Protecting His Brother's Bride

by Jan Schliesman

  “Did they really leave the keys in it?”

  “Nope, unlocked. The spare key was in the wheel well.” He reversed the truck and made a quick turn to point them in the opposite direction. The rutted track had seen better days, the low areas holding murky rainwater in various sized puddles.

  Dalton fished a compass from his pocket and laid it on the console between them. Then he pulled the phone from his other pocket and handed it to her. “Tell me when we have enough bars to make a call.”

  “Who are you going to call?”

  “Watch the phone, please.”

  “Fine.” She yanked at the material around her neck and sighed. “I need something to drink.” She twisted in her seat and glanced to the seat behind her. Nothing. She checked the phone as Dalton pulled onto a roadway. No bars.

  “Where are we going?” She punched the button on the dashboard for heat and adjusted the vents to blow on her.

  “I’m thinking.”

  The early-morning sun was shining in her face, and Kira flipped the visor closer to the passenger window to block some of its rays. She checked a lidded compartment in the console.

  “Anything?”

  “I found an iPod and a bag of sunflower seeds.”

  “On the phone?”

  “Oh, yeah, sorry.” She dropped the items in the console and closed the lid, retrieved the phone from her lap and checked the screen. “I can’t tell what’s flashing.”

  “Let me see.” He plucked the device from her grasp and squinted at it before punching in a string of numbers. “See if you can find a map somewhere.”

  Kira checked the compartment in her door and then the glove box in front of her. Besides the usual folder with the vehicle registration and proof of insurance card, she found a birthday card and a pen. She unhooked her seat belt and reached beneath the seat, retrieving an empty plastic soda bottle and an ice scraper.

  “Hey, it’s Dalton.”

  Kira’s ears perked up. The phone was obviously working, but who had he called? He glanced her way and she shook her head. No map. He nodded, switched the phone to his other ear.

  “Yeah, it has been a while.” The lines bracketing his mouth spoke louder than the voice she heard echoing through the phone. He’d had no choice but to call the person on the other end.

  Because of her.

  “The phone I’m using doesn’t have GPS and I need some directions. Sure, I can wait.” He motioned for Kira to find something to write on.

  She pulled the birthday card and pen from the glove box and waited.

  “I’m headed north on Highway 77, trying to get to Casper.”

  They were going to Casper now? And then what?

  Dalton snapped his fingers to get Kira’s attention. “The road is closed at 487. Okay, what’s an alternate route?”

  She wrote down the information and caught bits and pieces of what the other person said. What if Josh had other siblings? Kira probably should have asked the question sooner. Right now, her mind was wandering way too much.

  Dalton slammed on the brakes and made a sharp right turn onto a gravel road.

  “Ouch!” Her head smacked against the window. “Give me a little warning next time.”

  He raised his eyebrows in annoyance at her outburst and released a heavy sigh. “I’m helping out a friend.”

  She doubted he considered her a friend, but what did it matter? Except that Dalton was noticeably uncomfortable with the phone conversation.

  Interesting.

  Kira turned in the seat, giving him her full attention. He concentrated on driving, with a single-mindedness she’d expect from someone who owned a globally known company. He got things done. His answers switched to yes and no, with an occasional grunt.

  The call ended. Dalton dropped the phone into his lap, avoiding her gaze. She was getting the feeling that maybe the conversation had stirred up unpleasant memories.

  “What’s our plan?”

  “Going to Casper.” He punched the button for the radio and scanned through a couple stations.

  “And then what?” Maybe they should talk about what happened next.

  “First we get you out of harm’s way. Then we put a stop to all this insanity.”

  Chapter 9

  “Problem?” Dalton questioned, turning off the ignition and silencing the radio racket. They sat in the last row of long-term parking at the Casper, Wyoming, airport.

  “I don’t fly.” She shook her head. Even saying the words made her nauseous.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Flying is a hell of a lot safer than driving cross-country. Alone.”

  “You’ll never convince me it’s safer ten thousand feet above the earth. I like my feet planted on solid ground.”

  “Cruising altitude is actually thirty thousand feet.”

  “Not helping.” She gripped the seat belt tighter. “I’m staying in the truck.”

  Dalton reached over and pulled part of a leaf from her hair. “You may want to shake out your clothes and hair.”

  “Why?”

  “With all the marching through the woods, you could have picked up a tick or two.” He tugged on her makeshift sweatshirt. “Want me to check?”

  Kira slapped his hand. “No, I don’t want you to check.” Having Dalton’s hands on her was a distraction she didn’t need. She had to get the flash drive back.

  “Who knows what might have dropped from the trees and into your hair.”

  Her scalp immediately itched. He knew exactly what buttons to push with her. A dozen different parts of her body responded to the implication of creepy-crawly things under her clothing.

  She shook her hair free from the messy bun, jerking her fingers through it to check for anything foreign. A small leaf crunched beneath her fingers, sending tiny brown pieces onto her lap. A few pine needles followed, along with something looking suspiciously like the leg of a spider.

  Kira bailed from the truck’s cab. As soon as her plastic-covered feet hit the pavement she was bending at the waist, frantically shaking her head upside down in hopes of dislodging anything else not permanently attached to her head. Only after giving her hair a thorough finger combing did she stand upright again.

  The motion made her dizzy and she steadied herself on the open door of the pickup.

  Dalton was sliding out of his seat, so she allowed herself five seconds to admire his cute butt as he exited the truck, before diving across the console to double-check that he hadn’t dropped her flash drive.

  “What are you looking for?” he asked.

  “Um, nothing.” She adjusted her mismatched sweatshirt and pants before climbing out of the truck on his side.

  “So you have no interest in this?” He held the flash drive in his hand.

  She lunged forward and tried to swipe it from his grasp. He easily avoided her hand and shoved the plastic memory stick into his front pocket.

  “You shouldn’t have taken it from me in the first place.” Kira wished she were brazen enough to shove a hand in his pocket and retrieve what was hers. She’d missed a prime opportunity to get it when she’d been clinging to his back.

  “No, you shouldn’t have lied about it in the first place. Plus, we both know it’s safer with me.”

  “So why’d you let me crawl all over the front seat if you knew what I was looking for?” She rounded the truck, grabbed the tote bag and slammed her door for emphasis.

  “It was a nice view.” He winked at her.

  Kira slowly counted to ten. “You are such a jerk.”

  He followed her around the vehicle and grabbed her upper arm, pressing her against the door. “Or I’m the jerk who’s saving your life. If you’d rather be introduced to airport security, say the word.”

  She’d come too far
to merely turn herself in, and he knew it. “Where are we going? I already told you that I don’t fly. And I’m not getting on any plane until I hear your plan.”

  “I’m taking you somewhere that Griffin can’t find you.” Dalton scanned the parking lot and hurried her up an empty aisle. “I want to get to the bottom of this as much as you do.”

  “How are we going to get through security without my identification?”

  “You only need ID for commercial flights.” He nodded toward the silver metal building. “We’re taking a private plane.”

  She added two and two together. “The call you made?”

  “You got it. The same call I was going to make last night, before you took off.” Dalton flipped through his billfold and removed some kind of access card he swiped to gain them entry to the field.

  Kira knew her behavior last night had complicated things even more. She’d never been in a situation like this before, having someone chasing her and wishing her harm. Her alliance with Dalton was the only thing she had in her favor.

  He pulled her through the gate and secured it again. “Once we’re airborne you can relax. We’ll be landing on private property.”

  Relax? Probably not. Picturing a small two-seater plane with a little shake, rattle and roll thrown in for good measure was not reassuring. She might have been okay on something carrying, say, two hundred other people. If it crashed, at least she would have company and maybe a chance at survival. A tiny plane, not so much.

  Nevertheless, even though she didn’t relish the concept of flying, it would be good to stop looking over her shoulder for a while.

  They approached the first building, which had the letter H over the entrance, and Dalton used the keypad to enter a number. He helped her inside and softly closed the door behind them.

  Lights automatically came on, maybe linked to the alarm system. She shaded her eyes until they adjusted.

  She’d attended a few ball games at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and the area laid out in front of her was roughly three-quarters the size. She stared up at the ceiling, trying to count the halogen lights, which certainly could have lit up a stadium.

  He tugged on her arm and she followed him to the opposite side of the building. The plane he stopped in front of made her chin drop.

  “Holy moly.” It definitely wasn’t a puddle jumper or one of those experimental planes thrown together with a kit. It was a...jet? It couldn’t be his plane. Could it? But there was the Buckshot’s logo plastered on the side, a giant bull’s-eye with an arrow in the center. And the tagline If You’ve Got One Shot, Make it Buckshot’s.

  Well, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about having her fingernails pressed into the dash as they made their escape to whatever secret location he’d decided.

  She glanced to the rear of the plane and then the nose as he walked around the other side and opened a panel. She followed, walking underneath the plane. It was the only benefit to being short. He flipped a recessed handle and lowered a flight of steps in front of her.

  “Go on inside while I check a couple things.”

  “But I’ve never been on a plane before.”

  “Up the stairs and turn right. It will take you to a private bathroom, where you can freshen up. You probably have about ten minutes before you need to find a seat and buckle up.

  Kira bolted up the stairs. It smelled a hundred times better than she would have expected. A mixture of new carpet, leather furniture and varnished hardwoods. She made a quick right, then ripped the plastic bags and oversize socks from her feet and sighed as her toes sank into the plush gray carpeting. She almost dropped to the floor and rolled, but felt too dirty and disgusting.

  With the tote bag over her shoulder, she hustled down the dimly lit hallway, following it past a kitchen area and through some double doors to a bedroom suite. Wow, the man knew how to travel. And really, would you even care where you were going?

  She headed straight for the bathroom. The stainless steel door was ajar and she flipped the light switch on before stepping inside and securing the lock. The cherrywood vanity was topped in black granite, with brushed-nickel faucets.

  Her reflection in the mirror was even worse than she expected. Myriad scrapes and bruises marred her face and arms. A basket of mixed toiletries sat near the sink and she rifled through it and removed a toothbrush and a small box of toothpaste. She ripped the latter open, applied a glob to the brush and scrubbed the daylights out of her fuzzy teeth.

  She hurried to use the toilet and then quickly washed her hands and face. A sudden surge of optimism raced through her veins. Dalton insisted they would be safe once the plane was in the air. Dare she believe him?

  She stepped from the bathroom into the bedroom. She hadn’t heard any sort of announcement, so she did the next logical thing. She checked the cabinets for any clothing and discovered bras, panties, T-shirts and nightgowns. All from the same famous lingerie company.

  Kira didn’t have to think twice; she sorted through a drawer until finding her sizes. After stripping off the sweatpants and bra, she changed into a fresh set of matching undergarments. There were also several pink shirts in various sizes. She pulled one over her head and it fell to her knees. Obviously a nightshirt. She kept it on, anyway, and kept looking. The remaining items were all bikini swimwear. She left her old sweatpants on the bed and went in search of Dalton.

  No, she wasn’t happy that he’d taken the thumb drive or that he’d placed himself in charge of the situation. But maybe she should thank her lucky stars that he’d followed her into the rainy night. Without his help, the thugs chasing her would certainly have caught up with her.

  And she’d be dead.

  Shrugging off the chill racing up her spine, Kira hurried through the doorway and down the hall to the main entry area. Four groupings of double, oversize seats were arranged on both sides of the plane. She chose a spot near a window.

  “Are you buckled in?” Dalton asked, as he dropped into the seat next to her.

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll let you know when it’s okay to move around.”

  “I thought you were flying? Is there another pilot on board, too?”

  “Yes, there’s another pilot, who doesn’t need any help from me. You, on the other hand, might need someone to share some basic information on airplanes. I’m your man.”

  Dalton is my man? Kira was certain he didn’t mean it that way. He was just offering to sit next to her and distract her with plane talk. He didn’t have to do that. But arguing with him was like yelling at drywall.

  She watched as the plane rolled out of the hangar and taxied toward a runway. Allowing herself another moment to relax, Kira closed her eyes and slowly inhaled and exhaled. The thought of flying always terrified her. But now she really was at the end of the road. Nowhere to go but up. Even on a flight riddled with uncertainty.

  “How are you feeling?” Dalton pulled a blanket from beneath another seat and offered it to her.

  “Fine.” She responded after drawing two more deep breaths and opening her eyes. She took the blanket from Dalton’s hand and spread it over her legs.

  If the initial scents of new carpeting and varnished wood hadn’t been enough to convince her that the plane was brand-spanking new, the plastic wrap intact on the seat across from her would have done the trick.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “To the family ranch in Texas.” He reached under the blanket and held her hand. “There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  No worries? Yeah, right. How about the fact that she enjoyed Dalton’s attention? Any physical contact with him left her heart pounding and her pulse racing. She had to get this under control.

  “That seems like a long way and I don’t want to inconvenience you any further.” The short burst of energy she’d received a cou
ple hours ago from the package of doughnuts was long gone, and the quiet hum from the jet’s engines was the only sound filling the cabin.

  “You and I are sort of a team now,” Dalton said. “We’re safer together.”

  She didn’t quite have the energy to argue with his logic.

  “Let’s get some rest while we can, okay?” He pressed a button on her seat and it reclined to a more comfortable position. The oversize leather chair was easily large enough to hold two people. And before she could protest, Dalton pulled her into his arms and covered them both with the blanket. It should have meant an easy glide into sleep, but her mind continued firing an endless frame-by-frame recap of the past twenty-four hours.

  The moment she’d driven around the bend in the road and noticed all the renovations to the cabin, she should have known she was intruding. Okay, she knew she was intruding, which is why she’d stopped the truck and proceeded on foot. It had been surreal to be back in a place that held such good memories. She could stay in that inner happy place only as long as she avoided interacting with anyone. Pretend she was safe. Pretend she had a future. Pretend that anyone cared about her enough to help.

  Her days at the cabin with Josh had been the last time she’d been truly happy. He had showered her with his undivided attention. They’d had a whirlwind romance and she hadn’t been smart enough to suspect he was toying with her from the start. It was probably a good thing he was already dead, because she was having all sorts of ideas about how to cause him as much pain as he’d caused her.

  * * *

  Dalton’s right arm had fallen asleep thirty minutes ago, but Kira looked so peaceful in his arms he didn’t want to move her. He also couldn’t communicate with the pilot about the sporadic turbulence that bounced the plane from side to side.

  It reminded him of Lauren and the way she’d planned out her tours to the last detail. She’d said that flying so much meant she’d eventually be involved in a crash. Her answer: a tour bus to use on most of her concert dates in the United States. She’d believed that the key to safety was mixing up the way she traveled and whom she traveled with.