“Not one you’d know,” snarled the man.
“Try me.”
The woman half turned around, her hands still raised. “He ain’t lyin’,” she said. “He calls himself the Duke. But we don’t know what he looks like.”
“Keep talking.”
“Look.” The man now tried to smile, but it was more a broken-toothed leer. “We’re freelance. We ain’t here to hurt anybody.”
“That’s good,” said Matt, keeping the threat in his voice. “Then if I find out what I want, we can all go home happy. What did the Duke want yon to watch for?”
The thug’s gaze shifted out the window toward the house, but Matt didn’t fall for that trap. “Said there’s a nosy cop stayin’ here we should keep an eye on. See where he goes.”
The surge of anger almost made Matt want to grab the man by his throat and shake the information out of him. But he didn’t know what the woman would do. The sleaze-head turned back and grinned at him. “That wouldn’t be you, would it?”
The woman suddenly dived for the gun in the front seat, leaving Matt no choice. He shot the gun out of her hand and peeled out of the car, ducking behind it for cover. Cursing his bad luck, he darted behind the solid tree trunk five yards away as they fired at him, the thump from their silencer hardly waking the sleepy neighborhood. He quickly shot out their tires so they couldn’t get away. Then, in answer to his prayers, he saw Roland run out his front door. His lightning dash to the cars in the driveway drew their fire to the big side yard, away from the houses.
The big thug opened his door and attempted to take up a position behind his car, firing at Roland now, while the woman in the front seat screamed. She catapulted out of her side of the car and sprinted down the street. Matt was on her in no time and rolled her down on the pavement. When he came up, his gun was in her back.
She didn’t fight anymore as he got her up and pushed her to the curb and concealment behind some trees. Her boyfriend had left the cover of their car and had made it farther along the row of cars, working his way up the block. Roland joined Matt behind the big tree trunk.
“Let him go,” said Matt as he secured handcuffs on the woman. “We’re going to have enough trouble explaining this.”
Then he pushed the woman up against the car and made sure she wasn’t concealing any other weapons.
“Get out of here,” said Roland. “There’ll be a police convention on this street in seconds. Tracy’s getting Jennifer into the Blazer.”
Matt felt a surge of gratitude. Complications with police were the last thing he needed. Roland would be able to hold them off.
“I’ll tell them I caught her prowling about my property.”
“That ain’t your property,” she spit out, jerking her head toward the house where the shot-out car was parked.
“I’m afraid it is,” said Roland. “It’s a rental property, and I happen to own it.”
“Thanks, pal,” said Matt.
“Not a problem.”
Sirens churned the night air a few blocks away. They were cutting it close. When he saw Tracy come out of the house holding Jennifer’s hand, he dashed across the street. They got into the Blazer, and he started the engine.
“Fasten your seat belt, Jenn,” said Tracy.
Matt pressed the mechanism that locked all the doors, then backed out of the driveway. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Roland steer the woman out into the middle of the street. The patrol cars would have to stop in front of them, giving Matt the chance to drive the other way.
“Are we going to be in a chase?” asked Jennifer from the back seat as her seat belt snapped shut.
“I hope not,” answered Matt.
“Hang on, anyway,” said Tracy as she twisted around to make sure Jennifer was belted in.
Matt resisted the impulse to screech away. The last thing he wanted was attention. Pulse throbbing in his ears, he forced himself to pause at the stop sign when he saw another patrol car flashing its lights two blocks away. When its siren rent the night air, he paused, following the rules of the road and let the patrol car approach and turn the corner. If only Roland could keep the woman quiet long enough and confuse the hell out of everyone, they might be able to avoid pursuit.
He turned the corner as soon as he could, then turned onto the next side street. After several more turns, and a circuitous route, he approached busy Colorado Boulevard. There were no more sirens and no one was following. He let his breath out in a rush.
“I think we’re okay,” he said. He exchanged a quick glance with Tracy and took Colorado Boulevard to the highway, then headed west.
Tracy grasped the back of her seat and leaned around to check on Jennifer. “Are you all right, honey?”
“Of course. We can’t get hurt in Uncle Matt’s car, can we?”
“No,” answered Tracy, sounding somewhat doubtful. “No, of course we can’t.”
Then she turned around again and pressed her back against the seat. “Where are we going?”
“I’ll tell you when we get there. Sorry to drag you out so suddenly.”
In spite of his concentration on getting away, his gut twisted. He knew Tracy hated being on the run, and he wished with all his might there was something he could do about it. It reinforced his determination to catch the rats at their own game and bring everything out into the open.
“Nothing will happen to you,” he said with a fierce determination to protect his own that reverberated through him, heart and soul. “I promise you that.”
“I know.”
But her voice was weak with worry. He tried to tell himself this wasn’t his fault. That he was only trying to fix what was already started. That she and Jennifer could still have a normal life, if he had anything to say about it. But he wouldn’t know until this was over whether that would prove true.
Chapter Twelve
The car lights behind them pressed forward in a swarm. Once on the highway, it was harder to tell if they were being followed. Tracy felt trapped, torn between the need to get away from whomever Matt had snuck up on and the need to protect Jennifer.
Oddly enough, Jennifer seemed fine. As soon as Matt felt it safe, he pulled off the highway so Tracy could tuck a blanket around Jennifer and give her a pillow.
“Matt’s getting us away from the bad men, isn’t he?” Jennifer said, her eyelids drooping now that the excitement of getting away was behind them. They had stopped in a shopping-center parking lot, but Matt kept the engine running.
“Yes, he is,” said Tracy, making sure she was warm enough, but not too warm, and that she had the seat belt strapped around her even if she lay down.
Matt stood beside her, scanning the parking lot, and she was aware of the protective shield he formed. He’d told her they were going to a cabin where they’d be safe for a day or two, just until he found out what he needed to know about Brad McAllister.
She bit back the accusation that they were supposed to have been safe at Rene and Roland’s house, and now here they were, running again. But voicing her fear and resentment wouldn’t help any of them. She got Jennifer settled and then shut the door. Matt helped her into the front seat, and in spite of her worries, she felt his strength as he leaned across her to check that her seat belt was tight.
He paused before withdrawing, and she felt an impulse to reach for his torso. But she clamped her hands in her lap, fighting the tingling sensation that danced along her skin as the night air bathed them from the open door.
“All right?” he asked in a deep, husky voice.
“Yeah.”
His face came closer, and her lips remained half-open of their own accord. She thought he was going to kiss her, and she was surprised at her response to his evident caring about both her and Jennifer. After all, he was putting his life on the line for them. His job was probably already on the line. She swallowed a dryness, realizing her response to this bold, impulsive man was deeper than she could do anything about.
But he must have know
n there wasn’t time, and he pulled himself out of the car to shut her door. Once he was back on the driver’s side, he used the mechanism to lock them all in tight.
She would have liked to have enjoyed the romantic ride from north Boulder up to the little town of Lyons, nestled in the foothills. From there, they turned deeper into the mountains, following a winding mountain road that carried them beside rocky slopes clothed in juniper and pine. Tiny lights from residences were tucked into the folds of the hills scattered along small settlements. Then they passed through a wide valley with only the moon for company.
They eventually swung down into the town of Estes Park, a resort town not far from the continental divide. Matt bypassed the brightly lit village and took a road leading north. Finally, he left the pavement, and the Blazer scrambled up a long dirt driveway. She could just make out the shape of a cabin at the end.
“Whose is it?” she asked when he pulled the Blazer behind the cabin and turned the engine off.
“It belongs to my uncle. I know where he leaves the key.” He paused to lift a hand and brush her cheek. “Just to be on the safe side, let’s not turn on any lights when we go in. I have some things to unload after I get you two settled.”
She waited while he disappeared around the corner of the cabin to make sure the area was clear, then returned and helped them out of the car. Going in without any light bothered her. How did they know what manner of natural enemies might be in an empty cabin? It wasn’t unheard of for bears to visit cabins on the edge of a town in the mountains. And there was the possibility that bugs or snakes might have decided to make the place their home. Still, she had no choice but to follow his advice.
Matt carried Jennifer in, and to Tracy’s great relief, there was enough moonlight to see fairly well. The cabin was clean and fresh smelling. While Matt held Jennifer in his arms, Tracy pulled back a handmade quilt from the bed. Crisp white sheets gleamed at them.
As if sensing her concern, Matt said, “My uncle has a caretaker come every week. No need to worry.”
Jennifer fell into the welcome bed almost without waking up, and it only took seconds for Tracy to assure herself that everything was all right. She put the bag with her inhalers on a pine dresser and then unzipped the duffel bag she’d thrown everything into in the two minutes she’d had before Rene had hustled them out the door.
Then she felt her way around and located the bathroom. Her eyes were adjusted to the darkness now, and she quickly familiarized herself with where everything was.
But when she slipped out of the bedroom into the living room, she was surprised to see Matt on his knees under a table full of equipment, hooking up wires against the wall. The window shades were drawn, and he allowed himself only a penlight, which he pointed at a phone jack.
She felt her way across the room as he crawled out from under the table and stood up.
“It’s a listening post,” he said, running his hands up her arms.
“A listening post?” she repeated. Her tired mind was more aware of his strong hands caressing her chilly shoulders than she was of what he was saying.
“I tapped McAllister’s phone line before we left.”
She wanted to give a hysterical laugh. “Just like that.”
She felt him tense and instantly wanted to apologize. “I’m sorry, Matt. I know you’re risking your life for us.”
She felt his mood soften as his fingers worked their way to her face. “I would risk everything for you.”
She held her breath. The mountain air must be making her light-headed. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than for him to take her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right.
As if in answer, his head lowered and his mouth hovered near hers until she let her arms slide around his waist.
“Matt,” she whispered, no longer able to fight her need for him.
“Tracy,” he replied in a whisper of relief. He held her tight and they swayed together in the moonlight. The isolated cabin invited cozy intimacy that Tracy realized she wanted very badly. Thankfully, Jennifer was sleeping soundly, and she desperately wanted to believe they were away from their pursuers. Matt’s solid support and electric kisses on her neck made her want to drink in what he offered.
“Is there anything you can’t take care of?” she asked in what she meant to be a teasing voice. But it came out shaky.
“Nothing,” he growled into her ear. “You tempt me, Tracy. Right now, all I want is to take care of you.”
She wanted that, too, her fuzzy mind realized. She wanted to forget about everything, to lose herself in him. He was winning her over, as her weak knees attested. He was everything Scott hadn’t been, or so he was proving himself to be. Did he really want to stay by her side this way forever? Now wasn’t the time to ask. Or was it?
“Tracy,” he whispered huskily. “I care about you. And Jennifer. I’m not doing this for Scott anymore.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Then who are you doing it for?”
“For me. For us.”
Suddenly, he let go and turned to a sofa she’d barely noticed against the wall. He tossed the cushions onto the floor and then unfolded it into a bed. She knew he wasn’t just showing her where she was to sleep. Her heart pounded fast, and the shivers of sensation in her limbs told her what was going to happen. Matt folded back the white sheets and then came to stand close to her, his hands on her hips, his lips against her forehead. She knew it was the ultimate invitation.
She had to do it. She had to go to bed with him and end this cat-and-mouse game. She wanted him with all her heart, even though it was crazy. Even though they hadn’t resolved anything. Maybe the added desperation was what sizzled her blood.
Before he could kiss her again, she said. “I need a minute.”
“I brought protection if you didn’t,” he said. His voice was still husky with desire.
“It’s okay. I remembered, too.”
Then she fled into the bedroom to retrieve her diaphragm. She’d refilled the prescription several months ago, in a moment of whimsy when she thought she might date again. She also took a moment to observe Jennifer, who was sleeping soundly.
When she reappeared in the shadowy living room, wearing only bra and panties, Matt was already between the sheets. She drew in her breath at the sight of his muscular silhouette stretched out in the moonlight. He was propped on one elbow, the sheet just covering his waist. He stretched out a hand as she moved toward the bed.
The coolness of the sheet greeted her naked legs as she sat down on it.
“Wait,” he said.
He scrambled out from under the covers, and she glanced at the rest of him revealed against the tight whiteness of the fitted sheet. It stole her breath away as she laid a hand on his muscled thigh, his desire so evident and bold.
Every fiber in her trembled as he reached his arms around her and gently and sensuously caressed her skin, warming every inch of her. He took his time unfastening her bra, then gasped in his own shallow breaths as he gazed at her.
“You’re beautiful,” he said as he worshipped her body with tender touches and delirious kisses.
She closed her eyes and let him kindle the fires between them that she’d been holding in check for too long. She wanted him with all her heart. Even if there were no tomorrows, she wanted this one ecstatic night, to be joined with this man who was so insistent on taking care of everything in her life.
“Matthew,” she whispered, liking the sound of his name rolling off her tongue. He laid her on her back for more intimate, tempting pleasures. When he tasted her breasts with his teasing tongue, explosions rocked through her. His firm, muscular torso stretched out next to hers, his solid erection dancing in her shaking hands. “Make love to me, Matt. Make love to me now.”
He did.
MATT RELUCTANTLY LEFT the warm bed with Tracy snuggled against his back. He hated having to disentangle himself in the middle of the night, and allowed himself a moment to
gaze at her lovely face on the pillow. Her rich hair sprawled around her head. Her face in sleep was more peaceful than he’d seen it in the past days. He couldn’t resist the urge to touch her face. When she moaned and moved against his hand, he had to pull her warm body against him for one more moment of the closeness that was now filling his life with new meaning.
But when she settled into slumber once more, he unwrapped the sheets from his legs and pulled on his jeans. Still not lighting the room, he crept across it. He knew Tracy would want him to check on Jennifer, so he pushed the door wider to see her sleeping peacefully. The night protected them for the moment.
Back in the living room, he slid into his listening post. The cabin was eerily quiet, and he tried to operate his equipment carefully so as not to wake Tracy. The red light on the tape recorder told him that the equipment had recorded one or more calls from McAllister’s house. We’ll just find out who he’s talking to, Matt thought grimly as he positioned the earphones.
Two of the calls were meaningless. But the third one piqued his interest. He replayed it, listening intently.
“That nosy cop has been asking questions,” said a grating, coarse voice. Matt wasn’t even sure he caught all the words.
“What do you want me to do about it?” asked the voice Matt recognized as McAllister’s.
“That’s up to you. But I don’t want him interfering with my plans. You understand our arrangement.”
“Yeah, I know,” said McAllister. “In another three days, I’ll be out of here and no one will know where to find me.”
“I’ll know where to find you.”
Matt could hear McAllister’s shallow breathing, as if he were nervous. Then the coarse, distorted voice continued.
“Just make sure the nosy cop doesn’t connect you to me. He won’t find me, but as far as anyone else is concerned, I never heard of you.”
“I understand.”
“Good.”
“I’ll take care of the nosy cop.”
“Do it soon.”
The line went dead. Matt replayed the tape, making sure he heard everything. He had no idea whom the coarse voice belonged to, and he wondered if the speaker had had throat surgery. He knew, without a doubt, they were talking about him, and his survival instincts flooded every fiber in his body. He wished he could think of a safer place to leave Tracy and Jennifer and go after these bastards alone. He knew this must have been the caller harassing Tracy about Carrie Lamb’s whereabouts. If this man thought Tracy knew anything, it sounded like he’d stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
His To Protect Page 18
