It was late. Where was he?
From the balcony, a flicker of firelight to the east caught her eye. In front of a small building just inside the perimeter fence, a campfire burned. Walker’s place? She remembered his words—I keep to myself. Suddenly, she needed to talk to him. Walker would tell her the truth about Joe… even if it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
Clutching the envelope tightly, she grabbed a jacket and headed downstairs. She skirted the great room, where remnants of conversation and the droning of the TV could still be heard. Quietly, she closed the front door behind her. The campfire was lost to view from here, but she chose her bearings from the position of the balcony window in relation to the mountains in the distance and set out at a steady pace. Surely she’d stumble onto the bungalow sooner or later.
From out of nowhere, a man dressed in black attacked, sweeping her legs out from under her. He slammed her down on the ground and put something sharp and cold to her throat. She panicked as the shiny blade flashed in the moonlight. Automatically, she reached for her gun. Damn it! She forgot to put it back on. In the darkness, her attacker leaned close. He laughed.
Walker!
“You know how to get out of this. You don’t need a gun for everything.”
“Walker, you scared the crap out of me.” Cara tried to calm her ragged breathing.
“What did I tell you? Always be ready. If you expected someone to jump you and cut your throat when you walked down that alley, you wouldn’t go. Right? It’s the unexpected you have to watch for.” He stood and pulled her up. “What are you doing wandering around out here alone, anyway? I thought, after this morning, Joe would have a shorter rein on you.”
His words annoyed her, but she let it go. “You do remember inviting me, don’t you?”
“Sure, but I didn’t expect you to take me up on it.”
“Why?”
“I’m crazy. Haven’t you heard?”
“I think you may be saner than the rest of us.”
The campfire burned low in front of Walker’s bungalow. A lawn chair sat beside the fire. He brought another from inside and placed it near his. Then he threw some wood on the dwindling flames and took a seat.
“What’s in the envelope?”
Cara turned it over so he could see the writing. “David sent it over.”
“Someday you’ll have to explain to me how an intelligent woman like yourself got mixed up with that guy.”
“He was very charming when I met him. I was so blind I didn’t see any of his faults, and I guess all my friends were afraid to tell me. He treated me like a queen… right up until our wedding night, when he handcuffed… well, let’s just say it wasn’t part of the fairy tale.” Cara stared into the fire, knowing Walker’s eyes were on her. “I packed my things and left, but he found me and brought me back. The punishment was worse than the original injury. I ran probably twenty times in the first two months, until I realized he’d beat me to death if I didn’t stop.”
“That lowlife bastard doesn’t realize how lucky he was to get out of here alive.”
“According to him, it was my fault. I drove him to it. It was a year before I finally realized it wasn’t anything I did. It was a game he enjoyed playing, and he made up the rules as he went along. It took me another two years to get away from him.” Cara stopped talking, embarrassed to have told this stranger the single most shameful secret of her life.
Walker was quiet when she glanced at him. “I’m sorry. That was probably way more information than you wanted.”
“I’m just sorry I hadn’t heard that story while I still had the bastard in my crosshairs.”
They sat side by side, listening to the crackle of the fire and the crickets. Finally, Cara broke the silence. “There are a lot of stories in here”—she held up the envelope—“about Joe. Are they true?”
He shrugged. “Some of them are bound to be, I guess. Is there one about a village in North Korea where civilians—men, women, and children—were murdered?”
Cara nodded, seeing again the gruesome details outlined in a report by the North Korean government to the U.S. State Department.
Walker settled back in his chair. “I got myself in a jam over there trying to get a Korean national out of the country. They arrested me, which is a fancy way of saying they were going to torture me until I either died or told them what they wanted to know. A man can’t keep quiet forever. Joe knows that better than most. He got a few men together and came to get me.”
Cara couldn’t mistake the gratitude in his voice.
“The North Koreans moved me to a deserted village in the south, near the border. They must have been tipped off Joe and his guys were coming. The day before it went down, they marched in about twenty South Korean civilians. They forced them into one of the empty buildings and followed them in with guns. I heard shooting and the screams…” He stopped, fury contorting his face. When he continued, a faraway look dulled his eyes.
“They burned the building with all the bodies in it and slunk off into the foothills to hide. They killed two of our team before Joe, Charlie, and Ty took them out. Just the four of us came out alive. I’d have been one of the dead, too, if it wasn’t for Joe. The North Korean government released their version of the story. Claimed Joe killed those civilians. I don’t suppose your ex-old man put my report in there too?”
“No, he must have missed that one.”
“Joe cares about people. In spite of what you may have read, he has a conscience. You two are good for each other.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He makes you stronger, and you give him a reason to get out of all this.” Walker pointed toward the papers in her hand.
Cara wanted to believe what Walker said. She glanced at him and smiled. Leaning toward the fire, she tossed the envelope in the embers. The flames licked the scrawled lettering off the front before it curled and blackened the papers.
“Well done.”
“I better get back.”
“I’d walk you, but I think he wants to.” Walker nodded his head toward the west. She stared into the darkness beyond the firelight and, after a moment, saw something move. Joe strode into the circle of light.
“How long have you known I was there?” he asked.
“You made enough noise to wake the dead,” Walker replied. “Think I’ll call it a night.” He stood, touched her shoulder reassuringly, and disappeared into his bungalow.
Joe sat in Walker’s chair. The fire snapped and popped, sending sparks into the air. The night was cool, and the flames warmed her through the light knit top she wore. Still, she wrapped her arms around her waist, staving off the chill that came from the emptiness inside her. The silence stretched until she fidgeted uncomfortably.
“That’s my life you’re burning there.” Joe stared as the flames devoured the pages.
“That’s someone else’s idea of who you are.”
He laughed mockingly. “You think you know me now, after five days? Don’t dismiss all those reports just because you’ve reduced them to a pile of ash. I’ve hurt people, Cara. I’ve used people to get what I want. I’m using you right now to get to your brother.”
She blinked back tears, angry at the weakness they showed. She hadn’t forgotten why she was here, but it sounded harsh the way he said it. He was right, of course. She didn’t really know him, only had an inkling of how dangerous he was and knew he wanted Brian bad enough he’d do anything to get him. Technically, he wasn’t using her though, since she’d volunteered. He wasn’t the only one who wanted Brian to pay for what he’d done to Charlie.
“Maybe I’m using you too.” She sneaked a glance at him. In the flickering light, he looked vulnerable and an unfamiliar emotion tugged at her heart. Just below the surface, the man from the manila envelope was still there, but there was much more to him than what was written on those pages. She got to her feet and reached for his hand. His expression changed to surprise.
“Weren’t you li
stening? I bare my soul to you, and you ignore me?”
“I’ll decide for myself what kind of man you are.” She tugged on his hand until he stood beside her. “You’ll have to try harder if you’re going to scare me off.”
Joe chuckled and closed his arms around her. “What gave you the idea I was trying to scare you off? This is where I want you. Right here.” He tightened his hold on her.
“You might change your mind. You don’t know me very well either.”
“I know everything I need to know about you.” His brow creased with worry, but a trace of humor softened his eyes. “I’m a little concerned you’re not the greatest judge of character, especially in men, but that might be working in my favor, so let’s not go there.”
She laughed, and he kissed her forehead.
“You know”—he watched her closely—“I made a mess of things earlier.” He drew her even closer. “Would it be all right if I kiss you out here under the stars—no walls in sight?”
Cara nodded and tipped her face up to his.
Joe’s lips brushed hers tenderly and pulled back. He nuzzled her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. His kisses burned a path from her earlobe to a spot just above the neckline of her shirt. He raised his head to look in her eyes and grinned. His lips moved over hers again, gently and with great care, until she felt wanted and safe in his arms. She relaxed and leaned in to him, wanting more. Joe pulled her arms loose and pushed her away a step, giving her one more kiss before letting her go. She looked at him in confusion.
“Let’s get you back to the house.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Not at all. I don’t intend to spoil this by rushing you. I also don’t want to stretch the limits of my self-control beyond what I can stand.”
She smiled at his pained expression, even as a shiver of yearning feathered down her spine. “So, are you making all my decisions for me now?”
“Only the important ones.” He slid his arm around her waist and they walked toward the ranch house.
“You shouldn’t be this far away from the house by yourself,” Joe said after a moment’s silence. “Someone could set a chopper down out here, grab you, and take off before anyone could get to you. I notice you don’t have your handgun.”
“Is that why you followed me tonight?”
“One of the reasons. I also wanted to see if you could still stand the sight of me.”
Cara looked in his eyes. “Satisfied?”
“Getting closer.” His grin was lopsided.
She blushed, thankful for the darkness. “Is David still here?”
“He’s staying at a cabin about fifteen miles around the lake. Walker said he went fishing today.”
“I don’t think he’s ever fished before.”
“He probably wants us to think he’s just hanging out, enjoying the sights. We’ve got people watching, and Murphy is monitoring their phone calls. We’ll know when Dennelli’s ready to make a move.”
“Do you think he’ll come back here?”
“He knows that would be pointless, unless he can catch you out, away from the house. Unprotected.” Joe glanced at her meaningfully.
“Okay, I get it.”
“Something else is going on in his head. We’ll just have to wait until he tips his hand. One thing I’m fairly sure of—he won’t give up. He’s gone to a lot of trouble.”
She shivered and Joe pulled her closer. “You have nothing to worry about, Party Girl.”
“Do you have to call me that?”
“I like it. Someday, that girl who thought life was a party will come back.” He cast a sideways glance at her. “In fact, I think I may have seen a little bit of her today. But… if you tell me absolutely, positively not to… I’ll stop.”
The lost-puppy-dog look he fixed her with almost made her laugh. She stifled her mirth and grimaced instead. What did it matter what he called her? She would only be here a few more days.
They stopped to get Dillon from his kennel before Joe walked her to her room. He held the door open for her, and Dillon followed. Joe shook his head.
“You’ll have to take him with you if you leave. Otherwise, his heart will be broken.” When Cara glanced at him, he caught her lips in an urgent kiss as he gathered her tightly against him. She pulled away first, short of breath.
“Or,” he whispered, “you’ll just have to stay.” He backed from the room.
She stared at the door for several minutes as her heart sat like a stone in her chest.
Chapter Nineteen
* * *
Wednesday, 4:33 am
THE DREAM RETURNED that night, stealing into her subconscious with all the subtlety of a freight train. Like the other times, she was in bed. A deep sense of foreboding motivated her to get up and run away. When she stood, one of her wrists was shackled to the ornate iron headboard. Fear sliced through her with such intensity it left her weak. A door across the room slowly opened. Silhouetted against the light from the hallway was a man. In one hand he carried a whiskey bottle. She recognized him, and her panic grew.
The man didn’t speak. She raised her chin and glared at him. He moved quickly, as only people in dreams could, and raised his arm to slap her. The sharp sound of flesh-on-flesh reached her ears before she felt the force of the blow. She landed facedown on the bed, her bound arm twisted at a painful angle. Struggling to turn over, she realized she was naked, exposed. She shoved herself back as he tossed the whiskey bottle aside and advanced toward her. She screamed, soundlessly, over and over again, but no one heard. He whispered in her ear as though sharing a lover’s secret: “I’m going to kill you.” His words eroded what little courage she had left. Finally, lungs hurting with each tortured breath, she braced herself for what she could not escape.
Cara woke from the dream with a cry and immediately pushed herself to the farthest corner of the bed. Turning her lamp on, she glanced quickly around the room. She was alone. It was only a dream—this time. Her handgun lay beside the lamp. She grabbed it, sinking in to her bed and holding it against her chest as she fought to control her panic. The dreams hadn’t come for months—not since she’d met Charlie. Why now? Then she remembered telling Joe and Walker things about her marriage… things better left forgotten.
Cara crawled from the bed, crossed to the bathroom, and splashed cold water on her face. It was almost five. No sense going back to sleep. Joe would be waking her before long. Besides, she was never able to sleep again after one of those dreams. She turned on the shower and shed her clothes.
When she came out of the bathroom thirty minutes later in her thin satin robe, Joe was waiting. The clock told her it was barely five thirty. “You’re early. What’s wrong?” She immediately expected the worst.
“Ten miles today. We need an early start.” His fingers brushed her wet hair from her face.
Cara recoiled from the possessive gesture.
“I’ll be right with you.” She pushed his hand away, ignoring the question in his eyes and his hurt expression.
He left through the balcony doors silently.
Damn it! She hated this. She didn’t want to hurt him, but his words of last night worried her. He wanted something more permanent than she was able to give. It’d be better breaking it off now than waiting until they got in deeper. Uneasiness swirled in her stomach at the thought of being alone again.
She was downstairs and halfway through her stretching routine before he joined her.
“Why so far today?” she asked.
“We’ve been slacking.”
“What happened to staying closer to the house?”
“Dennelli packed up and left early this morning. Looks like he’s heading home.”
“That’s good news. You don’t sound totally convinced.”
“I’m glad he’s not in my backyard anymore. We’ll just have to keep an eye out for the unexpected. If you see anything out of the ordinary, let me know.”
The ten miles taxe
d her legs to the breaking point. She fell behind. When she reached the section of trail closest to the lake, she stopped for a breather. Something moved in the brush above her. She tensed, staring into the semidarkness, suddenly wishing Dillon was here. Joe had told her there were wolves, cougars, and bears in these woods. As the bushes continued to rustle, Cara reached for her gun. The feel of it in her hand gave her small comfort. It would be virtually useless against a bear. She backed away down the trail until she reached a curve. Whirling around, she fled as fast as she could, sure there were bright yellow eyes watching her retreat. She holstered her gun but didn’t slow her pace until she came within sight of the gate. Joe waited for her there and frowned.
“Something wrong?”
By now she felt silly about imagining wild animals after her, so admitting it to Joe was out of the question. “You mean besides… running… ten miles?” Even when the gate closed behind her, she still felt those eyes watching.
In her room again, Cara showered and dressed for a day of training, although she didn’t know what Joe had planned for her. On her way into the dining hall, she met him coming out.
“After breakfast, come to the study. We’ll call Sinclair.” He kept walking down the hall.
Apprehension flooded her at the thought of making that call. Combined with the terror she’d experienced in the woods, she gave up trying to enjoy her bacon and eggs. In fact, she left nearly as much on her plate as she’d taken in the first place. She cleaned and stacked her dishes and reported to Joe’s study. He looked up as she walked in. She didn’t meet his gaze, going instead to stand by the window and stare out at the lake, sparkling in the sunlight.
“Tell your brother you met someone in LA and you’re traveling cross-country with him. You can tell him you’re in Montana, if he asks. Just don’t give specifics. Stick to the truth as much as possible and make up the rest. That way it won’t be as easy for him to trip you up, but it’s important he know you’re not coming home for a week, maybe two.”
Joe paused until she turned to look at him. “Will he buy that?”
All or Nothing: A Trust No One Novel Page 15
