She’s determined to be
successful--no matter
who tries to stop her
Someone is willing to kill for control of Drake Trucking, a
well-respected firm now run by a woman named Carly Drake. Big money is involved. And very big danger.
Multi-millionaire Lincoln Cain is determined to keep the promise
he made her grandfather, the man who helped him change his life after he got
out of prison. Cain has vowed to protect
Carly, no matter what it takes.
Unfortunately, the only way to keep her safe is to keep her
close--and fight like crazy.
An hour later Carly was dressed and ready to accompany Linc
to Dallas. Last night had been a
respite, hours of amazing sex and worry free slumber.
Lincoln Cain was everything a man could be--at least in
bed. The rest remained to be seen.
Last night had been fantastic, but today reality was setting
back in. Whoever had murdered Miguel
Hernandez was still on the loose and El Jefe, who might have been responsible,
still expected her and Drake Trucking to join his organization.
“You ready?” Dressed
more casually today in dark blue Levi’s, a white western shirt rolled up to the
elbows, and a pair of black cowboy boots, Linc walked out of his home office
down the hall.
The residence, apparently over a hundred years old, had been
completely remodeled. It was simple and
masculine, yet everything inside was modern and entirely first class, including
the stainless kitchen, the bathrooms, powder room, Linc’s office and home gym.
And everything about the place fit him perfectly.
“Let me grab my purse.”
In a pair of jeans and a sleeveless blue print blouse, she
joined him in the slate-floored entry.
She’d only brought an overnight bag.
Aside from what she’d worn yesterday, she hadn’t packed the kind of
clothes she would need for the city. Since
Linc wanted to go to his office after they talked to the Grangers, then later
they were going out to supper, he’d agreed to stop by her house so she could
change into something more appropriate.
And now that it appeared she was staying at the ranch--she
flushed at a memory of last night--she needed to bring more of her clothes back
to his place.
With the strap of her laptop slung over Linc’s shoulder, she
walked beside him out of the house. He
helped her into the Jeep and they headed for the helipad, where the chopper was
waiting when they arrived. It swooped
up, crossed the short distance between their two homes in minutes, and set down
again in the field across from Joe’s little house.
Carly went around to the back door and unlocked it, but Linc
caught her before she had time to get inside.
“Let me take a look first.”
It seemed a little over the top. She didn’t think El Jefe would be lying in
wait in her small rundown house, but under the circumstances, caution wasn’t a
bad idea.
When Linc returned a few minutes later with a grim look on
his face, a shot of fear slid through her.
“What is it?” She
pushed past him into the kitchen and he didn’t try to stop her. First she noticed the broken window over the
kitchen sink, then the awful destruction around her. Her legs refused to move. She couldn’t believe what she was
seeing. She heard the crunch of broken
glass as Linc came up behind her, drew her back against his chest.
“It’s only stuff,” he said softly. “It’s easily replaced.”
She glanced around the room, at the shattered coffee cups on
the floor, the pictures smashed against the walls, and her eyes filled. “It’s not just stuff. It’s my stuff...and Joe’s.”
She felt his muscles tighten.
Carly started walking through the debris, the dishes dragged
out of the cupboard and broken into pieces, the stuffing out of the sofa tossed
onto the living room floor.
Linc opened the door to the garage and flipped on the
light. Walked out then walked back
in. “Your pickup’s okay. Must not have gone into the garage.”
Her legs shook as she headed down the hall to her
bedroom. The bedding had been pulled
off, the perfume bottles and photos on the dressers had been shoved off onto
the floor.
“Why?” she asked. “I
told him I’d do what he wanted. Why would
he destroy my home?”
“We don’t know it was him.
Not for sure. I didn’t see any
kind of note. If it was El Jefe, he
didn’t leave a message like before.”
Her legs felt wobbly as she crossed the carpet to her closet
and slid open the doors. Some of her clothes
had been ripped off the hangers, but most still hung on the bar.
“He was wearing down by the time he got to the bedroom,”
Linc said. “His anger mostly spent.”
She brushed a tear from her cheek, sank down on the foot of
the bed. She glanced up at Linc, whose
features looked as grim as she felt.
“You sure you didn’t do this just so I’d have to stay out at
the ranch?” she teased.
His eyes met hers and his lips twitched. He sat down beside her and pulled her onto
his lap. “I’m glad you’ve still got your
sense of humor.”
Her gaze lit on a broken photo of her and Joe. It was her graduation from high school. Joe had been so proud of her that day. Her throat tightened and a fresh rush of
sadness swept through her. “Yeah.”
“I’ll put some people on this, have the place put back
together.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know.” His eyes
crinkled at the corners. “I promise I
won’t make it so nice you’ll want to move back in.”
She sliced him a look.
“At least not too soon.”
Carly managed a smile.
“I’m going to have your bedroom packed up and moved to the
ranch house. We’ll put your stuff in a
spare bedroom until your place is cleaned up and you’re ready to move back
in. I’ll get one of the hands to drive
your pickup out to the ranch, okay?”
She didn’t want to do it.
She didn’t want to be completely under Linc’s control. But she didn’t dare stay in the house
alone--not until they figured out what was going on.
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