The Shadow Page 5

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were hot.” Her eyes grew wide and her face flushed crimson.

  He laughed. “Well, I’m not exactly eye candy. I’m too scarred up.”

  “If you won those fights, I’d hate to see the other guy,” she said with a smile.

  He grew somber and shook his head. “I saw my share of action as a Ranger, but half the battles overseas are with an enemy you never see—as in mortar rounds and IEDs.”

  “I imagine things are very different for you now that you’re working for the tribe.”

  Seeing the softness in her eyes as she gazed at him scrambled his brain, and for a moment he didn’t answer. “Yeah, it’s different,” he said, cursing himself for getting distracted. “Give me a minute to change shirts. I’ve got clean clothes in my pickup. Then I’ll be ready to go.”

  “I need to clean up, too. I’ll meet you at your truck in a few minutes.”

  Emily changed into a clean pair of slacks and her favorite long-sleeved blouse. The ruffles around the collar had sold her on it. Though the garment was plain cotton, that small detail softened the look and gave it an extra feminine touch.

  As she brushed her hair and tied it back into a ponytail, she focused on her future. The Tamarisk Inn would be a reality someday soon. It had taken her weeks to figure out what to call it. She’d finally decided to name it after the hardy plant that grew with its fragrant pink blossoms near the river bosque. It survived by finding just the right place for itself in the dry desert.

  Moments later, she met Jonas by his pickup. He’d changed into a gray-blue shirt. The open collar revealed the very tip of the long, narrow scar she’d seen earlier. Scars meant experience, and the sight fueled her imagination. As far as she was concerned, Jonas was sexier than ever.

  Pushing those thoughts back, Emily slipped into the passenger’s side and fastened her seat belt. Everything in her life was upside down at the moment. Straightening things out—that’s where her focus had to remain.

  As they headed into town, she glanced around the cab of his truck. He had clothes on hangers, a backpack, a coil of rope and a locked metal box behind his seat. The rifle that hung on a rack over the rear window was almost standard equipment for rural New Mexico. The strange-looking radio with antennae was not.

  “That looks like a police radio,” she commented.

  “I’m not a cop, but my work for the tribe requires top-notch communications equipment.”

  She had a million questions she wanted to ask him about his job as a vindicator, but knew he’d told her all he intended about that. “It looks like we both have our secrets,” she said, and realized a moment too late that she’d spoken the thought out loud.

  “Most of what I do has to remain confidential—to protect the clients.”

  “It’s not just your job. You never talk about yourself—not at all.”

  “I’m boring. I’d rather know about you.”

  “Nice hedge.” Emily smiled. “But if you want to earn someone’s trust, you have to show that you trust them, too.”

  She could sense him trying to figure out how to respond, but after several long moments, she knew his silence was her answer.

  As they continued the drive toward the city of Farmington, her thoughts slowly shifted to other pressing concerns. “The tribe made my father an offer for a parcel of our land, the strip along the bluffs, and I haven’t been able to find anything that suggests the deal was ever finalized. The county never recorded the transaction, either, according to conversations I’ve had on the phone. I also haven’t had any word from the tribe, so I need to know if they’re still interested. Who would you suggest I speak to?”

  “I’m aware of the deal and I assure you the tribe is still interested. Would you like me to handle that for you?”

  “Sure. I’d like to get that matter settled as soon as possible. That…was my father’s last gift to me,” she said, fighting the tears that tightened her throat.

  Jonas reached out and took her hand in his. Even now, with sorrow bearing down on her, his touch soothed, and filled an empty spot inside her.

  Emily took a deep breath and concentrated on the problems ahead. “The price for the land was already agreed to, so I’d like to finalize the paperwork and get payment as soon as possible. Truth is, I’ll need the funds to complete the inn. The special amenities I need for my guests are very expensive, and my resources are stretched tight.”

  “Quick payment may not be possible,” Jonas said after a momentary pause. “You wanted me to trust you, and I’m about to do that. But what I’m going to tell you has to remain between the two of us. Will you give me your word?”

  “You have it,” she said, excited by the fact that he was willing to confide in her.

  “Our missing man was carrying the entire payment with him—in bearer bonds,” he said. “Those have disappeared along with him.”

  “Does the tribe think he may have just run off with the money?”

  “No. He’s completely trustworthy. If he’s running it’s because someone’s on his heels.”

  “Do you think my father’s death is connected to the bonds?”

  “It’s possible, but there are other issues involved. The attack might be linked to some of the other work your father did for the tribe. But we don’t know anything for sure yet.”

  “Except that I’ve become a target, and your man is missing, along with a great deal of money,” she said.

  Jonas nodded. “The threat to you is too well timed to be unrelated. If we can figure out who’s coming after you, that should provide other answers, as well.”

  She sighed softly. “All I wanted was to build my inn—a place where I could always be useful and contribute to our community. It was a perfect idea, one meant to bring peace and good things. Yet all I’ve done is attract violence.”

  “No, that’s not all,” he said, brushing her face with his palm.

  The tender gesture dissolved her defenses. Feelings and needs she’d sworn to ignore tore into her, tempting her, urging her to stop planning—stop thinking.

  “You’ve got to fight for what you want,” he added.

  His words brought her back to reality. “And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

  He made it a point not to look at her. No one would have ever accused him of being weak willed, but all men had their vulnerabilities. Emily was his.

  “We can’t ignore what’s going on between us,” he said at last.

  “No, we can’t,” she agreed, her voice a whisper. “But we don’t have to give in to it, either. It can’t lead anywhere…good.”

  “It could be good. Very good.”

  His voice was a deep rumble, and the vibrations coursed through her like fire, melting her insides. “For a while we’d find heaven. But afterward…”

  “You’d regret it?”

  Emily didn’t answer. She couldn’t. She was at war with herself, torn between logic and wanting to capture the wind—or just surrender and enjoy it while it lasted. But she needed more than stolen moments. The qualities she wanted in her future—roots, security—were the very things Jonas’s nature urged him to avoid.

  “I was sent to protect you,” he said when she didn’t answer. “And I’ll see it done—even if it means protecting you from me.”

  He’d been “sent.” He hadn’t come of his own free will. Holding to that one fact, she drew into herself and said nothing more.

  They were entering town, having turned off the truck bypass and onto Lake Street, when she felt the change in him.

  “Slump down in the seat a little and keep your head away from the window,” he murmured.

  Alarmed, she instinctively did the opposite, sitting up and looking around anxiously. “What? What’s wrong?”

  “Get down,” he insisted fiercely, his gaze on the rearview mirror. “Shortly after we left your property, a white pickup caught up to us, then passed us on the highway before we reached the bridge. Now it’s back there once mor
e, following us, though staying well back. When I slowed down to see what he would do, the driver turned west on the truck bypass. But he must have reversed course once he got out of sight, because he’s behind us again.”

  “Do you want me to call the police?”

  “No. As careful as he’s been, my guess is that he’ll disappear the second he knows we’ve made him. Let’s play things a little differently.”

  As they entered the downtown area, Jonas turned right, on Main Street. Halfway down the block, he abruptly cut left into an alleyway between two multistory brick buildings.

  “Get ready to jump out when I say so.” They approached a small parking area set into a recess of the building. Next to it was a small loading dock.

  “Just say when,” Emily replied, feeling claustrophobic in the narrow urban canyon. She reached down, ready to press her seat-belt release.

  Suddenly he slammed on the brakes. “Now!”

  Emily jumped out, and by the time she reached the front of the truck, Jonas was already there, waiting. He grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the loading dock.

  Once they were out of sight, he motioned with his head toward the corner. “Go back there and stay behind cover. I’ll take care of this.”

  Before she could say anything, Jonas sprinted across the alley. With the pickup in the way, she lost sight of him almost immediately.

  Emily kept her back to the brick wall of the former hotel, now an office building. A second later, she heard the sound of squealing tires, a shout, then a door opening.

  Unable to suppress her curiosity, she peered around the corner. Jonas had ambushed the driver the moment he’d come to a stop, and yanked him out of the cab. Trying to get a clearer look, she turned her head, since the vision out of the corners of her eyes was better. With a gasp, she realized the other man was holding a gun.

  Jonas gripped the driver’s wrist and slammed it against the side of the cab. The blow knocked the gun free, and it flew into the bed of the pickup with a thud.

  Jonas next delivered a powerful jab to the gut, doubling his opponent up. As he bounced off the open door, Jonas instantly pushed him down on the pavement, then wrapped his arms around the man’s in a deadly hold.

  Emily knew that with just one twist, Jonas could break his neck. That’s when she saw the man’s face.

  “Jonas, stop!” she said, running out into the open. “That’s Grant, my neighbor. Remember?”

  Jonas hauled him to his feet, then shoved him over the hood of the pickup, his arm still at the man’s throat. “I remember. What the hell are you up to, Woods?”

  Jonas’s voice was nothing more than a snarl, and it made her heart freeze. The gentle man she’d had beside her just seconds ago on the ride into town was gone, and in his place was someone she didn’t recognize.

  Chapter Five

  “Talk fast, Woods,” Jonas snapped, his gaze unyielding. “Why did you pull the gun?”

  Grant made a choking sound but no words came out.

  “He can’t breathe!” Emily yelled, running over. Seeing the trickle of blood that ran from Jonas’s knuckles onto the other man’s shirt only accentuated her growing panic. “Let him go, Jonas!”

  He eased his hold slightly. As he did, Grant choked again. “Back off!” he gasped at last. “You’re hurting me.”

  “What did you expect me to do? You switched vehicles, followed us, then pulled a pistol.”

  “You jumped me. I was just trying to defend myself,” he said, then began coughing.

  “Talk—I’m not a patient man.” Jonas pushed his forearm against Grant’s throat again. “Why should I let you go? Give me a reason.”

  “Of course I was following. Don’t you get it? When I passed you on the bridge, I realized Emily was with you. I hurried to catch up because I wanted to give her something. It’s in my pocket.”

  Jonas moved back, releasing Emily’s neighbor, but not taking his eyes off him.

  Grant took two steps back, reached into his jacket, then brought out a legal-size envelope, which he handed to her. “From our previous conversations I realized you probably weren’t aware of this, Emily. When I offered to buy your land, that was in addition to the rights I already own.”

  “Rights? What are you talking about?” She opened the envelope and took out two pieces of paper.

  “That’s a copy of the contract between your father and me for drilling rights to the property—your land now. Although exploration costs are my responsibility, I’ll now be splitting any royalties with you, since you’re Powell’s heir.”

  “This looks like Dad’s stationery, and his signature, but he never said anything to me about this,” she said, stunned by what she was holding. “I’m not sure if I’m bound by this agreement or not, Grant. I’ll have to talk to my father’s attorney and see what he has to say about it.”

  “You do that, but I think you’ll find it’s all perfectly legal.”

  “Until then, I don’t want to say anything more,” she announced in a hard voice.

  “You heard the lady. Get lost, Woods,” Jonas said.

  Grant took another step back, then with one last look, walked over to the bed of his pickup.

  “Leave the weapon there until you’re out of our sight,” Jonas warned.

  He grumbled something, then climbed into his truck, threw it into Reverse and backed out of the alley.

  Emily stared at the sheet of paper she held in her hands. “This is just crazy. I’m certain Dad would have told me about something like this.”

  “It bears checking out—closely. But in the meantime, try not to worry about it.” Jonas started to put his arm around her shoulders, but she flinched.

  Her reaction shook him to the core. “Now you’re afraid of me?”

  “No, it’s just…” She paused, unable to continue.

  His gaze locked with hers. “He pulled a gun, Em. That’s as serious as it gets.”

  “I know,” she said, trying to get her thoughts together, though her heart was still thundering in her ears. “Nothing makes sense to me anymore,” she added, looking down at the paper and her shaking hands.

  “You need a break from all this, and some fresh air will help, too. Let’s go.”

  “Where?” she asked, following him to the truck.

  “A place that never fails to put things back into perspective for me,” he said as they climbed into the cab.

  They drove southwest, out of the city. Instead of taking the first turn east past the river, they continued south, on a long, winding route that curved up onto the bluffs.

  “Are we going far?” she asked.

  “No, but you and I need to straighten some things out, and it’s quiet up there.” She’d been afraid of him and that cut deep. He had to fix this—and fast.

  They soon reached the top of the big plateau, then drove east, parallel but south of her property. Jonas finally stopped and parked near the edge of the steep bluffs that overlooked the valley and city below. Like ancient stone warriors, sections of the cliff, broken loose below them and worn by erosion, stood in tall groups of three or more.

  “Let’s get out of the truck for a bit,” he suggested.

  They stood outside together for several long moments, listening to the wind that swept past them.

  “I’ve hurt your feelings, haven’t I?” Emily said at last.

  “How could you be afraid of me?” he countered, meeting her eyes and holding them.

  “Something ugly happened when you saw Grant’s gun. I’d never seen that side of you,” she said softly.

  It felt as if she’d taken a knife and stabbed him in the heart. “My training is what will keep us both alive. It’s not something you need to fear. And you should never be afraid of me.”

  “I know,” she replied gently. “But for a few moments there, I was really afraid of what you might do to Grant.” She took a long, deep breath. “I know that not too long ago you were a soldier fighting for your country, your buddies and your life. Bu
t you’re home now, and this isn’t a battlefield.”

  “Isn’t it?” he growled.

  “Not the same kind,” she said softly.

  “In a lot of ways it’s exactly the same,” he stated, turning away from her and looking off into the distance.

  “In your heart you’re still an Army Ranger, aren’t you?’ she observed slowly. “Why did you leave?”

  “To answer that, I’d have to tell you why I joined, too.”

  She waited.

  After a few minutes he spoke again. “I signed up for the Rangers because I wanted to get away from all the poverty and the sameness of life on the rez. Whenever I looked around, all I saw were people whose lives were marked only by the passage of time. I wanted to do something that really mattered. So I joined the toughest branch of the military I could find. I needed to prove that I had what it took to be the best.”

  He jammed his hands into his pockets. “Back in high school, our class went to D.C. on a field trip. In the House of Representatives chambers there’s a quote carved into stone—‘Something worthy to be remembered.’ I wanted that to define what I’d become.”

  “As a Ranger did you find what you were looking for?”

  “Partly, yes, but I also learned that everything comes at a price.” He leaned back against one of the boulders and faced her. “Then, when I came home on leave after my last tour, I met a man from our tribe who convinced me that I was needed here. The time had come for me to serve my own people. That’s why I stayed instead of reenlisting.”

  “Who was he, this man who changed your life?”

  Shaking his head, Jonas smiled. “How do you do this? You now know more about me now than just about anyone else on the planet.”

  “I’m worthy of your trust. Instinctively, you already know that, but your mind hasn’t caught up yet,” Emily said.

  He laughed. “Is that your way of saying I’m all brawn and no brains?”

  “No, of course not,” she said quickly. Then, realizing he was just giving her a hard time, she added, “But after seeing your new bod shirtless, I’ve got to say that your brawn parts aren’t bad at all.”