Authors: Desiree Holt
He brushed his lips over hers then trailed soft kisses over
both cheeks.
“Condom,” he reminded her and eased himself from the wet
clasp of her body.
She lay in bed completely undone, her body lax and sated,
limp, as if she’d just run a marathon. The flex of muscle in his ass as he
walked to her bathroom and the ripple beneath the taut flesh of his back
mesmerized her. Her mouth watered just looking at him. She heard the sounds of
him disposing the condom in the bathroom and washing his hands. Then he was
back, striding toward her and climbing back into bed as if he did so every day.
He pulled her against his body, spooning her and resting his
chin on her head, his arms cradling her. “We have to talk.”
Her stomach knotted and her muscles tensed. She wasn’t sure
she wanted to hear what was on his mind. “I hate it when people say that. It
always means they’re about to tell me something I don’t like.”
He stroked her arm slowly, idly, a soothing touch. “I guess
it’s only bad depending on how you look at it.”
“Might as well let me have it then.” She bit her lip,
determined not to be upset no matter what he said.
For a long moment he was silent, an absence of sound that
had an ominous feel to it. When he spoke, his voice was flat, toneless, as if
the words were difficult for him to get out.
“You should know I haven’t been with a woman since the death
of my wife five years ago.”
Some of the pain he felt stabbed into her.
“I didn’t intend to ever be with anyone else,” he continued.
“Felicia was the love of my life. Of my heart. When she died, I felt as if my
heart was cut out and replaced by a well of pain. That agony and the
determination to find the abomination that killed her have kept me going all
this time.”
She moved slightly in his arms. “Dante,” she began, “we don’t
have to—”
“Wait. Listen.” He lifted one hand and touched his fingers
to her lips, a signal to be silent. “I feel as if I owe you an apology.”
“For off-the-charts sex?” She frowned. “Is this where you
tell me it was all a mistake?”
“Yes. No. It was unexpected but not—” He paused. “
Definitely
not
a mistake. At least for me.”
Her body relaxed a tiny fraction.
“Me either.” She almost whispered it. “Dante, I don’t
usually do this.” She stifled a hysterical giggle. “I don’t mean having sex. I
do. Have sex, that is. I mean—”
“I know what you mean.”
She felt the muscles of his face move against her hair as
his mouth curved in a smile. At least he was smiling, thank god.
“But it was like this unbelievable, unstoppable—”
“Yes,” he interrupted. “That and more. I have no idea how
this happened between us, where this…this…
whatever
it is came from. The
smartest thing I can do for both of us is tell our team leader someone else
needs to lead this mission and take myself out of it.”
No!
“You feel disloyal to Felicia,” she guessed. “You want to distance
yourself from me.” Just the thought made her sick.
“No,” he continued, “I’m the idiot who
isn’t
going to
do that. Listen, Regan, I feel like I’m drowning in strange waters here. I have
to warn you that in many ways, I’m still a basket case. I never intended or
expected to be with a woman again. I don’t know what I have to give to another
person. I don’t want you to be hurt while I’m stumbling my way through whatever
this is.”
Regan shifted position so she faced him. “This blindsided me
too, Dante.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I don’t know how to deal with
all of it. My brother is dead, my best friend is missing, and up until a few
minutes ago, that’s all I’ve been able to focus on. I’m not usually
so—responsive.”
He brushed his lips across her forehead. “And I haven’t felt
anything like this for more than five years.”
“I’m not even sure what I feel,” she told him, rubbing the
tip of a finger across his lips. “This is…was… I can’t even find the words. But
I’ve always been a fatalist. Whatever happens, happens, okay?”
“Okay.” One corner of his moth hitched up in a half-smile.
“We’ll focus on the situation at hand. The reason I came to see you in the
first place.”
“Fine by me.” Her lips turned up in a tiny grin. “As long as
we don’t have to forget about the sex.”
He laughed, and the sound was rusty, as if it hadn’t been
used in a long time. Then he pulled her tight to his body, his hands moving
over her in a smooth caress. “Jesus, Regan. It’s like I lost my mind there. I
can’t even explain it.”
“Same here. So maybe like we just said, we should take it as
it comes. Put it in the backseat, so to speak, until we find the answers to the
Chupacabra mystery and hopefully recover Lisa.”
“I agree. We need to focus on the task at hand and maybe
sort all this out after.”
“After,” she agreed, and forced herself to pull away from
him. “Meanwhile, I have something I really have to tell you and I’d feel better
discussing it with our clothes on.”
As she moved to sit up and swing her legs over the side of
the bed, Dante pulled her back to him for one last kiss. It was almost her
undoing. For a brief moment she was tempted to say
to hell with it
and
scramble back beneath the covers with the man. But there were things he needed
to know before this went any further. Things that might change how he felt or
how he looked at her and this situation.
So she forced herself to her feet and pulled a t-shirt and
sweats from one of her drawers.
“I think that coffee’s cold by now,” she joked. “But there’s
a whole pot. Let’s sit at the kitchen table.”
Although he was pushing sixty-five, Dan Hammond still liked
to ride fences on his ranch and check the herds in the pastures. It pleased him
that his sons had the same love of ranching he did. They had even managed to
marry women who loved ranching. When he finally decided to hang up his spurs,
he knew the Bar H would be in good hands.
But he wasn’t even close to being ready for that. Dan
Hammond prided himself on staying in good shape and, unlike too many of his friends,
he took good care of his health. So hours in the saddle riding his land were
almost a walk in the park for him.
Today, he, his sons and the hands that worked for them were
moving the huge herd from the north pastures, where they summered, closer in for
the winter. Already they had driven the cattle down from the high meadows. Now
they were herding them across the intermediate areas to the pastures close to
the barns, where fresh hay waited for them. Once that was done, the arduous
process of cutting and baling the hay in the farther pastures would begin, the
bales stored in the barns for the cold months. If snow covered the land, the
cattle would still be fed, the hay supplemented with a special feed.
The ranch wasn’t huge by Texas standards, but it wasn’t
small either. The average herd ran five thousand head. They had weathered the
fluctuating prices of beef, and two years ago a drought that had them digging
deep into the aquifer for water. But their cattle were healthy and they charged
a fair price for them.
As each of the boys (he still had a hard time thinking of
them as men) married, Dan had given them parcels of land on which to build
their own homes. They were close enough for comfort and far enough apart for
privacy.
Yes, he thought, it was a good life. A very good life.
The thunder of hooves drew his attention and he pulled up
his horse to watch as the men drove the first of the herd into the pasture,
where he waited. He’d checked every bit of fence line and it was secure. Once
this section was filled, he’d make sure the gates were locked and move into the
adjoining area. This was an all-day job but one that never ceased to excite
him. The smell of the cattle. The fragrance of the hay. All the scents that
belong to a ranch were the best perfume in the world to him.
Despite the loud noise of the cattle, an unfamiliar sound
caught his ear and he turned in his saddle.
Racing across the wide pasture was a dog, and not one of
theirs.
Ranch dogs, if they were allowed out into the meadows, were
trained specifically to help with the herding. This dog, besides being a
different breed than those at the Bar H, was racing around and yapping wildly
and spooking the cattle.
Dan urged his horse forward. As he approached the hound, he
yanked his Stetson from his head and waved it at the animal.
“Yah!” he yelled. “Scat. Scram.”
The dog continued to bark but when the horse got close, the
animal suddenly stopped yapping and raced away for the closest thicket of
trees.
Dan clapped his hat back on his head and drew in a breath,
then wrinkled his nose.
Turpentine? Did he smell turpentine?
He headed over to his oldest son, Ron, who had just ridden
in through the far gate. “Do you know whose damn dog that is?” he asked.
Ron shook his head. “Never saw it before in my life. In fact
he spooked our own hounds, who were helping us guide the herd.”
“I don’t know how the hell he got in here.” Dan stared
toward where the animal had run off. “Send one of the men to look for it. Be
sure to chase it off our land.”
“I’ll do my best, Dad. Let me just finish getting this part
of the herd settled.”
Dan nodded but he sat on his horse for a moment longer. Not
only did he not know where the critter had come from but—and it was the
damnedest thing—what was with that strong scent of turpentine? Had it run away
from a construction site? He wasn’t aware of any close enough to the ranch.
He urged his horse to a leisurely trot, moving to the side
as the brown undulating tide rolled into the pasture.
His younger son, Russ, rode up next to him. “Where’s Ron?”
“I sent him off chasing some damn dog that got in here. You
ever seen a stray dog around here before?”
Russ shook his head. “No. I’d have gotten rid of it for
sure. Can’t have untrained mutts spooking the cattle. It’s hard enough chasing
the strays with dogs who know what to do.”
“Funny, though.” He rubbed his chin. “I could swear the damn
thing smelled like turpentine.”
Russ laughed. “Dad, you’re imagining things. Come on. Let’s
finish getting these cattle into the pasture.”
“I don’t know. For a minute, I thought it might have come
from a construction site but there aren’t any near us at the moment that I know
of.” He shrugged. “Maybe it belongs to a painter.”
“I guess that’s possible. You know, a lot of people put
their dogs in the bed of their pickups. Maybe that’s what this one was doing
and just jumped out and took off when the truck stopped. Although you’d think
someone would be looking for it.”
At that moment, Ron came riding back out of the trees. He
reined in his horse when he got close to his father and brother.
“Did you get it?” Dan asked.
His son shook his head. “No. And it’s the damnedest thing. I
chased it through those trees for a ways but when we got out into the open
meadow? The stupid dog just disappeared.”
Dan frowned. “Disappeared? Where could it go? Are you sure
it’s not hiding in those woods? I don’t want to leave the cattle until I know
it’s gone.”
“I’m telling you, it’s nowhere to be seen.”
“Let’s just keep an eye out, okay?” He unhooked the small
radio from his belt that he and all the hands wore. “Look sharp, everyone.
There’s a stray dog running around somewhere. If you see it, make sure to chase
it out of the fence line and off the property.”
The radio crackled as everyone responded.
“All right.” Dan sighed. “Let’s get back to what we were
doing.”
But as he rode toward the mass of cattle, he felt a cold
finger scratching at his spine and he couldn’t stop looking over his shoulder.
* * * * *
The devil beast stopped at a rocky outcropping, panting,
experiencing something totally foreign. In humans it was called fear, but this
creature had no knowledge of emotions. It only knew self-preservation had given
its legs wings.
The prey the Chupacabra sought was plentiful in this area,
but it was surrounded by creatures that could demolish the beast with their
sheer size. The signals in its brain had programmed it to travel here in a
different form, and the sight of so many quarries made it salivate.
But there was a problem. It was still terrified by the
creatures swarming over the land; huge living things moving like a river of
flesh across the open spaces. Why had it even been sent here if those strange
things were present? In one of its other forms, the creature had done its best
to chase them away, but they’d only made frightening sounds and nearly trampled
it to death.
The brain of the Chupacabra was programmed to fear any
living creature over a certain size, and even more than the slow-moving ones
that appeared in great numbers, it was terrified of those beasts its two-legged
prey sat atop. Those things had the light of the devil in their eyes. Its prey
had given chase sitting atop one of those massive creatures, the thing’s long,
powerful legs thundering on the ground, making it shake.
The devil beast had barely escaped to safety.
Seeking shelter and protection, the beast had finally found
an ideal hiding place in a hollowed-out area of a rocky hill, at the edge of
one of the meadows. Anyone passing by wouldn’t even give the spot a second
glance. The opening looked as if someone had sliced into the rock with a
sideways swipe. Once it crawled inside, it was invisible to the world. And with
the trees so close, it wasn’t exactly on a well-traveled path, neither for
animals nor humans.
Now the creature huddled in the hollow of the rocks, tired
from its journey from the previous location and the transformations it had gone
through. Its thirst and its hunger had been temporarily slaked, but its brain
was sending signals to its body. Before too many more hours passed it would
need to hunt and feed again. At least on small prey. But right now it wasn’t
leaving its spot until it was sure the massive beasts were all gone.
The Chupacabra curled into its dark hiding place, closed its
eyes and willed itself to sleep.
* * * * *
It was after eight thirty when Dante punched in the code for
the electronic gate and drove up the long driveway to the house at Desolation
Ranch. Regan’s revelation about her brother’s research was still swirling
around in his brain. When he’d called the ranch and relayed it all to Ric, he’d
been just as shocked.
“He was doing it very quietly,” Ric said. “As much as we’ve
been digging for information I should have come across
that
. Somewhere.
Somehow.”
“I’m bringing her back to the house with me. Along with
Chinese. We haven’t eaten.”
“Bring enough for everyone,” Ric told him. “I think this
discussion is going to work up our appetites.”
Now he parked his SUV in the wide gravel parking area and
honked the horn.
“Is that like some kind of announcement that you’re here?”
Regan wanted to know.
“Sort of. It means I’ve got stuff to carry in so they’d
better get their asses out here.”
He was pleased to see a tiny smile on her face. The entire
time they’d sat at her kitchen table while she’d related everything about Reed’s
project, the mood was somber. He even saw fear in her eyes, a not-unexpected
emotion, all things considered. He had a sense she was still holding something
back, but he didn’t know what or how to coax it out of her. One minute he felt
as if she was ready to tell him, the next she’d shoved it back into a mental
corner. Weird. Maybe it had to do with the big leather satchel she’d dragged
out of her bedroom at the last minute. Before tonight ended, he’d find out what
secrets it held.
The door to the house opened and Mark, Jonah and Chloe came
out to help with the boxes and the food. They smiled when he introduced Regan
and shook hands with her before loading up. They were very cordial and
welcoming, although why wouldn’t they be? Ric had cleared her visit so everyone
should be okay with it.
Still, he caught the members exchanging brief glances of
curiosity. Did they think, because he was such a loner, it was strange seeing
him with a woman, even if she was part of the case?
Don’t make a big deal out of this and no one else will.
Although she was more than happy to pass off her brother’s
boxes of stuff, Regan insisted on lugging her satchel in herself. By the time
they’d hauled everything else into the war room and stacked it on the long
conference table, Dakota and Chloe had brought out paper plates and napkins
from the kitchen. As the other members of the team assembled, Dante introduced
each one to Regan. He noticed that while she gave each of them a firm
handshake, she made sure to stay close to him. He couldn’t help the small
measure of satisfaction that gave him.
Finally they were all seated, including the new additions,
Randi and Ben. Cold drinks were distributed and everyone was passing around
cartons of Chinese food. Dante was pleased to note that, despite their agreement
to ignore what had happened between them for now, Regan had slid her chair so
close to his, their thighs were touching.
He ate quickly then draped one arm casually across the back
of her chair, lightly resting it against her shoulders. She didn’t shrug it
off. He could’ve chalked up the fine tremor running through her to nerves. Yet
despite what they’d agreed upon, the electricity still hummed between them. He
had no idea what he was going to do about it going forward. Apparently his
self-control needed a lot of work. Still, he had to admit to himself, he couldn’t
turn away.
If anyone at the table noticed the sexual energy vibrating
between them they were polite enough to ignore it. They were busy eating,
talking, getting out their tablets. Ric moved one of the keyboards to the table
and punched codes in with one hand, expertly wielding chopsticks with the
other. The conversation was low-key and friendly until the edge had been taken
off everyone’s appetites. Dante noticed that Regan hadn’t put the leather
satchel with the boxes of Reed’s research. Instead she’d set it on the floor
between her feet.
He’d give a lot to know what kind of treasure she felt
necessary to keep so close.
Ric finished his food, swallowed his last sip of soda, wiped
his hands and leaned forward on his elbows.
“Okay, Regan Fortune. Dante says you have a story to tell us
and insisted he needed to bring you here.” He waved at the stack of boxes.
“Along with whatever’s contained in all these. Just to be clear, and without
sounding inhospitable, you should know we don’t usually bring people here. This
place is not for eyes outside the team.”
“And I wouldn’t have done it,” Dante told him, “if I didn’t
think it was important. You know that. We’re here because you gave the okay.”
Dante looked around the table. “Where’s Craig? Did he leave? I wanted him to
hear this too.”
“He got a call and had the pilot get the chopper ready. He
left about ten minutes before you called.”
“Then you can put all this in a report to him.” He squeezed
Regan’s shoulder slightly. “Go ahead,” he urged. “Tell your story.”
“I know you must all be wondering what these boxes are
about.” She pointed to the stack on the table. “I also have a lot of
information on
this
.” She pulled a flash drive from her purse and placed
it on the table. “I went to my brother’s place and copied files from his
computer when I heard he was…when he—” She stopped. Swallowed.