Cowboy Rescue [Men for Hire 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (12 page)

Jack, who had returned to her home to man her computer and wait for any more e-mails, had joined them at the hospital, but hadn’t said a word. His face was set, his hands shoved into his pockets as though trying to keep from punching a hole in the wall. Strangest of all was the fact that he’d taken position away from Mike and hadn’t paced or driven him crazy with his usual barely contained energy. That disturbed him, making him worry about his brother.

“She’s going to be okay.”

Jack’s dark eyes flashed. “No thanks to you two.”

He ground his teeth together. “Brad didn’t leave her side but for a few seconds.”

“And yet it was enough for that freak to snatch her.”

Jack was right. Even though he hadn’t been close enough to do anything about it and Brad was the one who’d left her side, he still felt the guilt turn an ugly flip-flop in his gut. “You’re right. But at least he’s dead. It’s over now.”

Jack glared at him again then transferred his animosity toward Brad as he slowly walked toward them. “Well? What’s Gabriel got to say?”

Brad’s expression wasn’t the one he’d hoped to see. “He has a lawyer dealing with the fallout with the sheriff. By the time he’s through with them, none of our names, including Maria’s, will be in any of the reports.”

“That’s not what I’m asking.” He hated it when Brad delayed bad news. And bad news was the only kind of news he ever delayed.

“It wasn’t him.”

Mike pushed away from the wall at the same time Jack did. “What? Then who was it?”

“The man in the car was named Peter Martin. From what Fletcher found out, he was just an ordinary guy who worked for a car rental service. No records, no priors, nothing. He did, however, have major debt.”

“The kind of debt that might make a good man do a bad thing for enough money?” Had King paid Martin to kidnap Maria?

“Yeah, that’s what we’re thinking. Still, we can’t find any connection between him and Sharron or anyone else that seems a likely suspect.”

“Then how do we know it wasn’t the right guy?”

Brad’s expression grew even darker. “Because Fletcher got into her account and found another e-mail from the freak.” He gave them both a sour look. “One that came after the kidnapping attempt.”

“Couldn’t he have set it up earlier to send at a certain time?”

“Fletcher checked out all the possibilities. He said the man sending her the e-mails was definitely alive after the attempt to take her. Martin was just a hired hand.” Brad rubbed the back of his neck.

“So we’re back to square one.” He couldn’t have told them, but he was almost positive that he saw the relief he felt reflected back at him from his brothers’ faces. The case was still active, which meant they could stay with Maria.

“Yeah. We still don’t know much.” Jack shifted from one foot to the other.

At least Jack’s acting like his normal antsy self again.

“I know one thing for sure.” Jack leaned against the wall. “I was certain of this before, but when I heard that she’d gotten hurt, it hit me harder than I’d ever have thought possible.”

Jack looked at first Brad, then him. The anger Jack had shown before was gone. Instead, his expression was one Mike had never seen.

“I know now that she’s the one for us. No doubt about it.” Jack smiled a soft one that was soon lost in the misery on his face. “When I think about how close we came to losing her…” He shook his head then lowered it.

“You’re right. She
is
the one for us.” He’d known it before, but, like Jack, the events of the past few hours had solidified it. He loved her. Could he have lived with himself if they’d lost her?

“I know it, too.” Brad shoved his hands into his pockets. “If she’d died on my watch, I don’t know what I’d have done. That is, after I found the guy responsible and ripped his throat out. But I’m not about to risk losing her again.”

He’s up to something
. “What do you have in mind?”

“We’re taking her home. And until we know anything concrete, not a word to her about Sharron.”

“Back to the ranch?” Jack was on his feet, and a grin plastered across his face. “Is the doctor going to release her?”

“No. He’s keeping her under observation for the night. So we’re staying right where we are. Once night rolls around, one of us will stay out here in the hall with one of us watching her window from the outside. Then the third will stay in her room with her. That’s me since I can’t trust you horndogs to keep your pants on.”

Mike wasn’t about to argue with Brad on that score. He and Jack had already proven his point.

“When they check her out in the morning, we’ll take her to the ranch.”

“Wait a sec. Have you cleared this with Gabriel? We’re never supposed to bring a client there and, as far as I know, no one ever has.”

“Yeah, Jack, I know. And normally, I’d say Gabriel’s right. We should never take a client there.” Brad mimicked his brother’s grin. “But this isn’t business any longer. This is personal.”

* * * *

Maria slept fitfully, reliving the fear that had seared into her when the man had grabbed her and thrown her into the car. He hadn’t been a large man, but his strength had far exceeded his frame. In her dreams, she’d cried out, and more than once, she’d bolted awake to find Brad holding her and whispering comforting words. Her thoughts had jumbled together from the ordeal and the pain meds they’d given her, and she couldn’t make her mind work right. All she could manage to do was to cling to him until sleep had taken her once more.

The dream came again, and Maria struggled against the driver. She thrashed about and screamed for help, but the car’s motions kept her from gaining a firm grip on anything. The pole loomed ahead, the scene slowing down until she could see every detail in stark outline. The crumpling of the car’s hood as it stuck the pole. Brad’s face, determined, unafraid, as he sailed over the front of the car and disappeared. But then the blackness came, threatening to take her down with it, choking the life from her.

She came awake, her eyes wide, her body tight, her hands clutching the hospital blanket.

“Easy, sugar. I’m here. Brad stepped out for a moment, but he’ll be back.”

She pulled Mike to her, clutching his shirt, then searched the small room, looking for the man in the car. “Is Brad all right?”

“Sure he is. Don’t worry about him. He’ll be back soon and you can see for yourself.”

“Where is he? That man.”

“The driver?” He eased her back against her pillow, then stroked her hair. “He’s dead. You don’t have to worry about him.”

She inhaled, daring to hope. “Are you saying it’s over? Was that him?”

He shook his head, slowly, sadly, squashing that brief moment of joy. “No. But we’re pretty sure your stalker hired the man to kidnap you.”

Her heart slowed down, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread cocooning her. “Then what about…” She couldn’t bear to say King’s name.

Mike’s expression drew tight. “King? We still don’t know any more than we did.”

She hadn’t meant to, but the whimper slipped out anyway.

He slid his hands along her arm and took her hands between his. “I know, sugar. I know. And I can’t tell you how shitty I feel about it. We let you down, but we won’t again.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he struggled to speak. “Maria, I don’t know what I would’ve done if you’d gotten hurt. Or worse.”

The way he looked at her, the emotion clenching his face overwhelmed her. Could it be? Was that a tear in his eye? She swallowed as though doing so could rid him of the inability to speak.

“You couldn’t have known.” She pressed a palm to his cheek, her comforting him now. “And you saved me. Because of you and Brad, I’m okay.”

She gasped and captured his face between both her hands. “Is Brad all right? He was really here, wasn’t he?”

Her stomach churned at the thought. If something had happened to Brad or Mike, she’d never forgive herself.

“He’s fine. It takes more than a flying leap over a car to do him in.”

She closed her eyes and let the relief flood her. When she opened them again, she found him staring at her. “What is it, Mike?”

“I know this is fast, but if I don’t tell you how I feel…” He drew her, holding her so that she rested her head on his chest.

“Tell me.” Was that her heart pounding so hard? Or his?

“You’re very special to me, Maria. I’ve never felt this way for any woman. You have to know that. If something had gone wrong, if I hadn’t had the chance to tell you, then nothing else in this world would have mattered.”

Like an eraser wiping words from a chalkboard, his declaration wiped away her fear. She slid her arm over his broad chest and knew she’d be safe in his arms, now, then, and forever. But was he talking about forever?

“I don’t want you to say anything right now.” He gently laid her back against her pillow again. “But think about it, all right? Once this is over, we’ll talk again. Until then, you need to know two things.”

“Yes?”

“Know that you’re safe with us. We would die to keep anything or anyone from harming you.”

She nodded, encouraging him to go on.

“And know that I—” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Hell, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s the truth. I think I knew the minute I set eyes on you, but when I saw you lying here, in this bed, it all became crystal clear.” He straightened and took a deep breath. “Maria, I love you.”

She started to speak even not knowing what she’d say, when he pressed his fingers to her lips, stilling her.

“No, don’t. Not yet. Give it time. Like I said, we’ll talk after this is over.”

“Hey, you’re awake.”

Mike stepped away, keeping his face averted from Brad. “Yeah, she had another nightmare.”

“Maybe this will help.” Brad went to the other side of her bed as Mike moved toward the door. “Here. Try it.”

She took the glass of warm milk from Brad, but her gaze stayed on Mike as he gave her a soft smile, then eased out of the room.

“Hey, you, drink up. You don’t know what kind of hell I had to go through to get that for you, but let me tell you, there’s one mean nurse ready to skin me alive.”

She smiled and brought the glass to her lips. Mike had told her that he loved her. She recalled the sound of his voice telling her and knew it wasn’t the milk alone that warmed her. Sleep overtook her before she’d finished the milk.

* * * *

Maria woke when a stream of light coming through the blinds fell across her face. Stretching, her body ached, but she knew that nothing was broken.

“Hey, Maria. How are you doing?”

She opened her eyes to find Brad sitting on the edge of her bed. Jack peered around the edge of the door then slipped into the room, followed a moment later by Mike. A rush of happiness accented by a healthy dose of lust flowed through her at the sight of the three men.

She clutched Brad’s arm. “Oh, my God. Are you really okay? I remember seeing you fly over the hood of the car. Mike told me you were all right, but I still can’t believe it. I thought it was my imagination every time I woke up and saw you.”

She ran her gaze over him, but he didn’t appear to be injured. He had a few scrapes and bruises, but nothing major that she could see. But how could that be? At the speed his body went over the car, she was surprised he wasn’t stretched out on a hospital bed…or worse.

“I’m fine. It’s you we’re worried about.”

Jack moved to the end of the bed, picked up her chart, and flipped through it. “Yeah. Brad’s far too hardheaded for anything to hurt him. But you?”

His bright eyes fell on her, and she saw the worry in them. Worry and another emotion that made her heart soar.

“You scared the hell out of us.” Jack swallowed. “Don’t ever do that again, okay? I think I lost ten years off my life.”

Again? Were they expecting another attempt to take her? “I’ll try not to.” She bit her lip, almost afraid to ask the questions she needed answers for. “Was that him? Is he…dead?”

Mike took her hand and settled on the other side of her. “Don’t you remember me telling you last night?”

“I don’t think so.”

She tried to recall their conversation, but it was as though her mind was filled with cobwebs. But she did remember one thing. Mike had told her that he loved her. She wanted to ask him, just to be sure she hadn’t dreamed it, but she held her tongue. What if it had been a dream?

“That’s okay. You had a rough night. But no, that wasn’t him. He was just a patsy and, yeah, he’s dead. He cracked his skull open on the steering wheel.”

Her heart sank. “I’m sorry. I never wanted to see anyone hurt.” She felt guilty for asking, but couldn’t keep from doing so. “It’s not over, is it?” If he’d told her that, she would’ve remembered.

“No. But we have an idea.”

She studied Brad’s face and couldn’t decide if he was excited by the idea or concerned that she wouldn’t like it. “I’m listening.”

“We want to take you back to Gabriel’s ranch. It’s our home, really, and it’s the safest place we know of. You’ll be safe there while we track down the man responsible for all your trouble.”

He wanted her to go home with them? At first the idea was exciting, but then logic kicked in. “I can’t leave. I have a class to teach. I have responsibilities. Besides, I refuse to let him ruin my life.”

“Would you rather he take your life?”

Mike shot Brad a look. “There’s no need for that, bro. She realizes what’s at stake here. Look, Maria, you’ve got to think of it this way. What if he tries something while you’re at school? Do you want to put your students in harm’s way?”

“Of course not.”

“Then you need to take a break from your work. The school can find a substitute.” He squeezed her hand, his intention clear. He’d make her understand, but if she didn’t, he’d force her to go along with it.

But he was right. She couldn’t put her students’ lives on the line. “Is it far?”

“Not too far. But far enough. Trust us, Maria. You’ll be safer there than at Fort Knox.”

She took a breath that gave her a little more time to think. Did she trust these men? Without hesitation, the answer came back as clear as a bell.