The Naughty Nine: Where Danger and Passion Collide

by Nina Bruhns

  “Point taken. I never did get around to making a fresh pot.”

  “You might want to get on that. That stuff you were drinking looked like battery acid.”

  He gave a little laugh. “Tasted like it could be.”

  He had faint lines at the side of his mouth that suggested he’d done a lot of laughing in his life, that being unfriendly and unapproachable weren’t the norm for him. Mallory wondered what was.

  Gage pushed off the counter and went to her. “You’re looking a little flushed.” He reached out and touched her forehead. “Still cool.”

  “Glad to hear that.” Her relief was evident in her tone. She didn’t want to repeat the night she’d just had.

  Gage gave a little grunt in what sounded like relief as well. “Let’s keep up the aspirin for today anyway. Okay?”

  “Yes. If the fever comes back, next step I think will be a cold bath. I’d rather avoid that.”

  “A cold bath will cause chills which would end up increasing your body temperature. Would have to be lukewarm. Regardless, I’d also prefer we didn’t have to put you through that. I found a bottle of ibuprofen in the back of the cupboard under the bathroom sink. If we need to, we can alternate with the aspirin. They have different elements that will work on bringing down your fever.”

  Mallory’s brows arched in surprise. “Where did you learn so much about this?”

  Gage’s eye lids lowered, shielding his gaze. His eyes became shuttered as she’d seen them do once before. Something she’d said? Surely not. They’d been talking about treating fever. What then? She opened her mouth to ask if he was all right, but before she could he spoke.

  “Focus on getting well.” His voice was hard. “When the snow lets up, I don’t want to have to delay getting you off this mountain.”

  He left her and went into the bedroom, slamming the door.

  Snowbound: Chapter Five

  Gage had retreated to the bedroom to get the sleep he needed, Mallory presumed. Despite his unprovoked outburst, he returned to her three hours later to check her temperature. She’d told him that wasn’t necessary, that she was monitoring herself. He’d made no comment at all and three hours after that was back again to stick the thermometer in her mouth.

  He was just as closed-off as he had been immediately following his outburst. Clearly he wasn’t a man who got over a bout of temper quickly.

  She’d been on the verge of rethinking Gage Broderick. For an instant, she’d thought she’d glimpsed another side of him. A lighter side. Her mistake, obviously, and now that she thought about it, it was well and good that she’d been mistaken. That lighter side had been attractive. She was already physically attracted to him. The last thing she needed was to actually like him and deepen that attraction. Well, she need not be concerned about that.

  On one of his temperature checks, he’d taken time to brew coffee and while he was on watch, she’d taken that time to shower and to change into one of Gage’s warm T-shirts that covered her to her knees.

  That was hours ago. Now, Mallory huddled more deeply into the blanket, clutching the ends so hard her fingers cramped. She was freezing and not from fever. The temperature inside had dropped drastically. The cabin felt as cold as a meat locker.

  The bedroom door opened. Gage wasn’t due to check on her for some time yet. The cold must have awakened him. The lights were off in the cabin. She only saw him emerge because of the long-barreled flashlight he held that gave off a wide beam of light.

  He hadn’t changed for bed and was still dressed as he had been in a T-shirt and jeans. He cast a quick glance her way but didn’t acknowledge her, and didn’t break pace, continuing on to the window.

  So he was still in a mood. Her lips firmed. She would have been content to just leave him to it, but at the moment that wasn’t an option. “What’s going on with the heat?” Her tone was as frosty as the temperature in the cabin.

  “Generator tank must have emptied.”

  Of course, that would explain the cold. Another thought struck her that had her insides quivering. She leaned forward on the couch. “On its own? Could someone have emptied it?”

  “It’s a possibility.”

  Mallory’s stomach clenched. “You’re not going out there to check are you?”

  He peered briefly into the darkness, then let the curtain fall and turned to her. He shook his head. “Gas could have been emptied in an attempt to get me outside.” His jaw tightened. “Someone may be looking to take me out so he can get to you.”

  Mallory shivered as much from his words as the cold.

  He crossed the room then returned to her, his parka in hand. “Put this on. I’ll get a fire going.”

  “Should we do that? We might give ourselves away.”

  “No way of knowing when the storm will end. If we don’t, we could freeze by that time and then it won’t matter. And if someone has tampered with the generator, they already know we’re in here so there’s no reason to be discreet.”

  He crouched by the fireplace and took wood from the crate. He struck a match, and brought it to several pieces of kindling. As the flames caught, one by one he tossed each strip of wood into the fire.

  Mallory shivered. She left the couch and moved close to the flames. Gage added more wood, a few thick logs that looked like they’d burn for hours.

  “We’re going to need to stay close to the fire if we’re going to stay warm,” Gage said. He went into the bedroom, dragged the mattress in front of the fireplace, then took several blankets and comforters from the linen closet and added them to what was already on the bed. “All yours.”

  Mallory lowered herself onto the mattress and got beneath the mound of covers Gage had provided. For himself, Gage moved the armchair from the living room and brought it to the hearth. He put on the other parka then took a seat.

  A silence ensued in which only the wind and the pop and hiss of the logs in the fire could be heard. For her part, Mallory couldn’t have made conversation if she’d wanted to. Though Gage had placed the mattress as close to the fire as possible, she was still freezing. Her teeth chattered nonstop and her body trembled from the cold.

  Gage rose from the chair with a creak of leather and then his shadow fell across Mallory. “We need to get you warm.”

  He joined her on the mattress, setting his gun down within easy reach. He lifted the blankets briefly while he got under them with her, then lay on his side and put his arms around her.

  Mallory hesitated, battling with awkwardness at being pressed up against a man she hardly knew. It was ridiculous to feel embarrassed after she’d been so exposed to him while he’d tended to her injuries and treated her illness, yet she did. But the delicious heat he offered overrode her embarrassment. Meeting his gaze, she nodded and leaned into him. He hadn’t fastened his jacket and now wrapped that around her as well.

  She was snug in his arms. Her cheek rested against his hard chest. Though they were both fully clothed and also wore overcoats, their position was unquestionably intimate. Pressed tight as they were, light couldn’t pass between them and when her gaze traveled upward, she saw each individual whisker that darkened his strong jaw.

  She lowered her gaze not liking that her eyes had wandered. Well, okay, what else was she supposed to look at? Gage filled her range of vision. Or so she told herself. But even as she did, she sacrificed some of the blessed heat, and turned so her back was now against Gage’s front and he was out of her view.

  * * *

  Mallory turned in his arms. Gage bit down on his molars to stifle a groan as her sweet ass pressed against his groin. He needed to put some distance between their lower bodies and end the torment. End some of it. As long as he held her pressed to him, with her scent filling his every breath, there was no way his body would be at ease. Hell, at this point, though, he’d take anything he could get. He shifted position, introducing a few precious inches of space between them and closed his eyes, willing his body back under control.

  The w
oman had a man after her intent on killing her. Her would-be assassin might have someone outside now, waiting for a chance to get to her. That’s what Gage needed to keep his mind on. That was all he needed to be thinking of when it came to her.

  He let out a long breath. “You need to get some sleep.” She was still recovering from the car accident and from a bout of fever and, maybe if she were asleep, he’d no longer think of sinking his body into hers.

  “Hard to sleep with Considine possibly outside waiting to make a move,” Mallory said.

  She spoke in a whisper. The strain in her voice cut through his thoughts of sex. Her body was stiff in his arms, her muscles pulled taut. He was holding her tight and now relaxed his grip just enough that he could turn her gently so she was no longer facing the door, but faced him. Her cheeks were pale. Her eyes were heavy and red rimmed from fatigue. She was fighting off the sleep she so clearly needed.

  “We’re ready if they make a move.” Gage didn’t add, with their meager arsenal. “We don’t know that Considine has tracked you yet. We’re looking to be gone before he does.”

  “I’m for that.”

  “I want to remind you that we’re not going to be able to drive my truck down the mountain. The roads this high up don’t get plowed. Once the storm ends and we can see past the end of our noses out there, we’re going to need to make our way out of here on foot.”

  “Yes, of course,” Mallory said quietly

  “When we get down the mountain, we’ll be able to drive from there. Mitch had an old truck when he bought this place. Truck’s parked at the bottom of the mountain. We’ll use it to drive you to the nearest cop shop. You can contact the Bureau from there.”

  “Mitch left the key to the truck?”

  “Yeah. It’s by the fridge, on the same ring as the cabin key.” Gage studied her a moment. “You’ve been sick and you have a bum foot. You need to get as much rest as you can before we leave here.”

  “I’ll be fine.” She swallowed. “I have to be. This isn’t just about me—about us, Gage.” Her voice throbbed with emotion. “I have to get back and relay the information about the women.”

  “Don’t take this on yourself,” he said gently. “Don’t make yourself responsible for the outcome.”

  Mallory’s features pulled taut and her cheeks reddened with temper. “Maybe that’s the kind of cop you are, Broderick. Abandoning your command for six months to come up here.”

  His jaw tightened and his own temper sparked at her words but he couldn’t sustain it, not when she was right. That was exactly the kind of cop he now was. That was exactly what he’d done.

  Mallory squeezed her eyes tight for an instant. When she opened them, she focused on Gage. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. You’re right about not taking this onto myself, but I can’t do that. Not with this investigation.”

  There was pain in her voice and in her eyes and Gage found he wasn’t immune to it. He reached up and brushed his thumb along her cheek. “It’s hard to keep a distance.”

  “Is that what happened to you?” Her tone softened. “Why you’re up here instead of in Washington?”

  He removed his hand from her face. “No. Get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

  Her gaze remained on his, her eyes probing. After a moment, she broke eye contact and nodded. “Wake me in a couple of hours and I’ll take over so you can get some rest as well.”

  * * *

  Mallory opened her eyes. Gage was gently shaking her shoulder and saying her name. It must be her turn to keep watch. She’d slept badly, fitfully, but she had slept.

  She pushed hair back from her face. “I’m awake.” Her voice was thick from sleep. She cleared her throat. “Your turn.”

  “Not that. Storm’s over.”

  Mallory held her breath. No screeching wind. No thuds from snow striking the cabin. Gage moved away from her and went into the kitchen. Mallory lumbered to her feet and made her way to the window. She parted the drapes a few inches. Moonlight streamed in.

  Gage spoke from behind her. “Before we leave, I’m going to take a look outside. Make sure we don’t have company.”

  Mallory wanted them to be on their way as much as she wanted her next breath, yet she hesitated. “I don’t like you going out there. You could be walking into an ambush. It’ll be daylight in a couple hours. We’ll be able to see this whole area then and if anyone is out there.”

  “We can’t blow this chance.”

  His implication was they may not get another one if they waited. “Okay then, I’ll go with you. Or instead of you.” This was her investigation, after all.

  “Your leg will slow you down in that snow. If there’s trouble, you’ll need to get out of there fast.”

  Then he was gone. She went to the window. She caught sight of him briefly under the full moon, then he stepped into the shadow of the trees and blended into the darkness.

  With the absence of the wind, all was still outside and there was a preternatural quiet that she found terrifying. Her heart pounded like a jackhammer. Surely if Gage had encountered someone, there would be some movement, some sound.

  The cabin door opened and Gage stood in the doorway. “We’re clear. Time to go.”

  He wrapped gauze around Mallory’s injured ankle, then wound tape tightly around it several times. When he was done, Mallory tested the support and nodded.

  While she put on the parka’s hood and the gloves, Gage pocketed the keys to Mitchell Turner’s truck and doused the fire. They left the cabin with Gage in the lead. Though he’d deemed the area clear, his gun was gripped in his gloved hand.

  On the porch, Gage paused and glanced around. Mallory did the same. The absence of sound struck her. She found the silence eerie and unsettling. Her nerves, already frayed, vibrated like tuning forks.

  Gage glanced back at her and nodded, then took her hand and they made their way down the steps and into the snow.

  The contrast to their surroundings from the last two days was startling. Moonlight struck the snow and it glittered. A scent of pine came off the trees and carried on the air. The view looked post card pretty. The view, coupled with the stillness and quiet made the setting appear serene. It was a false sense of calm, Mallory thought, with the bombs they’d planted among the trees.

  The sounds of several engines cut the silence. High-pitched whines. These vehicles were coming at them from beyond the trees, and approaching fast.

  Gage slid an arm around her waist, and half carried her, seeking shelter behind a tall Evergreen. Headlights cut through the darkness then two snowmobiles broke through the trees.

  One of the snowmobiles drove into one of Gage’s traps and the driver was pulled from the vehicle. The man landed in a bloody heap in the snow and that snowmobile, now out of control, spun and struck a tree.

  The second driver must have spotted them. He turned the vehicle in their direction, headed straight for them. He raised a gun and an instant later, a bullet clipped one of the branches inches above Gage’s head.

  “Get down!” Gage shouted to be heard above the roar of the engine.

  His hand landed on Mallory’s head and he pushed her to her knees behind him. Gage brought his gun up, took aim and fired. The man cried out and clutched his chest. An instant later the snowmobile spun, dislodging the driver, and barreled into a snow bank.

  Gage didn’t waste a moment. He clutched Mallory’s hand again and they were off, moving toward the snowmobile. Gage backed the vehicle out of the snow. Mallory climbed on behind him, and put her arms around his waist.

  Three more snowmobiles came out of the trees. Gage gunned the engine. Using one hand to steer and maintain their speed, he raised the gun and took aim.

  Their vehicle fishtailed. The mark was lost and Gage cursed. In those few seconds, the snowmobiles following them gained more ground.

  “Give me the gun!” Mallory shouted. “You can’t aim and drive!”

  Seconds later she saw that he could. Gage took aim again, then
fired into the trees, igniting one of the home made bombs. A boom, and then flames erupted. He fired again with the same result. One of the snowmobiles, in the path of the fire, swerved and collided head-on with a second vehicle.

  The third emerged from the billowing smoke as Gage reached the mountain road. Mallory glanced back at their pursuer. The snowmobile continued to glide over the snow, coming at them now at top speed.

  A bullet shattered one of the side mirrors, spraying glass.

  Again, Gage shouted, “Get down!”

  Mallory noticed he was watching his rear view through the one remaining mirror carefully. He reduced speed.

  “Gage! What are you doing?”

  He didn’t respond. Their pursuer fell back, zigzagging over the snow behind them, and coming up beside them. As Mallory watched, the driver raised his gun. “Gage! Look out!”

  But he didn’t need the warning, she realized. He was tracking the other snowmobile. His arm was already up, the gun aimed. He fired. Blood spurted from the man’s neck. The snowmobile veered out of control and overturned.

  Gage swung to face Mallory. “You okay?” When she didn’t answer immediately, his tone sharpened. “Mallory?”

  “Yes.” She released a pent-up breath. “By the way, good shooting.”

  He kept his eyes on her for another instant, then glanced at their rear view again. “I don’t see anyone else on our tail. That may have been the last of them for now.”

  The “for now” had Mallory taking another look behind them. “How much farther to Turner’s truck?”

  “We’re almost there.”

  They descended the rest of the mountain without incident. The pickup truck was an early model behemoth that had seen better days. Gage got the vehicle started and with a bounce that lifted Mallory off the seat, they left the mountain behind.

  She braced her hand on the dashboard. “How far is the town from here?”

  “I don’t think we should take you into town. I don’t want to risk you being spotted. Your office is in Bradley, right?” At her nod he continued. “We’re about three hours out. Safer to take you there. Until we hit the interstate, stay below the windows.”