Her Ranger Rescuers

by M J Adams

  While the third leg of their triangle had denied feelings for Cora, Isaac wasn’t blind, and he’d known Luke for longer than anyone else on the planet.

  It seemed Max wanted to keep their trio together, and keep Cora in their lives. Isaac wasn’t sure people did that, and he had no idea how to ask Cora about it. How to mention how he felt. How to feel her out to see how she felt.

  She could’ve let him hold her hand because she needed a gentle human touch. She could’ve asked him to stay with her because she didn’t want to be alone. Neither of those meant anything romantic, and Isaac knew it.

  “I’ve got the good stuff in my room,” he said, gently touching her arm as she went toward the steps. “We can grab it and go outside, if you want. The dogs would love to run for a bit.”

  “Sure,” she said, detouring back toward him. The pack moved with him, big dogs and little ones right in step with him. “You’re great with them.”

  “They know where to get the food,” he said with a light chuckle. “Kind of like why you’re following me too.” He grinned at her, wishing he possessed Luke’s emotional depth. But Isaac had spent the better part of his adult life cutting himself off from his emotions. Don’t feel. Just get the job done.

  And he had. He was very good at being an Army Ranger, and very good at being a Parkwood Protector.

  She laughed, and Isaac was glad he’d been able to elicit that from her after punishing her for a couple of hours. “After the break, we can just lift weights,” he said. “You need to build up your muscles. If you’re strong, your size doesn’t matter as much.”

  “I think my size still matters,” she said, pausing next to him as he stood in front of the closed door that led to his, Luke’s, and Max’s suite. They knew he’d bring her here. It was part of their plan to build her trust, make her see them as more than just big, beefy men trying to control her life.

  She tiptoed her fingertips up his chest, sending explosions through him with each touch. “For example, if you wanted to pick me up and put me in a van, I don’t think any amount of muscle on a frame my size would stop you.”

  Isaac wasn’t imagining picking her up and throwing her in a vehicle. More like pressing her against the wall and kissing her until his lips bruised. Until his fingers were completely and thoroughly tangled in that honeyed hair. Until she begged him to do more.

  “Probably not,” he finally said, twisting the doorknob with a little too much force. The dogs ran into the room ahead of him, Daphne heading right for his bed in the corner and jumping up on it. Her tongue hung out of her mouth as she sat, obediently waiting for her treat.

  “This is our room,” he said, trying very hard not to sound like a tour guide.

  “You’re right next to me,” she said.

  “Yes.” He stepped over to a cabinet as she gazed around.

  “Your room is huge,” she said.

  “Three of us share it.” He pulled down the dog biscuits and started passing them out to the pups. Cora wandered over to the windows and pushed the curtains back.

  “I used to stand at the windows in my house,” she said, her voice taking on a haunted quality that tugged at Isaac’s heartstrings. “Dreaming of the day I could get away. Hoping and praying God would send someone for me. A rescuer.”

  She turned toward him, and Isaac realized he’d paused as he listened to her. Their eyes met, and something strong formed between them. A tether connecting him to her.

  “And I guess I got three of them.” She managed a weak smile, but Isaac noticed the way her chin trembled. Luke usually prompted the first breakdown in their charges, but it looked like Isaac was going to shoulder that responsibility this time.

  He gave Squirt the last biscuit and reached for the chocolate-covered mango and a package of wheat crackers. With the food in hand, he joined her at the window, Luke’s bed only a few feet away.

  She took the fruit from him with the question, “Is this good?”

  “Yes,” he said. “It’s a life-changer. And you need the calories.” He watched her take out a small piece of chocolate-covered mango and take a bite. Her lips sang to him, and he couldn’t wait to kiss them.

  Not today, he told himself sternly. He’d caught the tail-end of Max’s kiss with Cora, and while he’d waited for the jealousy to come, the absolute rage he’d felt when he found out his fiancée had cheated on him, it hadn’t appeared.

  Max deserved someone like Cora. Someone to spend his life with. Someone who loved him.

  “This is a life-changer,” she said with a smile. “It’s good.”

  He took a piece of mango too and focused out the window, ready to talk. Well, about some things. “I’ve synced my phone with your husband’s,” he said, and he felt her tense up beside him. “I can see his texts and emails. Everything he does on his phone, I see it.”

  Isaac stared out the window at a flowerbed several yards away. He’d told the team about the vile things Rich had said about his wife, and they’d agreed not to tell Cora. Simply say they had the ability to see it, and what they could use it for.

  Isaac had argued that she was strong enough to know, but Luke hadn’t wanted to inflict more pain on her than necessary. Max had agreed to that, and Isaac could see their logic.

  “When the time is right, I’ll be sending him all the damning messages and notes he’s sent, and tell him that if he ever comes looking for you, I’ll send them to every newspaper, every TV station, every magazine, every Internet news source, and ruin him.”

  Cora sucked in a breath. “What kinds of messages?”

  “Nothing you want to know about, Cora,” he said, slipping his arm around her waist and drawing her closer to him. She came, and the motion was easy and natural. Isaac enjoyed the feel of her beside him, the way she relaxed and sighed, laying her head against his chest.

  “I bet I can imagine,” she whispered.

  “Then let that be enough,” Isaac said, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Now, come on. I promised the dogs we’d go outside, and Max doesn’t like it when I’m alone with you.”

  That got Cora to look at him, interest in her expression. “Oh? Is that why he’s babysitting us in the training room?”

  “He’s looking for houses in Silver Lake,” Isaac said, though Max usually conducted his research elsewhere while Isaac took a charge through training. “And probably retail storefronts for the bakery.”

  “I never agreed to the bakery.”

  “I know.” Isaac smiled at her and stepped over to the chess board that was perpetually set up.

  “Who plays?” she asked. “This is a two-player game, and there are three of you.”

  “Me and Max.”

  “Who wins?”

  Isaac looked at her, the intensity between them almost unbearable. “He usually does,” he admitted. If he could just get his knight over a square though, he might be able to achieve checkmate in only a few more moves. He picked up the piece and put it where he wanted it.

  “Shh,” he said with playfulness galloping through him. “Don’t tell Max.”

  Cora touched her lips as if telling a child to be quiet, and a giggle spilled from her. It turned into a full-blown laugh as Isaac turned away from the board and headed for the door.

  “Come on, everyone,” he said. “Play time.”

  That evening, he stood at the edge of the lawn while the five canines tried to find the exact right spot to take care of their business. Squirt and Tootsie were the fastest, and they came back over to him first.

  Hodges and Daddy usually didn’t waste time, but Daphne liked to wander and sniff. Sniff and wander. After fifteen minutes, Isaac had had enough. “Come on, Daph,” he called as he turned back to the Academy.

  It looked cheery and bright, with the lights glowing along every window. In the winter, the place was downright Christmasy and filled with the homey spirit of joy and goodwill.

  But Isaac didn’t feel cheery and bright about his life here anymore. He wanted to find another life outsi
de this fence, and he promised himself he’d get on the laptop that night when he couldn’t sleep and find his own small town to disappear to.

  Silver Lake? ran through his mind as a question, but he knew he couldn’t select that Texas town. It was against Parkland Academy’s rules, and if he wanted to see Cora, she had to invite him.

  Devilish thoughts ran through his mind, but he didn’t dare stay on any one of them for too long.

  Maybe the team and Cora could disappear into the night, go somewhere remote where they could live in peace the rest of their days. Somewhere Parkwood would never find them. Somewhere safe, where the four of them could be a family.

  Surprise shot through Isaac at his thoughts of family. How did three men and a woman make a family? It almost felt unnatural, but at the same time, it didn’t. He, Max, and Luke had worked together for years to protect their women.

  Why not Cora, for the rest of her life?

  He hadn’t said anything to her today, despite Max’s text. He expected the team leader to be awake when he got back to the room, so it was no surprise to find Luke crashed out and Max sitting at the table when Isaac walked through the door.

  “You moved a piece,” Max said, his mouth barely moving.

  Isaac shrugged. “I think Cora was messing around with it earlier.”

  Max shook his head, a smile forming on his face and making him seem less imposing. “Did you talk to her?”

  “No.” Isaac sighed as he sat down across from Max. The knight had been moved back to its original position. “I couldn’t. I don’t know how to phrase it.”

  “Do you buy Luke’s denial that he likes her?”

  “Not for a second,” Isaac said, meeting Max’s eye. He dropped his gaze to the board and picked up a pawn, moving it forward one square. “When can we put in the paperwork to end our contract?”

  “I printed it this afternoon,” he said, another glance to Luke’s bed. “I’m worried about Luke.”

  “He’ll come around,” Isaac said, a wave of exhaustion flowing over him.

  “It has to be sooner rather than later,” Max said in a low voice, moving his bishop behind one of his pawns. “I’ll have to interview with the Grand Master, and…” He let his voice hang there. “And I’m seriously considering trying a relationship with Cora.”

  Isaac wasn’t surprised, though he probably should’ve been. “I saw you kiss her.”

  “Yeah.” Max didn’t apologize or try to hide it, to Isaac’s surprise.

  “What about the cameras?” He actually glanced behind him as if someone would burst through the door and whisk Max away.

  “I work in the security room sometimes,” Max said. “I know that bench is blocked by the trees several feet in front of it.” He tossed Isaac a small smile. “It’s safe there. The only place I could think of.” His gaze turned sharp, and Isaac studied the board, knowing what Max would ask next.

  “And what about you? You’re going to kiss her?”

  Isaac just shook his head. “It feels…right. But also a little strange, and I think maybe she needs to approach me about it.”

  “You think she will?”

  Isaac moved his knight in the required L-pattern, hoping to hop it back to where he’d moved it illegally earlier today. “No.”

  “Me either,” Max said. “But if you really want to talk to her about it, I’m fine. I mean, it’s fine with me.”

  “You don’t think it’s a little…odd?”

  “I mean, a little.” Max shrugged. “But she doesn’t want to get married again. None of us want to get married. We just want companionship. Commitment. We can do that. There’s no one I love more than you guys.” Max’s eyes burned with an intensity Isaac had only seen on the battlefield.

  “I’ll talk to her,” he said.

  “And Luke,” Max said. “If we do this, she can’t really go to Silver Lake.”

  And that meant a ton of undercover work for Max, extra research, and careful planning to get them all out of Parkwood and off everyone’s radar.

  “And Luke,” Isaac agreed.

  “Tomorrow,” Max pressed.

  “Tomorrow,” Isaac confirmed, wondering how in the world he was going to have those conversations when he couldn’t even articulate how he felt.

  Chapter 11

  Cora

  Something catches my foot, and I go down hard. The scent of earth and leaves fills my nose at the same time the pain radiates up my leg.

  Teeth.

  Something’s biting me.

  I kick, a canine yelp filling the air behind me. The teeth let go.

  I stumble to my feet and steady myself against a nearby tree trunk. I can’t run now, and one kick from my flimsy leg isn’t going to be enough to ward off the dogs.

  Plural.

  Their barking fills the night, and Rich’s voice joins them.

  “No,” I moan against the tree. “No.” I half-hop, half-run, determined and desperate to get away. I’m not going back to Hollywood Hills. To the locks on the doors, the timers on the garage door, the hunger.

  I’m not.

  “Cora,” he calls. “Come on now.”

  My own breathing fills my ears, drowning out his wretched voice. Now, if I could just figure out which way to go to get away.

  “You’ll always come back to me,” he calls as I continue to run. I hate that the words plague me. Hate that they could be right.

  “Hey.”

  Cora’s eyes fluttered open to see weak moonlight spilling through the skylight above.

  “You’re freaking out,” Isaac said, easing his tall frame onto the edge of her bed. “You okay?”

  The dream still looped through Cora’s mind, and the fear she’d felt in the forest tasted very real now that she was awake. She shook her head.

  He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair. “Want me to stay?”

  “I thought Max didn’t like it when you were alone with me.”

  “Max is asleep,” he whispered. “I was just going down to the kitchen when I heard you call out.”

  Embarrassment squirreled through her. “Was it loud?”

  “Loud enough,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Do you have the dogs with you?” She gripped her blanket like it alone would shield her from any canine teeth.

  “No,” he said.

  “I don’t want to go down to the kitchen,” she said, watching him.

  “That’s fine.” He didn’t move either, though she hadn’t asked him to stay. Yet. He seemed to realize it, because he did stand and fall back a few steps. “I can bring something back for you, if you’d like.”

  What she’d like was for him to stay with her. Fold her into those strong arms and hold her close. Chase away any dreams of nasty dogs and even nastier husbands. Could she tell Isaac that?

  Her eyes dropped to his mouth, rebounding quickly when she remembered she’d kissed Max only twelve hours ago. He’d said everyone liked her the way he did, and the same fear from earlier moved through her.

  “I don’t want anything,” she said, feeling Isaac slipping away from her with every step he took toward the door. “Are you starving?”

  “No,” he said.

  “Will you stay?”

  He rocked back on his heel and then stepped toward her again. “Of course.” He pivoted toward the closet, but Cora didn’t want him on the couch. She moved the blanket back and slid further into the bed.

  Isaac caught the movement and stalled. His eyes searched hers, but she didn’t know what he could and couldn’t see in the dim moonlight. “You want me to lay beside you?”

  “Yes, please,” she whispered, feeling hollow and cold from the nightmare.

  He wasted no time climbing into bed beside her, fully clothed except for his shoes, which he left on the floor. “What are the nightmares about?” he asked, his voice half growl and half air.

  “Rich is chasing me,” she said, shivering again. Isaac lifted his arm, and she cuddled right into h
is side. Easily. Naturally. Yes, he was tough, but he had a gentle side that she really liked. “There are dogs everywhere. Or wolves. They grab onto me, pull me down, drag me back.”

  He pressed his lips to her temple, so warm and so safe. “You’re never going back there.”

  “Mm.” She snuggled into him further, the scent of his cologne and skin and clothes almost intoxicating to her.

  “I wanted to talk to you about something.” He kept his voice soft and his thumb moving in a circular pattern on her upper arm. “I know…I know you kissed Max. He’s wondering and I’m wondering, and well, we’re wondering…”

  Cora felt like someone had splashed icy water inside her lungs. He knew she’d kissed Max? He didn’t seem like the kiss-and-tell type, but she supposed the team knew everything she did, be that have an annoying nightmare or kissing one of them.

  “Wondering what?” she asked, though she thought she already knew.

  “We’re wondering if you really want to stay with us.” His hand stilled. “All three of us.” He cleared his throat, but his voice was strong when he said, “I’d like to kiss you, too.”

  Cora lay very still against him, her heartbeat pouncing around inside her chest. Her first instinct was fear. Once again, she hadn’t been able to make Rich happy. And Max, and Isaac, and Luke? They might not be as finnicky as her husband, but there was still three of them. And just one of her.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure,” she said.

  “Feels strange?”

  “In a way,” she admitted. “But it also feels…good.”

  Max shifted, turning toward her more, and she fell right against his chest. His lips traced from her temple down the side of her face. “There can’t be any jealousy,” he murmured. “And we haven’t spoken to Luke yet. Max and I…we wanted to talk to you first.”

  “You think Luke would be okay with…this?” She leaned into his touch, thinking he was kissing her everywhere but where she wanted him to.

  “I’m not sure,” Isaac said. “I know he doesn’t want another wife. Max has never wanted to get married. And I’m…” He left his words there, left Cora to wonder what he was.