“Yeah, but how is it between you and Bryce?” Emma asked.
Paige saw through her friend’s ploy to change the subject, but didn’t say anything. She understood what it was like to have an unrequited love. It sucked, and you really didn’t want to elaborate on it.
“He seems different. We seem to be dancing around a lot of issues. He wants to know more about the past, but I know there is nothing but pain in dredging it up, and trying to analyze it. We were all kids, trying to do the best we could. We made mistakes, and that has to be the end of it. Sometimes I want so badly to tell him the truth, but to what profit…to make myself look good at the expense of his peace of mind?
“I know, Paige. I’m with you. I don’t have any clearer answers than I did before,” she said with a self-depreciating smile.
“I, for one, am ready to get out of here,” Paige proclaimed into the silence.
“When are they letting you go?”
“Later this afternoon, I hope. Do you think you could give me a ride to my house? That way my brothers don’t have to make another trip back out here. I’ll let Bryce know he can stay with us as soon as they release him. Yes, I know. I’m a glutton for punishment, but they blew up the house he was living in.”
“How will your house be any safer? They could blow it up as well.”
“True, but they weren’t thinking about my brothers being home. They went back to the house this morning. I’m thinking it’s tighter than the Whitehouse on lock down by now, and probably booby-trapped to boot.”
“Oh, I forgot how much training they must have received in the military. I bet they’re really good at protecting their turf. It’s not been the same around here. There are people doing bad things for money and drugs, and it has something to do with Willy Schmidt and some crime boss he’s working for. I don’t know all the details, but he’s been running around with a lot of money and he’s getting bolder about harassing people. None of the police seem to take the threats seriously.”
“I think Bryce will. He seems mighty put out by all the violence, and you know my brothers are going to be staying here for a while,” she said, watching to see what reaction Emma would have. And she wasn’t disappointed. She looked both hopeful and resigned at the same time. Paige knew exactly how she felt. This time, however, Paige was going to help her brother and her friend find a happy ending. “Can you pick me up at three today, Emma?”
“Sure, Paige. Do you need anything until then?”
“Nope, I’m good.”
“I’ll be back,” Emma said as she left the room and headed down the hall.
By three o’clock, Paige was climbing the walls. She had things to do and dogs to take care of. By the time Emma showed up, she was more than ready to leave.
“The nurse left the wheelchair here. I’m not allowed to walk out. Do you believe it? Can you wheel me down to Bryce’s room, so I can tell him he can stay at my place once they release him?”
“Sure, it’s on the way to the elevator.”
Emma parked the wheelchair beside Bryce’s door and Paige knocked.
“Come in,” was the gruff reply.
“Hi, Bryce,” Emma said.
“Hello, Emma,” he said in a more mellow tone.
“Hi, Bryce. Seeing as how your house blew up, I was wondering if you’d like to stay at my house, with my brothers and me, once they release you?” Paige said in a nervous rush.
Bryce sat propped up in the bed, staring at her, and noticed the high color as if she was nervous or embarrassed. Interesting. She was jittery about him being in the same house as her. Hmm. It would suit him just fine. He could keep up the investigation, help protect Paige, and pursue the other things that he’d been thinking about lately that had him finding it hard to sleep at night. Yep, staying with her was the perfect solution.
“Thanks, Paige. I think that would be good,” he said with a slow smile.
“Okay, well, once you know when you’ll be leaving, call the house and one of us will be out to pick you up.”
“Will do.”
Emma said goodbye and gave him a peck on the cheek, then turned Paige’s wheelchair around and left. Bryce sat there with a very satisfied grin on his face. He was looking forward to sparring with Paige on her home turf. If he wasn’t mistaken, she was trying to ignore their attraction. But the nights they’d spent together were still between them. He wanted another chance to make love to her, whether he was her ‘type’ or not.
Emma pulled her truck up to the house and got out to assist Paige. Before she could get to her, the door to the house swung open and Emma looked up and started. She knew he was going to be here. She thought she’d prepared herself, but really, short of having a lobotomy, nothing would prepare her for the impact of Dane Conner on her system. She stood there drinking in the sight of the man. He was walking toward Paige, shirtless, and just a pair of jeans hanging low on his hips. Her heart galloped off. She was once again devastated to realize that the only man for her was so out of her league, she was like a bug. It hurt so deep, she cringed at her own weakness. Get a backbone, Emma, she scolded herself. She straightened her shoulders and walked over to him and Paige. She wasn’t a child anymore. Just because she couldn’t have the man she wanted, didn’t mean she wasn’t without her own self-worth. She plastered a smile on her face and approached with what she hoped was a serene expression. Dane looked up when he saw her come around the back of the truck and stared at her.
“Hi, Dane, I’m glad you and Colt are back,” she said, without any tremor in her voice.
“Emma?” He said her name as a question.
“Yeah, I gave Paige a ride home. I checked up on her when I heard what happened and she asked if I could give her a lift.”
“Thanks.” He still looked at her with an intensity that was making her nervous.
“Emma, why don’t you come in so I can show you what I’ve done with the place,” Paige said.
“Can I take a rain check, Paige? I need to get back to the store.”
“Sure, Emma, you’re welcome anytime.” Paige’s smile was soft and understanding. Emma needed to get going while she was still holding herself together.
She passed Dane as she walked back around the truck. Paige walked up the steps to the house and went in. Dane was still watching Emma as she got into the truck. The start of the motor seemed to remind him of something and he walked over to the window before she could put it in gear.
“Emma, how are you?” he asked.
“I’m good. How are you?” she inquired. Though her insides were in knots, she was working hard to act as if this was nothing special. It was the first conversation they’d had since the night he’d left to go into the military.
“I see you haven’t married. Why is that?” he asked in a casual tone.
“Who says I haven’t?” she responded with a snap.
“I would’ve heard if you had.” He looked at her with heat in his eyes.
It was years too late to rekindle a fire that had burned out a long time ago. If he wanted to start something up again, then it would be on her terms. She wasn’t going to be the one left with broken dreams and promises this time around. Maybe she’d just needed to see him to finally realize she was worthy of being loved by someone who would appreciate her.
“It was nice seeing you again. I’m glad you’re here for Paige.”
“Emma, I’m here for more than just Paige,” he said with a dark look.
“I’ve got to go.” She didn’t really know what to make of his remark, but for sure she wasn’t going to read anything into it. No more believing in rainbows for her. She’d gotten burned badly the last time. This time it would be irreparable. She reversed the truck and headed down the drive without looking back.
The inside of the house was coming along nicely. Even with all the activity, she could see that her brothers were working with Bill and his crew to finish the repairs. The dogs had been moved back from Shelby’s place and Jamie was on hand taking care
of them, for which Paige would be ever thankful. She noticed some of the new security features her brothers had installed. Motion lights, sensors, alarms, and shiny new locks on all the doors and windows.
She went into the kitchen and started to open cupboards to see if she had anything to feed her brothers for supper. There was nothing but stale crackers, sour milk, and a can of tomatoes. Shopping was on her to-do list.
“Paige, where did you want us to put the furniture from the barn?” Bill asked from the screen door.
“Put it in the dining room, Bill. When is the A/C getting installed?”
“As soon as the guys run the ductwork. This house is all baseboard heat, so they have to install ductwork to get the air handler to move it.”
“Okay, but can you make it a priority?” she asked.
“Yep, we’re on it.”
She yelled at her brother as he passed by the kitchen on his way to wherever. “Dane, Bryce is going to be released tomorrow or the next day. Can you set up a hide-away bed in the study for him?”
“Sure, Paige. I’ll take care of it after I finish in the attic.”
What was he doing in the attic? Better not ask. She wanted her brothers to feel like this was their home as well. She’d give them free range to do whatever they wanted to make it fit their needs.
She made a list of things she needed from the grocery store and went in search of Colt. She found him in the kennel stringing wires for a camera. At least she thought it was a camera. Only it was so small.
“Colt, could you run into town and pick up some groceries for me, and whatever else you think you and Dane might want?”
“Sure, sis, as soon as I’m done here.”
“Thanks.”
She walked back to the kitchen and looked in the study. Dane had pulled out the hide-a-bed, but she needed to put linens and towels for the bathroom in there. She also moved the reading lamp closer to the head of the bed for Bryce to be able to read by.
“Sis, we really like our rooms, Colt and I. So I’m thinking maybe not inviting Bryce to stay. He tends to rearrange houses lately. Something like early war zone. Decorating with explosives just doesn’t have the homey feel like what you’ve got here,” Dane said.
“Yeah, I noticed,” she said in humorous agreement. She took one more look around the room to see if there was anything else Bryce would need to make him comfortable.
Quit it, she snapped at herself. He is only staying until he recovers enough to find his own accommodations. Some local woman may have already made him a better offer. That thought hurt more than she liked. She left the room. The heat and activity of the day seemed to zap her, so she went up to take a cooling shower and lie down.
“So how has the operation been going? How come I haven’t had any reports of the woman’s capture? How hard is it to get one woman?”
“She’s proving to have a lot of friends, boss.”
“I don’t care. I need her to make Colt Conner suffer. If you want the drug trade, you need to deliver the woman. You’ve got twenty-four hours to bring her to the location or the deal is off and your rivals will have a clean playing field.”
The voice on the phone was barely a whisper, yet it conveyed a level of threat that caused the listener to shiver. This man was very deadly, in a painful way, and Willy wasn’t going to be stupid enough to piss him off.
“She’ll be there, boss.”
“Make sure she is. No more mistakes.”
Willy wondered how he was going to get Paige away from Bryce, and now her brothers. This deal was getting way too complicated. He should have stuck with the dog fighting. The drug money was good, but the Conner brothers and Agent Bryce would be a real problem. He walked back to his car and drove out to the old grain elevator. The fight tonight could prove to be more profitable than the last drug run. Too many people wanted in on the drug trade. But how to get the boss off his back and still get the money, without getting dead from a couple of pissed off brothers, and an Agent who’s looking to make their sister his main squeeze? The whole thing stunk. So who could he trust to pull it off without anything coming back on him?
He could use what the boss had taught him to his advantage. Don’t get close enough for anyone to trace it back to you. Then, when he was sitting tight with cash and babes, he’d get a new grill for the messed up teeth he’d gotten from drugs before he’d gotten smart. He did his whiskey now, but no more product. That was his cash cow, and it sucked the brains out, so he only supplied. Still, he’d almost gotten rid of all his competition.
He’d moved in with his money from the dogs and what the boss had given him, and set up a sweet deal. He was about ready to cut the middlemen and deal directly with the Blades’ contact in Chicago. It would set him up. He’d start a couple of clean operations so he’d be untouchable. Then maybe he’d take down the boss. The man was creepy in a big way and Willy didn’t want to have to be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. But first, he had to get Paige away from all the firepower hanging around her.
The Blades messed up when they tried to blow up Bryce and her. They pissed the boss off big time. He had plans for Paige, and having her blown up was not part of the man’s plan. He’d sent in some major muscle to clean house. All good for Willy: it just pushed him farther up the chain of command, which meant he still needed a plan and a crew to grab Paige. Someone from out of town that wouldn’t be able to ID him. He’d make some calls to his buddies up at the State Pen. Yeah, that should get the ball rolling. With a plan of action, Willy smiled to himself and made the calls. He had his man for the job, and a team to roll with it. Having finished his business, he started to really look forward to the fight tonight.
Chapter Eight
Victor Van DeMere was sitting in his Chicago office wanting to punch something. Willy was proving to be very unreliable and incompetent. He didn’t like that. They’d had Paige once, and she’d gotten away. Then the fools tried to blow her up, and that wasn’t part of his plan at all.
He wanted to see his enemy’s face when he stuck the knife in that bastard’s sister. He wanted the man to know who it was, and why. He wanted to bring Colt Conner to his knees; wanted him to suffer the agonies of hell, as he watched the life bleed out of his only sister.
His own sister, Rochelle, had been one of the best, and Colt had killed her and walked away. He’d infiltrated their group to collect information, and when he found out that Rochelle was involved, he’d turned on her. Not this time. This time it would be Colt watching as the spark of life left his sister’s eyes. He’d watch Colt suffer, knowing that he was the cause. And then, when his pain was at its most, he’d put a bullet in Colt’s head.
Maybe he’d let that country boy, Willy, feed them both to his dogs—a fitting end for the dog trainer and her murderous brother.
Pulling his mind back from his musings, he looked down at the latest information on one of the operations his company was negotiating in Pakistan. It was tricky, very tricky, dealing with terrorists. He had to be at the top of his game, something else Colt had taken from him. Revenge was all he thought about lately. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be the one six feet under.
“Colt, will you pick up Bryce from the hospital? He doesn’t have anywhere else to stay since his house blew up,” Paige said, then abruptly stopped. She was rambling.
“Paige, you ain’t getting sweet on the Big Hoss now are you? ‘Cause then we’d have to give him a good ribbing, and we can’t do that with him all stitched.”
“Just go pick him up and leave the poor man alone.”
She didn’t want to answer any questions regarding Bryce staying at her house. It was just something she had to do. She needed to keep him safe until he was on his feet again. She would have a house with three wounded warriors to protect, while they were all trying to protect her. Life was going to get very interesting. She wondered how many fights she’d have to break up while Bryce was under her roof. But where else could he stay? If he stayed at the Rose, some
one would have to go check on him.
She needed to figure out what she was going to do about the nights they spent together. Enough of leaving it up to him. She needed to be the one to say, ‘I’m not interested in a physical relationship with out some kind of commitment.’ She’d been kidnapped and blown up. They both could have died. Life was too short to be waiting for a man to figure out you’re the right one for him. With all that had happened, she wasn’t sure he was the right man for her.
She’d carried the fantasy, and then the crush from her childhood, into adulthood. Their nights together were spectacular, but did she want to base a relationship on sex and a history of romantic dreams? She wanted a home and a family, not a guy who wanted to drop in for great sex with no strings attached. Not to mention how his profession seemed to bring out the creepiest low-lifes.
Now that she had her dogs back home, she’d get the training operation up and running smoothly again. The one thing that did make sense was her dogs. Them she could understand and relate to.
“Dane, Big Hoss is going to be staying with us. Ain’t that great?” Colt said, as he came up to his brother standing at the side of barn.
“We’ll have us a regular slumber party,” Dane said with sarcasm.
“I say we get together with him, the Sheriff, and the deputy, and have a little powwow.”
“Good plan. The home office is real interested in what we turn up.”
“I bet they are. I’m going to be picking him up later today. I guess he gave them such a hard time, they decided to get him out of their hair.” Colt chuckled at the image his mind conjured up.
“Yeah, I can see him being that guy.” They both laughed at the picture of Bryce, laid up in bed, while all the action was going on in his turf.
“Paige wants you to run into town for groceries,” Colt said.
“Why can’t you leave early and pick them up before you get Bryce?” Dane asked.
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