by Aimée Thurlo
The rigid control he held over himself reminded her of her father, the colonel. Never show anyone what you’re thinking—that had practically been the colonel’s mantra. She and her brother had learned that lesson well.
When he finished his account, Paul waited as she walked to one side of the window and studied the area outside. “You don’t have to keep checking,” he said as she returned to the table. “We’re safe here. If you’re unsure, all you have to do is listen.”
Kendra did. After half a minute, she heard the cry of a coyote baying at the moon.
“Coyote wouldn’t be indulging its instincts to call to the night if intruders were in the canyon,” he said.
“I never heard him at all until right now.”
“No problem. I did.”
She got the message. They were on his turf, and here, Paul held the advantage. “Strategically, Copper Canyon is a great place for you, but not for me. I came to do a job, and the sooner I find what I need, the better it’ll be for everyone.”
“Do you have a specific plan in mind?” Paul said.
“First, I need to find out if Miller’s really here, and if he’s the one who came after you today. I could really use your help with that part of it—but only if you can follow my lead and stay on target. I won’t allow my work to be compromised by someone planning to cowboy up.”
“I can handle it.” He unplugged the coffeepot, then leaned back against the counter and faced her.
“Okay, then. After I grab a few hours’ sleep we’ll drive back to Hartley. I have to find a way to get the cooperation of the local businesses so I can gather up any of the local surveillance camera video within range of the shooting incident. If we have to resort to warrants, that’ll cost us time. I’ll also have to coordinate my efforts with your brother and the Hartley P.D. so we don’t end up tripping over each other.”
“You’re hoping one of those cameras will reveal Miller was the shooter or, at the very least, in the area?” Seeing her nod, he continued. “I can help you get what you need. My company specializes in electronic surveillance, and some of those businesses are clients of mine. The others, well, chances are they’ve heard of me and my agency.”
The logs in the fireplace were burning down, and feeling cold, she jammed her hands into her slacks. “What concerns me is that your right shoulder is still giving you problems. You sure you’re ready to be out in the field?”
His eyes darkened ominously, and she had to force herself to hold her ground.
“Muscle damage restricts my mobility somewhat, that’s true, but investigations are mostly legwork.” He paused. “If what’s really worrying you is that I’ll forget I’m not the one carrying the badge, you’re wasting your energy. I want answers and a resolution to my partner’s murder. I don’t care who gets the credit.”
“Tell me this. Are you looking for revenge, or justice?”
He paused for several moments before replying. “There was a time when there was nothing I wanted more than revenge, but I’ve moved past that. What I need now is to see the case closed and whoever killed Judy behind bars.”
Though he remained calm, Kendra heard the undercurrent of emotions in his words. He was a man on a mission, and she didn’t blame him. Yet the question foremost in her mind remained. Paul was on the hunt for a man who’d killed someone dear to him. Would he be an asset to the investigation or a liability?
“You can accept my help or not, Kendra, that’s up to you. But I’m leaving here early tomorrow and I’m investigating the case.”
“You can’t go home, Paul, not yet. Think about it. If the gunman is still after you, that’s the first place he’ll look.”
“I don’t plan on sitting around. I’ll be on the move, digging for answers.”
She narrowed her gaze. “So, what you’re telling me is that I either accept your help or you’ll go solo and probably get in my way.”
“I won’t give you reason to charge me with obstruction, but unless it’s hard evidence, I’ll be keeping whatever I learn to myself.” He straddled one of the chairs and regarded her patiently. “It’s your call. I’ve got some great sources in town who’ll help me if I ask, but they won’t give you, an outsider and a stranger, the time of day without a warrant. If you want answers quickly, I’m your best bet.”
There was something infinitely masculine about the way he was sitting, his steady gaze on her. Paul was all testosterone wrapped in a nice tight package of muscles, courage and pride.
“You’re trying to push me into a corner,” she said.
“Nah. If I were, we’d both enjoy it more,” he said, giving her the most amazing lopsided grin.
She glared at him, a look she’d learned from her dad, the colonel, but Paul never even flinched. He calmly gazed back, challenging her with his easy smile and iron will.
This was getting her nowhere, and the fact was, he held all the cards right now. “All right, we’ll work together, but I’m wearing the badge, so follow my lead.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal,” he said, standing.
He’d agreed a little too quickly for her tastes, but she’d take it as a win. “I’m good at what I do, Paul. You’ll find that out soon enough. If Miller’s here, I’ll take him down.” Once again she blew the annoying strand away from her face.
He strode up to her, stopping so close she could feel the warmth of his body. A shiver touched her spine, but refusing to step away, she threw her shoulders back and met his gaze.
Paul smiled, brushing his hand over the side of her face and pushing away the strand of hair. “There you go. I saw you crinkling your nose and trying to blow it away. I thought I’d help.”
He towered over her. Awareness, the raw and totally inappropriate kind, made her heart begin to race. “Static electricity. No humidity here in the desert.” She stepped around him quickly. She’d glom it down with a half can of hair spray if necessary from now on.
“All right then,” she said. “We leave in the morning. You lead the way out so I won’t get stuck again.”
“Why did you rent a sedan? That wasn’t a very practical choice for the Four Corners.”
“No kidding. I flew into the Hartley airport planning to rent something with four-wheel drive, but the agency had most of their vehicles on reserve for an event over at the power plant.”
He nodded. “Daniel’s training exercise. They put on a show for politicians and investors.”
She walked around the big room, putting more distance between them and pretending to admire the decor. Paul was a living, breathing temptation. It had been a long time since she’d met a man who could make her pulse start racing just by stepping close to her.
“As long as the sniper is out there, one of us should stay awake and keep watch. We need a schedule,” she said.
“We are safe,” he repeated with his usual calm. “But, okay, what do you have in mind?”
“How about four-hour rotating shifts?” she said.
“Fine. I’ll take the first watch,” he said. “I’ll need to be a lot more tired before I can doze off anyway.”
As he reached down to adjust a log on the fire, she saw him rub his shoulder. “Do you need painkillers?” she asked, wishing she’d considered that possibility earlier. If his senses were occasionally lulled by medicine of any kind...
“My shoulder aches a bit from time to time, but I don’t take anything for it. There’s no need,” he said. “The reason I wouldn’t be able to sleep right now is because I’m not tired enough. I’ve never required the same amount of rest most people do—a plus in my former and current professions.”
“If I don’t get enough sleep, my brain doesn’t work right, and at the moment, I’m exhausted,” she said. “It’s almost three a.m. now, so let me sleep till seven. Then you can wake me and get some sleep yourself while I get in touch with your brother and see what he or his people have found out. Once you’re up we’ll drive in to Hartley.”
“Preston will have someth
ing for you by morning, count on it. When he’s working a case, he sleeps even less than I do.”
“One more thing,” she said. “If you need to go outside for any reason, be sure to tell me. I tend to go on the offensive if an unexpected noise wakes me up.”
“You’re always on alert?”
“Yeah. When I’m running down a fugitive or I’m on a protection detail, a part of my brain is always on duty.”
“Good instincts. They’ll keep you in one piece.”
As he glanced away to turn off a lamp, she unhooked her holster. Leaving her weapon inside, she placed it on the coffee table within grasp.
“Use the blanket,” he said, taking the closest chair. “It’s comfortable and warm.”
She pulled it over her. Wrapped in a comfortable cocoon of warmth, Kendra closed her eyes. Without visual cues, she became aware of Paul in a more primal way. She could hear the even sound of his breathing and enjoyed the outdoorsy scent that clung to him.
Though he was quiet, she heard him get up to stoke the fire. The crackling of the logs and the comfort of the blanket worked a magic all their own and soon she drifted off to sleep.
Paul smiled, his gaze resting on Kendra. Although he knew no one was out there, he remained seated on the easy chair closest to a window. Taking off the lynx fetish he wore around his neck, he held it in his palm and gazed at it for a moment. Like all of Hosteen Silver’s gifts, the hand-carved wooden artifact was far more complicated than it appeared to be at a glance.
Lynx was said to be able to peer into the soul of man or beast and see the secrets hidden there. As the owner of the fetish, he knew that gift was his to use, but for many years he’d refused to accept such things were possible.
Slowly, as his mind had opened to new possibilities, he’d discovered that he could always sense when someone was lying to him, or even holding back. In time, he’d stopped searching for logical explanations and grew to accept his newfound ability.
The gift had served him well during his days as a U.S. Marshal and continued to do so now, even though he no longer wore the badge. He leaned back and relaxed, confident that the terrain around the house held no secrets from him or Lynx.
Hearing the rhythmic sound of Kendra’s breathing, he focused on the woman. The blanket had slipped to her waist, and her simple wool sweater, though loose, accentuated her full breasts. Like many women in the marshals service, she did her best to underplay her curves, but thankfully, some things were impossible to hide.
Kendra was an irresistible blend of toughness and gentleness. She was clearly a fighter who’d refused to back down, even when staring down three gun barrels. Yet, in this unguarded moment, she was the most feminine of women.
He’d known all types of females and enjoyed their company, but he’d always had one rule. He never stayed with any particular woman for long. Some had accused him of deliberately keeping his heart out of reach, and there was some truth to that. He didn’t trust relationships. Promises made in the night didn’t last when exposed to the light of day.
He’d only had one relationship that had stood the test of time, the one with his former partner, Judy Whitacre. The reason was plain. Though they’d cared deeply for each other, the job had always come first to both of them. They’d worked together for three years, and although gossip within the ranks had suggested otherwise, they’d never acted on their feelings. They’d both known that crossing that line would have jeopardized their working partnership.
Paul heard the faint rustling of something moving through the brush outside. Although that type of sound usually indicated the presence of an animal, he’d have to check it out. Seeing Kendra was still sound asleep, he slipped noiselessly out the back door.
Chapter Three
Paul moved silently around the outside perimeter of the house, pausing often to listen while searching the trees just beyond.
He’d made his way to the front corner of the house when he saw the source of the sound.
Paul smiled as the lynx took a step forward, almost as if in silent greeting. The last time he’d seen his spiritual brother had been during a particularly low point in his life—his rehabilitation process.
He’d been wandering aimlessly around the canyon during a long, sleepless night, his shoulder a throbbing reminder of the challenges ahead. Anger and pain, his constant companions in those days, had conspired to undermine him at every turn.
Struggling to find the courage to face what still lay ahead for him, he’d stood alone, waging his solitary battle, when he’d heard the low, throaty growl of the cat. Lingering in the shadows, unwilling to come out into the open, was a lynx.
In the animal’s caution, one born of fear, he’d seen his own inability to move forward, and realized then that life was all about choices. His days as a U.S. Marshal were over, but he was still very much alive. He could choose to let his injury define him or build a new future for himself.
Facing the best and worst in himself that night had given him the ability to go on. A few months later, he’d opened his own private investigations firm.
Tonight, as he looked down at the cat and saw the kill the creature had just made, Paul realized that the animal’s focus was his meal. The moment was all that mattered to him.
He, too, wanted to live in the present and stop looking to the past. Yet the sound of Judy’s startled gasp as the bullet passed through his shoulder and into her body continued to haunt him. Until her killer was caught, he’d never be able to move on.
He clutched the lynx fetish in his hand until the wood bit into his skin.
“Don’t move!” Kendra snapped from right behind him.
The animal disappeared in an instant. As it always had been, the cat showed himself to no one except him.
Having recognized Kendra’s voice, he turned around. “Relax—”
She reacted automatically, raising her gun.
Instinct kicked in, and he countered without thinking, sweeping her gun hand, twisting her around, and pulling her back against his chest. With her gun hand pinned to her side, he held her steady, his arms locked around her.
“It’s me,” he repeated, dodging a kick to his instep.
She relaxed instantly. “Paul? I told you to tell me if you left the house. I thought you were in another room and that someone was tampering with the vehicles—or worse! What the heck are you doing out here?”
“I came to see an old friend,” he said, noting that she wasn’t trying to break free.
“Where?” she asked, trying to wriggle out and look around.
Reluctantly, he let her go, noting she had fit just right against him. “Not a person, an animal.”
“You feeding the coyotes or something?”
He shook his head. “No, it’s more complicated than that.”
She searched the area trying to see what he was talking about, but it was too dark. “Come on, let’s go back inside. I don’t want to stay out here any longer than necessary. This is the best time for a sneak attack.”
“Yeah. It’ll be dawn soon,” he said, letting her take the lead in the walk back around the house. “Why don’t you get a little more rest?”
“Can’t. I’m wide awake now.”
“So, how about a real early breakfast then?” he asked.
“Thanks, but, no. It’s too early for me to even think of food,” she said, glancing at her watch. It was a little after five. “Unlike my brother, I’m not a big fan of breakfast. But our father, the colonel, used to insist on it. Personally I feel more primed for work if I have a mug of strong coffee and something sweet, like a doughnut.”
He laughed. “Not much for health food, are you?”
“Hey, I grab a sandwich at lunch. My anchor is a good dinner, when I’m not on the run.”
When they stepped back into the house, Paul walked over to his chair and picked up his jacket. “Since we’re both up, why don’t we get an early start and head back?”
“If we start too early, we’ll have
to wake people up. We want them relaxed, not cranky, when we ask for their cooperation,” she said. “Besides, you need to get some rest, too. I need you alert.”
“I grabbed some shut-eye before you arrived here. I’m not tired, and right now there are some things I need to do, like contact Nick and tell him I won’t be at home. I need him to steer clear of my apartment.”
“Nick?”
“He’s the son of the man who owns my rental unit, which is over his coffee shop. Nick also cleans for me and makes sure my fridge is stocked.”
“With my crazy work hours, the food at my place is usually leftover takeout with a coating of green fuzz.”
“So you’re not exactly a domestic goddess, I take it?”
She laughed. “Not even close. You know what it’s like, working double shifts, pulling all-nighters, traveling the red-eye with a prisoner at your side. When I first started out, I put in long hours, but there was time off the clock, too. Then somewhere along the way, the balance shifted.”
He nodded, setting his jacket down again. “It happens like that.”
“One day I discovered that whether I was on the clock or not, my mind was always on the job.”
“Law enforcement is like that. It starts out as a job you love, but pretty soon it’s your life,” he said.
“It gets under your skin,” she said, nodding. “What I love most about it is that every day brings its own challenge.”
“I miss the constant change of pace,” he said. “When I started my agency, my shoulder was still holding me back. All I could really do was set up security, conduct interviews, and manage surveillance monitors for my clients. I spent most of my time pushing paper or watching screens.”
“And it drove you crazy?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “I’m a lot happier in the field.”
“I asked you about painkillers before. How much trouble does your shoulder give you these days?”
“It aches from time to time, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. It’s healed up nice.” Rather than have her wonder, he stepped over by the fire and shrugged out of his wool shirt. “Take a look.”