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I wasn’t certain whether to remain angry or be appreciative of what he’d done. What I knew is that if everything he told me was true, it could potentially destroy a good portion of my life.
My thoughts drifted to the recent fire. Fortunately, it had been contained quickly, only losing a thousand acres. Sadly, a portion of the forest that had burned had been the same area where Belle had lost her life. I’d seen pictures of how the area had recovered, in part thanks to Parks and Recreation volunteers who’d spent countless hours replanting trees. To have it wiped out again was devastating.
It was sacred to me in so many ways. I rubbed my eyes, trying to control my breathing, my thoughts all over the place.
The thought of death had never bothered me.
Until now.
I’d almost allowed the need to find salvation to drag me straight into the depths of hell. Perhaps the only thing that had saved me from losing my battle with the beast had been the realization Riker’s engine had failed and that he was going down. I’d reacted instantly, the shot from the helitorch fired only seconds before I’d made a change in course, heading for the crash site.
He’d managed to maneuver the helicopter, descending at a controlled speed, still crash-landing against the side of the mountain. Thank God it had been at the base, which had allowed me to climb the craggy rocks, dragging him from the twisted metal seconds before the chopper had burst into flames. I remembered little about what had happened next, both my training as a Marine as well as the grueling eight-week instruction course once I’d joined the Zullies taking over.
The task of bringing him to safety had been dangerous, but I hadn’t given a second thought about what I was doing.
At least until we were safely away from the fire.
Then my mind and body had collapsed, all thoughts shifting to my son and the beautiful woman I’d left behind. The moment had been cathartic. Life altering. And I’d made certain we remained alive.
Just standing on the front porch of the house I’d barely given two shits about seemed entirely different. Maybe some psychiatric asshole would say I’d seen the light, choosing life over the possibility of death. Whatever the case, I’d made the decision to change, refusing to allow the woman I adored out of my life.
The thought of not being with her, of never being able to brush my fingers across her skin or kiss her soft lips had nearly broken me. For the few women I’d been with intimately, none had left me craving a lingering touch, a longing look like Wren had. She’d awakened the man inside, forcing him from his dark crypt. Then she’d refused to allow him to fall into the suffocating abyss of rage and self-hatred.
All in a few days.
I’d made a few phone calls, ensuring that the future would be entirely different than what I’d once wanted or believed was the only thing I deserved.
In doing so, I’d learned a few things that had provided a clearer picture of what was going on. What I had trouble dealing with was just how far certain people had gone in order to obtain my ranch and the reasons why.
However, I remained uneasy, angry that the sections of the puzzle hadn’t been pieced together. For all the efforts Wren had put in making calls, in the single day that had passed, there was nothing concrete that would lead either the fire investigator or Gage to any conclusions about who was responsible for the recent murders and that pissed me off. At least they’d discovered where the chlorine trifluoride had been purchased, able to trace the cannister left outside Gage’s cabin to a processing plant in Idaho. While Gage had informed me of the news, he refused to tell me any other details.
“What’s up, cowboy? Just watching the setting sun?”
The sound of Wren’s voice took the frown off my face. “Yup. Just admiring the view,” I told her as I turned around.
“Um. So am I.” Her smile could light up the darkest night. As she stood in the doorway, allowing her heated gaze to fall to my boots, she took a deep breath. “I love it here.”
“Good. Cause you’re staying.”
“I have a job. Well, I guess I had a job. Maybe someone will hire a broken-down financial advisor.”
“Nope. You’re forbidden to work for stodgy old guys with money.”
“You think you own me now, huh?” She moved closer, giving me one of her rebellious looks.
“Oh, I owned you the moment I dragged you out of the snow.” I couldn’t help but grin. She had the face of an angel, the body of a goddess, and the mischievousness of a vixen. The combination was explosive. As I walked closer, my desire roared to the surface.
“You just think you do. Never underestimate me.”
“I won’t, but you need to quit your job.”
Wren narrowed her eyes. “You’re serious. I was thinking about getting references from my boss.”
“As a freaking heart attack. You’re my woman now.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m going to lounge around the house waiting for you to arrive. Although…” She slipped her arm around my neck, laughing before her expression turning serious. “I can’t stop working forever, Phoenix. That’s not me.”
“I get that.”
