Ghost's Treasure (10 page)

Feeling more comfortable, she grinned slightly, determined to get him to answer a question before bedtime. Standing, she started clearing the table. "I bet you were a high school athlete. Football?"

He placed his used utensils and plate in the sink.

When he didn't answer, she elaborated further. "With your size, I'd go with football or possibly rugby." She raked his body with her gaze, then grinned. "Bet you had more than your fair share of kisses under the stadium seats."

Ghost gathered up the uneaten food and placed it back in the fridge, refraining from joining in the conversation at hand.

She turned to meet his gaze, shrugged, and smiled. "I think you were downright popular and made out for the first time before you hit eighteen." A beat or two passed as she nodded. "Definitely by eighteen. Probably earlier since the older girls would have been all over you like white on rice."

He snorted. "Lady, you're fishing in an empty pond."

She blinked. "Meaning."

"Meaning find something else to do rather than bug me. I've got a job to do." Spinning on his heel, he retreated down the hall.

Finished with the kitchen, she headed to the couch, grabbed up the remote, and punched the power button. She flipped through a variety of channels before landing on one that snared her attention at least momentarily. Her mind continued to return to the man sharing the house.

As if on cue, he emerged from the bedroom, strode across the room to stand at the side of the back door. He stared out, pensive and broody, as if waiting for the hounds of hell to charge at any moment. Josie didn't know diddly squat about the man, but she knew this. Hounds of hell or Armageddon itself wouldn't scare Ghost. She wasn't sure anything on this earth could.

What's your story, Ghost? How many layers do I have to whittle through in order to reach your long dormant humanity?

Chapter 16

A strong hand clamped over her mouth, jerking her from a restless sleep in a fit of panic. She grabbed at the wrist of the unmovable arm and began to struggle only to freeze at the words whispered in her ear.

"Shhh. We've got visitors. Don't say a word, just slide off the bed and get on the floor."

Josie's fuzzy brain kicked into gear even as fear lashed her heart into a rapid beat. With a small nod, she waited for Ghost to release her, then did as he bid, lowering to kneel on the floor beside the bed.

No sooner had she assumed her new position than Ghost pushed her face into the carpet. The window rattled as if someone tested the lock. The blinds and curtains had been pulled shut all along as a measure against prying eyes. Still, the quiet jiggle sounded loudly across the room. Someone was looking for an expedient way in.

Her heart stuttered.

"Stay down." Ghost mouthed against her ear, then slunk to the edge of the bed, peeking around the corner.

No sooner had he achieved his position than glass fractured and the mattress jumped.

Ghost threw his body over hers, plastering her to the floor, as another bullet struck the dresser to her right He twisted, still on top of her and returned fire. The loud crack split through the night as opposed to the nearly silent incoming fire.

Breathing became difficult with his heavy weight pressing her down into the unforgiving floor, yet she didn't utter a single word of protest. Uncertainty and the need for self-preservation washed over her as she focused on simply sucking in enough air for her needs and remaining completely still.

An eternity later, Ghost lifted off her, sliding once more toward the window. Gaining his feet, he stood to the side of the now broken glass, then ever so carefully used the barrel of his gun to push aside what remained of the window trappings.

Josie held her breath as he pushed forward, yanked down the curtain, then scanned the area for their assailant. No gunshots followed, only a vicious curse from her bodyguard as he stared out the empty hole.

"You can get up now. Slowly. Stay away from the opening and go to the hallway." He watched the area and moved backward, his handgun at the ready.

By the time she hugged the corner of the hallway/living room junction, he pulled abreast and flicked on a lamp resting on the closest end table. "They're gone for now. But just to make sure, we're not sticking around for round two."

She nodded and swallowed, her dry mouth making conversation difficult at the moment. "How did they find us so soon?" The words croaked out. "I thought this was a safe house."

He stared at her a long moment with a calculated, stoic expression. Those light blue eyes remained lifeless. "Get your purse."

Bewildered by his request, she returned to the bedroom, grabbed her purse from the dresser, and returned.

"Now empty it."

"What? Why?" Completely confused, she kicked her rattled brain into gear.

"Just do it, lady. There's nothing in there I haven't seen before. So dump it."

Grasping her purse, she flipped it upside down, allowing the contents to fall onto the wide end table with a thump and clang. Ghost stepped away for a second only to return with a rolled up magazine in hand. Using the paper as a tool, he nudged the belongings here and there until everything lay spread out before them. "Do you see anything different?"

Carefully, she surveyed each item. Her gaze landed on a simple white ink pen. Frowning, she reached out to pick it up for further appraisal, only for Ghost to bracelet her wrist with his strong hand, sending a zing of energy through her body.

"Don't touch. Fingerprints."

With a slight bob of her head, she pulled her hand back, quickly earning her release. "The white pen. I don't remember seeing it before." Glancing up, she met his gaze.

He cussed once more. "Tracking device."

"But how?" She couldn't imagine how someone would, first of all, put a GPS tracker into a regular writing implement and secondly, be able to drop the thing into her bag.

"You'd be amazed what modern technology offers." Palming his phone, he called Ryan and updated him on the situation.

Josie stared at the tracer as she halfway listened to the conversation between the two men. A shudder washed over her as reality took hold. The people responsible for scaring the wits out of her in their desperate bid for the jewels knew her location all along. They could have moved faster, caught them completely off guard, even made a reckless attempt on their lives along the road. Good thing they needed her alive or they might have done just that.

Ghost's expression firmed all the more, bordering on a scowl. He encouraged Ryan to make haste and punched the phone to end the call. "We'll put that little surprise in a plastic bag and take it with us for the time being."

"Why?" She blinked, unable to figure out his logic. To her way of thinking, their first step would be to crush the thing with a heavy boot. Surely, the FBI could still get fingerprints off a squished pen?

"It fits into the plan Ryan laid out to move things along a bit faster."

"Why do I think this part isn't going to make me happy?"

"Because it involves bait."

"Let me guess. I'm the bait."

"Yeah."

She sighed, then straightened her back. Ryan mentioned this as something they might need to do. Even if she disliked being in the line of fire, life would never be normal again until they found a way to corral all the hoodlums after her.

"Bring it on."

Chapter 17

Ghost turned the engine off and took a moment to absorb the sight of Josie still sleeping. She'd drifted off not too long after he started the long four hour drive to the second safe house, this one located in the rural backwoods of the Rocky Mountains. They could hide there indefinitely, but that wasn't the plan. Instead, Ryan set him up with the perfect environment to protect Josie while drawing on his considerable skills to hunt and eradicate anyone who dared show up unexpectedly with kidnapping on their mind. They still carried the tracer pen to lure the criminals to their new location. Hiding wasn't the goal as much as laying in wait while luring the bad guys in.

As he watched, Josie's eyes fluttered open, peace and security reflected in the still sleepy orbs, like a cute kitten rising from a long winter's nap. His gut clenched as his cock sat up and took notice. Her petite frame held all the mouthwatering curves men appreciated. Add in her personality and the way she'd held up under serious strain thus far and he couldn't help but wonder if she tasted as sweet as he imagined.

She blinked, yawned, then met his gaze.

Bedroom eyes. Sexy as hell and something he'd only dream about with the woman under his care.
Haven't I learned my lesson already the hard way?
He called himself three kinds of fool and shoved all sensual ideas aside.

"Rise and shine, lady. I might be your bodyguard, but I'll be damned if I'll be your pack mule." His words came out rougher than he intended, yet he didn't wish them back. The sooner he gained space from the pretty lady, the happier he'd be. He'd seen the curiosity in her eyes, noted the thoughtful and tender glances aimed his way. A lifetime ago he could accept and appreciate her gestures and caring. Not now. She'd be better off turning her marshmallow heart and thoughts away from him and to someone able to return the same sentiments.

But damn if he didn't soak up each and every look like a thirsty cactus drank in the rain after a decade long drought.

"I'll pull my own weight, thank you very much." Her husky voice rubbed over him like hot massage oil. She straightened up, unsnapped her seat belt, and jumped to the ground.

Mentally kicking himself for allowing such thoughts, he slid out of the driver's seat, opened the rear door and began gathering their supplies.

The last thing he needed was the woman getting the wrong idea about him and his future. He was her bodyguard for a few days. End of story. Thus keeping her an arm's length could only benefit him.

He grabbed his personal duffle bags, spun around, and headed for the small cabin. Josie followed, her arms loaded with backpacks and a couple of plastic bags brimming with clothes and food stuff. Shoving the key in the lock, he quickly opened the front door, then stepped inside to punch a code into the security system.

"Wait here. Let me check it out first." He set his bags down in the kitchen floor and made a quick scan of the house. The tiled kitchen opened into a cozy living room with a decent-sized window, which caught the dramatic view of the wilderness surrounding them. He couldn't miss the tall treadmill waiting near the far wall. He snorted in dry amusement.
Guess Ryan didn't want to drag his ass up here for another express delivery.

Making his way farther, he entered a short hallway that led to a single bedroom with a decent-sized bathroom across the hall.

He clenched his jaw. Of course there'd be only one bedroom with an oversized bed. If he needed sleep, he'd simply take the couch. No way would he crawl into bed with Josie, even if they both donned their day clothes. He needed her at a safe distance, not cuddled against his side, sharing body heat against the night's chill.

He hadn't held a woman like that since Lindsay. Sweet Lindsay. After their passion cooled, she'd snuggle up against him, rest her head on his shoulder. They'd chat, touch with tenderness. The last time, he rested his hand over the bump of her belly, wondering if their love created a boy or a girl. She had kissed him, laid her hand over his, and teased him about learning to change diapers.

The memory crept up on him but didn't produce the horrible pain as it had in the past. More like a warming sensation rather than a fiery case of heartburn. Why he could suddenly remember the good times without experiencing the negative side effects now, he didn't have a clue.

With a mental shake of his head, he retraced his steps. "It's safe."

Josie nodded, shut the door behind her, and began unloading the plastic bags of food stuff after setting her duffle aside.

"I need to show you something first." He gestured for her to follow him. "Ryan shared a little secret." Walking into the bedroom, he opened the door of the walk-in closet. Reaching the back wall, he found a small keyed box near the ceiling. "See this?" He edged around so she could have a direct view.

"Yes. What is it?" Her head tilted in puzzlement.

"A secret exit. You enter in the code and the door will open. According to Ryan, there's a tunnel that leads to a cave, which ends down the hill a little way."

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "What's the code?"

"It's numbers. Five-six-five-four-three-eight-nine." Ghost hit the numbers as he spoke. Slowly the wall rotated, revealing a dark tunnel. "Memorize those. Your life might depend upon it."

She nodded and spoke them in order. "Got it." She craned her neck to peek around him. "Can we check it out?"

"Sure." He stepped into the corridor and led the way. The dim lighting provided just enough illumination for him to navigate his way without too much difficulty. He heard Josie right on his heels, the crunch of pebbles giving her away. Before too long, he felt the cool air from the cave. Stepping on a large rock, he jumped down to the sandy floor. Automatically, he turned, reaching for Josie, held her hand tight as she gracefully sprung down beside him, not breathing hard despite the challenging terrain.

"Wow. This is neat." She bent over to peer out the cave's entrance. "All I see is trees."

"That's the point. Keeps the cave hidden and covers anyone who might need to escape that way." He glanced at the rock walls, then at the mouth of the cave. If everything went to shit, this could make a good defensive position. He stored the information away for later use.

Glancing at Josie, he noticed how small and delicate she appeared compared to him, to Mother Nature's surroundings. No, not delicate. Strong for her size. He recalled her muscular build as she ran on the treadmill. She'd need every bit of that power and mental toughness for this situation. Only someone with nerves of steel could sit like a tethered goat and wait for their enemies to rain down. When that moment came, he hoped she held up and proved her earlier words truthful, able to shoot and kill a man in order to protect herself.