Roped In

by L. P. Dover

  “You can let me go now, Hadley.” Logan chuckled, pulling off his helmet. When I didn’t let go, he squeezed my hands, still tightly wrapped around his waist. My muscles shook from holding him so hard.

  I slowly pried my hands apart and slid off the bike. “Sorry. I’ve never been on a motorcycle before. At least the paparazzi didn’t recognize us when we pulled in. I mean, how could they when we were going at light speed?” I started to unbuckle my helmet but he grabbed my hands, pulling me to him.

  “Keep it on. We’re not alone out here. Pretend to fumble with the straps until we get in the elevator.” I nodded and followed along beside him. There were a few people in the parking garage, but luckily, we were able to get in the elevator by ourselves. Once inside, he helped me with the helmet and pulled it off.

  “Here, put this on,” he said, handing me a baseball cap from his back pocket. “We don’t want anyone recognizing you.”

  I snorted and slid it down on my head. “I doubt they could anyway. I look like death.”

  The elevator doors opened and we stepped out. I already knew where to go. My heart sped up the closer we got to Nick’s room.

  A voice called out. “Hadley?”

  I gasped and jerked around. Tristan Abernathy stood in the doorway of the waiting room with the rest of the hockey team spread out behind him, dressed in their jerseys and lounging in chairs. Tristan looked worse than any of them. His dirty blond hair was unkempt and he looked exhausted.

  “Tristan,” I breathed.

  “Where have you been? We were all worried about you.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’m in protective custody. I’m not supposed to be here, but I had to see Nick.”

  He held me close, burying his face in my hair. His chest shook and it broke my heart. “He doesn’t look good, Hads. What if he doesn’t make it?”

  “We have to believe he will.” Once he let me go, Kip and Dawson, two of my favorites on the hockey team, stole me away and I threw an arm around them both. They were twins, both with dark brown hair and blue eyes. “I’m going to miss you guys so much.”

  “We’re not going anywhere, sweetheart,” Kip assured me.

  Swallowing hard, I stepped back. “But I am, and I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  “Where are you going?” Tristan asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I glanced over at Logan, who shook his head.

  “I can’t say,” I said, looking up at Tristan. “It’s for my protection.”

  “When will you be back?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “We’re running out of time, Hadley,” Logan called.

  Nodding once, I walked to the door and then faced the team. “Good luck at the games, guys. I won’t physically be there, but know I’ll be watching.” I hugged Tristan one more time. “I’ll find a way to keep in touch, okay? I’m hoping they’ll catch this bastard soon, so I can come home.”

  Logan walked with me to the end of the hall, to Nick’s closed door. Taking a deep breath, I held onto the doorknob, afraid of what I’d see on the other side. I closed my eyes and felt warm tears fall down my cheeks.

  “You have five minutes,” Logan murmured.

  I blew out a breath and opened the door, letting it shut quietly behind me. The TV was on, but I could barely hear the sound from the pounding in my ears. Felicity was asleep in the corner, a box of tissues on her lap, snoring lightly. The curtain blocked Nick from sight. Taking a few steps into the room, he came into view and I covered my eyes with my hands. He was so pale and definitely didn’t look like the vibrant jokester I knew him to be.

  Taking a moment to collect myself, I breathed deep and made my way to the bed. “Nick?” I whispered, clasping my fingers gently through his. I thought I’d get a response, but there was nothing. He was so still. My heart broke, and I hated myself more than ever. I’d lost Scott and there was a possibility I’d lose him too . . . all of this because of me, for my protection.

  What would I do without him?

  “I’m sorry, Nick. I’m so, so sorry. I’d give anything to take back time.” I held his hand to my face, my tears soaking his skin.

  “You’re here,” Felicity said.

  I glanced over my shoulder. “Hey. Sorry for waking you. I can’t stay long, but I had to stop by.”

  She slowly got to her feet and a handful of used tissues fell to the floor. I hated having to leave her. “Do you have to go back to the station?” she asked.

  I turned my focus back to Nick, swallowing the large lump in my throat. I had to tell her the truth. “No. I have to go away for awhile. I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”

  “Where are you going?”

  A light tap sounded on the door and when it opened, Logan stuck his head in. He nodded at Felicity and then focused on me. “We have to go.”

  I lifted my finger. “Just one more minute.” As soon as the door shut, my chest hurt. I hated goodbyes.

  “What’s going on, Hadley?” Felicity demanded.

  Reluctantly, I let Nick’s hand go and faced her. “I’m under police protection, until they can find whoever did this. In the meantime, I’ll have to cancel my shows. You don’t have to worry about any of the details. I’ll get it handled. Soon, Nick will be up and moving around and we can get back to work. This whole nightmare will be over.”

  Lip quivering, she lowered her head and nodded. “As much as I hate you leaving, I understand. I just know Nick will be worried sick about you when he wakes up.”

  My time was running out, so I hugged her quick. “I’ll call and check up on you both every day. Just make sure to answer your phone. The number will probably be untraceable.”

  “I will.” She stepped aside so I could move closer to Nick.

  I kissed his cheek and rested my forehead against his. “Come back to us. I miss you already.” One of my tears fell on his cheek, and I wiped it away.

  “How long do you think you’ll be gone?” Felicity wondered.

  “I don’t know,” I whispered, turning to face her. “I honestly don’t know.”

  Blake

  “How’s your hand?” Tyla asked, smirking at the gashes on my knuckles. “You really messed Trent’s shit up last night.”

  I grabbed Snowflake’s brush and glided it down her body. My hands hurt like a bitch, but I’d do it all over again just to hear the crunch of Singleton’s nose as I pounded on his face. His first mistake was seeking me out.

  Clenching my fist, I watched the blood ooze out of the gash on my right hand. “It’s fine. Can’t say the same for Singleton’s face though.”

  She snorted. “That’s for damn sure. I don’t think he’ll be messing with you for a while. Did Rayna come over to nurse you back to health?”

  I moved over to Snowflake’s other side, brushing her gently. “She tried, but I’m done with that thundercunt. I don’t need the drama.”

  “It’s not like you can’t find someone else. Every female in town’s been salivating over you since you moved here.”

  “Including you?” I joked.

  “Please,” she scoffed with a roll of her eyes. “You were intriguing for like a second, then reality struck. You’re not my type.”

  We both laughed and finished grooming the young mare. Tyla was a beautiful woman, but I knew better than to get involved with someone I worked with. I’d learned that hard lesson long ago.

  “I think this little beauty is going to be one hell of a horse,” Tyla said proudly.

  “That she is. She’s looking good. In fact, I’ll be taking over her training tomorrow.”

  Her eyes went wide. “You sure you can handle that?” All morning she’d been working with Snowflake to tame her down. There was a lot of work still to be done, but I had no doubt we could do it. Before I could reply, her phone rang. She waltzed off to answer it while I stayed with Snowflake.

  The wild little beast bumped my hand with her muzzle and snorted. Chuckling, I scratched behind her ear. “You
gonna be a good girl for me tomorrow? Josie wants to ride you someday and I have to make sure you’re not going to throw her off.” Josie Wright was eight years old and an amazing young rider. Unfortunately, when her parents bought Snowflake, she turned out to be a little too much to handle.

  “As much as she likes you, I’d say you’ll get her tamed in no time,” Tyla claimed. Her smile faded as she slipped her phone into her back pocket.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “I need to go out of town for a couple of weeks. I know it’s short notice, but it’s something I really need to do.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “I hope so. I’ll know more once I get to California. Can you handle this one without me?” she asked, nodding toward Snowflake.

  Snowflake bumped me again and I laughed. “I think she likes me better than you anyway. Now get the hell out of here, I have work to do.”

  Brows furrowed, she studied me, no doubt wondering if I’d be okay without her expertise. “All right, I’m leaving. I’ll call you when I’m coming back into town. And you know Ryker is always around the corner if you need help with anything.”

  I pointed to her car and chuckled. “Go already. There’s no need to worry about me.”

  As much as her help was needed, I wasn’t going to make her think she had to stay. She waved at me as she backed out and took off down the long driveway, a cloud of dust following in her wake.

  My grandfather had handled the ranch on his own for years. I could do the same. He specialized more in training horses, than herding cattle, but I liked doing both.

  After closing up the barn, I started for the house. The sound of gravel crunched in the distance, and at first, I thought it was Tyla coming back, but it wasn’t her car. It was a black SUV with tinted windows. Lifting my hat, I wiped the sweat off my brow and lowered it back down. If it was Singleton, he was stupider than I thought.

  Body tense, I was prepared to fight. However, when the car door opened, I couldn’t help but grin. “You’ve got to be shitting me. What the hell are you doing here?”

  Logan Chandler, a good friend of mine and one of the best undercover agents I knew, waltzed toward me with the biggest smile on his face. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing,” he joked, extending his hand. “Please tell me you haven’t turned Brokeback on me?”

  “Fuck no. You know me better than that.”

  We shook hands and he chuckled. “You’re right. Last I recall, you had a new piece of ass every week, especially after things ended with Brooklyn.”

  “That was a long time ago, brother,” I said, slapping him on the shoulder. Brooklyn was the only serious relationship I’d ever had. I loved her, but fucked it all up. Now she was gone and happy with someone else. I hadn’t talked to her in almost a year. “So what brings you all the way out to BFE? You’re not the type to make house calls.”

  Releasing a heavy sigh, he glanced back at the car, then to me. “Can we go inside and talk? I could use a beer about now.”

  I focused on the car, but couldn’t see anyone. “Who’s in there, Chandler?”

  “It’s a long story, which is why I need the beer.” He followed me inside and I grabbed us both a beer out of the refrigerator. Once he guzzled his down, he looked out at the car again, biting his lip. “Whatever you do, don’t kill me.”

  I lifted the bottle to my mouth and froze. “Fuck me. What did you do?”

  He turned around, smile gone. “I brought you something, or better yet . . . someone.”

  It didn’t take long for everything to fall into place. I should’ve known. Slamming my beer down, I pointed angrily at the car. “Take Miss Hollywood back. I don’t want her here.”

  Logan lifted his hands and stepped back. “Why won’t you take this job? You’re the only one trusted and available to keep her safe.”

  “Bullshit! What about you? You fucking take her.”

  He shook his head. “I’m leaving on another mission tomorrow. Anyway, you’re the one Robert wants. Hadley’s dad is one of the richest men in the country and he’s willing to pay big money for your services.”

  “I don’t want his goddamn money.”

  “You sure about that? Think about what you could do to this place if you had ten million laying around,” he replied.

  My eyes bulged. “You’re shitting me.”

  “Nope. And trust me, I’d guard her body for next to nothing. She’s hot as hell.”

  “Looks aren’t everything. She’s Hollywood, and this,” I said, gesturing to my farmhouse, “ain’t exactly the Ritz-Carlton. Her kind won’t fit in here.”

  Logan shrugged a shoulder. “You’d be surprised. She’s not as bad as you make her sound.”

  Clenching my teeth, I stormed to the window. “I’m not going to be her servant, and she won’t find any maids here. I’ll keep her safe, but that’s it. I won’t be at her beck and call. If she wants to stay, she has to live by my rules. Got it?”

  He joined me by the window. “Don’t be so hard on her, Evans. Her bodyguard was just killed and her boyfriend is in critical condition. She’s in a bad place right now.”

  “Since when did you turn soft?” I grumbled.

  “She has that effect on people. You’ll see what I mean.”

  I scoffed. “Just make sure her father pays up.”

  He patted me on the shoulder. “He’s good for it. Once he hears from me, he’ll give you a call to transfer the money.”

  “Good,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Do you want me to bring her in and introduce her? I have to get back to the airport.”

  “Might as well,” I grumbled.

  Logan marched out of the kitchen and to the car. The second Hadley stepped out and I saw her face, I knew I was in trouble.

  Hadley

  “What took you so long? You had me worried,” I said.

  Logan shut the door and grabbed my bag out of the back. “Sorry about that. It took longer than I thought.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  Shouldering my bag, he sighed, looking down at me with troubled blue eyes. “You’re not in California anymore, Hadley. Things are different here. You’re going to have to adapt to this lifestyle so you fit in. People are going to look at you and think they see Hadley, but you’re not her anymore. Understand?”

  I nodded. “I know. My name is Anna Sawyer and I’m a twenty-five-year-old real estate agent from North Carolina. Blake Evans is my stepbrother and I’m visiting because I just got divorced from my husband and I needed to get as far away from home as I could.” I paused and took a deep breath. “I took drama in high school. I’m pretty sure I can pull it off.”

  He smiled. “Good. I think you’re all set. I put your ID’s and an untraceable cell phone in your bag, along with my number. You can call me anytime.”

  I followed him to the front door and stepped inside. The house had a warm feel to it, all western-like, with deer and buffalo heads on the wall. It was just like being on the set of a cowboy movie. I half expected John Wayne to mosey around the corner at any minute.

  I gazed around in awe. “This is amazing.”

  “So it meets your standards?” an abrasive voice called out.

  Gasping, I jerked around and found the owner of the voice glaring at me. For a second I lost my ability to speak. His brown hair was damp with sweat and he was covered in streaks of dirt on his tanned, bare chest. He was gorgeous; except for the scowl on his face. Why was he looking at me like that? Surely that wasn’t Blake.

  Huffing, Logan put his arm protectively around my shoulder, speaking through clenched teeth. “Hadley, I’d like you to meet dickface. Crap, I’m sorry . . . I meant Blake. I got a little confused there.” Body tense, Blake rolled his eyes and my stomach dropped. He did not want me there. “Blake, this is Hadley,” Logan continued, squeezing my shoulder. “She’ll be your guest for the next few weeks.”

  Blake pointed to the stairs. “Your room is up there, first door on
the left. I don’t have servants, so if you want something, get it yourself.”

  I held up my hands. “I don’t have servants.” Unfortunately, he’d already turned on his heel and stalked away. Huffing, I glared up at Logan. “I can’t believe you’re leaving me here. Why is he acting like that?”

  He set my bag down. “Want the truth?” I nodded. “Basically, he thinks you’re going to be an uppity cunt. What he doesn’t know is that you’re actually a down to earth person. He’ll come around once he gets to know you.”

  “Why can’t I stay with you? You can keep me safe.”

  “I would if I could, but I’m leaving for another mission as soon as I leave here. You’ll be fine. You’re a strong-willed woman.” Leaning in close, he whispered in my ear. “Just don’t take shit from him. Show Blake you can handle this and he’ll turn around.”

  As much as I wanted to believe I could, I doubted myself. I didn’t belong here and it was evident. “Okay,” I whispered, “I can do this.”

  Logan led me upstairs to my room and set my bag on the bed. The room was all white and elegant, clearly a female’s room. It was beautiful; definitely a contrast to the masculinity downstairs.

  “I have to go now. Remember, you can call me anytime.”

  My eyes burned, but I refused to cry. All I wanted was to be back at home and have Scott still alive. Maybe that was why I liked Logan so much; he reminded me of a younger version of him. Opening my arms, I rushed over to him, wrapping them around his neck. “Thank you for watching over me. Be safe on your mission.”

  He squeezed me tight and let go. “I will. If I need to come back and kick shitdick’s ass, just let me know.”

  The thought made me smile. I wished he would preemptively do it. Maybe then, Blake wouldn’t be such a prick. “You’ve got it.”

  Turning on his heel, his footsteps echoed off the wooden stairs, and all too quickly, he was out the front door. I didn’t watch him leave because I knew I’d be tempted to chase after him and jump in the car. If Blake didn’t want me there, why did he agree to let me stay in the first place?