need to find a phone so I can make contact with Matt. He’ll give me a pulse on the sheriff.”
“You can use Leann’s.”
“Lost the power cord. Besides, they don’t know we have it yet. Best leave it that way.”
Katherine stood and wobbled. “My ankle hurts. I don’t think I can walk anymore.” She sat on the nearest rock.
Caleb took a knee in front of her. “Let me see what we have here.”
“No. You go on.” She glanced around and propped her leg on a big rock. “I need a few minutes.”
Trepidation and concern played out over his features. “I guess you’ll be okay while I scout the area. I’ll leave supplies in case you need anything while I’m gone.”
Good. She needed to think. “I’ll be fine until you get back. Besides, we have a long journey ahead of us later when we head back to the ranch.”
He issued a sharp sigh. “Fine.” He looked down at Max. “C’mon, boy.”
The little dog scampered to Caleb’s feet.
“I’ll take him so he doesn’t make any noise or draw attention to you. We’ll be right back. In the meantime, I want you to stay put. No one can track you here. Stay low and hidden.” He motioned toward the thicket. “You’ll be safe until I get back.”
Safe was a word Katherine figured could be deleted from her vocabulary. Without Caleb, she feared she would never be safe again.
As soon as Caleb was out of sight, she organized supplies.
The sound of Noah wheezing on the phone earlier hammered through her. Time was running out for both of them.
Chapter Nine
Caleb tugged the ball cap he’d bought low on his forehead and put on sunglasses, hooding his eyes. An ache had started in his chest the moment he left Katherine. The memory of her kiss burned into his lips.
It was too early to have real feelings for her. Wasn’t it? Protectiveness was a given with her circumstances. His desire to help would be strong. She was in serious trouble. But real feelings?
Not this soon.
Katherine was at the right place at the right time. His wounds from Cissy were still too exposed. She’d got him thinking about what it would be like to have little feet running around the TorJake.
Except that he never missed Cissy the way he was missing Katherine.
Even so, Cissy must’ve primed him for thinking about having his own family someday and a woman like Katherine by his side. He couldn’t deny how right her hands had felt on his body back there.
Hell’s bells.
Katherine wasn’t interested in a relationship with him. She’d been clear on that.
Maybe this was his twisted way of missing his ex-girlfriend.
Caleb redirected his thoughts as he broke through the tree line and located a phone two blocks away in heavy traffic.
He looked up in time to see a young blonde in tattered jeans and a blouse heading straight toward him. Her backpack had been tossed over her shoulder and her keys were clipped to the strap. A college student? He was most likely in the West Village near the main Southern Methodist University campus. He thought for a second about how close they were to the drop spot and glanced around to see if anyone looked suspicious. Kane could have men stationed anywhere. And they could look like anyone. Even the pretty young woman standing in front of him, stroking the dog, could be a threat. Caleb eyed her.
“Awww. What a cute puppy,” she said.
Last thing he wanted was to attract attention. He kept his head low and nodded.
“What’s his name?”
“Max.” Caleb tensed. His gaze fixed on her, looking for any hint of a weapon. If she had a gun tucked somewhere, he’d see it.
Then again, Kane hadn’t exactly been subtle so far.
“He’s a sweetie.” She bent down and nuzzled Max’s nose. “Aren’t you?”
Caleb scanned the area, watching for anything that stood out. The street was busy. The sidewalk cafés were full. This section of Dallas teemed with life. It would be so easy to blend in here.
Her gaze came up, stopping on Caleb’s face. “You look familiar. Do I know you?”
“Don’t think so.” He smiled and paused for a beat. “I better get him back to his mom.” An image of Katherine waiting in his bed popped into his thoughts. Not the time. Or the place.
The girl smiled and walked away.
Caleb picked up the phone and called Matt.
His buddy answered on the first ring.
“I don’t have much time to talk, so I’ll make this quick—”
“Caleb? What the hell’s going on? Where are you?” Matt was silent for a beat. “Never mind. Don’t answer that. We probably have company on the line.”
Caleb hadn’t thought about the line being tapped. It made sense someone would be listening in and trying to locate him by any means possible. Katherine’s little sister had done far worse than take a bat to a hornets’ nest. She’d written death warrants for everyone she loved and anyone else who tried to help them. Finding a hiding spot was next to impossible when Kane seemed to have so many people in his pockets. “What’s happening at the ranch?”
“The men in suits have been here twice. Whatever she stirred up has gone downright crazy.”
“Did you catch the news?”
“Sure did. I know you didn’t have anything to do with what they’re saying. You couldn’t have. I don’t care what the witness says,” Matt said solemnly.
“Thanks for the confidence. It all happened right in front of me.”
“You were there?”
“Unfortunately, yes. One minute I was talking to her. The next, bullets were flying. Surely the investigators will be able to figure out which direction the bullets were fired.”
“We’ll do whatever we have to, to clear your name.” Matt issued a sigh. “There’s s
omething I should tell you.”
“What’s that?”
“A man came by the other day. Said he was a U.S. Marshal. He’s offering witness protection to her,” Matt whispered. “Said he’d already offered it to her sister.”
“What else did he say?”
“He can work out a deal for you, too. Put you both in the program.”
“You know I won’t leave my ranch,” Caleb said, steadfast.
“Well, you might have to. This thing has blown up beyond big.”
“Did Coleman meet with him?”
“Yes.”
He knew the sheriff was honest to a fault. If he trusted the stranger, then Caleb could risk a little faith, too. Not even a man with Kane’s pull could persuade Coleman to switch teams. “What did he think?”
“Said the guy checked out. Thinks you should talk to him. And, Caleb, I do, too.”
Then again, the guy working for a legitimate agency didn’t mean he was clean. Maybe Caleb could get a better feel if he spoke to Coleman directly. “Tell the sheriff I’ll be in touch.”
“Not a good idea. He has a tail. Besides, you’re wanted. He said to warn you if he sees you he’ll have to detain you.”
Caleb should’ve seen that coming. “I don’t have much time. How’s the ranch?”
“To hell with that, how are you?”
“I’m good. Don’t worry about me. Just take care of my horses until I return.”
“You know I will.”
“Make sure you check out the property, too. The teenagers have been hitting the north fence hard. The acreage in the east needs to be checked for coyotes.”
“Jimmy’s been on it.”
“Won’t he be off for his daughter’s surgery soon?”
“Yeah.”
Caleb needed to drop a hint. Tell Matt where he was going. But how? “You better take over for him. And make sure someone’s exercising Dawn. Can’t have her too restless like before, when Cissy left. No one’s been watching that trail she rode and I might not be back for a long time.”
“Don’t talk like that.” He listened carefully for the telltale rise of Matt’s voice when he caught on. “We’ll get this figured out, and you’ll be home before you know it.”
Nope. Matt hadn’t picked up on the clue. “I wouldn’t count on it.”
“It will all work out.”
Maybe he could send Matt on a mission? “Do me a favor?”
“Name it.”
“Find a picture of Sebastian Kane.”
“The businessman?”
“Yes. Call the manager of the Coffee Hut in Austin and send him the picture. Find out if he came into the shop much, or spent any time with one of the employees by the name of Leann Foster.”
“Consider it done.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
“Be safe, man.”
Caleb ended the call. He prayed he’d disconnected before his location had been tagged. Being away from Katherine gave him an uneasy feeling, like dark clouds closing in around him, threatening to take away all that was light and good. He needed to get back and make sure she was all right. With her damaged ankle, she might not be able to run. He’d never forgive himself if anything had happened while he’d been gone.
Keeping his head low, he circled back to the brush where he’d tucked her away.
What the hell?
“Katherine,” he called into the nearby shrubbery. He searched branches and bushes. Nothing. No answer.
Fear and anger formed liquid that ran cold in his veins. Had he been careless? Had he left her vulnerable and alone with no way to defend herself? Had the cops picked her up?
The bag of supplies was left leaning against the rock. He checked it. The pain relievers were missing as were several bottled waters.
He called her name again, louder.
“Caleb.” Her voice came from his left.
He rushed to the bushes at the edge of the hill. His heart thumped in his throat. “What happened?”
“I slipped on a rock.” She was on all fours, climbing up.
He picked her up and carried her to the rock. Relief filled his chest. He didn’t want to acknowledge how stressed he’d been a minute ago. “What were you doing over there?”
“Looking for you. My leg gave out and I slipped over the edge.”
Glancing at his watch, he swore under his breath. “The drop.”
“I’m fine. I can make it.”
“You wait here. I’ll figure something out.”
“No. Please. I can do this.” She tugged at his hand. Her eyes pleaded.
Looking into her determined eyes, he knew he couldn’t leave her behind. She’d be safer if he kept her within arm’s reach until he could get her back to TorJake. “Okay.”
Caleb retraced his route to West Village, going as slowly as she needed to.
If memory served, NorthPark Center wasn’t far. In fact, it should be on the other side of Highway 75. Easy walk for him. Nothing was easy for Katherine right then.
If they thought she’d showed up alone, and weren’t expecting him, the element of surprise would be on his side. The thought of anyone touching her or hurting her sent white-hot anger coursing through him.
Why was she so stubborn?
Didn’t she realize she might be walking right into their arms? Being in the open was good. Crowds hid a lot of things.
He didn’t know if this was the best play. They were walking into a situation set up by Kane. They didn’t have the file. Should he turn and walk away while they still could? Meet with the marshal who’d seemed legit? Because nothing about his current situation was going to turn out the way he wanted. She was far too willing to put herself in harm’s way to protect everyone around her. Except this burning desire to help Katherine, to keep her safe, kept his feet moving anyway.
People didn’t accidently get mixed up with a man like Kane. What was the connection?
Caleb chewed on that thought as he led Katherine a few blocks, near the meeting site.
“Let me go first. Get a good read.” Caleb ran ahead and entered the grassy area, leaving her at the perimeter. He blended in with the noisy lunch crowd.
Scanning the area, he could see at least five shooters in position.
Kane had come prepared to do anything necessary to erase Katherine.
If she took a couple more steps, she’d be right where they wanted her.
An imposing figure made a move toward her.
Caleb crouched low. When she stepped into his sight, he sprang forward and clutched her hand. She was shaking.
He pulled her into the crowd.
Glancing around, the shooters didn’t seem to notice the small commotion. He turned to a teen and tapped his shoulder. “Hey, kid.”
The teen glanced up, looking annoyed at the interruption. When he saw Caleb, the teen straightened his back and pulled out his earbuds.
“Sorry to bother you while you’re listening to your music, buddy. I was wondering if you’d like to make a quick twenty bucks.”
The kid eyed Caleb suspiciously.
“I need to deliver this stuff to the bronze statue.” Caleb took the medicines from Katherine’s tight grip. She stroked Max.
The boy’s face twisted, giving the universal teenage sign for, Have you lost your mind? “Mister, that’s only, like, twenty feet away.”
Caleb smiled and winked. “It’s a dollar a step basically. You want the job or not?”
“Sure. I’d kiss your mother for twenty bucks.”
“Deliver the medicine. And leave my mother out of it.”
The teen palmed the pill bottle and inhaler. “That’s it?”
Caleb nodded.
“Deal.”
&
nbsp; “Be inconspicuous and I’ll make it forty.”
A wide smile broke across the teen’s face. “Then I’ll be stealth.”
He rocked his head back and forth as he walked to the sculpture. His gaze intent on the music device in his hand, he plopped down next to the statue.
Caleb never saw the kid slip the medicine under the bronze, but as soon as he popped to his feet and strolled away the package stood out. Amazing.
“Nice job, kid.” Caleb handed him a pair of twenties. He had no idea what Kane and his men would do when they realized there was no file.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” he said as he turned and then sauntered off.
With his hand on Katherine’s shoulder, he guided her toward a tour group. “Let’s get out of here before anyone gets hurt.”
“I—I can’t. Not without knowing if they got his med—”
“See that baby over there?” He pointed to a mother nursing an infant. “They both could die if we don’t leave now.”
A mix of emotions played across her features. Worry. Guilt. Her stubborn streak was visible on the surface as her chin lifted. “You’re right.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than a scufflelike noise moved toward them. People ran in different directions, parting faster than the Red Sea, as a serious-looking man walked down the middle. Sunglasses hooded his eyes, but his intention was clear. His face didn’t veer from Katherine.
Caleb grabbed her by the arm and pushed her ahead of him, placing himself in between her and the suit. If he could get her toward the flagship store, maybe they could get lost in the rows of clothing.
As they neared the wide-open door, two similar-looking men in suits flanked the entrance.
They were trapped. The man from behind was closing in on them fast. Glancing from left to right, Caleb looked for another way out. One side was a brick wall. Nothing there.
A police radio broke the silence from the left-hand side. Not good.
Except.
Wait a minute.
That would work.
Caleb ducked toward the officer and waved his hands wildly. “I’d like to turn myself in.”
“What are you doing?” Katherine’s expression was mortification personified.