She was quiet for several minutes and then broke the silence. “Do you ever think about getting married…having a family?” She didn’t raise her head to look at him.
About a million times since the moment he’d met her, he’d thought about what it would be like to come home to the same woman every night, to have a family to care for, to laugh with and to share a future with people he loved…with people who loved him. And each time he had imagined it, it was her he came home to and Sam and Ethan that greeted him at the door, that filled his life. But he didn’t say this out loud.
“Never,” he lied. “I don’t want the burden. I’ve always traveled alone. That’s what I’m used to, that’s the way I like it.” Funny that his words were in such a direct contrast to the fact that she was cuddled in his arms and he didn’t want to let her go.
“That’s too bad,” she replied softly. “I have a feeling you would have made some lucky woman a wonderful husband, and seeing you with Sam makes me believe you would be a terrific father.”
“I wouldn’t have the first idea on how to be a father, given the role model I had,” he replied.
“Being a parent is easy. All you have to do is love and allow yourself to receive love.”
She raised her head to look at him, her green eyes warm and inviting. “And you are worthy of being loved, Micah.” It was at that moment he knew that if he allowed himself to, he could love this woman.
However he wouldn’t allow it. Even though he’d decided that this would be his last mission, if he looked deep in his heart, deep in his very soul, he’d admit that he wasn’t at all sure he was going to survive this, his final mission.
* * *
“There was definitely a chill in the air today,” June said as she, Olivia and Darcy sat at the kitchen table eating dinner. Sam sat in his high chair, happily enjoying some of June’s homemade applesauce and macaroni and cheese.
“Where are Lacy and her daughters?” Darcy asked.
“They were relocated last night,” June replied. A touch of sadness darkened her eyes. “I’m going to miss those two little girls. They were such delights.”
“It must be hard doing what you do,” Olivia said. “Building relationships with people and then moving on to the next cult, the next victims.” Her thoughts immediately went to Micah, who hadn’t been seen all day. She tried telling herself that the building love she had for him was based on nothing more than the situation. Their enforced closeness had sent hormones into high drive, but she knew when this was all over she’d probably never see him again.
“That is the most difficult part of what I do,” June replied. “It’s hard not to build relationships in situations like this. But this is Eager’s and my last job for a while.” The black Lab lying on the floor nearby raised his head and looked at her.
“Doggie,” Sam exclaimed and smiled at Olivia.
“That’s right, doggie,” Olivia agreed.
“You’re going with Jesse to his ranch,” Darcy said.
A smile swept over June’s features, a smile of such love, of such happiness that it ached a little bit in Olivia’s chest. “He says Eager will be kept busy chasing rabbits and I’m going to be busy chasing him.”
They all laughed but Olivia felt a wistful envy raise its head inside her. Someday she wanted what June had found, the love of a good man who would be willing to step in and parent her sons, a man who would love her desperately, passionately until the end of time.
Each and every time she thought of such a man it was Micah who jumped into her head, but she knew that was just a ridiculous fantasy she had to get over.
Last night as they’d snuggled together on the sofa, he’d made it clear to her that he didn’t want to be part of a family, that he wasn’t a man looking for love or commitment.
But at the moment, with Ethan still a crushing pain in her heart and the uncertainty of ever seeing him again, the last thing on her mind was love. She just wanted her baby boy back and then she’d figure the rest of her life out from there.
She turned her attention to Darcy, who had been unusually quiet throughout the day. “Are you doing okay?” she asked.
Darcy nodded. “I saw Rafe last night and we called Ford McCall and told him that Micah had identified Jane Doe. He’s going to do what he can to confirm that she’s the woman who gave birth to me.”
“Ford’s a good man,” June replied.
“It’s amazing he’s been able to work with that skunk, Chief of Police Fargo,” Darcy said.
“Bo Fargo isn’t just a skunk,” June said with narrowed eyes. “He’s a dangerous man who has been given far too much power by Samuel. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one who actually put the bullets in those poor women. Jesse believes that the good police chief is one of the men who beat him half to death and left him for dead in the woods.”
For a moment they all fell silent. Olivia had no idea what the others were thinking but she was thinking about men like Bo Fargo holding her child captive someplace. She fought against the tears that burned behind her eyelids, refusing to allow them to fall here in the presence of her youngest son and the other women.
Jesse came in from the outside where he had been standing guard, indicating that somebody else had taken over for him. He wore a thick plaid jacket and brought with him the scent of the cold, fresh outdoor air.
“There’s a thick layer of fog moving in,” he said as he took off his jacket and slung it over the back of an empty chair at the table. “I have a feeling in another hour or so you won’t be able to see your hand in front of your face.”
“A good night for all God’s children to stay inside and be safe,” June said.
“Or a good night to create some mischief,” Micah said as he came into the kitchen. He smiled at Olivia and she consciously willed her heart not to quicken.
“I hope you don’t intend to make any mischief,” she said.
“Not me, but I want to talk to Hawk and make sure that they’re setting up traffic stops coming in and out of town,” he replied as he sat across from her at the table.
He didn’t have to say why he wanted to check on that. Olivia knew what he was thinking, that the cover of fog might provide a perfect opportunity to move two unwanted, highly adoptable children out of the area. If the FBI agents in the area weren’t careful, tonight was the night she could potentially lose her child forever.
Once again the group fell silent as June busied herself fixing plates for both Jesse and Micah. After they’d been served, the conversation remained light and neutral, but Olivia’s heart thundered with the idea of Ethan vanishing for good.
As she exchanged glances with Darcy, she knew the young woman shared the same concern about Rafe’s son. Micah looked at her, his eyes slightly hard and filled with resolve. “We’re not going to let those kids get away from us,” he said, obviously reading her mind.
She nodded. Although she knew rationally it was impossible for a single man to control what was happening in and around an entire town, in her heart she desperately wanted to believe him.
After eating, as the women cleared the table, Micah left the safe house, she assumed for his meeting with Hawk or one of the other FBI agents working the case.
She knew she wouldn’t breathe easily again until he returned. She lifted Sam from the high chair and carried him into the living room, followed by Darcy.
With Sam on one of the thick hide rugs with a pile of toys in front of him, the two women sat on the sofa. “I’m sorry about your mother,” Olivia said.
Darcy gave her a bittersweet smile. “I think maybe I’ve always known deep in my heart that it wasn’t going to be a happy ending for me, but I’d hoped…” She allowed her voice to trail off as her gaze lingered on Sam. “At least I have Rafe and hopefully before too long we’ll have Devin and you’ll have Ethan back.”
&nb
sp; “We can only hope,” Olivia replied.
“You’re in love with Micah, aren’t you?”
Olivia looked at Darcy in shock and then was unable to control the nervous little laugh that escaped her. “Why on earth would you think such a thing?”
Darcy shot her a smug little smile. “Because you look at him the way I know I look at Rafe. Because I see the worry in your eyes each time he leaves this place.”
“I worry about everyone when they leave here,” Olivia countered.
Darcy smiled knowingly. “But you worry just a little bit more about Micah.”
Olivia released a small sigh. “It doesn’t matter what I feel toward him. This is just a crazy stop on our way to the rest of our separate lives. I mean, look around… We are sitting in a cave because a madman has taken possession of an entire town. Could it get more surreal?”
“It just goes to show that love can blossom in the strangest of places,” Darcy replied.
“Trust me, Micah has made it very clear that love has no place in his life.” A piercing sadness swept through Olivia for the man who had never known love as a child, for the man who had chosen to live his life alone. “Micah told me that you’re his niece. I only hope that he’ll allow you and Rafe and Devin to be the family he never had.”
“I’d like that,” Darcy agreed. She eyed Olivia soberly. “It doesn’t bother you to know that Samuel is my biological father?”
Olivia smiled. “Darcy, I have no idea who my father is and my mother was a raging alcoholic who only got out of bed to get another bottle of booze. Unfortunately, we don’t get to pick our parents. You are nothing like your father and in a million years nothing could make you like him.”
Darcy reached over and grabbed Olivia’s hand in hers. “I hope you find happiness when you leave here, Olivia. I hope you find a good man to love you and your two boys. We all deserve happiness after what we’ve been through.”
“I definitely agree with that,” Olivia replied.
At that moment Micah returned, his restless energy filling the entire living room. “Hawk has promised me that nothing is going to leave town tonight that we don’t know about,” he said. “The fog, along with the narrow roads that lead in and out of town, should make travel for anyone slow, and that works to our advantage.”
He was amped up, much like he had been the night he’d come home after nearly being caught in the forest and had taken her to bed. The pump of adrenaline rolled off him in waves and his eyes had taken on the glittering of an animal on the prowl.
She knew in that moment that despite what he’d been told by the FBI to sit tight, that he was going out to do something dangerous, that he intended to use the fog cover for his own purposes.
“What are your plans?” she asked, unable to control the slight tremor in her voice.
“I’ll just leave you two to talk,” Darcy said as she jumped up from the sofa and hurried from the room, leaving Olivia and Micah alone.
“Nothing for you to worry about,” he said as he started out of the room.
She followed behind him. “What does that mean?”
They passed the bedrooms and she stared at his back, willing him to halt, to turn around and tell her he intended to spend the rest of the night in the safe house.
He didn’t reply until they reached the tiny room where he slept. An oil lamp was lit, the illumination bouncing off the rocky walls. There was a single-sized cot and several canvas bags lined up against one wall.
He leaned over and picked up one of the canvas bags, then turned to face her. “With the fog it’s a perfect night to check out a few places in town.”
Olivia’s heart pounded with anxiety as she stared at him with a horrible sense of dread. “I don’t want you to go.”
She took a step toward him, wondering if he could hear the thunder of her heart in the small space. “Stay here with me, Micah. You know it’s too dangerous for you to go out there tonight.”
He placed a warm palm against her cheek, his eyes holding both a softness and a distance that let her know he was already half-gone from her. “This is what I do, Olivia.”
He dropped his hand from her face and left the room with her trailing behind him, trying to think of something, anything that would keep him here with her. He’d been told to stay out of things, to stay away from town. Why oh why wasn’t he listening to the FBI…to her?
They reached the entrance to the cave and he turned to face her, his eyes already holding the wildness of the forest, of whatever mission he had in mind for the night.
He paused and dropped the duffel bag he carried to the floor and then wrapped her in his arms and pressed his mouth to hers in an intense kiss that tasted far too much like goodbye.
She clung to him, fighting tears as the kiss lingered. He was breaking her heart. By leaving here, by kissing her the way he was, he was truly shattering her apart.
He finally released her and once again grabbed the duffel bag. With a curt nod of his head, he stepped out of the opening of the safe house and she desperately feared that she would never see him again.
CHAPTER 11
The fog had created a false sense of twilight as Micah stepped out into the woods. Although not as thick here as it would be in the lower valley that held the town of Cold Plains, the fog could definitely work for him or against him.
It would be more difficult for anyone to spot him, but it would also make it harder for him to see danger coming. Still, he felt no fear as he made his way down the mountain toward town.
In the distance a wolf howled, the sound mournful as it resonated deep in Micah’s soul. Micah had always considered himself a lone wolf, but that was a mischaracterization of the wild animal. Even wolves lived in packs, with a mate and their offspring.
He shoved these thoughts away as he continued down the mountain. The farther down he went, the thicker the fog grew, enveloping him in a gray mist that stirred a faint anxiety inside him.
With each step he took, he stopped and listened, making sure there wasn’t anyone else near him in the soupy fog. The dense mist seemed to amplify even the tiniest natural sound, making him more jumpy than usual.
One hand gripped the handle of the duffel bag and the other held tight to his gun. He finally reached the edge of Cold Plains and crouched behind a large tree trunk.
From this vantage point the only thing visible in the town was the barely discernible muted glow from the streetlamps. Micah set down the duffel bag and checked his watch. Five minutes until seven.
He’d sit tight for now and wait for the ring of the old church bell that would summon all the townspeople to Samuel’s nightly seminar. Only when he knew his brother was busy shepherding his sheep would Micah make his bold move.
He’d spent most of yesterday working things around in his head, trying to think how his brother would when it came to safety and secrets.
He knew about the tunnel that ran underground beneath the Community Center. He also knew that hidden rooms had been found below the Urgent Care facility. But he couldn’t imagine a man as crafty as Samuel sleeping in bed at night in a house that had no escape route but the front and back doors. It just didn’t make “Samuel sense.”
It was imperative that Micah got inside Samuel’s house tonight and found out what secrets might be contained within its impressive walls. And this was the
perfect night. While Samuel was leading his flock, Micah intended to check it out.
At precisely eight o’clock the church bell tolled, the sound muted and discordant as it traveled through the dense fog. Micah waited another ten minutes and then left the safety of his hiding place.
As usual he stuck to the backyards and what cover he could find, but the fog made it slow going as he could only see approximately a foot in front of him.
It took him much lo
nger than he’d anticipated to finally reach the back of Samuel’s house. Using the cover of the trees, he pulled the grappling hook and rope from the duffel bag and then watched to see if the guard presence had increased since the last time he’d been here.
Samuel’s seminars generally lasted between an hour and an hour and a half. Micah couldn’t wait too long to make his move or he wouldn’t have the time he needed to explore the interior of the house.
He heard rather than saw somebody moving around the back of the house. As he watched with narrowed eyes, trying to pierce through the veil of fog, the man stopped and flicked a lighter to light a cigarette. The resulting glow from the lighter illuminated his features for just a moment and Micah identified him as the second guard who had chased him through the forest with Dax Roberts.
The man moved on and when Micah could no longer hear the whisper of his feet against the grass, he made his move. Although he couldn’t see the balcony ledge above him, he made a calculated throw of the hook and fought against the triumphant cry he wanted to release as the hook didn’t return to the ground.
Going up would be easy. Micah had climbed ropes a thousand times in his lifetime. Coming down could be more difficult because, in order to leave no trace of his presence, he’d have to remove the grappling hook and jump with it and the rope in his arms.
He raced to the rope and tugged on it to make sure it was secure and then like a spider climbed. Once he was secure on the balcony, he pulled up the rope behind him and unfastened the hook from where it had grabbed on the wooden railing.
He left the hook and rope on the balcony and turned to the glass sliding doors. Holding his breath, he reached out and slid the door open.
Bingo. He knew Samuel would be arrogant enough to believe that the security he had in place was enough. Samuel would have never believed anyone would have the courage to breach his privacy even with an unlocked door.
The first thing Micah looked for was any indication that there was a security system in place, but he saw no panel blinking a warning, nothing that would make him believe that, electronically, somebody knew he was inside.
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 105
