by Robin Caroll
Pushing to his feet, Hunter stood and studied her for a moment. Unashamed tears caked her face as she caressed and coddled her pet. Something inside of him snapped. I’m falling in love with her! He stiffened as his mind searched his heart and blared the ensuing results.
“Please get it for me.” Katie’s silver eyes shone with moisture.
His heart swelled. Nodding, he turned to go to the tent.
Katie cleaned Shadow’s wounds as best she could with the dwindling first-aid supplies. Shadow whined and stared at her with his soulful brown eyes before finally drifting off to sleep. She rose and stood at the doorway of the lean-to, looking out into the night. Moonlight flooded the area, casting shadows that looked like stalking cats ready to pounce across the side of the shanty. Her heart ached while she rewound the events in her mind.
An arm wrapped around her waist. She looked into Christian’s concerned face. “Shadow going to be okay?” His voice softened with concern.
She let out a long, breathy sigh. “I think so. The bear’s claws left some pretty deep gashes in his side, but I think they’ll be fine as long as they don’t get infected.” Katie ran a hand through her hair, separating the strands with her fingers. “His back leg is fractured, maybe broken. I splinted it, but he needs a vet to set it properly.”
Christian kissed her temple. “I’m sorry. I know how much you love Shadow. He’ll be okay.”
Katie leaned against the doorframe. Her mind continued to churn. “Christian, Ariel and Hunter have guns,” she whispered.
His audible sigh loomed heavy on her heart. “Let’s step into the tent, okay?” He glanced over his shoulder, as if checking to ensure no one watched them. “I’ll tell you everything.”
“I’m really tired of all this cloak-and-dagger stuff. If you know what’s going on, tell me here.”
“It’s not that easy, sis.” He pulled her next to him, hip to hip, and took a step toward the tent. “Come on, Katie-cat.”
Dread propelling her each step of the way, Katie allowed Christian to help her into the tent, away from the others. She sighed, lowered herself to her sleeping bag, situated her injured foot as comfortably as she could, and stared up at her brother. “Shoot.”
Instead of sitting on Ariel’s bedroll, Christian lit the little lamp on the floor, then took a seat next to her. “There’s really nothing going on between me and Ariel. Well, not yet.”
Katie guffawed. “Yeah, sure, right.” She lightly flicked his hands, which dangled in his lap. “But, Christian, you need to know this. There’s something going on between Ariel and Hunter.” She gripped his hand and squeezed it. “I’ve seen them together. I’ve overheard their conversations.”
“It isn’t like that, Katie.” He muttered as he stared at the ground.
“Yes there is. I’ve seen him kiss her.”
Christian’s head shot up. “He kissed her?”
“Well, he kissed her forehead, but still.”
Chuckling, Christian nudged her arm, then leaned against her. “That’s because they’re partners.”
“Partners?” Katie wrinkled her nose as her mind tried to wrap around what that implied.
“Yeah, partners. With initials—as in F.B.I.”
She sucked in a quick breath and held it until her lungs screamed for release. Letting it out in a fast swoosh, Katie’s heartbeat sped again. “But … I thought…”
“Listen, I shouldn’t even be telling you this, but the FBI has evidence that money is being laundered through James Lassiter Accounting. Hunter went in undercover six months ago to try and pinpoint who is involved. They narrowed down their list of suspects to the people in the boat.”
Katie pursed her lips, letting the information soak in. “But, Ariel…”
“She’s Hunter’s partner, but the firm is a good ole boys’ club. They couldn’t slip her in. So, she’s been working in the background, following up the leads Hunter discovers.”
“But you … she…”
Christian smiled. “When she showed up at the lodge, I didn’t have a clue who she was. The FBI had gotten together a small group of agents to join Ariel to back-up Hunter. The only problem was, she came in the night before, which had her beating the weather, but the other agents’ flights were canceled. When Gabe and I canceled my group, she had to come clean and tell us everything.” He shook his head. “Gabe’s beyond furious at the danger Hunter put you in without telling you.”
Hitching an eyebrow, she tilted her head.
“I know, I know. Gabe and I couldn’t let you fend for yourself, but the river wouldn’t allow us to follow you. We knew you’d head this way when you realized the river had risen. Ariel almost had to put Gabe under arrest to stop him from coming. So, she came with me.”
A thought niggled hard against Katie’s mind. She ran her hand through her hair again. “What do you know about the gunshot the night the group arrived? The one you claimed you didn’t hear.”
Christian shuddered. “Ariel had tried to sneak around to meet up with Hunter, but got turned around in the woods. She met a snake, thus the gunshot.”
“Oh.”
“So, you see, there’s nothing between Hunter and Ariel. At least, not like you’re thinking. They’re just partners.” Reaching over, he tugged her hair. “They’re the good guys, Katie-cat.”
A sudden flare of anger flashed through her. “Hunter put me, as well as those men, in danger for what?”
“It wasn’t like that, Katie. According to Ariel, they’re working on a money-laundering scam. Nothing dangerous was supposed to happen. Hunter was taking advantage of a situation to see if he could determine who might be involved.”
Using his shoulder, Katie hoisted herself up. She let the feeling of betrayal circle her heart, fanning her fury. “But it did. And now, two men are dead. Dead, Christian. Do you get that?” She pointed her finger in his face. “It could have been me. All for what? To uncover some two-bit criminal?”
“Keep your voice down.” Christian scrambled to his feet and stood beside her. “They’re pretty certain the big-shot running the show is Jerry. Up until this trip, they didn’t know if he or Paul called the shots.”
“I don’t want to keep my voice down. I’ve been lied to, again and again, and now Shadow’s hurt because I wasn’t told, and I got stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with a deranged money launderer.” She pushed Christian’s shoulder. “You, of all people, know how I feel about deceptions. You should have told me as soon as you got here.”
“Katie-cat—”
“Don’t try to patronize me. I’m done with it. Hunter … Ariel …. everyone can all go play super spies with guns and violence somewhere else. I had my fill of secrets years ago. Count me out.”
She jerked the flap back and headed to the lean-to, chewing her bottom lip. The urge to bury her face in Shadow’s fur nearly choked her. She needed time alone with her thoughts, with no one telling her more lies.
Lies … lies … lies—she’d tasted the bitter sting of rejection and refused to allow herself to burn with betrayal and deception again.
Why hadn’t her brother told her the truth immediately? Hadn’t Christian suffered, too, from their mother’s lies of loving them? Did he forget so easily that she upped and walked out? Just left them. Couldn’t he see how deceptions, of any form, ripped lives apart?
She made her way into the shanty, her emotions erupting like volcanic lava, burning her and leaving her raw.
Chapter 19
Hunter looked up from the anxious faces surrounding the table as Katie stumbled in. She didn’t so much as glance in their direction. She dropped to her knees beside Shadow lying on Hunter’s sleeping bag. His heart clenched at the sight of her hunched over her injured pet. Giving himself a mental shake, he returned his gaze to the men around the table.
“So, we’re in no more danger from that bear?” The color had yet to return to Paul’s oval face.
“We injured it, but didn’t kill him.” Hunter spoke to P
aul, but let his eyes drift over the other faces.
Orson rubbed his head, pain still etched in his weathered face, then smoothed the frazzled ends of his thinning hair. Deep in the crow’s feet at the corner of his eyes, fear.
Hunter experienced a fleeting sensation of guilt. The old tax attorney had been the one to suspect the money laundering scam occurring at Lassiter James and contacted the FBI. On his recommendation, his alone, the firm hired Hunter. He could tell Orson now regretted his decision. The old man had yet to spill the details of what had happened to Carter. Maybe if Hunter could get him alone for a few minutes…
Jerry, on the other hand, appeared as if nothing were amiss. His eyes had locked on Hunter’s weapon, still snuggling against the small of his back. Hunter knew the game was up—Jerry suspected too much, and with him and Ariel having to draw their Berettas, his instincts and training told him it was only a matter of time before Jerry realized the gig was busted, if he didn’t already. Hunter would have to keep a close eye on him, a very close eye indeed. Maybe Jerry would get sloppy and make a mistake. A mistake that would lead to his downfall. Just one slipup, one mention of how the money-laundering chain went, and Hunter would be able to act. Now, however, the stakes had been raised. Someone was desperate to keep their involvement a secret. Even if it meant murdering innocent people.
Under Hunter’s analysis, Jerry jutted out his chin. “Since you gave me so much grief about my gun, how about you explaining yours and super-chic’s, here?”
Ariel spoke up. “Christian and I brought them when we came. For protection.” Years of training had served her well . . . she didn’t even blink an eye as she told the bald-faced lie.
Hunter let out a sigh when Jerry merely harrumphed, but made no further comment. Christian lumbered to the table. He leaned his elbows against the wood, resting his chin in his hands, and scuffed the floor with his toe. Christian’s gaze lifted to meet Hunter’s, seemed to understand the unspoken questions lurking in Hunter’s eyes, and gave a slight shake of his head.
So, Christian had told Katie and she hadn’t understood. Hunter’s nerves twisted like a wind chime in a class-five hurricane. He wanted to force her to listen, to understand, but he needed to do his job first. He cut his stare to Ariel, who responded with a casual shrug. The whole situation didn’t bode well for him.
Christian cleared his throat. “We need to settle down for what’s left of the night, guys. We have a long hike at first light. We’ll need our rest.”
Hunter ran his hands through his hair, which had finally dried.
“Will we be able to make it out of here?” Paul’s eyes blinked in the dim room.
“It’s a steep climb, but totally do-able,” Christian answered.
Clapping his hands together, Hunter nodded. “So, let’s get what rest we can.”
Paul and Christian automatically went to Orson’s side and helped him back to his bedroll. Jerry glared at Hunter for a moment longer, then pulled a smirk across his face before turning to strut to his sleeping bag.
Ariel hesitated. “What about Katie, Hunter?”
“She needs her rest. Her ankle’s got to be hurting and she’s had an emotional evening.”
Christian returned to the table, tossing an arm over Ariel’s shoulders. His voice hummed barely above a whisper. “I tried to explain it all to Katie, but she’s hurt. She feels betrayed—that you lied to her, and I didn’t tell her as soon as I could. You need to know, Katie has some issues with betrayal and abandonment. Had you had been up-front about the situation, maybe two men would still be alive and Shadow wouldn’t have been hurt.” He dropped his arm and traced a groove in the table with his fingernail. “She’s pretty mad.”
Stiffening his spine, Hunter forced himself to stay in take-charge-agent mode. “She’ll get used to it.”
Looking up, Christian let out a dry chuckle. “You don’t know Katie very well then. She can hold on to her temper for a long time. A real long time.” He glanced at his sister before looking back at Hunter. “Trust me, I know.”
Ariel patted Christian’s hand. “Well, the damage is done. Hunter’s right, we need our rest to hike out of here in the morning. I’m turning in.” She stood on tip-toe and planted a kiss on Christian’s cheek. “It’ll all come out in the wash.”
She strode to the tent, the lamp casting warmth through the canvas material. Hunter sighed and looked at Katie’s brother. “We need to get Katie to turn in, too.”
Christian snorted. “Good luck with that. She ain’t gonna leave Shadow.” He stared at his sister, hovering over the sleeping animal. “That dog’s been her one constant in life—ever since Dad died. He’s her best friend.”
“We have to try.”
“Uh, no, we don’t.” He gave an impish grin. “You can. I’ve already had my Katie-chewing today and am not in the mood for another round. I’m going to bed.”
Hunter couldn’t help but smile as Christian trekked to his bedroll and plopped down. His gaze drifted back to Katie, leaning across his own sleeping bag. Desire and despair warred in his heart as she ran her hand over the dog’s back, over and over again. He swallowed, then moved toward her.
He knelt beside Katie, his attention focused on the dog. “He’ll be okay,” he whispered as petted the animal.
“I hope so.” Her voice came out cracked, broken. The sound made his heart thud harder. She sniffled. “I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
Switching his gaze to her eyes, Hunter couldn’t stop himself from tucking the hair back from her face, slipping it behind her ear. The first time he’d seen her hair down, not in a braid or ponytail, and it made his breath catch in his throat. Its long and luxurious length felt like smooth silk against his callused hands. He swallowed against the desire to bury his fingers in its thickness. “He’ll be fine. He’s sleeping.”
“I know.” She wiped the tears from her face and looked up. She licked her lips. “Um, thanks for going to get him.”
He smiled, barely lifting the corners of his mouth. “I wouldn’t have left him out there.” His eyes settled on her mouth. The way she chewed her bottom lip. He stared back at the dog, ordering the demons of his mind to back off. He let out a pent-up breath. “Christian said he told you the truth.”
The worry eased from her expression, only to be replaced by another emotion. Which was it—pain or disgust, he couldn’t tell. “He did.” She dropped her gaze to Shadow.
“And?” He held his breath.
Cold eyes flashed back to his. “And it doesn’t make a difference. You lied to me, right from the beginning.” Although she kept her voice low, her tone left no room for misconstruing her displeasure. “I can’t tolerate liars—I won’t.”
“But, Katie, I had to. This is my job. Surely you can understand that?” He worked to keep his voice down so the others across the room couldn’t hear them.
“No, I can’t. I can’t comprehend why you felt it necessary to keep me in the dark. Ariel let Christian in on this little scheme. I was the one in the boat. Shouldn’t I have been forewarned?” She ran a thumb over the side of her chin. “The damage is already done. Two lives gone, and me, Orson and Shadow all injured.” Her stare pierced his consciousness. “Isn’t that enough?”
Hunter ran a hand through his hair, feeling the coarseness in contrast to the softness of hers. “Looking back now, maybe I should have. But I get my orders from my supervisor, and I had my instructions not to tell you.”
She snorted, then stroked the dog’s head. “That’s no excuse and you know it. You could have told me at any time.” She spoke so quietly, he had to concentrate to hear her. Her eyes slipped to his face, her expression unreadable. “I don’t like being lied to.”
“But that’s not all, is it?” He leaned forward, intentionally invading her personal space. “What’s really bugging you, Katie?”
“That you lied to me.”
“There’s more than that. I didn’t exactly lie to you, just didn’t tell you everything. But
you’re more upset than only that. Tell me what’s really going on.”
Her eyes widened before narrowing into tiny slits. “You played me, Hunter. Played with my emotions, led me on with your smoldering stares and breathless kisses. All the while knowing you were here to do a job and get out. To leave me … abandon me when you’d accomplished your mission.” Tears pooled in her flickering eyes. “I don’t like to be messed with like that. You may get a kick out of doing that on all your jobs, assignments, whatever, but I don’t. It’s not fair.”
“It wasn’t a game to me.” His voice thickened, a heaviness masking his tone. Never letting his eyes move from hers, Hunter touched her face. “Never a game. Katie, I’ve—”
Katie pushed his hand away. “I don’t believe you. I can’t deal with this right now.” Her attention focused back on her pet. “I have to take care of Shadow.”
He let out a frustrated sigh. Would the woman ever stop putting walls around her feelings? She was soft and sensitive. She was so attuned to her pet and treated her brother with a gentle firmness. Hunter wanted a place in her heart and to lead her back to God’s love and mercy, but she threw an icy stare at him instead. “Well, we need to get some shut-eye for the hike out tomorrow.”
“Will you help me move Shadow to the tent?”
“He’s resting fine here. Why don’t you let him stay?”
“But…” her eyes widened and she shook her head. “Where will you sleep? He can’t be kicked or anything.”
“I’ll grab one of the bedrolls Christian and Ariel brought.” He touched her shoulder, wanting to hug her, needing to get across that his feelings for her were genuine, but understanding she needed time to sort out her emotions. “It’ll be okay.”
Katie finally nodded. “You’re right. I guess he shouldn’t be moved.” She laid her palms on the ground and pushed up.
Hunter stood, helping her to stand. He suddenly wanted to tell her all his hopes and dreams, but knew she’d blow him off. His body tensed, each muscle tightening in the battle between his heart and his mind. He had to fight his personal battle of restraint.
