Raw Talent

by Debra Webb

  “How convenient.” He had an answer for everything. And now he even had an excuse to get Sloan off the hook. She didn’t want to talk about this anymore. Her mother had told her the truth. Why would her mother lie about that? Gabrielle ignored the hesitation that slipped into her determination.

  She knew what she knew. This was just a story Victoria Colby-Camp had hatched up to protect Sloan.

  “I’m telling you the truth, Gabrielle. Whether you believe it or not, it’s all true. Maybe if you give Rachel a chance, she can tell you more. Mark can most likely verify much of what she says.”

  “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” She turned her back on him. Though he couldn’t see her face anyway, she wasn’t about to risk that he might reach out and feel the tears on her cheeks. Dammit, she hated crying. She was stronger than this.

  “All I’m asking you to do, Gabrielle, is to weigh both sides of the story. Consider the sources of each side and decide who and what you can believe for yourself.”

  His hand settled on her shoulder and she twisted away from his touch. She couldn’t deal with that right now. He was just like all the rest. He had an agenda. How had she momentarily forgotten that? He had come here to stop her. To take her back to Chicago where she would likely face charges and end up back in prison. After all, she had three years left on her probation.

  It seemed damned convenient that she’d only just now heard about this so-called associate Tanya, her father’s real murderer. She folded her arms over her chest and reached for calm. She was supposed to be gaining his trust, not letting him see just how badly she wanted to settle the score with Sloan. She had to get back on track if she expected to regain her freedom.

  She sucked it up and did what she had to do. “You’re right.” She turned back to face him though she couldn’t see a damned thing. “I don’t have all the facts. I’m stunned that someone else may have been involved with my father’s murder and I’m just now hearing about it.”

  “Getting all the facts is important, Gabrielle.”

  She trembled at the sound of her name on his lips. God, how could she let him get to her like this? As if she had a choice. She’d had no control over this crazy plunge toward obsession with the guy from day one. She’d ordered herself many times to put a halt to the chain reaction. He was too old for her, she’d insisted. Too disciplined. A guy didn’t spend more than a decade in the Marines without having some major self-control. But none of those things had slowed her foolish emotional tumble.

  It wasn’t as if she was in love with him or anything; she just couldn’t seem to keep her proper perspective when he was around. No one else had this affect on her.

  Why did Victoria have to send him to bring her back?

  Anyone else she could have handled ditching without breaking a sweat. But outmaneuvering Braddock would be extremely difficult, especially when her own emotions were working against her.

  “When this is over, you have to approach Sloan rationally. It’s the right thing to do, Gabrielle.” Again he rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be right there beside you if that’s what you want.”

  Why would he do that? It was one thing for him to be here. This was his job. No way would he fall down on doing his job. But did he really care how she felt? Or was he playing her the way she intended to play him?

  That was the thing with love and all that emotional garbage. People used each other. It was human nature. In her whole life she hadn’t been able to trust anyone. Not a single person had ever been there when she needed them most.

  That was the truly laughable thing about this situation with Braddock. She knew before she let herself start to obsess about the guy that it was a mistake, and couldn’t possibly have a good end. And yet, here she was. Finally in a position to avenge some of the wrongs life had thrown her way and the man she’d stupidly gotten just a little emotionally attached to was the one who stood in her way.

  What would happen when he refused to let her follow through with what she had to do? Could she hurt him? Shoot him, maybe, to clear her path to Sloan?

  Frantic shouts outside the cave jerked her attention to the narrow opening.

  Braddock’s finger came to rest on her lips as he leaned close and whispered in her ear. “Move as far back in the cave as you can. If they come too close I’ll make a run for it and divert their attention.”

  She stared at him through the darkness. Still couldn’t see a damned thing. But she didn’t have to. It was his words that shook her to the very center of her being.

  Who was this guy? He barely knew her, had every reason to believe she was a nutcase considering her prison record and her current agenda. And yet he was willing to risk his life to save hers?

  There had to be a catch.

  Chapter Nine

  A.J. moved nearer to the mouth of the cave and listened to the exchange. At least two men were close by. Too close. One shouted at the other about something A.J. couldn’t quite catch well enough to translate. The argument escalated and the men came to blows.

  The overindulging had begun. The two fighting outside sounded smashed.

  Gabrielle eased up next to him. “What’re they doing?” she murmured.

  “Arguing over a woman, I think.”

  Though A.J. couldn’t see the two, judging by the sound effects one definitely had the upper hand over the other. The clash wouldn’t last much longer.

  Gabrielle didn’t move away from him immediately as she usually did. Despite having trekked all over these mountains, there was still something intensely feminine about the way she smelled. Sweet and soft, no matter how tough she wanted to pretend to be. She made this dank old cave bearable with her presence.

  She wasn’t nearly as hard and unfeeling as she wanted the world to believe. All he had to do was to consider the impact she’d had on those boys to know she’d reached out to them in a way the kind of tough woman she pretended to be couldn’t hope to do. The boy, Mark, had slipped her a weapon in an attempt to help her out. That spoke volumes about how well they’d connected in the few hours they’d spent together.

  He turned to her. “You should stay back, just in case.” Just because the two men who’d been fighting had tromped off out of hearing range now didn’t mean they or someone else wouldn’t be back.

  “I’m fine right here.”

  A smile tugged at his lips. He hadn’t noticed how stubborn she was until now. She’d always been so agreeable and ready to do whatever she was told at the agency. He was only now seeing the real Gabrielle. He’d known she was smart and savvy when it came to evaluating cases, but he hadn’t expected this fiery side.

  Interesting.

  He inclined his head and listened, turned his full attention back to the matter at hand: the enemy.

  “How much longer before we should make our move?”

  Like him, she was growing antsy.

  “Soon.” He didn’t see any reason to put off the inevitable considering his estimations as to the actions of the enemy were already seeing fruition.

  The sooner they moved, the sooner they would be out of here and on their way back to safety.

  He hoped the talk they’d had would prevent her from doing something they would both regret. He didn’t want to see her hurt and his assignment was to ensure that she didn’t hurt anyone else. Making a call as to whether she would stick with her promise would be premature. Her actions to this point had been far too volatile for his comfort.

  A.J. allowed another half hour to pass before he made the decision to move. It was a no-going-back decision. Once they left the safety of this hidden cave, there might not be another safe haven between here and Sloan’s property. But that was a chance they would have to take.

  “Ready?”

  “Been ready.”

  He should have expected that answer.

  “Don’t talk unless absolutely necessary and stay right behind me.”

  She grabbed him by the shirtsleeve and held him back when he would ha
ve moved forward. “Why are you leading? I know the area better than you.”

  Maybe she did, but most likely she didn’t. When he’d been tracking her, he’d paid particular attention to the terrain. He doubted she could say the same. Her goal had been to move quickly toward a specific destination.

  “Why don’t I lead first and then you can take over later?” Sounded reasonable to him.

  “What happened to ‘ladies first’?”

  Now she wanted to be treated like a lady.

  “I thought you preferred being treated like one of the guys,” he countered. “Did I get that wrong?”

  “Just go, Braddock.”

  He’d figured that would do the trick.

  “Stay close,” he reminded.

  “Yeah, yeah, I got that part.”

  A.J. slipped out into the cool night air and held perfectly still for several seconds. He let the night sounds wash over him and carefully filtered all that he heard, the whisper of a breeze, the brush of oak leaves and pine needles and the occasional hoot of an owl. Nothing indicated danger was near.

  But a single unintended noise out of him or her, a snapping twig—anything—could bring the enemy out of hiding. They could be hunkered down anywhere. But he was banking on the idea that they wouldn’t stop searching for their prey. As long as they were on the move, they could more easily be avoided.

  Careful of every step, he moved along the trail rather than pushing through the underbrush. The others would likely be carrying flashlights and could be spotted from a considerable distance. A.J. and Gabrielle were traveling in the dark. But sound carried in the night. They couldn’t afford to make even the slightest noise.

  A.J. stayed low in an attempt to avoid being spotted by anyone using night-vision binoculars. Gabrielle did the same, instinctively understanding his strategy.

  The quarter moon provided just enough illumination to prevent him from leading the way right off a cliff. He paused frequently to listen, then continued his zigzag course eastward and downward.

  Heading to his SUV or Gabrielle’s Jeep would be a strategic error. Men would be watching the vehicles. That option was out completely. Their only alternative appeared to be to head for Sloan’s property via an alternate, unanticipated route. But there was a considerable amount of open ground between the base of the mountains and Sloan’s rear gate. The final decision would be best assessed when the time came. Any one of a number of variables could drastically change the necessary strategy.

  Gabrielle froze. Strained to hear. She hoped like hell she’d imagined what she’d thought she heard.

  Braddock had stopped, as well. He now listened intently, taking his cue from her or having heard the same thing she had.

  The sweep of foliage across fabric rasped in the night a second time. Closer this time.

  Before she could react Braddock had ushered her down to the ground. He indicated she should stay put while he eased around her position.

  Her heart thundered so loudly she couldn’t hear herself think. All it would take was one shout from the guy on their heels…one discharge of a weapon and the others would descend upon them in a flash.

  Gabrielle listened intently above the sound of the blood roaring in her ears. Her fingers tightened around the butt of her weapon.

  A snap echoed in the night.

  No pounding footsteps. No frantic shouts.

  The guy hadn’t spotted them yet but he was getting closer and closer.

  It was all she could do to sit still. She craned her neck to try to see where Braddock was. Did he intend to take the guy down? Was the sound she’d heard from Braddock or the enemy?

  Before the hysteria that had started to take root could kick in, Braddock moved up next to her and her eyes closed in relief. Thank God.

  “One down. We’ll need to keep moving,” he whispered, “until we reach the base of the mountain half a mile east of Sloan’s property, then we’ll double back from the front.”

  Her toes curled in protest. Sounded like a hell of a lot of walking, and a hell of a lot of risk. But was it the only way to avoid capture? She’d walk just about anywhere to stay alive but the enemy could be hiding anywhere out here in this jungle. Taking out one was good, but there were still nearly a dozen out there.

  Since she didn’t have a better plan, she went with Braddock’s. She hoped like hell his military background would pay off.

  A cold, damp sweat had risen on her skin by the time they reached the lower ridge. She’d slipped so many times and caught herself at the last minute that she wondered how much longer she could possibly avoid that fate. She would hit the ground eventually. It was inevitable.

  Braddock stopped. She bumped into his broad back.

  He didn’t have to say anything. She saw the problem.

  Part of the search team had set up camp smack in the middle of the route they wanted to take.

  Three men. Campfire. Sleeping bags. Bottle of tequila. Oh yeah, and lots of guns.

  Braddock gestured to his right and then started in that direction. Gabrielle, hunkering lower than ever, went after him. They moved along that course for maybe fifteen minutes before encountering more trouble.

  Two more men. These two walked aimlessly through the dark. Sentries. One carried a flashlight but appeared more concerned with avoiding obstacles on the ground than with searching for their prey.

  Dammit. They were so close to where they needed to be.

  Braddock suddenly reached out and cupped the back of her head then pulled her face to his. “We’re going to find a place to lay low a little while longer. Okay?”

  She trembled before she could stop the reaction, then nodded her agreement.

  As he released her, his fingers dragged through her hair and it was all she could do to keep from groaning right there with the enemy breathing down their necks big-time.

  Strong-arming her attention back to staying alive, she fell into step behind Braddock.

  Wherever he was headed, this time he moved fast. She didn’t want to think about what would happen to her if these guys caught up with them. Braddock would likely be shot but her fate wouldn’t be so straightforward, she feared. Shuddering with revulsion, she evicted the possibilities from her mind.

  This time Braddock selected a rock outcropping for cover with its sizable nook between the largest of the boulders. He swept his arms around inside first to ensure no critters had gotten the same idea, then settled into the jagged niche. Gabrielle lowered herself into the too-close-for-comfort space next. With both of them ensconced there, he reached out and pulled limbs, leaves, whatever was handy, over the opening.

  She tried to settle in and relax, but there was no way she could sit that didn’t involve most of her body pressed against his. Complaining would be pointless since the alternative was to risk getting caught.

  She mentally admitted defeat and relaxed, allowing her body to contour to his firm frame. Her shoulder was nestled against his chest. Her hip and thigh to his.

  This was going to be a very long night.

  GABRIELLE CLOSED her eyes and tried to block the dizzying sensations flowing along every nerve ending. A crazy mixture between fear and anticipation.

  Every rise and fall of his chest set off a new fizz of sensation. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to get through the next few hours with her mind reeling like this. She shouldn’t be feeling this way, shouldn’t let her obsession with this man override all else.

  She couldn’t let him or anything else get in the way of what she had to do.

  No matter what he’d told her about her father’s murder.

  Who knew if there was even a woman named Tanya in her father’s history? Sloan could have made the whole thing up to make himself look innocent. Of course his friends would believe him.

  She squeezed her eyes more tightly shut, didn’t want to think about all that Braddock had told her.

  But there was so much she didn’t know. Or understand.

  Could she trust anything
Braddock told her?

  Would Mark back up whatever his folks said?

  She just didn’t want to think about it anymore.

  The thought jolted her.

  For the first time in more than two years she didn’t want to think about getting even. How unbelievable was that?

  Not that her plans had changed, she reminded herself. She was just too tired to care right now. She didn’t want to think…didn’t want to worry….

  A.J. FELT GABRIELLE tense against him. He was pretty damned tense himself. The feel of her warm body pressed firmly along his was playing havoc with his ability to think straight.

  Trying to block his reaction to her nearness would be futile. Instead he lay there, tried to relax and let his male responses do what they would. Even the dull ache that had started deep in his skull couldn’t detract from the buzz in the rest of his being.

  He thought about the conversation they’d had regarding who killed her father. She had been startled to learn someone else might be involved. She hadn’t believed him, but the news had given her pause.

  Her alcoholic mother had sure as hell done a number on Gabrielle. A major disservice. He wasn’t sure if anything he could say would convince her to trust him much less to believe what he told her. But he had to keep trying. If she went after Sloan, she wouldn’t survive.

  A.J. couldn’t let that happen. Keeping her from reaching Sloan was his job, but letting this tragedy go down would be a travesty in and of itself. He couldn’t let it happen. And he wouldn’t let her ruin the rest of her life because of the fantasies her mother had spun. Her mother had lied; maybe even convinced herself that the stories she’d told were the truth.

  Technically it wasn’t his job to undo the damage Gabrielle had suffered, but he wanted to. He wanted her to have the kind of future she deserved. She was too smart to be stuck back in prison.

  He had known men like her in the Marines. Guys who hadn’t had the first advantage growing up. A.J. knew the story too well. No parental guidance. Difficulty making good friends. The friends she had managed to make were less than desirable. But she’d worked with what she had. Despite the lack of parental support, she’d managed to make good grades and get accepted to college. And then the final straw in the burden she carried had been dropped like a bomb. The fantasy father she’d dreamed of was dead. No chance of ever meeting him, much less knowing him. And worse, the media painted a picture of an evil killer, the exact opposite from what she’d been told.