Secluded With the Cowboy

by Cassie Miles

  Her mind reeled. What if she’d found her mother only to lose her again? “Oh my God, Dylan. How are we going to rescue her?”

  His gaze was calm and steady. For once, she appreciated his rock-hard demeanor. “I’ll make this right. First thing we’re going to do is leave this room.”

  “But, we—”

  “Nate didn’t say anything about staying holed up in this hotel.” He took her hand and pulled her toward the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

  She balked. There should be no more secrets. “There’s something I’ve got to tell you.”

  “Walk and talk at the same time.”

  She had to tell him about the pregnancy. There would be no more secrets. “This is important, really big.”

  “I’m sure it is.” He opened the door. “We’re going downstairs to have some lunch. I saw a dining room when we came in.”

  “What about Nate?”

  “If he needs to contact you, he’s got the phone number.” He adjusted his jacket to hide his gun. “Bring the journal.”

  Though she was bursting with the need to tell him, Nicole held herself in check. This might not be the best time to drop another emotional bombshell.

  They went down the stairs instead of taking the elevator. As they crossed the lobby, she tried to stay alert to her surroundings. If they ran into Nate, she needed to be ready to respond. It took every shred of her dwindling composure to merely place one foot in front of the other.

  Maud’s journal weighed heavily in her hand.

  WHEN THEY WERE SEATED in the dining room, Dylan took a position with his back to the wall so he could watch the entrance to the restaurant. The fact that Maud was Nicole’s birth mother was an added complication in an already tangled mess. How the hell am I supposed to deal with all this? He wasn’t a trained federal agent like Burke. Or a bodyguard like Jesse.

  He stared across the table toward his wife. The color had returned to her face, but her eyes were too bright. She looked feverish and a little bit panicked.

  “I wish,” he said quietly, “that I could do better. For you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know how to strategize in a hostage situation. I can’t put together all the clues and figure out where Nate is hiding with Maud. I’m just a rancher.”

  She leaned across the table and rested her hand atop his. “I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

  “Still…It might be handy if I was a trained commando.”

  “I fell in love with a cowboy,” she said. “When the time comes, you always do the right thing.”

  “I sure as hell hope so.”

  “Now, maybe you can tell me why it was so important for us to leave our hotel room?”

  “Nate was here before we arrived. He could have planted a bug in the room.” If Dylan had been an experienced lawman, he might have been able to find a listening device. “I didn’t want take a chance on having him overhear our plans.”

  “You have a plan?” She brightened.

  “The only thing I can think of right now is to stall until Burke and Jesse get here.”

  He checked his wristwatch. It was less than two hours since he’d called Burke. Not nearly enough time for the reinforcements to get here.

  They had ordered coffee as soon as they sat down. When the waitress brought it, Dylan asked her to leave the pot. The hotel restaurant seemed to be upscale for a tourist town. White cloths on the tables. Heavy silverware. Soft background music.

  The waitress took a pad from the pocket of her clean white apron. “Are you ready to order?”

  Dylan asked, “Where do you get your beef?”

  “It’s Carlisle Certified Organic, sir.”

  He grinned. Finally he’d found a bright spot in this otherwise dismal day. “I’ll have a burger with everything. Medium rare and juicy.”

  “Same here,” Nicole said.

  As soon as the waitress left, Nicole warned him. “Don’t tell her who we are. There are still reporters looking for us.”

  “Maybe some of them are armed,” he joked. “I’m so desperate for backup that I’d even use a pencil-pusher with a gun.”

  “Swell idea.” Her tone was brittle, but a tiny grin lifted the corner of her mouth. “Or we could get one of those TV cameramen to tape us. Have our own reality show.”

  “Carolyn would have to be the star.”

  “Oh, yeah.” She chuckled. “Wouldn’t your sister love that kind of exposure?”

  Her laughter gave him hope. He didn’t want her to be scared, didn’t want Nate to have control over her. “Hold on to that smile. I’m going to check in with Burke.”

  Making phone contact with Burke was the biggest reason he didn’t want to stay in their room. He couldn’t take a chance on having Nate know that he and Nicole had backup.

  As soon as Burke answered, Dylan filled him in on their whereabouts. “Where are you?”

  “On the highway. The snow is slowing us down. But we ought to be there in an hour.”

  “The faster the better,” Dylan said.

  “We checked at Maud’s house. No sign of a struggle, but she’s nowhere around. Her office said she called in sick.”

  Dylan had been sure from the start that Nate wasn’t lying about holding Maud captive. “Anything else?”

  “Maud’s car is gone.”

  Her van had heavy-duty all-terrain tires. The rear area would be a good place to hide a kidnap victim. “You think Nate took the van?”

  “That’d be my guess,” Burke said. “Have you got a plan for the next time he calls?”

  “I was kind of hoping you’d come up with something.”

  “Same stuff I told Nicole before. When Nate calls, she needs to get proof of life. She should ask to talk to Maud. Tell her that she wants to make Nate think that you’re going to cooperate. Let him believe that you’ll do whatever he says. And stall.”

  Dylan ended the call with a promise to stay in touch, then he grinned at Nicole with a confidence he didn’t really feel. “We’re going to be all right.”

  “You’re sure about that?”

  “As long as I don’t get thrown any more curveballs. I don’t need anything more to worry about.” He took a sip of coffee. “There was something you wanted to tell me before we left the room.”

  “It’ll wait.”

  Her gaze slid away from his, and he knew she was hiding something. What now? “You’re sure?”

  “Absolutely.” She tossed her head, and the light shimmered in her blond hair. “Did Burke have any other instructions?”

  He ran through the list of negotiating tactics. Burke’s suggestions weren’t the way Dylan did business. He was accustomed to being direct and making an honest offer, laying his cards on the table. Sure, there would be some bargaining. But when he sealed the deal, both sides were clear about what was required. And when he gave his word, he followed through.

  Their hamburgers came, and he was happy to just sit back and enjoy fine beef. It was something to be proud of.

  Nicole’s appetite had improved. He liked the way she made little happy noises when she ate.

  “Mmm.” She took a huge bite. “Oooh.”

  “Good,” he said.

  In a ladylike gesture, she dabbed at the corners of her mouth with the cloth napkin. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

  “Chow down. You’re going to need to keep your energy up.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Kicking Nate Miller’s ass is going to take some effort.”

  “I like the way that sounds.” She took a sip from her water glass. “Kicking ass.”

  The phone in her purse rang, and he checked his watch. If Burke and Jesse stayed on schedule, they should be here in half an hour.

  She read the caller ID on the phone. “It’s him.”

  The only person Nate had communicated with was Nicole. Burke would probably advise that she remain the contact person. They had some kind of rapport.

  But
Dylan was tired of playing by rules he didn’t understand. He stuck out his hand. “Give me the phone.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Burke probably would have advised Dylan not to take Nate’s call, but the relief on his wife’s face told him he’d made the right decision. Without objection, she handed the ringing cell phone to him.

  He answered, “This is Dylan Carlisle.”

  There was a pause. Then, Nate said, “Put Nicole on the phone.”

  “I’m the one you’re after.” At the sound of Nate’s voice, rage shot through Dylan’s veins. Every muscle in his body tensed. “Let’s talk, Nate. You and me. Man to man.”

  “You brought this on yourself.” Nate’s hatred spewed through the phone. If words were bullets, they’d both be dead. “The high-and-mighty Carlisle family hurt a lot of people. You’ve got enemies.”

  He wouldn’t argue that point. With power came adversaries. When Nicole was first kidnapped, they’d made a list of people with grudges. A very long list. But Dylan’s conscience was clear; he had a deserved reputation for fairness. His ranch and associated businesses kept a lot of people employed. There were ten times more friends than foes.

  “Put Maud on the phone,” he said. “Before I make any kind of deal with you, I need to know she’s all right.”

  “You’re not the boss, Dylan. Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m one of your ranch hands. Some dumb cowpoke you can order around.”

  “I never thought you were stupid.” Tamping down his anger, Dylan tried to follow Burke’s instruction to establish a rapport. He might be able to play on his shared history with Nate. Though they’d never been friendly, they’d lived only five miles apart all their lives, attended the same schools, went to the same parties. “You were a couple of years ahead of me, but I’m pretty sure you got better grades than I did in high school.”

  “Better than your sister, too.” Carolyn was a year ahead of him. “But she went off to a fancy college back east. I could only take part-time classes at Mesa State. Then I couldn’t even afford that. I had to drop out.”

  “That’s rough.”

  “I could have gotten one of those scholarships your family set up for kids in our area, but I never even applied. My daddy said that we didn’t need the leftovers from the Carlisle table. I didn’t need to humble myself and beg from the likes of you.”

  The legacy of revenge had been passed down from father to son. Trying to establish the rapport he needed, Dylan asked, “What did you study at college?”

  “Shut up, Dylan. I’m not your friend.” The anger returned to Nate’s voice. “I never had a chance at school. Had to come home and work the operations at the Circle M.”

  And he blamed Dylan’s family for causing him to lose his property. Better not to dwell on that. “You’re a smart guy, Nate. And independent. You make your own decisions. Always have.”

  “Don’t flatter me. I know what you really think.”

  He sounded cocky—as if he’d pulled off some kind of clever trick instead of this craven act of cowardice. Was it possible that he didn’t see the wrong in what he was doing? What kind of heartless dog kidnapped and terrorized women? Nate was so blinded by revenge that he’d lost all sense of decency.

  But Dylan couldn’t allow himself to react. He had to keep the hostility from his voice, and that was something he knew how to do. He’d spent a lifetime learning how to control his emotions. When you get thrown from a horse, you don’t let anybody see how much it hurts. When you lose at poker, you lay down your cards and walk away. A cowboy never wept. Nor did he break into rage. Control. He had to maintain control. As long as he didn’t look across the table at his wife and see the raw terror in her face, he could handle this.

  “I’m asking you, Nate.” His voice was low, cool, monotone. “Let me talk to Maud.”

  “Nicole’s mother. Didn’t that turn out to be a big, fat surprise?” Nate gave a raspy chuckle. “When I read that journal, I couldn’t hardly believe it. It was like Santa Claus dropped a present on my lap.”

  “A present?” You sick bastard. “Why do you think that?”

  “Because I know you. The Carlisles will do anything to protect their family. Now that family includes Maud.”

  “Only if she’s still alive. Let me talk to her.”

  There were scuffling noises, and Dylan didn’t want to imagine what was going on. Then he heard Maud’s voice.

  “Dylan? I’m okay. I’m not hurt, just shaken up.”

  “That’s good to know,” he said. “This is going to turn out all right, Maud. I promise. We’ll do whatever necessary to get you back in one piece.”

  “How’s Nicole?” Her voice trembled.

  “She loves you.”

  “Enough!” Nate was back. “Here’s how this is going to work, Dylan. You and Nicole get back in your car. Drive to the hot springs caves. Not the big one by the Lodge. A smaller operation that’s farther west. It’s called Vapor Caves.”

  “I want to leave Nicole out of this,” Dylan said.

  “And I want my ranch back. I want my herd. I want my son to live with me so I can raise him. But that’s not going to happen, is it?”

  “We can work out a deal.” He needed to stall. Burke and Jesse would be arriving soon. “I could set you up with five hundred head of Black Angus cattle.”

  There was silence on the other end of the line, and Dylan knew he’d hit a nerve. Underneath all his scheming, Nate was still a rancher. He wanted that life, longed for it. Even if logic told him that he’d be arrested for kidnapping and for the murder of Lucas Mann, Nate couldn’t help hoping.

  And Dylan played on that slender hope. He sweetened the deal, “I can deed you the south field bordering the Grant place. We’ve already planted winter wheat. You’d be all set for spring.”

  “Why would you lift a finger to help me?”

  “You and I are more alike than you think.” Dylan sidestepped the obvious difference: Nate was insane. “We can work together. We can come to an agreement.”

  “You got fifteen minutes to get to the parking lot outside the Vapor Caves. I’ll call when I know you’re there. Both you and Nicole.”

  Still, Dylan tried to bargain. “Come on, Nate. You don’t need her there.”

  “Maybe not.” Nate’s voice was flat and cold. “You can leave her behind—all alone and unprotected. Your little wife learned how to obey my instructions.”

  Powerful emotions surged inside Dylan, making it impossible to think or to speak. He wanted Nate Miller dead, wanted to strangle him with his bare hands and feel his wretched life slipping away.

  Nate continued, “I’m guessing that Nicole would do just about anything to save her mama.”

  Dylan forced himself to respond. “We’ll go to the Vapor Caves. Both of us.”

  “You’re learning, Dylan. You have to do what I say.”

  “But we can’t make it there in fifteen minutes. Give us a half hour?”

  “I don’t have to give you a damn thing. Be there in fifteen minutes. Or Maud is a dead woman.”

  Nate hung up.

  Dylan had no choice but to obey.

  WITH HER FINGERS CLENCHED on the steering wheel, Nicole drove their rental SUV toward the meeting place. Her nerves were strung as tight as a barbed-wire fence. Sure, she was scared. But not terrified.

  Because she wasn’t alone. Dylan stood with her—supporting and protecting her. Together, she felt that they could handle just about anything.

  He sat in the passenger seat, talking on his cell phone to Burke, who had already said that he and Jesse were close. They’d passed Rifle and Silt—less than twenty miles away on the highway. They’d be here in less than a half hour, but it wasn’t going to be soon enough.

  As Nicole drove into the empty parking area, Dylan gave Burke the location of the Vapor Caves. A couple of inches of snow had accumulated on the pavement, and Nicole saw tire tracks from other vehicles. Other cars had been here and left.

  An A-frame house
butted up to the rocky hillside, which was dotted with scraggly, snow-covered pine trees. A worn, wooden sign over the door read: Vapor Caves. Nature’s Greatest Wonder. Other signs advertised massage and spa treatments. This was a much smaller operation than the Yampah Caves near the Lodge and definitely not first-class.

  She pulled up near the door and left the car idling, ready to drive away fast if necessary. “Why isn’t anyone here?”

  “There’s a note on the door.” He squinted through the windshield. “Closed for repairs.”

  She checked the rearview mirrors. “I don’t see Nate. Did we get here on time?”

  “We made it with two minutes to spare.” He reached over and touched her shoulder. “I meant what I said to Maud. I won’t let him hurt her.”

  “He already has.” Nicole knew firsthand what it felt like to be abducted and held. It pained her to think of Maud in the same situation. “We can’t guarantee that she’ll be safe. Not while Nate’s in control.”

  “But we’re going to do everything we can to rescue her, and we’ve got to believe that it’s going to work out. That’s how we do our business. Always plan for the best.”

  “But prepare for the worst.”

  She’d heard him say that a thousand times. He applied that rule to everything from the purchase of a new vehicle to the vagaries of weather. In this case, the worst was unthinkable.

  She tried to stop her mind from going there. Nate had already killed Lucas. Poor Lucas! His ashes were still in her suitcase in the back of the car. She wanted justice for him.

  “Look at me, darlin’.”

  Stiffly, her head turned toward him. In spite of their dire situation, his green eyes shone with a clear, steady light. He radiated confidence and strength. This was the man she loved, the man she was meant to be with for the rest of her life, the father of her baby. They had everything to live for.

  “I’m scared,” she admitted.

  “So am I.”