Slowly, Rayna made a full sweep of the area, before swiftly climbing the stairs to the loft above. All was quiet, nothing seemed out of place, but she knew someone had been there. She could feel it. One thing she learned throughout her years in law enforcement was to always trust her instincts, and right now they were screaming at her that her barn had a visitor the night before.
After checking over her car to make sure it wasn’t tampered with, Rayna walked back to the barn doors, opening them wide. Retrieving the bag from the ground, she stalked back to the car and threw it in the passenger seat. Getting in, she slammed her door shut before hitting the steering wheel with the palm of her hand. The son of a bitch was fucking with her. He was playing her, seeing how far he could go without her finding out who and where he was. He started out small, just to see if she was paying attention, and she had no doubt that he had eyes on her right at that moment.
Putting the car into gear, Rayna left the barn, heading down the long driveway, and taking a right onto the gravel road in front of the farm. Instead of heading toward the Caldwell Ranch, she drove away from it. As much as she wanted to spend the day with Ryder, she refused to lead anyone right to his ranch. No matter what the Caldwell family might say, she was not going to intentionally put them in harm’s way.
Ryder waited all day for Rayna to show up at the ranch. After working hard that morning to get his chores done before she arrived, he brought Cochise and a pretty Appaloosa mare in from the pasture, brushing them until their coats shined. He and Rayna were going to go on a long ride, stopping by a pond on the far end of the Caldwell property for lunch, and maybe a few stolen kisses. He had it all planned out, had everything ready to go, but she never showed up.
A part of him wondered if she had just blown him off, but another part said there was no way Rayna would do that to him. Not after the night they just spent together. Not only that, but she told him when he left that morning that she would be there. She would not go back on her word.
Ryder would have tried calling her, but somehow he neglected to get her number, something he intended to correct as soon as possible. He did call Creed and Katy, only to find out that they did not have Rayna’s number either.
Finally, in the late afternoon, Ryder gave up trying to be patient, and went to her house. Her car was gone, and everything was quiet. He sat on the top step of Rayna’s porch, leaning back against the railing, one knee raised, and his Stetson pulled down low over his eyes. At first he was worried that something was wrong, but the longer he waited, anger slowly began to build inside of him. He may not have her number, but he knew damn well she had all of theirs. Katy gave them to her after she first arrived in case she needed anything. Not only that, but the Caldwell Ranch had a landline, and was easy to track down. Sitting here, waiting to see if she was dead or alive, was bullshit. He knew he was acting like a lovesick fool, but a part of him was really afraid Diego had already gotten to her.
By the time Rayna’s car turned into the drive, his anger was at a slow boil. When she got out of the car, retrieving several bags from the back seat, it took everything in him not to get up and just walk away. She was out shopping all day. He was worried sick about her, afraid Cortez’s men had her somewhere doing God knew what to her, and she was out fucking shopping.
“Hi,” Rayna said, stopping at the bottom of the stairs.
“Hey,” he replied shortly. Rising, he nodded towards her bags, “I see you’ve been busy today.”
He watched as her eyes strayed from him, slowly scanning the farm, before coming back to him again. “Yes, I decided to go to Dallas today. There were some things I needed.” He could hear the lie in her voice, and it just pissed him off even more.
Ryder pushed his hat back on his head, his eyes darkening into stormy clouds, “Did you have a good time?”
Rayna let out a short laugh. “Not at all.” Before Ryder could respond, she motioned toward the house, “Why don’t you come inside for a few minutes? We can talk there.” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. Something was off with her, but he could not figure out what. “Now,” she ordered softly, barely moving her lips.
Holding out a hand, she smiled when Ryder took it. His eyes full of suspicion, he followed her to the door, waiting while she unlocked it. The moment they were in the house, he shut the door and grabbed her arm, swinging her around to look at him. “What’s going on, Rayna?”
Rayna dropped the bags to her feet, putting a finger to her lips. Taking out her gun, she pointed to him, and then motioned downstairs. Then she pointed to herself and nodded upstairs. Removing his own gun, Ryder quickly moved across the floor, staying away from the windows. It did not take him long to clear the rooms in the lower level of the house. As soon as he was done, he made his way to the upper level, meeting Rayna at the top of the stairs. Shaking his head, he remained quiet.
“He hasn’t been in here yet,” Rayna murmured, putting her gun away. “He will make his move soon, though.”
“Dammit, Rayna,” Ryder growled, pulling her close. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Rayna shrugged, turning away. “I don’t know if anything is,” she said evasively.
“Rayna,” he said roughly, reaching out to grasp her hand in his, turning her around to face him. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on. Why the hell didn’t you come to the ranch today?”
“I couldn’t,” was all she would say.
“You couldn’t?”
“No, I couldn’t. Look, Ryder, maybe it would be best if we don’t do this.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” She was trying to push him away, but he could tell she didn’t want to. It was there, in her eyes, all of her emotions for him to see. She was not very good at hiding her feelings.
“This,” she said, “you and me. It’s not going to work out. Who are we kidding?”
“And why exactly is that?” he asked.
Rayna let out a short, humorless laugh, tugging her hand from his. “Seriously, Ryder, do you really even need to ask?” Shaking her head, she gestured at herself, “Dead girl walking here.”
Ryder yanked her into his arms, refusing to listen to her talk like she was already gone. She let out a soft cry, caught off guard, her arms going to his shoulders to steady herself. “Don’t you ever say that again,” he ordered, “and get that thought out of your head. You are not going to die.”
Her eyes clouding with sadness, she whispered, “Unfortunately, that isn’t up to you or me, Ryder.”
“Wanna bet?” His lips connected roughly with hers as he pulled her tighter against him, swallowing her protests. He would not listen to her talk as if she were already dead. He lost her once, it wasn’t going to happen again. The feel of her lips against his, had him hard within seconds. He wanted nothing more than to sink deep inside of her, to feel her heat surround him, like he had the night before. But he had a feeling if he rushed her, it would just push her away.
Slowly easing back, Ryder trailed his knuckles down the side of her face. “You are not going to die, sweetheart,” he promised. “I won’t let that happen.” Leaning down, he gave her one last kiss before stepping back. “I have no idea why you didn’t show up today. Maybe you did need to go shopping, maybe you felt threatened by what we shared last night. Hell, maybe you just plain didn’t want to spend the day with me. I don’t know. What I do know, is that I am not going to allow you to push me away, Rayna Williams. I refuse to lose you again.” As her eyes widened in surprise, he went on, “You do whatever you have to do, but I am not going anywhere."
“It’s late, Ryder.”
“Yes, it is,” he agreed, “so I suggest we eat some dinner, watch a little T.V., and then go to bed.”
“Bed?”
“Did you think I was kidding when I told you my Mama said one of us is to stay with you at night? I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to tell her no.” There was no way he was leaving her alone. He had no idea what was going on, but something wasn’t right.
/> Chapter 24
Rayna stared in shock when Ryder turned and walked down the stairs. He was really staying. It wasn’t safe for him to be here with her. After studying Diego closely over the years, she knew how he worked. He may just be messing with her right now, but he would order his man to kill Ryder just for the hell of it, just to see if it hurt her. And it would. It would break her heart.
She had seen the look in Ryder’s face, the resolve and determination, he wasn’t leaving. And to be honest, she didn’t want him to. She was tired of being alone. Then there was what he said about not losing her again. What did he mean by that?
Rayna heard the front door open, then close. Walking into Matty’s old room, she looked out the window, watching as Ryder cleared the front porch steps two at a time. Going to his truck, he retrieved a large duffle bag from the back. Well, if he wasn’t going to leave, then she was going to have to go on the offensive. Instead of allowing herself to be hunted, she was going to have to become the hunter. And, somehow, she was going to have to keep the man she was falling for safe at the same time.
“Rayna?”
Realizing that not only was Ryder no longer outside, but he was back upstairs with her, Rayna turned to look at him. He stood in front of her room, bag in hand, eyeing her with concern. Closing the distance between them, Rayna leaned her head against his chest, loving how safe she suddenly felt. Ryder was here, with her, wanting to protect her. Even though he probably thought she blew him off earlier, he was still here now.
Leaning back, she looked up at him, wanting more than she would probably ever get from him. Slipping her fingers into his, Rayna walked into her bedroom and sat on the foot of her bed. “I’m so tired, Ryder,” she admitted softly. “So damn tired.”
Ryder sat beside her, turning his hand over to lightly trace her fingers with his. “Don’t fight me on staying, Rayna. Let me keep you safe. You will be able to get the sleep you need.”
Rayna rested her hand on top of his, squeezing it gently. “You need your rest too, Ryder.”
“I get enough sleep,” he said roughly. “Let me do this for you.”
Rayna slowly shook her head, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. “I don’t just mean I’m tired physically.” Her eyes meeting his, she whispered, “I’m tired of everything, Ryder. Everything. I’m tired of running, tired of constantly having to look over my shoulder, tired of putting on a brave front when all I want to do is crawl into a hole and hide. Tired of...” she paused, unsure if she should admit the rest.
“Tell me,” Ryder ordered quietly.
A lone tear slipped free, trailing down her cheek as she whispered, “I’m tired of never allowing anyone to get close to me. Never letting myself feel anything, for anyone, because I’m afraid of what Diego will do if he finds out. Just once I want to let someone in. Just once, I want to care about someone, and have them feel the same for me.”
“So, what’s stopping you?” Ryder asked gruffly, reaching out to thread his fingers through her hair.
“The man who was in my barn at some point between the time we left it last night, and when I went to get my car to come see you for lunch, for starters.” Shaking her head in dismay, she groused, “I even packed a lunch. Fried chicken, one of my favorites.”
“Wait, you were on your way to see me? With lunch?”
“I wanted to spend the day with you,” Rayna admitted, “but when I went to the barn, I saw that the doors were open a little ways.”
“What happened?”
As much as Rayna wanted to keep Ryder far away from the bastard who was screwing with her, she knew it wasn’t going to be possible, and he needed to be prepared. “Nothing, really. I cased out the entire barn, but nothing else was out of place.”
“Then how do you know someone was here?”
“Let’s just say that I heard from my contacts in the bureau, and Diego is on the move,” she said evasively. She would not bring Nathan into the conversation. No one knew he worked with her, and that was the way she was going to keep it.
Ryder’s hand tightened on hers. “He’s coming this way?”
“I doubt he does right now. He will send someone else here first to try and take me out. When they don’t succeed, he will either send more of his goons, or come himself. I don’t know for sure.”
“And you think that person is here already? That he has been in the barn?” Ryder’s voice vibrated deeply with both anger and concern.
“I do. I know how the mob works, Ryder. He left those doors open for one reason, and one reason only.”
When she didn’t go on, Ryder asked, “And that is?”
“He’s fucking with me. He wants to see if I’m on my game or not.” Looking down at their clasped hands, she murmured, “I fell for it, and I made a mistake today, one I won’t make again.”
“What?”
“I went into that barn with my gun drawn, ready to take on the world.”
“I don’t understand the part where you did something wrong,” Ryder said. “Sounds like you did the right thing to me.”
“Exactly my point.” Rayna leaned her head against Ryder’s shoulder, closing her eyes. “The son of a bitch was probably watching me the whole time. Now he knows I’m onto him. It just became a game of cat and mouse, and I’m the mouse.” At least that was what he thought. Rayna had never been a mouse, and she sure as hell was not going to start acting like one now.
“That makes sense,” Ryder finally said, after thinking it over. “What do we do now?”
We don’t do anything, Rayna thought, as she raised her head to look at him. A small smile covered her lips, and she said, “Now, we eat. Tell me, what’s in that cooler you brought?”
It was obvious Ryder recognized that she was deliberately changing the subject by the darkening of his eyes, but he let her by with it. His lips turned up slightly at the corner, and he rose from the bed, pulling her up beside him. “Steak, and it’s a damn good thing I packed that cooler with plenty of ice, or it would already be cooked.”
Rayna grinned, “Nobody likes a smartass, Ryder Caldwell.”
Chapter 25
Ryder left Rayna’s house reluctantly early the next morning. As much as he wanted to be with her, he still had obligations at the ranch. Not only that, but it was Sunday, if he did not show up for church, he would have to deal with his mother’s disapproval the rest of the day. Cara Caldwell attended service every Sunday, and unless her children were physically incapable of being there for some reason, they better be sitting in that pew beside her. He had invited Rayna to go with him, but was not surprised when she turned the invitation down.
Riding into town with Caiden, Ryder let his eyes drift shut for the brief time it took to get there. He was utterly exhausted after staying awake two nights in a row. He managed to get a two hour nap in the day before, but it was all catching up with him quickly. It seemed like he just closed his eyes, when Caiden was shaking him awake. “Come on, man. We’re running late. You can get some sleep later.”
Later? That was what he was always telling himself. Sleep was overrated. But, if he didn’t get some soon, he wouldn’t be able to protect his woman. His woman. Ryder felt a goofy smile form on his lips. He liked the sound of that. Rayna Williams was his.
“Ryder, seriously, get it in gear,” Caiden muttered, opening his door. “Mom’s going to kick our butts if we walk in there after the service starts.”
Ryder slid from the truck and followed his brother into the church, praying he would be able to stay awake the full hour. His mom and dad both would kill him if he started snoring during the sermon. Soon he found himself sitting between Caiden and Katy, fighting to keep his eyes open. It was a battle, but they finally hit the closing prayer and he rose afterwards with his family to head home. He had to check on Heaven, feed the kittens in the loft, check on the cattle that he put in the north pasture the day before. The list went on and on.
“Ryder, what do you think?”
Katy’s
voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked down at her earnest expression, unsure how to respond. He had no idea what she was asking him, and suddenly it seemed imperative that he find a seat, before he fell down. “Ryder? Are you okay?”
Ryder slowly shook his head, realizing they were now in the parking lot, close to Caiden’s truck. “I need to sit down,” he rasped, shaking his head to try and clear the fog from it. What was wrong with him?
Vaguely, he heard Katy calling for his brothers, then he felt an arm go around his waist as someone practically carried him to the vehicle. “Ryder.” He recognized Creed’s voice, but it seemed so far away. “Ryder, we are going to take you to the hospital. Stay with me, little brother.”
“No,” Ryder croaked, prying his eyes open as far as he could. Peeking through little slits, he grunted, “Rayna. Need Rayna.”
He heard a flurry of voices after that, but could not make out any of them. There was a ringing in his ears that grew louder and louder, and then it was over, as he slipped into oblivion.
Rayna was up with Ryder that morning, and as soon as he left, she canvased the entire barn again, along with her car and the house. She found what was left for her on the car, and after close consideration, she found something else in the kitchen and in the master bedroom. The asshole had been inside her fucking house, and she never knew. Going to her car, she collected the boxes in the trunk, more purchases from the day before that she forgot to tell Ryder about. After installing small cameras in every room in the house, Rayna hooked the system up to her phone so that she could watch all activity in the house on her phone. Things were about to get interesting.
After another quick look around the entire house, including the basement, Rayna took a quick shower and went downstairs to get some breakfast. She was sitting at her kitchen table eating a bagel when there was a knock on her door. Picking up her gun from where it set on the table beside her, she moved slowly into the living room, looking out one of the windows, before quickly putting the gun away again. What the hell was Creed Caldwell doing at her door?
Saving His Soul (Serenity Springs Series, #3) Page 12
