But Jake couldn’t give in to such sentiments or emotion. His job was to keep her safe, to remain alert and on guard at all times. And there would be no giving in to his desire to hold her.
“I called Alice and reminded her to take the battery out of her phone and ditch it.” He made a few notes, then dropped the clipboard on the table. “I’m trying to write out every detail of all the jobs that have to be done.”
She cleared her throat. “That’s a good idea.”
He thought for a moment. “I’ll have to call the feed store and give approval for Tank and Paul to charge to our account.” He picked up the home phone and dialed. While giving instructions to the owner, Jake walked to his bedroom, returning to the kitchen with a couple of suitcases. He ended the call and offered them to Holly.
“I don’t need those.” Holly opened a cabinet door under the sink. “Since I’m ready, I’ll clean my bedroom and wipe out all traces I was ever here.” She pulled out a plastic tote and some cleaning utensils.
Jake covered her hand with his. “Just removing your personal items is enough.”
She tugged it back. “I need something to do.”
Jake released his grip and stepped back. He understood how keeping your mind busy gave it a chance to calm and heal, so he gave her space and returned to his own bedroom to pack. He gathered enough clothing to fill a small duffel bag, rolling up each item and tucking it in neatly. His bathroom items and a pair of tennis shoes went in a backpack. He carried them to the kitchen and dropped them next to Holly’s bags. Then he walked down the hall and found her sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.
“Hey,” he said, giving her warning that he was coming in. “You can’t dwell on what-ifs. They’ll eat you alive.”
“You would know.” She lifted her head and met his gaze. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Don’t apologize. You’re right, I speak from experience.” She hadn’t offended him, so he sank down next to her. His hand hovered over her knee, but touching her would only make him want more. “What were you thinking?”
“I was visualizing myself at Nate’s gun range.”
He chuckled. “That’s an out-of-the-blue thought, isn’t it?”
“Not at all.”
“When did they add the gun range?”
“Last year. I’ve practiced out there a couple of times.”
“Let’s hope you never have to test your skill on a human being.” The idea of Holly wielding a gun against a killer sent his stomach into freefall. “Are you finished in here?”
She held up a rag and furniture polish. “I wanted to dust before I left.”
“If you have an extra one of those, I’ll help finish up.”
Together they dusted and put clean sheets on both beds. Holly opened the drawers and then closed them. “Just double checking.”
“You’re becoming more withdrawn by the minute.” He could feel her looking at him from time to time. “Do you want to talk about it? You can cut the tension in this room with a knife.”
“I was thinking how much things had changed within the span of a few hours. This morning we were lovers, and now you’re a completely different person. Stiff and distant. These last killings and leaving the ranch has changed you, and not for the good.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Of course he understood completely, but now wasn’t the time for him to tell her. Surely, she knew that going to the Lost and Found compound would change everything.
Daisy wandered into the room.
“You need to go?” He stood and patted his leg. Daisy followed him onto the front porch, where he sat on the steps while she took off trying to catch a grasshopper.
He felt Holly standing behind him just inside the screen door. He wouldn’t invite her to join him. The urge to wrap her in his arms and never let go was too strong. He absolutely had to rein in his foolish emotions.
“When will our ride be here?”
“Probably at the same time as the two men who will stay.”
“What about Alice?”
“Claude may not let her come back. Either way, I’ll call before we leave.” A bitter laugh bubbled up from inside his sour stomach. “Very soon, they’ll be using burner phones, and we’ll do the same. Staying in touch just got harder.”
“As long as Dalton is working with Rey and the FBI, they will find a way to communicate with us.”
“Right.” Clouds of dust rolled up in the distance. Two vehicles were coming in fast. Just to be safe, Jake went inside to the gun cabinet, pulled out a couple of rifles, and then loaded them. Holly was on the porch waiting. He handed her one of the weapons. “It’s old but it shoots true.”
“You think we’ll need these?”
“Probably not, but wait inside until we’re sure that it’s Tank and Paul.”
She didn’t speak a word. She simply turned on her heel and did as he’d instructed.
Jake stepped off the porch and walked a few yards away from the house. He waited patiently as the vehicles drew closer. The cattle guard rattled when their tires rolled across it and onto Donovan property. A pickup and an SUV stopped in front of the house. The SUV driver’s side door opened and Marcus Ricci stepped out.
The screen door slammed and Holly bolted past Jake and across the porch at a run. “Marcus.”
Laughter rolled across the yard as the big man braced himself. Marcus’s and Holly’s faces lit up with smiles. It was good to see her happy.
Jake hung the rifle over his shoulder by the leather strap and walked to meet the two men getting out of the pickup. It was a safe bet that they were friendly. Both stepped out holding their hands where they could be seen.
“You Jake Donovan?”
“That’s right.” The one doing the talking had to be Tank. The name fit him perfectly. The man had to be six foot five. Filling out that height was a thick and wide body. If Jake was right, running into Tank would be like hitting the proverbial brick wall.
“Tank Jorgenson.” He extended his hand. “I hear you got problems.”
“That’s true and I appreciate your help.” Jake immediately liked the man’s strong grasp. It was a weird feeling considering his hands were on the large side. “It’s good that you’re here. You made good time.”
Tank introduced Paul Torbin, who’d been scanning the property, seemingly taking in every inch.
“Nice place. We’ll take good care of it.” Paul was smaller than Tank and closer to Jake’s six-two height, but he was built to handle himself in a fight.
“Please do,” Holly said with her typical smile and welcome. “This ranch is very important to friends who’ve put themselves in jeopardy because of me.”
The three of them went inside the house. Before Jake could follow, a hand clamped down on his shoulder. He turned to look into the eyes of his old friend Marcus Ricci.
Normally soft-spoken and easygoing, Marcus turned deadly when one of his friends or family was threatened. Twenty years ago he’d crawled into a shell and hidden after his wife died in an automobile accident. Not that Jake remembered any of it. Marcus had helped Nate and Kay nurse Jake back to health, filling in a few of the holes in his memory along the way.
“Good to see you.” Marcus pulled Jake in for a hug and pounded him on the back.
“Same here.” Jake stepped back and looked at his old friend. “You’re looking good. I can tell Chris is feeding you well.” He’d met Marcus’s wife a couple of times before leaving for the ranch. “Where’s Diablo?”
“I heard you had a dog. I figured we’d wait until we got home to let them get acquainted.” He glanced around. “Where is she?”
Jake whistled and within seconds, Daisy came running from the barn. “This is Daisy. She needed help one night, and afterward, she just stayed with me.”
“Dogs know who they can trust.” Marcus walked a few steps away, motioning Jake to follow. “I’ve been briefed on your situation.” He pulled a cell phone from his pock
et. “Your aunt is on her way to a safe place. There’s a message here for you, along with a list of items she needs. We’ll make a drop on the way back to Dallas.”
“We should push off soon,” Marcus said.
Jake went to his aunt’s bedroom and packed her things as requested. He could hear Holly in the kitchen, covering his list with Tank and Paul. The warmth in her voice while she discussed the ranch pleased Jake. He carried the suitcases into the kitchen, and she stopped speaking the second she realized he was standing behind her.
“Tank and Paul are waiting for you to do a walkthrough.” Holly backed away.
“I’m ready.” Jake set Alice’s cases down.
“Let me have them,” Marcus said. “I’ll put them in the back of the SUV.”
The worry lines around Holly’s eyes that Jake had noticed earlier seemed to have relaxed. Tank and Paul towered over her and were all but drooling. Jake pushed a zing of jealousy aside. She deserved to be happy. Tank, with his Jethro Gibbs haircut, would probably be a good match for her.
“Jake?” Holly’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She’d turned her attention to him and he saw that the worry on her face had returned. He got it. He represented everything bad in her life.
“We need to go soon.” He saw no need to sugarcoat the situation. She knew. “Tank, I’ll take you and Paul through the feeding process, then we’ll stop by the office. I’ll show you all the important telephone numbers and files.”
Jake walked through the kitchen and out the door. Leaving meant trusting that these two men were as reliable as Nate believed.
****
Ivan stood and stretched his arms overhead. He fixed himself a coffee, ordered breakfast, and then dressed. This waiting for a break was making him crazy. Holly Hoffman would suffer before she died. She’d pay for every second of his trouble. And the longer he waited, the more determined he became to exact a painful justice.
After he’d put a couple of good men on the payroll to watch the Lost and Found compound, he’d left Dallas for two days to do a job. In his line of work, he couldn’t have word getting out that he was turning down jobs. Being away for a few days had not diminished his need for revenge.
Researching the Lost and Found agency had been easy. They’d experienced a large growth spurt after building a facility outside of town, prompting the newspaper to do a story on Wolfe and his team. The article included the backgrounds of the partners. If Holly had gone to them for protection, his job had gotten tougher. Not impossible, just more of a challenge.
Ivan slipped his Rolex on his wrist, glanced at the time, and automatically reached for his cell, which rang right on time.
“Go.” Patience wasn’t his long suit, and he’d received the same bland report for the past few days. So much so that he could almost recite it verbatim.
“There’s been an increase of activity at the compound. People coming in and out.”
“Anyone of interest?”
“Two men we’d never seen before. Both of them stopped at the gate, got out, and shook hands with the guard.”
“They were probably operatives coming off a job. Any women?”
“No.”
“You’re positive?”
“As much as I can be from this distance.”
“Go on.”
“The two men came in separate pickups but later they left together followed by an SUV. They hadn’t returned when I left.”
“Interesting.” Ivan wondered where the little caravan was headed.
“Today was a lot busier than yesterday.” The line was quiet for a long moment. “Look, I can’t be here twenty-four seven.”
Ivan couldn’t argue that point. “I’ll have somebody at your motel tomorrow morning at seven. Take him with you for a day or two. Then you follow Kay Wolfe every time she leaves the compound. I want to know where she goes and who she sees.”
“I’ll cover her.”
“Good.”
Ivan ended the call and immediately placed another. Hiring a third man to help watch the compound wasn’t a problem, but he had other ideas. So he asked for two.
He reread one of the last entries Suzanne had written in her journal. The man who’d previously kidnapped Holly had just happened to be in Connersville at the same time. Ivan was intrigued that somebody else could be stalking Holly. There hadn’t been a lot to read, except how surprised Holly was to have run into Jake Donovan.
Ivan logged on to his computer and started a new search.
Donovan had been a helicopter pilot who’d been shot down in Afghanistan. Everyone on board had died except him. After his return to the states, he’d had gotten involved in some nasty shit while working for a group who kidnapped and sold young women.
A newspaper article indicated a tumor had caused the change in Donovan’s personality. How interesting that after the tumor had been removed, he’d managed to dodge jail time altogether. How the fuck had he pulled that off?
Locating Holly was becoming more difficult. Had the crazy-ass pilot taken her again or was she hiding out somewhere? It was time to locate this Donovan and rule out one option. While it was a long shot, nothing would be left to chance.
If the son of a bitch had taken her again, Ivan would kill him for it.
Ivan finished dressing and drove his rental to a local branch of his bank. His men worked on a cash-only basis, which Ivan happily obliged.
Donovan’s whereabouts nagged at Ivan. The Internet had provided no information on what had happened to him after the case was settled, so he’d called someone who could dig up that information. His patience had stretched its limit when his cell rang. He made notes as some of the blank spaces on Donovan’s disappearance were filled in. The call ended and Ivan already had a plan.
CHAPTER 20
Holly walked through the barn one last time. As she headed down the aisle toward Duchess and her colt, the lump in her throat grew with each step. She opened the stall gate and slipped inside. The mare lifted her head as if looking over Holly’s shoulders. Then she stepped closer and lowered her head. Holly rubbed between the horse’s eyes, closing her own as a longing she couldn’t explain swamped her.
She’d been on the ranch just a short time, yet she felt as if her roots were being ripped from the ground she stood on. Life here was so normal, so routine and peaceful. She’d let her guard down just enough to see a side of life where she could have been happy.
“You were looking for Alice, weren’t you? She had to leave because of me.” Duchess shifted her weight and leaned closer. “I promise, she’ll be back.”
A warm nose drew her attention. The foal had decided to get his share of petting. Holly turned and wrapped an arm around the colt’s neck, scratching the underside of his jaw for what was probably the last time. She completely understood why Jake had found happiness here on the ranch. Leaving the sanctity of this place scared her more than she wanted to admit.
Tears flowed like tiny rivers down her cheeks. Her heart ached at the thought that the colt would leave here someday just like she would in a few minutes. Neither would ever return.
She leaned down and rested her head on the colt’s warm back. “Alice will find a really good family for you.”
“Holly?” Jake’s voice roared through the barn aisles.
Holly flinched at his tone. Duchess reacted and began to paw the floor with her hoof. A spooked horse was dangerous, so she smoothed her hand down Duchess’s strong neck. “Easy,” she whispered. “It’s okay.”
“Holly?” Jake yelled again.
She did her best to wipe off any signs of crying, exited the stall, and then answered. “Stop shouting. I’m right here.”
She’d barely had time to call out when Jake appeared at the other end of the aisle. In ground-covering long strides, he closed the space between them.
“Damn it. What the hell are you thinking?” His jaw looked to be set so tightly it might crack any minute. “You can’t just vanish without letting me know.”
Jake blew out a long breath. “You scared the crap out of four men. Not one of us knew where you’d gone.” He turned and started out of the barn. “We need to leave.”
She’d frightened him. He did care for her. Her heart leaped with joy and crushed her with guilt at the same time. Damn tears brimmed again. “Wait. I’m sorry. I just needed time to say good-bye.” He kept walking. “Jake. Don’t shut me out.”
Jake stopped, standing with his back to her. “It won’t work. You and me. It was never in the cards.”
“Why? What cards?”
He returned and stopped a few feet away from her. “You know that old saying ‘that’s water under the bridge’? Our bridge washed out a long time ago. You belong in the city, nursing the sick back to health. My home is here, caring for livestock. They don’t give a damn about my past.”
“I don’t—”
“Stop.” He cut her off. “It’s time we faced facts.”
“Jake.” But the tone in Dalton’s voice ended any hope she had of convincing Jake he was wrong.
“Down the first aisle.” Jake stepped to the side for Holly to pass.
Marcus rounded the corner, stopping at the first stall. “You found her.”
“Yeah. We’re ready.”
Stunned, Holly gathered the shattered pieces of her heart and pride, straightened her shoulders, and pushed past Jake. “Yes, we are.”
Holly hurried to the house, grabbed her grocery bags of clothes, and then started walking to the SUV.
Tank intercepted her, reaching for the sacks. One long tattoo of barbed-wire snaked around his right arm, vanishing under his shirt sleeve. He moved too quickly for her get a good look. “I’ll carry those.”
“Thank you, but I’ve got them.“
“My mama would tan my hide with a switch if she knew I didn’t help.” His face softened. Dark hair, cut military short, matched the deep brown of his eyes. He smiled, showing off deep dimples on both cheeks. She’d been too caught up in the drama of the situation to notice that Tank was not only built like a linebacker, he was utterly gorgeous.
No Greater Hell (Lost and Found, Inc. Book 4) Page 17