“Mac.”
“What?”
“Are you scared?”
“Shitless, sweetheart.”
“Good. Me, too. It’s nice to share these moments with you.”
This time his deep laugh was genuine. The sound was like magic, shoring up Lexie’s raw nerves.
Mac pressed the button on the door and lowered the windows. “Ready?”
“Yes. Just yell when I should start shooting.”
The car lurched forward slowly, picking up speed. The only sound she could hear was the tires against the gravel. Mac didn’t slow at the curve but sped up, the rear wheels losing traction.
“Shit! Roadblock. Lexie, get ready.”
She lifted her head over the front seat and her stomach dropped to her toes. A dark-colored SUV angled across the road. Setting the rifle butt against her shoulder, she aimed the barrel between the corner of the front seatback and the passenger window.
“Do it.”
She swallowed a lump of fear just as one of Ryan’s men fired a warning shot at them.
“Now, Lexie.”
The strange calmness in Mac’s voice sent a charge through her. Everything around her dissipated and only the dark SUV held her focus. She pressed down on the trigger. The butt kicked into her shoulder. Keeping as much of herself covered as possible, she fired one shot after another as Mac blasted out the front windshield with his Glock. The roar inside the closed space was deafening even with the earplugs, and her mouth filled with dust.
“Brace for impact.”
Everything morphed into slow motion. Mac turned into the SUV, grazing the front driver’s door and tire. The vehicle spun, whipping the nose of the SUV toward the right shoulder of the road, making two men jump away from the moving vehicle. Lexie shifted, resting her back fully against the rear of the front seat, and fired through the back-side window. The men reappeared in the middle of the dirt road just as Mac spun onto the paved highway. The rear windshield shattered, and a bullet sliced by her inches from her left ear. Instead of ducking below the seatback, she positioned herself over it.
“No, Lexie. Get down.”
She repositioned the rifle as if by instinct, balancing the barrel over the rear deck, and fired at the front hood, grill, tires, and anything she hoped wasn’t a cactus or tree. Her shoulder and arm grew numb from the pressure of the butt, but she kept firing until there was nothing left in the magazine. She removed the clip and reloaded it.
Mac sped past Ryan’s men. They raced onto the farm road with their weapons raised. Again, Lexie pulled the trigger over and over again, aiming at the tall shadows until they dove into the ditch for cover.
Seconds passed, then minutes as Mac placed distance between them and Ryan’s men. Shoving down the terror, she forced out, “Is that the only outlet from the ranch?”
“Yes.”
She kept her eyes peeled on the front sight of the barrel until the SUV was no longer visible. “Why aren’t they following us?”
“You killed the truck. Set the rifle on the seat.”
She carefully placed the rifle next to her. Her pulse roared between her ears as she eased onto the seat. It took a moment for her to realize that Mac’s hand rested on her knee. She raised her head and met his intense gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Did I kill the men?” she whispered.
“Just the truck. I only saw two men when I went by, and they were standing.”
An edgy silence consumed her. She removed the plugs and pressed her hand to her ears. After another quick glance out the rear window, she shut her eyes tightly and sagged against the backseat. The adrenaline that had coursed through her veins a few moments before, making her feel indestructible, evaporated. Now a shiver sliced through her spine and her body trembled. She wrapped her arms around her middle and concentrated on breathing in and out. “Is it over?”
“Yes. Are you okay?”
She nodded. “And you?”
“I’m good.” His tone lowered to a deep baritone. “Don’t ever scare me like that again, Lexie.”
“Right back at you.”
She couldn’t open her eyes, not yet. Mac’s voice was too calm, and in that tone, it did something to her. He was hanging onto his anger by a thread, and if he released that anger on her, she would break.
“Lexie?”
“What?”
“You don’t look like you’re okay.”
“Sorry, I have the shakes.”
“I can’t stop.”
“I know. Drive.”
She hated the breathless, weak whisper. She shot another quick glance out the back window. Only blackness met her. She moved into the corner behind the passenger seat and tightened her arms around her waist. Warm, dry air blew in through the open windows and washed over her neck and face. It did nothing to eliminate the overwhelming fear that chilled her body.
“I don’t even know where we are.”
Mac peered at her in the rearview mirror. “North of Big Bend National Park.”
She swallowed hard. “That’s in the middle of nowhere. He can come after us.”
“We’ll be fine, Lexie. I’m staying off the straight path.” He reached over and brushed the glass off her seat. “Look at me.”
“He said he’s a trained Marine sniper, and he had his sight on you. He said he would drop you where you stood.” She raised her head. “That’s why I got into the van. I don’t expect you to believe me, but don’t yell at me right now.”
“I won’t. Crawl up front.”
“Why?”
“I need you closer.”
She couldn’t help pressing her spine further into the seat. Her action brought a deep hurt into Mac’s eyes.
“I may yell, scream, but I will never hurt you.”
She bit down on her bottom lip and swallowed a sob. No stupid tears. Mac wasn’t like any other man she ever met. It wasn’t fair to unload her shit baggage on him.
After what seemed like an eon, she crawled over the front console and slipped into the passenger seat. Mac interlaced his fingers with hers. “That was some fine shooting, Trevena.”
She let out a chuckle. “And that was some fine driving, Special Agent-in-Charge Lucas McNeil.”
“Where did you learn to shoot like that?”
“Video games. Marcus and Cole are huge gamers.”
“Maybe I didn’t want to know that.”
The phone in his lap lit up, and a buzzer followed.
“Thank God. You have cell service.”
Mac spent the next five minutes speaking to Díaz. Deciphering bits and pieces from the conversation, she learned that Díaz was ready to move, just waiting for the word. Maybe Ryan was still on the ranch searching for her.
Leaning against the headrest, she brought Mac’s hand to her lips and kissed the soft skin just below his knuckles.
Ending the call, he turned and eyed her suspiciously. “What was that for?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Coming after me even though you don’t trust me.”
The inside of the sedan grew still. Mac shifted his attention on the road.
Words weren’t needed. Two days ago, his lack of faith in her would have set her off like an active volcano. At this moment, she didn’t care why he came for her, just that he did.
“Did you think I would just leave you with him?”
“I get that you don’t... can’t trust me.”
“I have a job to do.”
“There it is; always the job.”
The pulse in his wrist beat against her fingers. She eased her hand off his and clamped her palms tightly together in her lap. “Díaz has to find him because Ryan won’t stop coming after me, using those I love as leverage.”
“Gabriel is heavily protected. Your friends are tucked away in a safe house. Why is Ryan fixated on you?”
“I’m his pawn to sacrifice anyway he sees fit.”
“Lexie, if you would just come clean wit
h me and tell me what you did, what this bastard is holding over your head, maybe I can help.”
Okay, that one hurt. She turned toward the door and glared into the darkness. “He has nothing on me. He is using me to bait Senator Ramirez.”
“And how are you connected to Ramirez?”
“I’m his bastard.”
Mac beat his free hand on the steering wheel. “How long have you known Ramirez was your father?”
“A couple hours… and he’s not my father. Your dad is a father. I’m Ramirez’s bastard.”
“Stop calling yourself that. I don’t like it.”
“Senator Daniel Ramirez is nothing more than a sperm donor and my mother’s sugar daddy.”
Eighteen
Mac turned into his cul-de-sac while he searched for anything in the quiet neighborhood that didn’t belong. A tension headache had throbbed like a bass drum for the last 200 miles, but thankfully it didn’t dull his senses.
Maybe it wasn’t his best idea to bring Lexie to his home. Díaz wanted her in protective custody at headquarters, but Mac argued that after what they had put her through, she deserved to decompress. His high-tech security system would keep her safe for the next few hours. And if he missed anything, his half-brother Adam had his back with his limitless resources.
He pressed the garage door button, drove into the space, and once the engine was off, shut the door. He shifted his position and brushed a strand of hair from Lexie’s brow.
As soon as they got onto the interstate, she shifted away from him, and after a hundred miles, fell into a restless sleep. His accusation and lack of trust hurt her badly. She had enough emotional scars without him adding a few of his own.
He’d always prided himself on his ability to trust his instincts, and he’d known exactly the type of person Lexie Trevena was the instant they met. After spending the drive raking himself over the coals, he still had no idea how he was going to explain what drove him to find her.
That conversation would wait until after breakfast. His focus was on making her comfortable for the next few hours before he had to return her to the FBI.
He caressed her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. “Lexie?”
She jolted awake. “Where are we?”
“My garage.”
She scanned the space. “Why are we―?” Her hand went to her seat buckle. “Is Gabriel here?”
He should have been prepared for the question. He needed to tell her about Gabriel, but that was going to start a shouting match he didn’t have the energy to fight.
“He is with my parents. Dad and Gabriel are becoming best buds. He misses you, but he’s safe from Ryan.” He turned away, his gaze on the door into his home. “I brought you here so you could rest and clean up ― refuel. I know what your son means to you and I have no desire to keep him from you, but it’s three in the morning and Gabriel is sleeping.”
Her shoulders relaxed against the seat, and she swiped a hand over her face. “Of course. I have lost the ability to be without him, but until Ryan is arrested, Gabriel is safest far from me.”
She opened the door and got out. After one step, she grabbed hold of the door and let out a pain-filled groan.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m just sore. Everything hurts,” she said, lifting the palm of her hands. “Are your hands torn up like this?”
He let out a chuckle. “Yeah, I’ve been groaning for miles. Hot showers are this way,” he said, and headed for the stairs into the kitchen. He unlocked the door and stood to the side so she could enter. Dropping the keys on the cool, rustic green countertop, he said, “Welcome to my home. Besides family, you are my first visitor.”
Lexie slowly moved through the kitchen into the great room, her eyes scanning her surroundings. Mac opened the refrigerator and removed two beers, flipping the caps off. As he took a deep drink, he couldn’t help following her movements. It shocked him how much he wanted her to like the place he called home. Handing her the bottle, he asked, “Are you hungry?”
“No, I’m fine,” she said, accepting the drink. She moved to the large windows that looked out over the backyard. She was even more distant than in the car. So much for feeling comfortable and welcomed.
He took another swallow, then set the beer down. “I promised you that shower. I can find you something to put on and throw your clothes in the wash.”
Lexie ran a hand over her hair and glanced at her clothes, now covered in gray dust. “That would be nice.”
The tension in Mac’s temples spread to his shoulders. When the hell was Lexie ever polite? Where was the temper, the attitude?
Lexie took nothing from him lying down. Maybe a bath and a good night’s sleep would help restore her equilibrium.
He led the way to the bedrooms. The master suite was the only part of the house he had finished. He opened his bedroom door and leaned aside so she could enter. A large king-sized bed took up most of the space, but the rest of the room was sparsely furnished. He opened the double doors of his walk-in closet and dug into the back of one drawer. He pulled out a pair of pink pajama bottoms, then took a navy undershirt from the stack on the shelf and handed the clothing to Lexie.
“The pants may be a little long and the T-shirt will probably go to your knees, but it should be fine until your clothes are clean.”
“Mac, I can’t wear your girlfriend’s pjs.”
“A lot has happened since… I would have never touched you if I had a girlfriend, Lexie. My sister Emma left those behind, and she won’t mind if you use them.” He nodded toward the bathroom. “You should find everything you need in the linen closet. I’ll shower across the hall and crash on the sofa. Just holler if you need anything.”
“Wait, I can’t take your bedroom. I’ll use the room across the hall.”
“This is the only room with a bed. You get the bed. It’s the least I can do.” He turned and headed toward the door.
She reached for his arm. “You came for me. You risked your life to save mine. I’m not angry at you. I’m grateful, just grateful.”
“I hurt you. You know I didn’t come after you because…”
Lexie brushed her lips across his, then rested her forehead on his chest. “With all the evidence you have on me, and after I just walked out of Brackenridge Hospital into that van without a word, I would have believed I was guilty.”
Mac wrapped his arms around her and drew her against him. “But you’re not guilty. I allowed the fabricated evidence to cloud my judgment. I know who you are.”
“No, Mac, you don’t.” She stepped away from him and entered the bathroom. When she lifted her head, there was so much heartbreak in her expression. He reached for her and she cowered back.
“I don’t have a clue who I am. How could you?”
The door shut soundlessly in his face. He spun around, wanting to hit something. He dug into his pocket and removed his cell phone, hitting the automatic dial.
Jason answered on the third ring. “This better be important. I just got to sleep.”
“Sorry. I need to know if the background check came in on Ramirez.”
“Yes, but it’s clean. The guy’s practically a saint.”
“Maybe on paper. We need to dig deeper.”
“Dig where?”
“Ryan told Lexie that Ramirez is her father. He could be full of shit, but if he’s not, then we need to know what Ryan knows.”
“If the senator has kept an illegitimate child hidden for twenty-four years, then what the hell else is he hiding?”
“Now you are where I am. I don’t know what happened to Lexie at the ranch with Ryan, but he really did a number on her, and I’m going to rip him apart piece by fucking piece.”
“This, of course, will happen after you grovel at her feet, begging her to forgive your stupid self.”
“Yeah, that’ll come first.”
Nineteen
Cool, soft sheets tangled in her feet as Lexie rolled from her side to her back. The bed
covers, and the whole room smelled of Mac. Of course, after bathing with his shower gel, the herbal woodsy scent surrounded her, making her ache in places she wanted to forget existed. God, she was a glutton for punishment. When did she fall for that stubborn, hard-headed, incredibly sexy man?
She missed him and wanted to kick herself for moving out of his arms. Why did she do that? After spending those horrific hours on Ryan’s ranch, the only thing that kept her from going stark crazy mad was she knew in her heart that Mac wouldn’t leave it alone, regardless of his motivations.
He had built bridge after bridge, trying to form a relationship between them. She tore them down, but he kept coming back. There was no way he would have left her with that madman.
Yet, just because the man came after her didn't mean she had to jump into another rabbit hole.
Lexie slammed her fist down on the mattress. How could she allow this to happen to her again? Wasn’t falling for one damn arrogant agent enough for a lifetime? Didn’t Rico teach her that the job came first, always? And didn’t she stand at his grave and vow she would never leave her heart wide open so some man could stomp on it?
The only difference between Mac and Rico was that Mac wouldn’t ever cheat on her. But like Rico, he would leave her, and that desertion would be with her to her dying day.
How was she supposed to get rid of the ache he left in her? Would it go away in time or was she supposed to go through life wanting what she had no right to have?
That was what was truly bothering her. Mac was the best man she had ever known. And for some reason, he didn’t back away from her. She pushed, and he took it with that smug smile on his lips.
And, dear God, those lips. She fisted her hand and slugged the pillow again, wishing it were Mac’s face. Damn man, he was in her head, and in her heart. He deserved better.
If her own messed-up life wasn’t enough of a deterrent, she had to think of Gabriel. She made him a vow not to bring a man into her life until he was an adult. Stick to the plan.
Gabriel would fall hard for Mac. What kid wouldn’t? When Mac couldn’t take what a pain in the ass she was and left, how would she heal Gabriel’s heart?
In the Shadow of Pride Book 4 Page 13