“How’s Madison? What is she now? Seven? Eight?”
Bree’s countenance instantly brightened. “Seven. She’s wonderful. Smart. Gorgeous. A real spitfire.”
“Just like her momma, then.” Ty’s smile turned genuine as he imagined the little girl, the spitting image of Bree. He’d always had a soft spot for the kid.
“All right. Enough catching up. Tell us where Andre is so we can get out of here.” Sean stepped onto the dirt road and moved toward Ty.
A growl rumbled from Ribs the same instant Sean leveled the gun at Ty’s heart. The dog, barely able to move a few minutes ago, crossed the intervening space in a flash and grabbed Sean’s wrist. An expletive tore from Sean’s lips as Ribs bit down and held on.
Bree brought her gun up, but Rayna was way ahead of her, pushing the barrel of her Sig forty-five into the woman’s back while confiscating her weapon. “Hurt my dog and you’ll be sorry.”
Sean dropped his weapon and Ty retrieved it, shoving it into his belt. At Ty’s command, Ribs backed off, leaving Sean to cradle his bloody arm.
“I should have put that mangy animal out of his misery the first time I saw him.” Sean took a step back as the dog snarled.
“He may be mangy, but he’ll do.” Ty motioned for Bree to join her husband. Rayna kept them covered while Ty patted them down for additional weapons. Bree was clean, but Sean carried both a backup handgun and a Special Forces tactical assault knife. Ty had expected as much, but it was clear from Bree’s expression she didn’t have a clue he was so well armed. Ty couldn’t help wondering what else she didn’t know about the man.
By the time Nate pulled up in the four-wheeler, Sean and Bree were on their knees with their hands on their heads. Bree was strangely quiet, her eyes focused on the ground in front of her. Sean was blustering enough for both of them.
Red-faced and antagonistic, Sean swore profusely. “Remember that cell in Portland, Ty? If your girlfriend continues to hold a federal agent at gunpoint, she could end up in a cell like that someday.” His smirk was the last straw.
Rage tore through Ty. Sean tried to gain his feet, but Ty’s fist caught him solidly on the jaw, spun him around, and dropped him in the dirt.
“Get up, you son of a bitch,” Ty growled.
“Oh man. That’s been a long time coming.” Amusement shone from Nate’s eyes as he cut the motor on the quad and stepped off. “Hell, buddy. Leave you alone for a couple of minutes and you start associating with riffraff.”
Bree skewered him with a glare that would have buckled the knees of a lesser man, but all Nate did was grin. Sean seemed to finally remember Bree and reached a hand to help her stand until Rayna made a tsking noise and slowly moved her gun to point at his chest. His hand dropped to his side and he scowled at her.
“This is bullshit! Detective Sanders, tell your friend to put her gun away before she does something I can’t forgive. I won’t have a problem sending her to federal prison.”
Nate snorted a laugh. “Is that a threat, Special Agent Phillips? You’re in a bad position to be making threats.”
Ty stepped close to Rayna. She refused to look at him and when he tried to take the Sig from her hand, she turned away. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” Her curt answer and the way she still avoided his gaze told him something was definitely wrong.
He thought they’d worked through the worst of their differences. At least they’d been talking. What happened in the last few minutes to cause this chill in the air?
Bree happened. He thought back over their confrontation and grimaced at the memory of reaching out for Bree after learning she’d married Sean. In an instant, he’d understood the loneliness and fear that had no doubt led to Bree’s decision. Still, he couldn’t help the loathing and revulsion for the man she’d chosen, and in a moment of pure sympathy, he’d reacted without thinking. And Rayna had witnessed it. Did she think he’d lied to her about Bree?
He grasped her hand and held tightly when she tried to pull away. “Come on, let’s get Ribs in the quad. We’ll talk later.”
She tried to jerk her hand away again.
“Promise me, Rayna.” That time she met his gaze and he smiled, hopefully.
“By all means.” She tugged her hand again and this time he let her go.
Ty stepped to where Ribs still guarded Sean, knelt, and picked him up, depositing him in the back of the four-wheeler.
Nate climbed behind the wheel and Rayna crawled into the passenger seat, facing the back so she could keep an eye on the dog.
“You two start walking.” Ty pointed toward the house a half mile away before he stepped up on the rear bumper and grasped the rollbar. “We’ll be right behind you.”
Bree glanced around anxiously. “Ty, I need to talk to you.”
Sean grabbed her arm roughly. “Shut up, Bree.”
Ty let it go, even though anger shot through him. What could she have been thinking—marrying that creep? The Bree he’d worked with on the Andre Komarov case six years ago had been smarter than that . . . and stronger. Had she come by herself, he would have told her whatever she wanted to know. Hell, he’d have helped her get Andre. Something was really wrong here. He wanted to talk to her too. Alone. No way he’d get the truth from her if Sean was in the room. Hopefully, Ty could make Rayna understand.
He dropped his gaze to where she sat. She scratched the dog’s ear as she spoke to him, but Ty couldn’t hear what she said over the rumble of the four-wheeler. Ribs’s blood stained the front of her shirt and reminded him again how close he’d come to losing her. He knew now, without a doubt, he wasn’t willing to live without her. Question was . . . how was he going to fix everything?
The quad rumbled to a stop beside the garage at the same time Nate’s black Jeep pulled up in front, followed by a dark blue sedan. Joe and Walker hopped out of the Jeep, and Walker stepped to the sedan to help a petite, dark-haired Hispanic woman Ty had never seen before from the back. The woman lifted out a small dark-haired girl.
Joe nodded at Ty. “We decided to put a temporary fix on the fence while we were out there. Look what we found tucked back off the road near the damaged section.”
“Mommy!” The little girl ran toward Bree, but Joe intercepted her and turned her into the ready arms of the dark-haired woman, who picked her up and followed Joe into the house.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Rage exploded from Ty as he jumped from the rear of the four-wheeler and stalked toward Bree. “You brought Madison on this botched mission of yours? She’s a little girl, for God’s sake! Are you trying to get her killed?”
Bree turned and raised her hands as if to ward him off. “I had no choice, Ty. I didn’t have anyone I could trust to keep her safe. Please . . . let me explain.”
Ty shook with the effort it took to squelch his anger. Bree had no business bringing her child into any kind of a situation involving Andre Komarov. If her husband’s murder hadn’t proved that, the kidnapping attempt six years ago should have done the job. Had she lost her mind? Ty clenched his teeth and breathed deeply until he retrieved a modicum of control.
“Okay, we’ll have that talk, but he stays here.” Ty gestured toward Sean, who looked as though he’d argue until Ty turned away, dismissing him. “Nate, would you make our friend here comfortable for a bit?”
A grin surfaced in Nate’s expression as he shoved Sean toward the house.
Ty caught Walker’s eye and motioned toward the dog. “Would you take a look and see if we need to call a vet?”
“Sure.” Walker lifted Ribs from the quad, and carried him carefully toward the backyard.
Ty grabbed Rayna’s wrist and stopped her from following Walker and Ribs. “I need to talk to Bree.”
“I figured you would.” Rayna’s voice was icy as she stepped away from his grasp.
“Come with me? Please?”
Rayna’s gaze darted to his and the fact she hadn’t expected to be invited registered clearly.
He lean
ed closer so only she would hear. “We’re a team, sweetheart. Remember?”
Chapter Sixteen
* * *
“WHAT THE HELL’S going on, Bree? You break onto Nate’s property. You’ve obviously got Madison waiting in the getaway car somewhere. And you’re associating with—no, scratch that—you’re married to Sean Phillips. Tell me this wasn’t your idea.” Ty walked to the middle of the backyard before he stopped and turned on the woman. “Bringing Madison on this little trip of yours was just plain careless.”
Rayna studied Ty as he paced in short bursts, his fists clenching and unclenching as though he’d like to smash something. It was rare to see him so angry. She almost felt sorry for Bree, who flinched at his assessment, then straightened and placed her hands on her hips.
“What would you have me do? Bringing her was the only way to guarantee her safety. She wasn’t alone. Maria was taking care of her. In spite of what you might think, I’d die before anyone hurt my daughter.”
“Pulling stunts like you did today could easily get you killed. What happens to Madison then?” Ty stopped and stared at her from barely six inches away, the fire that flashed from his eyes daring her to speak one more useless excuse.
Rayna stepped between them. “This is getting us nowhere. Bree, why are you here?”
Bree sighed and turned away. She swept a hand through her shoulder-length brunette hair, scooping the long locks in front behind her ears. When she swung around, her eyes glistened with moisture and her previous bluster was absent, replaced by deep lines of fatigue on a face aged beyond her thirty-something years.
A sad smile came and went in the blink of an eye as she met Rayna’s gaze. “That bloodthirsty bastard, Andre Komarov, targeted my family six years ago . . . and it’s my fault. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to fix that.” She cast a glance toward Ty.
“Does that include marrying an asshole?” Ty’s words were clipped, but the worst of his anger seemed to have dissipated.
“You don’t know him like I do.” Bree glared defiantly. “He wasn’t always like this. I left the FBI and went into hiding with Madison. It was good for a while. Then . . . I don’t know . . . the constant worry, the stress . . . I got tired. When Sean offered . . . it seemed like a good idea. He loved me and I think he truly cared about Madison. In the beginning, he wanted the same things I wanted. More importantly, he promised to protect her. I couldn’t do it by myself anymore, so I agreed to marry him.” Bree met Ty’s gaze and raised her chin. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t judge me.”
She sighed and looked away. “We moved every time Andre got close. Always looking over our shoulders. Sean still works for the Bureau, so he had to transfer every time we moved. It got to him. He became obsessed. I couldn’t blame him. I wanted Andre too. We both wanted Madison to have a life free from the constant fear he’d find her.” Bree shrugged. “I didn’t find out what Sean had done to you until about a year ago. That was my fault too, and I’m sorry. I’ve only got the energy for one battle right now. I have to do what’s best for Madison.”
In spite of herself, Rayna sympathized with the woman. Nothing excused their behavior earlier, but the truth was, Bree was in a hard place. Rayna couldn’t fault her for doing whatever it took to keep her child safe. Ty couldn’t possibly blame her, either, and he’d realize that as soon as he got over his anger.
“So, you came here hoping to find Andre Komarov?” Rayna smiled reassuringly when Bree glanced her way.
“I need to find him. When we heard Joe Reynolds was asking questions and trying to locate me, I knew it had to be you, Ty, and that there was only one reason you’d look for me—Andre. I thought if anyone would help me, it’d be you.”
“Then why the hell didn’t you come and ask?” Ty blew out a long breath. “You always did know how to push my buttons.”
Rayna stepped alongside Ty and reached for his hand. For a few minutes back there in the trees, she’d let jealousy torment her. The stark betrayal on Ty’s face when he learned Bree had married Sean Phillips had convinced Rayna there was more to that relationship than Ty had let on. Maybe there was, but that was six years ago. She had no proprietary rights to him now, but the least she could do was stand beside him as long as he wanted her there.
He laced his fingers with hers, then tugged her sideways, ducked her beneath their joined arms, and held her snugly against him, their hands resting on her stomach. She didn’t want Ty going up against Andre again. He’d already beaten the odds too many times. It was too dangerous. The thought of losing him constricted her chest, and she had to fight to push air into her lungs. Suddenly, she understood how he must have felt when Andre kidnapped her and why he didn’t want her anywhere near the man again. Maybe she could live with him being overprotective as long as she was accorded the same consideration.
“Don’t you think Ty has done enough for you? I mean, he did lie for you when you tried to kill Andre. He gave up everything to protect you and Madison. His life as he knew it. His career.” The words slipped out, even knowing they made her sound selfish.
Ty tightened his arm around Rayna’s waist and kissed the side of her head. “If I agree to help, it’ll be without Sean . . . and Madison stays here where she’ll be safe.”
Rayna craned her head over her shoulder in disbelief, then inhaled sharply and tried to twist out of his grip, but he slid his other arm around her waist and held her firmly. He couldn’t be serious. How could he trust that woman after what she’d tried to do?
“One more thing. If you lie to me, or I get any indication you’re going off script like you did six years ago, you’ll wish it was Andre who got to you. Are we clear on that?”
“We’ll do it your way, Ty. Sean won’t be happy. I don’t know what he’ll do.” Bree glanced toward the house.
“If he’s smart, he’ll go home and wait for you and Madison. If he gets in my way, I’ll consider him part of the problem.”
“When do we leave?”
“First, we have to locate Andre again, and I’ve got something I have to take care of.” Ty’s arms tightened around Rayna’s waist. “We’ll go when we’ve got everything planned down to the last detail. We’re not leaving anything to chance on this one. Go break the news to Sean. We’ll be along in a minute.”
Bree turned and jogged toward the house. As soon as she was out of sight, Ty loosened his grip. Rayna ripped her fingers from his and spun around to face him.
“Why? Why would you agree to help her?”
“She’s desperate, and she’s going to get herself killed if someone doesn’t help.” Ty spread his arms in a helpless gesture.
Rayna recognized his words as truth, but it only made her angrier. She stepped closer and jabbed a finger in his chest. “Why does it have to be you? She ruined your life the last time you helped her.”
She jabbed again and he caught her wrist in a vise grip.
His gaze bore into her. “Who else is there? You heard her. She doesn’t have the FBI behind her anymore, except for Sean and he’s a joke. You don’t make friends when you’re constantly moving. All she has is Madison. We were going after Andre anyway. This only changes the players . . . not the outcome.” He pulled her a step closer until they touched. “I can’t stand the thought of you being mad at me . . . but I won’t turn my back on her or that kid.” His green eyes pleaded with her.
A twinge of jealousy jabbed her. “What if you can’t trust her any more now than you could back then?”
“This time I’ll be ready, and I’ll have someone watching my back.” He guided her chin around so she had to look at him.
His crooked grin almost made her smile, but she pursed her lips. “You’re damn right you will.”
He flipped one of her curls back from her cheek. “What are you really afraid of, Rayna?”
“Nothing.” She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go. “I don’t want to see you under a sheet in a morgue somewhere. Okay?”
“Yeah? Why not?”
She snorted in disbelief.
“Would you miss me?” Before she could give a smartass reply, he leaned in and covered her lips with his, his tongue invading her open mouth, stroking and dueling with hers.
She tried to hold herself aloof, but her traitorous body surrendered at his first touch and she melted. He pulled her against the hard lines of his body and still she needed to be closer. His lips and tongue seared her everywhere they touched as he traced a path from her lips to her ear and down her neck, then reclaimed her lips again. His kiss consumed her, burned her, and stole her breath away. Her heart hammered its own feverish rhythm.
He buried his face in her hair and his breath stirred the curls beside her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. His soft chuckle filled her with anticipation. “We have to go in and talk to Joe and make sure Sean leaves. We can’t go upstairs yet . . . but damn, sweetheart, it’s probably pretty obvious that’s what I’d like to do.”
Rayna squirmed against the hard ridge pressed into her stomach and laughed when she received a warning glance from Ty. “It’s a little obvious.”
He ran his hands down her back until they splayed across her bottom, and he lifted her against him. His mouth over hers muffled her giggle. “I could be a lot more obvious later . . . if you care to join me in my room.”
“I’d like that.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, though suddenly unsure of herself. There was still the matter of her virginity to deal with. Would Ty be turned off by her inexperience?
His I-knew-you’d-see-it-my-way grin reminded her of a mischievous little boy as his arms gentled around her. “Man, you make it hard to concentrate. I just want to hold you.”
She knew exactly how he felt. Only in her case, she had the sick feeling time was running out for them—that if she didn’t stay with him every moment now, she wouldn’t get the chance later. Sadness crept in slowly as she held his gaze.
If You Only Knew Page 18
