Kitabı oku: «A Man Of Honor», sayfa 3
“Nonsense.” Nan ignored her. “A dog will give you some of that stability you’ve been searching for. You can start building a home with such stability.”
“With a man who isn’t mine and a dog that isn’t mine.” Tessa’s voice was wry as she relented and picked up the puppy. Its eyes were closed, but its plump body was warm and soft.
“They could be—if you take them. Sometimes we have to reach out in life to say yes to the things we want. Nobody’s going to shove security down your throat, Tessa. You have to accept that you want it before you can have it.”
The puppy sleepily opened its eyes, staring into Tessa’s gaze with absolute trust. With absolute patience.
“I wish you’d look at what a fine pup my Bertha had. You won’t find patience and calm in just any old dog. Bertha took such good care of her entire litter that they are all like that!” the owner boasted.
“I don’t think I’m up for housebreaking,” Tessa said, her tone uncertain as she tried to think of rational excuses to say no to this shaggy dog that appeared to have all the signs of becoming one big Border collie. “You’ll probably want to go out at night. I bet your owner is overly touting your serene disposition. Are you an every-hour-on-the-hour needy hound that’s going to keep me up all night?”
“Give you practice. We’ll take him,” Nan said, taking the woman by her elbow and leading her to the front of the beauty shop.
Tessa saw Nan give the woman some money. Unhappily, she looked back into the puppy’s troubled eyes. “You just cost me money I don’t have.”
The puppy yawned, its tongue pink and tiny.
“Oh, dear. You are cute.” Reluctantly, she gave herself up to the dog’s charm and held his warmth under her chin. Breathing deeply, she smelled the warm puppy fragrance. What if it was all that easy? What if the dreams of a secure future for her child were so near her grasp that all she had to do was reach out—then hold on to them the way she was holding on to this bundle of fur? She settled the puppy on her lap, and it curled itself up next to the roundness of her stomach. A baby and a puppy.
Parts of a family. But not the whole picture she had in her dreams.
SALVADOR PEERED INTO the bedroom window where the woman obviously slept. Her robe and gown were neatly laid on the bed in the sparsely furnished room.
“What if she does not stay here again?” Rossi asked.
Salvador shook his head, memorizing the location of the furniture in the room and the placement of the window. “She will. He will not let her go. He is suspicious, I think.”
Salvador enjoyed knowing he was getting to the man in the black cowboy hat. He was like one of the villains he’d seen in many American movies. The bad guys always wore black hats. Salvador was not the bad guy. The cowboy was, because his brother had gotten Salvador’s brother killed. It was a matter of honor to avenge his brother’s death.
“That could mean trouble if he is suspicious of us.”
“No,” Salvador said softly. “That’s good. It means he will keep her here where we can keep an eye on her just like he does.”
Chapter Four
Cord felt as if the rug had been jerked out from under him for the second time that day when he walked inside his house and saw Tessa.
She was beautiful. Like a model, only better, because she was real and standing in his den.
Location was a problem. He wanted to carry her to his bedroom and pull her jeans off so fast the zipper would split. Her sunshiny hair was pulled up into an elegant fall of curls that curtained her shoulders in gold. It was a stunning hairdo, but it made him think about removing whatever was holding her hair so he could run his fingers through it to his heart’s content. That was not a possibility.
The squirming black-and-white puppy in her arms was actually a surprising relief. It gave him something to focus on besides Tessa.
“Is that a stray?”
“No.” She looked down at the puppy, patting it with adoration. The puppy licked her chin, enthusiastically returning the affection.
“Nan decided I needed a dog. And a new do. She said a dog and a new do would…”
She hesitated and Cord waited. But he already knew what Nan was trying to do. In her kind way, she meant to comfort Tessa for the perceived lack of husband in her life, the lack of a father for her child. Nan didn’t know that Hunt might return if he could. If something hadn’t gone terribly wrong. Cord made himself smile, but it felt more like a grimace. “Make a new woman out of you. I know. She’s always trying to make a new man out of me.”
Her eyes watched him as she considered his words. “When did she take it upon herself to become your guardian?”
That jolted him. He’d never thought of his elderly neighbor in that way—he was the one who did the guarding. “Nan and Mom were friends. They swapped newspapers in the morning, shared a cup of coffee, talked about the things two ranch girls have in common. When Mom died, Nan continued the paper swap with me.”
“It must be hard to lose a friend,” Tessa said softly. “Perhaps she feels that to break the routine would be to say goodbye for good.”
“I can understand that.” He reached out a hand to cover the pup’s soft back, feeling the delighted wriggle of loose puppy skin. “She still has a key, so sometimes on Sunday nights I come home to a loaf of banana bread baking or a stew in the Crock-Pot. Always warms me up.” He suddenly met Tessa’s gaze over the puppy, and she hugged the dog closer to her protectively. “I got a lot of dead ends today,” he admitted.
“We knew it wouldn’t be easy to find out anything.” Her blue eyes widened with soft inquiry. “Would you please take me home?”
His heart dropped into his stomach. “I will if that’s what you want.”
“I think it’s for the best.” She swallowed, snuggling the dog to her chin. “I have my furry friend here for companionship. So…I’ll be fine.”
He knew that. Tessa would be fine no matter what. She was a survivor. “What did you name it?”
“Her name should be Spoiled Rotten. But I’ve decided to call her Eleanor.”
“Eleanor?” He choked back his startled laugh of surprise.
She peered at him narrowly. “Are you laughing at Eleanor and me?”
“Absolutely not. Wouldn’t dream of laughing at two such beautiful ladies.”
She glanced down at Eleanor. “Don’t say that,” she whispered.
“Why not?” He lifted her chin with two fingers and a thumb. “You are.”
“Cord—” she pulled away and stepped back a pace “—I know you’re sincere, and there’s nothing a woman would rather hear more than she’s beautiful. But I don’t want to complicate matters. The worst thing in the world that could happen to me at this point is if I found myself in love with you. And I could, I think, fall for you,” she added, her voice soft and haunted. “I’m afraid of what would happen if I did. I would never know if I was so vulnerable I jumped at what you’re offering. So please, don’t tell me I’m beautiful because I’m having a real tough time right now.”
Her eyes filled with sparkling tears. Cord’s heart seemed to shatter. “I understand” was all he said.
“Do you?”
“More than you can probably believe.” He closed his eyes. “But stay another night, Tessa, until I’ve got a better idea whether the coast is clear or not. The morning might bring some word of Hunt.”
“Do you really want it to?”
“Yes,” he told her definitively. “My feelings for you won’t change, but I’d have my brother back, and that’s more than I’ve got right now.”
She stared into his eyes. “You’re a good man, Cord Greer. You put everybody else first.”
“Not always,” he countered. “Not always. Tonight, I’m putting myself first. Stay,” he asked again, his voice husky.
She nodded once, almost in slow motion, as if she wanted to change her mind even before she agreed to his request. “If you promise to get some sleep tonight.”
“Deal. But you have to make me some more toast in the morning.”
“You didn’t eat it.” She refused to smile at him.
“That’s why I need a second chance.” He really needed a first chance with her, but fate apparently didn’t mean for that to happen.
“Okay,” she agreed shyly. “But I can’t rely upon your charity for much longer.”
“Tessa, the last thing I regard you as is charity.”
“It is if you’re eating my cooking with a smile on your face.”
He laughed, taking Eleanor from her hands. “Eleanor, eh? All right. Ellie.” Come on, you crazy dog, with your big brown eyes and sweet temperament. You managed to get into her life a whole lot quicker than I ever did, you lucky pooch. “Let’s see how strong you are when you’re confronted with cold snow.”
Tessa followed behind, watching the pup skid on the icy patches. It kept her from focusing on the tall man in front of her, his back turned so she could stare at the broadness of his shoulders, the dark, well-trimmed hair just showing under the cowboy hat. Hunt was every bit as handsome, just not as filled out with corded muscle from working cattle and riding every day. She forced her mind to stop the comparison. It would do no good to start dwelling on how sexy this cowboy looked.
“Nan mentioned that she likes to walk in the woods out here. I suppose that’s safe for her to do?” Tessa didn’t think she’d go very far in the densely grown forest of black and gray bare trunks and branches reaching up into the winter-white sky with gnarly fingers. Shorter skirts of pine trees fringed the taller, naked trees, obstructing the view. It somehow seemed lonely beyond the open field, the woods an overgrown encroachment.
“Safe enough. Nan’s a big fan of stargazing, and she likes to do some bird-watching.”
“I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to find my way out. Or that I’d step on a snake.”
He chuckled, shooting her a wry glance. “I’m sure there are snakes, but they’re more afraid of you than you are of them.”
“I don’t think so!”
He grinned now. “Poison ivy in season would be more likely to get you. But you’d find your way out of there soon enough. Hunt and I used to play in the woods all the time, so Dad marked the trees well. Dad even built us a tree house where we used to bring our knapsacks of lunch. Mom used to call us home by banging on the triangle.” A soft reminiscent laugh escaped him. “One night, we insisted we had to sleep in the tree house, and we carried out sleeping bags and a lantern. Hunt and I spent the whole time telling each other ghost stories, each one more fantastic and scary than the last. In the middle of the night, Dad came out, silently climbed the ladder, then jumped onto our sleeping bags roaring like a mad bear. You never heard two boys yell so loud.”
His thoughts were far away now, dwelling on a tree house only he could remember, and Tessa felt a sharp twinge of sadness for the happy memories that might be all he had left of his brother. She had known Hunt as a lover in their adult years and as a schoolmate in their younger years, but Hunt and Cord shared a special, deep bond of brotherhood. They were very close, despite the fact that they’d chosen very different life paths.
“Did you stay outside the rest of the night?” She tilted her head to look up into his eyes.
“Heck, yeah.”
She raised one eyebrow. “Very brave of you boys.”
“Not really. We made Dad sleep with us for the rest of the night. At the crack of dawn, Mom brought us biscuits to eat and our fishing poles. She said she could hear our banshee yelling clear to the next county, and if Dad was going to scare the pants off her boys, he could darn well take us fishing to make up for it.”
Tessa loved the story. It was everything about family she dreamed of but lacked. “Take me out to the tree house, Cord.”
He looked at her. “Maybe someday.”
She sensed his reluctance but wasn’t sure of the cause. Just the same, she didn’t push. They were uncomfortable enough with their situation as it was.
“You’ll want to keep an eye on Ellie, though. I wouldn’t go too far into the woods where an owl might mistake your pup for a snack.”
“Cord! Are you teasing me?”
He smiled but shook his head quite seriously. “No. There are lots of owls. They’ve been known to grab a bite during the day, so you’d best keep an eye on her.”
“I’m getting her a leash! We can start leash training today! No owl is carrying off my dog.”
Cord nodded. “That might be the best idea.”
Ellie didn’t seem inclined to do much walking in the snow. Mainly she hovered by their feet, sniffing.
“The last thing I need is a dog,” Tessa murmured. “But once I held her, I knew my heart was lost.”
Cord tightened his jaw, his eyes on Tessa.
Suddenly, Ellie looked toward the woods. She gave a sharp, interested bark. It wasn’t very loud, but it was enough to make Tessa smile with joy.
“Gosh! That’s the first time she’s made a peep!” Tessa gazed proudly at the puppy. “I didn’t even know what she sounded like.”
In the next instant, Ellie was off toward the wooded acreage, her paws scrambling to keep up with where her head wanted to go.
“Ellie!” Tessa ran after her.
Cord hollered, “Ellie!” overtaking Tessa, but he was no match for the puppy as it disappeared into the trees. Night was falling, shrouding the thicket in shadows. It was impossible to see the black-and-white puppy anymore. They could barely hear her tiny barks.
“I’ll go get her,” Cord said. “Stay here.”
“No. I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t know your way around, Tessa. You’ll definitely get lost, and that’ll be two of you I’ll have to search for.”
She stared at him stubbornly. “Cord Greer, it’s my dog. Nobody appointed you my guardian, and my dog isn’t a duty you raised your hand for. Either you take me with you, or—”
“Or what?”
“Or…I go in looking for her as soon as you’re out of sight.” She raised her chin. “She’d come to me quicker than you. She barely knows you. I’m not sure she would trust you.”
“Trust isn’t what she’s thinking about right now. She smelled a squirrel or a skunk and she’s gone investigating. But that’s no reason for you to be out in the cold, Tessa. Her curiosity will be over soon enough. Stay here.”
His tone brooked no argument. Tessa knew that all of Cord’s arguments made sense, far more sense than her running into a forest where she could easily lose her way. “All right. But I still think you need me to help you search.”
“One little puppy doesn’t need a search-and-rescue team. I can handle it. Trust me.”
“I do,” she said softly. “I’ll wait right here.”
He nodded. “If I don’t come back in ten minutes, go home and get warm. Put on a kettle of tea.”
She pulled her jacket collar more closely to her neck and tucked her hands into her cuffs so her hands joined beneath the fabric, warming each other.
“Don’t be stubborn. Go get warm.”
“I will,” she promised.
“If she comes back to the house, ring the triangle.”
“Okay. Hurry and find her before an owl—”
He touched a finger to her lips. “I’ll be right back.”
A second later, he had disappeared into the gloomy, leafless woods. Tessa held her breath, biting her lower lip, and told herself that Cord had tramped through the trees many times. Even Nan was accustomed to walking in the woods.
It was safe for a man and a lost puppy.
THE PUP GAVE A LITTLE YIP when its scruff was grasped securely. She was airborne, her paws scrambling helplessly before she was tucked inside a jacket, zipped securely against a warm chest. The smell of the man was not one she was used to, so she struggled, but there was no hope of escaping.
“Why did you do that?” Salvador demanded. “We do not need a damn dog.”
“He’s cute,” Rossi answered. “And warm. He is not hurting anything. I’ll let him go when we are finished here.” With one finger, he rubbed the soft muzzle poking out of his jacket.
“Shh!” Salvador listened intently. From somewhere, a man’s voice called urgently, followed by a whistle meant to entice a dog to return. “Señor Vaquero.”
“Sí. Guess he is looking for you.” Rossi touched the tip of the dog’s cold nose. “But you are not going anywhere.”
The crackling of leaves under heavy boots silenced Rossi and Salvador. Beneath the tree house, they could hear the big man’s steps halt.
Salvador winked at Rossi, picking up a large rock that he used to jab his cigarettes out against. But Rossi shook his head, frowning.
Salvador shrugged, letting his hand relax though he still held the rock. Rossi tended to think his actions through, while Salvador could be impulsive, sometimes to his detriment. He felt very impulsive right now. His hand twitched. Rossi ever so slightly shook his head again.
The footsteps moved on. The cowboy headed south, calling for the puppy.
When they could no longer hear him, Salvador put the rock down. “Why not? It would have made me happy.”
“Because the girl is waiting. She will send for help if he doesn’t return soon, and we will never be able to snatch her and get away before the police come.”
Salvador nodded reluctantly.
“On the other hand, we have got her little friend. And you,” he said, giving the puppy a tickle around its ears, “are the reason she will come looking for you herself tomorrow. When you don’t go home.”
In the distance, a triangle was rung vigorously.
“Coming!” the cowboy shouted from not too far away.
Salvador and Rossi looked at each other, slight smiles on their faces.
“As usual, you are the levelheaded one.”
Rossi kissed the puppy. “This dog doesn’t smell like a dog. Smell him.”
“No.”
“Smell him,” Rossi urged.
“It is not a him. Do you not know the difference between a girl and a boy?”
“Smell her, then.” Rossi shoved the puppy under his nose.
Salvador took an unwilling sniff, then inhaled deeply. “Perfume. Woman’s perfume.”
“Her perfume.” Rossi tucked his treasure back inside his jacket. “Tomorrow, you get close enough to smell it on the code breaker’s woman.”
Soon the hunt would be over.
The revenge could begin.
Chapter Five
Cord’s relief at hearing the triangle was short-lived when he saw the man standing inside his doorway. Far from letting him know Ellie had found her way back, Tessa was announcing the arrival of a visitor.
“This is Cord Greer, Hunt’s brother,” Tessa said. “Cord, Col. John West.”
Cord heard the quiver in Tessa’s voice. Her dismay was transmitted to him though he remained impassive as he extended his hand. “We’ve met. Once.”
The man shook his hand. “Good to see you again. Got a message you’d been at the base.”
Now Cord knew the situation merited more than a phone call. It didn’t make him feel any better. “Care to have a seat?”
“No, thanks. I can only stay a minute.”
Tessa’s eyes met Cord’s. He sensed her rising dismay, but there was nothing he could do. The helpless feeling was hateful to him, and strange. “What can you tell me about my brother?”
“Not much, I’m afraid.”
“Can’t tell us because you don’t know where he is?”
“We have communicated with your brother.”
Tessa gasped, her face pale. Cord reached out and took her hand tightly in his, offering his strength to her. “So he’s alive?”
John looked at Cord oddly. “We have no reason to believe otherwise.”
“I see.” Cord nodded, his expression grim. “We had reason to believe otherwise the other night.”
“Oh?”
“Two men came to my door claiming to be military personnel. They informed me of my brother’s heroic death and asked for his fiancée’s address so they might inform her.”
John hesitated. “I don’t have to tell you that this is worrisome.” He glanced from Tessa to Cord. “That someone would go to those lengths…is an unanticipated complication.”
“I would think so,” Cord said dryly. “Can you tell us what cat-and-mouse game we’re involved in? Is there any information the military would care to divulge since it appears my brother’s fiancée may be in danger?”
His voice was stern, but Cord didn’t care. Helpless anger boiled through him—at the military, at the situation, at the men who’d come to his door in disguise.
“I’m afraid all I can do is reassure you that we have no information indicating your brother is dead. I was hoping a personal visit would be less risky than a phone call, but what you’ve just told me makes me guess your house could be under surveillance.”
Cord stared at him. “My house? Not Tessa’s?”
“Possibly both. But since you’ve had one visit—”
“They might hang around. To watch me.” Cord hadn’t thought about that. All he’d known was that his ranch was safer than Tessa’s small house. He had guns; he had a running vehicle. As long as he kept Tessa with him, he could protect her from any possible danger. He never dreamed he might be putting her in danger. “When will we know something? When will this be over?”
The colonel shook his head. “At this time, I’ve confirmed all I really can in order not to compromise any ongoing operation.” There was a flash of guarded sympathy in his eyes. “Your position is difficult, but we can’t put anyone at risk.”
He meant Hunt.
“I understand,” Tessa said suddenly. “I appreciate your time in coming out here.”
The man nodded. “I was hoping to alleviate your concerns. I would suggest you have your local law enforcement officers run a periodic patrol through the area. If you are under surveillance, extra personnel may be a deterrent.”
“Thank you so much,” Cord said sarcastically. “Your assistance has been invaluable.”
John nodded, seeming to understand his frustration. “We’ll be in contact.” He stepped out the door and went to his car before glancing back at Tessa.
“John,” Tessa suddenly called, startling Cord. He had nothing further to say to anyone in the military until they told him more than they already had.
Tessa joined the colonel at the car, speaking briefly to him, her hand touching her stomach. The man nodded once before sliding behind the wheel and driving away.
“Do you mind telling me what you said to him?” Cord asked when she had carefully traversed the icy patches to his side.
“I simply said I didn’t want Hunt to know about the baby.” She stared up at him.
He gently caught her arm as she moved to walk past him. “Why not? I think Hunt should know. He’d be upset if he—”
“It’s my baby, Cord Greer,” she snapped. “I don’t want Hunt knowing about the baby. Not while he’s missing. Not while he’s obviously involved in something that has the military operating under caution. Did you ever stop to think that if Hunt found out, he might try to come home? He might try to contact me? That could put him at risk. Worse, it could put my baby at risk. And that is something I will not do.”
She was determined on this issue—and he unwillingly forced himself to admit that she was right. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
She rubbed one hand wearily over her forehead. “I know you weren’t. It’s hard to think straight. I just don’t want Hunt’s attention divided. He wouldn’t have left me in Madrid if there hadn’t been a compelling reason.”
Cord agreed with that statement. Hunt cared for Tessa. The hardest admission Cord had ever been compelled to make to himself was that he badly wanted his brother to come home safely—despite the fact that he was in love with his brother’s girlfriend. Desperately. He wanted her so much he ached with it.
He was a selfish man.
He turned away. Somehow he made himself climb the steps and go into the house. He went to his bedroom and closed the door behind him. Silently, he sat on the mahogany bed, which had been devoid of female companionship for a very long time. He looked at the pictures of his parents and the pictures of Hunt, sitting in wooden frames on his bureau. Bowing his head, he shut his eyes.
And prayed for strength.
TESSA KNEW SHE HAD HURT Cord’s feelings. She had been sharper with him than she should have been, but her emotions were raw, twisted with fear. The colonel’s visit hadn’t exactly been calming. She felt more alarmed than ever about the danger Hunt might be in, the danger she might be in, and worse, the danger there might be to her baby. For the past two nights, she’d had horrible nightmares—ever since Cord had brought her to his house. She wanted her baby to be safe. There was enough to worry about with a pregnancy; the added factor of fear was slicing into her subconscious.
It all had to end soon. The uncertainty was making her tense and edgy. None of this could be healthy for her baby. “Drat that dog,” she murmured. The dog at least had given her some comfort. Cord certainly did not. The underlying currents they felt around each other were electrifying her nerves to the point she felt she couldn’t breathe when he was in the room. Ellie gave her something to hold on to that was soft and gentle.
Now she would worry all night about owls looking for prey, and her little puppy being frightened in the dark, cold woods. No matter that Cord had happy memories of the forest, and that Nan tromped through them enjoying the flora and fauna. Tessa would not be brave enough to stay out there alone. Surely her pup would find its way home soon.
She prayed for the same with Hunt, if for nothing more than to know he was safe. For the sake of her baby.
For all their sakes.
SOMETHING IN THE SILENCE awakened Tessa in the middle of the night. Her eyes snapped open, staring upward in the darkness, her body suddenly on alert, her ears straining to hear. It was so still in her room that she could easily hear the slightest sound, yet it was eerily quiet. Too quiet.
She got out of bed, then slowly moved the curtain back from the window beside it. She opened the mini-blinds and peered outside, but there was little to see in the darkness. Too dark.
Her scalp prickling, she reached over the bed to switch on the lamp. Once the room was illuminated with the cheery light, she breathed a little more easily. Still, she knew she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again, so she put on her robe and went down the hall. If the puppy had returned and was somewhere outside…Tessa’s heart beat with hope. She sure hoped Nan’s gift wasn’t gone for good; she felt very guilty about its disappearance.
Glancing in the den, she saw that the recliner was empty. Cord’s bedroom door was closed, so he’d apparently slept in there. Tessa gave a sigh of relief. She didn’t want him suffering sleep deprivation because of her.
But maybe Cord wasn’t asleep. It would be safer if he went with her. He would understand that she needed to give her puppy one last chance to come home; surviving the night would be nearly impossible for the dog. Quietly, she tapped on his door. “Cord? Are you awake?” There was no answer. Tessa held her breath and opened it a crack. “Cord?”
He lay sprawled across the bed as if he’d fallen like a tree onto the sheets. The bed was big to accommodate a big man. Undressed, wearing only boxer shorts, he looked even bigger. He was stretched out flat, his arms flung up over the pillow as he slept on his stomach, either in utter relaxation or exhaustion. She hadn’t realized how strongly built he was. Every muscle in his body visible to the naked eye ran long and true and toned.
She swallowed, her eyes caught by the fitness of the man. She forced herself to close the bedroom door.
There was no way she could awaken him. He needed the rest.
The truth was, she hadn’t been prepared to see Cord nearly nude and breathstealingly sexy. The only man she’d ever seen naked was Hunt, and he was not as tall as Cord, and more slightly built.
What she’d seen overwhelmed her senses. Such a big man and yet he was so gentle with her. It made her heart pound with images and fantasies she knew she shouldn’t allow herself to even think. Tessa slowly, quietly, opened the front door and flipped on the porch light.
She didn’t hear a whimper or a bark. Easing the door open farther, Tessa poked out her head to peer across the porch.
Snow. Deep snow had built up around the porch, powdering the gravel driveway and the yard in white. Thunder rumbled and Tessa jumped, not anticipating the far-off noise. Nan had been right; the storm was coming in tonight.
Her little Ellie was shivering in those woods. Tessa couldn’t stand the thought. A coyote howled its lonesome cry in the distance, sending goose pimples over Tessa. She closed the door, then hurried to put her boots and jeans on under her gown, tossed her robe on the bed and looped her gown into her jeans as she pulled on her coat. Quietly, she slipped past Cord’s bedroom door. The all-weather flashlight attached to the kitchen wall had a nice wide path of illumination, so she took that with her. Making certain the front door didn’t even whisper as it opened, she went out. She could face the forest; she would only go to the edge where there was nothing to hurt her. Even the coyote that howled occasionally was too far away.
Fifty feet from the house, crunching on snow that seemed to blow from the sky ever faster, she whistled. “Ellie! Come on, girl!”
SALVADOR’S EYES FLEW OPEN as he heard the urgent voice calling in the night. He’d just fallen asleep next to Rossi, after they’d both smoked cigarettes to give them an illusion of warmth. They had not counted on the cold of this hellish place, bone-deep and biting. Snow was building up on the roof of the tree house, and though it was built securely, much more than a simple plank structure between two trees, it was not insulated. Still, the conditions were nothing to deter two men with a mission of honor.
“Ellie!” the cry came again.
Rossi was slower to awaken, the puppy inside his jacket keeping him a bit warmer. But at the next cry, he came wide awake. “The golden woman.”
“Yes.” Salvador listened, his heart pounding. They could take her to the vehicle by the creek in the woods before she could cry for help. They would abandon the vehicle at the airport. Waiting for a flight would be trickier if she was fighting, but Rossi would make certain she didn’t give them trouble. It could all be over much faster than planned, and so much easier under cover of darkness. “Come on,” he whispered.
Ücretsiz ön izlemeyi tamamladınız.
