“Why are you here? And what the hell do you want with my daughter?” Elizabeth couldn’t stand it any longer.
She was trapped in a blizzard with a man she didn’t know and had no idea if she could trust. A hard, dangerous man.
His hands tightened on the steering wheel.
“I didn’t lie to you, Elizabeth. I came to help. I got Cassie’s letter the day I was returning stateside. When the letters stopped coming I had my Major check into it.” He paused for a moment, breathing deeply. “I thought something died inside me when he told me what everyone thought happened to you and Cassie. I lost something I didn’t know I had. When her last letter came, nothing could have kept me away.”
Elizabeth heard the throb of pain in his voice, a fury that confused her. She didn’t know what her daughter had written in her letters. Cassie had sworn she wouldn’t tell the soldier the danger she was in, and Elizabeth didn’t have the heart to refuse to allow her to write him.
It was during one of the rare times she had managed to get Cassie into school. She had bought illegal records, had nearly gotten herself arrested and spent countless nights pacing the floor in fear so Cassie could attend classes once again. So her child could have some sort of normalcy while her mother fought to make sense of the danger they were in.
The teacher had given the children a list of service men who didn’t receive mail and a permission slip to allow the kids to write. Cassie had been excited over the name she chose.
The fairy said this one, Momma.
She had giggled as she waved the piece of paper with the name and address on it.
He’s got a nice name, Momma. I bet he’s a good daddy.
She was fascinated with the idea of
good daddies.
Daddies who didn’t hit their little girls, who didn’t bargain with their children’s bodies, then get killed in front of their eyes.
The fairy, Elizabeth wasn’t sure about. Cassie had been talking about the fairy since her father’s murder. Elizabeth never pushed her about it. She never questioned her. Just like the elves and the unicorns and the other fantasies that played a part in Cassie’s vivid imagination. Elizabeth didn’t have the heart to take it away from her.
“You don’t owe us your life, Mr. Sinclair.” She shook her head at that thought. “I don’t think I can bear being the cause of any more deaths.”
He was a strong man. A determined man. But even he had his weaknesses and a bullet didn’t make allowances for any man.
“I owe her more than my life.” He finally shrugged. “Might as well give in, Elizabeth. You aren’t going to win this one.”
Elizabeth shook her head. She was tired, dazed. How could she be expected to fight him when she knew how desperately they needed him? She was living on nerves alone now rather than a clear mind and well rested body. It wouldn’t be much longer before she made a mistake and when she did, she knew Grange would be there waiting.
How had her daughter managed to find someone like Dash Sinclair to exchange letters with? What instinct had guided the child to choose his name above all others? Cassie claimed it was her fairy. Elizabeth was terribly afraid it was just another joke fate was playing on them both.
“She cried for a week after I refused to let her write anymore,” she finally said tiredly. “I didn’t know she had posted that last letter to you. I don’t know how she found the chance.”
“Good thing for you she did,” he grunted, though he still hadn’t looked over at her. “If she hadn’t, you’d be in a hell of a mess right now.”
She was already in a hell of a mess, though she held back from pointing that out. The snow was getting thicker and she didn’t want to distract him, didn’t want him to become angry and possibly lose control of the vehicle. They were still running much faster than she thought was safe.
“Relax.” He was sitting comfortably in his own seat, gripping the steering wheel confidently, his big, lean body relaxed. “It’s just a little snowstorm.”
Just a little snowstorm?
She refrained from an unladylike snort. It was almost a complete white-out. But as dangerous as she knew it was, she couldn’t help but admire the sheer power and beauty of the storm. It enclosed them within the Hummer, insulated them from the rest of the world in an intimacy that left her mouth dry.
“You should try to nap.” His voice was quiet, deep. There was nothing dangerous or threatening in his tone. It lulled her mind at a time that she knew she should be even further on guard.
The dark velvet roughness of his voice had her longing to reach out to him, to be enfolded in the strength of his arms, to lean on his strength. She was tired. Elizabeth had known for weeks that she was approaching a point where her body would soon begin faltering. The thought of that had terrified her. The fact that this big, dangerous man was suddenly encouraging her to do so, at once made her nervous as a woman, even as it stilled the fears that often swept through her mind.
“I will. Later.” She wasn’t about to go to sleep yet. Not until she was certain of what was going on. “Where are we going anyway?”
“An army buddy owns a ranch across the state line,” he said. “We’ll stay there a few days until I can get further with another contact I have. I’m hoping to have you and Cassie in a secured area within a week. We’ll decide our best course of action then.”
“We will?” she asked him archly. She had a feeling she wouldn’t have a lot of opinion in whatever decision he made. Dash Sinclair didn’t look like a man who shared anything well, least of all responsibility.
His lips quirked. It was sexy. That thought slammed into her system like a thunderbolt. Dear God, how long had it been since she had noticed anything about a man other than whether or not he was the enemy?
That little smile was incredibly sensual. A firm, decisive shift of his lips that looked erotic, making her wonder how they would feel against her own. And that was something she definitely shouldn’t be thinking about right now. Not while her daughter’s life was hanging in the balance. Not while the man she was lusting after could be either friend or foe. Until she knew which, she had no business allowing her body to heat for him.
“We will,” he finally allowed with an edge of amusement. “As long as the two of you are safe, then you can help decide.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the conditions. As if she was going to accept that one. But she couldn’t stop the grin that tugged at her own lips. “Now that’s not nice.”
“I wasn’t trying to be nice.” But he was restraining a grin. She could see it. It made her wonder what he would look like if he smiled.
“Well, you weren’t succeeding, either.” Her eyelids drooped as she relaxed against the seat, but they didn’t close.
She was so tired. How long had it been since she had slept? Since she had felt safe enough to close her eyes and allow just a few hours of deep escape? Not since the night she had arrived at her ex-husband’s to check on Cassie and heard the sounds of gunshots.
She flinched, opening her eyes and staring desperately out the windshield. Would she always see it? The view from the window of her husband’s lakefront house. Cassie struggling in Terrance Grange’s hold as he aimed a gun and delivered yet another round in Dane’s body.
He had laughed when Cassie screamed out her daddy’s name. His evil, scarred face had held lustful intent as he stared at her baby. A baby. She shuddered, holding back the rage, bottling it inside her to keep from screaming out in fury.
She was silent, though she was aware of Dash glancing at her several times.
Elizabeth jumped when he moved easily, then breathed out a strangled sigh when he turned the radio on. Soothing, soft music filled the interior of the Hummer, wrapping around her, lulling her back into that near sleep existence she always feared.
“Sleep, Elizabeth,” he whispered soothingly. “I’ll wake you when we arrive at the ranch. I promise you. You and Cassie are both safe.”
Safe. Cassie was safe. For now. That was all that mattered.
“We have to hide her,” she sighed, breathing out deeply as her head rested against the back of the seat, her eyes finally closing. “He can’t touch her, Dash. I can’t let him touch her…”
Chapter Four
It was daybreak before Dash pulled into the back of the small motel just across the Kansas-Missouri border. He was dead tired and the snow had gotten hazardous hours before. There was no way he was about to make the trek to Mike’s ranch until he had a chance to rest. Until he had a chance to get a break from the intriguing scent of woman, shy arousal and sleep flushed skin.
Damn, she had been pretty, slouched in the seat beside him, her head often resting on the wide console between them. Once, he had dared to touch the silk of her hair, sliding his fingers through it and feeling the curls cupping his fingers. She had the softest hair he had ever known, with surprisingly thick curls spiraling down her back. Hair that made a man think of sex, wild and sweet. But overshadowing the lust was the need to protect.
He wanted to pull her into his arms, hold her close to his chest and assure her she was safe. Promise her they would protect Cassie. Together. Swear the earth and moon if it would ease the haunting shadows he had seen in her eyes. But he knew he couldn’t do that. Couldn’t make the promises even if she would accept them. The chances of failure, at the moment, were too high. All he could do was fight with every weapon he knew to assure their safety. He was confident he had enough fight to do it. But first, they all needed to sleep. To rest, at least for today.
Thankfully, there had been a drive-through open in the heart of town serving hot food. A quick stop and he had enough to feed himself, the woman and child. They had both slept as he ordered and collected the food. Next, he had stopped and gassed up the Hummer, careful to take the keys out of the ignition as he stood at the gas pump. He wouldn’t put it past her to take off and run again. Hell, it was what he would have done in her place.
When he got back in the vehicle, Cassie was still sleeping, but her mother was awake. Not exactly aware—she hadn’t managed more than two hours restless sleep—but she was awake.
He kept the coffee he had purchased hidden in the sacks from the drive-through in the back until he pulled into the motel, checked in and then drove to their assigned room. It was far enough from the main road that it hid the Hummer and gave Dash enough confidence that he would hear another vehicle if it pulled in. Not that many others would be able to navigate the slight incline that led to the back rooms.
He didn’t waste time with words. He wanted the comfort of the room, the news, and a handy telephone. The cell wasn’t exactly dependable in this weather. Getting out of the Hummer he moved around the vehicle to the passenger side, opened the door and lifted Cassie from the seat as Elizabeth moved stiffly into frigid air. The snow went halfway up her legs but she never showed the obvious discomfort.
She trudged behind him, just as silent as he was, as he made a path to the door. He swiped the card, opened it carefully and then stepped inside. Turning, he watched the slowly lightening day as Elizabeth moved quickly past him. It was still dark out and forecasters were expecting the storm to go on through the day. Hell, they all needed time to rest anyway before heading to Mike’s madhouse.
Elizabeth was flipping lights on as he closed the door and walked to the farthest bed. He laid Cassie down on it slowly, pulling the blanket over her as her mother moved to her. Elizabeth had a damp cloth in her hand. She used it to quickly clean Cassie’s sleep-flushed cheeks, her small hands. A smile tugged at his lips at the motherly response.
She slipped Cassie’s shoes off, then lifted her gently and pulled the blankets over her. It was all done very efficiently, very economically. Dash shook his head, turning away from the sight. He didn’t understand mothers. But hell, he’d never had one. He had turned out fine, hadn’t he?
Then he thought of Cassie. He stopped at the end of the bed and turned back. He had survived because he was tough. Hard. Damn, he didn’t want her that way. He wanted to see the sweet, charming little girl who had saved his life with her letters. He wanted to see her smile, see her secure. Mothered.
He shook his head as he turned and stalked back to the door and into the storm. He had clothes and supplies for the mother and child. Things they would need. He had been hauling the damned things around for months, the minute he had realized that each time they were found they were forced to leave damned near everything they owned except the clothes on their backs.
Minutes later he re-entered the room, instantly finding Elizabeth in a defensive position in front of Cassie as the door opened. He set the large tote he carried on the floor then went back out. When he returned with his own bag and the food and coffee, she was sitting at the end of Cassie’s bed, watching the door.
“There are gowns, clothes and stuff in the tote.” He set the fast food bags on the small table. “I’ve bought stuff here and there as I realized everything was being destroyed from place to place. You should have everything you need.”
He saw her startled look as she glanced at the hard plastic container.
“I need a fast shower.” He pulled his service revolver from the personal bag he carried on his shoulder. “If anyone comes to the door, let me know. Otherwise, there’s food and coffee in the bag. Plenty enough for everyone.”
He didn’t expect a response. He didn’t get one. She just stared up at him with those big sad eyes, so much like Cassie’s, as though she couldn’t decide if she were still dreaming or awake.
Dash ached to hold her. He couldn’t stop the need, so he didn’t fight it building in his body, but he kept his arms, his thoughts, and his needs to himself. He had a lot of practice at that. Knew just how it was done. Control. That was all it took. But those shell-shocked eyes did something to him that made his guts tremble with an ache so unfamiliar, so imperative, it was damned hard to fight.
Her eyes went to the gun as he stood there. An uncontrollable flare of fear flashed in her gaze. He couldn’t blame her for it. But he hated it.