Midnight Bride

by Barbara Mccauley

  Caleb would kill the man with his bare hands before he would let him get close to her.

  A rabbit darted in front of the truck, and Caleb swerved to avoid it. The Jeep went sideways, then straightened out. He forced his mind back to the road, knowing he couldn’t afford any more lost time.

  But it was impossible not to think of her. Of her long silken limbs intertwined with his, her soft sighs and throaty whispers. Or the way she trembled when he entered her. And he’d trembled, too. No woman had ever felt so right, had fitted him as she did. No woman had ever brought him beyond the physical, had made him want more. No woman ever would again.

  In a crazy moment, he thought he would simply take her away. Go somewhere they’d never be found, where no one would ever know who they were. Maybe, just maybe, he could live like a normal man. In his perfect world he’d have a real house, an eight-to-five job, mow the lawn on Saturday. Practice making babies every night….

  But there was no perfect world. Someone would find him, just as they’d found Tom and Jenny. The agency would call him in for “one more job,” and that one job would cost Sarah her life.

  And that was one chance he’d never take.

  She didn’t know what he did for a living. She didn’t need to know. Once he took care of Howard, Sarah could go back to her life. She’d settle in and meet someone….

  That thought ripped through him like a dull blade. That another man would touch her, make love to her, spend the rest of his life with her…

  The road swam in front of him like a sea of red. He swore, blinking several times to clear his eyes. He had to stop thinking about her. Howard wasn’t stupid, and Caleb knew he couldn’t afford to make even one mistake, not with Sarah’s life at stake.

  A few more minutes, he thought, pulling up in front of the cabin. He’d have her out of here. Mike was sending someone he trusted to meet them outside of Pinewood. As soon as Sarah was safely away, he intended to confront Howard and his men by himself. His eyes narrowed with pleasure at the thought.

  He cut the engine. Smoke drifted from the chimney, and in the distance he heard Wolf bark. Wet leaves squished under his boots as he hurried toward the front door. He cleared his mind, refusing to let the emotions overtake him. He had to let her go, he had no choice.

  He threw open the front door, then kicked it shut behind him.

  Her name died on his lips as the cold steel of a revolver dug into the back of his neck. He went rigid.

  “Welcome, Mr. Hunter,” Victor Howard said from his chair beside the fireplace. Sarah sat at his feet, her eyes red. “Your lovely ‘bride’ and I have been waiting for you. Please come in and join us.”

  Eight

  Sarah watched in horror as the man behind the door pulled Caleb’s gun out of the waistband of his jeans, then shoved him into the middle of the room. She’d wanted to call out, to tell him to run, but Victor had promised a bullet in Caleb’s head if she so much as whispered. The third man, Luther, the one whose hand she’d bitten, stood by the kitchen door. He stared at her now, his mouth set in a thin line as his fingers slid up and down the barrel of his gun.

  “Phillips, wasn’t it?” Caleb asked blandly.

  “I think we can drop that pretense, don’t you? Right along with your amusing newlywed story. Even the waitress at the cafe in town thought it unbelievable that the elusive Caleb Hunter had taken a bride.”

  “You were in town when I left,” Caleb said, his tone heavy with boredom.

  “You know what I really like about the people of Pinewood?” Victor smiled. “They’re all so friendly. Especially that waitress. When I told her our engine wouldn’t start and we were friends of yours, she actually loaned me her car. Imagine, a complete stranger.”

  “I’m sorry, Caleb.” Tears burned Sarah’s eyes. “I didn’t hear them drive up or see the car.”

  Victor indicated the couch. “Why don’t you have a seat, Mr. Hunter, and we’ll talk.”

  “I’ll stand.”

  Victor shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’m sure Frank and Luther won’t mind, either. Moving targets are always more challenging.” He ran his hand down Sarah’s hair. “And you and Miss Grayson have certainly been a challenge. Surprisingly so.”

  Sarah stiffened at Victor’s touch. A dangerous glint shone in Caleb’s dark eyes as he stared at the man. He turned his gaze toward her, and she saw an imperceptible softening.

  “You all right?” he asked.

  She nodded. She’d been straightening the kitchen when they’d come in the back door. She hadn’t even made it to the living room before she’d run straight into Luther.

  “Of course she’s all right. Well, other than this teensy little bruise here.” Victor ran his fingers along her jaw and she flinched.

  “I’m going to have to hurt you for that, Howard,” Caleb said with quiet, deadly calm.

  Unaffected by Caleb’s threat, Victor smiled. “It was foolish of her to try and run. It only antagonized Luther here. I’m afraid he’s still a little upset for that nasty little bite Miss Grayson bestowed on him the other night.”

  “Oh, Luther,” Caleb drawled, turning a hard smile at the man, “by the way, how’re the family jewels?”

  Luther’s mouth tightened, and he took a step forward.

  Stop it, Caleb! Sarah screamed silently. Why was he antagonizing them? What could it possibly gain him, except a bullet?

  “Now, now,” Victor reprimanded. “Let’s all try to get along, for a few minutes, anyway. I have some questions I’d like answered, such as why Mr. Hunter here took a strange woman into his home and lied for her.” He looked toward the bedroom with a fiendish grin. “Unless, of course, he took her into more than his home.”

  When Caleb didn’t answer, the man by the front door stepped closer and swung his arm, hitting Caleb in the back of the head with the butt of his revolver. Caleb’s head jerked, and he stumbled forward, but he still said nothing, just rubbed the back of his neck and stared silently at Victor. The man reached up to hit him again.

  “No!” Sarah cried. “He found me. At the river. I was unconscious, and he brought me back here. When I woke up I had amnesia. I didn’t even know my name.”

  “Amnesia?” Victor gave a bark of laughter. “You expect me to believe that?”

  “I don’t give a damn what you believe,” Caleb said, and the man hit him a second time. Caleb stumbled forward again, and this time when he touched his head, his fingers came away with blood.

  “Stop it! Please!” She started to rise, to go to him, but Victor’s fingers tightened painfully in her hair and jerked her back down.

  “An interesting story.” Victor kept his hand twisted in Sarah’s hair and stared at Caleb. “But why didn’t you take her to the police or a doctor?”

  Caleb kept his hard, cold gaze locked on Victor. “She woke up for a few seconds when I first brought her back here, just long enough to convince me not to call anyone, that someone was trying to kill her. Imagine my surprise,” Caleb said sarcastically, “to find out it was the FBI.”

  Victor glanced sharply at Sarah. “So I take it you remember now.”

  Sarah winced at the pressure Victor exerted on her scalp. Dammit! She wouldn’t let this man beat her, to have her cowering like a helpless child. And even though her insides were shaking, she refused to let him know that she was afraid. She lifted her chin and looked at him. “Enough to put you away, Agent Howard. Permanently.”

  With a sigh Victor released her, then leaned forward in his chair and pulled on a pair of leather gloves. “Well, then, I suppose we haven’t much time, have we? Sarah, dear, why don’t you just tell me exactly what you know about Robert and the research he was working on at the time of his tragic death.”

  She felt an overwhelming desire to lunge at the man. “You killed him. Just like you tried to kill me.”

  Victor’s face hardened. “Let’s just stick to the questions. I asked you what you know about Robert’s research.”

  She knew he was going to
kill her, and Caleb, too, no matter what she said. The only thing she could hope for now was to buy a little time. She glanced at Caleb, saw the hard fury on his face. She loved him, and she’d do anything to save him, no matter what happened to her.

  “All right,” she said with a confidence she didn’t feel. “I’ll tell you what I know. On one condition.”

  “Condition?” Victor raised one brow. “I don’t believe you have tremendous bargaining power at the moment, Miss Grayson.”

  She met his arrogant gaze. “You want me to help you, to be assured I’ll give you the correct information, then you have to let Caleb go. Take me with you, back into Los Angeles, and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

  Caleb made a move toward her. “Sarah, don’t—”

  A sick knot twisted in Sarah’s stomach as the man behind Caleb hit him again. With a grunt, Caleb went down on his knees beside the end table. Slowly he lifted his gaze to Victor. Sarah saw the rage there, the murderous intent, and knew if she didn’t get out of here soon, they would kill him.

  “Touching,” Victor said. “It appears that Mr. Hunter does indeed care for Miss Grayson. Perhaps this will work out after all. You both behave yourselves, and just maybe you’ll see each other again.”

  No maybe about it, Caleb thought, ignoring the pain swimming in his head as he drew in a slow, steadying breath. There was no way in hell he would ever let these men take Sarah. White-hot anger burned in his gut, anger directed not only at Howard, but at himself for so carelessly walking into a trap. He’d underestimated the man and how quickly he would move.

  But then, Caleb realized, his eyes narrowing with cold satisfaction, Howard had also underestimated him.

  Based on Howard’s relaxed stance, it was obvious that the man considered him a backwards mountain man, a harmless bumpkin that could easily be controlled. The bastard behind the door was clumsy. If it had suited the situation, Caleb could have easily taken the man out at any time. With Sarah in the room, though, and Luther out of his reach, Caleb had no choice but to increase his odds.

  So every time the man had hit him, Caleb had maneuvered himself closer to the end table.

  The end table with the gun.

  “He’s lying, Sarah. He has to kill us both.” Caleb braced himself on the table, inching his hand toward the drawer. “Don’t go anywhere with him.”

  “You really should learn to trust people,” Victor said, shaking his head. “Miss Grayson is perfectly safe with us. All she has to do is cooperate and we’ll be eternally grateful.”

  She’ll be eternally dead, Caleb thought. He watched Victor rise and offer his hand to Sarah. She ignored him and rose by herself, though he noted the slight sway as she stood.

  “Caleb,” she said, her voice strained, “I’m so sorry I got you into this. I don’t know how to thank you…for everything. I couldn’t have—”

  Luther grabbed her arm with bruising force and dragged her toward the front door. Not yet, Caleb told himself, though the sight of the man touching Sarah nearly made him lose control. Victor turned to Caleb as the man behind the door, Frank, reached for the doorknob. “I wouldn’t recommend calling anyone, Mr. Hunter. It might prove extremely hazardous to Miss Grayson’s health.”

  Wait…

  Caleb watched the door open, felt the cold rush of air pour into the room. The drawer was no more than three inches from his reach….

  Victor was turning away from Caleb when a black, snarling shape flew through the open doorway, connecting with Frank. The man fell backward, screaming. Luther held on to a struggling Sarah and pointed his gun at the entangled creature and man.

  “Don’t shoot,” Victor yelled over the man’s strangled cries and the furiously growling wolf. “You’ll hit Frank.”

  Now.

  “Sarah!” Caleb had the drawer open and the gun in his hand as she looked at him. “Get down!”

  Victor dove for the floor as Luther swung his gun at Caleb.

  “No!” Sarah knocked Luther’s arm upward. The gun discharged, and the bullet struck the ceiling. Plaster showered the room. Luther roared his fury, then shoved Sarah away from him, giving Caleb a clear shot, a shot that would have been fatal if Frank hadn’t grabbed Luther’s leg and pulled, screaming for help as he yanked the man off balance. Caleb fired as Luther went down on top of the wild animal and an hysterical Frank.

  Caleb lunged for Sarah and dragged her toward the kitchen, firing into the living room behind them. Bullets exploded around them as they ducked through the kitchen and out the back door.

  “Don’t look back,” he shouted as they ran for the trees. “No matter what, keep running.”

  Pain sliced through Caleb’s head like a hot knife. He ignored it and kept on, pulling Sarah with him, forcing her to match his long strides.

  “We can’t leave Wolf,” she cried.

  “There’s no choice.”

  Victor and his men shouted angrily behind them, and based on the sound, Caleb knew they were close. Too close.

  It was too risky to backtrack to the Jeep, and the closest cabin was two miles away. Sarah would never last at this pace. Victor would overtake them in a matter of minutes. There was only one other place to go.

  “This way.” He veered sharply to the left and pulled Sarah with him.

  Sarah’s lungs were burning. She struggled for air, to keep up with Caleb, but the ground felt unsteady under her feet. Trees and bushes blurred together, branches slapped at her face as they ran.

  She stumbled on a tree trunk and barely had time to regain her balance before Caleb dragged her on.

  “I—I can’t,” she gasped.

  “We’re almost there.” He tightened his hold. “It’s right up ahead, on the other side of that crop of rocks.”

  What was he talking about? What was right up ahead? All she saw was forest, and all she heard was the sound of Victor’s men closing in on them. They’d never make it. She couldn’t run as fast as Caleb. She was holding them back.

  “Caleb,” she choked out, “leave me. I’ll hide and you go for help.”

  “And miss all the fun?” They rounded the crop of rocks, and Caleb pulled her toward the thick under-growth of bushes and shrubs that grew heavily around the base. “Not a chance, sweetheart.”

  They stopped suddenly. Her heart hammered against her chest and her sides ached. She couldn’t go on, yet she knew if she didn’t they were both dead.

  Caleb buried his arm in one thick bush and spread the branches. Sarah gasped as he grabbed the back of her neck, shoved her down, then forward.

  She fell into a cave.

  It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light inside. It wasn’t a big cave, not quite tall enough to stand up in, but it appeared to be deep.

  “Be still and wait for me,” Caleb said quietly. “I’ll be back.”

  She knelt and stared into the blackness at the back of the cave, praying that she hadn’t invaded an animal’s home. A shiver ran through her at the sound of heavy breathing, but she realized it was her own.

  She’d had time to imagine every creepy-crawly from every nightmare she’d ever had by the time Caleb rejoined her. He adjusted the bushes in front of the entrance to the cave, nearly blocking out all light, then took hold of her arm and dragged her toward the back of the cave, which actually curved away from the entrance.

  When his arms came around her, she fell against him and started to shake uncontrollably. She wanted to cry, but she didn’t dare give in to that right now. If she did, she might not stop.

  “They can’t find us here,” Caleb said, pulling her closer. “I made sure there are no tracks.”

  She felt the heavy beat of his heart and drew strength from the sound. “They won’t give up, though, will they?”

  “No. They can’t afford to. He’ll bring in more men, probably some dogs. All I could hope to do here is buy us a little time. Which reminds me—” he took hold of her arms and set her away from him “—what the hell were you doing back there? Wh
y did you tell Victor you’d help him?”

  It was too dark to see his face, but she heard the anger in his voice. But there was more than anger, she realized. There was concern.

  And fear?

  Had he come to care for her? she wondered. Really care for her? Not just a brave knight helping out a damsel in distress, but something more? Something that went beyond chivalry?

  No. She couldn’t let herself think that. Last night had been wonderful. He’d been gentle and passionate, but he’d never given her any indication that there was any future for them. Her emotions were simply on the edge right now. She couldn’t think clearly. She was imagining how she wanted him to feel, not how he really felt.

  “I couldn’t let them kill you.” Her voice shook with determination. “I had to tell them something, anything to give you some time.”

  He was quiet for a moment, then she felt his hands loosen on her shoulders. “Sarah, I can take care of myself. Don’t take chances like that again.”

  She would take a hundred chances for him. A thousand. Didn’t he realize that? Couldn’t he see that she loved him? No, she realized, and the empty ache inside her increased. He didn’t see. Because he didn’t want to see. Because he didn’t feel the same way.

  She wouldn’t think about that now. This wasn’t the time or place. God willing, there would be a later. She would deal with her feelings then.

  “Caleb—” she reached out and touched his cheek “—that man, Frank, he hit you so hard.”

  She couldn’t see his smile, but she felt it. “I’m fine, but I would have loved to see the expression on that guy’s face when Wolf flew at him. I owe that animal big-time.”

  “We both do.” She silently prayed that the wolf had escaped unharmed.

  Caleb’s cheek felt rough under her fingertips. He hadn’t shaved since yesterday, and she couldn’t help but remember the feel of his beard against her own skin, on her lips and her breasts, her stomach—