He ran as fast as he could for several minutes given the darkness and the terrain and then stopped, slowed his breathing and listened.
He heard a faint crunch of leaves to the left of him and knew that a true cat-and-mouse game had begun. He had two objectives. If he couldn’t lose his hunters, then he could at least lead them far away from the direction of the safe house. His second objective was to find a hiding place so good, they’d eventually give up looking for him and head back to town to report to Samuel.
The moonlight created dancing shadows among the trees, and every nerve in Micah’s body was on edge as he tried to move as silently as possible while keeping alert to any imminent danger.
He knew there were at least two of them and there was no way of knowing if they’d radioed for any backup. There was a strong possibility that, within minutes, the forest would be swarming with men all with one single goal in mind—to kill Micah.
And Micah didn’t dare try to use his radio to summon backup. The crackle of the radio would alert anyone nearby to his whereabouts. He just couldn’t take that chance. He was on his own.
He threw himself to the side, his heart skipping a beat as the rifle cracked and a piece of bark chipped off a tree nearby. His heart pumped as fast as his thoughts while his gaze darted first one direction and then the other, seeking escape.
Funny, he’d never thought much about self-survival before this moment. Throughout his years as a mercenary, he’d taken dangerous risks, aware that the outcome might ultimately be his death and that had never bothered him before.
But now he had Olivia and Sam to think about. He had two little children missing from their parents who needed him to find them. He had a niece he had just met, a young woman he already admired and would like to get to know better.
For the first time in his life he felt as if he had people depending on him, a reason for being and all he wanted to do was get out of this forest alive.
CHAPTER 7
Olivia awoke, her heart banging hard in her chest from the nightmare that had just jerked her from her sleep. In the dream Samuel had been chasing Ethan down the street as the little boy ran for the safety of her outstretched arms.
In the dream she’d been frozen in place, unable to do anything to help Ethan as he ran. Samuel streaked after him, his features twisted into the image of a horrendous monster.
“Run,” she’d cried to her son, her heart crashing against her ribs as she fought to break the spell that held her motionless. “Run, Ethan, run to Mommy!”
She now drew a deep breath and released it slowly to calm the frantic beat of her heart. The worst part was that she’d awakened just before Ethan’s little body had slammed into hers, just before she’d been able to wrap him in her arms and smell the scent of him, feel the sweet warmth of him.
Sliding her legs over the side of the bed, she decided going back to sleep would be impossible for a while. She still tasted the terror of Samuel on her tongue, still felt the weight of despair of not being able to grab Ethan away from him deep in her heart.
She threaded her fingers through her hair to smooth any sleep tangles as she made her way to the door. Maybe a cup of hot tea would soothe away the residual tang of terror, the overwhelming sense of loss that still lingered in her soul.
She opened the door, taking one step out into the hallway, and came face-to-face with Micah. It was obvious he’d just come in from the forest. Wildness was not only the scent he wore, but also what radiated from his eyes, the wildness of a man pumped up on sheer adrenaline.
“What happened?” she asked, tension instantly flooding through her.
“Nothing. Everything is fine.” His words were clipped, his voice deeper than usual.
“You don’t look fine. You look like you’re about ready to jump out of your skin,” she replied.
He stared at her for a long moment and then grabbed her by the wrist, pulled her back into her room and shut the door behind him with his foot.
She barely released a gasp as he backed her against the stone wall, leaned into her and took her mouth in a searing kiss that buckled her knees and sent her senses reeling.
The intimate contact against her let her know that he was erect and someplace in the back of her mind she knew she should push against him, halt the kiss and step away. This was dangerous…. He was dangerous, but it was a danger that called to her.
His mouth was hot and hungry against hers, as if he’d lost all control and although she had no idea what had happened to him outside tonight, his obvious need stoked a flame inside her that she allowed not just to burn slightly, but to completely explode.
She yielded to him, raising her arms and locking them around his neck as she pulled herself more tightly against him. She had no idea what had happened, could scarcely process what was happening at this very moment, but she knew whatever it was, she was going to encourage it to continue.
He finally tore his mouth from hers and leaned back, staring into her eyes as if seeking an answer to an unspoken question. The wildness was still there in the green depths of his eyes, but there was also a hint of desperate need and it was that emotion that drew her in.
She dropped her arms from around his neck and stepped back from him. His glittering eyes went flat, as if he knew he had overstepped boundaries and was now prepared for the consequences.
When she grabbed his wrist and tugged him toward the bed, his eyes glittered once again, this time with a flame that nearly stole her breath away.
Once they stood next to the bed she pulled her
T-shirt over her head, just to make sure he understood her intentions. For a moment he appeared to be mesmerized by the sight of her in her plain white bra and jeans.
As he remained planted in place, she wondered if perhaps she’d misread the situation, taken it further than he’d intended for it to go. But as that thought fully formed in her mind, he pulled the long-sleeved black shirt he wore over the top of his head and tossed it to the floor.
If the kiss had simmered a flame inside her, the sight of his naked, hard-muscled chest shot desire like a wildfire through her veins. The flickering oil lamp played on the planes and contours of his bronze skin and with their gazes locked, he kicked off his shoes as his fingers went to the button of his black jeans.
This time she was the one who remained frozen in place as he took off his jeans, leaving him clad in a pair of briefs that did nothing to hide the extent of his arousal.
As he gazed at her, the wildness was still in his eyes and the energy that rolled off him filled the room, filled her. It was like being caged with a slightly dangerous animal, only she had no desire to escape, no desire to run from him.
Instead she took off her own shoes and then removed her jeans, leaving her in her bra and a pink pair of bikini panties he’d picked up for her when he’d gone into her house.
A tremble began deep inside her as he advanced toward her, his eyes gleaming with intent, with a hunger that felt as if he’d already touched every inch of her body.
When he reached her, he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her once again; she tasted his wildness in the kiss and she responded with an abandon of her own.
They fell on the bed, his mouth not leaving hers as he rolled so that she was beneath him. She knew this wasn’t about lovemaking, but it didn’t matter. It was about human connection, about the need to confirm that despite the chaos that surrounded them, they were both okay and still very much alive.
Still, when his lips finally left hers, he tenderly stroked her face as his eyes glittered down at her. “I want you.” The words were stark, without any real emotion.
She had no idea what had happened to him tonight, but once again, despite the flatness of his tone, she sensed a need in him and it called to the same kind of emotion inside her. “You have me,” she replied.
His eyes flared and he leaned to one side, allowing him to stroke down her neck, across her delicate collarbones and then capture one of her breasts through the material of her bra. Even through the cotton she could feel the heat of his touch and her nipple hardened in response.
She closed her eyes and gave herself to the sensations of his body next to hers and his hand touching her breast. It had been so long since she’d felt the quickening of her own breath with desire, the accelerated beat of her heart with sweet anticipation.
He reached behind her and unfastened her bra, then plucked it off her and tossed it to the floor at the side of the bed. His mouth replaced his hand, sucking in her bare, erect nipple and rolling it with his tongue.
A gasp of sheer pleasure escaped her lips as she grabbed hold of his hair in an effort to pull him closer…closer still. As he licked and teased first one nipple and then the other, his hands worked to remove her panties and when he got them partway down her thighs, she did the rest, removing them so that she was completely naked to him.
Within minutes he had taken off his briefs and their touches, their caresses grew more intimate. As he moved his fingers against the center of her, she arched up to meet him as she felt the rising tension that begged to be released.
When the release came it washed over her in wave after wave, as she weakly clung to his shoulders and cried out his name.
He gave her no time to breathe, but instead took complete possession of her, sliding into her with a deep thrust. He took her hard and fast, as if exorcizing inner demons, but she didn’t care. She met him thrust for thrust, releasing all her pent-up rage at Samuel, despair over Ethan and passion that Micah stirred inside her.
As the tension once again buoyed up inside her and he increased the speed of his strokes, she saw in the flickering light of the oil lamp the taut cords in his neck, the lack of control in his eyes. A second climax shuddered through her and at the same time he found his release, gasping hoarsely against her neck and then rolling from her and collapsing by her side.
For several long moments the only sound was the echo of their breathing as they waited for their heartbeats to return to normal, as they waited for their bodies to calm after the storm they’d just shared.
She finally turned over to face him, her body still tingling from his touch. “What happened to you tonight?” she asked, instinctively knowing that what had just occurred had been prompted by something.
“I just took you like a beast without any thought of birth control or anything else and you’re wondering what happened to me tonight?” One of his dark brows raised as tension once again possessed his features.
“I’m on birth control shots and had my last one less than a month ago. You don’t have to worry about that. As far as you taking me like a beast, I was right there with you. No complaints from this very satisfied woman.” She offered him a smile, hoping to erase some of the strain that showed on his handsome face.
He rolled over on his back and released a deep sigh. “I overplayed my hand tonight.”
She leaned up on one elbow. “What do you mean?”
As he told her about scoping out Samuel’s house, about being seen by Dax Roberts, fear for Micah shot through her, forcing her to recognize the growing feelings she had for him.
“I managed to lead Dax and one of the other henchmen toward the far side of the mountain and finally I lost them and came back here.”
She knew there was a lot he wasn’t telling her, that the chase through the forest hadn’t been as easy as he’d related. She scooted closer to him as if by her close presence she could somehow protect him from the dangers outside of this room, outside of the cave.
He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his side. “The whole time I was running, all I could think about was that I’d made a promise to you and I had to stay alive in order to fulfill that promise,” he said softly. “It’s what kept me moving, what kept me from engaging into a fight.”
Olivia’s heart squeezed tight in her chest. “Then I’m grateful that you made me that promise,” she replied, her voice thick with emotion.
“He nearly killed you before, Micah. I’m sure Dax Roberts would love to complete the job he thought he’d already done. Forget the promise you made to me. Don’t go into town anymore. Leave it all to somebody else. Hopefully the FBI working this case can find Ethan and bring him home to me.”
He frowned. “I don’t make promises often, but when I do, I never break them.”
She reached up and stroked a hand across his furrowed forehead. “Then I release you from this one.” As much as she wanted her son back, as much as she needed Ethan in her arms once again, she couldn’t allow Micah to risk his own life to accomplish that feat. She moved her hand and placed it on his heart. The beat was steady and strong. “I’m afraid for you, Micah.”
He covered her hand with his own. “There’s no reason to be afraid. The only thing that’s really changed is that now my brother knows I’m still alive.”
And it was those very words that shot a shiver of fear straight through Olivia’s heart.
* * *
“What is so damned important that you had to get me out of bed?” Samuel asked as he belted his silk robe more tightly around his waist. He stared at Dax Roberts who stood before him in Samuel’s great room.
Dax Roberts wasn’t a huge man, but he had the flat eyes of a cold-blooded snake and carried himself with an aura of suspended danger ready to break loose. Samuel knew just how dangerous Dax could be, but he’d never feared the man. Dax knew he belonged to Samuel and the man would be a fool to bite the hand that fed him, and fed him very well.
At the moment Dax’s gaze refused to meet Samuel’s and a hard pit of tension formed in Samuel’s stomach. This could only be bad news, otherwise there was no way Dax would have awakened him in the middle of the night.
“What’s happened? Spit it out, man.” Impatience made the words snap from Samuel.
Finally Dax’s black gaze rose to meet his. “We caught somebody skulking around the house while you were in the middle of your seminar.”
“And?” The idea that somebody had been sneaking around the house didn’t particularly bother Samuel. He knew the FBI were prowling around the whole town and it certainly wasn’t a surprise that they would have agents slinking around his house. After all, he was their biggest target. Fortunately, they had no legal reason to get inside. That was the thing about law enforcement agencies…they had to play by the rules, but he didn’t.
“And me and Larry chased him up into the mountain but we eventually lost him.” Dax’s eyes narrowed, as if affronted by his own failure to capture the intruder.
“And why is this important enough to wake me up?” Samuel asked, his irritation growing by the second. A threat that had vanished into the woods in the mountain was no threat now. “Couldn’t this all have waited until morning?”
Dax’s jaw muscles tightened. “I thought you’d want to know…. It was your brother.”
Samuel stared at him, certain he must have misunderstood. “My brother? What are you talking about? My brother is dead. You killed him.”
Dax frowned and his gaze shot to the floor at Samuel’s feet. “Apparently he has nine lives.”
The small pit of tension that had coiled in Samuel’s stomach swelled outward, filling his chest with a barely contained rage. “Are you positive that’s who it was?”
Dax gave a curt nod of his head. “It was him, there was no question. I got a good look at him in the moonlight.”
“So, it would seem you didn’t do the job I sent you to do,” Samuel said, his anger just barely controlled. Dax was lucky, for if Samuel had had his gun in his hand at the moment, Dax would be dead.
“I swear, I shot him almost point blank in the side of his head. He should be a dead man.” Dax took a st
ep backward, as if fearing the reprisal of the unsuccessful job.
Samuel balled his hands into fists at his side. “It appears you didn’t complete your job. I don’t like half-ass work, Dax. I expected better than that from you.” Dax’s eyes went flatter and the muscles in his jaw tightened. “Get out of here and don’t talk to me again until the job is done correctly,” Samuel said with disdain.
Dax wasted no time leaving the room. A moment later Samuel heard the sound of his front door opening and closing and it was only then Samuel allowed his rage to explode. He grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it at the fireplace, finding no relief in the splintering of glass.
Micah.
Micah was alive.
He stalked to the sliding glass doors and pulled one open, then stepped out onto the balcony and pulled his robe around him again against the cold night air. His gaze shot in the direction of the mountain looming high above in the night sky.
Someplace on that mountain the brother he thought was dead was not only breathing and alive, but was obviously actively working against him.
Samuel had spent years becoming the man he’d become, building the skills necessary to take a small town and make it his own. He hadn’t feared the fists of his father, he’d had only disgust for the woman who’d been his mother. But he’d hated the simple existence of Micah since he’d been a young boy.
He’d always felt like Micah saw through his carefully constructed facade, that somehow the fraternal twin that had shared their mother’s womb with him was more like him than either of them wanted to admit.
Therefore he’d always seen Micah as a threat to all that Samuel wanted to accomplish, a potential obstacle that had to be removed.
He’d thought that had been accomplished. He’d thought Dax had taken care of the problem months ago. First thing in the morning he’d tell his men to be on the alert for Micah. He’d make sure they all knew there was a healthy bounty on Micah’s head. And hopefully by this time tomorrow he’d have the body of his dead brother at his feet.
Perfect Wyoming Complete Collection: Special Agent's Perfect Cover ; Rancher's Perfect Baby Rescue ; A Daughter's Perfect Secret ; Lawman's Perfect Surrender ; The Perfect Outsider ; Mercenary's Perfect Mission Page 101
