Fear shot through Sarah. Wolf could be killed—just like her father. An icy coldness bathed her. “I never thought it would come to this. I thought Summers would just harass me off and on.”
Wolf shook his head grimly. “He’ll never lay another hand on you. That’s a promise.”
The words, spoken in a low, menacing growl, made a chill work its way up Sarah’s spine. Her world was coming apart at the seams, and Wolf was all that was keeping it from completely collapsing around her. “If you weren’t here, Summers would already have the mine,” she murmured.
“And you might possibly be dead.”
The thought was sobering. She gave Wolf a sideways glance. For a few awkward minutes, she pushed the pancakes around on her plate, forcing herself to eat. Who knew what lay ahead today? Keeping up her strength had to be primary, so she forced the food down.
Wolf watched Sarah through hooded eyes as he ate. He didn’t taste the food. All his senses were focused on her. Her brow was drawn in a frown, and he saw the tension around her soft mouth. A mouth he wanted to worship, to kiss reverently, for the rest of his life. He knew he didn’t deserve this kind of second chance—not with someone as courageous as Sarah. She was a match for him in every way—proud, independent, unselfish, and generous to a fault. What had last night meant to her? His mind returned to Sheriff Noonan’s remark about Philip Barlow.
His mouth tightening, Wolf put his fork and plate aside. He had to know. “Sarah?”
She raised her head. Wolf’s entire demeanor had become dark and serious. Her heart started a dreadful pounding. “Yes?”
“Maybe I don’t have any right to ask you this, but I need to know about a guy named Philip Barlow. Noonan said he was your boyfriend?”
“Oh.” She pushed the plate aside and opted to slip her fingers around the ceramic mug filled with coffee. “I imagine he didn’t have anything good to say about me in relation to Philip, either?”
Wolf shook his head. “No.”
With a slight shrug, Sarah whispered, “When I turned Ricky Noonan in to the FBI, my boyfriend, Philip, got really furious with me.”
“Why?” Wolf’s heart beat a little harder.
“I didn’t realize Philip was tied up with Noonan, too. He was selling drugs for him. When I found out, it just tore me apart. I thought—” She grimaced and avoided Wolf’s probing gray eyes. “I thought Philip loved me. I sure loved him….”
“First love?” Wolf ventured softly.
“Puppy love was what Mom called it,” Sarah said with a slight, pained smile. “When the FBI finished their investigation and indicted Philip along with Ricky Noonan, I was heartbroken. Philip accused me of setting him up, of…so many things. The evidence against him wasn’t that strong, so the FBI let him go, and he left town. I haven’t seen him or heard from him since. He said I’d ruined his life.”
Relief rushed through Wolf. Reaching over, he captured Sarah’s work-worn hand. “Honey, you didn’t ruin his life. He ruined it for himself.”
Wolf’s touch was so right, and Sarah shyly returned his squeeze. Her hand was engulfed by his, and it gave her an overwhelming sense of protection. “I know that—now. Years ago, I didn’t. My mom really helped me get through the heartbreak.” She held his warm gaze. “I thought I loved him, Wolf.” Then, quietly, she added, “He was the first and only boy to ever like me.”
“I don’t believe that,” Wolf said, and he meant it. Couldn’t they see beyond Sarah’s clothes and her mining job? They were all crazy, Wolf decided. Clothes and a career didn’t make a woman.
Sarah frowned. “My reputation in this town was bad news after the FBI investigation, Wolf.”
Raising her hand to his lips, Wolf gently kissed her fingers. The need to give back to Sarah some of what had been cruelly taken from her burned through him. He watched her eyes widen beautifully as he brushed the kiss over her skin.
Wolf grinned and reluctantly released her hand. Now that he knew the truth about Philip Barlow, his jealousy had subsided. The look he saw in her eyes was one of warmth mixed with desire. Wolf wondered if it was desire for him. He’d never wanted a woman more than Sarah, but it had to be her decision; he’d never force her into bed with him.
Her hand tingled, even after Wolf let it go. Was it possible? Did the care he spoke of last night mean he might love her?
Sarah considered while she finished her coffee in the comfortable silence of the kitchen with Wolf. The robins chirping their songs outside the window eased some of the tension she unconsciously held in her shoulders.
“When will you see Summers?” she asked.
Wolf got up and put the dishes in the sink. “I’m going in now,” he said grimly.
“May I come with you?”
“No.” Wolf turned and faced her. He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms against his chest. “The safest place for you is here. You’ll keep Skeet with you, and you’ve got a rifle.” His brows fell. “I don’t think Summers will try two days in a row. He’s probably going to wait to see if you’re going to run into town to sign those real estate papers of his.”
“He said he’d come back tonight, Wolf.” Her voice was hollow with fear.
“If I get to him today, he won’t be back,” he promised darkly.
“Why can’t I come with you?”
Wolf didn’t want to say, but he didn’t know how to evade Sarah. “You’re safer here,” he repeated with more authority.
“Because if Summers sees your truck he could have his men fill it with bullet holes?”
Wolf’s mouth tightened. At least Sarah was a realist. Unwinding from his position at the counter, Wolf straightened. “Exactly. Better a single than a double target.”
Sarah winced, her hands tightening around the mug.
Wolf came around behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He gently kneaded her tight muscles until she began to relax. “Look, I know this is tough on you, but you’re safest here. You already evaded Summers’s men once, and you know this area, honey. Once I find Summers, I’ll settle this thing with him once and for all.”
“How?” Sarah twisted a look up at him, glad that he was standing behind her, glad that his hands were on her shoulders.
“I’ll tell him about Perseus and our connections with the FBI and the CIA, and I’ll tell him that if he doesn’t leave you alone once and for all we’ll have him investigated.” Satisfaction rang in Wolf’s voice. “He’s the kind of slimy bastard who wants to avoid public notice and a trial at all costs.”
Sarah couldn’t help but shiver. She tried to be brave, not only for Wolf but for herself. “I—I just worry about you, that’s all.”
Wolf leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Your worry isn’t for nothing,” he told her huskily. “I’ll be all right.” Straightening, he forced himself to move. The last thing he wanted to do was to leave Sarah for any reason. “What I want you to do is form an escape route in case Summers does come back. Tell me where I might find you if you have to make a run for it.”
“I’d rather be out on the mountain working, not here at the cabin.” Sarah gave him a narrow look. “I’ll work at the new mine site. That way, I’ll have a chance to hear them coming. Besides, there’s a series of caves down on the other side of Blue Mountain,” Sarah whispered, her hand touching her throat, where a lump was forming. “I could hide there and they’d never find me.”
“Good. I know the area you mean.” Wolf glanced down at her feet. “Are you sure you can work?”
“I want to work, Wolf. I’ll go crazy if I have to sit here waiting for you to come home. You know that.”
“Yeah, I guess I do.” Wolf felt more sure now that Sarah had a plan in place. “Draw me a map of the cave area, and I’ll take it with me when I leave.” He gave her a slight smile meant to buoy her. “We’ll get out of this alive and together,” he promised her.
Together. Sarah nodded jerkily and got to her feet. She wanted to cry, because she’d just discovered
Wolf—the first man she’d truly loved in her life. And now he was going into a town bristling with enemies who carried weapons that could all too easily be aimed at him. Everything was moving too quickly for Sarah. Her emotions were in shreds, and she knew they didn’t have time to sit down and talk about all the new discoveries cascading through her.
Forcing herself to think, she went into the living room and picked up a notebook to draw Wolf a map of the caves.
Chapter Twelve
Sarah waited tensely at the cabin. It was exactly noon, the time Wolf promised he’d be home. Her heart rate rising, Sarah gasped as she saw the dark green forest service truck turn into the driveway. It was Wolf, and he was safe! Moving off the porch, Sarah met him as he parked the truck and shut off the engine. She tried to read his rugged, closed features as he opened the truck door and stepped out. Skeet rushed up and wedged between them.
“How did it go?” Sarah asked. What she wanted to do was throw her arms around Wolf in welcome. She wasn’t sure what to do, or how to act; her nerves were stretched to the breaking point, her emotions frayed by the hourly unknowns of her life.
Wolf absently patted Skeet, then devoted his attention to Sarah. He heard the fear in her voice, and saw it in her eyes. Automatically he placed his arms around her. The softness of her parting lips made him ache with need as she came against him without resisting.
“Summers couldn’t be found,” he told her as he walked with her to the cabin. “I talked to Noonan.”
Sarah pressed her head against his shoulder, content, a feeling of safety enveloping her once again. “Is that good or bad, Wolf? You look worried.”
Wolf released Sarah once they entered the kitchen. “I don’t feel good about it, honey.” He scowled and settled his hands on his hips as he studied her. “Summers is playing a game. I think he’ll be back here again. Maybe tonight, if not sooner.”
Gulping, Sarah’s eyes widened. “What are we going to do?” Her voice was strained.
Wolf smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He saw the sandwiches on the table and motioned for her to join him. “When I was in Philipsburg, I called the airport at Anaconda.” He held her frightened gaze. “I’m taking you out of here, tonight. You’ve got an airline ticket to Washington, D.C., Sarah. I’ve talked to Morgan, and he’s agreed to put you up at one of the condos the company owns until this thing gets resolved.”
“We’re leaving?”
“No, you are. I’m staying.” Wolf saw stubbornness come into her face. “Sarah, please, don’t argue with me on this. I want you safe. I’m not going to keep you here in the line of fire.”
“I’m not going anywhere if you’re not going with me, Wolf!” Her voice was strident and off-key. Sarah suddenly stood up and gripped the back of her chair as she held Wolf’s weary gaze. “This is my fight!”
“It’s our fight,” Wolf agreed, trying to calm her down. Didn’t Sarah realize he loved her? That he wanted her safe and out of harm’s way?
“But this isn’t fair, Wolf! You’re in danger, too! It isn’t just me!”
He held up his hands. “Honey, I’m more equipped to deal with it than you.”
“How?” she demanded, shaken. “I’ve been shot at, Wolf. I’ve been beaten up by Summers’s goons. I’ve shot at them to scare them off.”
“But you’ve never killed, Sarah.”
Stunned, Sarah heard the haunted quality of Wolf’s voice. His eyes were tired-looking, his mouth was a tight line. There was such pain mirrored in his face that Sarah froze.
“You think it’s coming to that?” she asked hollowly.
Wolf rubbed his face gently. A lot of the swelling had gone down, but the dark bruises remained to remind him of Summers’s way of dealing with situations. “I do.”
“Oh, God.” Sarah sat down. She clasped her hands on the table and stared at Wolf. “Did Noonan say that?”
With a twist of his mouth, Wolf said, “Noonan turned white, red, and then plum-colored. I told him about Perseus, and the fact that Morgan would call in a head honcho from the FBI to begin investigating Summers if he didn’t leave you and your mine alone once and for all.”
“What did he say?”
“He got angry and accused me of threatening him.” Wolf shrugged and pushed the plate bearing the sandwiches around and around with his fingers. Finally he looked up at Sarah. “I know what’s going to happen. Summers is hiding out—for now. Noonan will take the information to him, and I know in my gut that Summers will hit us either tonight or tomorrow.”
Trembling, Sarah sat down again. “Then that’s all the more reason for you to come with me, Wolf. You can’t stay here and fight it out alone.”
“You’re a gutsy lady,” Wolf said, “but there are times when you need to know when to retreat. This is one of those times. The only flight out of Anaconda to Washington is at midnight. I wish it was sooner. It’s not exactly a hub airport, so I don’t have any choice in the matter.” Worriedly Wolf held her blue eyes, and saw them shimmering with unshed tears. “I need you to leave, Sarah. I lo—I care for you too much to keep you here.” He reached out and gripped her hand. “I can’t let what happened to Maria happen to you,” he told her fervently. “I can’t lose you.” Wolf sat tensely. He’d nearly slipped and said he loved Sarah. Her face had blanched white, and he wondered if she’d caught his faux pas.
Love? Sarah sat there, very still, very much aware of Wolf’s warm, strong hand around hers. She was sure that was what he’d stopped himself from saying. Her mouth grew dry. As she clung to his darkened gaze, Sarah realized that Wolf did love her. The tenor of his voice shook her as nothing else could have. The desperation in his eyes verified his fear for her life.
She pulled her hand from his grasp. “Wolf, I’m not leaving you here alone to fight it out with Summers,” she began in a low voice. “I’m sorry, but I’m not abandoning you. I can’t—” And her voice cracked.
Wolf unwound from the chair and came around the table. He placed his hands around her arms and pulled her upward, emotionally devastated by Sarah’s tears. “Now listen to me,” he rasped thickly. “You’re not abandoning me. No argument on this, Sarah. I’m taking you to Anaconda tonight. Now, I don’t care if you agree with my plan or not.” His hands tightened on her arms, and his voice became hoarse. “I won’t lose you. And I don’t care if you curse me, hate me, or never want to see me again—you’re leaving.”
Tears blurred Sarah’s vision, and her lips parted. She couldn’t stand the agony in Wolf’s eyes. “You don’t understand!” she cried. “You just don’t understand!”
Grimly Wolf pulled Sarah against him. He’d needed her closeness, her warmth, all morning. With a groan, he buried his face in her hair. As her arms twined around his waist, he released a shuddering sigh. “I understand a lot more than you’ll ever know,” he rasped, and he held her as tightly as he dared.
The inky cape of night had fallen across the valley by the time Sarah was ready to leave the cabin. Wolf had helped her pack, extraordinarily tense and hyperalert to any sound that seemed out of the ordinary. He kept his rifle nearby and watched Skeet for warnings.
Sarah closed her only suitcase, a small one, and Wolf took it out to the pickup. She stood in the center of the living room, torn. When Wolf appeared, she was startled; he’d come back without her having heard him. His face looked grim as he approached her.
“What about my mother?”
He placed his hands on her small shoulders. “I know you’re worried about her,” he said soothingly.
“Summers has gone to her a number of times in the past, Wolf, and tried to get her to sign papers that would give him our mine. If I’m gone, he could try it again.”
He shook his head. “I’ve talked to Jean Riva, the owner of the nursing home, and told her to call me if anyone wants to speak with your mother.” Wolf saw the anguish in Sarah’s eyes. “She’ll be fine,” he told her. But would she? He couldn’t promise Sarah anything except safety for herself�
�once he got her out of this hellhole.
“Look at it another way,” Wolf said, gently caressing her shoulders, “if Summers did get her to sign over the mine, you could contest it in court and win. Your mother isn’t of sound mind, and the doctor would make it clear that because of her stroke she wouldn’t really know what she’d been coerced into signing.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Sarah murmured. She placed her hands on Wolf’s powerful chest. “Please let me stay.”
Just the touch of her hands upon him sent a hot longing through every level of Wolf. He leaned down and kissed her wan cheek. “I can’t…”
It was time to go, and Sarah eased out of his hands. Fighting back tears, she turned to him as he followed her out the door. “What if you’re wounded? Who would care for you, Wolf? You’re one man against all of Summers’s men.”
“If I need help, I’ll call Morgan,” he told her, capturing her hand as they walked to the truck. “I just think we need to get over the next couple of days and we’ll be okay. You’ve got to trust me on that, Sarah.”
She did trust him—with her life. With her heart. The words begged to be torn from her, but she swallowed them. Wolf opened the passenger side of the truck. Skeet jumped in first, and Sarah followed. The silence was ominous as she watched Wolf looking around, alert and wary, as he moved around the truck. Before getting in, he placed the rifle on the gun rack across the back seat.
He got in and started the truck. His gut was screamingly tight. This was a bad time of night to be leaving. He couldn’t drive without lights on the twisting, turning dirt road. The moon was concealed by the thick clouds overhead. It looked as if it might rain. Wolf backed out and put the truck in gear, gravel crunching beneath the wide tires. He glanced over at Sarah’s strained face.
“You’ll be safer away from here,” he told her.
She shyly slid her hand across Skeet’s broad back and touched Wolf’s shoulder. It was Wolf’s past that was making him react this way. “I feel as if you can’t trust me to hold up my end of this fight, Wolf. Just because I’m a woman.”
Heart of the Wolf Page 18