The Marshalls Boxed Set (Texas Heroes: The Marshalls Books 1-3)

by Jean Brashear

  Carmen teetered on the edge, trying not to show how he revolted her. Afraid that, as with most predators, the worst thing she could do was to reveal too much fear.

  Finally, he stepped away. “I’ll save that pleasure for later. First things first.” He smiled. “Who knows? Perhaps your disappearance will even bring Elena back where she belongs.”

  Her worst nightmare.

  He turned to leave. “Lock her up in the old tack room, boys. The spitfire needs to learn respect.” He glanced back at her. “Don’t bother her…yet. This one could prove…useful.”

  Then he smiled, his eyes flat as a crocodile’s.

  “Game on, Elena.”

  The day seemed both long and impossibly short as Elena waited in limbo for Quinn’s source to report back. She had busied herself playing with the children and helping Lorie in the kitchen.

  And avoiding Josh.

  But she was restless, so when Lorie shooed her outside, she walked over to the pasture fence to watch Quinn’s beautiful horses.

  Her time with Josh was at an end, she knew it. Even if she didn’t need to return to Mesa Roja any day now, he was due to start filming sooner than he’d expected. She’d overheard an argument with his agent as Josh insisted on more time before reporting for rescheduled pre-production meetings.

  Whatever that meant.

  Her ignorance of the terminology only further illustrated the disparity between their lives. She knew nothing about his world. She could not imagine fitting into it.

  And he hadn’t asked.

  He was still being kind, still the hero he was in real life, not only on screen. He hadn’t hesitated to race to her rescue when she’d been at the mercy of those two men. He was clear that he didn’t intend for her to return to Mesa Roja alone.

  He was a hero to the bone. There was so much more to him than his publicity suggested.

  She was a heartbeat away from falling in love. Okay, who was she kidding? She was helplessly, hopelessly, fall-down crazy about him. She didn’t know what force of nature to thank that he’d arrived in her life, but he’d made her remember who she used to be. Made her see herself through his eyes. When she was with him, she felt…beautiful.

  And he rocked her world in bed.

  Just once more, she asked the fates. Let me feel him inside me one more time. Let me soar in the rapture, feel the magic spill down my skin.

  Wow. Greedy, much?

  Oh, yeah. But that was another thing Josh had done for her—he’d made her stretch. Reach out for more. Stop cowering from someone who had no right to terrorize people as he did, to brutally insist on his way.

  She wasn’t afraid of Richard anymore—okay, that was a lie. She was still afraid for good reason. He was evil. He liked hurting people.

  Especially her.

  She shivered at the memories that flashed through her brain.

  Yes, I’m afraid of you, you bastard…but I don’t want to be, and I’m not giving up yet.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” came the voice she’d been longing to hear all day. Josh had given her wide berth, as well.

  He, too, must know this was almost over. That he would have to go soon.

  She smiled up at him. “Just thinking how much I’ll miss this place.”

  “You don’t have to leave just because I do.”

  “I can’t possibly stay.” She touched the muscled forearm resting on the fence. “I don’t belong here.”

  His head whipped around, green eyes flashing. “You could.”

  She blinked. “No, I can’t. Why would you say such a thing?”

  Their gazes locked, then she couldn’t help staring at his lips. One more kiss, then, if I can’t have one more night. Just—

  Josh straightened to alert. “Yeah?”

  She realized Quinn was approaching and turned.

  “I heard back.” Quinn’s somber gaze shifted to her. “We need to talk.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Greg paced in his office as he heard his phone once again go to Carmen’s voicemail. She wasn’t picking up her home phone or her cell. No, he didn’t know her that well, and yes, she had a full life, but—“Carmen, call me. Please,” he amended. Then hung up and barely resisted throwing his cell at the wall.

  They’d agreed to do lunch. She was many things—flamboyant, lively, stubborn as sin, daring—but she was not rude. She wasn’t one of those annoying women so focused on her looks that she was late everywhere.

  No, Carmen Zaragosa knew exactly the punch her beauty packed. He grinned despite his worry. She didn’t hesitate to use it.

  Damn, she was a knockout.

  And he was crazy about her.

  But right now, she was ticking him off. He snapped his phone shut and left, his long strides eating up the ground.

  Yeah, he could eat lunch just fine without her.

  But he didn’t want to.

  So he went to look for her.

  A few minutes later, however, he was getting truly concerned. She wasn’t at her house and she hadn’t arrived at Lupita’s, nor did her cousin or aunt know where she might be.

  “She’s never late, that one,” pointed out Lupita. Carmen’s cousin Rosie nodded her agreement.

  There was no point in worrying her family, so he tried to ease their minds. “I’ve been distracted lately—so much to learn, you know. I probably got the time wrong.” He flashed them a whaddya gonna do grin, and he could feel their anxiety ease. “I’ll just—” His cell rang, and his heart skipped when he saw the Unknown designation. “Excuse me. I have to get this.”

  He waved as he left. “Greg Blackwell,” he answered.

  “Deputy, this is Elena Navarro.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Have you heard from Carmen?” was not the first thing Elena expected the deputy—that is, the undercover agent, she’d learned—to say to her.

  “What? No. Why?”

  “Because she’s gone missing.”

  Elena’s heart stopped. “Are you sure?”

  “We were supposed to meet for lunch, but she hasn’t shown. That’s not like her, right? Her aunt and cousin haven’t heard from her, either, and she’s not at her house.”

  “Oh, God.” Elena closed her eyes. “Maybe Richard has her.”

  He was quick on the uptake. “To draw you back.”

  “Yes.” She glanced up as Josh entered the room, watching her too closely. She had to be very careful with what she revealed if she were going to keep him out of this mess.

  “Will it work?” Blackwell asked.

  “Yes.”

  “That’s not a good idea. I will handle this, but if you’d talk me through everything you know, that would help.”

  Oh, how she wished that would be enough, but she knew Richard and he didn’t. Regardless, she couldn’t discuss other options with Josh listening to every word.

  “All right,” she said and settled into a comfortable chair. “What do you need to know?”

  “Start with whatever it was that made you run away.”

  “Did he get what he needed?” Josh asked when she hung up.

  She hesitated. “He still wants me to make a formal statement he can use to build his case, but he said it would help.” Yet her eyes looked far away and frightened.

  He went to her, cupped her cheek. “And how are you doing? You look beat.”

  “I am.”

  “Come here.” He took her into his arms, and she nestled into him.

  He looked over at Quinn. “If she makes a formal statement, that’s all she can do, isn’t it? She’s told him all she knows.”

  “Should be,” Quinn agreed.

  Josh leaned away a little. “But still I sense…what is it?”

  “Nothing. It’s only… I’ve been worried for so long and now…” She shrugged. “I just…I’m not sure what to do next.” She stepped away from him. “But I’ll figure it out. No worries. I’ll be fine.”

  No worries. Hell, all he did was worry over her. �
�Elena, maybe—”

  Just then Grant charged in. “Mom says supper’s ready.”

  “Wonderful,” Elena responded with forced brightness. She crossed to Grant. “May I sit by you this time?”

  “Sure!” They left the room.

  Quinn lingered at the door. “You coming?”

  Josh stared after her. “I don’t know what the hell to do about her.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  Josh huffed. “Not leave in two days, that’s for sure.” He turned his palms up. “But I can’t keep a whole production waiting on me. Not their fault things came together faster than I expected.”

  “She can stay here with us, you know. We’ll take care of her until she figures out her next step.”

  “I know you would, I just—” He laughed without mirth. “I want to see this through, but…I don’t know where through is headed.” Then he clapped his brother on the shoulder. “But it’s not likely to be solved tonight, so…let’s eat, bro.”

  “After you,” Quinn gestured.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Elena pulled down the covers and thought about locking her door. How would she ever leave him if they made love again?

  And she had to go. She’d gone back over everything she and Greg Blackwell had discussed, and she knew in her bones that Richard was holding Carmen to draw her back.

  Richard had thus far escaped answering for his sins, and proving what he was doing would take the deputy too long. She could tell that from what the deputy had told her, the part of their conversation that she had kept from Josh. Greg Blackwell was worried about Carmen, and he hadn’t built enough of a case to move in.

  She could give him that chance. She could force Richard’s hand. She could trade him for Carmen’s life, if that’s what was required. She would be smart and cautious about how she approached things. She wasn’t looking to get herself, or anyone else, killed.

  But Josh absolutely could not be dragged into this. The clock was ticking for him, and in two days he would be safely back in L.A., where he would be drawn back into his real life.

  His safe life, untainted by the scandal she would bring with her.

  Even if he’d asked her to come with him.

  Which he hadn’t. And wouldn’t. All she had to do was stay away long enough for him to return home, and if he ever thought about her again, she hoped his thoughts would be fond ones, but that’s all it would be.

  The worst part would be stealing his beloved car. She would take care of it, though, and figure out how to get it back to him undamaged just as soon as possible. If she could afford to rent one, she would, but even if a rental place were close by, she’d be lucky to buy gas and a little food on the way back to Arizona.

  Yes, she was scared, but Carmen had been her only friend through a terrible time. Elena had to hope that Richard knew he would lose leverage if he harmed Carmen.

  But he would do something worse to others before long, if left alone to operate with impunity.

  So she had to go.

  When the knock came on the door, she almost didn’t hear it for the turmoil in her mind. She rose quickly from the bed and got ready for the acting job of her life.

  Could an amateur fool a gifted actor?

  Somehow she had to.

  She drew in a deep breath, then opened the door.

  “You had it locked,” he noted.

  She looked at the floor. Spoke from the heart. “You’re leaving soon. I—I thought I should start getting used to you being gone.”

  Silence. “Elena, I—”

  She reached for him. “No. Let’s not talk. We both know what you have to do. Let’s don’t waste a minute.” She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as he lifted her against his body, already covering her mouth in a desperate kiss. She answered him with all the longing she’d buried during this endless day.

  Then her back was against the door, and she melted against him, holding nothing back. When his teeth sank into the tender spot where her neck and shoulder met, pure lightning shot through her, hardening her nipples into points. She gasped and arched against him, seeking to get closer still.

  As she climbed his body, parting her thighs and bringing him snug and solid against the tantalizing warmth of her, Josh rocked into her, feeling the dampness between her legs.

  He was desperate to be inside her, to claim her, to mark her. All he wanted was to spirit her away, to be with her, simply Elena and Josh, a woman and the man who loved her.

  But loving her and being good for her were not the same. He wanted so badly to take her with him to L.A., but to do so would be wrong. She was stronger than he’d first realized, but she was fragile, too, and the life he led, the high profile he kept…they could destroy her.

  It wasn’t love to burden her with a life that sometimes asked too much even of him.

  Quinn and Lorie planned to offer her a place to stay until the feds took down her husband. Then she’d be free to make a new life, whatever life she wanted. She deserved that, at a minimum, to not be chained to anyone else, to be free make her own choices.

  No matter how much he wished one of those choices would be him, he would not put any pressure on her. She’d had enough misery in her life already.

  He’d tried to keep himself from coming to her tonight.

  But he needed her too much. So here he was, being reckless and impetuous and greedy, and she should slap him and send him away.

  Because he couldn’t send himself away, couldn’t hold back from her one hour, one minute longer. They had maybe two more nights together, and knowing that was the end was killing him. He struggled to get himself under control and make their lovemaking last, make it sweet and tender, not fevered and frantic.

  But Elena was having none of it. She grasped for the buttons on his jeans, small moans of need and frustration issuing from her already kiss-swollen lips. The scent of her desire rose, robbing him of his last vestige of control.

  When she freed him, they both gasped in relief. Josh tried once more to hold back, protesting, “Elena, you’re not ready. Let me—”

  “I’ll show you ready.” She tightened her fingers in his hair and dragged his mouth down to hers. Josh lifted her hips, still struggling to go slow. He touched her with only the head—god, she was so wet and warm and welcoming.

  He sucked in a breath and grappled for the last remnant of sense—

  Elena rocked her pelvis to get closer. “Josh, please—”

  With a groan of surrender, he thrust deeply inside her, scorching her to her core.

  Her head fell back as she exposed her throat to him. His mouth latched on, arrowing to the spot that was sure to send her spiraling. He nipped, then licked where she was most sensitive, all the while keeping up a rhythm that made her want to scream. Tremors shook her, heat and need tearing at her sanity. She slid under, a being made only of sensation, of mindless wanting, seeking that place where only Josh had ever taken her.

  Josh felt Elena’s trembling like a buzz beneath his skin, overloading every nerve in his system, frying his ability to think beyond one single-minded goal: getting inside her so deep, dragging her so far into ecstasy with him that neither of them would ever find their way back out.

  It was a place he’d never been before, and he wanted to go there desperately.

  With her. Only her.

  Elena.

  He captured her mouth, his tongue caressed by the dark warmth of hers as she cradled him snugly inside her. Desperation drove them higher, as close as two hearts can be. Who he was, who she was…what they were together…soon there was nothing left but one being, one mind, one soul, seeking to close the most minute gap, the slightest sliver of separation, against the days to come.

  Then there were no thoughts, no fears, no worries as they shot like a starburst through the night sky. As the miracle of perfect unity rippled over them.

  And when they drifted back down to this night and this moment, they exchanged no words, holding tight to t
he magic in a silent pact to wait until the dawn to face what they must face.

  Wholly together, wrapped around one another, limbs entangled, hearts beating as one, not even a breath between them.

  The future was dim and uncertain.

  But whatever it held, they would have this one night.

  “No!” he heard her scream through the haze of pain, his back on fire.

  “Stop, Sir Richard! I’ll do anything—it was not his fault, ’twas mine instead,” Helen’s voice pleaded.

  Iain struggled to rouse himself from the darkness into which he’d tried to slide, to be able to withstand the whipping and not beg for mercy.

  “Too late!” Sir Richard snapped. “This young cur owed me his loyalty, and how does he repay my kindness and care?”

  “It is I who am to blame,” her voice sounded. “I blackmailed him into helping me.”

  “Nn-nh,” Iain groaned. No. Do not.

  “Your turn will come, milady, when I am finished with him,” Sir Richard warned.

  Iain tried to turn his head, straining against the men holding him. He saw the dark eyes of his liege lord filled with a towering rage that threatened to slip over into madness.

  But still she would not cease. “My lord, put me in his place. He should not bear the cost of my guilt,” she pleaded.

  Iain saw Richard turn on her in a fury, menace in every step. Iain began to struggle in earnest, gathering his remaining strength to pull away from the two men who held him.

  The sound of fabric tearing caught his attention. He turned to see her gown ripped open, exposing her creamy nakedness to the leering glances of the rough men present. When Richard’s filthy, evil hand reached out to squeeze her breast, Iain saw red.

  With inhuman strength, he ripped his arms away from his captors, the only sound in his ears that of her terrified screams.

  Helen!

  Josh bolted upright, his chest heaving, his heart pounding. He reached to his back, sure he would feel the stickiness of blood.

  Nothing.

  He blew out a breath as his heart slowed. What in God’s name had just happened?