Ellie turned toward Nate, who looked like he was churning through the information Doris had shared.
“Can I use your computer?” he abruptly demanded.
Ellie shrugged. “Sure.”
She was about to lead him to her office when her attention was captured by the sight of the front door being pushed open. Her brows lifted as she watched the sheriff step into her office. Gary Clark had never been there before, despite the fact the courthouse was just across the street. She suspected he liked the power of forcing her to come to him.
The sheriff watched as Nate moved to stand at her side before he spoke. “Ms. Guthrie.”
Ellie frowned. She had a bad feeling. “Can I help you?”
Gary cleared his throat. “I’m afraid there’s been some bad news.”
Her heart squeezed with fear at his somber tone. “What is it?”
“The fire department got a call an hour ago about a blaze outside town.”
She frowned in confusion. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but it wasn’t this.
“A blaze?”
The sheriff gave a dip of his head. “Yes, ma’am. Your house was on fire.”
Nate wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her close to his side. Instantly Ellie’s fear eased. Without a word, he was telling her that no matter what had happened, she wasn’t going to face it alone.
It was a powerful sensation.
“How bad?” she asked.
“The porch is gone, along with a portion of the roof,” Gary told her, placing his hands on his hips. The gesture spread open his windbreaker to reveal his gun strapped at his side. Ellie often wondered why he bothered to carry a weapon when he spent 90 percent of his time sitting at his desk. “Not a total loss, but I don’t think you’ll be able to stay there until the repairs have been made.”
Ellie released a shaky breath. Not as bad as it could have been. “How did it start?”
“Hard to say.” The sheriff shrugged, looking predictably unconcerned. “Lots of the old ranch houses have faulty wiring.”
Ellie’s jaw clenched. “Not mine. My father insisted that it be thoroughly checked before I moved in.”
“Then it could have been a frayed cord from a lamp,” the lawman suggested.
“On my porch?”
The man sucked air between his front teeth. “Hard to say.”
“It’s not hard to say at all,” Ellie snapped. “The most obvious explanation is arson.”
“You’ll have to check with the fire chief about that,” Gary drawled. “Sorry for your loss.”
Ellie made a sound of shock. “That’s it? You’re not going to make a report?”
“As I said, talk to the fire chief.” With a sharp nod, the sheriff turned to head out of the office.
Ellie watched his exit with her mouth hanging open. Had he really just announced her house had been set on fire and strolled away as if it was nothing?
She’d known he was lazy, but this was outright negligence.
Idiot.
Snapping her lips shut, she pulled away from Nate’s arm. “I have to go.”
Nate studied her with a grim expression. “I’ll drive.”
She hesitated before giving a grudging nod. She wasn’t the sort of woman who fell apart in an emergency. In fact, she prided herself on being at her best when she was under pressure. But she knew her thoughts were too distracted to make it safe for her to be behind the wheel.
“Fine.”
Doris rose from her chair to round the desk and pull Ellie into a tight hug.
“Let me know what I can do to help.”
“I will,” Ellie promised, gently pulling away. “Lock up when you leave. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
Doris waved her hand. “You just concentrate on getting your house sorted. I’ll take care of things here.”
“Thanks.”
Offering her secretary a shaky smile, Ellie allowed Nate to lead her out of the office and back to his truck.
A couple minutes later she was buckled in and they were driving out of town at a speed that might have caused her alarm if she wasn’t lost in the horrifying certainty that someone had tried to burn down her house.
Who would do such a thing?
And why?
Two questions she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt had to be answered before she became the next victim to be found dumped in the remote field.
Chapter Sixteen
Night had shrouded the charred house by the time the last of the emergency vehicles drove away. Unlike the worthless sheriff, the fire chief had listened to Ellie’s concerns and promised that they would do a full investigation.
Nate had stayed in the background. He didn’t need an investigation to know that the fire had been deliberate.
What he didn’t know was what it meant.
Why would anyone set a small fire at a house where they had to know Ellie wasn’t home? It was possible they assumed no one would notice the fire before it had a chance to destroy the house, and that it had just been bad luck for them that someone had spotted the smoke. But why start so small? Why not set a large enough blaze that it would burn in a matter of minutes, not hours?
Just another annoying case of vandalism? Or a warning?
Frustration and a large dose of fear churned through Nate as he walked toward Ellie, who was staring at her house with a sad expression. He didn’t know how to protect this woman from an enemy who didn’t make sense to him.
Reaching her side, he brushed his fingers down her cheek, finding them damp with tears.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed. He hated like hell that he’d been unable to stop the person who was terrorizing her. Or persons.
She reached to touch his arm, as if sensing his sour feelings of guilt. “It’s not as bad as it could have been.”
His gaze moved toward the house, visible in the glow of the moonlight. The front porch had been turned into jagged bits of charred wood, and a corner of the roof had been burned. But overall, the majority of the damage had been caused by the water hoses used by the firefighters.
“True,” he agreed. “It shouldn’t take more than a week or so to make the repairs once the water dries.”
Her hand dropped. “I was talking about my procrastination. I have most of my stuff stored in the garage.”
He turned his head to study her tense profile. It’d been over a year and she still hadn’t unpacked? That sounded like a woman who hadn’t committed to staying in the area.
Now, however, wasn’t the time to question whether she intended to simply walk away one day. Instead he gently wiped away her tears.
“A silver lining,” he murmured.
Her lips twisted. “I suppose.”
His thumbs brushed over her cheeks. “I have another silver lining.”
“What’s that?”
“You get to stay with me until your home has been repaired.”
She stiffened, as if she was caught off guard by his offer. “I can stay in my office tonight. I have a full bathroom and a couch. Then I can look for other—”
He overrode her babbling words. “You’re staying with me.”
Her brows drew together. “Isn’t it my decision?”
He bent his head to press his forehead against hers. In the distance, the droning song of frogs echoed through the night air, offering a sense of peace despite the acrid smell of smoke that hung over the nearby house.
“Let me take care of you, Ellie,” he urged in low tones.
A hint of vulnerability touched her face. “I don’t like having people take care of me.”
His thumb traced her lower lip. “Why not?”
“They think they can control who I should be.”
Nate swallowed a sigh. Her parents had done quite a number on her. Of course, he was dealing with his own daddy issues. Who was he to judge?
“Lucky for you, I like you just the way you are,” he assured her. “Stay with me. I promise you’ll have
all the freedom you need.”
There was a pause before she was giving a small nod. “Maybe for a night or two. Just until I can arrange to rent a place.”
Nate straightened and grasped her hand, tugging her toward the back of the house. He wasn’t going to allow her the opportunity for second thoughts.
“We’ll grab clothes and whatever else you might need,” he said.
They entered through the kitchen and Nate did a quick sweep of the rooms. He wasn’t in the mood for any unpleasant surprises. Once assured that the house was empty, he inspected the ceilings, pleased to discover that none of the water had managed to leak into the house.
Tomorrow he would return and do a quick repair on the roof until she could have it replaced. Or maybe he would convince Ellie to sell the place and move in with him.
The thought hit him with the force of a freight train.
He wanted Ellie to stay with him . . . forever.
A realization that he intended to keep to himself for the moment. Ellie was wary enough. If she suspected that he was hearing wedding bells, she’d bolt so fast she’d leave skid marks on his floor.
And right now it was more important to keep her safe than to convince her they belonged together.
Smiling wryly, Nate helped Ellie carry her suitcases to his truck and drove them the short distance to his house. Then, carrying the cases to the spare bedroom, he headed into the kitchen to start their long overdue dinner.
He was on the back porch grilling the steaks and corn on the cob when Ellie at last wandered out to join him. Quickly he moved to pour her a glass of his favorite wine.
She lifted the glass to her lips, her face pale. “Someone deliberately tried to burn down my home.”
Nate reached out to lay his finger across her lips. “We’ll discuss it tomorrow. For tonight we’ll enjoy a good dinner, and some well-earned peace.”
She pushed away his hand, but even as her lips parted to argue, she heaved a weary sigh.
“You’re right,” she admitted in rueful tones. “I could use a little peace. And whatever you’re cooking smells delicious.”
“It’ll be ready in just a few more minutes,” he said.
Ellie moved to lean against the railing, sucking in a deep breath as she tilted back her head and studied the sky above them.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this view.”
Nate followed her gaze, surveying the velvet black sky that was sprinkled with stars. It was big and vast and beautiful beyond words.
“It’s stunning,” he agreed, his attention returning to Ellie’s face. He was far more interested in the beauty that was just a few feet away. “But is it lovely enough to encourage you to stay in Curry?”
She blinked, meeting his steady gaze. “Why do you ask?”
He shrugged, acting like his future happiness wasn’t hanging on her answer. “Because you haven’t bothered to unpack.”
“Oh.” She sipped her wine. “I’ve been busy getting my law practice established.”
“And that’s the only reason?”
There was a long pause. “I’m not sure,” she at last admitted.
His lips twisted. At least she was honest. “Fair enough.”
She studied him over the rim of her glass. “What about you? Is Curry going to be your forever home?”
“Forever?” He forced himself to truly consider the question. He loved his ranch. And the prospect of opening his small furniture store. But did he want to grow old here, surrounded by wheat fields and cows? He shrugged. “That’s impossible to know, but for now I’m satisfied.”
“Do you miss Chicago?”
He chuckled, moving back to the grill to flip the steaks. “I miss my family, despite the fact they drive me nuts.”
She tilted her head to the side. “You’ve never told me how you ended up in Curry.”
He shrugged. “I took off one morning in my trusty old truck with all my things packed in the back and headed out on Route 66. I wanted to see something of the country before I decided where I was going to settle down.” He allowed his gaze to skim over the countryside that was splashed in silver moonlight. “I stopped over in Oklahoma City and happened to pick up a paper, where I saw a classified ad for this ranch. Once I came out here and walked around, I knew this was the place I’d been wanting.”
“And what about the FBI?” she pressed. “Do you regret retiring?”
He set down the tongs and grabbed his glass of wine, taking a deep drink as he slowly turned back to meet Ellie’s curious gaze. He’d known the question was coming. It always did. A man didn’t retire at the age of thirty-four without people wondering why.
But this time he didn’t pull out his usual spiel about wanting to get away from city life and work with his hands. If Ellie was going to be a part of his life, she deserved the truth.
“Sometimes I have regrets,” he told her. “From the time I was five I wanted to be an agent.”
Her brow furrowed in confusion. “So why would you leave?”
The sizzle of the steaks had Nate grabbing the plates and filling them before he placed them on the small table in the middle of the porch.
“Sit down,” he urged, refilling their glasses before taking a seat next to her.
He waited until she’d started to eat before he cleared his throat and forced himself to dredge up the memories he’d buried after he moved to Oklahoma.
“When I first started working for the FBI I believed I was impervious to danger,” he said, wryly recalling the eager recruit who’d graduated from Quantico.
He’d been convinced that his reckless courage was an asset. And that rules were for other agents. He told himself that he was too ambitious to always follow the tedious guidelines that were no doubt established by stuffy bureaucrats who’d never spent a day in the field.
She polished off her corn before she spoke. “Recklessness is a failing for most of us when we’re young.”
He smiled. He could easily imagine her climbing the highest tree branch or sneaking out in her father’s car and driving it at breakneck speed. But he hadn’t been indulging teenage hormones.
He’d been working undercover for brutal gun dealers who would have put a bullet through his heart if they suspected he was a Fed. After that, he’d infiltrated a group of white-nationalists who were sending bomb threats to synagogues around the country.
With every success he’d grown more bold, and more convinced his instincts were never wrong.
“I took risks that would have turned my mother’s hair gray if she’d known what I was doing,” he said.
She snorted. “Somehow I’m not surprised.”
“It was thrilling to think that I was putting my life on the line to help others.”
“Like Superman?” she teased.
The tension he didn’t even realize had clenched his muscles suddenly eased.
“I always preferred Batman,” he corrected.
“Dark and mysterious?”
“He had all the cool gadgets.”
“Ah.” She sent him a fleeting smile. “What happened?”
He finished his dinner before continuing. He knew the rest of the story would put an end to his appetite.
Once done, he pushed away his empty plate and allowed his gaze to roam beyond his barn toward the rolling fields that were bathed in silver moonlight.
“We were working on a kidnapping case. The child of a high-profile drug lord who was taken by a rival family.” His features hardened as he recalled the meetings where he’d heatedly pushed to do whatever necessary to save the child, while his boss calmly calculated the pros and cons. “My superiors didn’t think the Bureau should get involved.”
She sucked in a shocked breath. “They didn’t care about the child?”
He held up his hand. That had been his first reaction as well. It was only with the wisdom of hindsight that he realized his boss had the responsibility to consider the case from every aspect, not just a kid in danger.
>
“Of course they did, but turf wars are messy,” he told her. “If I got the child back, there was a good chance the father would take justice into his own hands. He’d already killed at least thirty people that we knew about, including children.”
She grimaced. “Why didn’t you arrest him?”
Nate sat back in his chair, sipping his wine. He hadn’t been on the case to bust the drug lord, but he’d known several agents who’d been working for years to bring him to justice.
“Every time the FBI had a solid case against him, the witnesses would be found floating in the river,” he told her.
“Yikes.”
“Getting in the middle wasn’t going to solve anything. Not as far as the FBI was concerned,” he continued. “Just more bloodshed.”
She tilted her head to the side, studying him with an intensity that made his blood warm. She wasn’t just being polite. She truly was interested in what had happened to him.
“But you didn’t agree?” she asked.
Nate shook his head. “I was convinced I knew where they were hiding the child and that I could get her out. My boss told me to hand my intel to the local cops and walk away.”
Her eyes widened, as if she couldn’t believe anyone would suggest that he concede defeat.
“You’re not a guy who walks away.”
He smiled. Ah. She knew him so well.
“No. I went to the house and found the girl tied up in the basement just like my informant had told me.”
“You saved her?”
He winced, the memory dragging him back to the cramped basement with the girl in his arms. It’d been hot. So hot that sweat had been dripping down his face as he’d cradled the child close to his chest. And without the ability to use a flashlight, he’d been stumbling through the dark. Even worse, the sound of the TV upstairs had been blasting so loud that he’d been unable to listen for any approaching footsteps.
In that moment he’d accepted that he was in over his head. It was one thing to risk his own life. It was another to endanger a five-year-old child.
Unfortunately, once the bullets had started flying, he hadn’t had any choice but to go forward with his hasty plan.
“When I was carrying her out the back door, one of the guards opened fire on us,” he said in grim tones.
You Will Suffer Page 14
