Mountain Rescue, page 10
Dallas shot straight up in bed and gulped air into his lungs. He shoved the covers aside, dropped to the floor, and did pushups, emptying his mind of anything but counting.
Three hundred, three hundred one, two, three, four... What was that noise?
He paused with his face halfway to the floor, listening. The dog’s crying almost sounded like a baby. “Bella?” She whined again. He rolled over and reached for the bedside lamp, turning it on. The dog was curled up in the corner of the room, shaking as hard as she had the first time he’d seen her. Shit, he’d scared her.
“It’s okay, girl,” he softly said as he eased over to her. “No one’s going to hurt you. I just had a bad dream.” He leaned back against the wall and put his hand on top of her head. “You’re okay.” She crawled onto his lap. “We’re two messed-up creatures, huh?”
“Two beautiful creatures.”
Dallas lifted his gaze to the woman sitting in his doorway with her legs crossed and her hands clasped together. How long had she been there? He was losing his skills if she could sneak up on him like that.
“I woke you. I’m sorry.” He’d never wanted her to see his body. He should have shut his door, but he’d left it open so he could hear if anyone tried to break into the cabin.
“You didn’t. I was reading a boring book, hoping it would put me to sleep. I heard you, and I just couldn’t pretend I didn’t.” Her gaze traveled over his scarred chest and arms. Since he was only wearing boxer briefs, he was glad Bella’s body was hiding his messed-up legs. The expression in her eyes went from appreciation to pity.
“Don’t,” he said, almost cringing at the snarl in his voice, but he couldn’t take anyone’s pity, one reason he’d fled from his family. He especially couldn’t take hers.
“What? Don’t what, Dallas? Hate that someone hurt you? That your body is marked by their cruelty but still beautiful? Sorry, but I get to own my feelings about you.” She tilted her head as she stared back at him. “Do you think you can handle me touching you right now?”
There was nothing he wanted more, but he was still too raw after his nightmare. “I don’t think I can.”
* * *
The ride to K-9 for their meeting with Jack and Noah was the quietest time he’d had with Rachel in the few days he’d known her. He hated that he was to blame for the distance between them, but it was for the best.
As he turned onto the gravel road that led to K-9, he glanced at her. She was wearing one of her disguises, probably the one she wore on the plane, that of a college student.
If the college girl with long blond hair, black skinny jeans riding low on her hips, and the pale blue off-the-shoulder blouse had been in one of his classes, he would have begged her to go out with him. The man he was now wanted to see the real Rachel sitting next to him, not this pretty sorority girl who was ignoring his existence.
He couldn’t stand her silence. “Hey, I’m sorry.”
“For what?” She finally looked at him.
“For last night.” He parked the car, then shifted to face her. “I’m giving you mixed signals, and that’s wrong of me.”
“What you’re giving me is whiplash, but apology accepted.” She put her hand on the door handle. “No more kissing, okay?”
His first impulse was a resounding no, he didn’t agree, not after knowing how sweet she tasted, how soft and warm her lips were. And even more than those reasons, was this one...she was the only person since his rescue that he could tolerate touching him. How was he supposed to turn his back on that?
“Fine, no more kissing.” Because he couldn’t resist messing with her a little, he said, “Until we get married. Then all bets are off.” She laughed, and he felt a hundred feet tall for putting that light in her eyes.
“Someday I’m going to accept your proposal just to see you panic.”
He wasn’t sure he would, but that was his secret. He already knew he’d pursue a relationship with her if he’d met her before his time in Hotel Hell, but now he was a mess. And it wasn’t just that holding him back.
Dallas loved working with the horses, and he was good at it. He could work for Phoenix, who’d taken what had been a minor segment of the family business and built it into a substantial training and breeding operation, but Dallas wanted something of his own. If he could just figure out what that was.
As much as he tried not to, he envied his siblings. They had found their places in life. Money wasn’t an issue. Each sibling had a trust fund and owned shares in the ranch, even he and Shiloh, and they were all wealthy. But he wanted a purpose, and he wanted to love whatever that might be. Until he figured out his future, it wasn’t fair to involve someone else in his life, not when he didn’t even know where he’d end up living.
* * *
“Whoa, who are you and what have you done with Rachel?” Noah said when Rachel walked into K-9’s conference room with Dallas.
Dallas grinned. “Meet college girl, Rachel’s alter ego.”
Jack walked in and came to an abrupt halt at seeing Rachel. “Incredible. If I passed you on the street, I’d walk right by never realizing it was you.”
“That’s the intention of doing this,” Rachel said. “Hopefully, Robert won’t realize it’s me if I show up on any security cameras he manages to see.”
Jack pulled out a chair at the table. “There’s always the chance he can find out you flew into Asheville, and that concerns me.”
“Nope, I flew to Atlanta, then paid cash for a junk car and drove it here disguised as an old lady.”
Noah whistled. “You’re one clever woman, Rachel Denning.”
She really was, and Dallas loved the big smile that blossomed on her face at the praise. He put his hand on her back and guided her to the chair next to Jack, then took the seat next to her, across from Noah.
“You have that phone with you that you used to call the police?” Jack asked Rachel.
She nodded. “Why? Do you think the police are tracing it?”
“No way to know, but we’re not going to risk it,” Dallas said as Jack slid a new phone across the table. “Give Jack the one you have. From now on, any calls you make will go through TG. That includes calls to any of us.”
Jack tapped the screen on the new phone. “TG’s number is already programed in the new one.”
“What about my grandmother?” She handed Jack the old phone. “I need to be able to talk to her.”
“You can talk to anyone you want to as long as the calls go through TG. He’ll make sure they’re all untraceable,” Jack said. “I put TG’s number in the notes section. Give it to your grandmother or anyone else who might call you.”
She rubbed a hand over her face. “I hate this. Why can’t the police find Robert?” She glanced at Dallas, tears in her eyes. “If only I’d gotten Henri out of there faster.”
“Hey.” He put his hand over hers. “You can’t think like that. None of this is on you.” Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that Jack and Noah were both looking at the hand he had over hers. The difference was that Noah was grinning and Jack was frowning. Jack was right to be concerned, and he almost snatched his hand away but stopped himself. She was hurting and it didn’t mean anything that he wanted to comfort her.
Well, he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and carry her away to somewhere safe where men weren’t trying to kill her. He supposed it did mean something, that he wanted to wipe those tears from her eyes and find a way to make her smile.
Her old phone chimed, and Jack eyed the screen. “Detective Diaz.” He glanced at Rachel. “Call him back on your new phone.”
“Using the number for Carter?” she asked. Dallas nodded, but before she could call TG, her new phone buzzed, TG’s name showing up on the screen. She jumped, then stared at the phone as if it was a possessed thing.
“Go ahead and answer,” he said. “Put it on speaker.”
“Um, hi, Carter. It’s like you have ESP or something. I was about to call you.”
“Hi, darlin’. Who all’s with you?”
“Dallas, Jack, and Noah.”
Was it his imagination or had she said his name softer than Jack’s and Noah’s? His gaze slid to her, and she smiled. Eff him. He would move mountains for this woman to keep that smile on her face.
“Double D! Dude, where you been hiding?” TG said.
Dallas was curious to hear Noah’s answer. Noah had been through hell but had managed to climb his way out. Dallas wanted to know how he’d done it.
Noah rolled his eyes. “Like you didn’t know exactly where I am.”
That was true, and Dallas chuckled. TG could likely tell you where every single operator he’d come in contact with was and what they were doing.
“Can’t deny it,” TG said. “So, Rachel, darlin’, your detective is calling to give you what he considers bad news, but I find there’s a bright side to everything.”
Chapter Ten
Rachel flattened her hands on the table to keep from putting them over her ears. The last thing she wanted was more bad news. Dallas slipped his hand under the table, put it on her knee, and squeezed. His touch reminded her that she wasn’t alone. She glanced around the table at the three men who’d put themselves in the middle of her troubles without her asking for their help.
Then there was the one on the phone who seemed to be some kind of all-knowing oracle. Carter Jeffers really was spooky, and from what little the guys had said about him, she’d never want to get on his bad side. She straightened her spine, taking courage from these men who had skills she could only guess at.
“Okay, spooky man, lay it on me. What’s the bad news?”
“Your apartment was broken into last night. Detective Diaz is calling to tell you that.”
She couldn’t say she was surprised, but it enraged her. That was her home, the place she was supposed to feel safe. “How do you know?”
“I have my ways. Was there anything there that would give any indication as to where you are?”
“Not that I can think of...oh, wait. My laptop has all my friends’ names and addresses in it...my grandmother’s, Jack and Nichole’s.”
“Does your grandmother live in LA?”
“Yes, but she’s hiding out at a dude ranch in Wyoming.” She sucked in a breath. “Oh God, I never went back in my apartment when I saw Robert’s men. My grandmother emailed me when she arrived, telling me how much she loved the Lazy Horse Ranch. That email is still on my computer. If Robert has it, he can find her.” She pushed away from the table. “I have to go get her.”
“Take a breath, darlin’. We’ll make sure she’s safe.”
She turned pleading eyes on Dallas. “Please, I have to go to her.” Her grandmother was the only family she had left, and if something happened to her, Rachel would never forgive herself.
“Listen to Carter,” Dallas said. “We’ll keep her safe. Exactly where is she?”
“The ranch is in Jackson Hole.” She sat back down. “She can’t stay there, not if there’s any chance of Robert finding her.”
Dallas nodded. “She’s right. You got anyone near there, TG?”
“Yeah. I’ve got a husband and wife team that can be there in two hours. They can take your grandmother to wherever you want.”
“The Big Sky Ranch in Butte, my family’s spread,” Dallas said. “I’ve got three brothers, one sister, one brother-in-law, parents, and a shitload of ranch hands who all can hold their own in a shooting contest against any SEAL team. I’ll call my sister. Cheyenne will have a room ready for...” He glanced at Rachel.
“June. June Denning. She’s going to be disappointed to have to leave her hot cowboys at the Lazy Horse, so tell your team to take her kicking and screaming if they have to.”
“Not to worry, darlin’. We got this. As soon as she’s safe in Montana, I’ll call you so you can stop worrying about her.”
Dallas chuckled. “Trust me. There are plenty of cowboys at my family’s ranch for your grandmother to drool over. She’ll just be trading one dude ranch for a better one.”
“Thank you, all of you.” She glanced around the table, wishing there were better words than just thank you to express her gratitude. Not one of these men had to be here for her.
“You’re one of us.” Dallas squeezed her hand. “We protect our own.”
“The bright side of this is that my team in LA has been watching your apartment, meaning they’re now tailing the man who broke in,” Carter said. “Eventually he’ll lead them to Hargrove. In the meantime, call your grandmother and tell her to expect my team. Their names are Zeke and Stephanie Cress. After that, call Detective Diaz, but don’t let on that you already know about the break-in.”
It occurred to her that Carter’s services wouldn’t be free. “Okay, but you have so many people working on this. I...ah, can you give me an estimate on how much all this is going to cost?” She had money saved, and she’d use it all to keep June safe. She just hoped she had enough.
“Darlin’, you don’t owe me a thing. I live for meting out justice on men like Robert Hargrove. Your boys will tell you that’s true.”
“It is,” Dallas said. “Besides, TG doesn’t need any more money. He has more than God.”
Carter chuckled. “Well, that’s not quite true, but I’m running a close second. You make those phone calls, and I’ll call you when I have more news.”
“Well, thank you doesn’t seem adequate, but thank you so much.” Carter had already disconnected, and she realized she was thanking a dial tone. “Wow,” she whispered. “I’m glad he’s on our side.” She slid her gaze over each of the three men at the table. “That goes for you guys, too. Thank you. I still worry about what will happen if Robert finds out you’re helping me.”
“I ain’t afraid of stinkin’ Robert,” Noah said.
“Hooyah!” Dallas and Jack said in unison, with Noah echoing them.
Dallas gave her a smile full of confidence. “The man has no clue what he’s up against. Call your grandmother so she knows what’s going on, then you need to call the detective back. Remember to use TG’s number to make your call.”
“Got it.” While she talked to her grandmother, the guys moved to the other side of the room. What were they talking about? She tried to eavesdrop, but their voices were too low, and along with her grandmother talking, she couldn’t catch their words.
While half listening to June express her excitement over getting to meet a whole new host of hot cowboys, Rachel allowed her gaze to roam over Dallas. Talk about hot cowboys...the man stole her breath. After seeing his body last night, she understood why he always wore long-sleeve shirts.
To her, his body was beautiful, a work of art. The scars were forever a part of him, which made them beautiful too, a testament to his courage and bravery. After returning to her room, she’d let the tears fall for the man who’d been tortured so brutally and now couldn’t stand to be touched.
He caught her staring at him and winked. A hundred butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Why had she said no more kissing?
Dallas didn’t have to look over at Rachel to know her eyes were on him. He felt her gaze roaming over him, and unable to resist catching her in the act, he glanced at her and winked. Her cheeks pinked, and he expected her to divert her eyes, but she didn’t. She winked back at him, and he laughed. Man, he liked this girl. He liked kissing her even more. He was trained to follow the rules, but no more kissing might be one worth breaking.
“Stop flirting with Nichole’s best friend, and pay attention,” Jack snapped.
Noah snorted. “He is paying attention, just not to you.”
True that. “That’s all I have until TG finds out if the body is Henrietta. We also need to know if Rachel’s laptop is missing. If it is, we’ll need to put protection on Nichole.”
Jack’s eyes turned steely. “He touches my wife, and he’ll die slowly and painfully.”
“Her parents live in Florida, right?” Noah said, getting a nod from Jack. “Maybe she should pay them a visit until Hargrove’s behind bars.”
“That’s a good idea,” Dallas said.
Jack sighed. “She’s not going to like being sent off with Rachel here, but she can be mad at me all she wants if it means she’s safe. Maybe we should send Rachel with her.”
“No.” Panic surged at the thought of being separated from her. “He’s only after Rachel. If we send her, too, we’ll all have to go to guard them. Plus, you’d be putting Nichole’s parents in danger.”
“Yeah, bad idea,” Jack said. “Let’s finish up here so I can go break the news to Nichole.”
“Give me a few minutes to call my sister.” He clicked on Cheyenne’s number as he left the room.
“You’re an ass, baby brother” was Cheyenne’s greeting.
He winced. Yeah, he pretty much had been, considering he’d fled without telling everyone except for his father that he was leaving. He’d been drowning, and his father understood. As a boy, Laramie Manning had been tortured by his stepfather until his biological father had learned of his treatment and had rescued him.
When he’d said he had to leave, his father had nodded as if he’d been expecting it. “Son, if that’s what you need, I’ll take you to the airport. When your mother kicks me out of our bedroom for sending you off without telling her, you’re going to owe me a new horse. I’ve got my eye on one and he’s not cheap.”
Damn, but he loved his father. His mother, too, but he didn’t know how to tell her he couldn’t handle all the hugs she kept giving him, that even her touch was unbearable.
“Yeah, I guess I am, but I had to get away for a while, Cheyenne. Dad understood.”
“If that’s what you needed to do, I’ll accept you had to leave, but you’re still an ass for sneaking away.”
