Dream Specter

DREAM SPECTER An Ellora’s Cave Publication, December 2004

Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc. 1337 Commerce Drive, #13 Stow, OH 44224

ISBN MS Reader (LIT) ISBN # 1-4199-0060-9 Other available formats (no ISBNs are assigned): Adobe (PDF), Rocketbook (RB), Mobipocket (PRC) & HTML

DREAM SPECTER © 2004 MARY WINE

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. They are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

Edited by Pamela Cohen. Cover art by Syneca.

Warning:

The following material contains graphic sexual content meant for mature readers. Dream Specter has been rated S-ensuous by a minimum of three independent reviewers.

Ellora’s Cave Publishing offers three levels of Romantica™ reading entertainment: S (S-ensuous), E (E-rotic), and X (X-treme).

S-ensuous love scenes are explicit and leave nothing to the imagination. E-rotic love scenes are explicit, leave nothing to the imagination, and are high in volume per the overall word count. In addition, some E-rated titles might contain fantasy material that some readers find objectionable, such as bondage, submission, same sex encounters, forced seductions, and so forth. E-rated titles are the most graphic titles we carry; it is common, for instance, for an author to use words such as “fucking”, “cock”, “pussy”, and such within their work of literature. X-treme titles differ from E-rated titles only in plot premise and storyline execution. Unlike E-rated titles, stories designated with the letter X tend to contain controversial subject matter not for the faint of heart.

Dream Specter Mary Wine

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Playboy: Playboy Enterprises International, Inc.

Chapter One

There were witches on the mountain. Everyone knew that. Roshelle might have only been eight years old, but she knew about the witches. Johnny Murray said the sheriff was the only man brave enough to go up on the mountain at night. Johnny was twelve and he knew a lot of things. Shuffling her feet, Roshelle took another hesitant step. She was on the very edge of her grandmother’s property. One more step would put her onto the mountain. With the witches. Looking at the trees in front of her, Roshelle didn’t even see a rabbit move. She had lived with Abba for a whole year and never seen anyone else. She wished Abba were here now. No, she didn’t, because that would be cheating. Winning a dare didn’t mean anything if you cheated. Johnny dared her to go up onto Witch Mountain and bring back his baseball hat he’d lost when he’d been chased away by one of the witches. He had told her right where to look for it. If she didn’t get the hat, she couldn’t play on Johnny’s soccer team and everyone knew his team was the best ever. Roshelle was the best girl player in school, but everyone on Johnny’s team had passed a dare. At least she didn’t have to go at night. Straightening her shoulders, she moved towards the ravine where the cap was. Ten minutes later, Roshelle lifted the hat from where it lay half-covered in mud. Johnny was sure brave to have come up here alone. But so was she, and now she was going to show those boys that a girl was good enough for their team! Her joy evaporated in an instant. Someone was watching her. Her eyes searched the forest. The

feeling was always right. Roshelle didn’t know how to describe the feeling, but she knew wasn’t alone. Turning around, Roshelle stopped when the feeling came again. Now she was facing whoever was watching her. She wasn’t sure what to do. Abba always said to introduce yourself. “I’m Roshelle.” Her voice drifted away with the wind. Her eyes watched, but nothing moved. Crossing her arms across her chest, Roshelle waited. It was impolite to ignore an introduction. Abba had told her so. The boy dropped from one of the tree branches. He landed perfectly on his feet with just a slight bend at the knees to break the impact of his landing. Roshelle felt her mouth form into a round expression of wonder. He had bright emerald green eyes. The witches had green eyes… Only these were very nice eyes and he looked more like a boy instead of what Roshelle thought a witch should look like. “You knew I was there.” Roshelle nodded her head. She was hoping that he wouldn’t ask her how she knew. Her mother had made her promise never to tell anyone about her sspecial feelings. Roshelle couldn’t break a promise to her mama. “I’m Roshelle Marie Everitt. Do you want to be my friend?” “You’re a girl.” Sticking her lower lip out, Roshelle propped her hands onto her hips. She was better than any boy! She was even talking to one of the witches! The boy was very tall with devil black hair, just like Johnny said. She wasn’t afraid of him and she would tell him so! “I’m not afraid of you!” A smile split the boy’s face in response. “You should be.” He turned and walked away up the mountainside. Roshelle watched him until the trees hid him from her sight. He was a very rude boy. He had never introduced himself. ***** It was strange how a memory could come up and interrupt a person’s thoughts for apparently no reason. Letting herself out onto the back porch of her grandmother’s house, Roshelle took a moment to look up to the mountain. The Campbell family lived up there. Roshelle shook her head at her own gullibility to have believed the stories about Witch Mountain. Maybe she would take a walk up to the ravine tomorrow just for the fun of it.

She ran a finger over the smooth surface of the kitchen counter. The house was as clean as a church kitchen, but it was also as silent as a confessional. Her shoes made the slightest sound as she moved from room to room. She pulled the shades open and forced the stubborn latches of the windows open. The forest sounds rushed into the house along with the sweet fresh mountain air. Roshelle pulled it into her lungs and smiled. Home. What an under-appreciated little word. Well, she certainly valued it now! Benton County was home. There was no place she’d rather lay her head each night. The house almost seemed pleased to once again be used. Roshelle turned to the task of unpacking. Her car was stuffed with every single possession she owned. Roshelle set a determined pace to empty it. She stopped a moment and looked into the master bedroom. Her grandmother’s hand-crocheted bedspread was neatly tucked and folded over the double bed. Lord, how she missed Abba. Forcing her smile back onto her face, Roshelle mentally scolded herself. Abba lived a long, full life. It had simply been the lady’s time. The years Roshelle had spent away seemed the greatest loss, but Abba would have blistered her ears if she’d heard her lamenting her time at University. Doctor Roshelle Marie Everitt. Her grandmother had almost burst with pride on graduation day! And now she was home. Roshelle planned to settle into Benton County and live a long, full life just the way her grandparents did, right here in this house. The pealing bell tones of her phone interrupted her amusement. “Dr. Everitt.” The Tri-County Medical Center desk nurse informed her that Jennifer London had gone into labor with her first child. Roshelle issued a few quick questions to ensure that it wasn’t a false alarm before hanging the phone up. She loved delivering babies, and her very first patient in Benton County seemed eager for her services. ***** “You are the worst doctor in the world!” “Push, Jennifer.” “It hurts too much! You have to do something to help me!” Another contraction captured the complete attention of the mother-to-be. Her husband stood by unsure as to just what to do for his laboring wife. “You can do it, Honey. I love you so much!”

“I hate you! You’re a dog! This is entirely your fault! I hope you like the sofa because you are going to be sleeping on it for the rest of your life! I want more pain medication, so get a doctor in here that didn’t get their degree from a mail-order catalog!” Roshelle compressed her lips. First babies were always the most traumatizing. “Here we go, Jennifer, one more time!” Jennifer put herself into the next push and was rewarded with a screaming bundle protesting its eviction from its warm nest. Roshelle efficiently cleared the infant’s airways. The healthy wail of the baby girl brought a smile to everyone present in the delivery room. “Robert, I love you so much!” Two hours later Roshelle headed her car for home. She left the new family to the business of getting acquainted. Lucky for her the medical center was only a twenty-mile drive from her home. It was well after two in the morning, and Roshelle was eagerly anticipating a date with her pillow. Even as tired as she was, Roshelle reacted instantly to the man that ran into the road in front of her car. He just walked from the forest without even glancing to see if there was oncoming traffic. Hitting the brakes only served to slow her vehicle down, she was powerless to stop. The impact of machine and flesh came with a dull thump. The man rolled up and over her car to land in the road behind her. Roshelle jammed the car into park before pushing her door open and jumping out of the car. Her victim lay on the pavement with a stillness that caused her heart to constrict. Her fingers found the steady pulse in the column of his neck. She moved her hands over his limbs in search of breaks. His eyes flew open before she finished her assessment. “Relax…” He surged upwards from the pavement and brutally flipped her body backwards. Her body slammed into the asphalt with painful force. A knee was jammed across her chest as he leaned enough of his body weight into her chest to cause her to struggle for every breath she drew. One huge hand closed around her neck. Struggling to draw air into her lungs, Roshelle attempted to force her panic aside. The ease that he threw her over with said he could crush her neck with that single hand. He was drawing rapid breaths as he bent his head down to study her. In the dark his face was nothing more than angles and shadows. The fingers that encircled her throat suddenly became red-hot with pain. It snaked through the five points of contact and straight into her brain. In that single second she felt more exposed than she had ever experienced in her twenty-six years of life. His eyes bore down into her own as she felt the wave wash over her mind before she lost her grip on awareness. Sitting back on his haunches, Jared contemplated the female that was stretched out on the road. Reaching out he felt along her neck to confirm that he hadn’t done irreparable damage to her body. The steady throb of life met with his approval before he hoisted her body onto his shoulder.

“What happened to her?” “You’re late.” Jared issued his opinion as more of a judgment to the men that emerged from the darkness. Further comment was interrupted as a truck pulled around the bend in the road. The headlamps lit the scene to near daylight. Jared half-turned and waited for the two occupants of the vehicle to approach him. The men behind him snapped to sharp attention. The new arrivals returned the briefest of salutes before they dismissed the other men present. “She alive?” The question was asked with the barest of emotion. “Yes. This team is inadequate.” An unpleasant look entered both men’s eyes as they noted the men in question. There was no room for shortcomings here. Mistakes were often paid for with lives. Tonight they had gotten lucky. ***** “No! It is not for sale!” The receiver was dropped back onto the cradle with a loud clunk. Roshelle jumped as the sound set off another wave of pain through her head. She just didn’t understand it. Every single fiber of her body ached. She didn’t even remember arriving home yesterday. The clock told her that she had slept for fifteen hours, yet she felt more bone weary than she had when she had begun the drive home from the hospital. But it was the dream that was truly bothering her. She could actually feel the emotions of the dream. It played over and over inside her mind with crystal clearness. Yet she awakened in her own bed so it had to be just the actions of her brain. Nothing seemed to help lift the fog from her head. It was an effort to even keep her eyes open. Having the Huntley law firm call with yet another insistent offer for her grandmother’s property just made her head ache all that much more. Roshelle would never sell the house that her grandfather built with his own hands. Hacked out of the forest, the four-bedroom home had seen three generations of her family raised up inside its walls. The increasing level of impatience that Clark Huntley was using was really beginning to rub her raw. Couldn’t the man take a hint? Roshelle was home to stay. She had a job and a home. She would think the man would notice that she was making herself quite clear. “Well, it’s never going to be for sale!” Raising her hand to her forehead, Roshelle rubbed at the pain. Admitting defeat she turned back towards her bedroom. She certainly hoped that she felt better in the morning. ***** Moving on silent feet, Jared stood beside her bed, running his eyes over her body. Her breathing deepened into slow, even breaths as her body relaxed into the deep slumber it needed. Even though she’d only managed to stay on her feet for a few hours, he was impressed.

Probing her mind had been a reflex, born from finding her hands on him in those first few seconds of consciousness. He’d been focused on a trail or he’d been able to recognize her for what she was, a civilian. Jared considered the dark circles that ringed her eyes. His probe had been blunt, sending her body into shock from the trauma. Everything about her looked fragile—from her soft skin, to the gentle curves of her hips. Even her bed looked soft. She’d changed into some flowing bit of nightdress. The material was lying over her body in a delicate wave of ripples. His hand reached for the fabric and let it slip over just the tips of his fingers. So very delicate and feminine. Sitting on the bed, Jared let their minds mingle. There was an odd ease to it. He was acutely aware of her. It went beyond his psychic abilities. His body joined his mind in the awareness of his new neighbor. Letting his fingers drift lightly along the curve of her face, he smiled as the skin to skin contact registered. His nerve endings were alight with sensation. She muttered softly turning towards his hand. His palm cupped her cheek as a wave of arousal hit him. It was a steady throb of need that traveled towards his sex. Abruptly Jared stood up. His blood was pulsing with a tempo that promised him a long night. His staff rose to stiff attention as he let his eyes travel over her soft breasts once more. The nipples were little beads now, lifting the soft fabric of the nightdress to display their tips to him. The inexperience of his team caused her to become a factor. Making sure his little neighbor recovered was a job he felt compelled to do, but contemplating her body was proving a very annoying distraction. That was too bad. It wasn’t every day that a man got such a delightful new neighbor.

Chapter Two

“There now, you look beautiful.” Twisting her lips into a crooked line, Roshelle aimed a hard look at her friend. “You shouldn’t lie like that. People talk, you know.” Christina regarded her critic before giving a toss of her blonde head. Maybe Roshelle wasn’t the prettiest package under the Christmas tree, but in her opinion she was the best-kept secret in Benton County. Roshelle Marie Everitt had a heart of solid gold and was absolutely the best friend that a woman could ever have. “You look wonderful. The men don’t have a prayer tonight.” Catching sight of her reflection, Roshelle marveled at the piece of perfection that Christina had created out of her hair. Roshelle’s own attempts at hairstyling began with a hairbrush and ended with the ability to braid. Currently her hair was French braided into a standing cornet with wisps of ringlets that framed her neck. An old style, but coupled with the Civil War era ballgown that she’d chosen to wear for tonight’s dance,

it was the crowning touch. “Come on, let’s go!” The sun was just setting and no one wanted to be late for the first dance set. Civil War dances at Jennings Mill had been one thing that she sorely missed while away at school. During the day the hundred-yard area of grass was transformed into a mock battlefield. People from all walks of life would drop the modern world and load up black powder rifles for the theatrical display. Once the sun set, the ladies would lay claim to the area. A hoop skirt covered by ruffles dripping with lace was the dress of choice. The number of ladies was less than that of the men, so it almost guaranteed that a woman would leave the evening feeling just a bit more appreciated than when she arrived. Christina timed their arrival to the second the lead fiddler was just lifting his bow. The two women glided to a stop at the edge of the dance floor. Numerous men extended their hands out to Christina. The flirtatious blonde gave them a saucy little smile before placing her hand out to her partner of choice. Leading his prize away, Roshelle was certain that Kevin Gilmore was standing at least two inches taller than when he approached them. Now that Christina was lost to them, the expectant men turned their attention onto Roshelle. She and Christina had been friends since grade school, and some things just never changed. Some woman had brilliant plumage and others had their wit. “Don’t you ever get tired?” Christina asked some time later. Roshelle simply fluttered her eyelashes as she accepted yet another partner. “You always could dance me off the floor!” Christina leaned over and bestowed a quick kiss onto Roshelle’s cheek before she made her way off of the field. Several men flocked behind her in an attempt to get her to change her mind. It had been six long years since her last dance at Jennings Mill and Roshelle intended to dance every single polka and waltz until the fiddlers ran out of whiskey. The cups didn’t run dry ‘til two in the morning. Christina had long since melted away on the arm of her latest escort. Her feet still tapping, Roshelle made her way along the dirt path that would lead her to the single-room cabin that her grandfather had built into the “rebel camp”. As far as historical reenacting went, having a cabin with a rope-strung bed was the lap of luxury. The majority of the participants owned canvas tents that needed to be set up and packed down for every event. A good number of the men made do with bedrolls that they would lay out on the battlefield as soon as the dancers relinquished it. Settling down into the bedding, Roshelle drifted off to sleep with the night’s music floating across her mind. The dream caught her in its hold, brutally shattering the beauty of her peaceful rest. There was more this time. She could see herself running towards him, his body lay flat on his back on the road. She felt the contact of her fingers on unresponsive flesh before she found herself held beneath him. The strength of his body was powerful but the force of his mind was devastating. He reached down into her soul with

frightening precision. Her mind rebelled from the remembered trauma, thrusting her up into consciousness to escape from the specter of her nightmare. Pressing her palm to the frantic throbbing beneath her breast, Roshelle firmly attempted to school her thoughts to order. It was a dream, nothing but the illusions of her subconscious brain. Influenced by countless movies, it was creating its own version of fictional terror. So why did she feel him? There was no face in her dream just shadows washed with moonlight, but she could feel him. Dreams could often seem real, but the feelings would fade as conscious thought resumed. Now that she was awake, he was more completely real than when she slept. His essence floated along her skin causing the nerves to prickle in response. Roshelle ran her fingers over the tiny bumps and felt another shiver shake her body. It was followed by several more as she struggled to unravel her dream. Sweet angels of heaven, what had happened to her that night? ***** Roshelle’s determination to probe the memory disturbed more than just her own sleep. Jared’s eyes snapped open in instant awareness; he flipped himself up onto his feet before thinking better of the action. A man would be wise to remember that any sudden movement made while sleeping with a group of Army Rangers was a good invitation to get shot, stabbed or at the very least get a major bone broken. The muttered chastisements were harsh but expected. Jared acknowledged them as his due and watched his unit settle back to sleep. Laying back down, he looked up into the night sky. He could feel her. More interesting he had heard her. Jared wasn’t a telepath. Yet in those few moments he clearly heard and felt her every emotion. That was odd. He had a talent for finding people. Passed on from his mother, his psychic talent could lead him to any target he held enough personal property of. It was a skill he’d spent years perfecting. She should not remember their encounter. Jared had touched others that deeply before. None of them recalled it. Their minds simply refused to yield the information of his invasion to their conscious minds. Dr. Roshelle Marie Everitt was a psychic. The corners of his mouth twitched up as he considered her. They were linked together from his probing of her mind. She shied away from the link, trying to block any further contact. Her tenacity amused him. Shrugging his shoulders, Jared settled his frame against the ground he was laying on. His eyes moved over the surrounding forest with a practiced assessment. He picked out the tiny details of the night. The trees gently moving with the breeze, the scent of rain coming in from the ocean, and the very interesting

touch of a female. Jared felt her probe as it searched for him. She was shifting among the fragments of her memory looking for him. Sensation erupted along his spine. Her curiosity was acutely arousing. Coupled with his very clear memory of her soft flesh, Jared shifted again, as his clothing became too constricting. He lifted an eyebrow at her persistence to find him. Reaching out, he connected with her mind completely. In that moment they were almost a single entity and every sensation was shared. Jared felt his body erupt into a riot of reaction as his little neighbor very precisely reached back towards his invasion. That woman was not what she appeared to be. Jared considered their meeting and found his mouth turning down. It was just possible that she did not collide with him by accident. Benton County was wonderfully remote. The mountains that made up the majority of it provided the perfect base for his team. The odds of a high-level psychic just showing up on his doorstep were very slim. The slightest possibility was too great a risk for him to chance. Despite the fact that she was strong enough to retrieve the information from her mind, she was no match for him on a psychic level. Jared swallowed his distaste. Sometimes the most effective traps held the best bait. Just what was a high-level psychic doing on a remote road in the early morning hours? The skid marks left on the asphalt confirmed that she could easily have killed him but had applied the brakes to keep it from happening. Was that by coincidence or design? Pushing to his feet, Jared left on silent steps. He needed to be closer to find his answers. He didn’t bother to announce his departure. The previous team had found themselves replaced because they couldn’t keep pace with the unit’s operative. If these men couldn’t keep up with him, they would find themselves reassigned as well. When he was tracking, their job was to support him, not the opposite way around. His talents were the best, but they required absolute focus. A man slept light in the field or he often woke up dead. ***** Summer just smelled good! There was nothing quite so sweet as the smell of strawberries as you picked them. Roshelle slid her hands gently under the green foliage in search of the ripe berries. As long as she could remember, this patch of strawberries had been yielding fruit. Year after year she and her grandmother would spend time every day picking the berries. Harvesting another plump berry, she lifted it to her face, inhaling its fragrance before taking a bite from it. When she had been a child, she would shove the entire piece of fruit into her mouth. Now she took the time to enjoy it a bite at a time. The next afternoon breeze brought a sense of anxiety to her. Roshelle lifted her head as she studied the

surrounding forest. A shiver traveled down her spine as she looked for any hint that she wasn’t alone. The sunlight sparkled down through the pine needles and not even a dry leaf crunched. Returning her attention to the plants, Roshelle shook her head. The nightmares were now invading her waking hours as well. The way her skin shivered was just so very intense. She had to find a way to push it out of her mind. It just couldn’t be real. He couldn’t be real. Jared considered his target. His body was tight with awareness as he watched her. There was an almost hypnotic pull radiating from her. Twenty paces downwind he caught the slight scent of her body. His brain instantly identified it. He remembered all too well the pleasant weight of her body over his shoulder. It’d been too long since he’d had a woman. The way this one aroused him confirmed that. Jared forced his mind into sharp focus. There was a valid reason for his observation of her today and the soft shape of her backside wasn’t it. But she had a sweet bottom. It was really too bad she was a civilian. She rose to her feet and hauled her basket with her. Jared moved closer as she moved into the small cabin. It was time for a small test. Roshelle busied herself with washing and removing the tops of the strawberries. There was a calming normalcy involved with the task. The knife she held dropped from her fingers as feeling snaked across her mind. The precise probing of her inner thoughts was unmistakable. He was looking for her. His image rose up into perfect shape as she felt him move inside her mind. It was an invasion. Her simplest thought lay exposed to this…specter. Roshelle could feel the nightmare creature as he slowly devoured her ability to think as a single person. Instead her deepest person lay exposed to his mind. Setting her lips together, Roshelle used every bit of will she had to thrust the invader out. No! He had no right! The methodical probing of her thoughts was too intimate to endure. Roshelle drew herself into tight control before thrusting a solid door shut to keep her invader at bay. Jared raised an eyebrow at her rejection. His face set into hard lines as he digested the results of his test. She had failed. ***** Roshelle found herself lingering over the process of getting ready for bed. It was late. Well past a sensible time for her to be asleep. She checked the front door for a third time before she slapped her hand down onto it in frustration. Never, never had she been afraid in this house! Turning on her heel she marched straight to her bedroom. He would not destroy her grandmother’s house. It was her home and she refused to live in fear. Pulling the covers back, Roshelle settled her body into the mattress. The dream came again. Roshelle knew it would.

She had never felt such urgency before. Her visions usually brought contentment, or at the very least closure. This time the difference was stark. Roshelle sought the truth of this vision with a determination that was born of desperation. She still balanced on the border of fear, but drove herself forward in the hope that whatever she found would be more bearable than the unknown. This time she heard his body as her car connected with it. The horror of injuring another human being sickened her, despite her knowledge that she had not killed him. Adrenaline flooded her body as she moved forward in her effort to assist her victim. His pulse throbbed under her fingers, and she clearly felt the impact as her body was brutally forced beneath his. Once again Roshelle found herself bolting upwards from her bed. Her heart raced and she felt the prickle along her skin, but she remembered. Now it was there, yet she still didn’t know who he was. Pulling deep breaths into her lungs, she calmed the racing of her heart. Stepping from her bed, she went in search of some water. Her mouth had gone dry with the remembered trauma. Her bare feet padded softly over the hardwood floor. The house itself was an old friend and she knew it just as well in the dark as she did by light. Her mind shifted among the puzzle that her encounter left. Whoever he was, she doubted that she would see him again. Her dream specter was a rare breed. Abba had never been very clear on just what had happened to Roshelle’s mother. But she knew that her mother had seen the visions as well. In fact, one of her clearest memories of the woman that bore her was that of the promise that she had extracted from her seven-year-old daughter. Her visions must always, always remain a secret. She mustn’t talk about them, not at school, not ever. The world would not be forgiving. It was strange that she could still see the desperation on her mother’s face as she had extracted that promise from her. Heather Everitt died just months after that night. But that didn’t help her to understand just what her mother had meant. Forgiving? What did that mean? The visions were extremely real. In this case, painfully so. Still, Roshelle didn’t see where exactly the word forgiving came into it. While it was very true that the rest of the world would think her strange, it was the twenty-first century. She wasn’t likely to get burned at the stake. Her hand stopped short of lifting the glass of water to her lips. Hard, callused fingers and palm scraped across her face, jerking her body backward into contact with solid steel. The hand gripped her nose and mouth together sealing off any attempt she made to draw breath. Roshelle frantically bucked and withered against her captor, but her starving lungs burned for oxygen and her brain swiftly depleted its meager supply. Her mind struggled to remain alert, but without oxygen her mind succumbed to unconsciousness. Her captor held his victim despite the laxness of her body. He wanted to ensure that she wasn’t playing possum. Assured that enough time had passed, he simply released her and let her body drop to the floor. The impact her head made with the floor didn’t concern him. She was as good as dead already.

But it had to look good. That’s what he was paid for. Reaching down he felt along her chest for signs of renewed life. Her lungs filled and released, but she still lay like a broken doll on the tile floor. Perfect. Hauling her up again he tossed her across her bed. Her body bounced as the mattress absorbed her weight but she remained sprawled where she landed. Stepping back, he paused to consider the distance her bedroom was from the kitchen. Reaching into a pocket that ran the length of his faded overalls, he withdrew a tire iron. The crack that resulted from its contact with her skull brought a smirk to his face. Nodding his head in approval, he returned to the kitchen to finish his task. ***** A gun was just like a woman. Jared grinned as he slid the firing pin back into his rifle. The metal was perfectly matched and gleaming from just the right amount of oil. He heard her again. Jared felt her distress wash over his mind. It was a sharp cry that abruptly ended in dead silence. But he knew who it was. For some reason their encounter had linked them. The tone of her cry refused to release his attention. Annoyance rose up in response. There was no reason why he should be concerned with her. She was a civilian! The sooner he tossed aside her memory the better. The emotion-based feeling persisted. Rising to his feet, Jared set himself into motion. She wanted to play? Fine, he’d be happy to teach her the rules of the game. No one invaded his mind. A pair of hazel eyes watched Jared’s departure. The look on the man’s face was familiar. Pushing himself to his feet, Captain Shane Jacobs began to follow his operative. If Jared Campbell was going tracking tonight then Shane’s unit would be backing him up. As he walked, Shane pulled a small cellular phone from his vest pocket. The line of encoded numbers that he punched into the keypad was so committed to memory that it did not require him to oversee the job with his eyes. His eyes were focused on the rapidly departing figure of Jared Campbell. He knew without a doubt that the man was tracking somebody. Just who was the question. The fact that Jared had taken off without some sort of personal property was extremely odd. Shane hadn’t seen him do that in the entire fourteen years that he had been learning to command the unit backing the man up. ***** The urgency that drove Jared was beginning to raise his temper. Just who was this creature that he seemed unable to block her from his mind? Jared intended to put it to rest tonight! He didn’t have time for interruptions. If she were purposely attempting to gain a hold on him then he would have to see her dealt with permanently.

The first hint of smoke in the air distracted him from his anger. It was becoming stronger with each step he took. With only a quarter moon, there was little light. The night sky failed to reveal just where the smoke was coming from. The source of the smoke didn’t remain a mystery for long. Even through the dense forest that surrounded the Everitt home, the light from the fire lit up the night. Jared covered the last hundred feet at a dead run. Half of the house was already engulfed by the blaze. The orange tongues of light were eagerly licking their way along the roof of the house. The amount of smoke that rose from the shingles announced that the wood slates were rapidly approaching the needed degree of heat to combust. Where was she? Shane slid to a halt a mere step behind Jared. There was no need to ask if the woman was in the house. Jared’s body language gave him that information. The man’s shoulders tightened before he leapt for the rear of the home. Damn it, move! Jared issued the command straight into her mind. He didn’t wait for a response. Rounding the corner of the house he raised his gun and simply shot out the bedroom window. As the glass fell away, thick smoke began to pour through the opening. Taking a last breath, he jumped through the windowpane. The smoke immediately robbed him of his sight, but he didn’t need his eyes to find her. The link between them was far stronger than Jared had first believed. He knew exactly where she was, the fact that she was completely silent fueled his urgency. Pulling her body from the bed, Jared took the three steps back to the window before the lack of oxygen deprived him of his strength. The smoke was wrapped around him like a thick blanket. It took his complete control not to panic and lose his sense of direction. With his lungs demanding oxygen, he simply dumped his burden out of the open window. Without her weight, it was easy to propel his body out of the impending inferno. Jared landed on his feet and neatly launched himself away from the frame of the house. The temperature difference of the night air was as shocking as ice water. His body shuttered with the traumatic change. Shane knelt over their charge where the man had placed her away from the burning structure of her home. His men were mere shadows in the night as they moved over the area in practiced search patterns. Slipping to one knee, Jared assessed her himself. A steady throb beneath her throat met with his approval. His own breath was still raspy and labored from the exposure to the smoke. Roshelle’s lungs filled and emptied in a slow rhythm. Casting his eyes back to her house, Jared watched as the last of the roof began to blaze. Flames shot upwards as the snap and pop of wood filled the night air. The distant whine of an emergency vehicle touched his ears. Casting his attention down again, he noted the signs of life displayed by her body.

He would have liked an excuse to stay with her. Jared pushed himself to his feet and forced himself to begin the trek back up the mountain. Self-loathing was eating its way along his brain. There was absolutely no reason why he should be so concerned with her welfare. Frustration, he would have understood. He would now have to wait to interrogate her ‘til she recovered. That wasn’t the emotion that was currently seeping through his brain. No… It was more relief, mixed with an almost gratefulness for the fact that he had heard that cry of hers. Digging his feet into the forest floor, Jared increased his pace yet again. He didn’t have time for something like this. Now, he would have to risk a trip to question her personally. This link that had been forged needed to be severed immediately. Skidding to a halt, Jared turned to look at the orange glow in the night sky. He could hear the buzz of activity as the local firefighters tried to keep the blaze from spreading to the forest. He released the breath he’d been holding. There was something about her. This link was very interesting. At the moment, it was worth her life. And as much as he might wish otherwise, it pleased the hell out of him to have a reason to see her again.

Chapter Three

One hand slowly rubbed at the throbbing pain under her forehead. Her efforts were in vain, but Roshelle continued the motion a bit longer anyway. “Maybe you should go lay down.” Roshelle’s headache doubled. She handed the file over to the nurse as the woman gave her a sharp inspection with her eyes. Roshelle forced her hand to drop to her side. There wasn’t such a thing as “discreet” in Benton County, much less a secret. The entire medical staff had taken to dodging her steps, as well as giving her endless bits of advice to go home and take it easy. Roshelle would have liked nothing better than to go home, but the sheriff’s department had closed off the scene. She wasn’t even allowed to set foot on her own property. “Thank you, Paula, but I’m just fine.” “Um-hum.” The middle-aged woman issued her comment while folding her plump arms across her ample chest. Her headache was beginning to border on migraine level. The chiming of her cell phone broke into her thoughts. Reaching for the slim unit, she was grateful for any interruption.

“Dr. Everitt.” Exactly one minute later, Roshelle snapped the phone shut. It was the Huntley law firm requesting that she stop by their offices. The man on the other end of the phone assured her that it would be worth her time. Just how did these people get a hold of her private information? Abba had used the same phone number for almost thirty years and her pager had been on file at the medical center. Her new cell phone number was another matter. She’d signed the contract on the little piece of technology only yesterday. Now that she had an actual paycheck, she could indulge in the luxury of her own cell phone, instead of relying on a pager provided by the medical center. Roshelle was positive that she had given the number to exactly two people. The oddest feeling was slowly creeping down her spine in response to that bit of knowledge. Pulling the keys to her rental car from her purse, Roshelle began a determined pace that would lead her to the parking lot. She would be delighted to pay the Huntley law firm a visit. However she doubted that they would be so content with what she had to say. ***** “Just what have you been up to?” Christina issued her question before she even slid into the booth across from Roshelle. “Why don’t you tell me? It’s always much more interesting to hear it after it’s gone through the gossip mill.” “So true.” Christina regarded her friend a second before sending her a brilliant smile. It was so good to have Roshelle back. She had never had a truer friend. At the moment, she was just a bit concerned. The sheriff’s department had ruled the fire as an accident but Shelly was just about the most cautious person that she knew. “Let me see… First, it is being widely spread about that you threatened Clark Huntley within an inch of his life.” “Just his professional one.” “Then you did the unforgivable and took your legal business over to Preston.” “Guilty as charged.” Roshelle currently felt not an ounce of grief over having crossed over town lines by taking her business to the next county. Roshelle was still a little unsettled about that encounter with Clark Huntley. The man had been nervous almost to the point of panic when she yet again refused to sell her land. The look in the back of the man’s eyes had been enough to set her on her way. Two days later, it was still bothering her. She didn’t understand just what could be so valuable about her plot of land. There was plenty of land for sale in Benton County.

“Just what did you need a lawyer for anyway?” “Nothing much. I just figured it was time to have a will put together.” “Roshelle Marie, you can just forget about dying anytime soon.” “It just seemed the right thing to do.” Roshelle rolled her shoulders and tried to smile at her friend. Christina gave her a sharp look from beneath her eyelashes. “So, start explaining, doctor.” “It’s nothing, really. I’m not the first person to think about their mortality after a brush with the grim reaper.” Christina narrowed her blue eyes before letting a smile cross her face. “All right, I’ll buy that for now. Just don’t do anything crazy.” “Without you, you mean?” The blonde tossed her head, as her smile became brilliant. “That’s right! So, if you are going to run off to Las Vegas and flash all the truck drivers on the way, I’d better be invited.” “I’ll drive and you can do the flashing.” “Spoilsport.” Christina glared at her in reprimand. “It’s your insanity trip.” “Fair enough, but I think we should wait ‘til August or we’ll freeze our nipples off.” “Toss in a convertible and you’ve got a deal.” ***** “You are a pathetic excuse for an associate. Just how much trouble could it possibly be to convince one girl to sell a piece of worthless forest land?” Clark Huntley ran a hand over his head, searching for hair to pull, but he’d lost it all some time ago. At the moment he would gladly deal with the ravages of age instead of the man in front of him. “This is Benton County; people are attached to their land. Roshelle Everitt is planning on rebuilding. That’s the end of it. Nothing short of death is going to change her mind.” A very cold smile appeared on his companion’s face. Clark felt his blood run cold as he watched it spread all the way into the man’s eyes. “Now you just hold it right there! No land can be that important! The girl won’t sell, so you and I are finished! Right here and now!” Those cold eyes raked over him before the man pulled his gloves out of his pocket and pushed his fingers into them. He stood for a moment and regarded the small law office. It wasn’t grand by any means. Simple and neat. Family portraits hung on one wall and a law degree was proudly displayed on the opposite one. His eyes traveled the length of each wall before returning to him. Clark felt a chill swept his frame as he met those icy depths.

“I agree. You have absolutely no use.” ***** Just as the afternoon sun was giving way to evening, Roshelle signed her name to the work order that would see the final end to her grandmother’s house. A rather hefty workman nodded approval at her before he wandered down the hillside and got back into his truck. She would rebuild. Something drove her to that action. Roshelle wasn’t sure just what it was. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that something wanted to drive her off of this point on the globe. Not something… Him. Turning her attention away from the charred remains of the house, she focused her eyes in the direction of the top of the mountain. It was almost as if the tree-studded landscape held the answer to her mental dilemma. It was strange that the only good memory she held of that day her house burned was of shutting him out of her mind. Nothing else seemed to be embedded inside her brain, but she clearly recalled the precise probing of her thoughts. This was ridiculous! There was not a witch living up the hill! Yanking her jacket off the passenger seat of her car, she sent the door closed with a shove. If she could walk up that mountain when she was a child, she could just do it again today. Because he better get used to the idea of having a neighbor. Roshelle wasn’t selling her land! Twilight descended but Roshelle kept moving. The dark didn’t bother her. No, having her thoughts invaded did! She stopped at the summit. The mountains rose up further in front of her but this was the highest point she could see from back on her grandmother’s land. A wide smile split her face. There! So much for childhood fears! She wasn’t a pillar of stone nor was she turning into a frog. There was never any dream specter. She was in shock, pure and simple. It was the traumatic backslide resulting from injuring another human being. Instead of worrying so much about her dreams, she should apply her concern to hoping that the guy wasn’t planning on suing her. “You’re trespassing.” He formed from nothing but darkness. His hand snaked around her throat and pulled her back against a solid wall of flesh. Her fingers dug into that hand, frantically trying to pull it away. Jared hadn’t noticed how petite she was. Her head barely reached his collarbone. Controlling his grip, he stood firm as she struggled in panic. Considering her emotions, Jared found his suspicions crumbling. There was too much innocence inside her. Locking his arm over her waist, he continued to hold their bodies together. It intensified his link and he was just enjoying it far too much.

Her body fit into his. He let his eyes slide down the smooth column of her throat and over the mounds of her breasts. Releasing her throat, he trailed his fingers over her neck and smiled. His body jumped with anticipation as he filled his lungs with her scent. She couldn’t panic. Roshelle repeated it over and over. Her body wouldn’t obey. She was shaking like a leaf in a windstorm. His body burned along every millimeter of her back. He didn’t allow her even the smallest gaps between their bodies, instead she was pressed to him. Her eyes suddenly widened as her back felt the very clear evidence of his arousal. The thick erection seemed to set off a pulse of sensation deep inside her body. “You shouldn’t be here,” Jared whispered his words in her ear. He lowered his head further in search of her scent. “But I’m not complaining.” That hand stroked over her neck again in a smooth motion that made her belly clench. Roshelle renewed her attempts for escape but he held her firmly against him. Her rapid breathing pulled his smell deep inside her. Heat pooled in her abdomen as his hand moved back up her neck. A single finger traced the contours of her lips. “Stop that!” Rage gave her the ability to snap out of panic’s grip. Just what did he think he was doing? “Let me go!” “No.” He whispered the word a millimeter from her ear. His breath hit her skin and she shivered in response. Her entire body seemed to have become a network of receptors that were screaming in unison. Jared stroked a hand over her neck again. Her body quivered in his hands and he grinned. There was something intense about her reaction to him. His staff throbbed as he let his lips gently nip the side of her neck. “You can’t just handle me.” “Maybe you should stay on your own property, because I’ve wanted to handle you since we met.” Oh sweet Jesus! It hadn’t been a dream. He wasn’t a dream. No, the solid steel of his body confirmed that this wasn’t some dream-spun creature. The strength he held her with was extreme. He wasn’t hurting her, instead he was scorching her skin with his mouth. His lips made a trail down her neck as he bit and lingered over each touch. Her body seemed to explode with heat as she listened to the tiny moan that escaped her own lips. Turning her body, Jared wrapped his hand over the back of her head. His mouth sought hers and settled over her lips. She gasped in shock and he seized the opportunity to explore her mouth. She was being invaded. On every level. Roshelle couldn’t seem to remember where her body began and his ended. He moved in and around her in so many ways. The way his lips took command of hers just seemed a natural progression of their joined souls. She pushed against him but the solid steel of his chest remained firmly rooted in place. He lingered over her mouth. Tasting and exploring the satin of her lips. There was a spicy scent that came from her skin and Jared trailed his lips down her neck as he searched for its source. She tasted better than she felt. His body was surging forward with impatience and demands.

Her clothing was a barrier. Jared wasn’t in the mood to be stopped by anything. The snap of a button as he popped it free hit his ears. He curled his fingers into the thin cotton of her blouse and hesitated. The extreme tide of emotions her body sparked left him off balance as he considered her passion-drugged face. Her body shuttered as his hand cupped her breast. His thumb brushed across her nipple and it rose to stiff attention. A second button popped free and then a third. The night air graced her skin a second before his hand cupped her bared breast. Pleasure rose from the contact as another moan escaped her. This time it was more of a whimper as she struggled against her need for that touch. How could her body need his touch? Yet somehow she did. Her back arched and her hips thrust forward as she balanced on the edge of desire. She felt each finger as it gripped her and the harshness of the thumb that passed over her nipple again. He bent her back over his arm. Her breast rose up in tempting display as Jared fit his aching sex into the notch of her thighs. Her body shivered and he stroked a firm hand down her neck again. It wasn’t about wanting to handle her. He needed to touch her. Taste her, sink into her body and touch the essence of her that he could smell on her skin. “Oh, God.” Roshelle felt her body shatter as he captured her nipple with his mouth. She couldn’t feel the ground beneath her feet as his tongue circled the nub and lapped over its peak. Pleasure spiked through her so intensely, it bordered on pain. She clung to his biceps and marveled at the tightly corded muscles her fingers found. Her hips thrust towards him, making Jared curse. His sex throbbed with need as her scent rose hot and spicy from her core. The need to tear into her clothing rode him hard. He gritted his teeth as his eyes caught the tight little bud of her nipple. She was still bent over his arm, oblivious to her helplessness. He could impale her body with her back against a tree and she’d never be able to stop him. But he wasn’t an animal even if his body was raging with primal need. Catching the side of her shirt, Jared pulled it across her breast as he took a last taste of her lips. Her frame shuddered as she regained her composure. Cupping her face, he stared into her wide eyes. “I’ve enjoyed your visit. Feel free to come back, Roshelle.” A second later, she stood alone. Her eyes flew open as she frantically searched for him. Every shadow could have been him. She could still feel the man so very keenly. There was no way for her to condense the stimulus into a single point of location. But he had released her. Roshelle sent her eyes over the dark forest again. Where was he? She shook her head trying to force her brain to resume logical functions. Her emotions rolled dangerously and she turned on her heel in retreat. The need for escape pounded through her bloodstream.

Jared watched her go with half-closed eyes. The curve of her hips was sultry. Her taste clung to his lips as he set his shoulders firmly into the trunk of a tree. He lingered over their link even as distance made it harder to hold. She was struggling against his mental hold just as determinedly as she had against his

body. The corners of his mouth twitched up slightly before he released her. It really was a pity she was a civilian. Bending over, he snagged her jacket from the forest floor. The garment had droped from her fingers and she seemed to not think it worth stopping her escape to retrieve. Her scent clung to the fabric. His body tensed as desire sent another demand along his nerves. If she found the courage to come back up his mountain, Jared wouldn’t let her leave it quite so quickly. Turning back up the mountain, he climbed back towards his world. ***** The next two days gave her little time to consider anything other than her patients. As far as the medical center was concerned, it was a two hundred percent increase in workload. The nurses grumbled. Roshelle silently prayed in thanksgiving. While she focused on her patients there was no time to think about him. While Fate might have been feeling kind, it wasn’t completely forgiving. He floated across her mind every time she closed her eyes. The deep rasp of his voice was rooted inside her head. “Well, it’s about time this place quieted down.” A nurse ambled past with a loaded supply cart. She raised her eyes up and raked them over Roshelle. “A good night’s rest should be prescribed for you, Doctor.” “Yes, Ma’am.” There was no way Roshelle was going anywhere near her bed before total exhaustion forced her to. Besides, she needed a new jacket. She needed a lot of new things. Her belongings currently consisted of what she’d had stored in her locker at the medical center. Her one and only jacket was lying up on that mountainside. It could just stay there. He wasn’t a rude boy any longer. Roshelle wasn’t even sure he was real. But she certainly wasn’t going back up there to find out! Fine. She was a coward. In big, bold capital letters. It was an easier than dealing with him.

Roshelle’s cell phone began to chime for attention the second she slid her key into the car ignition. “Listen very carefully….” While the phrase itself was almost comical due to its abundant use in television melodramas, the tone that delivered it forced a shiver to rise along her backbone. No late-night movie actor had ever been able to instill absolute terror using nothing more than his voice. The phone line disconnected almost before her brain finished processing the information that she was issued. Roshelle sat with the tiny bit of technology clutched between frozen fingers. She had to get help, she needed to call… No one!

The man on the other end of the line was brutally explicit on just what would happen if Roshelle involved anyone else. It was a joke. A horrible, sick prank. Roshelle snapped to attention and forced a new line of numbers into the phone. She would just call…and Christina would answer and that would be the end of it. “Really, Doctor, I did expect better from a person of your intelligence level. However, proof can be provided.” The slight sounds of the phone being handed off came across the line. “Speak to her,” drifted next, but it was not spoken into the phone itself but instead to someone in the vicinity of the unit. Someone hissed a reply back but it came across as nothing but muffled sounds. “Your friend is very stubborn, but we will break her.” The chilling certainty of the man’s ability to do just that seemed to be conveyed in the arctic tone of his voice. “No!” Several people in the parking lot turned their attention towards her apparent distress. Forcing her voice to mask her growing terror required tremendous amounts of will. “That won’t be necessary.” “Twelve hours.” This time the silence of the disconnected line was as startling as a gunshot. Her fingers fumbled as she tried to turn the key in the ignition. There was so much to do and she only had twelve hours, really only four because it was already one in the afternoon. The obstacle that had been placed in front of her seemed almost too steep to scale, but she would. Christina was the only true family that she had. If they wanted her land that bad they could just have it! ***** “This is very sudden, Roshelle; are you sure you want to do this?” It was strange the way the simplest of questions could break through a person’s panic. Standing in the land deed office, as she was just a breath away from complying with a kidnapper, Candice Talbert’s question reached out to slap her back into rational thought. If she signed the land over, what assurance did she have that Christina would ever be seen again? The hand that held an ink pen began to shake as the horrible possibilities started to circulate inside her head. For that matter, she was to deliver the papers later tonight; once her signature was affixed to the deed then she herself would have no other purpose. Except to blow the whistle.

Firmly placing the pen back into its holder, Roshelle aimed a smile at Candice. “I believe you’re correct. I think I’ll just take a few days to think it over. In fact, I’d appreciate it if you’d remember to try and talk me out of it if I try this again.” “Well, just don’t go sending that thing over with a delivery boy.” “Candice, I promise you that if I do sell, I’ll find the courage to look you in the eye. In fact, if you don’t get it from my hand, don’t accept it.” “Well, now, I’ve got a form you can sign to that effect.” “Really?” That would sure make things more interesting tonight. Roshelle forced her hand to stop shaking as she applied her signature to the contract Candice slid onto the countertop. The stakes were rather high, but what choice did she have? Walking out with a deed in her hand seemed like hoisting a white flag of surrender. “That’s a girl.” Candice would have added a few more bits of advice but her guest rounded on her heel and started down the hallway. Some people just had no respect for their family roots. Still, Roshelle didn’t seem the sort to just sell up after her kin passed on. Candice considered her encounter with the young woman before reaching for the telephone, maybe her friend Ruth would have some light to shed on the situation. ***** So, just what was the thing with her grandmother’s land? Phone calls were one thing, but kidnapping? Benton County had one of the lowest crime rates in the country. Most people in town didn’t even bother to lock the doors to their cars when they stepped into the local market. The entire thing just defied logic. Deed the land over and Christina would be released. That just didn’t seem very likely. So, what if she called their bluff? Dropping her head into her hands, she renewed her attempts to soothe away her headache. Nausea was rising up from her stomach to join it. Just what the hell was going on? It had all begun with him. Abruptly her mood changed as anger burned away at her body’s distress. She had every right to live on her land! No dream specter was going to drive her out and she was not going to put up with her friends being held hostage! After all, she really didn’t have any other choice. Christina was all she had. ***** “Now, Roshelle, you’re asking an old man to break the law.” Forcing her mouth into a smile, Roshelle twisted her hands. “Mr. Findlay, it’s not like the gun laws were

made for someone like me. I’m not a criminal, just a little scared. Why my grandfather’s rifle sat in the corner of the kitchen every day that Abba lived and I just would feel so much better with a bit of protection about.” Tomas reached up to scratch his head as he eyed her. Roshelle held her breath but kept her eyelashes moving. She’d watched Christina twist men around her little finger with just a smile and a few eyelash flutters! “I’m not going hunting. I promise no one will even know the gun left this store. Unless something happens.” Now she let her eyes open wide. The gun shop owner melted right in front of her. He took the credit card she held and rang up the sale. “Well, now it just ain’t right for a woman to be all tied up in knots and so on. What you need is to get on with settling down. You young folks don’t take family as serious as you should. Waiting to have your babies ‘til half your life’s gone. A good, sturdy husband is all the protection you really need.” Her smile melted off her face the second she stepped out of the shop. Clutching her purchase under her arm, Roshelle forced her feet forward. Her feet stumbled as she looked at the Benton County Sheriff Station. Sitting just half a block away it was so very tempting to go lay her burden on law enforcement’s shoulders. But she couldn’t take that chance. The thought of never seeing Christina toss her blonde curls again stiffened her resolve. Clutching her purchase to her chest, she turned away from the sheriff’s station. ***** Roshelle had never been so grateful for her odd senses. Tonight, she bowed her head in gratitude for the singeing sting that would inform her when she was no longer alone. She opened her mind and for the very first time attempted to feel for her approaching company. Standing in the shadows cast by a half-dead tree, she waited. Her anger was still biting away at her emotions. Roshelle intentionally allowed it free rein. It was better than being afraid. Her fingers curled around the handle of the small caliber pistol. Her baggy sweatshirt let her keep the weapon concealed in its folds. It was going to be one of the greatest tests of character that she had ever undergone. Threatening to take another human being’s life was something that was in direct conflict with every thing that she believed in. It was amazing how loud the sensation was when she was attempting to use it. Roshelle felt her senses ring in a near-deafening level across her mind. “The deed please.” “Christina first.” “You are not in a position to make demands.” The arctic tone of his voice was grating on her nerves.

“Neither are you. If you can’t show her to me then you’ll never see that land deed.” Her mind suddenly became alight with several new sensations. Having never truly attempted to develop her extra senses, Roshelle struggled to understand just what she was picking up. Her eyes helped by picking up the movement of at least two other men. They treaded on silent feet as they came closer to her. One made an abrupt movement and pulled a third figure from the darkness. The person stumbled slightly before hastily placing as much distance between her escorts as she could. Her hand eagerly grasped the shaking one of her friend as Christina stumbled alongside of her. “Now give me the deed.” Roshelle began a slow retreat with her friend at her side. “That’s far enough.” Her original antagonist stepped forward with her retreat down the mountain. There was only a sliver of moon tonight, but as he stepped out into the open the meager light washed over the gun that he held at the ready. Curling her fingers into her friend’s hand, Roshelle played the only card that she had been able to think of. “It’s nailed to the tree behind you.” Enclosed in a dark blue envelope, the packet of paper went unnoticed in the dark. All three men turned and gave their attention to retrieving it. Spinning on her heel, Roshelle propelled herself down towards the road and her car. She’d left the keys in the ignition in the hopes that her ploy might buy them enough time to escape. A sharp pop from behind them drove them faster. The heavy tread of booted feet was gaining on them, but they weren’t waiting to overtake their prey. More bullets sailed through the night air, most of them finding targets in the trees. The women had the advantage of size, as they maneuvered the obstacle of redwoods faster than their larger male pursuers. The advantage was not enough. They would never make the distance to the road. With no other choice, Roshelle turned and fired the weapon she held. Panic held her arm steady as the overwhelming need to survive gave her the strength to pull the trigger. Her first would-be assassin became a victim of his own failure to identify her as a threat. Twenty feet separated them and her aim proved true. His body slumped to the ground with graceless force. His companion immediately took cover and returned fire. He would have found his target if Christina hadn’t pulled Roshelle behind the cover of an ancient tree. “Where did you get a gun?” “Findlay’s; how many are there?” “A lot.” Christina locked eyes with her friend as she divulged that horrifying truth.

The approaching sounds of reinforcements drove panic into the hearts of both women. The tree they were pressed to currently provided cover but with more opponents they would be able to surround them very quickly. Pressed to the ground in their search for survival they clung to each other as they felt the grip of a death trap closing around them. Abruptly silence rained supreme. The cease-fire was almost deafening coming as it did while she was anticipating her death. The slow sound of a single person applauding drifted down to their ears. The man continued his slow appreciation as his feet made the slightest of crunching sounds along the forest floor. He stopped a few feet short of exposing himself to Roshelle’s line of fire. At the moment, she would gladly trade her own safety for the knowledge that she would be taking this animal with her into eternity. “I must say I am impressed.” A single shot pierced the night. The round hit the tree just three inches above her head causing her to violently pitch her body away from the tree. Roshelle was unable to judge her landing and ended sprawled face-first on the forest floor. She flung her arms out in a vain attempt to prevent her face from taking the brunt of her fall. Pain exploded from her right arm as a booted foot descended on the limb, grinding her flesh into the unyielding ground. Her hand released its grip on her weapon in response to the torment. The pressure was increased momentarily before being removed. Pulling her arm towards her chest, she slowly flexed the limb trying to decide if it was sound. Pain was coursing along its entire length but her attention was caught as she was yanked to her feet by the waistband of her jeans. “Yes, I am quite surprisingly impressed.” His eyes looked even colder than his voice. They raked over her before returning to her face. “Now, where is the deed?” “I never brought one!” Roshelle spat her defiance into the face of her tormentor. “You will never get it now.” Despite the darkness of the night, Roshelle clearly saw the corner of his mouth lift up in response to her statement. That simple action sent a chill down her spine. She brutally shoved her fear aside. She refused to die a coward! “Ah. The will you have so recently had established. It is a pity that you escaped the death we planned for you.” A cold hand reached out and ran the length of her cheek. Roshelle recoiled from the blackness that communicated itself through that single point of contact. Maybe it was the fact that she had deliberately opened her mind tonight, but she felt the sickness that inhabited his soul as he touched her. The twisted evil permeated the very air between them, causing her stomach to turn as she was forced to endure his presence. Roshelle didn’t believe that she had ever truly understood the very definition of hate until that moment. Compressed into the creature that stood in front of her was more evil than she could ever believe

possible. The blackness seeped from his flesh until the stench choked her. His hands had directed so much pain. Roshelle found herself gagging in response to the horror. “Don’t count on it. Unless I go to the deed office myself, that land will become church property.” “You do not listen to directions very well. But we will have to see just what you have managed to do.”

Chapter Four

The way a helicopter vibrated was an old familiar motion. Jared lifted his eyes and watched the mountains of Washington come into view. He was at home in the combat aircraft. While most kids were turning their bicycles into airplanes, he’d been flying in the real thing. Helicopters mostly. Their ability to land and lift off with the minimal amount of land made them idea. His mother was one of a kind, a psychic bloodhound. Her efficiency rate made her workload heavy. The second he’d learned to use his own talents, Jared had found himself in the field helping to lighten that load. Not that he minded. It was raw. The edge. The constant struggle. With adrenaline pulsing through his bloodstream, he took to the hunt with a driving hunger. He’d been born for it. But tonight his mind was wandering again. His body was throbbing, but not for the same kind of mission. Oh, he wanted to hunt all right. But the prey he had in mind was a female. Society had all of its polite words for it. Courting, romancing, dating. Jared didn’t live his life within the comfortable armchair of civilian life. His life was balanced on the edge. He wasn’t interested in anything as tame as dating. He wanted Roshelle. It was plain and base but incredibly intense. Tasting her was a miscalculation. It was still clinging to his mind. His fingers still pulsed with the memory of exactly how soft her skin was. Her little moans were the sexiest thing he’d ever heard. He wanted more than sex. Something that would break the barrier of mere penetration. Sure, he was going to enjoy the slide of his staff into her body but the way their minds linked just seemed to make it far more intense. Maybe even intimate. Desire was slowly burning along his skin. Jared enjoyed its rising tide. Jared opened the aircraft door the second it touched the landing pad in front of his home. He shouldered his way out and made it exactly four paces before his mind erupted with emotion. Something was very wrong. Fear floated on the wind. It was almost thick enough to taste. Pulling his gun from its holster, he surveyed his home. The emotions were so thick, he had trouble pinpointing the exact location. A sharp whistle broke his attention momentarily. Shane was alerting his men to the possibility of a threat. The unit fell into sharp attention in an instant. Nothing moved as Jared struggled to untangle the jumble of emotions that assaulted him.

Her. His eyes widened with pure enjoyment. So, the little vixen wasn’t afraid to come looking for him? That fit his mood just about right. Dropping his gun back into its holster, he moved towards the unit’s trucks. He would answer her call, but he wasn’t going unprepared this time. And to the victor went the spoils. ***** Roshelle never knew that thirst could hurt. The tissues that lined her mouth were screaming in agony as every bit of moisture evaporated. Her hands were bound behind her. Numbness had long ago robbed her of feeling in her arms. Roshelle rubbed the rope along the rock she sat next to, hoping to wear away the binding. She didn’t want to think about just what the continued motion was doing to the flesh of her wrists. The damage wouldn’t matter if she were dead. Christina had been in the company of these animals far longer. Roshelle could just imagine how much more uncomfortable her friend was by now. Her friend sat besides her, using her body to shield Roshelle’s attempts at freedom from their captor’s eyes. It took a full minute for Roshelle to notice that she had worn through the last layer of her bindings. Her hands pulled away from each other as pain announced the return of blood circulation. Her eyes rose to meet the hopeful ones of her companion. Not sure just what success they could have against the armed men that held them, Roshelle still set herself to relieving Christina of her bonds. However unlikely their chances, they still had a better one with the use of their hands. Darkness still covered them giving them a slight advantage. The men sat clustered about a campfire, while the women were left in the dark. Searching her immediate surroundings, Roshelle noted that they were placed with the rest of the baggage. Tightly lashed backpacks made from green and brown camouflage fabric were lying on the ground next to her. The canteen strapped to the closest one caught her eye. Roshelle forced herself to ignore it. She couldn’t waste her one opportunity on comfort. Everything was tightly secured to the packs. Something caught her eye on the top of the nearest pack. Small and round it was set carefully in one of the straps that ran across the top of the pack. In the darkness, Roshelle couldn’t quite make out what it was. But she could reach it. Watching her captors, she timed her move with care. Her hands closed over the item, bringing it between her body and Christina. A small ring sat atop it, one just about half an inch in diameter. It was a grenade. At least she thought it might be. Their captors were sprawled along a ten-foot area. Even if it was an explosive, she doubted she could disable them all with the single charge. Her eyes moved over their surroundings, seeking any means of

utilizing the weapon. Her eyes landed on the two trucks they’d parked just downhill from her. Hefting the explosive in her palm, she moved her eyes between the gravel that separated her from the machine. If it exploded under that truck, they just might be able to escape into the night while their captors were busy trying to decide if they were under attack. “Do it.” Barely audible, Christina’s words echoed her own desperation. She had no idea how long a fuse on a grenade was. But life was worth the risk of finding out. Her fingers firmly pulled the ring from the top of the ball. Leaning forward, Roshelle sent it rolling down the hillside. Their ignorance ended seconds later. The force of the explosion ripped into the metal body of the truck. Orange flames shot out in every direction as the ruptured fuel tank yielded its flammable load to the display. Her eyes were frozen on the scene of destruction. Heat washed over them in a thick wave. “Come on, Shell!” Christina pulled her to her feet and both women clumsily forced their bodies to perform after hours of cramped inactivity. With no idea where they were, they darted among the trees with nothing but the fire behind them showing the direction to flee from. Gunfire erupted in the night causing them to double their pace. Another explosion reached her ears but Roshelle didn’t have enough rational thought to question it. She had to escape. She could feel him on her heels. Panic rose inside her mind securing her in its hold. Nothing mattered; she pushed her body further, demanding more speed. Her lungs burned as they tried to supply enough oxygen to her demands. But he was closer. Her terror erupted in a scream as she was caught by her nightmare. Her frantic run was abruptly halted as she was pulled from her feet. A solid wall of flesh connected with her back as she was pulled into his confining embrace. A brutal hand slapped across her face to seal any sound from escaping into the night. Recognition was instant. Roshelle struggled against the hold of her nightmare, as it became terrifyingly real. Her dream specter held her in a steel grip that increased his domination over her will. “Clear!” The single word was echoed about on the tones of deep voices. Nothing else reached her ears as she struggled against her mind’s terror. Her body was held to the solid incarnation of that fear. Now she was his. Pure pleasure snaked through his body. Jared moved his hand down the column of her throat securing his grip on that sensitive area driving her capture home.

He could taste her fear—it flowed between their bodies at every point of contact. The remains of the encampment caught his attention as he ran a sharp eye over it. His face twisted into rage as he noted the evidence of impending attack. The heavy vehicles coupled with the best weapons. All staffed with the sort of men that would know how to deploy such equipment. The bodies of her conspirators lay where they fell. His men were quickly collecting any equipment that was present. Those explosions would bring curious eyes far too soon. Shane would make certain there was nothing for them to find. As for the little doctor, Jared would extract the details of her plans. Before he was finished with her, he would know exactly who posed the threat to his family. Her scent drifted up causing Jared’s anger to increase. She was good. Very good. The perfect bait and he’d bitten into it. It was like poison, sweeping into his blood. The evidence of her treason didn’t seem to be working as an antidote. Instead his lungs pulled in a deep breath to capture her spicy scent. His fingers were slowly contracting around her throat. The five digits decreased her ability to draw breath even as she felt the rage burning brighter inside him. Abruptly he released her throat allowing her to suck in the oxygen her lungs craved. Her relief was short-lived as that hand clawed into the strands of her hair gaining a brutal hold. Pain flooded her, as she was pushed forward by that hold. Her wrists were next. The torn flesh registered his grip with amazing ferocity. Roshelle was unable to contain the cry that escaped her lips. Her parched vocal cords responding with little more than a croak. It might have been the strained sound that she issued, but coupled as it was with the uneven feeling of her wrists, Jared found himself hesitating. He felt the slickness of her flesh but attributed it to perspiration. “Light.” His command met with instant compliance. Instead of the beaded sweat, her wrists were bathed in her blood. The soft flesh was abraded and torn in multiple spots. Blessed relief flooded her brain. Just what had caught his attention, she wasn’t sure of. The hold he retained on her body was bearable, that was all that mattered. Bending slightly forward she let her captor pulled her arms in back of her. Her eyes moved over her surroundings as she attempted to make sense of the night’s events. It was frustrating to discover she was back in the clearing. The only satisfaction she found was to notice the smoldering remains of the truck. Smoke rose from several spots in long thin tapers that dissipated into the night. The twisted metal that remained resembled nothing more than a heap. It was rather disturbing to think that she had been the cause of so much destruction. The sickening twist of her stomach seemed to indicate that she had escaped one group of predators only to encounter an animal that was further up on the food chain. Just what kind of animal he was, Roshelle didn’t know. But she knew exactly who held her. The joining

of their flesh brought her memory into sharp focus, delivering up the images that she had searched for. He was far worse than any nightmare. Terror was rapidly attempting to renew its grasp on her mind. Roshelle desperately fought against it. This man would be capable of destroying more than just her flesh. He could take that destruction to the very bottom of her soul. An emotion was pushing its way through Jared’s anger. He found it an annoying interruption but it persisted in its fight for his attention. Securing her arms with their current amount of damage was going to be very painful. Finding a reluctance to inflict that pain on his prisoner caused him to snort with frustration. He didn’t have time for this! But the nagging need to ease her pain hooked into his brain, refusing to be disregarded. Jared ripped his hood from his head. The soft black fabric would have to do. Wrapping it over her wrists he knotted the rope on top to secure her hands behind her. A sharp whistle hit the night and Jared frowned. He didn’t need the reminder from Shane. He knew the need for a speedy departure and he wanted to get her back onto his land before any chance of escape came her way. A smile spread across his face as he contemplated securing his captive behind the borders of his home. There would be no escape. His family would remain safe! Roshelle felt her body leave the ground in a fluid motion. His strength was amazing. The motor was engaged almost in the same moment that her body settled onto the unyielding surface of a truck bed. With no road, the tires struggled among the stones and ruts. Without the use of her hands to stop her, she began to pitch and roll. Bruised flesh screamed in response to the treatment. A solid foot ended the suffering. One large booted foot propped itself against her rib cage, pressing her body into the opposite wall of the bed. Despite its crudeness, the action was still effective. Despite her need for relief, Roshelle found herself despising the blunt reminder of her position with this man. Finding herself literally held “under his boot heel” demanded a response that her pride was willing to give. Unfortunately, her body was completely helpless. His boot released her the second the motor once again went silent. Jumping down from his seat, Jared covered the distance separating him from Shane. Back on familiar ground, he felt his mind shifting into tight control. There was only one unknown factor present and Jared would deal with her directly.

“You might as well save the act, Shane Jacobs! I’m not impressed!” “Just keep your paws off my person! I learned how to walk quite well when I was two!” As the angry retort reached his ears, Jared stopped. Shane was currently leading the blonde-haired

woman into the house and she was making it a chore. The outcome of their struggle was never in question, but the man seemed to be loathe to hurt his charge. Shane let out a frustrated growl before extending an arm towards his front door. The blonde tossed her head before she moved forward on unhurried steps. The woman’s knowledge of even one of their names posed more problems. There was no way they would see the end of this tonight. Fatigue was wrapped around his body forcing Jared to consider just how to secure their “problems” ‘til tomorrow. The mountain was equipped with a wide range of buildings; unfortunately, a cell wasn’t one of them. There had never been a prisoner held here. The function of his unit was protection and deployment. Well, they had two prisoners now. Shane had his hands full with the blonde and that suited Jared just fine. He wasn’t in the mood to share his problem. She had started this and he intended to see it finished. Her bonds came loose with far less effort this time. Whatever was wrapped over her wrists allowed Roshelle to slide the entire bundle down and off her hands. Moving her arms in front of her she simply took a moment to rub the ache from them. Too many hours of cramped positions made her grateful for the reprieve. It was just too bad that she didn’t have any faith in it lasting very long. Pushing herself up she forced her eyes to investigate her newest surroundings. Lying in this truck bed while she nursed her injuries wasn’t going to accomplish very much, except to ensure that she was still there when her captors got around to looking for her again. They had taken her up into the forest. Benton County was comprised of almost all forest, but there were distinct elevation clues that would tell you if you had made it to the true mountains. Even through the darkness she noticed the upturned needles of the trees in front of her. Instead of pine, they were fir trees. No one seemed to be in sight. Roshelle moved closer to the edge of the tailgate as she searched the area. Three other trucks were parked just thirty feet from the one she sat in. They were lined up with precise care, with exactly three feet between them. The house behind the vehicles seemed to hold the men that had disembarked from them. Light spilled from its windows as bits of conversation drifted on the night breeze. Christina’s voice reached her ears even if the exact words were muffled. Relief flooded her body. Something else followed on the heels of that emotion. The discomforts of her body were interfering with an exact identification of just what she was feeling. Lifting her head, Roshelle moved her eyes slowly about the dark. He was here. She had not been left alone. Instead she was being carefully observed. Her tolerance ended abruptly. She was sick of being the prey. Pushing herself to her feet, she forced her mind to tell her where he was. She had found him before. As it appeared that she was stuck with these feelings, she might as well exercise them. “You can stop hiding in the dark, because you’re not scaring me.”

Maybe tossing out a challenge wasn’t the wisest thing she could do in her current situation but the waiting was simply unbearable. It was fortunate that she had found his direction because his feet didn’t make a sound as he melted from the darkness. His body bled from the night almost like a ghost. Light washed over the hard cut of his face. Solid muscle covered a frame that dwarfed her own. Her feet shifted as he came closer to loom over her. “I think I am scaring you. Tomorrow I promise you I will.” Jared ground his teeth together as he raked his eyes over her innocent-looking face. That need to protect her fragile-looking body crept up and he clenched his fingers into fists. No woman was worth dying for…not even this one. But damn it all to hell. Why? Roshelle was a local and Jared found his stomach turning as he considered the best method of breaking her. “Who are you?” Her voice was whisper-soft as she stared at him. Jared pressed his lips into a tight line before wrapping his hand around her arm. “I’m your worst nightmare.” And she was his. His body throbbed with unsatisfied desire as he concocted the best way to interrogate her. Jared ground his teeth together as he resigned himself to disappointment. His body didn’t care. His staff was hard with need as he hauled her into his house. Passing up the master bedroom took every last scrap of self-discipline he had because all he wanted to do was comfort her bruised skin. Her delicate body was made for a man to worship. Instead she’d used it for treason. God damn it to hell and back!

Chapter Five

“You’re still not scaring me!” A solid door slammed in her face. The wood paneling stared back at her completely unimpressed with her brave words. Dropping herself onto the bed, Roshelle let her face reflect her true feelings. She was so tired! Fear might still be coursing through her veins but her body was collapsing as she took in the fact that she seemed to be alone for the present. Sunlight streamed in the window when she lifted her eyes again. Roshelle lifted her face and noticed a doorway that she’d missed the night before. It led to a small bathroom that she gratefully entered. She rushed through a shower as his promise lingered in her memory. Her body was already far too aware of the man. She didn’t need him finding her naked. Green eyes were uncommon, the emerald intensity of his had to be the rarest kind. Set with his black hair, it was a startling combination. His body was amazing. He had to be over six feet and his chest was coated with thick muscles that continued down his arms.

He was one of the most terrifying men that she had ever seen. It was almost funny to recall their first meeting. He had threatened her even then. But she had stood up to him with the innocent faith of a child. It had not even crossed her mind that another human being would do her harm. Abba was responsible for that. A smile flirted across her face. Dear sweet Abba. How Roshelle missed her grandmother. That smile was the first thing Jared saw when he opened the door. The fact that she was clearly pleased with herself caused his temper to raise its head. “Enjoying yourself?” Her breath was stuck in her throat. Roshelle forced it down. She refused to be his next kill. “I see you’ve decided to stop hiding.” “You missed me?” “Like a toothache.” Jared caught his amusement before she heard it. She had a backbone of solid steel; he’d give her that. Her fingers were curled into the comforter that she sat on betraying her fear. Shane’s methods were not yielding the information he needed. The blonde insisted that they’d been kidnapped. Jared was finished waiting. Roshelle would tell him why he’d found her in the mist of a rebel force, or he would rip it out of her mind. “I suggest you tell me exactly what your friends were up to on my mountain.” She knew one thing about him now. He was a man that kept his promises. Fear was rising along her back in response to the aggression in his voice. Roshelle forced herself to lock stares with him. “They weren’t my friends. They were my captors.” A harsh grunt was his response. He crossed his huge arms over his chest as his eyes cut into hers. He continued right into her mind. Roshelle struggled against the invasion but refused to cower. She could feel his anger, as he seemed to shift among her emotions. But her senses registered more than his anger. She felt him. It was a strength that seemed to be forged from solid steel. There was an undeniable attraction to that strength. All the details about how they’d ended up facing each other down didn’t matter as Roshelle felt the impact of this man’s true nature. He had honor. Maybe the edges were rough but there wasn’t the stench of dishonestly rising from his soul. Something inside her deepest core was touched by his presence. Roshelle suddenly gasped. His eyes had closed to mere slits as he listened to her thoughts. It wasn’t like a conversation that you followed in words but they were linked together so that every emotion was shared. He liked her approval of him. It ran through his brain as arousal followed right on its heels. “Don’t touch me.”

Jared wasn’t even sure just when he’d decided to do exactly that. But he wanted to close the gap between them ‘til he could bury his face in the soft curve of her neck again. His body didn’t give a damn about anything but the need to get closer to her. It confounded the hell out of him but that didn’t change the fact that his staff was rising to attention as he considered the bed she sat on. Just what he was expecting she wasn’t sure of, but he pushed his body away from the wall that he was leaning against. The two steps he took brought him within touching range of her body. “Don’t touch me!” She rolled over the bed in her search for escape. Her eyes were wide as she struggled against the needs of her own body. She wanted him. Jared could taste it. “You like the way I touch you.” He moved like a predator. Two huge hands landed in the middle of the bed as he leaped across it. His mind sliced through her protests like a razor to find out what she hid behind the shield. His lips lifted at the corners as he let his own arousal drift across the link. “Hmm… So, you’re afraid of yourself. I might have to help you face your phobia.” But Jared wasn’t interested in chasing her across the bed. He held their link open as her eyes widened with the intensity of their reaction to each other. It poured from both of their bodies to mix together into something that threatened to consume both their ideas about right and wrong. It scared her to death. Jared clamped his jaw together and pushed away from the bed. Her fear twisted his gut, souring his desire to claim her. He pushed the door open with too much force and slammed it back behind him with even more. ***** Cupping her hands under the faucet, Roshelle used them to splash the water onto her face. The cooling liquid hit her eyes, soothing the burning. The door opened behind her causing her heart to leap in panic. She couldn’t face another trial just yet. The door closed again almost before it had completely opened. Her eyes surveyed the plate of food that was left behind on the nightstand. Reaching for the bottle of water she enjoyed the cooling slide of the beverage but the rest of the food didn’t interest her in the least. The sun was setting. The only window her prison offered was lit with the crimson glow of sunset. Nothing but the simplest of blinds covered the opening in the wall. Moving towards it, she reached for the plastic rod that would allow her to open the slats. Her eyes drank in the beauty of the forest. This house stood surrounded by it. Roshelle couldn’t have ever imagined a more perfect home. Reaching for the latch, she pushed the sliding glass pane aside. The evening breeze sailed into her, surrounding her with the scent of the mountains. Pulling in a deeper breath, she held it. There was nothing so sweet as the fir trees. Goose bumps ran down the length of her arms making her frown.

Her body was too sensitive. It defied her attempts to understand. How exactly did she develop such an attraction to a man she didn’t know? Her temper stirred but it changed nothing. Her breasts actually rose as the memory of his touch played in crystal clear perfection across her brain. Her nipples ached as she recalled exactly how hot his mouth was when he applied it to the little sensitive nub. Roshelle shook her head as the ache traveled straight into her belly. She’d never been so acutely aware of her sexual needs before. Her body pulsed in a warm wave of desire that made her shudder. Roshelle tossed her head in disgust with her body. She had to get out of here before her overactive hormones got her into trouble. Dark images of him moving across her body drifted across her mind. He wanted her and the ideas were drifting from his mind into hers. Spinning on her heel, Roshelle glared at the door. Fear had a funny way of heightening a person’s senses. Every sound came through with amazing volume. Each time that door shut she remembered. Not once had she noticed a lock clicking into place. Well, it was time to find out! Her hand grasped the doorknob, while her wrist gave it a twist. The door pulled inward granting her the freedom she sought. The only light that burned in the house was in her room. It seeped out into the darkened hallway. Nothing moved, no order to return to her cell was issued. Setting her shoulders, Roshelle took the first few steps into freedom. Nothing but the house greeted her allowing her hope to burn brighter. Her captors were relying on her own fear to keep her imprisoned. It was embarrassing to discover just how correct they were. Well, she was out of that damn room and Roshelle fully intended to walk right out the front door of the house. The structure itself was very small. The hallway she was in connected with a living room. Just beyond that her eyes spied a glimpse of a kitchen. As she came closer to the front door, she stood by the fireplace that sat facing the door. Nothing but a sofa sat in the room. A double door sat just in back of that sofa. Roshelle stood and stared at it. Despite the fact that it was closed she knew exactly what lay behind it. She could smell him on the air in the room. That was the master bedroom. His room. Just now it was empty. She could almost taste the man on her tongue but her feelings told her she was alone for the moment. Not for long! Roshelle had spent too many hours worrying over her friend. Now that she had discovered her freedom she intended to find Christina. Her memory of the night they arrived reminded her of the second house. Moving towards the front door, it came into view. It was the only other structure in sight. Christina had to be there. Rubbing her hands over her arms, Roshelle forced herself out into the night. She wore nothing but a thin pair of jeans and cotton top. Once the sun set in the Washington mountains, the temperature dropped dramatically. Longing for her fleece-lined jacket, she pushed herself out into the night. The second house was only a few hundred yards away. *****

“Life seems to have become rather complicated.” Shane’s words were far too close to the truth for Jared’s comfort. “That blonde send you packing from your own house again?” Dropping down beside his friend, Shane considered the comment. “Looks like an angel, but I suggest you wear gloves to prevent frostbite when handling her.” Casting his eyes over the man next to him, Jared gave him a grin. Ms. Christina Faulkner was most vocal in her negative opinion of the current situation. Just like a matched pair of shoes, Roshelle’s continued defiance was preventing Jared from bringing this case to a conclusion. He grunted with frustration. The main problem was he wasn’t getting any closer to solving anything. Roshelle was telling him the truth. There wasn’t any way for her to lie to him. That just complicated the situation further. If they turned the women loose, they were as good as dead. Moving his eyes back to the source of his displeasure, Jared blinked a few times to clear them. She was calmly walking right across his front drive. Shane just couldn’t keep his amusement silent. He had wondered just how long the little doctor was going to stay put. Jared leapt from his spot and was rapidly closing the distance between them. That amusement died abruptly as the woman jerked to attention. Jared was still a good forty yards from her. Jared had the cover of night to aid him; with the yard lights illuminating her there was little possibility that the woman could see her adversary. Yet she turned her body to face her approaching company. Shane shook his head. He’d worked with psychics his entire life. Roshelle had more than her fair share of gut instinct. She trained her eyes on Jared even though she couldn’t possibly see him. She could feel him and it explained a little too much about Jared’s mood. Complicated? Bloody mess sounded a whole lot better. ***** That damn fear was trying to rise again. Roshelle thrust it down. She was going to find Christina! She could feel those green eyes on her. Despite her determination to seek her goal, there was no way she could disregard her sense of self-preservation. This was not a man to turn your back on. “Return to your room.” That deep voice sailed at her out of the darkness. He stopped just short of her field of vision. “I want to see Christina.” “No.”

His voice carried a note that indicated he expected complete obedience to his order. Setting her eyes on the night, she searched for him. Her eyes couldn’t find him, but her mind could. Her brain stung with the knowledge of his company. She had made it this far by calling his bluff, maybe it was time to call another one. He melted from the darkness ‘til less than three feet separated them, forcing her to tip her head back to lock eyes with him. “I was the victim. Not the enemy. I won’t stay locked up like some prisoner.” The damn thing was her brown eyes looked so honest. Jared ground his teeth together again. “That being the case, I wouldn’t advise leaving this compound.” Roshelle jumped as a new voice issued that warning. She had been completely intent on her opponent. The second man must have stepped up from behind her. Swinging her head about, she felt her jaw drop open in response to the sight that greeted her. Shane stood as Roshelle gaped at him. Six-foot-ten wasn’t something most people could resist staring at. At five-foot-six, her head only reached him mid-chest. “Save your concern. Christina and I will be just fine.” “Those torn-up wrists tell you that?” The bandages covering her wrists were a blatant reminder of just how helpless she had been. She just wasn’t sure she was any better off now. These were not the kindly neighbors that a girl could feel at ease relying on. No, it was a little more like discovering grizzly bears in your backyard. Coexistence was completely out of the question! “I’m sure the sheriff’s department can handle it.” Jared considered his opponent. They had unfinished business. Keeping her neatly secured on his mountain sounded just right to his ears. A slow grin split his face as he considered his prey. To get to the sheriff, she would have to get off his property. No one crossed the border without Shane’s or his approval. “Benton is twenty-six miles south.” Just like that? The grin that sat on his face reminded her of a crocodile as it waited for lunch to venture too close to its jaws. “Don’t mind the border patrol. Their orders are to keep anyone from crossing the border. As long as you don’t do that…” He stepped closer with each word. Her face flushed with shame at her cowardly retreat from him. She really tried not to ask just what would happen, the pure joy expressed on his face told her he was setting her up for a fall.

But she had to know… “What?” “They won’t shoot you.”

Chapter Six

Lately Roshelle had noticed just how slow time could move when you were waiting for a nightmare to end. Despite her numerous self-directed lectures, she still drew the line at testing his latest threat. Maybe it was the very real fact that she had recently discovered just what being shot at felt like. More than likely it was the sight of those “boys” as they changed shifts every twelve hours. The men in question would load into a truck with their rifles cradled in their arms just like babies. Hard-cut faces coupled with bodies that long ago bid farewell to childhood. In fact, the type of males that inhabited this mountain was causing Roshelle to redefine her concept of just what “men” were. The doctors and friends she thought of as men just didn’t fit into this category. Maybe it had been the lack of sleep. But Roshelle suddenly knew exactly what the difference was about this bunch of captors. They were not planning on killing her. While there was still a lot of room for unpleasant alternatives, the fact that she wasn’t facing a bullet anytime soon lifted an amazing amount of tension from her shoulders. Unfortunately, as soon as her fear of impending death was appeased, doubt rushed in to fill her mind. Maybe these people didn’t have an unmarked grave picked out for her but they were far from friendly. Especially him. A frown crept across her face. The man must have a name. Considering just how familiar he had made himself with her mind, it seemed rather unfair not to know his name. A short laugh escaped her throat. Fair? Life was anything but fair to her lately. So… If it was a name that she wanted to know, Roshelle doubted that she would find the answer inside this room. No, if she wanted something from these people, she would have to go after it. Even something as simple as a name. Weakness wasn’t something that earned rewards here. Roshelle stood with her body in the doorway. Conforming to the rules of her current companions wasn’t sitting in her stomach very well. Thrusting her chin forward, she set her feet into motion. She may not like the house rules, but there was no way she would ever get back to the real world if she didn’t face him again. In an odd way, she was almost looking forward to another encounter with her dream specter. Each time

she faced up to him, he lost a bit more of his nightmare edge. Maybe it was a little too much like a child checking under her bed before turning out the light, but Roshelle would take what she could get. She would go out and look her monster in the face. Just maybe she could find the courage to spit in his eye while she was at it! ***** “I sure hope that sweet thing is looking at me.” “Well, just as soon as she looks me over, you won’t have a prayer.” “Think those tits are real?” “Who the hell cares?” Good grief, was there some law of nature that just insisted that men be larger at this elevation? Roshelle had run across tall men before in her life but every single one she faced was over six feet! It wasn’t just the height. Their chests were coated with thick muscles that made them more imposing. Forcing herself forward, she stuck to her course. He was sitting among a group of six men, all of which seemed to be employed with the task of cleaning the ever-present rifles. The black weapons were firmly held across their laps, with a piece or two neatly laid aside, while fingers worked at the open barrels. Jared dug his fingers into the weapon he held. The fact that she had gathered the courage to seek him out almost made him nod in approval. But his men’s comments rubbed him wrong. Roshelle did have the sweetest pair of tits under that top, but it sure as hell wasn’t their business. Coming to a halt, Roshelle stared at the object of her dilemma. The men that surrounded him she ignored. They plastered over bright grins to their rough faces, as she came closer. It didn’t take a beauty queen to know just what was on their minds. But she didn’t need maturity to tell her what he was thinking. Her cheeks flushed with heat as his mind connected with hers. Blatant arousal hit her stomach as she felt her nipples bead and lift. Heat spread down her body ‘til it reached her belly. A grin lifted the corners of his firm lips as he raised a single eyebrow at her. The men surrounding him suddenly sat up straighter. Their grins brightened even more brilliantly as their eyes mirrored their increased interest. It was a look that Roshelle had committed to memory. Spinning about, she let a smile cross her own face. Christina was scrambling up the hillside in her direction. Thank God! Roshelle swung around in relief. A harsh laugh rumbled out of his chest making her temper fume. But Roshelle didn’t dare turn around. Most men only guessed that a woman was turned on. This one knew without a doubt how weak her body was. But the worst part was the way he let his own emotions flow between them. His desire fed her raging needs, making it impossible to resist the urge to get closer to him. Joy was the only way to describe the embrace the two women shared. Roshelle completely dismissed him as she sprinted to her friend’s outstretched arms. Jared shifted as his pants cut into his erection. Her sweet little bottom made his mouth water. The link between their minds made the need painful because it was impossible to ignore. Roshelle was running from it and all he wanted to do was chase her.

It was a harsh and primitive urge that rode him hard. A psychic mated on more than just the physical level. Roshelle offered him a true partnership in intimacy. Their minds could mingle as completely as their bodies. The women walked away as Jared resumed cleaning his rifle. He should just let her go back to her civilian life. His staff throbbed so he stood up. He shouldered the gun as he let his legs carry him away from the men. His body was pulsing with need. Hunger gnawed at his principles as he forced himself to walk away from Roshelle. Life could be a real bitch at times. ***** “What’s burning?” Pulling her friend further into the house, Christina sent her another smile. “I’m cooking.” “Christina dear, last time I checked, you can’t even define the word cook.” Dropping into a chair, Roshelle regarded her friend. Christina gave a familiar toss of her head before she turned her attention to whatever culinary masterpiece she was creating at the kitchen rangetop. Multiple pots sat atop the burners and she lifted lids as she surveyed her work. “Yes, but Shane Jacobs doesn’t know that. Nor does the brute.” Her friend sent her an evil grin before tossing a wooden spoon into the sink. “Shane suggested I keep myself busy in the kitchen. Lord forbid I try and disagree.” All right, so she was a coward. But when faced with a choice of her friend or him, Roshelle tucked tail and ran away. Well, she’d take her friend’s company over him, any day. “So what now, Doctor?” “Why are you asking me?” Dropping a lid back onto its pot, Christina swung her blue eyes around to her companion. “Your track record is a lot better than mine. All I managed to do was get myself kidnapped. For a modern woman, you haven’t done too bad at getting us out of it.” “Right up ‘til we ended up here.” Pushing to her feet, Roshelle surveyed the view the kitchen window offered. While the men still sat with their weapons, he was not with them any longer. The hair on her neck rose slightly, there was something comforting about keeping that man in her sights. “It’s a definite step up from our last host.” Was it? Roshelle just didn’t quite know. But she had no way of explaining her encounters with him to Christina. At least not without explaining a whole lot more.

“I just wish I had a clue as to where we are.” “Shelly, you have got to get out more often.” Turning around, Roshelle tried to comprehend the amusement on her friend’s face. There was nothing funny about their imprisonment. “We’re right smack on Witch Mountain. How could you not know that?” “Well, my jailer hasn’t bothered to introduce himself!” Shaking her head, Christina began to rummage around in the cabinets. “I forget you never really dated much.” She pulled spices from one and began to dump several different types into the same pot. She didn’t bother to read the labels either. “Meaning?” “The Jacobs family shows up in the Yankee camp from time to time. That giant is their oldest boy Shane.” “Christina, that man is no boy!” A slight grin crossed her face before she replied. “Trust me Shelly, if it’s male, it is guaranteed to never mature. The packaging is irrelevant.” “All right, so these are actually civilized people. At least one is. What do they want us for?” “I think the jury might still be out.” “Down on my end of this compound, I’ve been waiting for the execution order to come through any second.” “Yes, well the Campbell children always were an intense bunch.” “As in Sheriff Campbell?” Christina simply nodded her head as she lifted the empty plate from the table. Roshelle had known that Brice Campbell owned the land bordering her grandmother’s but she never knew the man was married. “I didn’t know the sheriff had a family.” But she had grown up with just Abba so maybe it wasn’t a secret. Abba was polite to a fault but she preferred a quiet life. Weekends at Jennings Mill were just about the most excitement she ever sought out. Other than Christina, Roshelle herself had not encouraged much social contact. She just never felt her life lacked anything. The few boys that expressed interest she had been content to see only at the monthly historical events. Without encouragement, none of the would-be suitors had ever pressed their cases. “I think he has three boys. But I never really met them.” That little fact wasn’t much of a stumbling block for her friend. It never ceased to amaze Roshelle the

number of girls that were willing to share secrets with the blonde beauty in an attempt to share her appeal with the male population. The very idea that there might be another two men like her specter was not sitting on her nerves well. Roshelle pushed the disturbing thought aside. She had enough current troubles. There was no need to go looking for possible future ones. He was the only one she needed to get past. One step at a time. Getting off this mountain might not be all that difficult. The threat of shooting her might be nothing more than another bluff. Roshelle just wished that it wasn’t such a big “if”. ***** “Two pretty little heads stuck together has me rather terrified, my friend.” “She can plan ‘til doomsday, she’s not leaving.” Contemplating Shane’s kitchen, Jared considered just how long he should leave her with her companion. Cutting Roshelle off from any form of comfort would drive her into his embrace. Jared snorted with disgust. He really shouldn’t be planning how to maneuver his little guest but his brain was clearly centered on the task of getting Roshelle past her fear of him. But it was more than his sexual desire that made him set on keep her on his mountain. That fire was either a very calculated move to draw him out or someone wanted her very dead. Maybe both. But he’d taken the bait completely, running to her aid without a single precaution. It would have been pathetically simple to eliminate her under those conditions. That left him with a steady resolution to keep her firmly under his eye. It would have been much simpler to deal with her as an enemy. Instead he found himself feeling responsible for her. That emotion raised the hair on the back of his neck. Jared liked his life just the way it was; there was absolutely no room for her. Finding her scent drifting between the walls of his home bordered on invasion. Women had no business on his mountain. The dangers surrounding his life just didn’t allow for it. The object of his thoughts chose that moment to come into view. Roshelle let the door fall closed behind her as she made her way down the front steps of the house. The afternoon sun lit up her hair bringing the copper out. If he had been close enough to see her eyes, Jared knew that the brown orbs would have turned gold as well. The woman reminded him of a chameleon. Camouflage was a skill she utilized to the extreme. Roshelle was beginning to get used to his stare. At the moment she knew there were several people watching her, and he was definitely one of them. As much as she wanted to believe she had vanquished her nightmare, he was still rooted someplace deep inside her mind. But the feeling was evolving into an ache, something that pulsed through her belly demanding her to seek him out. The sound of a truck engine was making its way to her ears as it approached the driveway she stood in front of. The border “boys” were coming in for the night.

Pushing herself forward, Roshelle made her way back to her current home. One run-in with that bunch was enough for her. But returning to the room that had housed her just seemed too much like putting herself back into his hands. Stopping on the porch, she hesitated. Maybe it was time to call his bluff. The truck made its customary stop in front of Shane’s house. Her eyes watched as the occupants filed into the structure. It was very possible that there were no other men on duty. Now that she was taking the time to consider it, it was very possible that these men were doing something other than patrolling a border. After all, this was Benton County not the Pentagon. These people had managed to keep her imprisoned in a room using her own fear to keep her there. There was no reason for her to assume that the threat about being shot was anything but smoke. Fate seemed to be on her side tonight. As she watched the empty truck, two figures came out of the night to circle around it and enter the house. Her dream specter followed on the heels of Shane Jacobs as the two men joined their comrades. He turned before entering the house and caught sight of her on his front porch. Their eyes locked in a battle that Roshelle was feeling all too willing to engage in, but she had another priority at the moment. Breaking the contact, she ducked into the house firmly shutting the door behind her. She made the distance to her room at a dead run. Moving the blinds aside, she was rewarded with the sight of her specter entering the other house. The door closed behind him leaving her very much alone for the moment. Roshelle spared a thought for Christina but pushed it aside. With the cover of darkness to aid her, there would be no better time to make her escape. There were a number of questions concerning these people but Roshelle was confident that they would not harm her friend. Once she reached the sheriff’s department there wouldn’t be a problem. But it was a long walk. Moving through the house she sought out the bare essentials for her trip. The hallway closet yielded a number of jackets that would keep the night’s chill away. Her lips twisted in rage as she caught sight of one jacket that wasn’t black. It was forest green and it belonged to her! Now it was neatly hung next to his belongings. Roshelle jerked it off the hanger and put it on. She grabbed another jacket and put it over her own to hide the color. The kitchen was complete with a back door. Exiting the house from the north would face her in the wrong direction but Roshelle would just double back later. She didn’t want to risk her departure being seen. Growing up with her grandmother may have kept her isolated but it had given her a skill that was invaluable tonight. As a child Roshelle had learned these mountains. She felt at ease wandering the trees even as darkness enfolded the forest. The sounds that fell on her ears simply confirmed that she was home. The stars would show her the way back to Benton. Her feet picked up their pace as Roshelle anticipated a return to normalcy.

Her face turned up into the first true smile she had felt in days as she imagined the sheriff’s department putting a final end to her nightmares. ***** “Will you marry me?” “I want ten kids, I’m terrible in bed and I plan on getting fatter with each baby.” Christina fired off her retort without blinking an eye. She was so sick of men gawking at her because she had a pretty face. Men just dissolved at her feet without a care for any companionship she might provide beyond sex. The laughter floating about the room just made her curl her lips with exasperation. Men were such pitiful creatures. She was doomed to die a virgin. Turning away from the sink, she found herself being assessed by a pair of hazel eyes. Shane Jacobs was not impressed with her tartness. His men were eating it up like a pack of schoolyard boys. The empty plate sitting in front of the man made her frown. He smiled at her and patted his belly. He’d eaten the disaster of a meal just to prove he could. Jerk. Jared watched their battle from half-closed eyes. The blonde didn’t interest him. It was far too simple to block her out of his mind. A slow smile curved up his lips as he stepped out onto the porch. A good three hundred yards separated them but he could feel her. The lightness of her mood drifted over his senses, arousing his curiosity. She had ducked for cover rather than face him. The lack of logic between her actions and emotions aroused his suspicion. Opening his mind, Jared sought out the reason behind her current joy. Whatever the reason for their link, Jared was enjoying the ability to tap into her emotions whenever he wanted to. Pure pleasure poured over his senses. Jared frowned as he considered that. As far as he could see, Roshelle didn’t have any reason to be so pleased with her current situation. His eyes lit onto the window of her room. It took exactly three seconds for Jared to confirm that she wasn’t within the walls. Finding himself able to feel Roshelle amazed him because empathy wasn’t Jared’s specialty. Tracking was. Jared had been running down targets as soon as he learned to walk. Once he formed a solid link with his prey, hunting it down was nothing more than the distance needing to be covered. His feet were moving even as his mind brought her into focus. Jared melted into the night-covered forest with the ease of a man that was returning to his home. His body took to the hunt with a predatory edge born from years of execution of his talent. His lips turned up in deadly intent.

This time she was all his. ***** Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Roshelle shook her head for the tenth time. Caged by her own fear. Kept hostage by a nightmare that was in fact human after all. Well…he was still not normal. No, her night specter was nothing to make light of. The man wielded a mind that was deadly in its precision. In an odd sort of way, she was going to miss not being forced to face him again. Seeking out the man behind her nightmare was more satisfying than Roshelle cared to admit. But she would leave him behind. Roshelle had chosen her life’s path and spent too many years earning the right to follow it. She was a doctor. The emotional tempest she had tasted this last week would have to be left behind. It was strange the way she could feel the man at times. Her feelings had never been so persistent. Sensation was sliding along her skin at the moment as secure as an embrace. He was searching—seeking—hunting. Confidence radiated from his mind. Triumph slammed into her head a split second before her back was thrust into the unyielding trunk of a tree. Her feet stumbled as they were literally pushed from their stride. But she didn’t collide with the tree. Instead his hand controlled the momentum of her body with a solid grip in the front of her jacket. He lifted her from her steps and placed her exactly where he wanted. One hand was all he had used to lock her to that tree. Solid legs pressed forward blocking any escape route. Jerking her head back, Roshelle sought a look that might remind her that she was not facing a dream-spun creature. Moonlight washed over the hard edges of his jaw, betraying his smile. Her anger impressed him. Jared could feel the eruption of heat as it surged through her body. Sometime in the last two days, she had conquered her fear of him. Her chest rose in rapid repetition, but terror wasn’t in control of her tonight. No, she was absolutely furious. Jared almost laughed in response. Hiding her newfound courage was most effective. Overconfidence was a mistake he would not make with this woman again. But her willingness to engage him in battle was becoming addictive. Jared had never found a female so very intriguing before. His brain demanded that he investigate the cause. “I think you’ve gone far enough.” “Get away from me!”

Despite the fact that she demanded release, Roshelle was surprised to have him grant her demand. Despite her release, her body felt more trapped by his presence than she had by his flesh. “Didn’t your mother teach you to keep your hands to yourself?” “My mother taught me to hunt.” Roshelle believed him, too. Roshelle shifted nervously as she watched the way he dissipated into the shadows. He just seemed to blend with the night more completely than any human being should be able to. That did not give him the right to hold her against her will. “Your comrades aren’t going to shoot me.” Roshelle felt her confidence grow as she spoke the words out loud. She had called his bluff and she’d won! When this woman found her courage she applied it immediately. Jared grinned in response. She wasn’t going anywhere but back to his domain. “No, honey, my men won’t shoot you. But you seem to be attracting some that would. You might live a lot longer if you turn around and head back up this mountain.” It wasn’t the confidence in that voice that bothered her as much as the amusement. Roshelle had taken her share of knockdowns in life but nothing like the ones her life was currently throwing at her. Just when was it going to be her turn to pitch? “I’ll just take my chances with the sheriff’s department.” Turning her back on him, Roshelle set herself back on the path to her life. She was going home and life would return to normal! “Roshelle…” She really tried to ignore him but the deep tone of his voice just demanded she give in to the urge to look at him. Her stride broke for the barest of seconds as she turned back to investigate her company. He struck with the effectiveness of the hunter her mind labeled him to be. With one hand, he pulled her right off her feet. Gravity aided him as it sent her off-balance body over the wide shoulders that angled towards her. A single upwards thrust from his legs and her body lay across his shoulders just like any downed prey would. Being hefted over a shoulder would have given her some avenue of retaliation. Her current position across the length of his shoulders immobilized her. His neck pressed into her belly preventing movement while one hand wove between her thighs to secure her legs. The other arm sat wedged between her biceps and lodged behind her neck. She could try to roll off her perch but the distance to the ground discouraged such a rash action. The grip of his hands reinforced the fact that she would not find breaking free simple. Frustration rose up in a choking thickness. Not only were her dreams of sanity shattering at his hands again. She was also being hauled up the mountainside like a downed deer.

And she still didn’t know what the man’s name was! “You know, you are a great deal of trouble.” She hissed. Jared laughed as he turned and began the climb back to his home. Her scent surrounded him as his breaths deepened with the climb. He hadn’t been so close to the center of her body before. That spicy scent that had teased him was now strong and powerful. His body reacted with ferocious need. The fact that she was mad just made his deepening pull harder to ignore. Her temper had banished all fear from her mind, making it far too tempting to explore his raging need to touch her. Bare her body ‘til he found the source of her scent. Taste her ‘til she moaned again under his touch. Oh dear God! Roshelle swallowed roughly as each nerve ending she had began erupting with demands. He wasn’t floating inside her mind. Instead they seemed locked together with every emotion shared between them. She could taste the aggression, feel the need pulsing from his body. Her skin screamed for release from her clothing as she felt her belly clench and burn for something far deeper than just a touch. Roshelle kicked again as she actually felt her passage heating. Everything was too intense. The need to escape the overwhelming pulse of desire went pounding through her brain. Roshelle almost shrieked as her body fell towards the forest floor. A solid steel band caught her waist and kept her from sprawling at the man’s feet. But it also secured her to his body without a single millimeter between them. Her hands slammed into his chest in an effort to maintain distance. A single finger gently stroked her cheek as he shifted her hips to lay firmly against his body. The hard evidence of his arousal pressed into her belly as she felt her body shake with need. “If you’d like to stop here, that’s just fine, too, but I’m not letting you walk into a bullet.” “I didn’t ask for your help.” “It wasn’t my idea to volunteer for the job either. That doesn’t change where we are, Roshelle.” Her name rolled out of his chest in a husky tone. A deep rasp that twisted her stomach into knots. The last time he’d used that tone, he’d also kissed her. “Don’t!” Jared thrust the word back between her lips. She jerked away and he followed her. Her lips fell open under the assault. Molding her body to his, Jared enjoyed the pure rush of sensation that came from touching her. Surrender was her only option. Roshelle moaned softly as she felt her will crumbling. His body moved and molded hers to its every whim. His mouth was fierce, as it demanded access to hers. His fingers slid up her back and tangled into her hair holding her head exactly where he wanted it. Jared raised his head and swore softly. The sensation was too intense. It was more than the burning need of flesh. Roshelle was merging with his mind as he forced surrender from her body. Her breath escaped in tiny pants as she struggled to thrust him away. But her nipples were twin points stabbing into his chest with invitation. His mouth watered to taste them. Bare her body and run his tongue over each and every inch of her breasts.

His hand traveled down her neck and across her breast. Roshelle whimpered as she felt her body arch towards that hand. Her nipples begged for even the slightest touch. She craved it with a devotion that banished rational thought. Right here, there was only need and instinct. They drove her towards him and the hard body that her fingers could only find traces of through his clothing. She quivered in his arms. Jared stroked her neck again. Teaching her to accept his touch. Her mind struggled against the intimacy as he clamped his control over his raging need to simply possess her. Here, now, pressing her ‘til her body opened and yielded the deepest touch a female could surrender to a man. But he didn’t want to take it. Jared lifted her body and settled it against a tree. He pressed his hips towards hers ‘til her thighs parted to allow him between them. He captured her mouth again and thrust his tongue deeply inside to find her own. There wasn’t any escape. Roshelle couldn’t stop her tongue from reaching for his. His lips were firm as they moved her and instructed her on the motion he craved. Her thighs clenched around his hips as she sighed with pleasure. His body was so hard and that seemed to please her immensely. She wanted to touch that hardness. His hands gripped her bottom as she let him move into complete contact with her body. The hard thrust of his sex settled against the spread folds of her own. Roshelle gasped as sensation burned up her passage in response. Despite the layers of clothing the touch shocked her, making her twist as uncertainty erupted in her brain. He didn’t release her. Instead there was the glitter of his eyes as he firmly pressed his erection against her center again. Jared watched her nostrils flare. It was a basic and primitive detail that told him exactly how aroused she was. Her hips yielded to his body as she clasped him with her thighs once more. But her thoughts were filled with uncertainty that was rapidly becoming panic. He leaned forward to apply a kiss to her mouth before she let fear override her passion. Her lips clung to his as she relaxed into his embrace again. Jared swung her back across his shoulders before he gave into his primal urge to push her further. Trust wasn’t something you took. It had to be built. Each time he touched her, she yielded more of herself to his embrace but she wasn’t ready to surrender her body completely. The woman was a paradox. Her weight wasn’t enough to slow his stride; in fact her weight was quite comfortable. A smile split his face as he noticed the glare of artificial light. Returning Roshelle to his home was immensely satisfying. “Now, how come I never found one of those on my duty shift?” “I think I’ll take a second shift, Sir!” Several other men joined the celebration of her capture by lending their applause as Roshelle was dumped in the center of the driveway. Her captor simply dropped her feet-first without a single warning. Providing amusement for his men annoyed her, entertaining him infuriated her! Her body was a mass of quivering nerves that she struggle to suppress as the pack of men smirked at her. But the look in his eyes made her knees threaten to give way. Hunger blazed from the depths of those emeralds promising her only a limited reprieve from his hold. Roshelle stepped away from him. He stood between her and the forest making it impossible to leave the compound without challenging him to do it. His eyes promised her he’d delight in any excuse to carry her into the house. Roshelle raised her chin and glared right back at him. His men’s laughter summoned her temper and she

embraced the flame of anger to escape the heat his touch bred inside her. “I was told that Neanderthals were extinct. I see that information was incorrect.” “Didn’t Neanderthals prefer to drag their mates about by their hair?” “I am not your mate!” “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.” Roshelle whipped about to confront the solider that dared to quote Shakespeare in such an uncivilized spot. Any manner of genteel education seemed almost a sacrilege coming from this group of predators. Still, there was more than one way to knock a man down. “Not all women have soft hearts for dumb animals.” Roshelle caught a glimpse of white teeth before the man seized the opportunity her words presented to him. “Jared doesn’t want a soft heart. Just a soft spot.” The absolute crudity of his words wrung a blush from her. Circling the group with her eyes, she noted their complete enjoyment of their comrade’s lack of morals. Suddenly, Christina’s disdain for the male of the species wasn’t so difficult to understand. Jared? Her mind grabbed that bit of information as she struggled to maintain some small amount of dignity. Turning about, she caught him in her stare. Somehow, being able to apply something as normal as a name to this man banished the last of his nightmare image. He still wasn’t anywhere near normal but he was as human as she was. Lifting her head, she ran another look over his frame. “When I was a child, one of my favorite stories concerned a battle with a goblin king named Jared. Somehow, I think the name suits you!” Jared just couldn’t stop the laughter that rumbled out of his chest. Roshelle lifted her chin into the night air before striding off back to his house after she delivered her final insult. What a little package of feminine disgruntlement. Outmaneuvering her was becoming his favorite pastime. Despite the obvious fact of his physical superiority, she stubbornly refused to admit defeat. Females always feared him, especially the ones that knew about his psychic abilities. The fear crept up into their eyes before they ran for cover. The few he ran down never challenged him, preferring instead to submit to his will. Not Roshelle. No, she stuck her chin out, propped her hands onto her hips before informing him just how beneath her she considered him. But her body clung to his when he touched her. Her little body fit into his with amazing perfection. His body pulsed as he watched the sway of her hips. She was going to welcome him between those

thighs. Spread herself open for his body until they sunk into each other in complete intimacy. ***** “Time to abandon the operation?” “No, I believe we might just need to adjust our parameters.” A pair of cold eyes considered the information neatly displayed across his desk. It was still possible to obtain their goal. The profitability of this project dropped significantly with the loss of equipment. The men were irrelevant. There were plenty more to buy. Their lack of skill had cost them their lives; the only true concern was the equipment that Jared Campbell’s unit had destroyed. Besides the sheets of computer-generated reports, several photographs were also assessed. A slow hand removed one of them from the desktop for closer inspection. The little doctor was surprisingly interesting. Civilian females rarely put up any true fight. They were pitiful examples of a society that was swimming in its own excesses. Her education level made her a much better candidate than they currently had for this project. Intelligence was a key ingredient. He could have wished for a slightly larger female but there were ways to overcome that deficiency. Yes… She might just fulfill their needs.

Chapter Seven

“Christina, I’m getting worried about you now.” With a spatula in hand, Christina half-turned from the rangetop to survey her accuser. “He ate it! Jerk.” A silvery laugh escaped from the girl before she turned back to her latest creation. Roshelle slid into a chair as she considered her lack of options for the day. She just didn’t deal with inactivity well. “I think I should warn you that I’m considering trying to muscle you out. My prison block’s kitchen seems to be equipped with nothing but a can opener and coffeemaker.” “The Neanderthal basics.” Roshelle turned her lips into a pout. In the three days since Jared had hauled her back to this compound, every time she crossed paths with a soldier it was cause for him to begin walking like a gorilla while sending her the appropriate grunting noises. “I should have gone to assassin training university instead of medical school.”

“Well, at least you aren’t barefoot.” It took a moment for her friend’s comment to sink in. Roshelle stared in confusion as Christina lifted one of her feet from the floor to wiggle her bare toes in the air. “Someone took your shoes?” The compound that separated the two homes was very basic. Both driveways were nothing more than forest floor. Other than the tire tracks and the houses themselves they were surrounded by the forest. Crossing the needle- and rock-covered ground was extremely unwise without footwear. “In response to your successful escape, it was decided that an obstacle to leaving this house might be advisable.” “I was far from successful. Opposite side of the ring, if you ask me.” “Well, it certainly got a lot of attention.” “What it almost got you was a death certificate.” Jared locked eyes with Roshelle as she glared at him. Surprise passed briefly over those brown eyes before she masked the emotion. Abandoning his post outside the kitchen door, he moved inside to see if her newfound courage held up to closer inspection. It was time to press her enough to shake loose some information. The current stalemate was making him nervous. Whoever was out there, it wasn’t an amateur. “Hum… Let’s see… It’s been three whole days since you last threatened me. I guess you’re overdue.” Seeing the man in the light of day drove home his size. There was just something about the way he blended in with the darkness that made her forget just exactly how big he was. The walls of the kitchen, despite their large size, just closed in on her as he walked into it. Her chest tightened in response. Feeling off balance, Roshelle pushed to her feet and left the kitchen. She didn’t like the way his green stare made her feel so…exposed. She had faced her nightmare. Discovering him to be human after all. Beyond that she refused to find fear out there. She was not a part of this cloak and dagger world. Currently that man represented every obstacle that stood between her and the life she was desperate to return to. Stopping short of the steps that led to Jared’s house, Roshelle turned back to the forest that surrounded her. The afternoon light was filtering down through the trees as the breeze carried the chill of autumn. Once the sun set, the temperature would decrease dramatically. Just as her friend had endured some form of restraint so had she. The jacket that had protected her during her escape attempt was nowhere to be found. The hall closet was emptied right down to the hangers. Boredom had driven her out to see her friend. Returning to her room before the temperature drove her indoors seemed rather short-sighted.

She would find herself staring at the ceiling soon enough. Besides, he was still watching her. She could feel the weight of his eyes on her. That wasn’t all she could feel. Her body began its pleading once again. Three days of yearning had driven her almost mad. The physical wave of sexual desire would crest and wane but always return. So, she’d avoided Jared as she applied every last ounce of strength she had into blocking his mind. Her body fed off the desire that came through their mind link. When his needs poured into her, it set off a frantic reaction that her will seemed powerless to stop. The rough terrain of her mountaintop prison did have a certain advantage. Being able to walk out her frustrations was very satisfying. Jared kept pace with his prey. Her pace was neither frantic nor lazy. But the woman was wearing her boots out in an attempt to outfox him. Sometimes the most important part of battle was knowing the right time to engage your enemy. Roshelle had a tight little backside that he enjoyed watching as she moved. As she changed direction, Jared was treated to the sight of her breasts moving beneath the shirt she wore. This was his forest. He and Shane had made the move from the central compound just the season before. The north side of the mountain held the home his mother had raised her family in. Even in mid-life, Grace Campbell was a force to be reckoned with. Jared wasn’t looking forward to explaining the addition of two civilians to her. Colonel Jacobs was going to be less than pleased with the security breach. Jared tightened his face a notch. At the moment, there was no question of a breach. Roshelle wasn’t going anywhere. Not ‘til he discovered why they’d found her in the midst of a very well-armed group of mercenaries. Roshelle was far too innocent in the darker side of the world. It didn’t occur to her that there were enemies out there that the sheriff’s department wasn’t equipped to handle. Jared would tie her to a tree before letting her walk back into the line of fire. Pressing his lips together in annoyance, Jared investigated his own emotions concerning his current dilemma. Roshelle was becoming a larger problem each day she remained on his property. His growing concern for her welfare drove it home to him. Strong ties with his men were one thing. Forming any manner of attachment to a woman was another. Especially a civilian female that didn’t have a clue as to what he was. Jared very much doubted that Roshelle had any notion that operatives such as him even existed. But he was forgetting this woman’s ability to mask her true self. Roshelle already knew far more about him than half his men. She could feel it. The only thing that changed was to present the very real possibility that the Army might decide Roshelle could be useful as an operative. True psychics were just too rare. If Roshelle proved to be as strong as he suspected she was, the Army would never allow her to return to the civilian population.

Turning her over to a testing unit hit him right in the gut with its ugliness. Roshelle would view that life as nothing better than slavery. Damned if Jared couldn’t see the correlation. ***** Good grief! Roshelle had somehow been under the assumption that she was in good condition. Watching the last light fade from the trees, she turned her wrist up to note the hour. She had only been hiking for three hours, yet her legs were screaming in protest. Bracing her hands on her thighs, she pushed each foot back behind her in an attempt at stretching out her angry muscles. She just might have found something to do with herself. Considering the abrupt turn from reality that her life was taking recently, building up some true endurance might be in her best interests. At least hiking wasn’t any more boring than sitting in her room. She had searched the house from top to bottom. There wasn’t even a Playboy magazine in the place. What kind of solider didn’t even have a nude girlie magazine around? Wasn’t that a requirement in the code of disgusting male conduct? Well, she did draw the line at entering Jared’s room. A delicate shudder ran over her shoulders as she considered that. She’d let boredom send her snooping through the man’s cupboards. Roshelle could hear Abba now. Her grandmother would be devastated to discover her granddaughter behaving in such a base manner. Roshelle would bet there were plenty of things in the master bedroom. She had stood at the doorway in uncertain frustration. The problem was she just didn’t see what lay behind those doors as a simple bedroom. Her mind was offering up the vision of a lair complete with a flesh-eating carnivore. There were just some animals that were best left alone if possible. The chill in the air made her straighten and turn back towards the house. Wearing nothing but a short-sleeve top, there was no question of remaining out now that the sun had set. Rubbing her hands over the exposed skin, she felt tiny goose bumps rise up. Roshelle stopped short of beginning that journey. Wrapped up in her own thoughts she had missed the burning sting that announced company. Searching the shadows, her eyes found nothing but she knew Jared was here. Roshelle doubted that she was ever alone. “Forget to threaten me some other way?” Nothing but stillness answered, but he was here. Close. Maybe it was the boredom or just maybe her efforts fatigued her more than she knew, but the desire to force Jared from his hiding place rose up and Roshelle seized it. The complete lack of control she currently held over her life bred a determination to grab any shred she could. Upsetting his balance seemed a perfect place to begin. Moving forward, Roshelle intended to catch sight of her specter. Her eyes found nothing in the darkness. Stopping again, she tried to discover just where he was. She could still feel the man. Turning with her senses she traveled where they led her but she found nothing. The reason was simple; Jared was just keeping one step ahead of her. Roshelle had forgotten just how easy he found it to search through her mind. She should not have begun this game. Her mother’s voice floated across her memory with its warning to never display her gifts to anyone.

“So, you can find your target.” This time he came to her, melting from the night into a solid figure that caused her to step back, seeking protection from his reach. “No comment?” “What do you want?” Jared frowned as he caught the shudder in her voice. She’d been standing still long enough to lose the body heat her walking had produced. Controlling her wardrobe gave him the peace of mind of knowing she wouldn’t attempt any more night escapes. “Here.” Tossed at her in the dark, Roshelle was completely clueless as to what she captured with her arms. Moving it about in her hands she sought to identify the bulky item. Still warm from his body the jacket caused her to shake in anticipation of wrapping its folds about her chilled flesh. But her pride refused to accept help from the man responsible for holding her here. “No, thank you.” She forced her arms to throw the garment back. Stubborn female. Jared sent the jacket back at her with a flick of his wrist. “Put it on.” “I don’t need your help.” “The hell you don’t!” Roshelle half expected the jacket to come back at her but instead Jared took one large step and yanked her body forward by her biceps. A few precise movements and she found herself encircled with the jacket while its folds trapped her arms against the side of her body. Planting his feet on either side of her own, Jared curled his fist into the jacket that confined her. Running his opposite hand upwards he grasped that stubborn jaw of hers forcing her attention to his face. Capturing her eyes, he tried to enlighten her. “If you weren’t working with those men then I assure you they will be very happy to see you dead. Dead women don’t point many fingers. If you think you can just walk back into your hospital, you’re not as smart as I believed.” Her eyes flashed in defiance. Jared’s own answered the challenge she issued. Placing his mouth over hers, he sought to conquer her defenses, pushing aside resistance, seeking out the female that hid amidst their walls. His desire burned her mouth as he moved the flesh to suit his purpose. Roshelle struggled to maintain her grip on herself only to find it dissolving against the force of his will. His taste invaded her mouth as he sought out her own. A soft moan escaped her throat as pleasure spiked its way up her spine. Desire

blossomed up from places that she had never believed possible. The sheer intensity of it frightened her right down to the bottom of her soul. Pulling his lips from hers, Jared contemplated the wide eyes that reflected his own desire. He could smell the arousal on her flesh. The spicy scent wove its way around his head. Smoothing his hand over her cheek he sought to still the shivers that shook her frame. He needed to touch her again. Teach her how to accommodate his body with hers. It certainly wasn’t the wisest thing he could choose to do but it was pounding through his brain, making reason a waste of time. Jared felt his nostrils flare as her scent rose in a thick stream. His staff stiffened and jerked as he watched her eyes widen with awareness. His grip on her clothing kept her body exactly where he wanted it. Roshelle battled with her body, as it tried to relinquish her will to the pulsing tempo that her blood carried. She had never noticed just how good a man could smell. It was a scent that dove into the deepest corners of her brain with its intensity. “Relax, sweetheart. Let me touch you.” She shook her head and pulled against the hold on the jacket. He didn’t give an inch. Roshelle felt the blood drain from her face as he growled softly. Jared stroked a finger over her cheek. He suddenly pushed through the wall she’d built between their minds. Desire blazed from his body in a wave that swamped her. Dark images of his body moving inside hers made the walls of her passage ache. She felt the slide of moisture hit the outer folds of her sex as he continued to let her feel the aggressive edge of his desire. “You will trust me, sweetheart. That hunger pounding through your body isn’t going to feed itself. Get used to the idea.” Releasing his grip on the jacket, Jared watched her stumble back several paces before she regained her footing. “Drop the jacket.” She felt so trapped! Roshelle struggled with the images in her head as her body screamed for her to comply. She needed to be free from the suffocating folds of the garment, but it seemed so exposing too. Jared stood in front of her like a solid wall as he waited. It would have been so simple for him to strip her. Instead he waited for her to submit to his will. Angry words bubbled up from her pride but Roshelle snapped her lips together instead. She wasn’t afraid of Jared. No, it was worse than that. She was afraid of herself. The jacket hit the ground with a dull thud as she forced her fingers to release it. Her blood raced along her veins at an amazing speed making her skin oblivious to the chilly air. Instead her shirt felt constricting and too hot. He lifted his fingers and rapidly pushed the buttons on his shirt through their holes. He pulled the garment off to display a chest that stole her breath. Sculpted to perfection, muscle was packed onto his shoulders declaring his strength in a purely primal manner. “Come here, Roshelle.” There wasn’t a question of disobeying him. She was drawn to that chest. Roshelle lifted her fingers and sighed as she let them explore his shoulders. She slid her fingertips over his wide collarbones ‘til she

found the crisp hair that covered his chest. Her breasts lifted and swelled as she traced a path towards his sculpted abdomen. His body screamed aggression at her but deep inside her belly she quivered as she yearned for him to join his body to hers. Her shirt didn’t have buttons. Instead it closed with snaps that popped instantly when he yanked on the fabric. Her arms fell to her sides as he pulled the thing away from her. His fingers brushed her back as he separated the hooks holding her bra closed. One solid arm closed across her back as he lifted her last garment away. Hesitation flashed across her mind. Jared lifted a hand to stroke her neck in response. It would be simple to overwhelm her. He wanted more, something deeper. He had the need to join with her, not take her body. It didn’t make any sense to him but he just didn’t care at the moment. Her breasts were perfection. Creamy mounds, both tipped with coral nipples, begged for closer attention. His lips closed around her nipple and Roshelle didn’t care anymore. His mouth sucked on the point deeply as her body twitched up to offer it to him. Fire raced down her belly ‘til it hit her core. Fluid slid down her passage as she pressed her hips towards the hard rod of flesh that she craved. He pressed forward and she groaned with pleasure. His lips trailed across her chest ‘til they climbed up the side of her opposite breast. This time his tongue licked around the nipple making her frantic for him to deepen the touch. Instead he lapped and circled as his hand closed over her other breast and gently squeezed. His staff jerked against her belly, making her press harder against him. His fingers left her breast to attack the waistband of her jeans. Nothing seemed to matter more than stripping the scratchy things from her legs. She shifted and offered him better access to the zipper. Roshelle stepped out of her shoes as he yanked the pants down her legs. Her sock-clad feet felt the moist ground and it seemed to soothe her overheated flesh. But it wasn’t enough. She twisted as her body screamed for his touch. The tiny distance between them was too much. Abruptly he turned her away from him. One solid arm bound her across her belly as the faint rasp of his breath hit her ear. He bit into her neck making her jump. The hard tip of his sex brushed her bottom making her moan. He bent her over his arm as his feet spread hers apart. She was completely vulnerable to his power. Everything twisted inside her as the sensation rose to mindless levels. Roshelle wasn’t thinking. She was immersed in feeling every bit of contact between them burned and pulsed. But inside her body, the walls of her passage screamed for the deepest touch to be applied. Her hips rose as he moved that hard rod to the opening of her body. She was slick and wet for him. Jared didn’t hesitate. Instead he thrust forward into her body and held her steady as she twisted in pain. Her passage was too tight. The walls convulsed around his staff as she tried to adjust to him. “Shh… Just hold me for a bit. Don’t move, honey.” Roshelle was certain she’d die if she didn’t move. His staff made her passage ache but her body screamed with need. She pushed her hips back into his as she mindlessly sought the friction that would feed her body’s craving. He sucked his breath in on a harsh note as she squirmed and the arm around her belly tightened to hold her steady. His chest bent her over that arm as he pulled out of her body and thrust back in, making her cry.

Jared felt his staff jerk as climax approached like an explosion. He couldn’t hold it off. Instead his hips rode her deeply as her moans made him thrust harder into her body. Reaching for her mons, he sent a finger searching for the little bud at the top of her sex. He rubbed its swollen head as his hips continued pounding into her passage. His body began to tense as his staff jerked and shot its seed into her. He thrust forward as his finger pressed into her folds. Pleasure exploded deep inside her. Roshelle twisted and turned as his body impaled her right to her core. The hot splash of his seed made the walls of her passage grip and pull on his rod. His harsh growl joined her cry as their minds mirrored the pleasure back and forth ‘til she wasn’t sure whose body felt what. Only that the intensity was strong enough to shatter her sanity, leaving her body pulsing like a live wire. His finger continued to rub her little bud, making the pleasure radiate in tiny pulses. He was still hard within her as he locked her body against his powerful one. Metal bit into her bottom, making Roshelle realized that he’d only opened his zipper and his pants were still on. A sudden vibration against one cheek made her jump. Jared cursed under his breath as he removed his hand from her sex. Jared cursed again silently as he dug his phone out of his pocket. Someone had better be dead or he might kill them himself. He straightened slightly as the line of code flashed across the screen of the small unit. Roshelle slipped out of his distracted hold, but he couldn’t ignore the call. Her bare skin flashed in the moonlight as she dipped down to grab her clothing. A push from her firm legs and she jumped away from him and into the trees. Lifting the phone, Jared cursed again as Roshelle slammed a wall in front of their link.

Chapter Eight

Trust him? When her hair turned gray! She didn’t walk out into the middle of road without looking. She didn’t invade peaceful slumber. She didn’t… Have a clue as to why her body responded to his. Her eyes focused on the stark white ceiling of her room, Roshelle finally let her anger slip away. Lying to herself wasn’t going to get her anywhere. A hot shower hadn’t driven his scent from her body. Her passage ached and her skin was sensitive to the smallest touch. It wasn’t right. Her chosen profession was dominated with men that could offer a wide range of positive reasons to attract her attention. Just because the ones she’d dated didn’t make her blood race was no reason to turn her attention to someone like Jared. Sweet mercy! Jared represented a sharp edge of society that she would rather believe civilized people didn’t need any longer. Yet, here she was trying to decide just why her lips were still tingling. Maybe there were corners of her brain that had never evolved. There was no other explanation for the rush of sensation that he could wring from her body. Getting angry wouldn’t help her. Neither would lying to herself. But maybe talking to Christina would. A smile lifted the corners of her face. Yes! Christina dealt with men’s advances all the time. She could let the most handsome man slip right off her mind and never look back. Roshelle just didn’t have any

experience. That was the reason everything felt so intense. Intense seemed like a tame word for the last hour’s events. She shied away from the memory of her mindless behavior. Nothing had mattered but her craving for Jared’s body. Even now she pulsed and throbbed in the deepest part of her body. She had to break free before it rose up to consume her again. ***** Roshelle was asleep. Jared thrust through her wall the second he returned to the house. He stopped in the doorway as he felt the deep slumber she was wrapped in. His staff throbbed as he cursed again. Walking into his room, he headed for the bathroom. He grabbed an electric shaver sitting on the counter and applied it to his face. Roshelle’s skin was too soft for his evening shadow. He was balanced on an edge. The face staring back from the mirror showed a harsh determination. The only words he seemed to mutter were curses. Why in the hell was he in such a hurry to get back between her thighs? He’d had her. It should be pathetically simple to wash her from his mind. Instead he was grooming with the purpose of going down the hallway for another taste. His rod rose to stiff attention as he considered sinking back into that tight passage of hers and taking the time to ride her slowly. Turning towards a shower, Jared rolled his shoulders and tried to loosen the grip of his emotions. Her fleeing from him had stung his pride. He snorted with frustration. It should have pleased him to have her take off. That made it so much easier to return to his life. Sex was something his body demanded but it had to be kept separate from his real life. Instead he was royally ticked off. Jared pulled his clothes off but froze as he lifted his pants to pull his phone out of the pocket. Rust-brown fluid stained the front of them. There were splotches on both sides of the zipper. It was blood. His eyes identified it instantly. Jared felt his lips turn up into the slightest of grins as he looked at the evidence on his pants again. He let his mind go searching for hers and found her still sleeping. He turned back to the shower as his grin turned into a smile. Base and primal, the expression on his face was pure approval. Roshelle had been a virgin. He laughed deeply and smiled again. His virgin. ***** “Shelly, you have got to get off this mountain.” With her mouth full of scrambled eggs, Roshelle sent her friend a confused look before swallowing. “I was sort of hoping you could tell me something I don’t already know.” Turning away from the stove, Christina slid herself down into the chair opposite her friend. How did she tell her best friend that she didn’t have a prayer? Jared just wasn’t the sort of man that a girl could push

around. There was too much intensity in the man. “As selfish as this may sound, I’m grateful he’s looking at you instead of me.” “This is becoming more confusing.” “Shelly, I don’t just push men around for fun. It’s just that I get so angry when I see them looking me over like a piece of fine art. The ones you see me casting off never took the time to ask what my favorite color was or to see anything other than my face. It’s easy to dismiss them when I know they don’t care about anything under this skin.” Raising her eyes up to her friend, Roshelle sent the other woman a smile. She wasn’t any closer to discovering what to do about Jared, but at least she had a friend here. “Christina, I’m sorry about all this.” “Don’t be silly! You aren’t anymore responsible for this mess than I am.” Standing up, Roshelle made her way to the sink. “I just can’t help thinking that this thing revolves around me somehow.” “Why would that be?” The plate she was washing slipped from her fingers as her body jumped in response to Jared’s voice. “Don’t look now, Shelly, but I think we’ve just been invaded.” Her friend’s comment struck Roshelle as funny. Jared and Shane stood in opposite doorways cutting off any escape from the kitchen. Green and brown camouflage clothing adorned both men, as did two rather evil-looking guns. “Roshelle, why do you think it revolves around you?” Jared’s voice was completely calm, but his eyes sent her a demand that Roshelle knew he wouldn’t let her refuse. She had never told Christina about what was happening because everything just seemed too insignificant. But not taking those little things into account had almost cost both of them their lives. “Strange things really. I don’t think it’s me, just my grandmother’s land. Abba was complaining about the persistence of the Huntley firm, too.” “Is that why you had it out with Clark Huntley?” Christina tilted her head as she issued her demand. “No, that was about my cell phone.” Jared rolled his eyes over to Shane as the two women continued their conversation. They were spilling information faster than any interrogation could have produced. “You were raised here, Shelly, half the county has your phone number.” “Not my new cell phone. I had that phone for just twenty-four hours before Huntley called me. Believe me, I know how weird it sounds. But the man was petrified when I demanded to know just where he got the number.”

Not half as terrified as the man was going to be when Jared got a hold of him. Getting a cell phone number was far easier than most of the public knew, but it required specialized equipment. Jared intended to discover just why the local law office seemed to be running in that sort of loop. “Roshelle, what else?” She really considered his question. Roshelle could see the anger displayed by his green eyes but for a change it wasn’t directed at her. The entire concept that Jared might be angry on her behalf sent emotion zinging along her nerves. “I don’t bake.” “I knew it!” The blonde’s triumphant look confused Jared. Roshelle’s confession didn’t make any sense to him. “Meaning what?” “I couldn’t have left something in the oven because I had never used it. Not even once.” “Your grandmother could have left it there.” “The church ladies did a good job of clearing out the house after Abba passed. All the utilities were turned off.” Jared crossed his arms over his chest in response. “A gas oven has a pilot light. It has to be lit.” “I take it you didn’t get around to doing that?” “It wasn’t a priority, seeing as I hadn’t even thought about using the oven. Besides, leaving something in the oven wouldn’t have hit me over the head. Whoever these people are, they don’t mind murder or kidnapping. And it all seems to come back to my land.” Holding a civil conversation with the man was unsettling. His eyes were just too sharp as they inspected her. Roshelle felt her cheeks flood with heat as he let his eyes drift over the blush staining her face. Shane had drifted into the kitchen, leaving the doorway free. Coward or not, Roshelle headed out of the kitchen. She had tossed and turned most of the night as her dreams filled with nothing but Jared. She couldn’t seem to evict him from her thoughts. Instead her body had burned and signed as she recalled each and every detail of their encounter. With nowhere to go, and even less to do, the hours of the day stretched out in front of her endlessly. It gave her mind far too much time to indulge in memories of Jared. Roshelle would rather face residency again. Lifting her eyes to the top of the ridge, she set her body in that direction. At least scaling the peak would give her something to do. Maybe she could trick her mind into sleeping if her body was exhausted. Jared watched her determined stride with a frown. Roshelle was becoming far too mobile for his piece of mind. As small as the bits of information she had given him were, they tipped the scales more than she would ever know. Someone wanted her dead. Jared intended to make sure that never happened.

For now he was going to have to keep her under a tighter watch. Despite their patrols, it would be possible for someone to breach the security as far as the surrounding woods went. “I think it may be time to pay a visit to Benton.” Shane stepped into the morning sunlight and shot Jared a hard look. “I think it’s time to confiscate a pair of boots.” Shane rubbed his jaw as his eyes followed Jared’s glare. The cause of the man’s concern wasn’t hard to guess. Their guest was making her way up the hillside oblivious to the vulnerability her action opened her to. Both men swore under their breath as two identical paging tones bounced between their bodies. Withdrawing their phones, it took seconds for the line of code to be understood by both. Jared considered Roshelle again. His duty could not be ignored. Like it or not he had no intentions of leaving her safety open to distract him during this assignment. But he did have to admit to enjoying the idea of facing the little fireball when he got back. ***** Stomping her foot in temper only gained Roshelle a sore heel. With nothing on her feet, the unyielding wood floor bore up to her displeasure far too well. She felt like screaming! The poorly stifled laughter of the solider as he walked across the drive only infuriated her more. The brute had enjoyed dragging her back to the house, just as he had almost gleefully demanded her boots. Where was he? Jared had ordered this. Well the man could bloody well face her. Promise to her mother aside, Roshelle was going to find that man. At the very least try her best to give him a splitting headache. Maybe it was the many times that she had purposely tried to control her vision, but it was actually becoming easier to do so. Especially with Jared. For some reason she could see him if she truly tried. Reaching out, Roshelle forced herself into his brain as she tried to communicate her complete unhappiness. The feeling that washed over her in response made her retreat in all haste. The precision of his invasions had left her feeling exposed before. This time pure male intention flooded her body. The sensation moved down her body over every curve. Touching her as deeply as his body had done. Her flesh responded immediately. Her nipples drew into tight beads as an ache returned to her passage. A scarlet blush burned across her cheeks. It just didn’t make sense. The man was rude, threatening and far from normal. He had ripped into her very soul. But he had also saved her life. Standing at the window, her eyes took in the man that currently held her boots. He had withdrawn to a

shaded spot closer to Shane’s house. Once again an automatic rifle lay cradled across his chest as his eyes made slow scans of the area. There was such an alternate world feeling here. Everything just seemed foreign. The very patterns of life were carried out so drastically differently. These people lived each day expecting some form of hostile activity. When that violence had reached out to touch her life, it had shocked her down to her toes. These people expected nothing else. It was amazing to discover such people existed in her own backyard. Maybe she was being a little too judgmental. It was very possible that Jared needed his rough edges. Roshelle couldn’t see him fitting into her world and she certainly couldn’t adapt to his. But just maybe she should let him help her get out of this net she found herself tangled in. The truth was, she couldn’t think of anyone more suited to the task. Her captor was still out there. As much as she really hated to agree with Jared, his point made sense. If she tried to return to her life, she might not live very long. But that admission left her more unsettled than before. Without her goal of returning home, Roshelle found herself facing the necessity of trusting her current hosts. That was very unsteady ground. She had a few names, but beyond that just who Jared and his companions were was a mystery. The evidence provided by her eyes told her their training was state of the art. The amount of weaponry openly displayed still made her nervous. Outside of an action movie, Roshelle had never laid eyes on so many high-powered rifles. Yet here, being unarmed was the exception. It was strange to discover just how precious everyday choices really were. Now that she was faced with the lack of freedom to even walk down a city street, Roshelle noticed just how much of a privilege it truly was. ***** Jared pushed his front door open with a silent hand. Angling his frame through the doorway, his eyes shifted across the room looking for movement. Nothing. Roshelle was in here, Jared could feel her. The only sound in the house was a rather odd scraping. It continued as he moved on silent feet into the living room. Moving closer to the kitchen, the heavy scent of ammonia hit him. Propping a shoulder into the doorjamb, he stood bemused by the sight that greeted him. Kneeling in the far corner of his kitchen, Roshelle was currently wielding a scrub brush with vicious intent on the floorboards. The muscles of her arms stood out as she applied the stiff brush to her task. And her sweet little bottom was stuck up in the air for his appreciation. Dipping her brush into the bucket next to her, she stretched out like a feline to reach a far corner. A slow grin spread across his face as her t-shirt displayed her chest. Those firm little breasts bounced with her efforts, hanging free of any sort of undergarment. His grin deepened as he enjoyed the burn of arousal. Seeping into his pores, he let the heat pool in his abdomen. His staff filled and stiffened. This time the need was strong and steady. With the front door closed, he had all the time in the world to investigate his attraction to her petite body.

Pushing back onto her haunches, Roshelle raised a hand to her perspiration-beaded forehead. That was odd, Roshelle could clearly feel Jared again. Her hand froze at her forehead. Opening her mind up further, she contemplated what that action let in. Shifting her eyes behind her, she pressed her lips into a tight line. Damn, that man moved too silently! “I’m not certain the floor was quite that dirty.” “Despite the pristine paint job on your ceilings, a woman can only stare at them so long.” Pushing to her feet, Roshelle brought the bucket with her. She wasn’t too sure just why the man sounded so smug. Moving her eyes over him, she took in the lazy stance. Relaxation was not the feeling she had sensed before turning around. No, it was much more intense. Searching his face for clues, she watched his eyes move down her body. His half-closed eyes settled over her chest momentarily before continuing down her length. Well that was clear enough! The man was normal in one sense, the disgusting male one. Roshelle turned to the sink to empty her bucket. His interest sparked an ignition of fire in her that rapidly rose to an inferno. Her body seemed to leap at the chance to display its hunger for him. She could feel the sting of a blush sitting on her cheeks. So, she began to wash the bucket in order to keep Jared’s sharp eyes from seeing it. “I thought you said I don’t scare you.” Her hand froze on the bucket. His voice was downright menacing now. Lifting her chin, she struggled with her pride. He was baiting her. “That’s correct.” “Good.” Jared considered the tight curve of her bottom. “Virginal fears shouldn’t last beyond the night you surrender that purity.” “I didn’t surrender!” Roshelle swung around to glare at him. Her face burned hotter as his eyes very keenly picked out the thrust of her nipples beneath her shirt. He raised his face to aim a smug grin at her temper. “Agreed. I believe it was more of a conquering.” His fingers curled around her wrist. A sharp tug sent her tumbling towards him. Roshelle gasped as her head landed on his chest. His scent invaded her senses completely dissolving any reason she had. Instead hunger transformed into a living beast inside her that clawed at the chains she’d bound it with. His hand captured the back of her head and tilted her face up. His eyes were glowing as he opened the link between their minds. Roshelle felt the deep probing of her emotions as he firmly locked her body against his. “You can’t hide your need from me, honey. So stop shoving that wall in my way.”

His mouth ended any retort she might have made. He pushed her lips apart to thrust into her depths as his hand held her head for the assault. The kiss was punishing and deep. A solid wave of determination flowed into her mind from him as his staff throbbed against her belly. Roshelle twisted as the heat rose inside her. Her fingers desperately searched for the warm male skin she knew lay beneath his clothing. A groan of frustration left her throat as she struggled to move away from his chest in order to bare it. Jared growled. The deep sound rumbled up from his chest as he thrust his tongue back into her mouth to stroke the length of her own. Suddenly Jared jerked their mouths apart. He raised his head to look over her to the kitchen window. A bare second later he curled his hand around her wrist again as he released her body. He turned on a heel and strode out of the kitchen. Roshelle found her body pulled behind his as he made his way down the dark hallway and into the master bedroom. Roshelle found her body spun free as she frantically tried to keep her balance and find her night vision. Instead all she felt was Jared. He seemed to surround her with his mind. Floating across her skin as gooseflesh spread down her neck and across her torso. Her lungs filled in a rapid pace that made it impossible to stand still. The rustle of cloth drifted to her ears as she tried to calm her racing heart. Her feet shifted and lifted as her body pulsed with the need to move. Any kind of motion. Her belly tightened as that heat seemed to move straight to her passage. Every sensation seemed to be traveling towards the tightening knot of need that was twisting inside her womb. Fluid seeped down through the folds of her sex and onto her inner thigh. Roshelle lifted a trembling hand to her head as she realized how very much she wanted Jared to take her. It seemed to go beyond need. In her deepest core, the craving transformed into desperation. “I can smell you.” He appeared behind her. One heavy arm clasped across her front as he moved to stand behind her. His head lowered to gently kiss her temple. His chest lifted with a deep breath as his fingers began to stroke along her neck. “Your skin smells so good. I can’t wait to bare it.” His fingers caught the bottom of her shirt and pulled. The oversized t-shirt went easily over her head. Roshelle simply signed as the night air brushed her bare skin. Jared cupped her breasts with firm hands. The two globes of flesh beckoned to his fingers. Moonlight spilled over the nipples making him groan as his body pulsed with so many signals at once. He wanted to lap those little beads ‘til she whimpered, but his staff was pounding with the desire to thrust back into her body. The pair of sweatpants she had on didn’t take half a minute to strip down her body. Jared pushed the elastic cuffs off her feet and turned her into his embrace at the same time. He rose to his feet, lifting her off hers as he caught a nipple between his lips. Roshelle grabbed his shoulders as the floor was left behind. She sighed as her fingers traced the firm muscles sitting there. His strength delighted her. It made the throbbing inside her passage deepen into a burning need that made her completely at ease as Jared laid her on her back in his bed. His large body pressed her thighs apart as he lowered his weight to cover her. His male scent surrounded her, making

her sigh. Nothing mattered but feeding the hunger her body held. His hips kept her spread widely as he used his opposite hand to smooth a firm line over her belly. Her breath caught as that hand covered the bare mound of her passage. His fingers brushed over the smooth skin as he caught her eyes in the dark. “What happened to those little curls?” Her face burst into color but she couldn’t stop her hips from twitching up for a firmer touch from his hand. She didn’t want to talk! Only feel and appease the raging pulse that drove her. She twisted and Jared smiled. Her body was smooth and completely bare. She must have shaved it away as she tried to clean the evidence of her lost virginity away. Her hips twisted up as her body withered in the hold of their mirrored desire. Roshelle wasn’t thinking, simply feeling. Jared clamped his control on top of his ragging need to impale her. He wasn’t going to rut on her like an animal in heat. “Are you sore?” A hard finger thrust into her passage with his question. Roshelle gasped as the walls of her body protested. His eyes bore into her as he withdrew and thrust forward again. This time her body didn’t jerk. He rubbed around the inside of her passage, slowly stretching the walls. Roshelle became fascinated with his face. He was watching her, gauging her reaction to his touch. Slowly testing the limits of her discomfort. His mouth caught hers as he thrust a second finger into her. It wasn’t a ravaging kiss. Instead it was a deep tasting of her mouth as he continued to gently stretch her body. Both fingers thrust and rubbed, making her arch her hips again. She needed the touch, wanted to be even fuller. Yet he waited for her to adjust to him. His staff burned into her thigh, making her shift to get closer to it. But his body stayed firmly in place, refusing to let her simply appease her needs. He was waiting for her to say it. It was a test of wills. Roshelle could feel him straining against his need to take her. His fingers left her to slip up the folds of her sex and onto the swollen bud hidden there. Pleasure shot up her body as he rubbed her. A moan escaped her lips and his shoulders shook as he held his ground. “Do you want it, Roshelle?” His words were harsh and almost silent. His teeth were clenched as he rubbed her again. “Yes.” “Do you want me?” His mind pushed against hers with the question. This went beyond sex. Jared wanted to merge with her ‘til they forgot where their separate identities began. Intimacy beckoned to her with a temptation too great to ignore. “Yes. Come to me, Jared.”

He thrust into her body and entered her mind in one motion. It was hard and swift, but he rode her body with slow movements making the pleasure radiate out into streams of sensation. Nothing mattered. Time fell away. His embrace held her to his chest as his hips thrust into her body. His hot seed splashed into her body, but it didn’t satisfy their need. Instead, both continued to move. His body still hard with need, her passage still welcoming as she lifted her hips for him. He nipped the delicate skin of her neck as her body answered his in a primitive dance of need. Both took as they gave. She needed him so much that it frightened her. Roshelle couldn’t hold that thought as pleasure began to rise inside her again. That same knot of tension, centered in her belly. The hard thrust of his staff penetrated and pulled the knot tighter with each stroke. “That’s it, honey. Nice and slow this time.” His cheeks were drawn tight as he held to his steady pace. Roshelle felt her pleasure rise to near panic as she tried to take his sex even deeper. His eyes were glued to her face as she struggled against the need to plead. Two hands gripped her hips as she once again attempted to increase the rhythm. His instinct screamed as Jared clung to his control. Perched on the edge of sensation, he thrust into her depths, denying the urge to pound into her passage. The walls began to squeeze his length as her eyes widened with rapture. A harsh cry escaped her lips as her sex clamped onto his staff and began to milk it. Climax overwhelmed his strength as he spilled his seed into her body again. It still wasn’t enough. Jared growled softly as he laid another kiss onto her mouth. She followed his demand as he felt exhaustion wash through her brain. Jared rolled away from her before letting the bed take his weight. His arm reached for her and pulled her body with him ‘til her head rested against his chest. His hand gripped her bottom as he tangled his hand into her hair. She shifted and wiggled, but he held her to his chest as she slipped into slumber. ***** Jared grunted as the coffeemaker took a small eternity to brew. He’d barely slept. Roshelle had mumbled in her sleep as she tried to adjust to his presence in the bed. She’d squirmed away and he woke up each and every time. He’d pulled her right back into his embrace before going back to sleep. But that wasn’t his real problem. The stiff erection in his pants was the reason he was on his feet before the sun rose. The smell from her sex turned him on. Hell, the tiny mutters escaping her slumber made him hard. All Jared wanted to do was push her onto her back and ride her ‘til she milked him dry. Instead he reached for a mug and filled it with the newly brewed coffee. Roshelle was too tender to accommodate his appetite. If his damn cock had its way, he’d ride her ‘til she couldn’t walk. Glaring over the rim of the mug, Jared looked at the sentry posted on the far point. It was a different man than last night but his lips set into a frown. Roshelle wasn’t fodder for his men. He grunted again because short of blindfolding the entire unit, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop their talking. They were hard men. If they weren’t getting laid and someone else was…they would talk.

***** Morning wasn’t kind. Groaning Roshelle dragged her body out of Jared’s bed. There was something wrong with her. It had to be impossible for a virgin to become such a wanton in exactly four days. Her body ached as she forced it to stand and walk. Jared’s bed had dark sheets that sported tattletale stains, making her blush. Roshelle grumbled as she yanked her clothes on and pulled the sheets off the mattress. Since she’d become such a pushover, it seemed rather stupid to be blushing. The scent of coffee caught her attention as she headed down the hall. She stuffed the sheets into the washing machine before going in search of some hot caffeine. She peeked into the kitchen, but it was empty. Morning sunlight streamed in making the newly washed floor gleam. The coffeemaker was patiently keeping its half-full pot hot. Next to the white machine was a plate covered by a dishtowel. Pulling the fabric up revealed breakfast. The eggs and potatoes were cold but Roshelle’s stomach grumbled greedily for it. Lifting the plate, she placed it in the microwave before turning back to the coffee. A cardboard box sat on the counter next to the coffeemaker. It hadn’t been there the night before. Roshelle looked into it to find a small collection of books. Her emotions rolled dangerously as she considered the gifts. They were presents. Jared had left them neatly for her. It was so much easier to think about last night as sex. Looking at the evidence of his care for her comfort moved the encounter into something Roshelle wasn’t sure she could name. Or maybe she just didn’t want to. ***** “You don’t look half as troublesome as I’ve been told.” The book went flying as a slight yelp escaped her startled lips. Engrossed with her first entertainment in a week, Roshelle was startled to find company so close. “Hello.” Roshelle narrowed her eyes. Oh, she knew that tone! Smooth as hundred-year-old scotch and just as devastating. Her company raised an eyebrow in response. Moving her eyes over him, she took in the family resemblance. Black hair, green eyes and fifty push-ups not likely winded the man. “I’m just determined, not troublesome.” “Says you.” Retrieving her book from the wooden planks of the porch, Roshelle precisely opened it and gave the page her complete attention. Jared seemed to have company in his lack of social graces. Their mother must have been a Marine drill sergeant.

“I believe I should apologize.” “Don’t waste your time.” “A guy could wish you’d look at him while you cut him down.” Closing the book, Roshelle stood up while running her eyes over the man in front of her. He was one handsome brute, and she didn’t have the patience to suffer through his little amusements. “I suggest you find someone who’s impressed.” His playfulness evaporated the second she issued her opinion. The man’s features set into solid intent as he pulled away from the doorway. Roshelle found herself the object of intense scrutiny as he moved his eyes across her face. The familiar feel of her thoughts being inspected caused her to thrust up a barrier to keep him out. Not certain if it was her defense or her knowledge of his intentions, Roshelle watched as her company regarded her from half-closed eyes. “I’m Jared’s brother, Rourke.” “Obviously.” His eyes inspected her with the same razor-sharp edge as he reached right into her mind for a moment. That seemed to be the family form of greeting. “Relax, brother, I concede defeat. She’s yours.” This time she jumped. Jared stood two inches from her back. His eyes moved over her momentarily before returning to his sibling. The tight set of his features didn’t convey a hint of family bonds. “Remember that.” “I will.” The tension broke a mere second later as the two men clasped each other in an embrace that caused Roshelle’s jaw to drop in wonder. The extremes these men crossed so quickly left her scrambling to keep pace. “Good evening, Roshelle.” Her face set into lines of disapproval with the familiar use of her name. Both men were watching her with blatant superiority. Roshelle sent them both a flash of temper at becoming their sport for the night. She tossed a particularly scathing look at Jared. With the territorial attitude the man had adopted, Roshelle almost asked him where his club was. “If you’ll excuse me, I believe the testosterone levels here are currently toxic to females.” Watching her stomp off the porch caused Rourke to regret the business that had taken him off the mountain this last month. “You have a few too many teeth, Rourke.”

Spreading his lips apart in a smile, Rourke eyed his brother. Maybe that fine little piece was off limits, but watching her twist Jared into knots could be just as entertaining. “What’s wrong, Jared? Something keeping you from getting your beauty sleep?” “Very funny. Roshelle is not exactly a paper cup type of girl.” Rourke nodded in agreement. Roshelle was not the type a man tossed away when he was finished. Both men kept their wanderings to the take it and leave it variety of women. Their lives were simply too uncertain for anything else. Roshelle wasn’t just in another category, she was in the one both men knew the least about. “She’s a lady.” Jared knew that. He’d gone to great lengths to avoid using the actual word. Hearing it confirmed in his brother’s voice just forced the issue. Jared would, and often did, find time to associate with females and women. He avoided the lower moral ones because they reeked of their dishonesty. But ladies…well, that was something he never even took a second look at. Tasting the sweetness of innocence, coupled with the pride that kept Roshelle from yielding her body without her heart, was working through his bloodstream with the force of opium. Just like any addiction, each taste just increased the craving. Finding another male near Roshelle brought his temper to the surface. Especially Rourke. His brother made a habit of seducing women. “You must be rusty; I believe she turned you down flat.” Spreading his arms out wide, Rourke executed a low bow. “Too sad. But true. I think I’ll just take myself off in search of her companion.” With a mock salute, Jared watched his brother clear the porch railing with one long-legged jump. His body halted in mid-stride as he tossed an amused look over his shoulder. “Walk softly, brother; ladies can be very creative when planning retaliation.” One eyebrow lifted as Jared contemplated his brother’s advice. Turning about, he took a hesitant step into his kitchen. ***** His? When Hell froze over! When pigs took to the air in flight! When… Oh, when was she going to stop lying to herself? It was such an annoying habit. One that seemed to have been acquired just about the same time she met Jared. Roshelle sent the dryer door closed with a shove as she firmly set her steps towards the master bedroom. She considered the view from the window and the guard standing there with his rifle.

Bitterness rose up in her throat as she discovered a growing knowledge of this world. Each day the foreign edge blurred, running closer and closer into her life. The fear of the two becoming entangled grew inside her heart. As much as she might wish it, Jared would firmly sit inside her memory despite any effort she made to evict him. The man was completely under her skin. It was almost eerie the way she could feel him. Pulling the sheets out of the dryer, Roshelle stepped back into the master bedroom. Pure male aggressiveness brushed across her skin, raising it into uneven bumps as her hands pulled the sheets over the corners of the mattress. Her eyes shot wide open as she realized just what her mind was trying to tell her. She spun on her heel to find her mental dilemma materializing into flesh. Too caught up in her emotions, she had missed the fact that Jared was moving all too close to her. On silent feet, he was stalking her through the house. “Clean sheets should never go to waste.” His meaning was crystal clear. The desire running through her body leapt across the few feet that separated them. An ache was rapidly spreading up her body, clawing its way over her protesting common sense. “You feel it, too.” His hand hooked into the waistband of her jeans halting her retreat. Her hands slammed into the solid wall of his chest in a vain effort to hold him off. Each inch he advanced on her drove rational thought further away from her grasp. His mouth settled on top of hers, driving the last shreds of control completely from her. Her hands greedily grasped at the heat beneath them. His flesh was alive and she very much wanted to press her own against it. Jared growled in approval as she ripped the buttons on his shirt from their holes. Her hands dove into the opening, scraping across his chest. Her tongue mimicked his own as it boldly advanced on his flesh. Roshelle pulled her head back to look at him. Her fingers had told her how strong he was. Right then she wanted to see it. The afternoon sun showed her a chest that made her passage clench with need. His hands were pulling on her clothing. A faint ripping hit her ears making her pull out of his embrace. She didn’t have anything else to wear. “Come back here.” Instead, Roshelle very deliberately began to open her top. The harsh enjoyment written on his face fueled her self-confidence. The last snap opened and she rolled her shoulders to gently push the fabric off her body. “I think you can stay right there.” His jaw clenched but one corner of his firm mouth twitched. Jared wasn’t a man accustomed to taking orders. Especially from a woman. Roshelle trailed her fingers up her body as she reached for the hooks on her bra. The small bit of power made her brazen as she considered the idea of playing with their attraction instead of just feeding it. The bra followed her top to the floor as she slowly stepped further away. One black eyebrow lifted as

Jared took a step after her. His mouth lifted into a grin as he stopped and firmly lowered his zipper. The harsh metal sound made her nipples tighten. “Temptation is best played with two players, honey.” His swollen rod fell out of his open fly. Roshelle caught her breath as she eyed the evidence of his intention. His boots were laced over the bottom of his pants. Her body shivered as she contemplated whether or not she could wait for him to take the footwear off. The ruby head of his cock made her hunger acute. “Did you shave again this morning?” Roshelle gasped, but couldn’t stop the naughty little smile that raised her lips. The feeling of his fingers on her bare mons had been wicked. Now she understood why women endured the pain of waxing. Jared reached forward to smooth a hand over a breast. “You’re so damn beautiful.” He reached the top of her jeans and pulled the snap open. He slid the zipper down as Roshelle used her hands to ease them over her hips. His lips stayed turned up in a grin as he knelt to pull the pants completely off her. The passion was still undeniably hot but it also balanced on the edge of playfulness. Instead of overwhelming, it was simply intense. He lifted her off the floor again. A hot kiss hit her belly as he took the single step that would let him lay her down on the bed. He didn’t follow her this time. Instead he pressed her thighs apart with sure strokes of his hands while he watched her settle onto the bed. Her body spread completely. Exposing her tender flesh to his sharp eyes. His hands stroked her inner thighs as tension crossed her face. “Honey, close your eyes. I’m going to taste you.” She fused her wide eyes with his instead. Jared firmly pressed his palm over her sex and listened to her gasp. “Trust me. Close your eyes.” “Why?” “When you remove one sense, the others become heightened.” Roshelle wasn’t sure she could take any more sensation. It was already intense. Blind, she would not even know when that moment of contact would happen. She would be suspended on the end of a string as she waited for his touch. She rapidly blinked before making the effort to keep her eyes closed. Her chest rose with a deep breath as she forced herself to comply. A huge smile lifted his lips as Jared watched her. Trust wasn’t something you took. It had to be given. His mouth burned her. Roshelle jerked off the bed but Jared firmly pushed her back down. His tongue made another pass over her exposed sex before settling directly in front of the small swollen bud at the top of her passage. Pleasure and pain tightened together as he flicked his tongue over and around that cluster of nerve endings. His hands held her in place as he drove her past need and into desperation. Suddenly he sucked the entire thing into his mouth. Her body ripped in two as pleasure shot up from the pressure. Her lungs couldn’t seem to draw in enough breath as she frantically pressed her hips towards

his mouth. Jared cursed softly as he rose above her. He hadn’t meant to take her again with his pants still on but he just couldn’t wait. He thrust into her body and clenched his teeth as she tipped her hips towards his possession. Her mind lay open as he merged into her as their bodies blended together. Pleasure erupted through them both as their minds reflected it back and forth endlessly. He loomed over her but Roshelle clung to the wide shoulders. Each thrust split her passage, every penetration tempting her to attempt to spread her body even further open. He didn’t seem deep enough. When he withdrew, the moment before penetration stretched into forever. His fingers curled into her bottom as he lifted her off the bed. His thrusts became harder and she rose to sheathe him. The cry that came from her throat mixed with the hard grunt of male satisfaction. Both bounced between their minds, as the flesh of one body became a unity of one pleasure.

Chapter Nine

Evening was falling by the time Roshelle raised her head from the tangled bedding again. Guilt immediately began its assault, but she shrugged it aside. She’d enjoyed playing with Jared and that was a fact. She did know him. Maybe not in the normal sort of way that a woman expected to know about a man, but she could feel him. While some women might wake up wondering just how important they were to their lovers, Roshelle didn’t need to ask. Jared wanted her. His passion spread between them until there was no way to separate just who was who. They merged into a single entity, each open to the other. The way their minds merged didn’t bother her any longer. Why should it? In fact, it was somewhat of a relief to discover that there were other people that experienced such abilities. Her mother’s panic-stricken face swam before her eyes for a moment. As much as Roshelle might enjoy finding another gifted person, she knew without a doubt that she had stumbled into some part of the cause of her mother’s alarm. She just wished she had some idea of what her mother had been trying to spare her. ***** “Shelly, have you gone mad?” Roshelle grinned as she sank gratefully into a chair. The distance between the houses might be short, but she was convinced that Jared must have covered the area with the sharpest rocks in the entire state of Washington. Her feet declared their displeasure as she sat trying to cover the painful consequences of her pride. But she was out of his house! “If I am still sane, please shoot me. I can’t go on if this is really going to become reality.”

“Don’t you dare leave me here alone.” “I believe I just crossed the devil’s golf course to reunite us.” “I’m impressed.” Roshelle rolled her eyes at Christina’s sarcasm. Giving her foot a last rub she straightened up in her chair. Being pleased over the fact that she had left a house was pathetic, but it was still better than waiting for Jared to come home. “Come on, I’ve got some pie inside and you need to save my figure.” “Never trust a skinny cook.” “Has anyone ever told you what a pain you are, Shelly?” Batting her eyelids a few times, Roshelle regarded the humor lurking behind Christina’s scowl. “Around here, that’s all I hear. But if you think I’m eating anything you cooked for Shane Jacobs, you’re the crazy one.” “Idiot keeps eating it too. Have I mentioned how pathetic the male of the human species is cursed to be?” “Often.” Christina had to turn away before her friend caught the pity in her eyes. Poor Shelly. The dark circles under her eyes told her everything. If Christina doubted just what her friend had been up to last night, the tiny bruises on her neck confirmed it. Roshelle deserved so much better! That man wasn’t the warm-loving guy a woman like her friend should have. Christina knew his kind all too well. Hot and fast. They burned out just as quick as they ignited. Christina just wished she had the nerve to take him down a peg. But Jared scared the wits out of her. It really was too bad that Roshelle wasn’t afraid of him, too. A lot of men like Jared didn’t stomach simpering very well. The problem was Christina didn’t think that Roshelle even knew the definition of the word simper. “Doctor Roshelle Marie Everitt.” The masculine voice that issued her name so very precisely was also oddly familiar. The steel in it caused her to straighten her back in that age-old response children had to hearing their full name being spoken by a parent. “Sheriff Campbell?” Despite the clear evidence of her eyes, Roshelle still felt the need to confirm the identity of the man that stood in front of her. Maybe it was her thwarted efforts to reach him that caused her to look at him like he was a vision conjured from her fatigued mind. Maybe it was disappointment at finally having the means of leaving Jared behind.

“Just how did you end up here?” The note of accusation in the sheriff’s voice bothered Roshelle. He stood in the doorway filling the space completely. The man was old enough to be her father but only the tips of his temples showed any sign of gray. Her eyes roamed over the man’s face searching for just what it was that struck her as familiar. “It’s a rather complicated story.” “I hope for your sake it is.” Roshelle pushed to her feet in the face of that threatening tone. “Careful, Dad, Roshelle gets grumpy when she’s tired.” She spun on her heel to face Jared. Her cheeks flooded with color as her ears rang with that frank statement. Dad? Her eyes moved between the two men taking in the details of their faces. While Jared clearly didn’t get his coloring from his father, there was no doubt that Brice Campbell was his sire. “We found him.” Whatever his father told Jared with that sentence, it wasn’t good. Roshelle watched as his face set into lines of stone, his green eyes narrowing to slits while they raked over her. “Who did you find?” Roshelle was sick of having her strings pulled! This was her life, not some game. If the sheriff had found Christina’s kidnapper then it was over and they could go home. “Clark Huntley.” Disappointment flashed across her eyes. Jared folded his arms across his chest as he waited for his father to finish. “Why did you threaten to kill Clark?” “I did no such thing!” Roshelle’s eyes went wide as she stared in horror at his father. “His secretary says otherwise. You also have an unregistered gun. Clark was killed by an identical weapon.” Roshelle felt the color drain from her face. Dead? She might have wanted the man run out of the state, but not murdered! Nausea rose up to choke her as she realized that their kidnapper still had that gun she’d purchased. Jared had watched his father interrogate before. He’d bet his last dollar on the fact that Brice Campbell didn’t think Roshelle was a murderer, but she might have information that could lead to the culprit. She suddenly straightened and propped her hands onto her hips. “Well, I sure wouldn’t have used my credit card in the only gunstore in Benton, to buy a weapon I intended to use for murder.”

“You signed the sales slip, too.” Brice Campbell pushed the brim of his Stetson back a bit as he eyed Roshelle. “What I’d like to know is why didn’t you walk the block down to my station?” “You already thought I was stupid enough to burn my own house down.” “Accidents do happen, Doctor, even to the educated. But a few more facts from you would have made the case a lot less likely to be filed away as closed.” Brice Campbell was furious with her. Roshelle returned the hard stare refusing to shrink. “Sometimes you have to look out for yourself.” The sheriff snorted softly in response. Tipping his head he eyed his son. “How long has she been here?” “A week, she didn’t have a pistol on her when I found her.” Jared raised an eyebrow at Roshelle before he finished his thought. “She’d graduated to tossing grenades around.” The sheriff gave his son a hard look before he laughed. “I’m pleasantly surprised.” His brown eyes raked down her body before he gave her a grin of approval. “Wouldn’t have believed you had it in you, Dr. Everett.” Jared joined his father as the two laughed in low rumbles. Even Shane was grinning like a fool as he watched them. “Fine! If everyone is so happy, give me back my shoes and I’ll just be on my way.” The room sobered instantly. Dark eyes aimed harsh judgment at her. Brice Campbell looked at her bare feet before he shot his son a hard look. Jared folded his arms across his chest in response. “Roshelle likes to climb mountainsides.” “I suggest you stay right here, doctor. I don’t need any more homicides to investigate. Luck runs dry after a while. I’d say you’ve had your share this month. Clark Huntley doesn’t need any company in the morgue.” She did know it. Accepting Jared’s protection was still very bitter. She felt like screaming at fate, but that action just seemed so useless. But that didn’t mean she had to like it. Jared’s face reflected far too much superiority for her pride, so she turned on her heel and left before her ego demanded something dumb from her. Like punching the man for sheer spite. She was on the low side of luck; she’d most likely end up fracturing her hand. ***** Jared’s eyes followed her the entire way back to his house. The way she carried her shoulders filled him with pride. His woman wasn’t going to break in front of an audience. Instead she carried her head high as she headed for the only haven available and it pleased the hell out of him that it was his house.

“Be careful, son. That lady has made some very certain decisions about her life. Strip her identity away and she may not be able to recover.” “He’ll kill her.” “I’m not so sure about that.” Brice waited for his son’s eyes to travel back to his own. “We didn’t find the murder weapon, but Helen Rutten is currently informing anyone who will listen that Roshelle threatened to pull that trigger.” “She’s lying.” “I know, but it’s very possible that we’ll find that gun near its next victim.” It didn’t take long for Jared to figure out just who that next victim might be. Helen couldn’t be proved a liar if she was dead. “This is going to get ugly, son.” “Believe me, Dad, it already is.” Jared slowly gave the information that his father was lacking. His first instinct had been correct. This was a threat to his family. Still not certain just in what form the attack was coming, Jared was still convinced that they were the targets. Roshelle was wrapped up somewhere in the middle. But she held the key. No one would bother setting her up otherwise. Jared was going to enjoy killing the man responsible. ***** She really did know better. Pride was out of her price range! Lifting her foot from the sink where it was soaking in hot water, Roshelle investigated the damage she had inflicted on herself. The flesh on the bottom of her feet was swelling up in an effort to seal the cuts. Whatever stone covered the ground between the two houses, it was sharp enough to cut skin. The tougher skin of her heel and toes was fairing better than her arches, but several of the cuts were deep enough to require stitching. But first she needed to get the dirt out of them. Sticking her foot back into the water, Roshelle sucked in her breath as the open wounds shrieked in protest. Catching a look at herself in the bathroom mirror, half-covered in steam, her reflection stared back at her. And she laughed. Tears were streaming down her cheeks by the time she stopped. All the conflicting emotions poured out of her in those tears. Yes, the future was still extremely uncertain, but a woman couldn’t ask for a better protector than Jared. Or a better lover. Roshelle watched the blush as it colored her cheeks. Her body’s response intrigued her. The way she went after him in the dark shocked her, but her body was currently craving another opportunity. She should be appalled but she wasn’t. In fact, she was just a bit afraid that Jared wouldn’t be interested in another night with her. The way he handled her body spoke volumes about his experience with women. “I can’t imagine what’s so funny tonight.”

Snapping her head around, Roshelle felt her blush deepen at being caught dreaming about him. His eyes pierced hers, as they demanded to know the reason behind her amusement. Abruptly they shifted as he noticed the blood-tinged water in the sink. Her foot was hoisted from that water by its ankle. Roshelle sucked in her breath, amazed at the amount of strength he employed in the action. Jesus! The man had a grip! Her eyes wandered over the arm attached to that hand. The muscles were clearly defined, standing out covered in the soft brown of his skin. Yet he’d controlled that strength every time he’d taken her into his embrace. “If you ever leave this house without shoes again…” Jared’s threat trailed off as he caught sight of the blush sitting on her cheeks. Her lashes fluttered briefly before she raised them to display the hunger swimming through them. “So give me back my shoes, Jared Campbell.” Instead, Jared stroked a single finger across the scarlet surface of her face. His hand continued down her neck raising goose bumps as it went, ‘til it reached the puckered nipple of one breast. The flesh swelled upward, seeking a firmer touch from his hand. “I think you need less clothing, not more. Maybe none.” A smile showed her an even row of teeth. “Your body is so beautiful. Nude sounds perfect.” “You want me to catch a chill?” “I’ll keep you warm.” Before crawling onto the bathroom counter, Roshelle had discarded her jeans. Jared’s hands moved over the satin of her bare thighs before reaching up to pull her last garment off. That spicy scent of her wrapped around his head as her hands pulled at the fabric of his shirt. She would have to wait for him to discard his clothing, because right now his body demanded he sink into the moist folds that sat in front of him. Her muscles protested that entry. Smoothing his hands over her bottom, Jared brutally controlled his urge to impale her. Slow and easy, he coaxed her flesh to accept him. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she gasped in enjoyment. Her pleasure wrapped around him, mingling with the almost primal enjoyment he gained from their bodies being joined. The bathroom mirror reflected them. Roshelle watched his body as it moved against her own. She clung to his shoulders as he caught her mouth in a deep kiss of possession. His staff jerked and tightened as climax became reality. Completely spent, Jared found himself collapsing against her body. The counter shielded her from his weight as he felt her heart returning to normal. Brushing a kiss across her mouth, he moved his clothing back into place. “If anyone needs their boots taken away, it’s you.” His hand cupped her face as his lips gently moved over hers. “Sorry, honey. Things are a little too hot for me to get caught with my pants off.”

She shivered in response. Jared was a hard man but at the same time his stubborn aggression made her flush with warmth. This was a man that would protect her with his life. Jared bent and pulled her panties from the floor. It should have mortified her to see such an intimate piece of clothing dangling from his hand, but it didn’t. If anything, her earlier amusement was bubbling up again causing her to press her lips together before she dissolved into giggles. Maybe he didn’t know the exact reason for her mood but Jared grinned as well. He had forgotten just how light her spirit truly was. He handed the rest of her clothing to her as she balanced on the counter and tried to dress without standing on her feet. Roshelle watched as sure fingers punched in a line of code into the slim cell phone he pulled from his shirt pocket. The man was very confident in his world. His eyes moved over the screen before his head gave a quick nod of approval. The piece of technology disappeared back into its pocket as she gained the full attention of his green stare. Heat made its way back into her cheeks as his eyes displayed the hunger their encounter had failed to satisfy. A large hand cradled the back of her head as his mouth settled over hers. Moving with him, Roshelle sought out the taste of her partner. She was impatient to learn more about him. Her tongue thrust up in search of that quest. Her pride raised its head as she noticed just how ragged his breathing was when he pulled their lips apart. A solid knock on the front door captured her attention. “That’s for you.” Jared scooped her up off the counter and angled her body through the doorway. The meager light from the bathroom didn’t reach into the hallway, yet Jared seemed completely at ease in the night. His feet made firm contact as they traveled to the sofa in the front room. He issued a sharp whistle as he settled her body on the soft cushions. “You called?” “The lady’s feet need attention.” Although young, Roshelle couldn’t quite call their company a boy. There was a hard edge to him that just labeled him a man while the youthful face confessed his lack of years. He tipped his head in greeting as he slung the ever-present rifle over his shoulder before placing a large box on the floor beside her legs. Plain black with nothing more than a set of handles on the top, Roshelle watched as he flipped the latches open to reveal a medical kit that any emergency room would be proud to use. Every compartment was neatly stocked, not a millimeter of space was wasted. He lifted each of her feet in turn before reaching into that box with steady hands removing the items he wanted. Some doctors didn’t feel that field medics were very qualified. As she watched the firm hands of this one, Roshelle gained a healthy respect for the man’s knowledge. There wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation and his hands performed their task with the same ease that her own could have. “I don’t suppose you need to be told the dosage for these.” Her hands closed about the pain medication caplets before she ran a sharp eye over them for identification.

“Thank you.” Despite his deference to her medical knowledge, the man rose to his feet and snapped Jared a salute before issuing the rest of his instructions. “She needs to stay off those for thirty-six. Light duty for a week.” The front door was barely closed when Jared hefted her up against his chest again. The ease with which he did it made her feel oddly like a child’s toy. The sound of his bedroom doors closing was much softer, but it pierced her ears. Tonight the sound seemed to magnify her complete entrapment into his world. Even if she could escape there was nothing waiting for her but death. Folding her knees under herself, Roshelle raised her eyes to the stunning view the bed had of the night sky. The moon was just rising and the stars filled the room with their brilliance. Who would have believed that the house held a room of such complete beauty and peace? Two heavy thuds hit her ears. Roshelle turned to watch Jared’s boots hitting the floor. His pants followed as he moved to the headboard and placed his gun there. Moonlight washed over his body making hers heat. A night stretched out in front of her as the bed dipped under Jared’s weight. Her eyes fell closed as warm hands pulled her back into an embrace that banished every demon from her mind. Jared filled that space completely, leaving her blissfully content to enjoy the rapture their bodies seemed able to produce. Rolling onto his back, Jared pulled her with him again. His hand tangled into the soft strands of hair on her head placing it on his chest. He enjoyed holding her almost as much as making love with her. He wasn’t sure just what making love meant, calling it sex just seemed too disrespectful for this lady. Roshelle’s respiration deepened into sleep. Jared moved his hand over her cheek as she lay against him. Rolling her body over, he set about waking her. She could sleep later. All too soon their opportunity to share each other’s company would disappear. Jared very much doubted that Roshelle would be willing to make the sacrifice necessary to remain with him.

Chapter Ten

Time had seemed to crawl before. Now it completely froze. Jared was gone. Roshelle found herself searching for him, seeking any small trace. Her efforts yielded nothing—not even the familiar touch of his mind invading hers. The house was her only piece of evidence that the man truly existed on this planet. As the days stretched past, Roshelle found herself questioning her grasp on reality. Because she felt him more completely than any other human, their separation hit her more harshly. Having forced his way into her thoughts, her mind felt empty without him. She wandered from window to window, searching for any sign of movement between the two houses. Not even the trucks drove in for their nightly rotations. Just two lone sentries stood guard, their positions

ever-changing as they moved about the grounds. It was almost hypnotic the way the men would try to blend into their surroundings. They never just stood some place, instead they would perch their bodies alongside trees and other natural objects. The way they could blend in with the landscape was downright eerie. The only thing that time seemed to touch was the silly blanket that Roshelle had begun out of boredom. Her fingers would pick up the knitting needles as she counted the stitches off to one thousand. Then she would lay it aside as she moved through the house and took up her post at another window. Today as she reached for another skein of yarn, her fingers brushed the bottom of the wicker basket that held it. Her eyes flew to the blanket that stretched over her knees and onto the floor. The colors were jumbled because she had not been conscious of her efforts, simply stringing whatever color yarn came to hand onto the needles. A slow laugh rose up in her throat, the blanket was a mismatched blending of colors. But a silly smile lifted her face as she held it and enjoyed the fluffy weight of it. What day was it? Her stomach rumbled in protest. One of the most glaring changes was the fact that the kitchen was now completely stocked with food. Once a week the sentry would bring her a box of fresh food. Moving towards the kitchen her eyes looked in disbelief at the four cardboard boxes stacked neatly on top of the refrigerator. A month? She had been walking around in a fog for a month! Good grief! Someone really needed to shoot her! Her stomach rumbled again and she began pulling food from the refrigerator. She was starving! Looking at the amount of spoiled vegetables it hit her that she had not been eating very much. In fact, her jeans rode low on her hips. Well, if her current appetite were any indication, her clothing would fit again in no time! Jared was obviously off doing whatever it was he did for a living. There was no reason for her to moon about the house like a forgotten lapcat. But when he returned, they were going to have a talk about just what she was expected to do with her time. A career in knitting just wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Maybe the sentry could give her some idea as to when Jared might be returning. Roshelle considered that but dismissed the idea. If someone wanted her to know where the man was, she would already know. There was another item for discussion with Jared. Communication was not the man’s strong point. At least not the spoken form of communication. The way he slipped inside her mind caused them to commune on a much different level. Now that she had brought her thoughts to order, Roshelle discovered that she could feel Jared. It was faint without much definition but he was out there for her to touch. In her search for their deep connections, she had overlooked this small link. Remind her to never fall in love again, she was terrible at it. Her eyes popped open. She could not be in love with Jared. They didn’t just live in different worlds; they inhabited foreign planes of reality! Ohh… She was lying to herself again! Where was that man? She owed him one solid punch in the face for this! Falling in love was one hundred percent his doing! He brought her into his life. That made it his fault!

Cleaning the refrigerator out gave her something to do while her mind struggled with the dilemma of her emotions. Jared had warned her that finding out about his life came with a heavy price. Just what did that mean? Right now being associated with her might cost a person a great deal. Jared didn’t seem to be concerned. But he was… Roshelle swayed on her feet as she discovered that idea. Jared was concerned, so much so that he had locked her up here to protect her. In fact, when she took the time to really concentrate on her feelings, she could find their meanings. “You become accustomed to it.” Roshelle stumbled back as she whipped about to confront her company. At first glance, the woman that stood in the doorway wasn’t the sort to cause concern; a second look at the emerald eyes told a much different story. Despite her height of just over five-foot, the way she held her body spoke volumes about her ability to defend herself. The slightest signs of age marked her years, but her hair was still coal black all the way to her temples. It sat coiled into tight braids that were pinned neatly on the top of her head. The hairstyle gave her a regal look that any queen would have envied. Even in middle life, this woman was by far one of the most beautiful women Roshelle had ever seen. Despite her earlier conclusion that Jared’s mother must have been a drill sergeant, Roshelle sat facing a truth that was far more deadly. Her gender aside, the woman standing in front of her left no doubt in Roshelle’s mind that she was responsible for molding her son into the predator that he was. “My name is Grace.” “Grace?” Now that Roshelle found funny. She just couldn’t help it. “Excuse me, I’m sorry.” “What amuses you?” Roshelle considered the woman’s half-closed eyes a moment. She seemed to be looking straight into her soul. So, there was absolutely no point in keeping her thoughts to herself. “Women who sing in the church choir should be named after virtues. Not a woman who look like she keeps company with commandos.” A low laugh escaped the woman as her emerald eyes began to sparkle. “I quite agree. They’re Rangers and very touchy on the topic of which branch of service they belong to.” Roshelle let her lips twitch up into a full smile. “I guess it’s a good thing Jared’s not here, because I’m not exactly sure which branch Rangers belong to.” Now it was Grace’s turn to be amused. “Army.” “Hmm…then again, maybe it would have been fun to watch him bristle.” “That frank sense of honesty must get you into trouble, doctor.” Roshelle sent a wink at Jared’s mother before responding, “People take life too seriously. At least that’s

my opinion.” Grace moved her eyes over the girl standing in her son’s kitchen. She was delightfully honest. Most people employed a large amount of dishonesty in their every thought. Roshelle Everitt did not seem to follow that rule. It was very interesting, so was her grasp of mental phenomenon. While the girl lacked training, the gift was there. Grace returned to Roshelle’s face looking for something that nagged at her. The feel of this girl was somewhat familiar, as were her features. A distant memory pulled at her mind. “It’s funny what parents name their children sometimes. They always have complete faith in the names they choose.” “You are young to have a medical doctorate.” “My grandmother believed in chasing down a goal with all due speed.” Grace already knew far more about Roshelle than the information her response gave her. The object of questioning her was to see what manner of personality she had. Of all her sons, Jared was the most like her. Any female that could manage to evoke such strong emotions in her eldest cub was worth investigating. Especially when she arrived under such complex circumstances. It wasn’t that Jared’s mother was easy to read, but Roshelle could clearly see that the woman was testing her. It was the way her emerald eyes sat inspecting her. Keeping her shoulders straight, Roshelle refused to shrink before her. The similarities between parent and offspring were amazing. “What are you thinking about me?” Grace’s eyes snapped as she asked the question. “That your son learned a great deal at your knee.” Roshelle’s bluntness pleased the woman. She lifted her mouth into a smile momentarily. “Find your boots; there are things we need to discuss.” “I only wish I could find them. Believe me, I’ve tried.” Grace turned back around with an unpleasant look in her emerald eyes. She focused on Roshelle’s bare feet a moment before she slowly nodded her head. “You may blame my husband for that despicable method of confining you to this house. I did not raise my sons to believe females incapable of fending for themselves.” The idea of Sheriff Campbell taking this woman’s shoes to control her brought another wave of amusement to Roshelle. “Somehow, I don’t think it’s quite so effective when used on you.” “It is not.” Grace let a smile play across her face as she considered Roshelle a moment. “But I will be most disappointed to discover you have not tried to leave this house in spite of that restriction.”

“She left and came back needing a medic.” Jared’s voice appeared out of nothing as he tossed his information out like a judgment. Roshelle jumped and looked to find him standing in the doorway as if he’d been there for a week. His mother raised a questioning look at him. “We dusted the area in shell rock before beginning construction.” “I knew you put all those rocks out there!” Instead of looking guilty, Jared’s face told her he was considering ordering another load. His eyes moved over her face touching on the blush that slowly rose up in greeting. “It’s nice to know you missed me, Roshelle.” The way he rolled her name caused the blush to deepen. Pressing her lips together, Roshelle cursed at nature for creating a male so very destructive to her control. Gone for a month and not even a note? “You were gone?” Grace almost choked on the innocent tone Roshelle used for her question. Their guest stood with her hands folded over her chest while she stared down her opponent. If matters were not so pressing, Grace would have left them to their tussle. Her son’s face clearly expressed his desire to crush Roshelle’s evasion. Neither of them would break but Grace would bet that both of them would get very little sleep tonight as they…discussed it. The fact that Jared didn’t intimidate Roshelle was most interesting. It was also a relief to discover that Jared wouldn’t take to wife some hothouse flower. Cursed fickle male. Jared was entirely too sure of her! Her eyes narrowed to mere slits as they glared at him. Something caught her eye and she moved her attention to it. Dangling from Jared’s hands were her boots. The prospect of an outing brought an embarrassing amount of joy to her. Jared gave her a particularly bright grin as he noticed her interest in the footwear. “Looking for these?” “Not at all.” She would walk to China on those rocks first! His mother had already left; Roshelle set her eyes on the woman’s departing figure. Picking her own feet up, she made to follow her. Jared might be able to get her flesh to bleed but she would not be reduced to begging for her shoes! “I’m sorry.” The very simplicity of those words stopped her. Not once had Jared ever even hinted that his actions might have caused him remorse. The fact that he felt it now over her bruised feelings seemed almost a gift. His apology drove home just how appalling her behavior was. “I missed you.” She better have, because her soft brown eyes had burned into his soul.

“Come over here.” Her cheeks turned scarlet while her eyelids fluttered, but she came. Just like a feline, her steps were slowly enticing as she approached him. Slim hands gently settled on top of his chest as she stretched up to place the lightest of kisses on his mouth. “I’m not afraid of you, Jared. Stop scowling at me.” She whispered the words in a voice rich with budding passion. Cupping his hands over the cheeks of her bottom he raised her up to the proof of his own desire. Her eyes darkened to liquid gold as she adjusted herself to fit him. “You should be, Roshelle. You really should be.” Because Jared didn’t think he’d ever be able to let her go. His mouth settled on top of hers to seal out any further opportunity for speech. Jared would let his body speak for him. Their tongues mingled as they both dispensed with their single personalities. His mother was waiting but Roshelle didn’t care. Jared was home. Her legs twisted around him as she pulled at the fabric covering his body. Life was full of ugly realities that only a union with his flesh could drive away. As her hands peeled his shirt from his chest, she inhaled that warm scent of his skin while she pushed her fingers through the tangle of black hair. It was base and primal, and Roshelle felt an answering scream within herself. Clawing and scratching, she met him with the same ferocious need. They both cast aside any form of civilization as the needs of primal emotion were heeded. ***** “Jared was there when you left?” Grace continued to pour hot water into a ceramic mug as Jacobs asked her the same question once again. Her fingers slowly unwrapped a teabag next. “Grace.” “Relax, Jacobs. I imagine they’ll be along as soon as they put their clothes back on.” Colonel Jason Jacobs tilted his head to the side as her words sunk in. Forty years working with her and Grace still surprised him with her lack of concern for social moral codes. She had left two healthy young adults together and seemed to have no illusions as to what they would be about. In fact, she expected it of them. The realities of nature were no cause for concern for Grace. “I think that’s a fine idea. Let’s put our clothes back on, too.” Brice Campbell issued his opinion from his post at the kitchen counter. Grace didn’t need to point out to her husband that they would need to take their clothes off first, the look in his eyes told her just how much he’d missed her. One day or six months, it never mattered. There was no room for false modesty between them.

The look in his wife’s eyes told Brice she was more than receptive to his idea. She sat carefully folded into an armchair watching him, waiting for him to claim her back into his bed. Three sons and thirty years of marriage had not erased this ceremony. Every time they were separated, she would wait for the invitation to return to his bed. Jacobs knew it as well. The huge man simply left the house as he sought out his own wife. Beth would be standing on the porch. Rain, snow or sun, his blue-eyed wife would stand on that porch from the moment she heard his helicopter set down. Grace watched her mate, his hand extended out in a gesture she had committed to memory. Rising to her feet, she placed her own into his grip. Now, she was home. ***** “Why?” Jared’s forehead creased in confusion at Roshelle’s question. The woman sure did dress quickly. His shirt was only half-buttoned while she sat completely clothed, boots included. Her eyes moved over his face waiting for an answer to her question. “Why should I be afraid of you?” His face went stone-hard. Roshelle watched the transformation in blatant fascination. It was a complete wall that included his mind as well. When he was making love to her, Jared would invade her very soul, linking them together so tightly she lost where she ended and he began. Yet the second she asked for any sort of explanation, her dream specter returned with his armor solidly in place. The change was completely unsettling. Her emotions felt unsteady as she watched his eyes become hostile in response to her question. “Colonel Jacobs has some questions for you.” Her jaw fell open as Jared just walked out of the room. She stared at the wide shoulders a second before snapping her teeth together. Ohh…she was a fool! In trusting innocence she gave herself up to him. While she had asked nothing in return, Jared seemed inclined to offer nothing. Her temper boiled and Roshelle welcomed the rise of heat. Her entire life was hung out to dry and the suspicion that it revolved around Jared had grown too large to ignore. Obviously there wouldn’t be armed men hiking around this house if the man didn’t have something worth killing for. At the moment she was the one paying the price. Standing up, she moved through the house with the purpose of a hunter. It was time for a reckoning. ***** Roshelle got her wish. It sat glaring up at her as the all-terrain vehicle she sat in crested the top of the rise. Whatever suspicions her mind might have concocted, the reality was far more incriminating. Jared was completely aware of his companion’s thoughts. He pulled to a halt and waited while her eyes scanned the main compound. To a civilian’s eyes it defied rational explanation.

The automatic rifles displayed at Jared’s home had overwhelmed her. They seemed almost children’s toys compared to what she looked at now. Two homes sat in the niche of the next peak. One was rustic and built of solid tree trunks while the other was more modern in its framing. Sitting almost directly between the two were six helicopters. Not the sort of aircraft Roshelle had seen making runs to the hospital. These were coal black hunters. The muzzles of large guns protruded from the fronts of the things as sentries patrolled the area directly around them. The machines looked almost unreal ‘til her eyes took in the details that confirmed this was their normal resting place. The forest grew thickly here, the redwoods reaching a hundred feet into the air. The forest was clipped back to accommodate the aircraft. Large structure beams were driven into the ground to support a camouflage net that hung over the landing pad. “I’m an operative with the United States Army. These air units support both my mother’s and my Ranger Units.” “What do you mean by operative?” Jared turned those green eyes onto her before he very deliberately invaded her thoughts. His meaning was crystal clear even if the exact application wasn’t. This man was a trained hunter. His psychic abilities made him surpass any others. The Army wasn’t about to let someone with his capability slip away from them, nor would they allow the public to discover their secret. “Why here? Shouldn’t all this be sitting behind some gate with the words classified printed on it?” “My mother’s abilities seem to be enhanced by these mountains. I don’t care for the confining walls of a base full-time, either.” While her mind was struggling to take in the evidence her eyes read, Roshelle didn’t doubt Jared’s claims. There was simply too much evidence to support it. There was logic to it as well; Jared was not the sort of male that would tolerate confines well. You could place a predator into a zoo but they lost their zeal for hunting. The animal would survive but not thrive. “Why are you showing this to me?” Jared truly admired the way her mind would work to solve a puzzle. He doubted she was going to like the answer she found this time. Allowing her to return home was a death sentence. If permanently blocking her ability to exit his world was the only way to ensure her safety, Jared would use it. When you fight for survival, there are no rules and the loser ends up dead. Jared’s lack of response made Roshelle consider jumping out of truck. There was something so…trapping about tonight. She jumped as he turned the ignition over and began a steady approach into his parents’ home. The lights of the area grew brighter with every foot they put behind them. Roshelle sat frozen in her seat despite the fact that Jared had parked the vehicle. Stepping outside almost seemed like an irreversible action. Once she stepped into this world, the doorway to her own would evaporate. No, she wasn’t going to allow that to happen. Her hand sought out the door handle. Fear would not control her. Roshelle had recently discovered just how well determination could sustain a person. Especially when

the alternative was to abandon yourself. Exactly two minutes later, she found herself seated at a kitchen table. Roshelle forced her back to remain straight as Colonel Jacobs set about interrogating her. Funny, but the word “interrogate” had not really held its true meaning before this last month. What the silver-haired giant was putting her through just didn’t qualify as an interview. His razor-sharp eyes picked her tiniest movements apart just as he dissected her every word. Guilt was attempting to rise up inside her but Roshelle pushed it aside. She was just as baffled as her current company. Or was she? So set on trying to solve the dilemma of this nightmare was she overlooking a few facts? The look of disapproval on the colonel’s face suddenly bothered her intensely. “Don’t look at me like that.” “Excuse me?” “Absolutely not!” Roshelle ran her eyes over the other people in the room. Sheriff Campbell had taken a chair at the table while Jared was propped against the wall behind her. His mother would shift between the doorway and the back counter. “I didn’t mess up here, you did.” Her accusation gained her a guarded look from both men. “I deal with reluctant fathers, nervous mothers and the occasional violent grandparent. Not gun-packing, fire-setting, and kidnapping criminals. By the look of things around here, I get the idea that you people deal with this sort of thing rather regularly.” “Your point?” “This guy is looking for you. Or perhaps I should say, he found you.” Both men exchanged a look before they leaned back in their chairs. A slight grin crept up over the colonel’s face. “You’re a very clever girl.” “Somehow, I don’t think I should thank you for that compliment.” “Maybe not, but we have managed to keep you alive.” “I’m not disputing that.” “You’re just making it difficult for us to keep you that way.” Roshelle tipped her chin up before answering that. Their lives were difficult? Well, hers had been demolished. “I do beg your pardon! Maybe you should consider introducing just who you are if you expect normal people, such as myself, to not confuse you with the bad guys. Being hauled about between different groups of armed men, it tends to become rather confusing just whom a person can trust.” “Sorry, honey, but you were out cold when I pulled you out of that fire.”

Jared’s words hit her like a bucket of icy water. Many an hour had passed as she tried to understand just how she ended up outside her house that night. The fact that Jared was responsible made far too much sense. “But I shut you out earlier that day. How did you know…” Her words trailed off as she realized just what she was discussing. The colonel’s eyes sharpened into pinpoints as he considered her. Jared slowly grinned before he moved closer to her. “You’re very strong, but not trained. I heard you loud and clear.” “Are you speaking about telepathy?” Colonel Jacobs asked the question with a voice that demanded an immediate response. Roshelle refused to give it to him. She firmly pressed her lips together as her mother’s face sprang up in her memory. “Leave it alone, Jacobs.” Grace Campbell issued her warning in a whispered, but sharp tone. She glared at the colonel while the giant glared back at her. “Some things don’t need to be discovered. She’s built herself a life. Leave the girl in peace.” “In case anyone’s missed this, someone is trying to kill her!” Jared planted his palms onto the table as he glared at his mother. Grace didn’t even blink in response, instead the woman stared her son down without a hint of indecision. “Yes, but I wonder if Roshelle doesn’t have a better idea about that than the lot of you. I find it rather interesting that whoever’s name is on that land deed finds themselves murdered. Or close to it. And you, my son, really have no clue just what you are thrusting this girl into. This is a man’s world, being a woman around here can be an uphill climb.” Jared stood up and crossed his arms back over his chest. There was a flame of anger burning in his mother’s eyes that he’d never seen before. But Roshelle’s safety wasn’t something he’d budge on. She was staying on his mountain, one way or another. “You can feel her, too.” Jason Jacobs turned his hazel stare onto his partner. Grace stared back before he turned that look onto Roshelle. Roshelle flung it right back at him. Suddenly, her mother’s panic made perfect sense. There was a horrible sinking feeling racing down her spine. A raging need to run almost overwhelmed her. Colonel Jacobs invaded her vision as the man leveled his head exactly five inches from her face. “The world out there is full of people that would enjoy getting their hands on a high-level psychic. You’d be a whole lot wiser to lay your skills out on this table so we can help you. I think it’s time to decide just who you’d be better off with.” “I don’t belong to anyone.” Roshelle struggled to pull air into her chest. It felt like a solid block of concrete was sitting right on top of her. Slowly crushing her to death. She struggled against it. She knew exactly who she was. “I am a doctor and just as soon as you solve your problem, I am going back to work. It’s called normalcy. That is where I live my life.” The battle was showing on the girl’s face now. Grace watched it with a heavy heart. Her son was born

into this life. Jacobs sought it out and earned it with sheer will. But she remembered a time when innocence ended and her own choices were yanked away from her hands. Just as she was pulled away from her own mother and any manner of normal life. But her son did have a very good point. Not much mattered if the girl ended up dead. But death wasn’t what the girl really had to fear. Her psychic abilities were worth far too much on the black market. Grace found reality ugly, too, but she was far too knowledgeable about the fate that could befall Roshelle. Jared was correct. But Roshelle crossed her arms across her chest and glared at Jacobs with a face that said the girl didn’t trust any of them. That wasn’t something Grace could fault her for but the world could be rather unforgiving. “Roshelle isn’t a telepath. She and Jared have formed a link that gives each of them the ability to feel each other. She is an empath.” Colonel Jacobs slowly nodded his head. His eyes were razor-sharp as they traveled over Roshelle’s face. The giant seemed to completely understand Grace Campbell. He took her words as solid evidence. The silence in the kitchen was deafening. Roshelle could feel the walls closing in on her. She couldn’t stay here! She had to get out! Her brain refused to accept any sort of future in this lifestyle. Her mother’s voice was echoing inside her head so loudly, Roshelle couldn’t think beyond its panic. “No, no, no. I am not one of you!” Her feet pushed away from the table as she sought to escape the almost brutal confinement she felt wrapping about her. Jared stood in front of her but she darted under his reach before he realized her intention to flee. Reaching the porch, she dragged huge lungfulls of the night air into her body. The frigid temperature burned the warm skin of her cheeks but she pushed herself further into the night. Why were there no good choices? Staying here would destroy any further use of her skills as a physician. To never unite another family at the moment of birth caused her heart to ache. But leaving Jared behind tore at the fabric of her being. It just wasn’t fair. But life rarely was fair. Roshelle came to an abrupt halt as the simple truth hit her. Wherever the fault lay, it just didn’t matter. She was here and Jared already knew about her secret. Now several other people knew it as well. Tipping her head back she looked at the stars that filled the night sky. Until tonight, Jared had very carefully kept her isolated. There was some purpose to tonight’s meeting, she was certain of it. The man never did anything without a reason. Each piece fell into place as she searched her memory for Jared’s warnings. Discovering too much about who he was would cost her a very heavy price. Her eyes snapped to the helicopters as her feet moved her closer to them. The only source of light was small blue lamps set into the concrete that made up the surface of the landing zone. Six identical circles cast their light onto the machines that sat there. Even at rest there was an eerie edge to the things. Despite the shadows, the weaponry adorning the aircraft stood out. Jared wanted her to see these. There was no other explanation for her being here. The hard certainty of his eyes before they left his house crossed her memory. He had known just how much she wanted to return to Benton. Instead he brought her here.

“Now I know too much.” “Yes.” Jared securely wrapped his jacket about her shoulders. The fabric was still warm from his body. He stood with his hands firmly anchored to her shoulders while their minds mingled. Instead of anger, she only sensed purpose. Clear, direct intent. In a brutal maneuver, Jared was protecting her. Not having the means to neutralize her kidnapper, he moved on to the option of ensuring she could not leave the protection of his life. It was harsh and permanent, but her emotions surged forward as the last of her walls were swept aside. Admitting to loving him was one thing, feeling it flood her entire soul was breathtaking. There was no one she would rather have protecting her right now. “I think I understand.” The relief that flooded his body caught Jared by surprise. He had made his decision. Finding himself vulnerable to Roshelle’s opinion of that judgment was surprising. The way she managed to blend into his life truly baffled him. Turning her away from the evidence of reality, Jared pulled her into his body and the sanctuary he could offer her. Surrounded by the night he picked up the sweet scent of his female. Bending his head down, he took the taste that scent promised him. Nothing was right in the world, except for this. Roshelle pushed her body into contact with his, seeking the heat that would ignite her own. Everything she counted on was slipping from her fingers but she wasn’t alone. Jared moved into her soul as their bodies meshed together in mutual longing. Tomorrow she would continue her battle, tonight Jared was hers. ***** God, she just smelled sexy. Pushing his fingers through her hair, Jared slowly began to wake his companion. Roshelle was draped across his body and he wanted her again. Jared grinned, Roshelle had labeled him a Neanderthal and he intended to live up to her expectations. She could sleep tomorrow. Rolling her over, his mouth pulled a small nipple into a peak. Her head moved as her lips expressed her pleasure. She had the most sensitive breasts. Moving to the other soft mound Jared gave it the same attention. “You’re an animal.” “Just the way you like it.” She should have blushed. Instead Roshelle raised her hips as Jared slid into her. She scratched at his skin and he quickened his pace. Yes, he was an animal. Primal and hard, beneath him her body craved

more of that primitive edge. Roshelle settled her head on his chest once again as Jared sought to recover from their passion. Her hands slowly traced circles among the hairs there, as her eyes grew heavy. Jared enjoyed the peace she felt as she drifted back into sleep. Roshelle was completely at ease in his embrace. Her lax body told him that but her mind did as well. The unguarded reception was almost humbling. Jared reached further into that emotion as he sought to fill his own mind with it. His hand twisted her hair, causing her to jerk with pain. Jared swiftly released her hair before Roshelle woke. Diving back into her mind, he sought out the disturbance. Something was there. Very faint but a definite image formed as he pressed forward. He could feel that second entity. Feel the heartbeat that drove its lifeforce. It slept as blissfully content as Roshelle did. Safe in its mother’s womb. A baby. His son. Roshelle was pregnant. Jared didn’t need a blood test to prove it to him. He could feel the tiny life as it grew inside her. Rolling over, he propped his body on an elbow next to her sleeping form as his hand covered her abdomen. Her tummy was flatter than before he left. Jared frowned as his hand picked up the small pulse of life beneath her flesh. Roshelle had dropped weight that her body needed to support their child. Maybe she’d been sick. His frown deepened. Jared knew next to nothing about pregnancy. But rapid weight loss wasn’t healthy under normal conditions. Did she know? Suspicion crept forward as Jared recalled how determined she’d been to find a way out of his life tonight. Could she really believe she could keep his child a secret? His mind sought out that question as his hand smoothed over his son’s resting place. Not even a hint of resistance met his probe. Curving his body into place beside her, Jared pulled the blankets about them. Roshelle didn’t know yet. With the uncertainty of the last few weeks it was understandable. Jared doubted she had noted the absence of her menstrual cycle. Well, they weren’t a normal couple so maybe it wasn’t so odd that the father would be informing the mother that they were having a child. A wide grin plastered itself across his face. Roshelle would be staying right here. And that pleased the hell out of him. ***** “Just why do I know that girl’s face?” Grace wasn’t startled by Jacobs’ appearance. The man moved silently, but she was expecting him. Moving her head about, she took in her partner as he leaned into a tree while he waited for her reply. “She favors her father in so many ways.” “And would that man be anyone I might know?”

Jason Jacobs was fishing for confirmation. Grace tilted her head and sighed. In a way it was sad but she just couldn’t shake the idea that Roshelle was a perfect match for her son. “Devon Ross is her father.” And her fellow operative wasn’t going to be very pleased to find his daughter anywhere near an Army unit. But it looked like fate held other ideas. “Devon was never as strong as you.” “No, but he held the advantage of more than one ability. Roshelle seems to have inherited a great deal of that empathic sense. But I can still wish that my son had not brought her abilities to light.” The note of pity in Grace’s voice caused Jacobs to hesitate. Grace had never resented her psychic abilities as far as he knew. “I knew about the child’s existence.” “You what?” Grace slowly smiled. Jacobs really hated it when he didn’t know the very last detail of her life. “Devon told me that Heather was pregnant. I’m grateful I never had to make a similar choice. Besides, she grew up right under my nose.” “What kind of choice, Grace?” Moving her eyes over him, Grace noted the sharpness Jacobs still held even in middle life. Their children were grown, and they still went into combat. It was a harsh life, but one this man had been born for. She was caught in it. Far too effective in her tracking abilities, the Army wasn’t open to any other suggestion. “Males are more suited to this life. Devon knew that. Bringing a son into this can be accepted. A daughter is another story. A parent could hope that a daughter might not need to live her life under such conditions. Besides, your memory is as good as mine. Female operatives weren’t fairing so well back then. Heather did even worse.” Grace shared a moment of recollection with her partner. There had been a time when life hadn’t been very important to her. Brice Campbell had shoved his face into her way and refused to budge. But her husband was a warrior, too. He mixed with the harsh edge of reality that her life balanced on. His love made it worth surviving but Heather hadn’t been able to leave her civilian world behind. The military bluntness imprisoned the girl until she struggled against Devon as panic drove her beyond any understanding of the man’s love. Evading his protection had set her up as a target. In the end, she’d fled into the arms of her murderers. But she’d hidden her daughter almost completely. Psychic abilities didn’t awaken ‘til the child grew out of their tender years. Devon hadn’t found his offspring until it was too late to tear her away from her adoptive family without thrusting the girl into the same desolation that had cut into Grace so many years in the past. When you tasted a life without death stalking you, a civilian woman often didn’t transplant very well. “So, she hid her here?” Grace nodded her head. Unknowingly Jared had found a very old secret. But fate had a way of ensuring

that soul mates found each other. Roshelle was the most perfect mate for her son. “Heather had no way of knowing that I lived right up the hill. If Devon had told me about her escape, I would have found her before she ended up dead.” Grace hissed with frustration that time had not erased. Heather had not been able to stand the sight of her. To the civilian woman’s eyes, Grace had represented a military-created monster, her gender distorted beyond nature’s intentions. “The least I could do was let the woman have her last wish that her daughter not end up like me.” Jacobs snorted and Grace smiled at his male opinion. “Every mother has the right to wish for a good life for her children. It wasn’t my place to interfere, Jacobs. I had my own sons to practice my desires on. Somehow, I doubt you’d have taken kindly to someone telling you how to raise your own kids.” “All right, I guess that makes sense.” Jacobs never caved in with much grace. Casting her eyes over her partner, Grace let her smile widen. Jacobs frowned as he watched the expression. “I haven’t seen Devon in some time. His visit should be interesting.” “You contacted him?” Grace jumped from her perch and hit the forest floor with practiced feet. “No I haven’t, but you will.” “I’ll do what?” Grace half turned to look at the giant in the dark. “You will do what you’d expect him to do, if he found your daughter running for her life.” Jacobs curse hit the night as Grace walked back towards her home. A small laugh rose out of her chest as she considered her son coming face to face with Roshelle’s father. ***** “Roshelle?” “Go away.” Her opinion stated, Jared watched as Roshelle pulled her head completely beneath the bedding until not even a single strand of her copper-brown hair remained in sight. “Come out, it’s getting late.” Pushing her head back out, she squinted at the bedside clock. Five thirty-eight was late? Maybe in the Army it was.

“I’m a civilian.” Her head disappeared again as Jared stifled a laugh. She looked like a turtle at the moment. Reaching for the bedding she hid under, Jared hooked his hands into the middle of it and tore it away. “All right!” Forcing her body to sit up, Roshelle glared at her tormentor. There must be a law against morning people! Jared stood completely clothed as he surveyed her rumpled appearance. The man kept her up most of the night yet only the slightest of darkened circles marked his eyes. “Good morning.” “It’s morning. Unless there’s coffee in my hand, it’s not good.” “You need some breakfast.” Pulling her clothes on, Roshelle considered Jared’s idea. Her jeans slipped off her hips, causing her to reach for a belt to take up the extra fabric. “I’m not really that hungry.” “Well, you should be.” Roshelle simply shrugged her shoulders in response. So she had dropped a few pounds. It was no big deal. Most likely it was due to the lack of junk food in her diet. What she wouldn’t do for real ice cream! “Come on. Shane claims your friend is driving him to drink.” A giggle escaped her lips as Roshelle allowed herself to be pulled from Jared’s house. Christina could have that effect on men. But it was oh so much fun to watch! Her eyes took in the hand clasped about her own in shock. Jared was firmly holding her hand as he led her up to his partner’s home. The simple gesture baffled her. Having Jared publicly expressing affection was slightly unnerving. But the warmth that spread through her body almost brought her to tears. Boy, she must be more tired than she first thought. So the man was holding her hand. It was no reason to dissolve into mush. Confusion passed across her face a moment later as Jared held the front door open for her. What was this? Civilized manners? “Where is Jared and who are you?” “Can’t a man be happy?” “If we are talking about you, I reserve the right to question it.” “I enjoy our debates.” Passing by him, Roshelle stared at the grin sitting on his lips. His green eyes sparked in the morning sunlight as the pure lightness of his mood hit her. Jared was…happy. That emotion had never crossed her mind in connection with this man. Roshelle found an answering smile crossing her lips. The world did

seem just a bit brighter today. The kitchen smelled normal for a change. Christina placed a breakfast of scrambled eggs in front of Roshelle. It was the only dish she claimed any talent at producing. Her eyes wandered over to Christina as the woman moved about the kitchen. Her movements were sharp as she closed cabinets with barely controlled anger. Christina never looked her way, but the blonde-haired woman was sending scathing looks at Jared. Turning her head about, Roshelle investigated just what Jared could be doing to ruffle Christina’s feathers so very much. Propped against the far countertop, Jared stood with his arms crossed across his chest as he sent Christina a grin. It was really more of a smirk with a great deal of pride tossed in for some unknown reason. Moving her eyes again, Roshelle took in the last occupant of the room. Shane sat inspecting her from half-closed eyes as he lifted a coffee mug to his lips. Confusion hit her in a thick wave. Just what had she missed? Her curiosity was going to have to wait, because the kitchen was stifling hot this morning. Nausea was even rising up due to the amount of heat in the room. Not wanting to complain, Roshelle pushed to her feet to find some fresh air before her stomach worked its way into any more knots. Christina could have killed the man! The change in her friend was easy to see. Christina knew that look that early pregnancy gave to a woman, half her friends looked just like that as they frantically planned their weddings. She took a moment to glare at Jared before stepping forward to follow her friend. Her feet took just two steps before Shane hooked one huge arm about her waist, scooping her into his lap. “Let me go!” Locking one arm about his squirming bundle, Shane turned his eyes to inspecting her. A blush stained her cheeks as she tried yet again to push their bodies apart. He had to resist the urge to grin. “I think we should leave those two alone.” Snapping her head about, Christina noticed that Jared was no longer in the kitchen. “Fine! Now… Let… Me… Up!” The second he released her, Christina scrambled across the room. She had forgotten just how big he was. Safely beyond his reach, she contemplated the distance to the door. Shane slowly grinned in response. Giving him one more fuming glare, Christina turned back to the sink in defeat. She hoped Shelly would have better luck than she was today. ***** How had it gotten so hot? Raising a hand to her forehead, Roshelle rubbed at the headache forming there. Despite coming outside, her body bitterly complained about the heat. Leaning over the porch railing, she tried to calm herself down. It was just a little heat. Her stomach twisted as her knees trembled dangerously. Guns, explosives or assassins Jared could deal with, but being forced to stand by helplessly scared the

hell out of him. Roshelle’s legs began shaking seconds before Jared watched her knees buckle. Jumping forward, Jared caught her before she collided with the deck. Only a straightback chair stood on the porch. Striding forward, Jared sought out his own bedroom. How long did a faint last? If the cause was heat stroke he knew how to treat it. The current weather didn’t support that cause. Still, as he ran a hand over her face, Jared clearly felt the elevated body temperature. She felt absolutely wretched! Forcing her eyes open, Roshelle tried to decide just when she had taken so ill. A pair of green eyes hovered over her. She looked into their concerned depths. Searching for the reason behind their distress. Nausea claimed her full attention as she scrambled to her feet. Jared was waiting for her the second she emerged from the bathroom. A bit shaky, Roshelle still felt better. “I guess breakfast didn’t agree with me today.” “Just today?” Jared’s question brought up an interesting point. Food in general had not been sitting well all month. Just not as violently as today. She just wasn’t a morning person. But getting sick in the mornings was… Her eyes flew open as she mentally tried to count the days she’d spent on this mountain. The four boxes came to mind, which brought it to six weeks since they had first… They had never used any protection. The stupidity of that action brought a flush to her cheeks. Pregnancy was the least of her worries in today’s world, with all of the sexually transmitted diseases out there, and it had never crossed her mind to suggest using a condom. “I’m pregnant.” Her words were flat as she rolled back onto the bed. Her head throbbed as her body tried to adjust to a flood of hormones. Tears slowly slipped from the corners of her eyes as she considered just how uncertain a life she would be bringing her baby into. “Don’t cry, Roshelle.” Her desolation cut Jared to the bone. His fingers brushed the tears away as he pulled her into his embrace. His eyes sat open to her as she looked up into them. Not a single barrier prevented her entrance to his mind today. Mingling together she reached forward to grasp the joy he held for their child. Jared continued to hold her despite the fact that her body told him she’d slipped into slumber. He turned her emotions over in his head, searching for a resolution. Settling her body, he smoothed the covers over her before turning to seek out his parents. Maybe they would have a solution. Because there was no way he could ever let her go now.

Chapter Eleven

“You raised this guy in a helicopter, didn’t you?”

Grace Campbell took a moment to consider her before giving Roshelle an answer. “He was flying before he learned to walk.” “He’s got the idea of ‘hover’ down.” A smile touched her face as Grace considered her son. Roshelle was currently attempting to escape from his excessive concern. The young woman moved every few minutes as Jared placed different offerings of food in front of her. His newest offering rejected, Jared once again headed for the kitchen as Roshelle moved away from the disturbing smell of food. The living room was becoming crowded with the untouched dishes. Grace’s smile became wider as she contemplated just how much longer the girl would stay in the house before the scent of food became too much for her to ignore. “Stop right there, Jared Campbell!” Jared sent her a grin as he kept to his course. Another plate was set in front of her causing her stomach to protest. Maybe it was the added knowledge of her state of pregnancy, but just the sight of food was turning her green now. One week after discovering the tiny life growing within her and symptoms were shouting loud and clear throughout her body. “Roshelle, you need to eat.” “A common misconception. I’ll eat next month.” “You’ll eat tonight. That’s my baby.” Jared ground his teeth together as Roshelle fled the room in response. Damn! Every time he claimed any connection with their growing child, she got a spooked look in the corner of her eyes. She had placed a solid wall between them. Jared could break through it but was loathe to create any further distress for her right now. ***** Roshelle came to an abrupt halt on the porch of the Campbell house. Some kind of aircraft came over the mountain peak like birds of prey. They were almost completely black, only green lights lit them. The sound of their rotors rose to almost deafening as they hovered barely a hundred feet from the front door of the house. The door behind her flew open as Jared laid a firm hand on her shoulder and pressed her a step behind him. A man jumped from one helicopter before the thing even touched the ground. He kept his head low as he moved away from the spinning rotors. He straightened as he approached. Roshelle gasped as she felt the unmistakable brush of mind to mind. What shocked her most was the familiar feel of it. This man had touched her senses before and she’d never really noticed that it had happened. “Sweet God in Heaven.” That man was her father. Emotions sprang up inside her but Roshelle couldn’t deny the fact that she knew him. In the deepest core of her mind, this man’s touch was familiar. And he’d left her ignorant. Anger boiled inside her chest as she considered the fact that he’d cut her out

of his life. She wasn’t weak! The fact that everyone seemed to be thinking for her made her step past Jared and right down those steps towards the man that had judged her without letting her speak her mind. “Roshelle.” Jared’s hand stopped her in her tracks. She whipped around to glare at him. “I am not your housecat, Jared. Believe it or not, I can face my own life just fine.” The hand on her shoulder didn’t release. Instead, Jared slid it down her back until he found her belt. He caught the strap of leather in a hold that cut enough into her waist to make her back up a step. “Devon Ross is part of my world. This isn’t the time to teach you about some of the harsher realities of my life.” “Pup, you’d better get your hand off my little girl.” Her eyes rounded as Roshelle listened to the term. It wasn’t sweet, instead it sounded like a label. Jared’s hand gave a quick tug that sent her stumbling back as he released her belt and stepped forward to confront her father. “Your eyes must be failing, Ross, there’re no kids around here.” Her father’s face tightened as he considered her. Movement from the dark suddenly caught her eye. Her father’s men crept through the night like shadows as they tried to get behind Jared and his men. Rifles rose towards the intruders as Roshelle felt a heavy hand fall onto her shoulder again. Shane Jacobs began to steadily pull her back from Jared and her father. “Let’s go, Roshelle.” Her father sent her a flick of his wrist with his order. Go? Roshelle looked at the helicopters with rotors still whirling at flight speed. Her father’s men held their guns towards Jared’s men as Shane continued to pull her back towards the house. “Get back on your bird, Ross. Roshelle stays with me now.” “When I’m dead.” “However you like it.” Her father grinned before sending a solid right cross at Jared’s face. The two men immediately began an all-out brawl. Fists flew as grunts told of impact. Roshelle felt her temper explode. They were fighting over her like a scrap of meat. She turned away from the display and Shane let her go because she headed away from her father’s position. Grabbing a water hose neatly stored next to the front steps of the house, Roshelle smiled. It wasn’t a household hose. It looked like a small fire department model. Complete with brass nozzle. Giving a hard twist on the controls, she turned the full blast of icy water onto Jared and her father. Both

men cussed as they jumped around to glare at her. Roshelle hit the controls again and dropped the hose. “If you two want to fight, that’s just fine! But don’t you dare use me as an excuse for your idiotic behavior!” She turned and took the stairs two at a time as she fumed over the display. Flipping around, Roshelle looked at the man that she would have rejoiced over seeing ten years ago. “Hi, Dad, nice to meet you.” ***** She was suffocating. Roshelle could clearly feel the steel claw as it wrapped around her throat. The very walls were pressing in on her. Her feet halted in indecision, the sentry in front of her was calmly observing her from his concealed location. But she knew he was watching her. She could feel the man’s eyes as they inspected her. Every step she took attracted the eyes of the watchful sentries. Moving back along the porch she settled into a chair. Surrounded by the night, she searched for the peace she craved. She didn’t understand it. Deep male laughter came from the front drive area now. Her father and Jared were clearly dealing with each other. She snorted briefly as two more men came to stand guard over her. She didn’t need them. But the fact that Jared intended to force her to stay with him brought too many emotions bubbling to her overtired brain. She did know one thing. She wouldn’t be trading the man she knew for one she didn’t. This was between her and Jared. She would finish it that way. Her father’s aircraft lifted off the ground to leave the night as peaceful as it had been. Roshelle tried to relax as she felt a wave of fatigue hit her brain. Too focused on keeping Jared out of her mind, Roshelle discovered that letting her walls slip away relieved a good deal of her exhaustion. It also let Jared back into her head. It wasn’t the precise probing that the man was capable of; no, it was simply his presence as he tried to renew their link. The light contact brought a smile to her face. There was a familiar confidence that spread through her body, as she once again became aware of him. Just why Roshelle found his presence comforting, she wasn’t sure. It was really strange the way her abilities just seemed to respond to her commands. Now that she’d witnessed the precise manner that Jared and his family used to apply their own skills, she felt like the junior member of the team, envious of the clearly more advanced members. Jealous and resentful. It was all milling about inside her head. Should she be grateful for the fact that her abilities had led her to Jared? Maybe not, but she’s a;lso not bitter, either. Tipping her head back, she studied the night sky. She was so very tried of fighting. Tonight there seemed to be nothing more appealing than surrender. There were far worse places than this mountain. It was really strange the way she was learning to focus in on one person at a time. At the moment she could clearly sense Jared as he searched about her feelings. Forcing her attention away from his, Roshelle tried to point her talents onto another target.

Controlling the image forced Roshelle to apply brutal self-control over herself. She could feel it, almost taste it but identification was refusing to become clear. The mental picture was far too fuzzy for her to make out. Shifting her aim she sought to simply feel the image, opening her mind to the complexities of the human soul. Her body jerked violently away from the reminder of evil. The thick stench of self-centered greed invaded her mind as she found herself facing her captor again. More skilled at interpreting her feelings, Roshelle found another layer to the man’s depravity. She recoiled from the horror but forced herself to hold onto the image. She could see him if she just forced the image to become clearer. All she needed was a name, maybe an address anything that would provide a way to find him. She never got it. Jared snared her attention as he plucked her from the chair by her biceps. Knowing the brutal precision of his mind didn’t lessen its bite as he probed her thoughts in search of her vision. Pain snaked through her body as she simply tried to prevent herself from slipping into an oblivion that would shelter her from the agony. “Jared, release her.” He heard his mother, but Jared just couldn’t let it go. He could feel the bastard. If he just pushed harder he’d form the link that would allow him to track him down. Grace wanted that link almost as badly as her son did, but the processes of pulling it from Roshelle’s mind would be traumatic enough to send the girl into shock. Not an advisable course of action when the girl was pregnant. Jared was too intent on his course to consider the physical consequences. The fact that her son was twice her size didn’t deter Grace from attempting to separate Jared from his quest. One solid sidekick sent him crashing over the porch railing. Jacobs made it onto the porch in time to snag Roshelle before she collided with that same railing. “Put her down a moment.” As Jacobs complied with her request, Grace settled on her heels in front of Roshelle. Her eyes were still glassy and unfocused as she hovered on the edge of her vision. The pain inflicted on the young woman’s body was too much for her to ignore and the interference was breaking her emphatic link. Reaching forward, Grace ran a hand over Roshelle’s cheek as she gathered the remaining pieces from her mind. A scent, the feel, nothing much more but it was still a place to begin. Confusion spun her about on its head as Roshelle tried desperately to keep her eyes open. Her body seemed almost disconnected from her brain as she tried to decide just where she was. Her vision darkened dangerously as she tried to keep her grip on reality. Grace surveyed Roshelle’s battle for a moment before she moved away to investigate her own findings. The girl was stronger than she looked, most people would be out cold. “Come on, Roshelle, fight for it.” Jared. Yes, Jared had been looking for something. Jared was stronger than she was! Snapping her eyes open, Roshelle found him standing over her. She thrust her feet beneath her body as she rose up to search his eyes. The emerald intensity was exactly the same as the night they’d met. The sharp-edged

intensity glittered in their depths as his face betrayed his aggression. “Can you find him?” It wasn’t a question. Roshelle demanded it in a voice that had him raising his lips in appreciation. She wanted her pound of flesh as badly as he did. “I’ll try to.” “Good.” Watching her body crumple into the chair once again caused Jared to hesitate. But distraction was fatal to his abilities. Helping her now wouldn’t matter if their problem escaped. Turning towards his mother, Jared forced his mind back to the business at hand. Neither of them had a clear link, otherwise they would already be on the move. But between their two minds it was possible that there was enough evidence to box their prey in. ***** Waking up never seemed so very difficult before. Rubbing her hands across her eyes, Roshelle tried once again to force the heavy folds of skin to rise enough for her to discover just where she was. The pre-dawn light greeted her as her eyes fell onto the bedside clock. Four-fifteen? Good! That meant it was perfectly acceptable for her to roll back over and sleep some more. Remind her to have a very long talk with Jared about the way the man seemed to be able to sap her energy. Tugging the coverlet up over her shoulder took extraordinary amounts of her strength. Yes, she needed to talk to that man about wringing her out to dry…

“Shelly? You’re beginning to worry me. You really need to get up.” “Believe me, I’ve tried.” Christina smiled in relief. Even if the voice was pitifully groggy, any sort of response at least made her stop worrying that it was time to call in some medical help. She knew that the solider that’d brought her friend back was lying about her fainting but Roshelle had been sleeping for close to twenty-four hours now. Maybe Roshelle was the doctor but Christina did know when to begin worrying! “I brought you some coffee.” “Caffeine?” Roshelle lifted her head as she sniffed at the air trying to catch the scent of fresh, hot coffee. “Not a chance, pregnant one.” Pushing herself up, Roshelle stuck her lip out in response. She caught the scent of the beverage and relented as she eyed the steam rising from the mug in Christina’s hands. Maybe it was decaffeinated, but it was hot and her body seemed to have been cold for a very long time. “Actually, it smells wonderful.”

It tasted even better! Roshelle found herself savoring the slide of the hot liquid as she considered hiking up the hill for more. Deciding not to push her luck, she settled for a shower instead. Standing under the water, she searched for a way to relieve the ache that seemed to have settled into her flesh. Stretching her arms above her head, she tried to force her muscles to relax. Where was Jared? He had pulled something from her mind. Her memory might still be fuzzy but she remembered the disorientation from her first encounter with him. She just hoped it was enough for him to find their captor. Roshelle should have been distressed about what Jared would do at that meeting. Instead she found herself more concerned that he might not find the man. Ending someone’s life still clashed with her basic morals but this man’s evil was like an infection. Sterilizing it was simply necessary. Pulling her clothes on, she set her day’s tasks before her. Pregnancies didn’t wait for missions to end. It was far past time for her to see to her pre-natal care. Simple as it was, attention given in the first trimester was essential to a healthy baby. Just how to go about that was her quest for the day. Shane seemed to be in charge of a great deal of things but the man also disappeared whenever Jared did. That left Colonel Jacobs but Roshelle had no idea how to contact the man. She had never seen a single phone in either house. Cell phones seemed to be the only form of communication used on the mountain. Roshelle often saw Shane or Jared using the small devices. The morning was fresh and she found herself enjoying the sounds of the mountain. You could actually hear the breeze as it passed through the trees. As she stood listening, her ears picked up another sound, this one clearly manmade. As it came closer the noise rose to almost a deafening level. “Take cover!” Roshelle stared at the sentry trying to decide just why he was shouting at her. Her eyes caught the approaching aircraft as they cleared the forest. Brown and green camouflage in color, the helicopters swung into the clearing as they angled back around to hover just twenty feet from the ground. The aircraft began a slow descent into the clearing. Reaching out she searched for Jared but whoever these people were, Jared wasn’t with them. There were no weapons in Jared’s house but it was just possible there might be in Shane’s. Scrambling up the steps, Roshelle cast another look at the men who were jumping from the aircraft. They angled high-powered rifles in front of them as her ears picked up the popping sounds of them being fired. Her mind was trying to tell her that this could simply not be happening but the reality of the last few months told her that it definitely was. “Shelly, what is going—” “Come on!” Pulling her friend behind her Roshelle ran for the back of the house. The only instinct she had was to place as much distance between those soldiers and themselves. The sound of the front door crashing in

sent terror right through her; without any form of protection, they had little hope of defending themselves. The hallway filled with the sounds of their pursuers. The firing of a rifle was deafening as it echoed between the walls. Roshelle flung herself to the floor as the bullets embedded themselves into the wall in front of her. Christina stumbled over her ending up with her blue eyes staring into Roshelle’s frantic ones. The glazed look in her friend’s eyes caused terror to erupt. Christina’s face was losing color as quickly as her shirtfront began turning red. “Hold your fire. We need her alive.” “Don’t need the blonde.” Roshelle thrust her fingers onto the girl’s neck searching for a pulse. She never found the reassurance of life. Her body was pulled from the floor and held up for inspection. “This one.” They dragged her towards the front door. Roshelle fought her captors all the way. Her blows made solid contact, but the sheer size of the men still pushed her out the front of the house. Once in the open, her body was quickly hoisted from her feet and shoved into one of the waiting aircraft. She was dropped into a seat but immediately pushed away from it. A solid blow ended her efforts as it sent her reeling. Her head collided with the solid frame of the aircraft, causing the pilot to bark some comment at her tormentor. Whatever the man said it traveled through his helmet and into the slim radio attached to the helmet of her captor. With the helicopters blades still in motion, her ears didn’t catch more than a few muffled sounds. The motion of the craft as it lifted away from the surface caused her to struggle in panic. Her efforts gained her nothing as her captor leaned his body weight across her, pinning her into the seat. The close contact with Christina’s killer made her gag in horror. But she had to keep hope. Christina might survive. Some wounds looked fatal but were in fact more bluster than life-threatening. Lying to herself wasn’t bringing any of the relief that she’d thought it might. Without medical attention, her friend wouldn’t live very long. It was very possible that they would share the same fate.

Chapter Twelve

“Dr. Everitt, how very good to see you again.” His voice still held the chill of new snow but it didn’t cause a rush of fear inside her anymore. Red-hot rage rose up as Roshelle met the eyes of her enemy. “Nothing to say?” “I prefer not to waste my time, thank you.” “Now, now. There’s no need to be rude. After all we may be spending a great deal of time together.”

“How very revolting.” That frigid smile touched his face as he inspected her. The way the man moved his eyes reminded her of a chef as he considered a fish about to be filleted. Everything about him was far too perfect. From the starched tips of his collar to the manicured fingernails. But if they were going to be spending time together then he wasn’t going to have her shot. Perfect. Roshelle fully intended to best him again and cheat death for another few years. A sharp rap on the door caused him to look up with clear interest. “Dr. Moosavi requires a blood sample from you. Feel free to tell him anything you wish. I assure you he is being compensated enough to relieve him of any morals he might have suffered from.” Roshelle didn’t think the man in question had lost a moment’s sleep. He radiated the same stench of disparity. His hooded eyes didn’t spare her a glance as he pulled a pair of latex inspection gloves onto his hands. His motions were razor-sharp as he pulled the specimen from her arm. “Fifteen minutes, Mr. Thyssen.” The door swung closed on the man’s heels as she considered just what that blood was for. Not many tests could be run in so short a time span. The way Thyssen continued to contemplate her almost made her nervous. Roshelle firmly thrust the emotion aside. Her composure was the key to her survival. “Babies are wonderful creations, so very unspoiled by either morals or even opinions. When proper training is applied from birth, they can be formed into the most effective of weapons.” Her composure dissolved like sugar. The implications of his words assaulted her on too many levels to identify. And it all made sense. Horrible, sickening, logical sense. “My client is very excited that we are so close to providing his merchandise. It will be most interesting to see if the offspring is genetically similar to its father.” They wanted to turn her baby into a monster. Not her baby, Jared’s baby. A child who carried his psychic abilities that they could use or sell when and where they pleased. Roshelle had never wanted to kill someone before. The desire to snuff out this creature’s life was so overwhelming she was halfway to her feet when the handcuffs that bound her to the table stopped her. “Thank you, my dear. Being so close to success, I must confess that the waiting was becoming unbearable. I appreciate you confirming the pregnancy. Most men can not resist mating with an available female. Once Jared Campbell took you home, it was simply a matter of time.” “You will not have my baby.” The words were low, laced with the venom of a mother intent on protecting her young. “Your voice betrays your maternal instinct. Emotions can be such cumbersome things. You have very few options. I doubt that even given the chance you will not willingly end your pregnancy. You will eat because you don’t have the mental strength to deny your child. There is no way for you to prevent its growth or birth.

“Take heart, my dear; you will help to create one of the most perfect examples of logic and training that the world has ever seen. Your intelligence level will be greatly appreciated. The original female I selected to take up residence in your home was far more beautiful but not nearly as accomplished.” Her hand curled over her abdomen as Thyssen left the room. He was right. Damn him! She could not destroy her baby even to keep it out of his hands. Whatever horror they planned for her son, there was still hope if there was life. And she had seven months. She must be patient. Information was the key. They knew about Jared but not about her. Well, she wasn’t too sure how her own abilities might help except to give Thyssen another selling perk. But they weren’t going to shoot her; in fact, keeping her healthy would be vital. There must be a way to use that to her advantage. Roshelle shifted her options about as she tried to find a course of action. Surrendering her child was out of the question. Jared would find her. Despite the number of times that Roshelle had resented his ability to probe her mind, she longed for it now. Jared could find his way into her thoughts but could he actually find her? The secrets of his life seemed to be her greatest enemy at the moment. Jared had told her he was an operative but just what did that mean? Roshelle found herself with the time to ponder that question. She just hoped she could discover an answer that might protect her son. ***** Shane didn’t wait for Jared tonight. Instead, he left his unit with its operative while he went in search of his own home. There were reports to file and the two men he’d left on guard duty needed checking up on. Pulling into the front drive of his house, he took in the light shinning from the kitchen. Christina needed checking upon too. A deep chuckle came from his chest as he considered just what opinion Ms. Faulkner would have about that. He just might mention it to her for the entertainment value. A frown began to replace his amusement. The man on duty better have a good reason for not investigating his arrival. Moving from the truck, Shane let his eyes adjust to the night as he slowly searched the surrounding cover. His eyes picked out the body of his fallen Ranger. A single arm was visible but no man of his would be lying like that unless he was dead. Jerking his gun from its holster, Shane moved forward to confirm his suspicions. The body was still warm but beyond any help. Jared’s house stood dark and silent. Shane considered the single light from his own house as he watched for movement. His fingers punched in the code that would bring reinforcements. Giving the light another glance, he moved towards the rear of the structure. If the women were inside, he held a better chance with surprise on his side. He found his second Ranger on the back porch. Rage slowly burned along his spine. The complete silence of his home caused his rage to increase. Pushing the door open his eyes scanned the hallway. Christina lay across the floor like a broken doll. The head of blonde hair confirmed her identity before he moved forward to face the reality of her death. His stomach twisted as he took in the blood covering the

young woman’s chest. The red stain drove home his failure to protect her. Her eyes snapped open, causing Shane to jerk his gun up in defense. The blue orbs focused onto the weapon before they moved on to his face. “Just what I need, another gun in my face.” A curse slipped from his mouth as Shane dropped to a knee beside her. She was covered in her own blood. The floorboards were smeared for at least fifteen feet, betraying her struggle to find assistance. “I really wish your house had a telephone.” Despite her attempt at humor, the sound of approaching aircraft caused her eyes to register panic. Her arms flailed at him trying to escape from the terror the helicopters inspired. “Easy. They’re here to help.” “No, they took Shelly.” Christina’s half-panicked comment told him exactly how someone breached his security. They must have flown in low, right on top of the tree canopy. Otherwise his father’s compound would have registered the approaching aircraft. “Stop bothering me! Isn’t there some Army law about not tormenting the dying?” “You’re not dying.” Now that he’d ripped her clothing aside, Shane stared at the amazing fact that none of her wounds was life-threatening. Shock from blood loss was completely possible, but his eyes counted four wounds. One bullet passed just under her collarbone and through the shoulder but just high enough to miss her lung. Another piece of lead had impacted on her sternum directly over her heart. The bone looked broken but had held enough to deflect the bullet away from the vital muscle beneath. The calm manner as she lay on the floor caused him the most concern. She should be writhing in agony. Instead her blue eyes shifted about in a lazy manner that caused Shane to want to keep her talking. With the amount of blood she’d lost, slipping into unconsciousness could have deadly results. “Now you’re lying to me. There must be a rule against that, too.” “They’re called regulations. But I’m not lying.” “Yes, you are.” “I’ll bet you.” A bet? Christina considered his offer. Maybe she should live just to have the satisfaction of taking him to the cleaners. “How much?” “A kiss.” He’d said it just to keep her attention sharp. Shane waited impatiently for his fathers’ men to enter the

house. He could hear their boots on the planking of his porch. Just a few more seconds and he’d have a medic here to stabilize her. “You don’t even like me.” But now that she was taking the time to notice, Shane Jacobs had a really nice set of eyes. They were strong and steady. At the moment she found them strangely comforting. Who cared what he asked for? She was going to die, so she would never have to pay up anyway. “Okay, it’s a bet. Tell my mother not to wear black for a whole year. She looks really awful in black. Oh, and I really can’t cook.” The confession made Shane grind his teeth together. He held his face molded into a calm mask that wouldn’t distress Christina any further. “I noticed.” “You’re a good sport.” Her eyes flickered around the room before shifting back to his face. “But you are still a jerk.” Rising from her side, Shane left her to the care of his unit’s medic. Jared and his mother might be the only true psychics present but at the moment Shane could literally feel the rage floating on the air. Two of their men were dead. His men. While Shane found his temper bordering on violence, his partner stood silently still. Jared stared at the attention being given to Christina. His eyes soaked up the details of the struggle that both women had endured. “Will she survive?” “I ain’t never seen someone so damn lucky in my life.” Still shaking his head, the medic pulled his gloves from his hands as he headed for the kitchen sink to finish cleaning up. Nodding his head in agreement, Jared turned his back on Shane’s house. Why couldn’t he feel her? Nothing but silence met him tonight. Moving across the space separating him from his home, Jared sought out the most likely place for him to find a solid link with Roshelle. His bed sat in the dark, looking far too empty. The bedding was tucked and folded neatly. Jared hooked a hand into it tearing it from the mattress as he pulled it closer to his face. Roshelle’s scent lingered on the fabric. Pulling the scent into his lungs, he sought out the link that bound them together. Nothing. Tossing the bedding aside, he moved about the room searching from any item that might carry her image. The puzzle, the books even the deck of cards all felt like Roshelle but none of them allowed him to see her tonight. He had spent his life tracking. So why did his skill elude him now? Frustration rose up as Jared found his options exhausted. He needed a personal object to establish a link with his target. Roshelle had very few possessions here.

His room seemed to scream out her absence. Turning his back on the house, Jared sought out the darkness. Without Roshelle, the walls of the structure seemed to press in on him. “Nothing?” “You are stronger than I am, maybe you can find her.” It was not an admission that came easily for her son. Grace heard the rage that burned behind each of his words. Jared didn’t want her help, but he would lower his pride to ask for it to find his mate. Grace simply could have wished for more hope. She just didn’t think she would succeed this time. Yes she held the advantage of experience but her son was every bit as strong as she was. But she would not refuse to try. Returning from the house, she met her son’s eyes with the same regret that mirrored in her own. Roshelle had simply not lived in the house long enough to leave her image on any of the items. Jewelry, favorite grooming items, these were the sort of things that her abilities needed for that link. It was the sort of image that took time to imprint. “Can you pull it off of me?” “That’s a very bad idea.” There was nothing good about tonight at all. Colonel Jacobs’ comment wasn’t needed. “No, my son. I believe that Jacobs is correct. We can not afford to have you down.” Pulling a link from another human being was extremely tricky. Grace only did so as a last resort. It would sap the energy from that person, sending their body into shock and there was no guarantee that she would get her link. “Besides, I have never tried it on another psychic. It’s very possible that one or both of us might end up in a coma.” “I like that idea even less.” Jacobs voiced his opinion with a tone that indicated he wasn’t going to budge. “Fine! Christina?” “Possibly, but I don’t believe the girl has any strength to spare right now.” So they would do nothing. Jared moved away into the trees before his temper snapped. He needed his control firmly in place. His enemy was far too precise in his planning for Jared to make the mistake of engaging him with anything less than complete control. There would be time for rage. There would be time for recompense. Roshelle was his! The man’s plan for her must have changed; otherwise her body would be laying here with the others. But this wasn’t about Roshelle. Even she knew that. Their unknown enemy wanted a confrontation with him? Well, Jared would be happy to comply!

Chapter Thirteen

“Have you felt the fetus kick?” Dr. Moosavi asked the question. Roshelle ignored him. Instead she filled her eyes with the sight of her son’s image that the sonogram machine displayed for her. She had performed the same task countless times for her patients, yet never truly understood the depth of emotion that came with looking on that new life as it developed. “It would be helpful if you answered my questions.” Yes, Roshelle imagined it would. But helpful for whom was the question. This man with his hooded eyes and his saleable morals wouldn’t gain compliance from her. But her weekly checkups were extremely useful. Roshelle was able to see her child as Dr. Moosavi dutifully measured the developing baby that grew within her. But she wasn’t about to give him any more information than his machines could provide. It frustrated the man, Roshelle could feel the emotion and it delighted her. Anger in any form could be distracting. Snapping her attention back to her purpose, Roshelle shoved a wall up. A pair of light green eyes were watching her intently. Forcing herself to look at the sonogram monitor again, she filled her thoughts with the image it provided. Miller lost interest in her maternal emotions and put his energies into a magazine that sat in his lap. Thyssen had almost gleefully introduced the sandy-haired boy to her. Miller was some manner of low-level psychic whose only true talent seemed to be in neutralizing all other psychic signals. The young man seemed to be very bitter about his lack of marketable talents. He detested Jared for being endowed with something that nature had denied him. He hated their unborn child for the same reason. But he took unusual delight in performing his duties for Thyssen. He dodged her footsteps endlessly. Roshelle was never separated from him by more than twenty feet. So far he hadn’t seemed to be able to feel her abilities out. She debated the odds of attempting to contact Jared herself. The chance that Miller might identify her abilities kept her from making that attempt. Roshelle could find Jared she was certain of it, but that skill was the only card she held. She needed to make sure that her timing was perfect before she laid it on the table. While the boy’s vigil chafed, she wasn’t in any immediate danger. Time was an ally Roshelle could not afford to waste. It was really very sad to discover more about what Jared was from his enemies. Roshelle would have preferred to hear it from him instead. Oh, there were a hundred reasons why Jared had never leveled with her. But none of those seemed to matter just now. Roshelle found herself listening to Thyssen simply because he could teach her about the man she loved. The phone buzzed for attention. Roshelle watched Dr. Moosavi answer the electronic device. It must be moving day, again. Thyssen moved her frequently. Roshelle rarely laid her head on the same pillow two nights in a row. Except for the bunk she occupied on the small motor home that she was moved about in. The small bed was more of a cell. Most of the time they were in motion, she found herself locked into the bunk to prevent her from being seen by the other motorists on the road. “Take her out.”

“Alone?” Roshelle turned a menacing grin on Miller. Hesitation was written across his face in plain view. The boy was so busy resenting life he never took any time to build upon what he did have. His body was more fat than muscle. His capacity to whine about every discomfort earned him deadly looks from the armed escort that accompanied them. “They are waiting for her now.” The disgust in the doctor’s voice almost caused Roshelle to giggle. Instead she jumped down from the exam table and simply walked out of the room. Oh, she knew she couldn’t get far but it was so very delightful to hear Miller scramble to keep up with her. A short nondescript hallway led her out of the building. The motor home was pulled up to a mere foot from the front door to keep any curious eyes from setting sight on her. The air was thick with smoke as the door opened. Turning her head, Roshelle noticed that their escort was completely occupied with smoking a last cigarette before their journey began. The hired guns were forbidden to smoke inside the motor home to ensure a healthy baby. The leering grins sent her way made her step up into the vehicle herself. Rough and unkempt, their deceit made her long for Jared’s honor-serving sentries. Standing in the kitchen area of the motor home, Roshelle noticed that Miller had decided to join the smoking ring. Her eyes began a frantic search. Her privacy would last mere minutes and it was vital that she make them count. Several weapons sat out in plain sight; she rejected them immediately. The large nine-millimeter sidearms would be missed. A kitchen knife might go unnoticed. Pulling a drawer open, she hastily selected a wicked-looking blade that she concealed under her loose maternity top. Roshelle had no true idea just what she would do with the weapon, but it was better than nothing at all. With one weapon secured in her grip, her eyes continued their search. She was so determined to find a weapon, she had overlooked the numerous communication devices at hand. Two cell phones sat secured to backpacks while a laptop computer was laid on the tabletop. Linked by satellite signals, all three could connect her with help. That was if she knew whom to call. Roshelle doubted that the local police would be any true help to her. As organized as Thyssen appeared to be, it wouldn’t surprise her to discover he could prove himself to be her legal guardian. As well as providing enough documentation to prove to any responding patrolman that she was completely insane. Precious time was ticking away as she struggled to find any number she knew that might bring help. Jared had a cellular phone but she didn’t know the number. But she did know his father’s! Memory exploded as Roshelle cast a look outside before she lifted one of the phones from the table. They didn’t often get criminals at the Tri-county medical center but when they did, Brice Campbell took their care personally. Staring at the keypad, she forced her brain to recall the number. The line connected while she cast another look at the doorway. Instead of the sheriff’s voice, she connected with his voicemail. Uncertain

just what to say, she muttered out what scattered bits of information she knew ‘til the line disconnected her. Struggling with her disappointment, she erased the call log before slipping the phone back into its case. The blade of her concealed knife was cold against her skin but it provided a warm sense of hope. She had bested this bunch before and she would again. Her baby deserved no less. ***** Jared wasn’t a stranger to colorful language but the curses that were coming from his father’s mouth still caused him to look up. With his cell phone at his ear, his father’s face reflected complete rage. Whatever message the man was listening to, it wasn’t good. Well, that was just another penny in their bank. The tension on the mountain was tight enough to strangle a person. Without a single clue they were left to waiting for a place to begin their search. “Jacobs!” Brice sent his voice up the mountain in a near roar before he turned his eyes on to his son. He extended the phone out as his face betrayed a troubled torment that he would rather spare his offspring but knew he could not. Roshelle’s voice moved over his ears as a similar curse exploded from his mouth. Why didn’t she call him? Even as he took in the details of her message, Jared faced the truth of just why Roshelle was reduced to calling his father for help. She had no idea how to contact him. Not with a phone anyway. Both Jason and Shane came in response to his father’s shout. Jared handed the phone off as he headed for his home and his flight gear. Colonel Jacobs would have that line traced down within half an hour. Another curse hit his ears as Jason reacted to Roshelle’s plight. Thyssen. Applying a name to his enemy brought Jared one step closer to killing him. Checking his pistol for readiness, he slid the weapon into its holster. If he were lucky, he’d get the chance to use his bare hands on the bastard. The sight of his empty bed sobered him. The quilts were tucked into the corners and the blanket Roshelle had knitted was spread out across the foot of it. The emptiness that the blanket emphasized caused Jared to examine his priorities. If he were lucky, he’d be able to bring Roshelle back home. Eight short weeks remained before their son was due to be born. This was not about a fight to eliminate his enemies; it was a struggle to keep his own family together. His mission goal was to retrieve Roshelle. If Thyssen got between him and his goal, well…then Jared could give into his primal urges. If the man evaded capture, they might well have to abandon their mountain home. At the moment Jared was willing to start over at any given point on the globe as long as he did it with Roshelle. The strength of his emotions surprised him. Roshelle seemed to have merged into his very soul. The idea of not recovering her was completely unacceptable. But the possibility of failure loomed far too close to ignore.

***** The engine came to life, causing Roshelle to grin. The door was once again slid into place to keep her from being seen. Today she intended to use that to her advantage. She’d spent hours on the bunk staring at the tiny compartment. It was nothing more than particleboard and plastic. The only exception was two long thin vents that opened to the outside to allow fresh air inside. Each vent was a mere four inches wide but both together would allow enough room for her to get out of the compartment. That was if she could pry the fixtures from the wall of the motor home. Roshelle intended to try. Pulling her knife from its hiding spot, she applied it to the screws that held the vent in place. Not knowing just how motor homes were assembled, she wasn’t sure what removing the screws would gain her. Working with the sharp instrument while in a moving vehicle wasn’t a wise undertaking. Her hands began to wear the marks of her frantic efforts. Wiping the blood away, she curled her hand more firmly about her tool. Her son kicked in approval as she struggled for his freedom. The last screw pulled free, causing the entire framed unit to fall away from the wall. Roshelle stared in wonder at the three by one foot hole it left open. To her desperate eyes, it looked as wide as a barn door. Smoothing a hand over her distended tummy, she measured the hole with her eyes. She could make it. She would make it! Her eyes took in the road as they traveled. Luck was finally smiling on her today. They presently were winding their way along a narrow tree-studded road. The sun had long since set and her eyes didn’t detect any other cars on the road. The sharp curves of the road forced the driver to a slow pace that would decrease its pace as they neared another hairpin bend in the highway. Roshelle refused to waste a single second considering the risks. By some miracle she was being granted this one shot at freedom. She intended to take it. Laying the vent aside, she pulled a blanket with her as she squeezed through the opening. The driver reduced his speed as he rounded another corner and she simply let go. Her legs crumbled under her falling body weight. One ankle bitterly complained but she raised her head in time to see the taillights of the motor home disappear from sight. It was one of the sweetest sights she’d ever seen. Grabbing up the blanket from where it lay, she moved into the trees and the cover they could provide her. Time and distance were her greatest enemies now. Sometimes the guards would check on her, sometimes they didn’t. There was no pattern to their duty. Placing as much distance between herself and them would be her only defense. How to do that was the question. She could try to hitchhike. Roshelle discarded that idea. Along with being dangerous, it could leave a witness to where she had gone. A lone pregnant woman hitching a ride would not be easy to forget. But she had a more immediate problem. Walking away from the road seemed to be the most logical course of action. But Roshelle wasn’t sure

which state she was in, let alone just how close the nearest town might be. She would walk for a week if it meant deliverance from Thyssen but her sole provision was a blanket. Without water, she could end up dying in a very short time. Pushing her way further into the trees and brush, she set a determined pace. With nightfall upon her, dehydration would not become an issue for many hours. Roshelle would just have to hope she found civilization before that happened. Draping the blanket around her shoulders, she used the stars to guild her north. Her son firmly kicked her causing a true smile to cross her face. Her child was not for sale! ***** “Montana.” That single word received a hard nod of approval from Jared. All they needed was a place to begin. Now that he knew who stood between him and Roshelle, he would find a way around him. Shane would already be searching for just who this Miller was. If luck were on their side then there would be a neat file on the man. Jared was still waiting for that information when his Unit pulled away from the landing pad. All six of the black helicopters sliced into the night. Distance was the only thing working against them now. Traveling by road, there was no way for them to move Roshelle fast enough to outrun their aircraft. Brice Campbell sat in the passenger seat as he contemplated the phone in his hand. His father’s eyes were trained on the landscape but he kept a hand wrapped firmly around the cellular device. Sometimes a son could be grateful for the fact that apples didn’t fall far from the tree they grew on.

Americans wasted far too much food. Today Roshelle was grateful for that truth. Rummaging among a diner’s garbage would have disgusted her normally. At the moment fending off starvation seemed far preferable to her sensibilities. Staying free was her only goal. She had to eat or collapse. The small diner seemed the only civilization for miles about. She had walked all day and the fact that her absence must have been discovered was screaming at her to increase her speed of travel. But first she needed to eat. A clerk tossed another couple of bags into the dumpster before returning to the back door of the restaurant; after eighteen hours of walking even half-eaten hamburgers sounded good. She didn’t have any money and walking into that dinner would leave plenty of people for Thyssen to ask about her. It was leftovers or nothing. Tearing the plastic aside, she investigated what might be eatable. Half-eaten sandwiches sat still wrapped in their paper while cups were still half full of ice. Pulling the plastic lid from a cup she gulped greedily at the ice. Whatever soda had been held in the cup still clung to the ice but the crystals melted inside her mouth, bringing relief to the parched tissues. Grabbing up more of the precious cups, Roshelle went back into the forest before giving in to the need

to eat. Desperation was driving her. Escape seemed within her grasp, she could not allow squeamishness to allow her to be captured again. There would not be a second chance. “Keep your pants on! I’m just going to take a leak. It’s a two-hour drive you know!” A door slammed in response. Moving along the trees, Roshelle stared at the pickup truck that sat with its driving lights on while the driver impatiently waited for his companion. The bed of the truck was full of furniture. A refrigerator, sofa and other household goods sat tied down to the sides of the truck. With its engine pointed towards the road and away from her, Roshelle measured the distance between her cover and the tailgate. Gathering up her dinner, she moved forward and crawled straight into the truck. With an end of the sofa sticking out over the bumper, that tailgate was not secured in its upright position. With all of the other furniture, there were plenty of places for her to hide. Lying among furniture might not be the safest method of travel but for now Roshelle just smiled. She was completely hidden and a two-hour drive would gain her that distance she was lacking. Wherever the two men were bound for might just provide her with another opportunity to protect her child. ***** “You fools.” Icy cold, Thyssen almost whispered his judgment. He was the best! That was why his clients came to him. Failure was not acceptable. “Find her. Without that baby, our client doesn’t pay.” His men moved away at top speed. They weren’t eager to find Roshelle, just impatient to escape his anger. Picking up Dr. Moosavi’s most recent report, he inspected the image of the devolving fetus. It was perfect. A male child, bred with its father’s psychic ability and hopefully its mother’s intelligence. Thyssen actually smiled. Dr. Everitt was a worthy opponent. Although she looked pathetically normal, the female was very cunning. While she was no great beauty, he felt a rise of desire in response to her ability to outmaneuver her opponents. She would hate him for selling her baby but hate could be so very…stimulating. ***** Desperation kept her feet moving. Exhaustion kept her brain from wandering in circles. Too desperate to stop, Roshelle continued on her course. Maybe stopping would relieve some of her aches but it would also allow the cold to seep further into her skin. She mustn’t be caught. She had to keep moving. Those words turned themselves over in her head ‘til nothing else was able to penetrate the wall they formed. The numbing chill couldn’t break into her thoughts. Neither could her hunger. But suddenly she stood in

her tracks as her mind screamed with one horrible fact. Thyssen was here. Right here. She could practically touch the man with her fingertips, he was so close. His stench slapped her across her face as Roshelle looked at the wilderness she had been wandering in for what seemed endless hours. Fool! She had to think! Every direction seemed to be closing in on her. Her tired brain couldn’t sort out which way to go. She suddenly collapsed into a purely emotional response. Greed seemed to drift on the night air as Roshelle felt Thyssen edging closer to her. Protectiveness burst inside her brain ‘til nothing mattered but bringing a final end to the thing that was stalking her baby. It was a burning need that seemed to radiate from the very structures of her cells. That creature wasn’t going to inhabit the same planet with her child! She didn’t even try to ignore her instinct to find the man. It seemed to be embedded far too deeply for that. There was nothing but reaction for her and Roshelle intended to make sure it was the final round to this game. This time he would be the prey and Roshelle intended to come home with her kill. There was simply no other choice. Once her son was born, it would be far too simple to capture him. It would be far too many years before Jared could train him to protect himself. So the duty fell to her. Roshelle just couldn’t bring her child into such a perilous life. She would protect her offspring even if it meant taking a life. She could smell the evil of her enemy. Roshelle opened her mind and let his perversions wash away the last remaining bits of conscience she clung to. The chance to end her nightmare sat within her grasp. Roshelle drove herself forward to capture her goal. “There was no sign of her in the station.” “Then go back to town and find out where she went. How hard could it be to find one pregnant, travel-stained woman?” Roshelle dropped to her knees a split second before she caught Thyssen’s attention. She slapped her palm over her mouth to stifle the sound of her breathing. She was so very foolish! She’d forgotten the very important fact that she lacked practice in this art. Jared’s edges were honed into razor-sharp effectiveness. She was just a novice. She’d found the target…and practically walked right into the man. Her body was hunched over less than six feet from him. “Miller took off.” Thyssen clenched his fingers into a fist. “Coward.” “What a pity.” Muttered under his breath, Thyssen’s words held an odd amount of warmth. It was

almost like he enjoyed being outsmarted. “The operation is a stalemate. We will withdraw.” “I thought you said we don’t get the money without that kid.” “Correct. Without Miller, we are sitting ducks. Jared will track her down.” Thyssen turned and came up short as several of the men blocked his path. Their faces were twisted into ugly greed. “You fools! Do you intend to make a frontal assault on their compound? Failing to buy that land resulted in this! My plan was perfect in its simplicity! Everything that I know about Jared Campbell indicated that he would take the bait I offered. He was never to know about the baby. It is a complication that cannot be overcome. We will have to dispose of him before returning for the baby. If we are fortunate, he just might plant another one in his partner’s womb.” “What do you mean?” “It is simple enough. Set up the right trap and we eliminate both mother and son. When they can no longer track their own blood, we can return for the child. But they will be on guard for some time now. We will wait. Besides, he is currently nesting with that female. You may like to believe you are so very much more evolved but humans are quite similar to most mammals. Jared Campbell has a new mate. He’ll spend some time ensuring that his genetic code is being passed on. In a few years there should be a full nest for us to harvest.” Thyssen considered his men as they nodded their heads with satisfaction. What limited idiots they were. They were blinded with the hypnotic pull of money. There was so much more to an assignment like this one. Outfoxing a man like Jared Campbell held its reward in sheer genius. First you find the perfect piece of land next to his lair. Next a compatible female dangled just in front of his nose. What man wouldn’t take a taste of such a tempting treat? The true beauty of his plan was that Jared Campbell most likely would have been happy when his newest plaything packed her bags and left. His genetic code would have traveled inside her body without his knowledge. But that was before Roshelle Everitt returned to Benton County. Well, that wasn’t something he’d lament. He was going to enjoy her. Just as soon as he disposed of her current protector. It wasn’t always the strongest fighter that got to mate. Many times, it was the most cunning male that managed to cut the female from the herd. The hot curl of lust hit her like a physical blow. Roshelle recoiled from it. Linked into Thyssen’s emotions, her flesh shrank away from his interest. With her body so swollen with her son, her balance failed. She fell, landing in the dirt. The dry leaves that littered the forest floor crunched under her weight. The sound was horrifyingly loud. “Shit!” The eerie sight of moonlight washing over gun barrels greeted her eyes just a second before Roshelle was yanked from her hiding place. The soldier sent her body forward with a vicious kick. She clutched at her belly as gravity slammed her into the ground. A piercing beam of light hit her face. Her eyes closed in pain but the damage was done. Opening her eyes again she searched frantically about but her night vision had been destroyed by the light. “Lookie here, it must be our lucky day!” Maybe she couldn’t see them, but the joy of her capture was strong enough to feel. “There is no such thing as luck.” Thyssen lowered his eyes to rake over Roshelle. Curling his fingers

around her arm, he pulled her in front of his body. “How did he figure out our plan?” Roshelle wasn’t too certain what Thyssen meant but the arctic tone of his voice stirred her temper. “I found you.” “Ah… But of course.” Thyssen dropped his voice to a low whisper. His grip tightened as he pulled her body closer to his. Being forced into bodily contact twisted her stomach with nausea. “It is all so very simple. Jared Campbell found a mate of his own blood. How very wise of you to keep that to yourself.” A sadistic smile lit his face as he laid a hand over the mound of her belly. “With both parents being psychic, I can double the price of this infant.” To hell with being a lady! Roshelle rammed her knee into the man’s genitals with every ounce of strength she had. Thyssen grunted as he stumbled back from her body. The oddest popping sounds hit her ears. The waistband of her pants was caught and yanked backwards. Off balance she stumbled before a tree broke her fall. The impact shook her entire body as pain raced through her pelvis and spine. A solid connection of human flesh on flesh filled the air. Jerking her face up, she stared at the fallen men that littered the ground. Their bodies were boneless heaps and deathly still. Some lay hunched over their guns with their fingers still curled around the triggers. Another blow landed and she stared at the only two men left standing. Even in the dark, she knew her dream specter. Jared drove Thyssen across the forest with brutal force. He attacked with vicious intent. Roshelle clutched at the tree behind her but glued her eyes to the deadly scene in front of her. She had to know. Needed to see with her own eyes the end of this monster. Thyssen fell to his knees and raised his cold eyes to look at her. That sadistic smile floated across his face a second before Jared’s foot connected with his jaw. The sound of shattering bone hit her ears as his body twisted up and away from Jared. The body fell to the earth and lay sprawled like a broken marionette. Roshelle moved her eyes over the man’s chest seeking any movement. Death sat on Thyssen in stillness. Her breath escaped her lungs in a rush. Roshelle pulled a deep breath in as Jared turned his eyes onto her. His boots didn’t make a sound as he moved towards her. His hand slid over her face, and into her hair, before curling firmly around the back of her head. “It’s over.” “I know.” Her voice was nothing but a shaking croak. Reaching out, she placed her hand over his neck searching for reassurance of his life. His arms pulled her into an embrace that was almost painful. Roshelle squirmed closer, desperate to be held. Jared held her body and shook in relief. He’d never been afraid of anything before. Watching Thyssen lay that hand over their child chilled him to the core. Her body shook and he smoothed his hand down her slim back. “You’ll be lucky if I don’t tether you to the bedroom wall.” Jared growled the words out and Roshelle grinned. His voice was the sweetest thing she’d ever heard. “Use a chain or she’ll chew through it and make sure you set the bolt into the foundation.”

Shane Jacobs’ voice startled her. Roshelle pulled her head up and looked for the giant. She caught the slight shine of moonlight being reflected off the man’s eyes. A sharp whistle hit the night before he reached up to his neck and peeled something off his head. The shadows surrounding them came to life as his Rangers in turn peeled away their own masks. Her eyes flew back to the slumped forms of Thyssen’s men. Sudden understanding dawned on her. What her civilian ears registered as popping was in fact the deadly fire from these men’s rifles. The men seemed to flow together in some common rhythm. Jared merged right into step with them. It was hauntingly familiar yet foreign. Uncertainty consumed her as fatigue seemed to wrap around her like a blanket. Shock and exhaustion lifted choice from her hands as Roshelle felt her body slip towards the forest floor. Strong arms bound her to the length of a man that her body recognized too well.

Chapter Fourteen

Roshelle opened her eyes to pitch blackness. She blinked and rubbed at her eyes but there still wasn’t single ray of light. Turning her head, she stared at a ruby glow. Bedding was piled and tucked around her. The bed was wonderfully soft but her son was squirming directly on top of her bladder making it rather necessary to leave the comfort in order to find another form of relief. Her memory was clear. Roshelle left the bathroom light on as she stepped back into the bedroom. There wasn’t a single identifying mark anywhere. It looked like a hotel room but lacked the emergency exit information posted on the wall next to the front door. Walking across the bedroom, she reached for the edge of the curtain. Someone had overlapped the edges so that not even a thin gap was left to admit light into the room. Sunlight hit her face the second she moved the heavy fabric. Roshelle blinked and looked out of the window. Someone stared right back at her. Roshelle gasped as she watched the soldier consider her with his sharp eyes before giving her a nod and turning around to watch the area in front of her window. His broad shoulders were covered with green and brown army fatigue fabric. The muzzle of his high-powered rifle showed over one of those shoulders. She let the curtain fall back closed as she frowned. Back under guard. She was becoming far too used to being kept under lock and key. She rubbed the mound of her belly before shaking her head. There wasn’t any better solution. Thyssen was dead but whoever wanted to buy her baby wasn’t. Too many uncertainties pounded through her brain making sleep a distant memory. Muttering under her breath, Roshelle headed back to the bathroom for a shower. She stopped as the bathroom counter caught her attention. A small envelope sat there with her name on its blue surface. She knew her best friend’s handwriting anywhere! Roshelle tore the letter open as she scanned the letter and the very dear fact that her friend was indeed still alive. ***** Jared flexed his shoulders and grunted. He hated concrete buildings. The walls seemed to reduce his

senses to mush. It was like becoming a canned vegetable. He lengthened his stride as he tried to work a few knots out of his legs. Turning his wrist up, he looked at the time. Roshelle had been sleeping for fourteen hours. His unit was prowling the area outside their temporary quarters. The base was small but it had been the closest one and there was no way in hell Jared would let her sleep any place that wasn’t secured. He suddenly halted in mid-stride. Roshelle’s mind brushed his as she surfaced from her slumber. A small grin lifted the side of his mouth as he considered her waking up the second he left. Turning around, he headed for their room. Impatience drove him as he tried to sink into her feelings. She shied away from the contact, making him angry. The need to touch her rode him with its pulsing intensity. She had to accept him back into her mind and her body. The alternative was too harsh to consider. ***** He was coming. Roshelle felt her heat accelerate as Jared closed the distance between them. She hurried to wash the soap from her hair. She was always so vulnerable to him. Even now, her body was rejoicing at the idea of being able to fling herself into his embrace. She couldn’t do that. There were too many things unsettled. Too many horrible possibilities of what might happen to her son once he was born. Too high a chance that Jared would disappear. Protecting her heart seemed the only thing she could do for herself. So Roshelle shoved a wall up to keep her dream specter out. “Roshelle?” Jared stood in the doorway and aimed his emerald eyes at her. Her body leapt in response to the solid appearance of the man she’d fallen hopelessly in love with. Her emotions rolled as she struggled to keep him from ripping her fragile defenses aside. Jared drank in the sight of her. He’d sat on the edge of the bed and just watched her sleeping because it filled in the empty hole he’d carried around since she’d been taken from him. Roshelle turned large eyes up to his as she thrust a wall up to keep him out. The rejection slapped him across the face with its ugliness. Roshelle would accept him, if it took the rest of her life to make her see it. “I’m going to smash that wall of yours into bits.” Jared caught her hand firmly clasping it with his large one. He curled each digit around her flesh ‘til a solid connection bound them together into a circuit that began to carry energy between their bodies. “You don’t have to like what I am, honey, but you’re going to get comfortable with it.” A twist of his wrist pulled her, baby and all, against his body. His mouth settled onto hers in firm conquest as Jared sought to reunite with his mate. Her scent wove itself directly into his brain. Separation was far too desolate, having Roshelle back in his embrace called up a hunger that Jared was ravenous to feed.

But there was one thing that he needed to do first. She actually felt the ache when Jared pulled their lips apart. Her eyes sprang open to find his emeralds probing into them. His face tightened just seconds before he bent to scoop her off her feet. He held her stare just as firmly as his arms carried her body. The door to the bedroom was kicked shut with far more strength than needed. Roshelle jumped, as the wood door slammed shut. Jared’s mouth rose up in pure pleasure. That grin rose to a menacing smile as he settled on body on the surface of his bed. “Welcome home.” Any comment she might have voiced never made it past her lips. Jared renewed his possession of her mouth as he pulled her towel. Roshelle didn’t care. The garment was a barrier that abraded her skin. Her flesh was screaming for the contact of his and she refused to be patient! Pulling at his shirt, she sent the buttons flying into the dark corners of the room. She moaned in pleasure as her hands found the body that she so needed right now. His tongue thrust into her mouth. The kiss was a deep penetration. Roshelle twisted as he caught the back of her head and held it still for his lips. His mouth trailed over her chin and down her neck. He nuzzled against her breasts for a moment before pulling one of the nipples into his mouth. Roshelle gasped as sensation spread from her nipple to her belly in a hot wave of need. She was suddenly desperate for him. Inside her passage an ache speared her, making her hips twist with desperation. He could smell her. Jared felt his body jerk as the scent from her passage rose up. His staff throbbed as he found her other nipple and licked its swollen point. He thrust a finger into her body and groaned. She was flooded with moisture. Pulling his finger free, he spread the fluid over the folds of her sex. He rose above her like a primitive beast. Roshelle stared at the hard cut of his jaw as he fit the head of his staff against her body. He cupped her cheek as he deliberately pressed into her mind before entering her body. Emptiness dissipated as he joined them together. His body thrust forward as Roshelle eagerly tilted her hips for the invasion. She needed the stretching of her body, craved the mingling of their minds. Pleasure spilled from every corner of mind and body as his hips drove her towards climax. The merging of their minds magnified it ‘til they both cried out with the explosion of rapture. ***** A fist landed on the bedroom door. Roshelle jerked awake as the door pushed in. A soldier, complete with helmet, poked his head into the room. “Ma’am, we lift off in twenty minutes.” He was gone before his voice finished bouncing off the opposite wall. Roshelle blinked and looked behind her. She knew Jared was gone but couldn’t resist the urge to check. She stumbled from the bed and ran for the shower. Whatever the day held, it would be better with a clean head of hair. She found herself in a helicopter exactly ten minutes later. Noise bounced around the inside of the machine, making conversation limited to the helmet communication links. There was nothing to say that she needed an audience for and every member of the flight crew wore a helmet.

This time Jared blocked her out. Roshelle watched as miles dropped behind their helicopter and searched for the man that had spent the night with her. Her body ached slightly and her son kicked but there was nothing else to remind her of Jared. They touched down outside the house that Roshelle had come to know so well. Her door was pulled open. She stepped out and searched again but even Jared’s men were eagerly hiking up to their own homes. Roshelle stared out at the wooden steps that led up to Jared’s house. She cast her eyes about the compound. In an odd sort of way, she felt very much the same way she did the first night Jared brought her here. Where was he? Roshelle climbed a couple of the steps to see over the truck but the night covered anyone that might be standing about. Oh, but he was here! She could feel her dream specter. Jared was once again merging with the night. Melting into the forest like a dreamspun creature. The baby moved inside her. Jared was a man! He wasn’t made of moonlight, but of flesh and blood. Their son proved it! The night was cool and the wind was picking up. Lifting her chin, Roshelle climbed the remaining stairs and entered the house. She still loved this house. There was a simple serenity that the place seemed to radiate. Just like her grandmother’s house. But it was different. In Abba’s house, Roshelle was wrapped in the comforting care of loving parents. Jared’s house surrounded her in an embrace that was defiantly male. Dominating, aggressive but completely protecting. When the house stood dark it didn’t bother her. Jared was so much in tune with the night that it just seemed natural for his home to sit in darkness. But the house wasn’t dark tonight. A fire was slowly burning in the fireplace. It wasn’t a roaring blaze but one that had burned its way down to slow, licking flames and glowing coals. The heat filled the room with a welcoming feel. So why was he hiding? The question tore at her heart. Maybe the decision wasn’t completely his. Tears once again pricked her eyelids. Jared obviously led a very dedicated life. Roshelle wasn’t fool enough to miss the fact that he didn’t exactly have the options of just quitting and walking away. No, she doubted the Army units sitting over the hill in his mother’s front yard would take that action very kindly. Besides, Jared belonged here. It was bred straight into him. A man like him would wither and die in a civilian world. And she couldn’t leave her life behind, either.

But Jared hadn’t asked her to, either. Why did she have to love the man so very much? It was consuming her. Right now she’d willing pledge herself to a life of nothing but housewife duties if Jared asked her to. Her feet were pacing as she turned circles inside her head. Roshelle stopped and stared at the light spilling out from the back room. The message smacked her clean across the face. Once again she was being moved into the guest bedroom. Turning her head she looked at the double door entrance of the master room. Both doors were firmly closed without a hint of light to be found. Coward wasn’t a word that Roshelle had ever thought of in connection with her dream specter. Right now it was springing up in bold letters. So, the man couldn’t find the guts to banish her in person? Well, she wasn’t going to be that easy to discard! With her back ramrod straight, Roshelle walked down that hallway. She would sleep under his roof and if Jared Campbell thought for one second that she was just going to slip away into some corner and hide until their baby was born…the man had an awakening coming! The second her foot crossed the threshold, Roshelle stopped in shock. Her mouth actually dropped open. Her mind raced as it tried to read Jared’s current message. The room was still furnished. Wall to wall this time. Even curtains and a valence adorned the window. Tiny details declared a level of attention that floored her. It wasn’t a guestroom, it was a nursery.

Chapter Fifteen

Perfect in every detail. This nursery lacked not a single feminine desire. The crib was outfitted with a colorful sheet and comforter set. Printed with hot air balloons, red, blue, yellow and green all gave cheer to the bed. A mobile of matching balloons was hung over the crib and wooden wall decorations were hung on the wall opposite the window. A changing table stood under the window with diapers stacked neatly along side it. Her eyes fell on the stockpile of baby products on the shelf under the diapers. Baby powder, rubbing alcohol, diaper wipes and all of the things that modern society marketed to make a mother’s life easier. An easy glide rocking chair was in the corner. Not the bargain model either. This one was top of the line with plump cushions and even a footrest that glided as well. “I guess I should have asked you what colors you prefer.” “It’s perfect.” Roshelle turned to face Jared. She forced her tears back. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest with his eyes on guard against her. His wall stood firmly in place. Roshelle nodded in defeat. Her desolation cut him to the core. Jared clenched his teeth together in frustration. His body shifted as he tried to comprehend her mood. Jesus! He was never nervous! Only Roshelle could reduce him to a pile of uncertain doubt.

“Just tell me what you need, Roshelle! I swear I’ll find a way to make it happen!” The man charged at her like a bull. His mind cut into her in brutal possession. Roshelle found herself flooded with a surging need that rivaled her own longings. Jared curled his hand around the back of her head. That spicy scent of her wove around his face and he closed his eyes with a groan. “We will find a way to make this work!” Roshelle stared at the emerald intensity of the man in front of her. The heat of his determination seared her skin. “All I need is you.” “Then why are you crying?” She shifted away from him. Jared snorted with frustration. She moved away from him just like the first time he’d faced her down in this room. She came to an abrupt stop and spun about to face him. Her brown eyes lifted to his as decision set her features. “I love you, Jared Campbell. I know that doesn’t change your feelings but I can’t change the way I feel, either.” The curse he let out turned her cheeks scarlet. “Don’t love you? Good God, woman! I can’t make it a single hour without thinking about you.” Jared followed her across the room and caught her chin in his hand. “You can feel it, lady.” “But…you’ve never said a word…anything.” Jared bit his next curse back. He was going to have to learn how to talk around a lady. He stepped up in front of her again and framed her face with his hands. “I love you, Roshelle Marie Everitt, and I really hope you can find the patience to live with me because Christina insisted that I buy the most expensive ring the jeweler had in his case and my dad made me swear he’d get to see the ceremony.” She opened her mouth but Jared wasn’t finished. “And if you say no, I should warn you that I will take Shane’s suggestion and use a chain to keep you around while I soften you up. It could take years.” “You went shopping with Christina?” The idea was so funny Roshelle almost turned purple trying to hold back her laughter. “Hell, no!” Jared turned his head slightly. “I surrendered my credit card right after I got done begging her for help. And that friend of yours made me beg but my mother doesn’t know the first thing about shopping.” Her laughter lit up the room. Damned if it didn’t light up the entire mountain. Jared glared at her a moment before a smile broke across his face. What was money worth in comparison to having Roshelle happy? “Buy what ever you want.” “Money can’t buy what I need, Jared. Love isn’t for sale.” An incoming aircraft shattered their privacy. The helicopter swooped down so low it shook the walls of the house. “There might have to be some adjustments around here as long as we intend to have a baby in the

house.” A ferocious grin lit up his face. “I’ll be delighted to go explain that to your father!” Jared was gone a second later. Roshelle followed him. Her father was here? The noise rose to near deafening levels as Roshelle went out the front door. The helicopter hovered in the middle of the front drive, a man jumped from it before it even touched down. Jared rounded on their company with complete fury. His arms uncrossed while his body braced for attack. “Get back in your bird, Ross!” “That’s my daughter.” Her father faced off with Jared. The two men looked like a pair of grizzly bears about to battle for territory. The night suddenly became alive with other people. Shane and his men stepped out of their hiding places to surround Devon’s escort. Grace materialized from the night with Colonel Jacobs right behind her. “It’s not up to you, Campbell! My daughter can leave with me if she chooses to!” “It sure as hell is up to me! Because I love her and she is going to marry me and live with me right here!” Jared coupled his words with a solid right cross that sent Devon staggering backwards. It really should have appalled her. Really. Instead Roshelle fought the urge to laugh. Her father growled before charging at Jared. The two began brawling in the front yard as the group around them looked on with amusement. Well, when you loved a man like Jared, you just had to take the whole package. Lifting her chin, Roshelle walked right into the fight. Her father saw her first and drew his body back. Jared twisted about and she looked over the harsh cut of his face. Blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth and his eyes betrayed a rather primal enjoyment of the fight. Yes, she would take the entire package and, God willing, her son would become a man in his father’s image. “While it is custom in some families to ask the father of the bride for permission first, somehow, I really don’t think this is quite the tradition.” “I didn’t ask him. I told him!” “Yes, you did.” Roshelle rubbed her belly before raising her eyes again. “And just exactly how much longer is it going to take you to finish explaining things to him?” A grin appeared on Jared’s face. He sunk into her feelings and felt the weight lift from his shoulders. Her sprit was as light and full of that unique joy that seemed to live inside her. Her eyes were steady as he stared into them. The rest of the world could be damned because this had always been the way they touched each other. Their minds mingled in the purest form of intimacy. “We are getting married, and tell your pilot not to buzz the house. We are going to have a baby.” Her father laughed as his eyes roamed over her calm features. There was the clear brush of his mind against hers before he smiled at her. “I think you take after me, daughter.”

Her father stared past her to where Grace stood considering the group. A slow nod of his head was sent at Jared’s mother before the man turned back to look at Jared. Her father gently patted her large belly before pointing a finger at Jared. “I think you’d better get around to marrying my daughter, before I have to kick your tail, Pup.” Jared’s men broke into a chorus of groans. “Another good man gets shackled!” “Poor sucker.” “The old nose ring!” Roshelle fluttered her eyelashes in response. The groans returned as the men backed away from her. Her feet shifted and she caught her breath. The shell rock that lined the driveway was going to have to go! Even the slightest amount of pain crossed over though their link. Jared frowned as he considered the reason. His eyes fell onto Roshelle’s bare feet a second before he lifted her off the sharp surface of the rocks. He carried her straight into his house. Ignoring one and all, Jared sent the front door closed with a kick of his booted foot. He angled them through the master bedroom door and settled her onto the bed. Her son sent a kick into the swollen mound of her belly. Jared’s fingers gently smoothed over her skin as his son kicked again. Abba would have approved. This family shared its love just as countless others across the globe did. Their names and abilities didn’t matter. “I’ll be here at sunup, Pup!” Her father’s voice drifted through the open front window as Roshelle watched Jared grimace. “Grandparents are a great thing for a child.” A dark eyebrow lifted as Jared stroked the swell of her belly again. “Guess I’ll have to let that old man live.” The rough comment didn’t bother her. Jared was in his element and she wouldn’t have him any other way. Roshelle felt a smile spread across her own face. They were both caught in the binding hold of love. The emotion moved between them ‘til Roshelle lost where she began and Jared ended. It went beyond the flesh of the body and maybe even beyond this lifetime. Because it was love…

About the author:

I writes to reassure myself that reality really is survivable. Between traffic jams and children’s sporting schedules, there is romance lurking for anyone with the imagination to find it. I spend my days making corsets and petticoats as a historical costumer. If you send me an invitation marked formal dress, you’d better give a date or I just might show up wearing my bustle. I love to read a good romance and with the completion of my first novel, I’ve discovered I am addicted to writing these stories as well. Dream big or you might never get beyond your front yard. I love to hear what you think of my writing: [email protected].

Mary welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at 1337 Commerce Drive, #13, Stow, OH 44224.

Also by Mary Wine:

Dream Shadow

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