All or Nothing: A Trust No One Novel

by Dixie Lee Brown

  “The brother I knew would have, but apparently I don’t know the real Brian.” She took a deep breath. Her biggest fear was she’d say something wrong and tip her brother off that she knew what he’d done, but she couldn’t let Joe think she was afraid to carry out the plan, so she dialed the number.

  “Put it on speaker.” He leaned against the desk beside her.

  She pushed the button and Brian answered after two rings.

  “Brian, it’s Cara.” Her voice wavered nervously.

  “Holy shit, Cara! Where the hell are you?” The words exploded from the speaker.

  “Please don’t be angry. I met someone in LA. He asked me to travel with him. We’re in Montana, probably head for Mount Rushmore, or maybe Yellowstone. I’m having a great time. I’m not coming home for a while.” Cara began a little rocky but relaxed the further she got into her spiel.

  “That doesn’t sound like you. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I needed some time for me… with everything that’s happened. I’m sorry if I worried you. I thought you, of all people, would understand.”

  “What about your job? What am I supposed to do without you around here? Kathy and I are getting ready to take off on vacation. I could really use your help right now.”

  “Knowing you, you’ve probably already hired someone to take my place. If you haven’t, I could call a temp agency and get you someone.”

  “Naw, I’m covered for now, but I’m worried about you. What do you know about this guy? What’s his name anyway?”

  She was right—Brian had already hired her replacement, probably before they left for Lincoln City, so when his assassins killed her, he wouldn’t have to answer his own phone.

  Joe touched Cara’s arm, concern in his eyes. She’d left Brian hanging without an answer to his question.

  “His name is Joe.” She chose the first name that came to mind and went with it. “He owns a firing range, among other things. He makes me laugh, Brian. It’s been awhile since I felt like laughing, so let me have this, okay?”

  “Do you even know if he’s married or not?”

  She glanced quickly at Joe and saw amusement sparkle in his eyes. He shook his head emphatically, and held up two fingers like a Boy Scout. Cara laughed at his expression.

  “Of course he’s not married.”

  “You’re not falling for his guy, are you?”

  “I’ve only known him a few days. It’s all physical at this point.” Embarrassing him would cut the conversation short, and she was rewarded with his groan.

  “Spare me the sordid details, would you, Cara?”

  She laughed. “I’ll call you. Don’t expect me back for another week or two.”

  He grumbled but finally said good-bye, and she ended the call.

  “Beautiful! You did great.” Joe smiled warmly.

  Relieved, she grinned back. Too late, she realized her mistake as he stepped toward her. She raised her hands and turned away.

  He took her elbow and spun her around to face him. “What is it, Cara? Why the sudden ice storm?”

  Her voice trembled when she spoke. “I can’t stay. I’m damaged goods. I’ll probably never be right. It’s not fair to you. I can barely take care of myself right now, much less be there for someone else.”

  Joe brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “When this is over, I won’t stop you if you want to leave, but you don’t have to make that decision now. We’re good together, Cara. I’ve known it since that night in the casino. I’d like to see where this takes us. Wouldn’t you?”

  “You heard David. He talks as though we’re still married.” Cara almost choked on the word. “He’s not going to let this go.”

  “That’s what you’re stressing about? You’re the victim here. That jerk stole your life and twisted it to fit his sick appetite. You escaped. You’re free and he can’t put you back in that prison. He’s taken enough from you. Don’t give him the rest of your life too.”

  “I won’t give him an excuse to go after you.”

  He smiled and took her hands. “I love that you’re worried about me, but you have to trust me. I’ve been taking care of myself for a while now, and I intend to take care of you, too, if you’ll let go of your pride long enough to accept help.”

  “Pride is all I have left, and damn little of that.” Her voice was sharper than she’d intended. “What I do have, I’m not giving up—not for anyone. I need time, Joe.”

  His eyes flashed with anger. “If you back away from me, you’re letting Dennelli win. He doesn’t want you to think you’re worth another man’s time or strong enough to survive what he’s put you through. I know you are. You can have as much time as you need, but don’t let him win.”

  He was right. David was the reason she’d kept Charlie at an arm’s length. He was the reason she feared the control Joe would have over her if she let him get too close, and he was the reason she knew she shouldn’t stay. Even here, where she was safe, she still allowed David to dictate her actions, and she was tired of it. She wanted it to stop, but he was simply too strong.

  All she’d have to do was ask Joe for his help and he’d be all too happy to remove David from her life permanently. She just couldn’t ask him to do something she was afraid to do herself.

  Joe still watched her.

  She raised her eyes to his. “I can’t promise you anything—not now.”

  “I’m not asking you to… but I’m not giving up.” Warmth shone from his eyes as he leaned in quickly and gave her a no-nonsense kiss. Abruptly, he turned toward his desk and when he spoke, he was all business again.

  “Walker’s at the gym. He’ll work with you this morning. After lunch, Rayna will start you on kickboxing. Later, we’ll do the high ropes… and work on those trust issues.”

  “I’m going to be sore again tonight, aren’t I?”

  Wednesday, 9:35 am

  WALKER WASN’T IN the gym, but Rayna said she’d seen him heading south toward a small stand of trees, carrying his backpack. Cara took off to find him, but she approached cautiously, remembering the last time she’d snuck up on him unannounced. She topped a large mound of earth and came upon him suddenly. He was kneeling on the other side, intent on something in his hand. The next instant, an explosion tore up the dirt fifty yards in front of them. A small cry escaped her as she dropped to her knees.

  Walker glanced up and frowned. “For God’s sake. Get down in the hole, Cara. Those are real bombs going off out there.” Another explosion threw more debris into the air. As she jumped behind the wall of dirt with Walker, his cell phone rang and he answered it.

  “Sorry, Joe, I forgot to tell you I was going to set off a few charges this morning… I know. It makes everybody nervous… Got it… Won’t happen again.” He hung up and grinned at her. “Oops. Joe’s pissed.” He snickered.

  She got the distinct impression he’d neglected to inform Joe on purpose. “Why are you blowing stuff up?”

  “I read about some new techniques on the Internet. Wanted to see how they worked. Want to help?”

  “Isn’t it dangerous?”

  “Sure, if you don’t know what you’re doing. This is C-4.” He removed two brick-shaped items from his backpack. “Even if we set this on fire, it wouldn’t explode, but add a blasting cap, electronic transmitter, and receiver, and we’re in business.”

  She still regarded him skeptically.

  “Come here. You might as well learn how to set one of these. You never know when you might need a good explosion.”

  Walker showed her how to position the blasting cap and connect it to the receiver. They walked it out two hundred yards and placed it in the sandy dirt. Once back by the berm, he pulled her down beside him, handed her the transmitter, and told her to enter the code. Ten seconds later, a large explosion rocked the ground. Exhilarated, she couldn’t keep the smile from her face.

  Walker laughed and nodded. “Be careful. It’s habit-forming.”

  “That was the most fun I’
ve had in a long time.”

  “Stick with me. I’m full of surprises.” He searched his backpack and came out with four sticks of dynamite.

  “Is there anything you don’t have in there?”

  “You can never be too prepared.” Walker handed her three of the sticks and pulled a lighter from his pocket. “This fuse has a fifteen-second burn. Trick is to light it and hold it long enough so when you throw the dynamite, it explodes just before it hits the dirt. Otherwise, hitting the dirt could snuff out the fuse. Let’s play chicken.” His I-dare-you grin and the sparkle in his eyes made her laugh nervously.

  “You really are crazy.”

  “Told you.”

  He flipped the lighter open and lit the fuse. She counted off the seconds silently as he held the dynamite and smirked at her. Eight… nine… ten… eleven… Just when she was sure the explosive would detonate in his hand, right here in the hole, he spun around and threw it toward the trees. It barely touched the ground before it exploded.

  “Your turn.” He took two of the sticks back from her and handed her his lighter. “Remember, you’ve got fifteen seconds.”

  With shaky fingers, Cara fought with the lighter to get a flame and finally lit the fuse. Eight… nine… ten… She flung the dynamite as hard as she could. It hit the ground and bounced a couple times before it went off.

  Walker lit his last stick and stood ready. Ten… eleven… twelve… thirteen… He didn’t throw it as far this time, so the explosion came a split second after landing.

  “Okay. Last chance to beat me.” He handed her the lighter.

  She didn’t have the upper body strength to throw it as far as Walker, so hers would hang in the air less time, even if she threw as hard as she could. If he held his for thirteen seconds, and threw it farther than hers was going to go and it still blew on the ground, she didn’t stand much chance of beating him. Her competitive nature and his gloating expression wouldn’t allow her to admit defeat, however. A slow smile grew.

  She lit the fuse and slowly counted off. Six… seven… eight… Time slowed to a crawl as she watched the burning fuse and wiped the sweat from her upper lip. Nine… ten… eleven… Calm swept over her. She glanced at Walker and returned his grin. Twelve… thirteen… Not yet… Almost. The grin disappeared from Walker’s face. Fourteen…

  “Throw the damn thing, Cara!” Walker launched himself toward her at the same instant she flung the stick. As soon as it left her hand, he tackled her, throwing her down in the dirt. A sharp pain pinched her forehead as she collided with something hard, followed immediately by the explosion. From the sound, the dynamite hadn’t hit the ground and yet a great deal of dirt was thrown up in the blast. That had to mean the dynamite exploded almost at ground level.

  “Sweet! Beat that, Walker!”

  “Shit! I thought I was crazy. Sit up here and let me look at your head.”

  She touched her forehead just above her eyebrow and came away with bloody fingers. “How bad is it?”

  “Nothing serious. Head wounds tend to bleed a lot. I’ve got some first-aid stuff at my place. Let’s take care of that before we go back to work.” He picked up his backpack, pulled her up, and started for his bungalow. They walked in silence for a few minutes.

  “Explosives aren’t forgiving, Cara. Don’t pull a stunt like that again.”

  “You would have.”

  “That’s different. Joe threatened my life if I so much as scratch you with a knife. I can just imagine what he’d say if he knew I almost blew you up.”

  She couldn’t choke back the laugh that burst from closed lips. He looked hurt for a second before he broke up laughing too.

  They were still snickering when they reached his bungalow. He opened the door and motioned her in. She hadn’t expected Walker’s home to be so neat and tidy. It was small—kitchen/dining room/living room all in one, a bedroom, and a bathroom. There was a western theme to things, which also surprised her. A couch and recliner were draped with colorful Pendleton wool blankets. Paintings adorned the walls depicting cowboys on horseback and cattle grazing. A beautiful bronze sculpture of a bull rider, atop a huge mass of writhing, angry flesh, graced a table in front of the couch.

  “Come in here.” Walker tossed his backpack inside the open bedroom door and turned toward the bathroom. She followed him and waited while he pulled supplies from his medicine cabinet.

  “This ointment will numb you up a bit so scrubbing the dirt out of that gash doesn’t hurt quite so much. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll still sting like hell.” Walker grinned as he applied the gel, apparently finding her anxious expression amusing. “Something tells me you can handle it.”

  He wet a cloth with cold water and cleaned the cut, much more gently than she’d expected. “There, that should do it. Not as deep as I thought.”

  He glanced at her and she got the feeling he wanted to say something, but he finally looked away. Suddenly it was very close in his small bathroom. Heat brought a flush to her face. He gently applied antibiotic cream and sorted through his supply of bandages.

  “So, you and Joe, huh? You could do worse.”

  Cara snorted.

  “Oh right. You have done worse.”

  He tipped her head toward the light. His scent was masculine as he stood toe-to-toe with her and moved in close to get a good look. Feeling vulnerable, she leaned away from him until she lost her balance and had to take a step back.

  “Hold still, would you?” He pulled her around so she could prop herself against the sink. After selecting two butterfly bandages, he leaned toward her to apply them.

  “You’re set.” He didn’t move. His gaze held hers. He leaned forward a fraction more and she thought he was going to kiss her. Her eyes widened and she brought her hands up to his chest and pushed. She might as well have pushed on a rock wall. Abruptly, he laughed, put the tube of antibiotic cream in her hand, and stepped back.

  “Don’t worry. I might let you play with explosives Joe didn’t sanction, but I’d never step a foot in his territory… unless I was invited, of course.” He grinned roguishly, backing up to allow her space. “Let’s put a few first-aid supplies in my backpack, just in case you’re always this accident-prone.” He scooped up some bandages and ointment and handed them to her. “Bag’s in the bedroom. I’ll be right with you.” He pushed her out, unceremoniously, and closed the door.

  Cara found the backpack and dropped the supplies inside. It was heavier than she expected. When she picked it up to carry it to the living room, it slipped from her hand, spilling its contents out on the floor. She stooped quickly to gather them up. When she pushed the bag aside to kneel down, handcuffs lay on the floor. Immediately, her newfound confidence disappeared, leaving her hollow inside. She jerked her hand back as if she’d been burned. Her breathing nearly stopped and her chest constricted. Her gaze was held captive by the shiny metal object that haunted her nightmares. Panic tore at her even when her new calmer, stronger voice told her they could no longer hurt her. She would have fled, but she’d lost the use of her lower extremities as surely as if those handcuffs bound her once more.

  Chapter Twenty

  * * *

  Wednesday 10:35 am

  MURPHY CALLED AS Joe left his study to check on Cara. “Dennelli, and the rest of his thugs, made it safely back to his estate in West Linn. We’ll keep an eye on him, but my guess is he decided the lady wasn’t worth the effort.”

  Joe’s hand gripped the phone. Why did that make his blood boil when it should have made his day? If it was true, Dennelli had gone to a lot of trouble for nothing. It took balls to land a chopper here, in the middle of a war zone, and try to take Cara by force. Joe’s gut told him the SOB wasn’t done yet.

  “Keep digging, Murphy. Dennelli hires his dirty work done.”

  “I’m on it. Now, let’s talk about Sinclair. Rumor has it he and his wife are planning an extended vacation in France. I’m waiting for verification. I should have it… by the time you get here.”


  “Why would I come there?” Joe had no reason to go to Portland. What was Murphy up to?

  “We need to talk. You’ll want to have this conversation face-to-face.”

  “Is this about Sinclair?”

  Murphy hesitated. “It’s related.”

  “Cara and I will be there this afternoon.”

  “No… come alone.” Murphy ended the call abruptly.

  Damn it! Every time he worked with Murphy, he promised himself it would be the last time. Yet, here he was again. Murphy obviously wanted a controlled situation for their meeting, with plenty of his agents around. That meant Joe wasn’t going to like what the jerk had to say. The fact he didn’t want Cara there probably meant she’d like it even less. For a moment, he considered taking her anyway, but there was always the possibility he could diffuse the situation and she’d never have to know.

  Wednesday, 11:05 am

  HER HEART DRUMMING in her ears, Cara didn’t hear Walker’s approach until he knelt beside her on the bedroom floor.

  “I’m sensing some bad vibes here,” he said.

  She felt his gaze on her face, but she couldn’t drag her eyes from the shiny metal handcuffs on the floor in front of her. Slowly, he reached for the cuffs and inched them back toward his body. She leaned away from him, continuing to stare at the handcuffs he now held. Dropping them in his coat pocket, he rifled through his backpack until he pulled out a paper clip. He straightened it, then made a tiny bend on one end and fussed with it until he got it just right. She cringed as he took out the cuffs and locked one bracelet securely around his wrist, then calmly inserted the pick he’d fashioned in the lock, wiggled it, and the cuff fell open. She shot a glance at his face, and he smiled.

  “Want to try it?”

  She shook her head. “Do it again.”

  He stood and moved closer. “Okay, but you put them on me.” He held out the cuffs, and when she couldn’t force herself to reach for them, he sat on the floor beside her. “They’re just inanimate objects. They can’t hurt you.” He took one of her hands, holding it firmly when she tried to jerk it away, and laid the handcuffs on her palm then held out both wrists.