Cowboy Protector

by Patricia Rosemoor

  Annabeth allowed her gaze to wander to the bar and one of the guys now parked there. He hadn’t been there before, she was certain.

  Something about him made her stare.

  His broad back to them, he was sitting alone. His dark hair was slicked back, his skin naturally tanned. But his head was lowered, his face turned away.

  Still, something about him…

  When her gaze wandered to his forearm as he picked up his beer to take a swig, and his rolled sleeve slipped to reveal a bit more of his arm, she nearly choked on her own beer.

  Annabeth poked Neil to get his attention.

  “The guy at the bar,” she said in a low voice, indicating the loner with a furtive nod.

  “Nickels?” he asked doubtfully.

  She shook her head. “His partner. Look at the tattoo on his forearm.”

  The man raised his drink one last time and emptied it. The rolled sleeve slipped all the way back.

  “A skull.”

  “With a rose in its teeth,” she whispered. “I saw that rose on the Hispanic thief.”

  “You’re sure it’s the same one?”

  “That would be some coincidence if it wasn’t.”

  The man set down his mug and pushed away from the bar, turning in his stool so they got a good look at his mustachioed face. Then he got to his feet and stretched as if he was ready to leave.

  “So what do we do now?” Annabeth mumbled into the beer she picked up to cover her face. Through lowered lashes, she was watching him move toward the exit.

  Neil said, “I think we follow him.”

  Chapter Ten

  Determined not to lose the thief now that they’d spotted him, Neil hung onto Annabeth’s hand as they dodged a handful of pedestrians. The chase along the darkened street seemed a bit unreal. Then so did everything that had happened so far, he decided.

  “He’s going so fast,” Annabeth gasped out. “You don’t think he saw us?”

  “Not yet.”

  “What if he does?”

  “We’ll have to get creative to put him off the scent.”

  The light at the intersection ahead changed, forcing the thief to stop at the curb. Neil stopped also, right where he was, and whipped Annabeth into the side of the Flatiron Building so that he could shelter her from view with his body.

  “This is what you call creative?” she asked, her voice tight.

  “It’s the best I could come up with on short notice.” Figuring she could see over his shoulder, he said, “Let me know when the light turns green again. And don’t be too obvious, but tell me if Tattoo-man looks our way.”

  “Tattoo-man?” she echoed.

  “Okay, Skull-man.”

  With no better way of identifying him, Neil thought to dub the nameless thief for his tattoo.

  “Skull-man…Skull.”

  “Skull it is,” Neil agreed.

  Crossing at a six-corner intersection was an exercise in patience, considering the extra set of lights and all, so he knew they would remain standing there, pressed close together for several minutes.

  Long enough to make Neil shift uncomfortably.

  Long enough for Annabeth to notice.

  The streetlight shone in her eyes that had gone all big on him. As if realizing that she was revealing something she would rather keep from him, Annabeth immediately shifted her gaze back over his shoulder.

  Even so, Neil could tell that she was still as distracted as he. The attraction that had been building between them seemed to be approaching the speed of light.

  All he had to do was touch her…look at her…think of her…to be turned on.

  Purposely putting a slight gap between their bodies as if that might help cool things down, he said, “Warn me about that light.”

  At which time they would smoothly pull away from the building and back into tracking Skull. They’d have to time this perfectly so that they didn’t catch up to the Hispanic, while still managing to get across the street on the same light as he did.

  If they missed their shot, they would lose him.

  “There,” she gasped. “Now!”

  Thankful to put a little space between them, Neil caught Annabeth’s wrist and headed for the intersection at a near trot. They had to go around a group of artsy-looking types who stopped at the intersection arguing and blocking foot traffic. He could see that Skull had already crossed the first street and was setting foot into the second.

  Neil put on some speed to play catch-up. He and Annabeth were only halfway across the second street when the light changed and an impatient driver leaned on his horn.

  The blare cut though the night and caught the thief’s attention. He glanced back, and for one heart-stopping moment, Neil thought Skull recognized them…until he merely turned away and continued strolling up the street.

  “That was close.”

  “Where do you think he’s headed?”

  “Either a parked vehicle or some nearby destination.”

  “Should we take the truck?”

  Neil considered the option for a moment, long enough for Skull to cross the street in the middle of the block and cut toward a vacant lot.

  “No truck.”

  Now it would get tricky, Neil thought. They would be in the open. If Skull glanced back when they were following him, he would know.

  “If he sees us together again, he’ll get suspicious,” Annabeth muttered, as if she could read his mind. “Maybe we should split up and stay on two sides of him. I can go this way and you can—”

  “Forget it.”

  “But he might see us, figure out what’s going on.”

  “We’ll have to take that chance.”

  “We’re already taking a chance,” she argued.

  But Neil wasn’t letting Annabeth out of his sight. He shuddered to think of what Skull would do to her should he catch her alone.

  “We’re staying together.”

  “I have something to say in this.”

  “No, you don’t, not this time.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. C’mon.”

  Once again, Annabeth was reminding Neil of his sister. The risk-taking part that made him crazy. Annabeth was willing to go too far. Even together, they weren’t really safe.

  What if Skull was leading them straight to Nickels? Which would be good if he didn’t know he was being followed. But what if the thief did? He could be stringing them along, leading them into a trap.

  A trap set by two dangerous men, no doubt both armed. And this time, with a single focus. No cops, no negotiators, just them.

  How would he protect Annabeth then? Neil wondered, with the odds so bad. How had he gotten himself into such a mess?

  He tried talking himself out of the speculation as they followed Skull’s shortcut under the elevated tracks. When a train rumbled overhead, Neil hurried, but he wasn’t fast enough. They were assaulted by grit sifting down on them as the train squealed along.

  “Great,” Annabeth muttered, brushing loose particles from her hair and clothing.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Neil whispered. “Distractions could get us killed.”

  He looked around them. Only dark and more dark, he thought, hurrying to keep up.

  Suddenly Annabeth tripped over something Neil couldn’t see. “Easy,” he whispered as he stopped her from falling.

  She must have made a noise loud enough to catch Skull’s attention, for he suddenly turned back. Neil caught Annabeth in his arms and pressed her into the cold dirty elevated structure as if for a tryst.

  To make it realistic, he kissed her.

  Not a quick, light touch of the lips, but a full-bodied assault. His body against hers was feeling more and more familiar, more and more seductive.

  More and more frustrating.

  When he came up for air, Neil wondered how much more torture he could take.

  AGITATED BY her wholehearted response to Neil, Annabeth wondered what in the world she had been thinking.

/>   Nothing, of course. She hadn’t been thinking at all. She’d been responding.

  Mindlessly.

  “I think it’s safe now, don’t you?” she gasped out in a low voice.

  “Yeah, probably.”

  “Then you can get off me.”

  “Oh. Right.”

  Neil pushed himself away, allowing her to breathe. Trying to ignore her hormones and to settle down, Annabeth looked around him.

  “Damn, he’s gone!”

  She pushed by Neil and crossed the expanse of open lot as fast as she could, knowing he was right at her side. He tried to take her hand, but she avoided him. She was tired of being pushed and led and bullied into doing things his way as if she were a child.

  They hit the side street in the midst of an old manufacturing district surrounded by bungalows and two flats. Frantically, she peered into the dark for any shape that she could identify as belonging to Skull and panicked for a moment until she saw something moving near one of the old, boarded-up factory buildings.

  She pointed. “There.”

  Sweet relief filled her. She would never have forgiven herself if they’d lost him.

  “That building looks deserted.”

  Figuring Neil meant dangerous, Annabeth started for it before he could stop her. “Good for someone on the run, I guess.”

  “You’re not going to follow him in there.”

  “You have a better idea?”

  He grabbed her arm and jerked her to a stop. “Yes, I can stake him out and you can go find a phone and call Wexler. Get reinforcements.”

  “And leave you alone? I think not.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “Well, so can I.” A blatant untruth in this particular situation, but Annabeth’s ire was up. “Besides, Wexler isn’t sitting by a phone, waiting for my call.” By the time she got help, Neil could be…

  Neil pulled her closer to the corner bungalow where they stood in the dark. The front porch was lit up, but the interior lights were out, as if no one was home.

  “What’s wrong with you? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Is that your solution to ending your misery?”

  Annabeth gaped. “Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me that way?”

  “The man who saved your pretty little behind. More than once, I might add. And maybe the only person in this city who cares what happens to you.”

  Her anger deflating like a flat tire, Annabeth felt a prickle at the backs of her eyes. “Y-you care?”

  “Why the hell else would I be going through all of this?” he asked indignantly. “Not because I think it’s fun. I’m doing it for you. So that you can sleep at night. So that you can believe you’re alive. Really alive.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. Trying to maintain a tough facade was impossible in the face of his confession. Suddenly, she felt a lot less alone. No one had been around to tell her they cared since her mother had left the city.

  Big, fat, embarrassing tears clung to her lashes and threatened to choke her. Using the back of her hand, she dashed them away and mumbled, “Okay, then.”

  “Okay?”

  Hearing the suspicion in his tone, she added, “Yeah.”

  Annabeth wanted to fist his silly Bulls T-shirt and pull him toward her so that she could kiss him again. Properly. But now was not the time or place. Now could very well get them killed. She had to keep that in mind…

  “So…do you know how to drive a truck?” he asked.

  “I was raised on a farm. Of course. But what does that have to do with anything?”

  “If Skull leaves here in a vehicle and we decide to follow, we can’t because we’re on foot. I thought you might consider going back and getting my truck, bringing it down that side street.”

  Neil was sounding way too reasonable, Annabeth decided. Consider? Where had that come from?

  “I thought you were insisting that I stay glued to your side.”

  “I didn’t want you facing a criminal alone, Annabeth. It wasn’t meant as any kind of insult to you. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Maybe worse.”

  Maybe worse. Yeah, worse was a big word in her vocabulary these days.

  “You’re not just trying to get rid of me so that you can go in there alone and be some kind of macho hero?

  “I don’t have a single hero-gene in my body,” he promised.

  “Liar,” she said softly. “I never met a real live hero until you, Neil Farrell. Okay, give me your keys.”

  He dug in a pocket and handed them over to her. “Be careful.”

  “Back at you. I won’t be long.”

  Even as she retraced their path at a jog, Annabeth knew the potential for violence lay behind her. She suspected Neil knew that, as well, and wanted her out of danger’s path.

  Well, not for long. She wasn’t going to let him take all the risk.

  Glancing back to make certain he was still there, Annabeth didn’t see him. The breath caught in her throat and she screeched to a halt. Then she caught sight of a male silhouette near the bungalow porch that told her that he was just playing cautious. She was able to breathe again.

  Setting off anew, she was thankful that he wasn’t advancing on the place alone.

  Maybe she should call for reinforcements. But where to do so? The truck wasn’t exactly parked in a hot spot where she could just waltz into a restaurant or bar and demand they call 911.

  She would have to drive somewhere. Park again. Waste a lot of time. Perhaps crucial time. Time enough that Skull could get away.

  Or Neil could get hurt.

  Nope, she would stick to the latest plan, just plain bring Neil’s truck around the way he’d asked.

  Crossing under the elevated structure, Annabeth felt more positive than she had in a long time. Having coerced Neil into helping her, she’d viewed finding the thieves as an uphill battle. But now it seemed that he wanted to help her. She could count on him to partner her, to see her through this.

  Not that she hadn’t already known that on some level.

  Neil was truly a man of honor and courage—he would do whatever he could to help her. And then he would return to his own life.

  And once more she would be alone.

  The truck was in sight and so was the orange ticket attached to the driver’s window and flapping in the breeze.

  “Damn!”

  Trying to decide whether to rip the thing up or just throw it in the glove compartment for now and tell him about it later, she chose the second option.

  Carrying out that plan, Annabeth refused to let the knowledge that Neil would soon be gone bring her down. She would live for now. For the moment. And when Neil left, she would be happy for him. Happy that he had a place and a life that he loved and to which he could return.

  Only…she didn’t want to face this part…she’d known him for such a short time…a part of her heart would go with him.

  “I DON’T KNOW how much longer I can stay awake,” Annabeth said with a yawn. “Maybe we ought to leave and call the police, after all.”

  “Not yet. Not when we’re this close. If you’re tired, give in to it, get some rest.”

  “Then how will you stay awake?”

  “I’ll manage.”

  After midnight and no sign of life. Chances were, there wouldn’t be, Neil knew. Chances were, Skull was asleep…

  Skull. Neil was certain that his vision had played out through the Hispanic’s eyes.

  He couldn’t figure it unless…the ski mask belonged to Skull and not Nickels.

  But why would the Hispanic be after Annabeth? She hadn’t seen his face. Which made Neil wonder how much influence Nickels had over his cohort. Either that, or the thief was just plain paranoid or angry because she’d gotten so close to escaping, and he wanted to get even.

  Annabeth’s head against his shoulder had grown heavier, her breathing softer. And Neil was torn between putting an arm around her to hold her closer…or leaving her in the safety of his truck while he we
nt to investigate the old factory building.

  Not that he was trying to be heroic.

  He merely wanted some result from their night’s investigation. Maybe leaving and calling the police in again would be the wisest move. But it had to be Wexler. And Wexler had proven to be unavailable.

  Neil didn’t have long to dwell on the question, for Annabeth began making small noises in her sleep. Small scared noises. He wrapped that arm around her and pulled her close. But though he tried to soothe her with his touch, she resisted and thrashed and cried out.

  “Sunshine,” he called softly. “Wake up. You’re dreaming.”

  With a great suck-in of air, she awoke, eyes wide, body shaking. Her fear was palpable and he could feel her pulse beneath his palms.

  “Neil…”

  She breathed his name and the soft sound stirred the short hairs at the back of his neck.

  “Shh, it’s all right now,” he assured her as he had in his vision. This is what he’d seen the night he had first kissed her. “It was only a dream.”

  “No, he knows where I am…he can get to me at any time…”

  “But I’m here with you,” he said soothingly. “You’re not alone.”

  “Not alone,” she echoed.

  Her wide-open blue eyes swam with unwept emotion.

  Then she touched him, her fingers fluttering to the side of his face. He sighed and turned his head so that his lips touched her fingers, then her open palm.

  “Neil…”

  “Annabeth…”

  His mouth was barely centimeters from hers.

  She turned in his arms so that her body was against his. Her fear beat against him as her heart drummed a message to his. They were breasts to chest, hip to hip, lips to lips.

  Her fear became his. He was lost for a moment, until terror turned to raging desire…

  Neil couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t stop from kissing her any more than a starving man could stop himself from eating when a buffet was spread before him. Annabeth was the most tempting, irritating, lovely, frustrating woman he’d ever held in his arms.

  And it seemed Annabeth was as starving as he, for she kissed him with fervor and explored him through his clothing. Her light touch spread fire as she trailed her fingers down the length of his neck to his chest to his waist. Then she snaked her hand along his belt and around to the back, where she tucked her fingertips below his waistband.