Hidden Prey (Lawmen)

by Cheyenne McCray

  All of the DHS in the southwest was involved, with agents being brought in immediately. Arrest warrants would be issued, the cartel’s men tailed, and business disrupted. DHS would give the cartel’s business as much grief as possible.

  This was war.

  Tori leaned her head back against the waiting room wall. God, when would they find out about Landon?

  Angelina was asleep, her head on Tori’s shoulder, when the doctor finally appeared. Tori refused to think the worst, but it was there, at the back of her mind.

  “We were able to resuscitate Landon after he died on the operating room table.” The doctor looked tired and spoke to them as a group.

  Tori’s heart nearly stopped and Landon’s mother sucked in her breath. Landon had died on the operating table?

  “He is now in stable condition.” A huge, shuddering breath of relief made Tori weak as the doctor spoke.

  As the doctor continued talking, Tori held onto the fact that Landon’s condition was stable. She knew that the doctor was covering his ass by not giving them an absolute, “He will make it.” Tori knew with all her heart Landon would survive.

  But dear God, Landon had died on the operating room table before being resuscitated.

  Landon was allowed to have a few visitors. His parents went in first with Grandma Teresa. When Mrs. Walker came out, her eyes were bleary as if she’d fought off crying but she smiled. “He’s going to be all right.”

  Tori went next, after Angelina agreed to stay with Mrs. Walker. The girl looked fearful but let the motherly woman sit next to her. Dylan had taken Mrs. Walker aside earlier, so likely he’d told her about Angelina.

  When Tori entered the room, her chest ached even more to see Landon hooked up to monitors. His tanned skin was unusually pale.

  He saw her and smiled. “Hi, honey.”

  Her heart flipped over to hear his voice. “It’s good to see you.”

  And it was so good to see him. Alive. Thank God he was alive.

  She moved to the side of hospital bed and took his hand in hers before she sat in the chair next to the bed.

  His fingers were warm as he squeezed hers. “How are you feeling, Tori?”

  “The better question is how are you feeling?” She rested her other hand on his good shoulder. “You scared me.”

  “Then we’re even.” His expression was serious. “When you were taken, I was nearly out of my mind.”

  She thought about how much she loved him as his gaze held hers.

  “I have something I want to tell you,” she said at the same time he said, “There’s something I need to say.”

  The looked at each other and laughed. Landon coughed and winced, the movement clearly hurting.

  His voice croaked a little from the aftereffects of the cough. “Ladies first.”

  “I wanted to—” She took a deep breath. She could do this. “I love you, Landon. I know it’s too soon, but I just…I just needed to let you know.”

  A warm smile eased over his face. “Honey, that’s exactly what I was going to tell you. I love you.”

  Her breath caught. “You do?”

  He slowly stroked her hand with his thumb. “I think I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you running up that hill.”

  Tears made her sight blur and she had to blink them away. “It feels like I’ve loved you forever.”

  He shifted on the bed, trying to scoot up and winced. “Come here.”

  She stood, their hands still joined. He tugged her down and she lowered her head. He released her hand and slid his fingers into her hair before drawing her in closer to him. Their lips met in a kiss that took her breath away.

  The kiss was sweet and long. She’d missed his taste, she’d missed his scent. It filled her, as if he was a part of her. She couldn’t imagine ever living without the man who had captured her heart and soul.

  When she drew away, he skimmed his fingers down the side of her face. “You are mine, Tori. I’m going to love you forever.”

  She captured his hand in hers. “Me, too,” she said softly. “Me, too.”

  CHAPTER 31

  The conductor cut off the symphony with his baton at the end of the last triumphant note.

  Thunderous applause erupted from the audience as Jean Luc Leon, the conductor of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, bowed to Tori, the Concert Mistress. He motioned for her to stand while the applause continued. He gestured to each of the soloists who also stood, and then to the entire symphony.

  Jean Luc turned and bowed to the audience as the applause went on and on. The concert had been the highlight of the symphony’s eighty-fifth season.

  Tori felt the familiar thrill, a high after an amazing concert and the applause of an appreciative audience. It was a feeling like none other.

  When the applause died down, the audience began to file out. Some came up to Jean Luc to express their pleasure in a concert well done.

  Tori searched the crowd with her gaze and spotted Landon. He wore a broad, proud grin that made her feel warm and tingly all over. She waved to him before taking apart her clarinet and setting each piece carefully into the velvet lining of its case. When she finished, she hugged friends in the symphony before walking backstage.

  She waved goodbye to some friends, hugged others, then finally made it to the steps leading down from the exit into the Tucson Music Hall. She gripped the handle of her clarinet case. Her long black dress swirled around her ankles and her high heels clicked on the wooden steps.

  Landon looked so delicious in a black suit that didn’t hide the broadness of his shoulders and his tall, muscular physique. She was so wrapped up in looking at him that she didn’t realize right away that he held a bouquet of red roses.

  She grinned as he presented them to her and then he brought her into the circle of his arms. She tilted her head back and he placed a kiss firmly on her lips.

  Almost a year after meeting Landon, she still felt swept off her feet and madly in love.

  He carried her clarinet while she held her roses in the crook of one arm. He touched the base of her spine, escorting her from the concert hall and out into the parking lot where they’d parked Tori’s black Mercedes-Benz convertible.

  The Mercedes had been Tori’s gift to herself when she sold the score that she’d composed for a major motion picture soundtrack. The movie was soon to be out and Tori had been invited to the movie premiere in Los Angeles. She and Landon would be attending the premiere the following Friday.

  Even with her composing career taking off, Tori hadn’t wanted to leave the symphony. She might have to eventually, but for now she needed to play and perform, for her heart and soul. It was a part of her. She’d been invited to audition for some very prestigious symphonies, but now that she was living with Landon on his ranch and composing, she had no desire to go anywhere else.

  Angelina lived with them at Landon’s ranch and she would soon be celebrating her sixteenth birthday. She didn’t want any kind of celebration and Tori understood—after the nightmare of her fifteenth birthday, who could blame her?

  Somehow unspoiled despite her upbringing, Angelina was a sweet, intelligent girl who had been a joy to have around. Tori took Angelina to a therapist regularly and it seemed to help her. Angelina was a special young woman and Tori felt blessed to have her in their lives.

  Not long after Angelina came to live with them, they had learned that she played the piano brilliantly and Tori had taken her under her wing musically as well.

  At first, Tori had thought they’d have to fight to keep her away from her uncles in Mexico. The uncles still kept the Jimenez Cartel running strong, and were wanted men who managed to stay one step ahead of the law. If Angelina had been shipped back to them, she could have faced a terrible fate. It took a long time, but Tori had won custody of the young woman who had nowhere else to go. They’d had some help from people in very high places.

  Tonight Angelina was staying with Landon’s mother and father at their ranch while Landon and Tor
i stayed in Tucson to celebrate.

  Landon had booked a room at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort set against the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Tucson. The classic luxury resort was one of Tori’s favorites. Tucson was a hundred miles from Landon’s ranch and even though it was only a two-hour drive, he’d suggested a getaway for the two of them for the weekend. They had checked into the resort earlier before leaving for the concert.

  When they arrived at the resort and the valet had taken the car to park it, Landon escorted Tori inside. She carried the bouquet of roses with her to the resort’s fine restaurant and they were seated at a table for two on the patio with an amazing view of Tucson’s nighttime city lights. One of the things she loved about Arizona was the ability to see for miles, whether at night like this, or in the daylight. Especially at dawn or in the evening at sunset.

  “Beautiful.” Tori smiled up at Landon as he pushed her seat in before taking his own. “What a lovely restaurant, and the view is amazing.”

  He gave her a sensual smile as he let his gaze rest on her. “My view is perfect.”

  Her cheeks warmed and she reached out and trailed her finger down the scar on his cheek. “Mine’s not so bad, either.”

  Landon caught her hand in his and pressed his lips to her fingers, causing her to shiver with awareness. He always managed to stir desire within her with just a look, a touch, a kiss.

  The server approached them with a bottle of wine and presented it to Landon. After Landon had approved of the wine, the server poured a glass for Tori and then for Landon before retreating.

  “To the most beautiful composer and clarinet player.” He raised his glass. “Whom I love with all my heart.”

  She smiled and clinked her glass with his. “To the sexiest cowboy lawman, my knight in shining Kevlar, who couldn’t possibly love me more than I love him.”

  He grinned and they sipped their wine.

  She let out a happy sigh. “Marvelous.”

  All of dinner turned out to be marvelous. She couldn’t remember feeling happier than she was with Landon at that very moment.

  After they finished dinner and the table had been cleared, Landon excused himself for a few moments before returning. He took her hand and smiled at her.

  A server appeared with a dessert with two spoons, which he set on each side of the plate. “Our pine nut lava cake.” The man gestured as if presenting a royal dish. “It has salted caramel raspberry ice cream, pine nut brittle, and a port reduction.” He bowed. “Enjoy,” he added before he retreated.

  “Pine nut lava cake?” Tori raised a brow. “I’m intrigued.”

  Another server arrived with a bottle of champagne before Tori could taste the lava cake. The server poured each of them a glass of the bubbly before setting the bottle in a champagne chiller. The server bowed and left.

  They clinked glasses once again.

  “It’s been quite the celebration.” Tori sipped her champagne, enjoying the tickle of the bubbles. “Thank you for tonight.”

  “We have a lot to celebrate.” Landon dipped his spoon into the ice cream and raised it up to her.

  She started to lean forward to let him slip the dessert into her mouth when she saw something glittering on the spoon, half in and half out of the ice cream.

  A large princess-cut diamond was set in between two smaller diamonds, on a white-gold band.

  Tori’s eyes widened and her lips parted. She looked at Landon as heat rushed over her. “Landon?”

  He retrieved the ring from the ice cream and set the spoon on the plate before he got out of his chair and knelt beside her.

  “I love you so damned much, Tori.” His gaze, such a beautiful green, was fixed on her as he held up the ring. “Everything we have been through together only makes me appreciate more the gift of loving you.” He smiled. “Will you marry me?”

  For a moment she thought she was going to hyperventilate. She couldn’t breathe. Tears bit at the backs of her eyes and then she was nodding. “Yes. A million times, yes.”

  He smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger, remnants of ice cream and all. Tori slid out of her chair, onto her knees, and flung her arms around his neck. “I love you so much.”

  “Honey, you make me happier than I ever thought I’d be.” He brought her to her feet and held her like he was never going to let her go.

  “That makes two of us.” She reached up and kissed him, a long kiss that she never wanted to stop.

  Vaguely she was aware of people applauding along with a few cheers.

  When Landon drew away, Tori saw him smiling in a way that reflected everything she felt inside.

  “I don’t think I could eat a bite of dessert.” And she didn’t think she’d ever stop smiling. “Let’s get out of here.”

  He offered her his arm. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  They walked out of the restaurant and toward a life filled with possibilities and an everlasting love.

  EXCERPT… BRANDED FOR YOU

  “Riding Tall” series

  by Cheyenne McCray

  The afternoon was cooling off as it turned to dusk and then darkness descended on them. They each grabbed a light sweat jacket from the camper and slipped them on.

  Ryan took a couple of steaks out of the cooler to cook over the fire. Megan sliced the potatoes and wrapped them in foil with butter and seasonings and put them in the coals first. Ryan buttered, salted, and peppered the corn on the cob and wrapped them in foil, too. When it was time, they placed the corn along the edge of the fire. Ryan had cored out the onion and put butter in the center and wrapped it in foil and put it in the coals, as well. The steaks went on last, when everything else was just about finished cooking.

  When it was ready, they sat on the camping chairs in front of the fire and ate dinner.

  “This is unbelievable,” Megan said with a smile.

  Firelight flickered on her pretty features, casting shadows in the darkness as they ate. He thought about what he’d said to her earlier.

  “I might be falling for you, Meg.”

  He didn’t regret his words. He’d dated a lot of women in the past but there’d just been something missing. Something intangible that he hadn’t been able to name.

  He’d never been a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy, but some thought so. He just wasn’t going to hang in there with someone if he knew she wasn’t the right one.

  He’d never felt the same way with anyone that he did with Megan.

  Last night he’d taken her hard and rough, and the memory caused his groin to ache. Damn she’d been amazing. But she needed to know that he wanted more from her than a night of good, hard sex.

  When they finished dinner and had cleaned up, he brought a blanket from the camper and handed it to her before he put out the fire. After he extinguished the fire, he lit a candle within a glass and metal hurricane lantern.

  He took her by the hand. “I’ve got something I want to show you.” Her hand was warm in his.

  She smiled up at him, her smile causing something deep inside him to stir. He led her into the forest, candlelight from the hurricane lantern lighting the way. The candlelight was much gentler than a regular camping lantern and the shadows from it bounced from tree to tree.

  “I saw a place somewhere over here,” he murmured as they walked through the forest then came to a stop. “Here we go.”

  A small clearing lay on the other side of a fallen tree, a bed of leaves at the center of the clearing. They stepped over the tree and then he found a sturdy place to set the hurricane before taking the blanket from Megan and spreading it out on the leaves.

  He slipped out of his jacket and set it on the fallen tree. “I’ll keep you warm,” he said as he held out his hand.

  She looked up at him, slid off her sweat jacket, handed it to him and he set it on top of his own.

  He sat on the blanket and beckoned to her. She eased onto her knees beside him and he cupped her face in his hands and lowered his head and
kissed her.

  Her kiss was sweet and his desire for her kicked into full gear. He wanted to take her hard again, right now. But more importantly, he wanted to show her that it wasn’t only about rough sex with him. It was all about her.

  When he drew away from the kiss, her lips were parted, hunger in her pretty green eyes.

  “You’re an incredible woman.” He brushed his thumb over her lips, which trembled beneath his touch. “I’ve loved every minute of this weekend.”

  “So have I,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “I wish it didn’t have to end.”

  “It doesn’t.” He nuzzled her hair that was silky now that it had dried. “When we return, we just pick right back up where we left off.”

  She smiled and he kissed her again. She felt so soft and warm in his arms. He slid his hand under her T-shirt, pleased she didn’t have her bra on as he cupped her bare breast and rubbed his thumb over her nipple. He watched her expression as her lips parted and her eyes grew dark with need.

  He drew the T-shirt over her head and set it on the fallen tree. Candlelight flickered, gently touching her bare shoulders and chest.

  “You know how much I love your body and how beautiful I think you are,” he murmured before stroking her nipples with the back of his hand.

  He cupped her breasts, feeling their weight in his hands before he lowered his head and sucked a nipple.

  She gasped and leaned back so that her hands were braced behind her on the blanket, her back arched so that he had better access to her breasts. He pressed them together and moved his mouth from one to the other, sucking one nipple before moving his mouth to the other one. Her nipples were large and hard and he loved sucking on them.

  “I want you on your back, looking at me.” He adjusted her so that she was lying on the blanket. Her eyes glittered in the light, desire on her features.

  He was surprised at how she made him want to go slow with her, to be gentle and show her how much he cared. She stirred things inside him he’d never felt with another woman.