by Lea Hart
Mentally patting himself on the back for recognizing where a hard line might be crossed, he let out a breath. Nothing was going to wrestle the sanity he’d worked so hard for from his hands, and that included his own worst impulses.
“Ten clicks to the west,” Jack said into his mic. “No way to miss that big red truck barreling down the highway.”
“And the beat-up brown one following it too closely.”
“You got any fancy SEAL skills that’ll allow you to guestimate how fast Em is driving?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t.”
“Because from up here, it looks like she’s hauling ass.”
“The only time she drove fast back in high school was when she’d drank too many Diet Dr. Peppers and needed to make a pit stop. I know Mabel is in the truck most days, and she’d never do anything to endanger an animal.”
“The asshole in the junker is trying to pass, isn’t he?”
“And she better let him,” Rick said as his spidey-senses went on alert. His gut was telling him something bad was about to happen. They’d never failed him once, and he had no reason to believe they’d start now. Leaning forward, he trained his nocs on the truck moving out in front of Em and prayed it was just a driver juiced up on too much coffee.
“Fucker,” Jack spat out.
“Set the helo down,” Rick said in a low tone as the truck passed in front of her vet truck and made a wide swerve, effectively cutting her off. Emily skidded to a stop, leaving a long line of black marks, and he let out a string of curses as the brown truck rocked to a stop less than a quarter of a mile away. He ripped the headphones off his head, slid the gun out of his boot, and was ready to drop off the skids the moment Jack hovered. “Land on the other side of the truck. I don’t plan on letting the asshole get away.”
“Roger that.”
As they closed in on the X, Rick let muscle memory take over and set his mind to operating in a three-foot world. He wasn’t going to let the what-ifs of the situation cloud his judgment. The threat would be handled efficiently, just like he’d done thousands of times before.
He let the sound of the rotors beating the air settle his mind and waited as Jack set down the helo on the highway. Then he pushed open the door and jumped out immediately.
Not sure what he was in for, Rick took in long breaths and watched the door of the vet truck swing open and Emily’s long legs hit the ground. The moment her body was out of the truck, her arm shook out the rifle, readying it for whatever asshole got in her way.
Rick couldn’t help but admire his kick-ass girlfriend as she raised her gun and pointed directly at the man who’d dared cut her off. He took note of her cocksure attitude and deep frown as her boots cut across the asphalt and couldn’t deny the fact he was a little turned on. The woman was damn perfection.
And pissed, if the look of disapproval she threw him was any indication.
Emily turned her back on Rick and focused on the man who climbed out of the truck. “You better be about ready to die, you dumb son of a bitch!” Emily shouted. “I don’t care for people riding my ass on the highway. My dog is in the truck, and it’s unsafe to speed.”
He nodded Rick’s way. “So is landing a freaking helicopter on the highway.”
“That helo and the men in it are not something you need to be worried about.”
“Whatever.” He jabbed a finger in Em’s direction. “I got a message for you, bitch.”
“You don’t know me well enough to call me a bitch or anything else.” She lifted her rifle, closed an eye, and shot off a round close to the man’s feet. “And if you had something to say, there are better ways to communicate.”
He jumped back, eyes wide. “Fuck, you’re crazy!”
“Might be. But not as much as the man who just jumped out of a damn helo because he didn’t think I was capable of handling my business.”
Rick tipped his chin and kept his gun pointed at the man’s heart as he moved closer. “I’m what some people might call overprotective.”
“I’ve got this handled, Rick, and don’t appreciate your impression of a white knight.”
“Darlin’, you just shot a rock less than half a foot away from that man’s feet. No one would ever say you don’t have things handled. I’m just here to watch the show and run backup. You know team guys like to work together, and that’s all I’m doing.”
Emily let out a groan and then rolled her shoulders. “You’re lyin’, but I can’t be dealing with that right now.”
The messenger looked back and forth between them and edged a few steps back. “I’m not making enough scratch for this shit.”
“Who sent you, and what the hell do you want?” Emily shouted.
“The boys want the lists back. We know you and Nash are tight, so hand over the zip drive and we’ll leave you alone.”
“Nothing you just said makes sense,” Emily said firmly.
“You take a message back to your crew,” Rick said. “Nash has nothing to do with Em. And the men at the Blakely Ranch don’t care for the insinuation.”
“Fuck you!”
Emily shot off another round and moved closer. “You tell whoever it is that paid you some piss-amount of money that I don’t have what they want, and if they don’t get their facts right, I’ll be happy to treat them just like all the bulls I castrate.”
The man hightailed it to his vehicle and got the hell out of there, tires screeching on the asphalt. Rick knew letting him deliver the message was more important than burying a bullet in his ass. He had the plate memorized and knew Jack had gotten photos of the man that they could run through facial recognition. They’d have a nice long list of the players before too long, and as far as he was concerned, that was damn good news.
What wasn’t good news was the frown on Em’s face. It was pointed in his direction, and he had a pretty good idea that he’d once again crossed that invisible line that landed his ass on the wrong side of things.
Which meant their evening wasn’t going to be peaceful.
Something he’d probably best get used to.
Chapter Eighteen
Emily stomped out of the clinic toward her truck, mad enough to spit nails. Not only had she’d been confronted by some low-life on the highway, but the director of human resources had just made some thinly veiled accusations that she hadn’t cared a bit for.
Years of schooling and training were all but dismissed because of town gossip, and she hoped the conversations she’d just had was nothing more than the result of the woman having a bad day.
Because if it was anything else, she was going to lose her ever-lovin’ mind.
Seeing Levi’s truck pull into the parking lot, she let out a breath and shoved her medical bag and shotgun into her car. “Cue the lecture,” she grumbled before ambling over. “Hey, brother.”
“Are the rumors I’m hearing in any way true?”
“Why yes, Levi, I’m doing well and appreciate you checking on me. And yes, you can buy me supper tonight. That would be real nice of you.”
“Cut the crap.”
“You cut it since I’ve had as bad a Monday as possible.”
“I need some facts before Tim and I have words with the Pierce brothers. What you got for me?”
“That’s the damn problem—I don’t have anything.” She rubbed her hand across her forehead and felt the weight of the day drop like an anvil against her shoulders. “What have you heard?”
“Nothing yet. I’ve got a call in to Rick and am expecting to hear back from him any time.”
She scowled and reminded herself that revenge never turned out like one planned. “You better hope he gets back to you before I get to him and make it all but impossible for him to talk.”
Levi pushed his shoulders back and glowered. “So, I’m guessing he really did land the helo on the highway.”
>
“Jack landed it, and for anyone who cares to get the facts right, I had everything well under control.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything else.”
She let out a long, slow breath and did her best to quell both the anger and frustration rattling around her chest. “Seems Nash really is involved in his brother’s business.”
“Everything that’s happened all but confirms it. Those rumors about his brother working with the cartels looks pretty close to fact now.”
She kicked the ground with her boot and shook her head. “Shit, that’s what I was thinking, too.”
“It’s a damn shame, and the chance of them extricating themselves before one of them gets shot is not very good. Because once you’re in bed with the gangs, there’s no real way of getting out.”
“Do you think Nash put me in the line of fire because he’s pissed about me and Rick getting together, or was it unintentional?”
“That’s the million-dollar question, ain’t it?”
She rubbed her head and then rolled back on her heels. “What a mess. I’ve wanted to believe the best of him for longer than was wise. I need to just let it go and accept reality.”
“I know it sucks, but it’s your only choice.”
She gave her brother a firm nod and dreaded how the whole thing was going to end.
“You headin’ home?”
“Yes. I dropped Mabel off on my way into the clinic and need to go home and get her fed. I’m gonna pop a big bowl of popcorn and get into my jammies and watch something mindless on TV.”
“You gonna be okay alone?”
“Of course. Rick and Weston put in a fancy system, and a mouse can’t cross the grass without alerting the proper authorities.”
“Good.”
“You wanna come over?”
“I will if you need me, but I was headed over to the Broken Spoke.”
“Who you meetin’ over there?”
“I’m just gonna grab a bit of supper with Annie.”
“Well, you go on then and use your good manners.”
“I’m a decent man and don’t need you reminding me how to behave.”
She leaned in and kissed her brother’s cheek. “You are a lot more than decent, and Annie will be lucky to have your company.”
“Can I quote you on that?”
“God no!” She stepped back and crossed her arms. “And if anyone asks me, I’ll deny ever saying it.”
“Love you, sis.”
“Love you, too. Have a good time.”
“Go home and lock up.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear from my baby sister.”
“Once a year, Levi. That’s all you’ll ever get.”
He tipped his hat and put his truck into gear. “I know.”
Emily watched her brother drive out of the parking lot and didn’t know who she should be most frustrated with. Maybe all of them for messing with the life she’d worked so hard for.
…
The lights were on in the living room when Rick pulled into Em’s driveway. He checked the app on his phone, took a cursory glance at the stats, and was gratified to see that she’d set it when she’d gotten in earlier. He shot off a quick text letting her know he was on his way in and then grabbed his bag and jumped out of the truck.
Sucking in a lungful of the warm night air, he took a moment to thank the powers that be that everything had turned out as well as it had. Everything that could have gone wrong had been playing in his mind on repeat since he climbed back into the helo and left Em at her truck. Breath had left his body when he’d given into picturing a bullet tearing into her body, someone torturing her to extract intel, holding her for ransom.
He wiped his mind as best he could of the horrific images as a small shiver ran down his back. Dwelling on all the horrible possibilities wouldn’t do anyone a bit of good.
Gratitude was the magic ingredient to his sanity, and he hadn’t come as far as he had just to come this far. The brass ring was in his sights, and he didn’t plan on stopping until both he and Em’s hands were fisted around it together. It’s the only kind of future he was interested in, and if he had to will the son of a bitch into reality, he was more than prepared to do just that.
He bounded up the porch, pressed his hand to the pad next to the door, and heard the two biometric locks click open. Pushing the door open, he slowly walked in and wasn’t surprised when he got a frown and not a smile in greeting. “Which offense are you going to chew me out for?”
“None,” Emily announced quietly as she clicked off the TV. “I don’t have the blood alcohol level to deal with you right now, so I’m going to bed and hope some of my patience makes a reappearance before morning.”
“You interested in hearing any of my long-winded rationalizations in the meantime?”
“No!”
He watched her spin toward the hall and walk into her bedroom. “Figured as much.” Following her, he dumped his bag on a chair. “My brother is calling in the morning with some intel, and I’m hoping it will be enough to put a stop to whoever is after you. If it doesn’t, we’ll just move you out to the ranch. No one gets onto Blakely land without one of us knowing about it, so it’ll likely be our best option if we can’t wrangle the assholes harassing you fast enough.”
She slapped her hands on her hips and leaned forward. “You best quit making plans without consulting me. I didn’t care for your high-handed, know-it-all attitude when we were kids and like it even less now. Us sleeping together doesn’t mean you can dictate to me in any way.”
“Well aware of that, since you’ve never taken into account anyone’s opinion other than your own.” Crossing his arms, he tipped his chin and felt real good about his comment…that was until her head spun around like she was a demon possessed. “Now, Em…”
“Don’t you dare after saying something so…so…untrue!”
“But it’s not. We both know you don’t have much use for any outside input.” He put his hands up and tipped his mouth into a smile. “You’ve been that way since you were in kindergarten, and believe you me, I’ve got no illusions of it changing. I was merely stating a fact and—”
“Get out!”
“What?” Stunned by the order, he stepped back. Was she really ready to get rid of him?
“You heard me. Go on home and leave me and my closed mindedness in peace. I don’t need to hear your laundry list of my alleged faults after the day I’ve had. I knew getting involved with you was the—”
“Best damn thing in the whole world,” he finished as he stepped forward and folded her into his arms. Knowing he might not survive the hug unharmed bothered him very little, and if she wanted to sock him in the gut to feel better, he’d be more than happy to take it. “Em…”
“You landed a freaking helo on the highway, Rick. That’s not a reasonable response to someone harassing me.”
“Maybe it wasn’t, but the important thing to remember about the day’s events was that I didn’t interrupt your conversation with the asshole who was threatening you.”
Bouncing her head against his chest, she let out a loud groan. “You are crazier now than you were as a teenager. How is that even possible?”
“That’s not true, but I’m a hell of a lot more trained and respond to situations accordingly. What say we call it a day and tangle our feet together?”
“I’m mad as hell and don’t think tangling anything with you is a good idea.”
“I’d suggest some angry sex but feel like it wouldn’t go over well.”
“What the hell is angry sex?”
“It’s another way of saying. ‘You pissed me off so much, I want to fuck the shit out of you.’”
Letting out a groan, she stepped back. “You have lost your damn mind, but I’ll keep the offer
in mind, nonetheless.”
“Em…” Watching her eyes raise, he took her hands. “I’m always on your side, even when it seems like I’m not.”
“It’s hard to believe, but I don’t have the energy for a debate.”
“Ready for bed?”
“Yes, it’s been a hell of day. But considering I didn’t need bail money and don’t have a body count, I’m going to call it a win.”
“Couldn’t agree more.” He let her hands go and watched her walk into the bathroom, knowing that if he didn’t find a way to dial back his overbearing ways, she’d be kicking him to the curb for good.
Unfortunately, his protective instincts and alpha aggressive approach to threats and conflicts had been fine-tuned and encouraged for most of his life, and he wasn’t all that sure how to turn off the tap.
He was going to have to figure out some sort of solution, though, because having Emily disappointed wasn’t something he wanted to live with.
It was time to work the problem and come up with an approach that would make them both happy. He’d rarely let anything get the best of him in the Navy, and life as a civilian didn’t need to be any different.
Chapter Nineteen
Emily leaned against the brick facade of the Beehive Salon and felt like throwing her phone across the parking lot. Closing her eyes, she let her head fall against the wall and wondered if pounding it would do her any good. “Son of a bitch,” she muttered. “He’s got some kind of nerve.”
“Who’s got nerve?” Vanessa asked as she walked up.
She opened her eyes slowly and let out a loud breath. “I was just informed that I’m being assigned to the Blakely Ranch on a full-time basis.”
“Guessing that’s not good news.”
“You would be correct, since it has nothing to do with what a kick-ass vet I am, but your cousin’s interfering ways. He can’t stand the idea of me being out of the highway and has found a way to stick his nose in my business.”