by Elle James
Not that he was a stellar representative of a businessman. He wore a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, and his hair needed to be cut and his beard trimmed.
All that didn’t matter. The man had saved her life. Her lips tingled from where his had been, forcing air into her lungs.
She looked past the thick beard, the unkempt hair and the rocker T-shirt, up into Jake’s dark eyes. They held shadows of their own. Shadows that made RJ wonder at their cause.
She shook herself, bringing her mind back to what really mattered. She owed this man her life. “Thank you for saving me.”
Chapter 3
Jake grunted a response. He hadn’t asked to be the one to save this woman in the soft sweater and short skirt. He’d just happened to want another beer and had excused himself from the meeting he and Kujo had been having in the lodge to get a drink from the bar.
Since he’d left the bar through the back door, he’d assumed it was okay to reenter from that direction.
He hadn’t anticipated rescuing a woman who was clearly being smothered to death. But he was glad he’d been there. Otherwise, there would’ve been two bodies to clean up instead of one. And it would’ve been a shame if RJ hadn’t survived.
“You’re welcome,” he said.
RJ glanced down at the man lying on the ground, his head at an awkward angle, his face white in the starlight. “Who was he?”
“I’m not sure,” Gunny said. “He’s not a regular. No one from around Fool’s Gold that I know.”
RJ shook her head as if in an attempt to clear the remaining fog. The man’s face swam into her memory. “He was in the bar earlier, sitting alone at one of the tables JoJo was waiting on.”
As if on cue, a petite woman flew out the back door and raced down the porch steps, followed by a large dog.
“RJ? Oh, sweet Jesus…RJ?” The dark-haired woman came to an abrupt halt behind the woman leaning against Jake’s chest. “Are you all right? I turn my back for a moment, and you’re gone.” The petite woman looked up at Jake, her brow dipping. “Is this man hurting you? Because if he is…” She raised her fists and snarled at him.
The dog leaned against RJ’s leg and whined.
RJ chuckled, her hand going to the animal’s head as she addressed the other woman. “No, JoJo. This man saved me.” She pushed away from his chest and turned toward the smaller woman. “I’m okay. See?”
“What happened out here?” JoJo asked, her gaze going to Gunny and Kujo, and then finally, to the man on the ground. A gasp escaped her. “Is he…?”
“Dead?” Kujo answered. “Yes.”
The woman’s eyes rounded, and she touched RJ’s arm. “Did you…kill him? Because if you did, I’m sure he had it coming.”
RJ pulled JoJo into her arms and hugged her tightly. “No. I didn’t kill him. Someone else did.”
“And then proceeded to try to kill your friend,” Jake added. “Do you know this man?” he asked JoJo.
She shook her head. “No. Tonight was the first time I’ve seen him in the bar.”
“Did he close out his tab with a credit card?” Gunny asked.
Again, JoJo shook her head. “No. He paid cash. And left a hefty tip.” Her hand went to the pocket of her jeans, and she glanced toward Gunny. “He asked to talk to Mr. Tate. I told him you were in a meeting.” Her brow furrowed. “Should I have come to get you?”
Gunny shook his head. “No. You were busy, and I was in a meeting.”
“JoJo,” RJ touched the small woman’s shoulder, “This man’s death is not your fault. You didn’t kill him. The man in the ski mask did.” She pulled her friend into a hug and held her close.
Jake’s chest warmed at how much the people of Lost Valley Ranch and the Watering Hole cared for each other. It reminded him of his SEAL team and the brotherhood they’d shared through good times and more challenging events.
Gunny squatted beside the dead man and felt in his pockets, unearthing a leather wallet. He straightened and carried it over to the light. Gunny located the man’s driver’s license. “Robert Henderson. And he lives in Colorado Springs.” The old Marine rummaged through the rest of the wallet and pulled out a business card. “He’s a broker for a real estate company in the springs.”
“Wonder what brought him out this far,” RJ said.
“In real estate, he could show properties throughout Colorado Springs as well as up here in Fool’s Gold,” Gunny said. “Maybe he was showing a property earlier and stopped in the bar for a drink before heading back to the springs.”
“That’s likely,” RJ said. “But who would want to hurt him? The man who attacked us was wearing a ski mask.” A frown settled on her brow. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. “I pulled his mask off.”
“Did you get a look at the man’s face?” Kujo asked.
RJ’s hand rose to her temple where a bruise was forming. She sighed and opened her eyes. “No. He hit me before I could get a look at his face. Then he was smothering me, and I…can’t remember much until I came to.” Her gaze went to Jake’s. “I don’t suppose you saw his face?”
Jake’s jaw tightened. “He was wearing the ski mask when I pulled him off you. I would’ve gone after him, but you weren’t breathing. I couldn’t leave you.”
“You did the right thing,” Gunny said. “RJ’s life was more important than catching the killer. The authorities will find him.”
Sirens sounded in the distance.
“You realize the attacker committed a murder and almost got away with another, right?” Kujo nodded toward RJ. “If he thinks she can identify him, he might come back.”
Gunny’s eyes narrowed. “You think he might come back after RJ?”
Kujo shrugged. “She is potentially the only witness to this crime, who might have seen his face.” His gaze captured RJ’s. “You might still be in danger.”
“This is insane,” RJ said, shoving a hand through her tangled hair. “We haven’t had this kind of crime in or around Fool’s Gold, much less, the Lost Valley Ranch, since I’ve been here.”
“She’s right,” Gunny said. “Fool’s Gold is a sleepy little town. The only crime we see is around the casino on the other end of town and an occasional barroom fight when the guys have a little too much to drink.”
“And Gunny makes sure they get home, driving them himself when they can’t find someone sober to do the job,” RJ added.
“Who would want to kill a stranger way out here?” JoJo murmured, her gaze on the dead man lying against the trash bin.
“Guess we’ll find out,” Gunny said as a Teller County Sheriff’s SUV pulled to a halt beside the bar. An ambulance followed right behind the sheriff’s vehicle. Red and white strobe lights lit up the area as the sirens faded. The first responders jumped down and hurried toward the dead man.
Gunny met the sheriff’s deputy as he stepped out of his vehicle.
“What have we got here, Gunny?” the deputy asked.
“One dead, and my daughter was attacked and almost killed,” Gunny responded.
The deputy turned to Jake and Kujo. “And these men are?”
Gunny stepped forward. “Deputy Ray Gathright, this is Joseph Kuntz and Jake Cogburn, my business associates.”
Deputy Gathright held out a hand to Kujo. “Mr. Kuntz. Pleasure.”
“You can call me Kujo.”
The deputy’s brow wrinkled. “Isn’t that the name of a rabid dog, or something, from a movie?”
Kujo chuckled. “It is. Different spelling. The name came about during Basic Combat Training. Last name Kuntz. First name Joseph. One of the DI’s shortened it to Kujo, and it stuck.”
“Kujo, it is.” The deputy shook his hand and turned to shake Jake’s. “Business associates?”
Kujo nodded. “We’re renting space at the Lost Valley Ranch.”
“Tourists?”
A smile tweaked the corners of Kujo’s mouth. “Not exactly. I used to live in Colorado. But this will be Cog—Jake’s—territory when I lea
ve to return home.”
“And home is?” Gathright asked.
“Montana,” Kujo answered.
Gathright cocked an eyebrow. “I’ll need you two to hang around. Since this appears to be a homicide, the state police will want to get involved with the investigation. I’m sure they’ll want to ask you a few questions.”
“Ray,” RJ spoke up, “Mr. Cogburn didn’t kill that man. He kept the killer from killing me.”
“I understand,” the deputy said. “We’ll still need statements from Mr. Cogburn and Mr. Kuntz. It would be best if they stuck around.”
Patrons from inside the bar came out and gathered around, trying to see what was happening and talking among themselves.
Deputy Gathright turned to the crowd. “I’ll need everyone to stick around until I can gather names and statements.”
A few of the men grumbled, but they didn’t try to leave.
The deputy cordoned off the area around the dead man while JoJo and RJ herded the bar patrons back into the building with a promise of coffee on the house.
Thirty minutes later, the state police crime investigation unit arrived and went about dusting for latent prints, taking pictures and questioning the patrons regarding what they might have seen or heard in the building or in the parking lot.
No one had seen anything, except for Gunny’s daughter. And she couldn’t remember much.
The killer had gotten away without being identified. Which meant he was still out there. And if he was still out there, he could come back for RJ to make sure she didn’t remember anything she might have seen when his mask was off.
Not that Gunny’s daughter was his responsibility, but after bringing her back to life, Jake felt a certain need to keep her alive.
The fact that her lips had been soft, and her breath smelled like mint didn’t have anything to do with his sudden streak of protectiveness. He didn’t want her to be the victim of a killer who didn’t think twice about smothering an innocent woman.
RJ and JoJo went inside to take care of the people the deputy had asked to stick around. With RJ out of his sight, Jake grew twitchy. He wanted to follow her.
As the authorities took over and worked the crime scene, Gunny gestured toward the bar. “Could I offer you men something to drink?”
“Yes,” Jake answered, perhaps too quickly. He didn’t want the drink so much as to see that RJ was okay.
Kujo nodded. “I could use a cup of coffee.”
“We’ve got that. Coffee is always free for the designated drivers at the Watering Hole.” Gunny led the way into the bar.
The tension in Jake’s shoulders didn’t relax until he saw RJ behind the bar, smiling at a customer while she poured a steaming cup of coffee.
Her smile lit the dim interior of the bar, and her laughter touched something inside Jake. How could she laugh after nearly being smothered to death? Obviously, Gunny had raised his daughter to be resilient. She hadn’t fallen apart when she’d come to. She hadn’t cried or screamed in hysterics like some women might in similar circumstances.
Rucker Juliet Tate had taken it all in and gotten back up on her feet. Now, she helped others when she should’ve let the emergency medical technicians look her over. She could have a concussion from the blow she’d taken to the head.
Hell, Jake could learn a thing or two from her. Like, don’t take the knocks lying down. Get up and get back to work.
His hand went to his leg.
No, she hadn’t lost a limb. But she’d almost lost her life. Yet, she wasn’t crying about it.
Jake stepped up to the bar beside Kujo.
Gunny slipped behind the counter. “Jake, you want that beer you came out to get?”
Jake tipped his head toward RJ. “I’d rather have a cup of that coffee if there’s any left.”
“I’ll have the same,” Kujo seconded.
Gunny turned to his daughter. “RJ? You got a cup of Joe for Mr. Cogburn and Mr. Kuntz?”
“I do,” she said and pulled two mugs from a shelf behind her and set them on the counter in front of Jake and Kujo. The Belgian Malinois that had followed her inside stayed right beside her, as if sensing she needed protection.
Jake felt a kinship to the dog. He, too, felt the need to stay close to the woman.
RJ poured steaming liquid into the mugs. “Sugar or cream?”
Kujo held up a hand. “None for me.”
RJ cocked an eyebrow toward Jake. “You?”
“I like mine black.”
“Can I get you anything else?” she asked. “I can make up some sandwiches, if you’re hungry.”
“I promised our guests a couple of steaks for dinner before everything went to hell,” Gunny said. “If you tide yourselves over with pretzels, I’ll come through with the steaks once the authorities are gone.”
“Deal,” Kujo said.
RJ filled a couple bowls with pretzels and set them on the counter in front of Kujo and Jake. “So, I take it you and my father came to some kind of agreement?”
Kujo nodded. “We did.”
RJ wiped the counter with a clean rag. “How soon will you want to move your operations in?”
Gunny leaned close. “Immediately. They’ll be staying in the lodge, starting tonight.”
RJ’s eyebrows rose.
“Is there a problem with that?” Jake asked.
“No,” she said. “You don’t waste time, do you?”
Kujo laughed. “No. We don’t.” He tipped his head toward JoJo, who’d arrived back at the bar with a tray filled with empty cups, mugs and bottles. “We’ll fill you in over those steaks.”
“Okay. Thanks,” she said and hurried away to fill drink orders for the petite waitress.
“Just so you know, I don’t keep any secrets from my daughter,” Gunny said. “She is every bit as involved in this ranch as I am, probably more so. And she can be trusted.”
Jake tipped his coffee mug up and sipped the hot, fresh-brewed liquid that warmed a path all the way to his empty stomach.
Kujo’s gaze followed RJ. “I have a feeling she might be our first assignment in Colorado.”
Jake stiffened, his lips on the edge of his coffee cup and liquid flowing into his mouth.
Gunny frowned. “What do you mean?”
“The Brotherhood Protectors job is to protect those who need it.” Kujo faced Gunny. “After what happened tonight, your daughter needs that protection.” Kujo clapped a hand onto Jake’s back. “And Jake’s just the man to provide that protection.”
Jake spewed hot coffee on the counter in front of him.
RJ had just turned in time to see Jake spit out the coffee he was drinking. She hurried over with a washcloth and wiped up the droplets. “Sorry, I meant to tell you it was hot.”
“It’s not that,” Jake said, setting his mug on the bar.
“No?” RJ frowned. “Then what was it?”
Kujo laughed and pounded Jake’s back again. “Yeah, Jake, what was it?”
RJ glanced toward her father.
Gunny met her gaze. “They’re right.”
Getting the feeling she wasn’t going to like what they were going to be right about, RJ fisted her hands and planted them on her hips. “About what?”
“You need protection,” Gunny said in his Marine gunnery sergeant, no-nonsense tone.
RJ’s eyebrow rose. “You think that guy will be back?”
Kujo, Gunny and Jake nodded as one.
“That doesn’t mean he will be back,” RJ reasoned. “If it makes you feel better, I have a forty caliber pistol I can carry around. I do have my conceal carry permit.”
“That will only work if you know how to use it,” Kujo sad. “Do you?”
Gunny snorted. “She’s been shooting since she was four years old. My RJ is a better shot than her old man.”
“You’re not an old man,” RJ said. “And yes, I know how to use it and the dozen other guns we have here on the ranch.”
“Yeah, but you don’t have so
meone covering your six,” said the bearded man with the deep voice that melted every bone in her body. The guy who’d saved her life.
“I do a pretty good job of taking care of myself,” RJ retorted, hating the way her body reacted to the way Jake’s words melted into every pore of her skin. No man had ever made her so aware of every nerve ending with just his voice.
Frankly, it frightened her.
After the Army had medically disqualified her, she’d tucked her tail between her legs and gone home to help her father run the ranch he’d just purchased. Not that she’d been any more qualified to run a ranch than she’d been to join the Army, but she’d refused to be defeated yet again. Her father hadn’t raised a coward. He’d raised a young woman who could learn anything and fight her way through any challenge placed in her path.
RJ had searched the internet, read books and apprenticed on neighboring ranches to learn the ropes she’d need to know to keep the Lost Valley Ranch viable and productive. When ranching cattle at high altitude proved to be less profitable, she’d suggested renting out the ranch to tourists, inviting them to get a taste of ranch life, offering hiking, climbing, trail rides and ATV tours in the summer.
In the winter, they offered cross-country skiing and snowmobile tours. The lodge had been a big single-family home that had seen better days when Gunny had bought it. Between the two of them, they’d upgraded the electrical and plumbing systems, added a couple of bathrooms and updated the kitchen, flooring and paint.
All the renovations she’d done working side by side with her father had left little time for her to date. Yeah, she’d gone out with some friends. Back when she was in high school, she’d had sex with one of the boys she’d fancied herself in love with. After the first couple of times, they’d both realized they just weren’t that into each other and had broke up.
Once, she’d fancied herself in love with a man working a job near Fool’s Gold, only to discover he was a liar and a cheat.
There had been men who’d come onto her in the bar, but she’d had little time to return their advances, working as a bartender at night and guiding trail tours during the day. They’d lost interest. She’d never really had interest in any of them.