by Cynthia Eden
Sullivan’s gaze cut away.
Did you think I didn’t know?
“But you need to watch yourself. Brother or no brother, I will take you down. Jamie is scared. She’s on an emotional tightrope, and I won’t have you doing anything to upset her.”
Sullivan inclined his head. “Understood.”
Davis let him go and watched as Sullivan straightened his shirt. Then, he just had to ask, “What is going on with you, man? I feel as if you’re sliding away from us.” Sullivan seemed so tense, so angry all the time lately.
Sullivan’s lips curled in a twisted smile. “What? Like you two have a monopoly on things getting personal? Everyone else is happy, they’re all moving on...but none of you even know what I lost.”
What? Davis glanced over at Brodie. His twin looked as clueless as he felt.
“Forget it,” Sullivan muttered, and he walked past Davis. “She’s forgotten me, so it’s all good.” He straightened his shoulders. “I’ll dig into Henry Westport’s life. If he’s been within a two hundred mile radius of Austin, you’ll know. Until then...well, keep your woman out of the fire.”
And then Sullivan was gone. He headed for the front door. He closed it softly behind him. Sullivan rarely stayed overnight at the ranch. Because of their parents? Or something else? Someone else?
“What in the hell was that about?” Brodie asked.
Davis shook his head. “I thought you would know.”
“No clue.” Brodie’s green gaze—a gaze all the McGuire brothers shared—turned pensive. “But you can bet I’ll be finding out. And if I can’t get him to talk, I’ll send in the big guns.”
The big guns...that would be Ava. Because none of the brothers could resist her. Davis often thought that, of all the McGuires, Ava was actually the strongest, even if she looked the most delicate. That woman had walked through fire, but she’d come out tougher. More determined than ever to be happy with her life.
And not let the shadows of the past drag her down.
For years, people in the area had whispered about Ava. Some had even thought that she’d been involved in the murder of her parents. Davis had known that talk was bull, and he’d gotten into more fights than he could count when some fool had repeated that poison gossip near him.
Now, finally, they were getting more clues to lead them to the real identity of the killers. Two men who’d attacked their parents so brutally, first shooting and killing Davis’s mother, then turning the weapon on his father.
“I’ll never tell you. No matter what you do. I’ll never tell.”
Ava had told them those had been their father’s words as he’d faced the gunmen.
“What are you holding back?” Brodie asked him.
Davis had returned to the window. He was staring out, at Jamie. “I think she might be a lot like Ava.” Delicate on the outside, but a core of pure steel on the inside. “I don’t want to see her hurt.” He could reveal more with Brodie. Not that he could ever hide much from the guy, anyway. Brodie was too in sync with him.
He and Brodie—their link went deep. They watched over each other, always. Davis had even become a SEAL because he’d wanted to make sure he was out there to watch his brother’s back. He was older than Brodie by five minutes—that meant something, right? It’s my job to keep him alive.
Brodie’s hand clapped over his shoulder. “We’ll keep her safe.”
Davis nodded.
“We got Jennifer through the danger,” Brodie said, speaking of his now wife. A woman who’d burst into their lives with plenty of secrets—and a truckload full of danger following behind her. “We’ll protect Jamie, too.”
Right, they—
Jamie was running toward the house. Instantly, Davis tensed, and then he was rushing for the front door. He yanked it open just as Jamie reached the threshold. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shining with worry.
“What is it?” Davis demanded immediately as he reached out and pulled her close. “What happened?” His body went into battle-ready alertness.
“My answering service called... I have to get out to the Hollows’ ranch right away. Their mare went into labor.” She shook her head. “It’s way too early. Shade isn’t supposed to have that foal for weeks. I have to get out there, now.” She pulled away from him. “I’ll be out there until the danger has passed. I just... I wanted to tell you before I left.”
Jamie turned her back on him and hurried down the stairs. “I’ll stop by my clinic and grab supplies,” she called over her shoulder. “Then I’ll be at the Hollows’ ranch. If you need me—”
Davis ran after her and beat her to her car. “Sweetheart, I’m coming with you.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. He didn’t know if the surprise came from the fact that he’d just slipped up—again—and called her sweetheart or if she was shocked that he would be going with her.
“Until I know more about what’s happening,” he told her quietly, “I’d feel better if I could keep an eye on you.”
She swallowed, a delicate movement of her throat. “You think...he could really be here?”
“I don’t know what’s happening yet.” A fine tension had slid over her. Making her lips quiver. Making her eyes go wider. He hated that he’d scared her, but he wanted Jamie to be on guard, at all times. “I don’t know, but I won’t risk you. Let me come with you, Jamie. I won’t get in the way.” But I will keep you safe.
She nodded.
“And let’s take my truck. It will make better time over those rough roads.” He tossed a quick wave to Brodie—his brother had followed them onto the porch—then Davis opened the truck door for Jamie. Moments later, they were rushing away from the McGuire ranch.
* * *
HE KNEW THAT Jamie had always loved animals. Loved them far too much.
Once, she’d had a big, stray mutt of a dog that she loved. Kind of like that hound she now kept. She’d called the old stray Lucy.
Lucy had gone everywhere with her.
And then one day, Lucy had vanished. She’d cried in his arm when Lucy disappeared. She’d hunted for hours for that dog. She’d put up posters. She’d searched.
But Lucy had never come home.
She couldn’t come home. He’d hit the dog when it rushed in front of his car. Dented the damn fender.
The animals were a weakness for Jamie. Always had been, always would be.
He tapped the disposable cell phone against his steering wheel and stared at the darkened clinic. Come on, Jamie...come out and see me...
Because he’d sure been waiting to see her.
The minutes slid by, and he didn’t move. He kept his gaze on the clinic. Kept waiting. And then...
Then he saw a truck slide into the parking lot. He smiled when Jamie jumped out of the vehicle and raced inside. His hand reached for the door handle on his left. He wasn’t on the motorcycle this time. He’d taken this car—getting it had been so easy. He needed it so that he could take Jamie with him—
Jamie isn’t alone.
The man who’d been at her house before—the tall, dark-haired man, was hurrying after her. Walking too close. Touching the small of her back.
His fingers fisted.
Jamie had a new lover. He could tell by the way the man touched Jamie. Possessive. Protective. The way I should touch her!
He’d told her once, they were meant to be together forever. He wasn’t going to let her go.
But he would get rid of that fool in his way. Jamie doesn’t belong to you. She’s mine. Always...mine. He’d gone too long without being close to Jamie, and in that time, she’d turned to another.
No, no, that just wouldn’t do.
Jamie rushed back out of the clinic, her bag in her hand. The man was still at her side.
They jumped int
o the truck and rushed away.
You don’t get to run. I’ve got you now.
Chapter Four
“But I don’t understand.” Jamie frowned at Stephanie Hollow. “My answering service called. They said your foreman had telephoned, frantic. Shade was in labor and you needed me.”
Stephanie shook her head and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. “No, we’re okay out here. Shade’s doing just fine.” Her warm brown eyes showed her confusion. “I don’t know what’s happening, but that call didn’t come from us. The foreman isn’t even here today. He went back to Colorado to visit his family.”
Davis’s muscles had hardened with tension. The Hollow ranch was isolated, and they’d taken plenty of long, twisting turns to get out to the place. To get out there...for no apparent reason...
Except someone wanted Jamie here. Someone wanted to draw her out.
“Well, if something does happen—” Jamie inclined her head toward Stephanie “—just give me a call. You know I’ll come right out.”
Stephanie nodded, but she still looked worried. “I’m so sorry this happened. I hate you came all the way out here.” Her gaze slid to Davis. “Uh, both of you. I didn’t realize you two were, um, dating.”
“Oh, we’re not—” Jamie began.
Davis wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “We’re not sorry we came out. Better to be safe than sorry, right, Jamie? Good seeing you, Stephanie.” He steered Jamie back to the truck. He opened the door and let her slide into the passenger side.
“What are you doing?” Jamie demanded. “Now Stephanie is going to tell everyone we’re involved!”
He hurried around the truck, jumped inside and quickly had the engine growling to life. “Sweetheart...” The endearment just flowed from him again, and he wasn’t the type to use endearments casually. Never had been. “We’ve got bigger problems than some gossip.” He headed down the graveled drive. “And if people want to think we’re involved, good. That gives me a reason to stay close to you without folks knowing you’ve hired me and my brothers.” Because he knew she wanted to keep her past secret.
“Bigger problems...” Her voice trailed away, and, from the corner of his eye, he saw her fingers clench around her bag. “You think... You think this wasn’t a mix-up?”
“Get your service on the line,” he told her. “Verify the information.” But, no, he didn’t think this was some service mix-up. Davis thought that she’d been lured out there. Lured out into the open.
Were you at the clinic? Did you think she’d arrive alone, but then I showed up, too?
His hands tightened around the wheel. Jamie had her phone out, and she was talking with her service. “Yes, yes, the Hollows’ ranch. Stephanie said no one from the ranch called.”
Silence.
“Are you sure about those details? All right, yes, thank you.”
She sighed softly as she ended the call. “She confirmed the details. Said the caller identified himself as the foreman, and he said that Shade was in labor. I mean...how would someone know that? If it’s Henry, how would he know—”
“You had a computer at your house, right?”
“Yes. A laptop.”
“I’m guessing it contained patient files. He got the laptop, and he got all the information he needed. He knows your routine now. Your patient list. Whatever information you had on that laptop, he has now. And he can use it against you.”
“You...you really think it’s Henry.”
“At this point, I don’t have any reason to think it’s someone else.” He slanted a quick glance her way. “Unless there’s something else in your past that you need to tell me about.”
Her lips parted. “I... No. No.”
There was something there. He could hear it in her voice. “Jamie, if there is something else I need to know about, another threat against you, then you need to tell me, now.”
Her head turned toward him. “There’s— Look out!”
But her scream came too late. Because another vehicle had just shot toward them. The driver had been hiding on the side of the road, right around the twisting curve. The vehicle roared forward and drove into the driver’s side of the truck. The impact was bone-jarring. The crunch of metal and breaking glass filled the air even as the truck started to flip. The side air bag shot out, enveloping Davis in a thick, white cloud. He tried to hold tightly to the wheel even as he automatically kept his foot on the brake, but there was nothing he could do—
The truck flipped again and again, and it flew through the air as it rolled. Over and over.
And Jamie wasn’t screaming any longer. She wasn’t making a single sound.
There was only—
Impact. The truck slammed into the trees on the side of the road. More glass shattered. More air bags flew out.
Then there was just silence.
* * *
HIS HEART WAS racing in his chest, so fast, so hard. He jumped from his car and rushed toward the wrecked truck. It was smashed and on its side. He’d deliberately targeted the driver. The man was the one he’d wanted to take out, and he had to make sure that Jamie was all right.
She’s fine. I didn’t hit her side of the vehicle. Jamie is just fine.
It was just that...he hadn’t anticipated the truck would flip over. He hadn’t thought about that. And there was so much silence now. His booted feet stepped on broken glass. On shards of metal. As he approached the truck, he pulled down his ski mask, just in case. In case anyone drove by, in case the man was still alive, in case...
I don’t see Jamie.
He crept closer to the truck. He could see the male. It looked as if the guy had been knocked out. Blood dripped over his closed eyes. The air bags had deflated. As he stretched his hand through the broken windshield, he shoved those bags out of his way. Jamie, Jamie...
He heard the roar of an engine in the distance. Another car, dammit. Coming this way.
But he’d just seen Jamie’s face. Her eyes were closed, too. He stretched out his gloved hand, reaching out to her. He couldn’t tell if she was breathing. She had to be breathing. His Jamie. She had to be okay. He hadn’t meant for her to get hurt. It was all that jerk’s fault—the man driving. He should have been more careful. He should have stopped the roll of the truck. He should have—
His fingers slid over her neck. The damn glove was in the way. He needed to feel her silken skin beneath his fingertips. He was stretching now, extending his body as far as he could, and he could almost feel her pulse, even through the fabric of the glove. Jamie, alive, his to touch and—
“Get the hell away from her!”
The truck’s driver wasn’t unconscious, not anymore. He was surging up, trying to heave the crushed metal out of his way.
And Jamie was stirring, too, moaning softly as her lashes fluttered.
I’ll see you soon, Jamie. Soon.
* * *
“WHAT...HAPPENED?” Jamie muttered as her eyes opened. “I—” A man with a ski mask had his hand stretched out toward her. Jamie screamed and struck out at him. He leaped back, rushing away, and she twisted and shoved against the prison that surrounded her. Frantic now, she fought and fought and—
“Jamie, Jamie, it’s okay!”
She froze. The mad drumming of her heartbeat filled her ears.
“He’s gone,” Davis said, his voice strong. Flat. “He just drove away, though I doubt he’ll get far. He hit us damn hard, and the front of his ride has to be wrecked.”
She was shaking.
“I lost my phone, and I’m...pinned. But I’ll get out,” Davis said, his words coming faster now. “Just give me—” she heard the grind of metal “—a minute...”
That metal kept grinding. Kept screeching and then—
Davis was gone.
“Davis?” She turned, searching for him. The deflated air bags sagged around her. She pushed, trying to get them out of her way. Her legs were trapped by the dash, and she was frantically trying to slide out. “Davis!” He didn’t answer. Had he gone after the guy in the ski mask? No, Davis, don’t leave me. Not while she was trapped. Helpless.
He’d been reaching for me. If I hadn’t woken up, would he have killed me?
Nausea was rolling in her stomach. Twisting. Shaking.
“Are you hurt?”
She let out a little scream. Then, “Don’t do that!” Jamie snapped at Davis. He’d gone around the wrecked truck. Stopped on her side. Scared the ever-living hell out of her. “Don’t disappear on me!”
He yanked open her door. It nearly fell right off, but Jamie still couldn’t get out. The dash had sunk in around her legs.
“Are you hurt?” Davis said again.
She looked up at him. “You’re bleeding.” A gash over his eye.
“It’s nothing. You, Jamie. You...” He pushed against the dash. “Sweetheart, are you hurt?”
She liked it when he called her sweetheart. His voice deepened, and just the faintest hint of warm emotion slid through the word. When he used that endearment, it sounded as if he cared. She needed someone to care right then. “Not hurt,” she whispered. “Just scared. He was right in front of me.” A ski mask had covered his face. His hand had been so close to her. Had he touched me? She couldn’t remember.
Jamie shoved against the dash now, too, desperate to get out. “He could come back.” Any minute. “I have to get out! I have to get out!” Because she didn’t want to be trapped when he came back for her, or, even worse, what if he came back and tried to hurt Davis again? He’d hit them on Davis’s side. A brutal attack that she hadn’t expected.
But I should have. Henry doesn’t care who gets in his way. He won’t stop until he has exactly what he wants.