Montana D-Force (Brotherhood Protectors Book 3) (2 page)

Mia swung her backpack over her shoulder and started down the driveway leading to her house, set back from the road, past a stand of trees.

Thinking of the homework she had yet to complete, and going over conversations she’d had with her friends during the day, she wasn’t aware she was being followed, until a man wearing a black ski mask leaped from the brush and grabbed her from behind.

At five feet two inches, she hadn’t been big or strong enough to defend herself. He’d thrown a bag over her head, tied her wrists together behind her, dragged her into his truck and driven her out to a deserted road in the surrounding hills.

Terrified, she’d strained against her bindings, breathing in her own hot, damp air, tears soaking the burlap.

When the truck came to a stop, her attacker had tied her to a tree and pulled off her clothes. She’d fought, kicked and screamed. No one came to save her when he’d penetrated her, tearing through her virginal wall. He’d pinched, bitten and tormented her for what felt like hours, and then left her there to die in the cold air of an early, Montana spring night.

A loud crash yanked her from the nightmare to fully awake. Mia sat up in bed and looked around. At first she didn’t recognize where she was, until she spotted the photograph of her and her parents smiling by the lake that summer before her childhood had ended.

She tried to remember why she’d woken. A sound. Something crashing.

Mia reached for the phone on her nightstand, only to remember she didn’t have one. Instead, she grabbed the butcher knife she’d left there earlier and swung her feet to the floor. Her heart thumping hard against her ribs, she poked her head out the door of her bedroom. Nothing moved. Darkness enveloped her. Making a mental note to buy nightlights at the hardware store, she inched her way down the hallway to the top of the staircase and shined her flashlight to the floor below.

Another sound captured her attention, this time above her. It sounded like the soft skittering of leaves blowing across concrete. A shiver slid across her skin.

The sounds above had nothing to do with the crash that had jerked her out of her nightmare.

Mia descended the stairs, slowly, wishing she had her gun. Another mental note: dig the gun out of her suitcase.

At the bottom of the stairs, she felt a cool breeze against her bare legs. The air conditioner hadn’t kicked in and she hadn’t left any windows open.

Another couple of steps placed her near the front entry and the doorway to the kitchen.

The cool breeze was stronger here, coming from the kitchen.

Mia turned abruptly and flashed her light into the kitchen.

A black shadow scurried across the floor and through the open back door.

Mia screamed and backed away, bumped into the wall and dropped the butcher knife. It fell within an inch of her bare, big toe.

Her heart thundered in her chest, and her breath lodged in her throat. Grabbing her purse from the hall table, Mia jammed her feet into her cowboy boots and ran out the front door.

In seconds, she was on the road to Sadie’s house, terror fueling her to press the accelerator to the floor.

She had locked the back door before she’d gone to bed, and the black cat that had wandered in sure as hell hadn’t broken open the door, damaging the doorframe in the process.

T
ate “Bear” Parker
stood on the dark porch of Hank Patterson’s ranch house, stretching the charley horse out of his calf. He’d overdone it that day, and he was paying for it.

New to Hank’s brainchild, the Brotherhood Protectors, Bear was in between assignments and couldn’t just sit around and live off the goodness of the Pattersons’ hearts while waiting for work.

When Hank had asked him to help out on the ranch, he’d gladly volunteered. Yeah, he’d ridden horses as a kid on his grandfather’s farm, but that had been a long time ago, and well before he’d nearly lost his leg in a battle in the sandbox of Iraq.

His physical therapist back at Bethesda had told him he could do anything…in moderation. That he should build up to more strenuous activities a little at a time to avoid reinjuring his leg.

The trained Delta Force soldier in him couldn’t back down from a challenge. Anything Hank had done that day, Bear had done or tried his best to accomplish.

Horseback riding had seemed like a no-brainer, but his muscles weren’t used to that kind of exercise, and now his leg ached like crazy.

At two in the morning, he’d given up on sleep and come out on the porch to walk out the kinks. Refusing to dope up on medication, he had to find other ways to relieve the pain.

He could think of worse things to do than stand on a porch staring at the stars in a sky so clear he swore he could see them shining from the other end of the universe. They didn’t call Montana “Big Sky” country for nothing. With little light pollution, the night skies were filled with diamonds, twinkling in a black sea.

Though he’d worked his hardest all day, he was certain Hank had given him the lighter chores. He still didn’t know how he would fit into this organization or how he’d add value as a bodyguard when he limped around like a cripple. Hell, he was a cripple. If he were whole, he’d still be on active duty, avenging the deaths of the members of his Special Forces team.

His fists clenched. He still struggled with guilt. He’d lived, while the majority of his team had died when they’d been double-crossed by their Iraqi informant and led into an ambush. If not for the close air support he’d called in, he might have perished as well.

Too many times during his recovery and rehabilitation, he’d wished he’d died. But if he was meant to live, he wanted to be back in the fight. He’d begged the doctors to send him back to the war. His brothers deserved retribution.

The medical review board had met and sealed his fate, kicking him out of the army, calling him medically retired, labeling him a disabled veteran.

The army didn’t want him. They might as well have cut off his balls and sat him on a street corner with a cup to beg. Since he’d graduated high school, all he’d done was fight, and train and fight some more.

If not for the SEAL he’d met in physical therapy, he might have given up.

Swede had been as lost and purposeless as Bear. They’d formed a bond in their attempt to laugh off the indignities and pain of relearning how to function with their respective injuries. After therapy, they’d gone to the nearest sports bar, knocked back a couple of beers and watched a game or two. Having someone who understood what he was going through had helped Bear get through his own reintroduction into the civilian world.

When Swede had gotten a call from his SEAL buddy in Montana, Bear thought that would be the end of their friendship. Swede’s departure had left a void in Bear’s life when he’d shipped out for the other side of the continent. At that time, Bear had still been waiting to hear about his own appeal of the decision from the medical review board. Not that it had done any good.

Discharged from the army and graduated from physical therapy, he’d been left staring at the world, wondering,
What next
?

He’d polished up a pathetic excuse for a resume and sent it out to every business advertising a need for a leader. He had leadership experience out the ass in a combat environment. He could handle stress and make snap decisions while under attack. But he’d never led anyone in a business environment. Who needed a guy who could shoot an enemy combatant from three hundred yards away with a 98% kill rate? Or a man who would cover you while you raced into heavy enemy fire?

With no one knocking on his door or offering him a job, Bear had begun to slip into a dark place he’d never gone before. The temptation to self-medicate with alcohol had been so real, he’d nearly succumbed.

Then he’d gotten the call. One rainy day in D.C., his phone rang. He hadn’t recognized the number, but he’d crossed his fingers and prayed it wasn’t a salesman.

The caller had been Hank Patterson, founder of the Brotherhood Protectors personal security agency. Based on Swede’s recommendation, he’d offered him a job to come to work in Montana providing personal security to clients.

Bear hadn’t hesitated. He’d packed his duffel bag and boarded a plane the next day.

Fortunately, he’d hit the ground running when Swede’s first assignment went code red and every member of the Brotherhood Protector had gone into combat mode to protect Swede’s client.

That had been a couple weeks ago. Since then, they hadn’t had a client contact them. Hank had warned Bear that they were a new startup company and they wouldn’t be advertising. All of their clients would come to them by word of mouth.

Well, word of mouth wasn’t bringing in droves of clients. If something didn’t come up soon, Bear would have to find alternate work.

Though Hank promised he could stay at White Oak Ranch until work picked up, Bear didn’t like living off the good will of others.

The pain in his leg had dissipated enough Bear was considering going back to bed when lights flashed between the trees, indicating a vehicle coming up the long drive to the ranch house.

His pulse quickened, and he debated waking Hank, but didn’t have time. At the speed the vehicle flew up the road, it would be at the house before Bear could climb the stairs to the second floor and wake the boss.

The car skidded to a stop in the gravel, but the driver didn’t get out right away.

With his heart racing, adrenaline pumping and, curiosity aroused, Bear waited for the driver to make the first move.

Finally, the driver’s door opened, and a woman leaped out. Petite, with dark hair hanging down past her shoulders and wearing a baggy T-shirt and cowboy boots, she ran toward the house.

When she jogged up the steps to the porch, Bear stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

The woman screamed, and would have fallen backward, if Bear hadn’t wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed her to his chest.

She struggled, kicked and cried out.

Bear held on, afraid she would trip and fall if he let go. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Either she couldn’t hear him or was too frightened to listen. She didn’t stop fighting until the porch light blinked on.

Hank slammed through the door, his wife, Sadie, on his heels. “What’s going on?”

The woman in Bear’s arms slowed her fight and glanced up.

“I don’t know,” Bear said, his arms clamping the wildcat’s arms to her sides. “This woman showed up like her world was on fire and ran toward the house. I blocked her path, and she tried to tear me apart.”

Sadie stepped out from behind Hank. Her eyes widened. “Mia?”

Bear’s captive sagged against him, and her entire body trembled.

“Oh, my God, Mia.” Sadie rushed forward.

Bear loosened his hold, but not all the way. As limp as the woman Sadie had called Mia had gone, he wasn’t certain she could stand.

Sadie pulled her from his arms and hugged her. “What happened?”

Mia buried her face against her friend’s chest, shook her head and continued to tremble.

“Bring her inside, Sadie,” Hank said, holding the door open.

Bear stepped away from the two women, feeling as if he’d kicked a puppy. “I’m sorry if I scared you.” He reached out to touch her shoulder.

Mia flinched and stepped sideways to avoid his touch.

“It’s okay,” Sadie soothed. “Let’s get you inside, and then you can tell us what happened.”

Bear was the last through the door. This Mia woman seemed pretty shaken by something, and he felt like he was part of the cause. The sooner he figured out what was going on, the better.

Sadie led Mia into the living room where she sat with her on the couch.

Bear stood at the entrance, not wanting to cause the lady any more distress. For some reason, she was afraid of him.

Sadie stroked Mia’s back and spoke soothingly to her, until Mia finally stopped shaking and straightened.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I didn’t come back to Eagle Rock to fall apart on your doorstep.”

“You know you’re welcome here, no matter what. And for the record, I wasn’t keen on you staying in your old house until you had it where you wanted it.” Sadie gave her a gentle smile. “Tell me what happened that scared you so badly.”

Mia glanced toward the darkened window and a tremor shook her body. “I was having a bad dream when something woke me.” She drew in a shaky breath and let it out. “I got up to check it out and went down the stairs. I found the back door to the kitchen wide open.”

Sadie’s brows dipped. “Could the wind have blown it open?”

Mia shook her head and looked at Sadie. “I locked all the doors and windows before I went to bed. Not only was the door open, the doorframe was splintered. Someone broke it open. And no, I’m not buying the ghost theory. Ghosts don’t break doorframes.”

Sadie’s frown deepened. “No. They don’t.” She pulled Mia into her arms. “I’m glad you came here. You can’t go back until you have the deadbolt fixed and a decent security system installed.”

Mia shook her head, her lips thinning into a straight line. “I have to go back. Whoever did this can’t get away with it. I refuse to let anyone scare me away from my family home. I’m tired of being the victim.”

Bear’s fists clenched into fists. The bullish frown on Mia’s face made him want to go after her demons as much as she wanted to.

Sadie gripped her friend’s arms. “What are you talking about?”

Mia’s chin lifted, even as tears filled her eyes again. She swiped at them with the back of her knuckles. “Did I tell you about the script I came to write?”

Sadie shook her head. “No.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Mia glanced around at the men in the room, as if in challenge. Then she turned to Sadie. “It’s about a woman who returns to her hometown thirteen years after she was brutally raped to find the man who did it to her.”

Sadie tilted her head to the side. A frown dug a line between her brows. “That’s a tough one to write.”

“Even tougher when it’s based on a true story.”

Sadie gasped. “Mia?”

The smaller woman nodded. “On my way home from school, thirteen years ago.”

Bear’s chest tightened. Mia couldn’t have been more than fifteen or sixteen at the time. What kind of animal would have done such a thing?

Sadie’s hand dropped to the swell of her belly. “Who?”

Mia shook her head. “I don’t know. He wore a ski mask. I never knew who did it.”

“Oh, my God.” Sadie’s eyes filled, and she pressed her hand to her mouth. “Was that at the end of the school year between your junior and senior year?”

Mia nodded.

“I wondered why you didn’t participate in anything that summer or during our senior year. Oh, sweet Jesus, Mia.” Sadie pulled her friend into her arms again and held her there. “You should have told someone.”

“I couldn’t,” Mia whispered. “I was so ashamed and scared.”

“Why didn’t your parents go to the police?”

Mia shrugged. “I told them I fell down a hill to explain the cuts and bruises. They even let me stay out of school the rest of that week.”

As Mia quietly told her story, Bear’s heart hurt for the girl she’d been. “That’s why you freaked out when I grabbed you.”

Mia glanced his way. “I’m sorry.”

“No.
I’m
sorry. I shouldn’t have held onto you. I thought you were an intruder. And then I was afraid you’d fall off the steps.”

Mia gave him a hint of a smile. “No intruder would have a chance against you. You’ve got one helluva grip.” She rubbed her arms.

Sadie glanced from Mia to Bear, and then up to her husband.

Bear’s eyes narrowed.

The couple exchanged a knowing look, and then Sadie said, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Hank nodded. “Mia, I have a proposition for you.”

Mia’s brows puckered. “What kind of proposition? If it’s to stay here with you two, my answer is no. You’ve got enough on your plate with a new business and a baby on the way.”

Hank held up a hand. “Though we’d love to have you live here, we know how determined you are to renovate your family home and get some writing done there.” He shot a glance toward Bear. “No, my proposition is that you hire a bodyguard to protect you while you’re doing that renovation.” Hank’s jaw tightened. “In the meantime, the rest of my team can work on finding the bastard who raped you thirteen years ago.”

Mia looked from Hank to Sadie and back. “I came back to Eagle Rock not just to write a script. It wasn’t until I started the script that I realized that, by not telling, the man who’d raped me was free to attack other women. I came back because I needed to make sure he wasn’t hurting anyone else.” She nodded. “Yes, I’d like to hire your team to investigate.”

“And protect you,” Sadie added.

Mia chewed on her lip. “I have a gun. I just haven’t had a chance to dig it out of my suitcase.”

“Do you know how to use it?” Hank asked.

“I do. I’ve been to the firing range many times, and I have a concealed carry license for the state of California.”

“Sweetie, I think that’s great,” Sadie said. “But you need someone who has your back until we find out who kicked in that door and who was responsible for the rape all those years ago.”

For a long moment, Mia stared into Sadie’s eyes. “All these years, I swore I wouldn’t let my fear run my life.”

“You’re not hiding anymore, Mia,” Hank said.

“You’re taking matters into your own hands,” Sadie said, running a soothing hand down Mia’s arm. “Hiring a bodyguard is just one way of doing that.”