Dream Shadow

by Mary Wine

  Turvel had given those orders. However, Traitor Turvel had been removed from command and would hopefully be removed from life very soon. In Jacobs’s opinion, Turvel wasn’t going to get half of what he deserved.

  Yes, he would enjoy watching Turvel get what was coming to him. Grace was nothing but a mass of bruises. It was only the fact that she was still alive that kept Turvel breathing. She was going to drive him to drink while she healed, Jacobs decided. Then again, if he moved her back into Brice’s house, the good sheriff could try his hand at riding herd over her.

  Jacobs was now completely in charge of his unit. General Slynn had noted that it might be wiser to be in direct contact with the man that was on the front line. That attitude was extending itself to Grace as well. Slynn wanted a meeting with her as soon as she was fit. He himself had only met the general a handful of times. The outcome of that interview would have life-changing results for both of them.

  That interview would have to wait. Grace needed to have her mind focused when she went up against Slynn. For now, he’d sleep a lot better with her conveniently out of the way, just in case Turvel had any brothers out there.

  Chapter Twelve

  Grace didn’t remember the next few days. She woke and slept again. Nothing was clear. At some point during that time, she had been moved. She liked it much better here, but didn’t have a clue where she was, just that it was different than the last time she’d been awake.

  The next time she opened her eyes, she had enough strength to survey her surroundings. She was on pain medication. She knew it immediately. She felt like one of her senses was completely cut off. It was as alarming as finding herself suddenly deaf or blind. The dosage of medication had to be high or it would not be such a complete black out.

  Grace lifted her hands. There was no IV. That meant it was being delivered by injection. She looked at her surroundings again. The scent of the room was what triggered reconnection. Brice. She was in Brice’s house again. The guestroom was familiar and oddly comforting. Judging from the light that filtered through the blinds, it was early afternoon.

  Grace pushed herself up. There was pain, but not enough to keep her down. She swung her legs off the bed to stand. She wasn’t exactly sure where she was going as her brain was still not completely functioning. Getting on her feet was nothing more than a basic survival skill. The sudden change of position caused her head to swim dizzily. She slapped her hands down onto the top of the dresser to stay on her feet.

  The slapping sound brought immediate response.

  Jacobs stopped and gave her a slow smile. “That’s my girl, on your feet. Even if you’re about to fall right back down.” Grace watched the smile on Jacobs’s face. She slowly gave him one back. Her memory was returning. She had made it. The question she had wanted to ask was coming clear.

  “Beth?”

  Jacobs’s smile became broader as he stepped into the room. He gently gripped her biceps and set her back onto the bed.

  “She’s fine.”

  Jacobs sat on the edge of the bed for a moment and she watched his hazel eyes assess her. Pulling her arms free of the blanket that he had tucked around her, she lifted her hands to gently rub them along his jaw line for a second. It felt good to be secure again.

  “Sleep, Gracie, we’ve got some decisions to make when you’re ready.”

  “We?”

  He nodded. “I delivered your message to the general.”

  Satisfaction filled her but it lacked something and she realized that something was Brice.

  That statement kept her mind occupied for the next couple of weeks. Jacobs refused to discuss it until he deemed her ready. Brice was cordial almost to a fault. Grace flatly refused to stay in bed during the day.

  After two weeks, Grace decided that enough was enough. She refused the pain medication. Her body ached, but she needed to think, even if everything felt out of focus. That wasn’t what was really bothering Grace. Brice was.

  Maybe her understanding of emotional relationships was weak, but it didn’t take a psychologist to notice the change in Brice’s attitude. He was cutting her a very wide path. A month ago, she would have been delighted to see him halt his pursuit. Now it disturbed her greatly. Maybe he had pulled back because he discovered that he just couldn’t deal with the dangers that her life entailed.

  Grace considered that. No, that was not the problem. If that were the case, then he would have done it after she had been shot. She continued to ponder the question. The last time they had made love it had felt like they had melted into the same person. Having him treat her like a stranger left her feeling very vulnerable. That feeling further unsettled her mind.

  Despair came on the heels of feeling exposed, causing her to pace the confines of the porch in her distress. Everything seemed to be crumbling inside her. Pain was slicing along her emotions and she had no idea how to stop it. Being torn apart by an outside force was almost more than she could bear. Having Brice reject her was unendurable.

  Abruptly, Grace turned and left the porch, walking back to the oldest source of stability that she knew. The forest welcomed her with its timeless silence. The house itself had so much of its owner in it that she sought escape from it and the despair that was churning inside her.

  Her surging emotions lent her strength, and she pushed up the hill and found herself at the edge of the lake. Staring at the water, she recalled the first time she had seen it. So many things had changed. Was it only three months ago?

  Why didn’t she understand? Her emotions were erupting like a volcano and nothing made sense. Except that something was wrong. She wanted something so badly that it was tearing a hole inside of her. What was it? It all centered on Brice, but the definition eluded her.

  Brice stepped into Jacob’s path before the major left his kitchen.

  “I’ve got her, Jacobs.”

  Major Jason Jacobs wasn’t interested in having Brice issue him orders, but Brice didn’t back down or clear the way for him to follow Grace.

  “Take a hike. Call your own girlfriend, but Grace is busy tonight.” He brushed past Jacobs on his way out the back door. “This is something I need to deal with.”

  Brice turned and left his house, intent on following Grace.

  “I think you’re right, Brice.”

  Brice looked over his shoulder. Jacobs was coming down the steps. He made a fist and sent it into his other hand. “You know, Gracie might not be my sister, but that doesn’t mean I won’t give you the ass kicking you deserve for hurting her feelings.”

  “Point taken.”

  He turned around and searched for a fresh track. Grace’s feet were smaller than the men of her unit. It made it possible to follow her. By the time he caught up with her sweat was beaded along his forehead. But satisfaction filled him. It was sweet but savage, because now that she’d proven she was recovered, all he wanted was to take her back to his bed.

  But he stopped and watched her for a moment. Jacobs hadn’t been stretching the truth. Her feelings were hurt and it was his fault. Grace was normally so composed that it doubled the impact to see this much emotion coming from her.

  “Grace.”

  Grace jerked her head around, but she wasn’t hearing things. Brice stood there, looking like he felt he had the right to follow her. She had no idea what she was feeling. All she knew was that Brice was at the center of it all.

  “You’ve been ignoring me for two weeks, don’t change now. I want to be alone.” The words weren’t easy to get out. Her emotions conflicted with them and it frustrated her even more.

  “I was giving you some space, honey. Most kidnap victims need it.”

  “I wasn’t kidnapped. The operation was less than smooth,” she informed him. “But it was completed.”

  He shook his head and closed the distance between them. “It was a mess. One that you had to endure.”

  “That doesn’t matter.”

  “Yes, it does, sweetheart. It matters a great deal that you had to
deal with that crap. No one should be sold like a piece of hardware.”

  Once again, Brice was flipping over her shield to expose her feelings. No one ever cared about how she felt, but she realized she wanted them to from time to time. Circumstances made it impossible. But Brice was the exception.

  And one that was going to be removed shortly.

  “I can’t change what I am.” She wasn’t sure if she was telling herself or him.

  “What do you want to run from, Grace? Me or yourself?” He cupped her cheek, sending a shiver down her back.

  “I…I don’t… You aren’t.” A simple touch shouldn’t feel so intense. Yet it did.

  “I’m not a lot of things, sweetheart.” He closed his arms around her, binding her into the embrace she’d missed so keenly. “The most important thing is I am not backing down.”

  Grace saw it coming. His eyes turned smoky with desire. Brice lowered his head until their lips met. He demanded and she couldn’t seem to find a shred of will to resist. She parted her lips as his possession became complete. The tide washed over her again and Grace simply didn’t care anymore. This was Brice. He was the second part of her and she could not deny it. Her body demanded his. Her own lips became fierce as she kissed him back. She wanted so much and he was the only one who could fill that emptiness. But he stopped, refusing to continue allowing her to hide inside her rising desire. “Not here.”

  He released her and the night air was cold. It wasn’t the welcoming friend she so often spent time with. What she wanted now was Brice. He offered her his hand.

  “Let’s go to bed, Grace. My bed.”

  Her fingers trembled when she placed them in his. Satisfaction flickered in his eyes before he turned and led her toward the house.

  When they cleared the tree line, reality was waiting for her. Jacobs, wearing his flight suit, stood on the porch with two of his men. He looked toward her and she tightened her grip on Brice’s hand. It wasn’t something she thought about. It was response pure and simple. He pulled her close and placed a kiss on her temple.

  Jacobs turned and walked toward the landing pad Brice had cleared. Surprise filled her as Jacobs loaded up, the dash lights illuminating his face while he went through preflight.

  “I told Jacobs to take a hike and find his own girlfriend. You’re busy tonight.”

  Grace simply stared at him. She wasn’t sure she could find a comment for that. She couldn’t remember the last time Jacobs had left her. Actually she could, it was over two years ago, and the last time he had gone on leave. Grace wasn’t given more time to think about it however. He kept a hold of her hand and pulled her behind him. Oddly enough, the contact didn’t bother her. It simply seemed right. So did the sound of the helicopter lifting away.

  Brice led her into the quiet house and secured it before gripping her hand again and leading her to his bedroom. Grace was too busy trying to decide just what had changed Brice’s attitude. She came to her senses as she stood next to the king-size bed that occupied the room.

  She didn’t know what to say.

  Grace stood and observed Brice. He was busy contemplating her. Grace really wished she knew what he had on his mind. It was odd, but being in his room with him seemed very much a form of commitment to her. Yes, she had physically shared her body with him. By sharing his bed it seemed that she was almost defining them as a couple.

  “Grace, you’re thinking too much again.” Brice walked over to tilt her head up.

  “Excessive conversation is a distraction.”

  “Shutting the entire world out isn’t healthy either.”

  A slow grin worked its way across her lips. “I know a few officers who would disagree with you. Besides, men don’t like women to talk.”

  “Grace, Rangers don’t talk about women. They talk about…”

  “The most effective method of getting laid without forming a commitment,” she said without hesitation.

  “I didn’t bring you in here to get laid. I want to make love, and believe me there is a very big difference.”

  Somewhere between them lay a companionship that she still found baffling. Reaching for her hairpins, she pulled them out of her hair.

  “Show me.”

  Another sunset, and it had been a beautiful one. Beth sat on a bench, watching as the first stars began to fill the darkened sky. They were dim compared to what she was used to. Here on base there was just too much artificial light.

  “Ms. Stewart?”

  Beth stood up to follow her escort. She had been out here a long time, but it wasn’t like she had anything better to do. The escort returned her to the secured wing that she was staying in.

  Once back inside the building, her security bracelet was checked back into the main system. Beth had the freedom of the building. That wasn’t exactly saying much. At the moment, she was the only person here. Along with guards at every exit and even a few that simply patrolled the premises. Oh, yes. It had been explained to her that it was for her protection. Every effort was made to make her comfortable, but a cage was still a cage.

  Beth settled down in one of the common areas and tried to read. She just wished someone would call her and tell her what was going on.

  Not someone, Jacobs.

  Beth was really trying to be patient, but she was so worried about Grace. Lord, she hoped that her friend wasn’t still out in the woods with that madman. The other alternative was so upsetting that Beth avoided thinking about it at all. She tried to take hope in the fact that she hadn’t heard from Jacobs, which meant that he was busy with Grace.

  Right?

  She hoped so anyway.

  She wasn’t completely in the dark. Beth understood the seriousness of her position. She smiled slightly. Well, if General Slynn had failed to impress it upon her, her father certainly had. The only phone call that she had been allowed was with her father. Her father had been kind but firm. She had better not disgrace the family name by being difficult. Then he had turned into a father and demanded to know why he hadn’t met this young man. Half the county knew about it before he did.

  Her father wanted to meet Jacobs? Well, she’d like to see the man herself. The last memory she had of him was when he’d slapped her to get her attention. The next time she’d woken up she had been here.

  The only thing of note that she had done had been to pull Turvel out of a line-up. It had given her immense satisfaction to point her finger at the man. The general had kept asking her if she was certain. Beth had finally informed the general that when someone gave the order to have you shot, you tended to remember the face. She did in fact understand what it meant to finger the man. She may not be in the military, but she had been raised on a base and completely understood what the word treason meant.

  General Slynn had finally nodded. Beth had been behind a one-way window for the line-up. She’d picked the man out of three different line-ups. There had been four in all, but Turvel had been excluded from the third one to see if she would finger someone else. Beth hadn’t. She knew who her man was. They could change his clothes, but she knew his face and would, without fail, remember it for the rest of her life.

  Realizing that she had been reading the same page for the last half hour, Beth closed the book. Tonight she was just too restless. Beth walked around the common area for a time. It wasn’t very big. It consisted of a couple of sofas and a television. There was one corridor that led to her sleeping quarters and the opposite direction led to the kitchen. That was it. The only windows were immediately next to the doors. There were four entrances to the building. Beth wasn’t allowed within twenty feet of them.

  Beth turned her wrist up and examined the silver bracelet that was currently strapped to it. It had a red digital screen that stared back at her. The device was used to track her and had an alarm that activated if she got within ten feet of any of the doors. This facility was just one step away from lock-up, both criminals and witnesses alike were held here. Anyone who didn’t quite rate the stark conditions
of a cell was placed here. Beth supposed she should be grateful that this base had a facility like this one. Many Army bases didn’t. She didn’t really want to contemplate just where she would be laying her head in that event.

  “Ms. Stewart?” Beth turned to find a fresh-faced young man looking at her.

  “Yes?”

  “Please come with me.”

  Beth straightened her shoulders. It wasn’t like she had a whole lot else to do. The man was leading her back toward the main entrance of the building. Maybe her dad had called. Beth would welcome a friendly voice tonight. Beth wasn’t led to one of the telephones, instead there were four security personnel waiting at the front desk. Beth noticed that her jacket and duffel bag were already being held by one of the men.

  The silver bracelet was removed from her arm by one of the security personnel. Beth barely had time to note its absence before another of the security personnel fastened a different one onto her wrist. As soon as the soldier finished, her coat was held out for her and she left the building with her escort. It looked like it was moving day. Not that anyone seemed to think she needed to know anything.

  The door of a plain, gray-colored sedan was opened for her. Beth slid into the back seat. She had wanted something to do. It looked like she had gotten her wish. Even looking out the window of the car as it pulled away from the curb was something more interesting than what she had been doing. They seemed to be on their way to the opposite side of the base. Beth took in the equipment and aircraft as they passed.

  The car made a stop and all the windows rolled down. The car was completely inspected and identification checked before it was allowed through a heavily guarded gate. Beth looked around with increased curiosity. This was a high-security area, extremely off-limits to civilians like herself. In fact, it was off-limits to three-quarters of the Army. Beth had been to similar places with her father a few times. There was less to see here because most of it was stored in hangars out of sight from the air.