“Or smart enough.” She was doing the smart thing. She knew that, felt it deep in her bones. The knowledge was all that kept her from sinking to her knees with Thomas in her arms and crying her eyes out over all the things that had gone wrong in her life.
She’d done that too many times and it hadn’t helped a bit. But this...this would solve things.
That’s what she told herself, what she believed.
Right now, that is.
But if she gave herself time to think, she feared that the doubts she’d left behind in Boot Hill would surely catch up to her. The grief. The sheer terror.
She glanced down as Thomas squirmed and whined softly in her arms. He looked tired, his eyes heavy-lidded. But they wouldn’t close. They hadn’t closed since the telephone had startled him awake back in the apartment, and the following chaos—her cries, the window breaking, Dylan’s shout, the roar of the Jeep engine as they’d sped away—had kept him awake.
Thomas needed the bed, the quiet, the calm, and so Julie drew in a deep breath and sank down on the edge of the mattress. Kicking off her shoes, she inched back until her shoulders leaned against the headboard. She gathered her son close, his face nestled against the curve of her neck, and rested her head on the soft down of his hair.
A deep breath and the sweet scent of baby powder and innocence filled her nostrils, and her heart slowed its frantic pace. Everything fell away for a few moments as she closed her eyes and crooned softly to him.
There was no Sebastian. No danger. No uncertain future. Just the soft sound of Thomas’s breathing and the warmth of his small body.
“Here.” The low murmur of Dylan’s voice drew her eyes open in time to see him place the gun on the bed next to her.
Shiny gray metal gleamed in the dim lamplight. “I thought you said we were safe for now.”
“Just in case.” He stared down at her for a long moment and she had the strange urge he wanted to tell her something. That, or he waited to hear something.
“The bed really is plenty big,” she said. The notion of him cramped in a chair bothered her more than she would have guessed. “We’ve already inconvenienced you enough.”
“Don’t answer the door,” he barked before turning away and checking to make sure the locks were secure.
The enormity of their situation hit her as she lay there, the gun beside her, and watched Dylan peer past the tightly drawn drapes.
The muscles in his forearms bunched tight with every movement and she noted the tense set of his shoulders, the severe line of his mouth.
A memory rushed at her and she remembered him in the exact same pose, only he wore a smile on his face as he stared past the drapes to see if Sebastian had reached the front walk.
She’d planned a surprise party for his twenty-first birthday and Dylan had helped her.
He’d always helped. Whether she needed his assistance on a particularly grueling Spanish paper or when she’d needed an extra hand to move her furniture into her very first apartment after the dorm.
Whatever the situation, he’d been there.
Just as he was now, despite the danger that waited on the other side of the door.
“Thank you,” she whispered, the words tangling in the sudden lump that formed in her throat.
“What did you say?”
She cleared her throat. “I said thank you. For helping me.” Her gaze dropped to Thomas. “For helping us.”
“Forget it.”
“You’re a good person, Dylan. My hero.” She’d meant the words as a compliment, but they didn’t draw the usual smile from his lips. Instead, his frown deepened, and for the second time in all of fifteen minutes, Julie had the impression she’d said the wrong thing.
“Try to get some sleep,” he muttered as he turned the dead bolt and slid the chain. With the locks in place, he strode into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. A few seconds later, the shower started to run, and Julie was left to wonder what she’d done wrong.
Everything.
She’d married the wrong man. Wasted too many years on a one-sided marriage. Put her only child in the pathway of danger. And now she’d disrupted Dylan’s life. Again.
“Not for long,” she murmured to Thomas, more determined than ever to put an end to things. For so long she’d run because of Thomas. To keep him safe. To keep him away from Sebastian.
But the only way to do that was to keep Sebastian away from him. Permanently. And the only way to do that was to expose him once and for all.
The vow made her think again of the small locket she’d given Hattie in payment for services rendered. The midwife had helped Julie when she’d been down and out and pregnant and she’d owed her dearly for her help. She’d given her the only possession of worth she had—the gold locket inlaid with a small diamond that her mother had given her years ago.
Sebastian wanted the locket. But why?
She needed to think about the question, but then Thomas cooed and drew her attention and she saw only her precious boy.
Caressing one chubby cheek, she relished the feel of his soft skin and thanked the Powers That Be yet again for blessing her with such an incredible gift.
She’d prayed so many times for a child. The news had been both a blessing and a tragedy since her desire to share the news with Sebastian had led her to his office, where she’d discovered the type of man she’d married—a cold, callous businessman involved in illegal dealings with the mob.
What she’d overheard those few moments in his office had sent her running for her life and that of her unborn son’s.
Her gaze went again to the chubby eight-month-old in her arms.
For Thomas she could do this. He needed her, loved her, depended on her, and she had no intention of letting him down. She refused to waste her time worrying. Focus. That was the key to keeping her fears at bay and beating Sebastian in his game of cat and mouse.
Dylan was right. She had to forget the past and concentrate on the present. This moment. And right now, she needed to rebuild her strength.
Determined, she settled back and concentrated on slowing her pounding heart. Oddly enough, it wasn’t that difficult. Soon, her body relaxed and the tightness in her chest seeped away. With Thomas warm and snug in her arms and the steady rush of the shower lulling her senses, she didn’t feel as nervous about the future. As anxious.
For the first time since she’d gone on the run and into hiding a year and a half ago, Julie Cooper actually felt safe.
* * *
MY HERO.
The soft words echoed through Dylan’s mind as he stood next to the bed and stared down at the woman stretched out on her back. She lay with one arm above her head, the other resting softly against her thigh. Her white tank top had ridden up, exposing a few delicious inches of her midriff. The soft cotton molded to her full breasts. Light-brown hair fanned out across the stark white pillow and draped her pale shoulders. Julie was a natural blonde, but she’d dyed her hair brown and worn brown contacts as part of her disguise. To Dylan she was just as beautiful.
His groin tightened, the sight of her simply too much for him to handle. Not when he’d dreamed of her just like this nearly every night since he’d met her.
He snatched up the gun and turned away. Hooking his piece in his waistband, he pulled back the drapes for a quick surveillance.
The motel sign glittered in red neon, casting a glow on the parking lot. Dylan watched as a large, balding man in a Hawaiian print shirt ushered two kids from a station wagon into a nearby room. The door shut behind the man and quiet fell.
There were no strangers lurking about, no unusual cars. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Not that Dylan was about to relax. Years undercover had taught him never to let his guard down. A situation could go from calm to chaotic in the blink of an eye. At the thought he checked the gun for ammunition, shifted the safety to off and settled the firearm down on the table within easy reach.
She’d been right. They shoul
d have kept moving. He’d been trying to ease her fear when he’d said that Sebastian’s men wouldn’t expect them to head in their direction. But Dylan suspected for some time that Sebastian knew he’d found Julie. It wouldn’t surprise Dylan if someone had seen them leave Boot Hill and was tracking them now.
Another quick scan of the parking lot and he let the drapes fall back into place. They were damned no matter which direction they ran. Their only hope was to be cautious and stay one step ahead of their pursuers. Which was why he intended to wait before calling his sister Lily to tell her what was up.
Lily was his older sister by a few minutes, a fact she’d held over his head as long as he could remember. That had been her excuse to boss him around when they were kids, and worry over him just as she was probably doing right now.
Since she’d married last year and had baby Elizabeth, she’d been even more protective. No doubt she was frantic after his abrupt departure from Max and Rachel’s wedding.
Then again, she knew Dylan. She trusted him. She might worry, but she wouldn’t think the worst until she had proof one way or another, which gave him time to come up with a way to contact her without leaving a trail as to his whereabouts.
Sinking down into the chair, Dylan stretched his legs out and readied himself for a watchful night. He’d let Julie drive part of the way in the morning while he caught an hour’s nap. It wasn’t much time for the average man, but Dylan had cut his teeth on twenty-four-hour stakeouts that required full alertness.
The lack of sleep he could handle. It was the present company he had his doubts about.
He drew in a deep breath and tried to ignore the call of the soft mattress not more than a few feet away.
There’s plenty of room for all of us.
She’d meant the comment to be thoughtful, but all it had done was stick in his craw because sweet Julie hadn’t batted an eye at the prospect of him climbing into bed next to her.
He might as well have been her brother.
He wasn’t, and the thoughts that pushed into his head were anything but familial. He wanted to climb into bed, pull her into his arms, feel her body soft and warm and rounded against his. He wanted to kiss her, to slip his tongue past her full lips and taste her. He wanted to part her legs and slide deep, deep into her warm, waiting body....
The thought made him harder and hotter and he shifted in the vinyl chair, searching for a comfortable position when the only true relief was putting as much distance as possible between himself and the sleeping woman.
Fat chance. All the time she’d been away from him, he’d thought about her. Dreamed of her. Wanted her.
Lord, he was crazy. Loony tunes. Insane. This was Julie, not some glamour queen or luscious centerfold.
His head knew that, but damned if his body was listening.
Water dripped from his still damp hair and slid over his shoulder, down his chest, but it wasn’t enough to cool the fire that burned deep inside him, just as an ice-cold shower hadn’t been enough.
Hell, a dive straight into the Arctic wouldn’t do it.
He wanted her far too much.
But she didn’t want him.
My hero.
The truth echoed through his head, stirring his irritation, making him as angry as it did sad, because Dylan didn’t want to be her hero.
He wanted to be her partner. Her lover. Her man.
He wasn’t sure what happened in that next instant, why he suddenly felt the urge to embrace the truth when he’d been ignoring it for the past ten years. Maybe it was the way Rachel and Max had looked so happy and in love at their wedding earlier that day. Maybe it was the sheer terror he’d felt when faced with the possibility of losing Julie forever. Maybe it was the way she’d clung to him, as if he were her only lifeline, while she’d cried for Hattie.
Maybe all three.
Dylan only knew that he couldn’t keep denying his feelings a moment longer. He wanted Julie as a man wanted a woman, and he wanted her to want him in exactly the same way.
Soon, he vowed to himself, he would change the way she thought about him.
Dylan shrugged off the damp T-shirt he’d pulled on in the bathroom and tossed it on the table, leaving only his jeans on.
Julie was going to see the real man.
Starting right now.
* * *
“I FINALLY GOT a lead.
Luke Silva smiled when he heard the voice come over his speakerphone. Excitement rushed through him, but no one would ever have known. Luke didn’t let his feelings show—what little he had, and according to the men he conducted business with, that amounted to zero. A cold sonofabitch. That’s what people thought of him. He liked the fact. People didn’t mess with a sonofabitch unless they had a death wish.
Sebastian Cooper was as good as dead.
He slid off his dark glasses and set them on the desk before unfastening his bolo tie.
“Boss?” came the voice from the other end of the line. “You there?”
Luke didn’t bother answering. He didn’t like to waste his words. He believed in action. All bite and no bark, that was his motto.
“Boss?”
“When?”
The one word was enough of a reassurance for Mikey, who’d worked for Silva on several jobs and knew how to conduct himself. He didn’t push or run his mouth.
“A few hours ago,” Mikey told him. “That tip we got from Cooper’s secretary turned out to be the gospel. Sebastian’s keeping a low profile right now, using a hired gun to do his dirty work.”
“Who?”
“Cap Pendleton.”
Luke smiled. Cooper was weak, but smart. He’d hired one of the best.
But Luke was better. A crack shot, and he intended to prove it where Sebastian Cooper was concerned. One shot and it would all be over.
“I didn’t even recognize him at first,” Mikey continued. “I’ve never seen a guy so good at blending into the woodwork. He’s right there in your face, but you don’t even know it.”
“Has anyone else recognized him?”
“Not yet. Garrett’s good, but he’s preoccupied right now with Cooper’s wife and the baby. He’s looking over his shoulder, but he doesn’t see anything. I think he senses something, though. It’s the ex-cop in his blood.”
“Stay close to Pendleton but not too close. I just want you to watch him right now. If we give him time, he’ll lead us to Cooper.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Luke punched the off button on the speakerphone and smiled. It was just a matter of time before he gave Sebastian Cooper what was coming to him. Luke didn’t like being pushed aside, and Cooper had tried to do just that. Luke had worked too hard to get where he was at. He was made, damn it! In the grand scheme of things, made men were at the top of the food chain. If Cooper thought he could just shoulder his way in and grab a seat he hadn’t earned, he had another think coming.
Crowe might have put up with it because Cooper had a brain behind his greed and J.B. liked his money-making skills. But J.B. was out of the picture at the moment. Luke was running things now, and while he was careful to carry out J.B.’s orders, this was one situation where Luke himself was calling the shots.
He’d spit on the devil before he let a snot-nose punk like Cooper jockey for a powerful position he hadn’t earned. Things didn’t work that way in Silva’s world. It wasn’t just about smarts. It was about balls.
Luke wouldn’t have bothered to use a hired gun to clean up his dirty laundry. He liked doing it himself, which was why he had Mike simply watching.
Luke liked the killing. He always had—when he was back in Mexico City, giving it to some street punk trying to screw him out of a few pesos, and now as he sat in his twenty-bedroom mansion in The Dominion, San Antonio’s most elite neighborhood, and handed down orders to his subordinates. He was still the one to pull out his Glock 9mm and maintain order.
He was a long way from Reynosa, his home long forgotten. But he hadn’t forgotten what ha
d brought him so far.
There were rules to follow. An order to things. Anyone who disrupted that order and threatened his livelihood had to be punished. Sebastian Cooper wasn’t playing by the rules, and so Luke would take particular pleasure in putting the man in his rightful place—six feet under.
Just as soon as he managed to corner him.
CHAPTER THREE
JULIE NEVER wanted to wake up.
She sighed, clamping her eyes tight against the morning light that spilled past the edge of the drapes. The dream was much better than reality and so she struggled to hold on to it a few precious minutes more.
In the hazy warmth of sleep, she imagined strong arms holding her close, tight against a hard chest. A strong, steady heartbeat echoed through her head and mimicked her own. A musky male scent filled her nostrils and she inhaled, drawing the fragrance deeper, letting it fill her senses.
Mmm...
The rustle of blankets followed by a gurgling coo pushed past the sleepy fog and shattered the last remnants of her dream.
She opened her eyes to the double bed covered in cheap white sheets and a psychedelic orange comforter. Her gaze shifted to Thomas, who stirred beside her, his fist waving wildly before finding its way to his mouth.
He chewed his fingers, drool trailing from the corner of his mouth, and gurgled a few more unintelligible sounds.
I’m hungry. That’s what he was saying in a language mothers were built to understand.
Julie sighed and threw off the covers. She’d used up most of the food she’d hurriedly packed the night before. A quick rummage through her purse left her with an empty bag of animal crackers and a half-eaten jar of baby food.
“I don’t think this is any good, Thomas.”
The baby waved his fist and let out a fussy whine. Julie had about five seconds to find something for breakfast before all hell broke loose. At least she had the ready-mixed cans of formula she’d brought along.
She dug up a handful of change from the bottom of her purse. Not enough for the vending machines she’d spotted outside on their way in the night before. Not that they’d have much for a baby, anyway.
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