by Delta James
He figured he must be going into shock. He should be more focused on his people apprehending Eastwick, having his shoulder seen to and then joining them. But all he could think of at the moment was how much he liked being around her again and what a great body she had.
He’d only been half teasing when he’d said he preferred her without a bra. He’d always liked the fact she was comfortable in her own skin, and it had taken very little encouragement on his part for her to spend the day completely naked with him. Her breasts were generous and firm, her areolas large and dark with very delectable nipples. She nipped in at the waist, and her jeans were not able to hide the fact, especially from his current viewpoint, that her hips flared out from there, and she had a magnificent ass.
She saddled the big gray horse, put a halter on the other one, and tied its lead off to the saddle horn on Gator. She led them over to her tent and, once more, disappeared inside. When she came out, she was adjusting the waist of a pair of moss-green chaps. She caught Roscoe who’d begun to munch on what little vegetation there was in the camp area and rejoined Mac.
“Do you need some help mounting?” she asked with all sincerity.
Mac had to chide himself as all he could think was No. You and I both know I am more than capable of mounting you. Seeing Willa had firmly resolved his belief they were meant to be together. He had been weighing the chances of making that happen and returning to Willa to make his case with her when the Eastwick escape had come up. He continued to watch her. It won’t be too long before that happens again. What he said instead was far more appropriate. “I think I can manage it.” And he swung up into the saddle.
She walked behind Roscoe and replaced the rifle in the scabbard then hopped up on her own horse. Mac could scarcely keep his eyes off her shapely rear end as she did so. They headed up the small hill and into the tunnel. Once inside, she reined her horse to a stop, dismounted, and pulled the makeshift gate shut.
Mac arched an eyebrow. “And you are?”
“Asking you to pretend you didn’t see that. They were being held by some bastards who planned to take them to slaughter. I’ll keep them here for a week or so then drive them to protected ground.”
He laughed. “So not really illegal, per se, but not exactly solid legal footing.”
She blushed, which he thought was completely charming. The thought ran through his head that he’d probably lost more blood than either of them knew, as he was having a great deal of trouble concentrating on anything other than all the things he remembered about Willa.
“Give a girl a break, Marshal. After all, I wasted good tequila on that shoulder.”
He laughed. “If that’s what the good stuff felt like, I don’t think I want anything to do with the bad.”
“Sorry about that. I didn’t think I had enough disinfectant in the first aid kit to cover such a big wound.”
“It’s fine, Willa. Part of me wishes you’d never had to go through that, and part of me is damn glad you were there. You handled yourself as well as any of the guys I work with would have.”
“Thanks, Mac. That’s a very nice thing to say. I don’t mind telling you I was awfully glad to see you, and I’m sure your men wouldn’t have been terrified.”
“Sure, they would,” he said. “But like you, they would have taken that fear, changed it to adrenaline, and used it to turn the situation around.”
They rode through the tunnel and came out into the open where the light was plentiful and the heat was becoming oppressive.
Mac got out his sat phone and called in their location. He asked that two men who knew horses be sent out and be prepared to ride. As he had failed to check in as agreed, his men had already put choppers on alert. They figured from their current location they were less than thirty minutes away.
“Why the men?” she said as he disconnected. “I can pony both horses while I ride Gator.”
“I’d prefer you didn’t. Nifty little hidey hole you have up there behind the waterfall.”
“I’d kind of appreciate it if you’d keep that information to yourself.”
“Hide stolen mustangs up there often? Did you use this place before? I worry that you still put yourself at risk taking those mustangs from people who want to profit from their deaths.”
“That’s the reason I do it. They want nothing more than money from those mustangs. They are literally worth more dead than alive. As for do I use that location often, I suppose that would depend on how you define often,” she said with a grin.
Mac shook his finger at her. “I’d forgotten how sassy you could be, Willa. You were always a handful.”
Willa was unsure how to respond so simply allowed the awkward silence to sit like the proverbial elephant in the room. She could hear the chopper in the distance closing in on their location and was grateful. They watched it land, and two of Mac’s men jumped out along with John Hampton.
“John, look who’s here. Willa.”
“How the hell did you get involved with this?” asked John.
“Wrong place, wrong time. It’s been kind of a stressful morning, but I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” she answered quietly.
“And someone other than you is going to make that determination,” said Mac.
She started to protest, but Mac shook his head. “No, Willa. The topic isn’t open for discussion. As you said, you’ve had a stressful morning. I’d like the medical folks to at least take a look at you. Then, I want to sit down with you and go over everything that happened. After that, you’ll have a small detail with you for your protection or, at the very least, stay with John and Mandy.”
“Why the hell would I do that?” she asked, not liking the way he’d apparently decided to simply disrupt her life…again.
“Let’s see…one because I’m a US Marshal and I said so. Two because I doubt Eastwick wants to leave you alive after hearing him confess. And three because I am genuinely concerned about your well-being.”
“That’s all well and good. But Eastwick is long gone. He’s not coming back for me, especially as you overheard the same thing.”
“Ah, there’s the rub. I overheard it and can testify to that. But it’s tougher to discount my having overheard it if the one he said it to is also able to testify. So, you see, Willa, you can either come along peacefully, or I’ll place you under arrest as a material witness.”
“You wouldn’t dare. Tell him he can’t do that, John.”
“I’m afraid he can. If Eastwick confessed to you, you’re a material witness. And he’s right. Eastwick will not want you alive. Even if he doesn’t come after you himself, he’s bound to hire somebody else to do it.”
John was grinning from ear to ear as he said it. Willa watched as John glanced at Mac who seemed very pleased with himself.
“I need to take care of my horses—”
John interrupted her. “Gus is waiting for them at Tortilla Flats.”
“She may mean the mustangs she has stashed,” said Mac, careful not to mention where. “You and I both know they’re fine right where they are for a couple of months at least. But if that’s your true concern, I can order the BLM boys to go up and take them into custody.”
He stepped down off of Roscoe before continuing, “John, do me a favor and help Willa off her horse. If she gives you any resistance, take her into federal custody.”
“John?”
“Come on, Willa. I’ve known him a long time. And you know him well enough to know he doesn’t bluff, especially where the safety of a woman is concerned. If you don’t dismount on your own and I refuse to pull you off because you’ll sic Mandy on me, he’ll only do it himself.”
“And since I’m incapacitated, I’ll probably use zip ties to ensure you’re properly secured until I can get you seen to,” said Mac, looking directly at her and then glancing over at John whose smile indicated he saw nothing wrong with his friend’s plans to keep her safe.
Chapter 8
John reached up to help Willa down fro
m Gator, who promptly swatted his hand away.
“I’m not riding in that helicopter, and I’m not going into federal custody. I’m going to take Roscoe back, and then I have things to do.”
Mac walked over to her horse. “Willa, I don’t want to have to arrest you, but I will. I want you looked over by a medical team, and I want to know you’re safe. So, I’m asking”—and he stressed the last word—“for the last time to please get off your horse and come ride in the chopper with me to the hospital.”
“And I’m telling you for the last time, no. Jesus, I patch you up and your way of thanking me is to get in my face. Johnny, best you tell your friend here what happened to the last guy who tried to manhandle me.”
Mac looked at John. “Yes, Johnny, why don’t you tell me?”
“It was shortly after you two split. She broke a pool cue over his head and then went all ninja on him. It wasn’t pretty.”
“Then we should be fine… There’s not a pool table or cue anywhere in sight. Off the horse, Willa, now.”
Willa went to turn her horse away despite the small flame flickering again in her lower belly. Mac reached up and neatly plucked her off the horse with his good arm.
“Willa Reynolds, you are now in custody. Do I need handcuffs or zip ties?”
“Only if you’re planning to show me a much better time than you have so far,” she retorted.
Mac laughed.
She’d forgotten how much she liked the sound of his voice, especially when he was issuing a command, but his laugh…that was something else again. She decided she’d go along for now. Once in the hospital, she’d slip out and away. Mac was right—the mustangs would be fine until she could return to them and drive them to safety.
“Then let’s not keep the guys in the chopper waiting. After you…” He bowed then pointed her toward the chopper.
“I wouldn’t look so pleased with myself if I were you, John Hampton. Your wife is my best friend, and I rather suspect she’ll have something to say about this.”
“You mean along the lines of thanks for making sure my friend wasn’t injured and is going to be safe? If you want, I can call her and tell her for you.”
Willa laughed in spite of herself. “You’re a jerk, Hampton.”
“And you’re a hellcat, Reynolds. Now, run along with Mac and try not to be your usual pain-in-the-ass self.”
Mac put his hand on the small of her back to guide her toward the chopper. At the last moment, she turned around and stuck her tongue out at John who laughed uproariously as did Willa. Mac helped her into the chopper then went around to the other side and joined her.
The chopper lifted off and banked away toward the hospital in Mesa. Having never been in a chopper before, Willa caught her breath in dismayed surprise but found comfort in Mac’s reassuring presence and his taking her hand in his.
“It’s okay, Willa. I’ve got you.” He adjusted his internal mic. “Hey, guys, I think this may be Ms. Reynolds’ first ride in a helicopter. Can we take it nice and easy?”
“Sure, boss. Sorry, Ms. Reynolds.”
Mac reached over and turned her mic on.
“That’s okay. It just caught me by surprise,” she replied.
Willa was impressed all over again by the man who sat at her side. He had to be in tremendous pain, but he was still calm and caring enough to comfort her. They spent the rest of the trip in companionable silence and made good time. Mac didn’t release her hand until they landed at the hospital and the medics put him on the gurney so they could take him inside to be tended to.
Willa entered the hospital from its helipad. The man who had referred to Mac as boss in the helicopter had escorted him inside. As soon as everyone was clear, the pilot lifted off and flew away. She found herself standing inside the hospital, and, instead of heading down to the emergency room, she took the stairs down from the roof, exited the building, and hailed a cab for home.
Once inside the cab and safely away, Willa giggled. She wouldn’t have long before Mac realized she wasn’t at the hospital and called John to track her down. She didn’t imagine either man would be happy with her. But she had no intention of being placed in federal custody. She had things to do, including running a business.
Willa figured Eastwick was long gone. If he planned to escape the US Marshal Service, he was going to need to make use of any and all head start he had on them. The Marshals were famous for being relentless in the pursuit of a fugitive.
***
“What do you mean she’s not here? Well, where the hell is she?”
John ran his hand over his face. Mac was not going to be happy. It had taken John several hours to arrange everything at Tortilla Flats. Once he had, he’d called Mandy to meet him at the hospital. He figured Willa would be out of sorts and thought taking her and his wife out to dinner might help to smooth some ruffled feathers.
The first thing John did when he arrived was to check on Mac. The surgery to remove the bullet had been relatively simple and straightforward, and the bullet had done no major or lasting damage.
Once assured his injured friend was stable and in recovery, he’d returned to the waiting area to deal with Willa. His first clue she had flown the coop was when he couldn’t hear her venting her outrage at being placed in federal custody. This was confirmed by the blank stares from the rest of Mac’s team when he asked her whereabouts.
“Damn the woman,” John muttered. “I need someone to do a drive-by of her house. If she’s there, bring her in.”
“You don’t think she’ll be there, do you?”
“No, I don’t. Willa isn’t stupid. We didn’t keep our eye on the ball, and she managed to slip away. She’s smart enough to know the first place we’ll look is her home. While you’re there, be sure to check the barn. If a big gray is there, sit tight and out of sight. If not, head on back.”
“Why look for a single specific horse if she has more than one?”
“Gator is her personal horse. If she’s going to head up into the wilderness to avoid us, she’s going to take him. I’m not sure where she had those mustangs stashed, but as soon as I can talk to Mac, I’ll find out, and we’ll head there. My guess? Gator will be gone, and, by the time we know where those mustangs were, they’ll be gone, too.”
“Do you really think she’s in any danger? Or did she just bring out Mac’s protective side?”
John chuckled. “A bit of both. Mac said he overheard Eastwick admit to murdering his wife. He’s not going to want Willa to be able to testify. I don’t know that he’d stick around to do the job, but I suspect he has enough cash to hire someone. I don’t know that she’s in imminent danger, but I do think she needs to be under surveillance at the very least. We’re going to divide the team—those who were with me this morning will stay here in Mesa and try to find Willa. Those who weren’t, see if you can pick up Eastwick’s trail, and let’s get after him.”
The men agreed to John’s plan and let him assume leadership in Mac’s absence. Thom and Adam, the two techies of the SOG team, updated the others with the latest sightings. Having received their orders from John, they headed to Willa’s home.
Mandy arrived and hugged her husband then kissed him. “You look beat, babe.”
“I am,” answered John. “It’s been a helluva day topped off with Willa managing to evade protective custody.”
Mandy giggled.
“Not funny, Mandy. If you have any idea where she is or where she stashed those mustangs, you tell me right now.”
“I’m not sure I could do that. That’s proprietary and confidential company information.”
“Mandy, I’m not kidding around. Willa could be in some danger, and, frankly, she’s digging herself a deep hole. Technically, Mac put her under arrest…”
“What the hell for?” Mandy asked, outraged.
“Watch your language. Mac arrested her as a material witness because she was being her usual ‘I don’t recognize anyone’s authority over me’ self, and he thou
ght he’d put an end to that.”
“Did either of you actually think that would work?”
“I thought she might at least let the doctors check her out.”
“Why? What happened to her?” Mandy asked, becoming concerned. “You said Mac was shot but you didn’t think it was overly serious. You didn’t say anything happened to Willa.”
“Nothing physical. Mac wanted her checked out as she had quite a scare and probably had some scrapes.” He paused for a moment and smiled. “But, mostly, I think Mac wanted to know where she is and to keep her close.”
“Do you think he’ll assign her a detail?”
“No, I think he’ll assign that task to himself. And if Willa isn’t very careful, she may well find her tail is what pays the price for this little stunt.”
“You don’t say,” Mandy said her eyes dancing with merriment. “Do you think there’s a chance he wants to put things right with her?”
John nodded. “No doubt in my mind. He’s missed her, never become seriously involved with anyone since her. The last time he and I talked, he indicated he wanted to see if there was a way they could resolve what drove them apart.”
“Willa’s a tough cookie, but he broke her heart. On the other hand, I could say the same things about her—nothing serious since Mac, and I know she misses him. But she may not agree to being taken in hand.”
John wrapped his arm around his wife. “As I recall, sweetheart, you didn’t agree, either…at first.”
Mandy blushed. John kissed her. He was about to say more when one of the nurses stuck her head into the lounge.
“You people with Marshal McDaniel?”
John nodded.
“He’s awake and asked to see a Miss Reynolds. Is that you?” she asked Mandy.
“I’m afraid not.”
“When I told him, we didn’t have any record of a Miss Reynolds being here, he asked to see someone from his team,” the nurse continued.
