by DiAnn Mills
It took getting clean and hours with Dave Sanchez to see how stupid she’d been. He’d helped her to see beyond her personal pain to circumstances that demonstrated Mom and Dad’s love for her—not disgust, as she’d been told in the past. Kelli must have accepted their parents’ role in saving the children of the world, because she was following in their footsteps by representing clients who could not afford legal counsel.
If only she could stay clean and have a life of meaning. But she’d thrown in with the devil, and he demanded payment.
Who worked with him? If she’d been hurt or killed today as a result of the sliced girth, evidence would show it wasn’t an accident. She thought about each one of the agents on Ash’s team and Chip and Ethan and Pepper. No one appeared to be on his payroll. But the demon responsible had once appeared to be her friend too.
She gasped and sat up in bed. Meghan. Yes, that made sense. How like him to have planted a woman agent to make sure Lindsay only talked to her. She thought Daddy had selected her, but maybe not. Was there a way to find out?
But Meghan had held her during the hallucinations. The agent listened to her rantings, made her laugh.
How sad if Meghan was no more than a commodity.
Chapter 26
“Why did you do that?” Meghan dug her fingernails into her palms to keep from smacking Ash’s face.
“I don’t know. It happened.” Ash stiffened, his voice dangerously low. “You, Special Agent Connors, didn’t fight it.”
“And you, SAIC Zinders, had no right to take advantage of me.”
“Take advantage of you? Give me a break. What was I supposed to do with you standing there dressed like—?”
He had to be kidding. “What? I’m in appropriate running gear. No cleavage, and my shorts are knee length.”
“Please. You know exactly what I mean.”
“Oh, so I lured you?”
“As I said, you didn’t stop me.”
Why had she gotten herself into this argument? Why . . . why was she so angry? At this rate, every agent on the ranch would hear them.
She had ended the kiss, but not soon enough. “Do I need to remind A2Z of your rules?”
“I know my own standards.” His condescending tone had her bordering on completely losing her temper.
Then she remembered Rick was out there on his shift. “If you don’t lower your voice, everyone will hear.”
“No one’s around but those blasted bugs.”
“And Rick.”
He blew out a sigh. She’d like to think kissing her had disoriented him, but fat chance.
“What about the Leonards?”
“Oh, so you wouldn’t want Chip knowing what happened?”
Had he lost his mind? “What are you talking about?”
“Not a thing, Agent Connors. I suppose you’re going to file a sexual harassment charge against me?”
“I could, and it would stand because of your reputation as a woman-hater. I’d simply add womanizer to the list.” Meghan stepped back and studied him.
Cool down. Evaluate the situation. Was his kiss so bad? No matter that he’d made her furious. Meghan took several breaths to calm herself. “No. I’m not filing anything. I regret what happened, so maybe my anger is self-directed. I should have pushed you away.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Hey, I’m sorry. We’re alone. The chemistry was there . . . at least on my part.” He stepped down from the porch, and she recognized his professional stance in the darkness. “Let’s forget it ever happened. Hit Delete. We’re under a ton of stress trying to figure out who’s after Lindsay. And this desolation is the pits.”
He wanted her to forget his kiss? Forget the touch of his lips on hers? Was he that mechanical? Did he think chemistry did its work in test tubes with hypothetical formulas, not on a front porch in the moonlight?
“Meghan, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I’m just stressed.”
“Sure. And I exploded.” However, when she considered how he attributed his kiss to relieving stress, she wanted to smack the smug look off his face—again.
“What do you say we take a run?”
A run? Emotions were flaring like fireworks on the Fourth of July, and he wanted to run? Oh, why not. Then she’d take a cold shower.
Chapter 27
The attic door in the upstairs hall slammed shut. Ash handed Chip a towel to wipe the sweat from his face, while animosity flared from every square inch of the rancher.
“I’m telling you the truth.” Chip frowned. “Every air duct is securely covered with wire, except the one above Meghan’s room. Caulking’s in place, and the attic is tighter than a drum.”
“Why her room?” Ash wasn’t believing this. He wanted answers now.
Chip moistened his lips. “How would I know? I’m paid to help keep this ranch running, not play errand boy for the Secret Service. Why don’t you crawl up there in 110 degrees and look for scorpions with a black light? You could use your night goggles. And by the way, they are smart enough to avoid any areas over 100 degrees, which means they’re smarter than I am. If the house had a problem, they’d be dropping into the kitchen or laundry or bathrooms looking for water.”
“I’m trying to clarify how this happened.” One more time, he faced the possibility of someone at the Dancin’ Dust working for the other side.
“Then talk to the scorpions. They’re nocturnal and forage at night.”
“What did you mean by that remark?” Did Chip see him and Meghan early this morning? That’s the last thing he needed.
“Any way you want to take it. You’ve already accused and convicted me of a crime I didn’t commit, so fire away.”
Ash should back off, but his temper was edging toward a cliff. “Did you put out any poison?”
Chip scowled, his fists clenched at his sides. “I hauled a full bag up there, and it’s now empty.”
“Did you double-check your work above Meghan’s room?”
“She’s the only reason I crawled into that inferno. If you continue to dish out much more, Special Agent Zinders, I’m going to be laying my fists into you. An agent on this ranch has brought out the good ol’ boy in me.”
“Do you know who you’re talking to?”
Chip stared at him. “If you’d offer a little respect to the other people around here, maybe you’d get some in return.”
He was probably right, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to explode. “Thank you for taking care of the problem. Since I have no experience with scorpions, is there anything else you’d recommend?”
“We have a barn cat. Possibly another one would help. My dad claims chickens keep them away.”
“Do you know where we can get those?”
“I’ll find out and have Wade make the travel arrangements for me.” Chip fired back his response. “Do you need the source of a cat and a few chickens in writing?”
“You bet I do.” Ash turned and walked downstairs to the operation room. Why did Meghan’s room have the scorpion problem when she would have a potentially life-threatening reaction to an insect sting? He didn’t believe in coincidences.
The operation door was open, ensuring the agents had heard the upstairs shouting. Victor pecked away at the keyboard while Wade labored over a layout of the ranch for the security cameras. Neither man spoke, and why should they? For too long he’d made a point of being a pain in the rear, so no agent would ever be killed or wounded because of him. What thanks had he gotten in return?
Standing in front of the window, he looked out at the patio where Lindsay and Meghan appeared engaged in a conversation. Meghan’s shift had barely begun, and even with no sleep, she looked amazing. Scratch that last thought. She looked good for an agent without much sleep. Meghan had gotten further with Lindsay in a few weeks than he had in four years. The agent was a professional, and she respected Lindsay.
Chip was right, and Ash was tired of alienating himself from others. In rare moments, he showed the side
of him that he used to be. But the old Ash had allowed his best friend to get killed. These were his friends, his team members. He felt as responsible for them as he did for Lindsay.
“You don’t have to carry it all.” Victor’s voice rose slightly over the steady clicking of the keyboard.
“Yes, I do. I don’t have a choice.”
After supper that night, Meghan slid into an ergonomically correct chair and reached inside her laptop case for a layout of the house. Exhaustion had settled in her bones, and sand had invaded her eyes. She wanted to crawl into bed but not yet. Glancing at the clock, she mentally checked herself out at 2100 and no later—if she made it until then. Until last night, she’d managed four hours of sleep for the past five days, and now her body demanded a deposit to cover the deficit.
Before the next few days were over, this property would resemble a compound. The exterior doors and windows were to be wired to detect those attempting to get in and a certain young lady from getting out. Meghan questioned whether the latter was necessary. Lindsay had shown progress. But did she still view the ranch as a prison? How tragic that the young woman needed protection from her own willful ways.
Feeling herself slipping into a sleep zone, she scooted back from the table and walked outside onto the front lawn, green and perfectly manicured, courtesy of Ethan and Chip. To the left of the lawn, an ancient oak tree spread its gnarled branches in every direction as though daring an intruder to step near the house. How tempting to curl up beneath the old tree and let the troubles of her life slip away.
Meghan shook her head, realizing the lack of sleep had caused her thoughts to drift. As long as daylight stretched across the horizon, the work around her continued. Since dawn vehicles had poured through the gate bringing equipment and specialists. The county sheriff had been informed about Lindsay’s strategic position and the need to keep her whereabouts secret. Jean-clad agents covered the grounds like ants at a picnic. Rovers posted in jeeps and trucks would stop anyone jumping the fences, and the mounted cameras brought in a good feed. By the time the security plan was implemented, cameras, thermal imagers, and other up-to-date technology would be in place.
“I’m wondering how long it would take to string barbed wire along the property lining the road?”
At the sound of Ash’s voice, Meghan cringed. She’d avoided him all day, and now he’d singled her out. “With the other security measures soon to be in place, is that precaution necessary?”
“Since those who threatened her haven’t been arrested, I’d say twenty-foot-high barbed wire wouldn’t be enough. Call me a daddy grizzly.”
The image fit. She studied the cameras mounted at the gates, silently questioning their position—anything to keep her attention from Ash. He made her nervous. He caused her to shiver in ninety-five-degree temps, and her lips still tasted his kiss. The one she’d claimed she didn’t want. “What did Warrington say about barbed wire?”
“Never asked. He’d say it was over the top. Is the alarm system working?”
“Hopefully tomorrow.” She prepared herself for his complaint.
“Good. I saw you looking at the cameras. We’re close to having the electronic motion sensors and the infrared high-definition daylight cameras in place. Wish we could expedite the installation.”
“We’re still out of the media’s eye.”
“For now.”
She refused to look at him, fighting her irresponsible attraction. “When do we find out if we’re being replaced?”
“Soon. Look, Meghan, I’m sorry a—”
“We deleted it, remember?”
“Wish it were that easy. I feel like a jerk.” His attention moved to the front gate. “I am a jerk.”
Grasping an ounce of strength, she faced him. “It’s over. Done. I don’t want to talk about it again.”
“Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” He spoke in a whisper.
Did he think the trees were listening? The man confused and frustrated her. “When I need a doctor or a shrink, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, I have work to do. You have work to do.”
He stepped back.
Meghan blew out a sigh. “I’m sorry. Just tired.” She started to add she hadn’t slept well for several days but decided Ash could survive without her personal information.
“Why don’t you call it a day?”
“I still have a few things to do.”
He chuckled. “Now you sound like me.”
Not so sure that was a compliment. “I make a list every day of what I need to accomplish, and today’s isn’t completed.”
“Meghan.”
The familiar chill bumps rose, and her face became flushed. “Yes, sir.”
“The name’s Ash. I’m not good at this, but could we be friends?”
“I suppose.”
“Thanks. I’ll leave you alone to your thoughts.” He took a few steps toward the front gate, then whirled around. “You’re messing with my mind. Not sure how to handle it.”
She certainly didn’t know how to respond to that comment.
Chapter 28
Sunday evening of Father’s Day, Meghan gathered with the team, Dave and Carla, and Lindsay around a long table on the patio for supper. Pepper flipped hamburgers on the grill, with the option of jalapeño or plain. She’d spent the afternoon in Ethan’s garden, and the table displayed mounds of fresh vegetables. Maybe their cook was mellowing. The group looked more like friends ready to enjoy a barbecue than Secret Service agents keeping an eye on their protectee. The pool sparkled, but no one ventured toward its tepid waters. They were all celebrating the completion of the security detail.
Chip walked toward the group, wearing a smile that would rival a model on a New York runway. With his guitar slung over his shoulder, he reminded Meghan of his promised concert.
“Where’s your dad?” Rick glanced up from the far end of the table, where he was reading something.
“He’s going to church. Said we could save him a burger. Without jalapeños.”
A chuckle rose from the group, but Pepper silenced them with a glare. “Too bad if I forget about the corn and burn it. Worse yet, if I forget the carrot cake.”
“I’m not complaining.” Ash sounded like a little boy. “She made me a special burger.”
“I like the peppers.” Rick turned his attention back to the paper before him.
“What are you doing?” Ash tossed a radish at him.
So A2Z had chosen to act like a human today. If Meghan were honest with herself, she’d admit he’d displayed likable traits before.
“Working on something for my daughter.” Rick grinned and tossed back the radish. Normally the broad-shouldered man had little to say.
A sparkle lit Ash’s eyes. “Why don’t we believe you?”
He leaned back. All eyes were on him. “It’s serious business when it concerns my daughter.”
“Which one?”
“The sixteen-year-old.”
Ash moved to Rick’s end of the table and snatched the piece of paper. He read it and howled. “This is a note from some guy.”
“Exactly. I’m analyzing his handwriting.” He tapped his pen on the edge of the table. “She isn’t dating this guy. Period.”
Meghan knew a little about handwriting but not enough to jump into the conversation.
Ash nodded. “Yeah, look at how large he writes. He thinks a lot about himself . . . and his possessions. Probably selfish. I bet he’s motivated by his own lusts.”
Moans filled the air.
“And look how hard he pressed on the paper. Is he strong or determined to coax your baby girl into doing something she shouldn’t?”
Rick snatched the paper. “I already told you she isn’t dating him. He killed any thought of that when he wrote this note and allowed me to tear into his psychological makeup. The boy can prey on someone else.”
“Better call her.” Ash patted him on the back. “I’m not an expert in analyzing handwriting, but I wouldn�
�t want him around my daughter.”
“Hey.” Wade stood. “Today’s Father’s Day, and I haven’t gotten a call.”
Pepper lifted a platter of burgers from the side of the grill to the table. “What about a text?”
Wade pulled out his phone. “I muted it when I went on duty.” He checked his phone. “My own stupid fault. They called, and I missed it.”
“Better return it.” Ash laughed. “I won’t let anyone eat your burger.”
Wade sprinted to the other side of the pool. Great family man. Great guy, just like all of them. Meghan glanced up and met Ash’s gaze. Instead of diverting her attention, he smiled.
She returned the gesture. So he wanted to be friends. . . .
“Did you guys call your families?” Ash lifted his glass of iced tea. “Better do so before we eat.”
Meghan wished her father were alive so she could send her love. “What about you, Ash? Did you call home?”
He nodded. “I did.”
“You have a father?” Only Victor could get by with that question.
“I do. The rumors I came from the planet Krypton are unfounded.”
Victor took a very rare burger from Pepper. “The one I heard indicated something about a rock.”
“Very funny. There’s a reason why you always pull the graveyard shift.”
Meghan wanted to study Ash but feared he’d discover her trying to read him. Such a complex man. She thought he hid a few things. Maybe someday she’d discover what those things were.
Earlier Lindsay asked Meghan for permission to text her dad about Father’s Day. Their protectee did care about her family, despite her own words to the contrary.
After they ate and helped Pepper take the leftovers and dishes inside, the camaraderie continued.
