Deceived (24 page)

“Well, I think I might've busted up my leg but good,” Jim said in his understated way.

“Davis thinks his ankle's probably broken,” Mel told him.

Luke glanced down toward Jim's feet. Considering the angle of his right foot, It looked as if Davis's assessment was dead-on. “You're lucky if that's all that's broken.”

Luke heard a shuffle of footsteps behind him and saw Davis ushering Eli inside. The kid's face twisted with worry when he saw Jim lying on the floor.

“Hey, honey, you want to make Eli some hot chocolate?” Mel suggested.

“Sure, babe,” Davis said, patting Eli on the shoulder. “C'mon, buddy.”

“Can the guys on the porch have some too?” Eli asked.

“I told them they didn't need to wait outside,” Mel explained to Luke, “but Evans wouldn't hear of it. He insisted they all give Dad some privacy while Davis assessed his injuries.”

“Didn't want to embarrass the old man more than he already was,” Jim said with a chuckle that ended on a wince as the color drained from his face.

“Where the hell are the paramedics?” Mel demanded. As if on cue, they heard the wail of sirens in the distance.

A few minutes later, the paramedics took over and managed to gently lift Jim onto a stretcher and get him loaded into the ambulance.

“I'm going with Dad,” Mel said. “Could you and Davis show the guys around and get them up to speed?”

Luke nodded without hesitation, even though he felt like he should be there for Jim at the hospital. God knew the man had been there for him more times than he could count, particularly on those occasions when he hadn't wanted Luke's mother to know her son had been in yet another fight and needed another ride home from the sheriff's department.

“Davis, take these guys inside and get them something hot to drink, will ya?” Luke asked as soon as the ambulance pulled away. “I'm gonna give Sarah a call and let her know what's going on.”

Davis gave him a tight nod and ushered everyone inside, promising them a slice of apple pie to go along with their coffee.

Luke strolled away from the house toward the pickup trucks parked in the driveway as he dialed Sarah's number. She answered on the second ring.

“Luke? What's wrong?”

“Hey,” he said, peering into each of the trucks in turn, taking mental stock of their contents—fast food bags, cans of chew, boots, gloves, CDs, jackets.... “Jim's had an accident. He's on the way to the hospital. Mel's with him.”

“Oh my God!” she gasped. “Is he going to be okay? Do you need me to come over? I can be ready in ten minutes.”

He smiled to himself, moving on to the next truck, loving her concern for his stepfather. “Nah, don't worry about it. The truck I keep at the ranch is a piece of shit. I wouldn't want you trying to drive it and getting stuck somewhere. I'll keep you posted as soon as I hear anything.”

He peeked into the next pickup and started to move on, but stopped short. Frowning, he peered into the cab again, taking a closer look. There were the same types of items inside—an extra pair of work gloves, a pair of cowboy boots, a duffel bag.... But there was something off about them.

He opened the driver's-side door and scrutinized the contents again, taking in every detail. Then it dawned on him. . . . The items looked new, the contents staged. He picked up one of the work gloves and turned it over. Not a single stain or smudge of dirt. Unheard of for a guy claiming to be a seasoned ranch hand.

The boots were new too. And the jacket. He unzipped the duffel bag, rummaging through it. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he felt under the seat, his jaw tightening when his fingers bumped against the cold, hard steel of the barrel of a gun. He pulled on his own work gloves, then slipped his hand under the seat again, pulling the gun out.

It was a Glock, and one that looked like it'd seen some action. He ejected the clip and then the bullet in the chamber, pocketing them before slipping the gun back under the seat. Carrying a rifle or even a handgun in a car in this part of the country wasn't unheard of. Never knew when you might encounter some kind of predator—animal
or
human. And yet something about this one just wasn't sitting well with him.

He went around to the other side of the truck and opened the glove box, removing the registration. Eric Evans. The truck definitely belonged to the man in the restaurant whose background check had been so spotless that it'd raised a warning flag.

He closed up the truck and dialed one of the numbers programmed in his phone.

“'Sup,
brah?
”

“Hey, Finn,” Luke said, heading back toward the house. “I need you to run a background check on a guy for me.”

There was a slight hesitation. “Uh, sure. But you should be able to do that through the laptop I gave you. What's doin'?”

“I already ran a check on the guy,” Luke said. “He came back clean. But I'm not convinced. I need you to go dark on this one.”

There was a screech of metal and what sounded like a door opening and closing. Then Finn cleared his throat before finally speaking again. “Dude, you know I could get my ass eighty-sixed for that kind of shit. Nobody has clearance for that level except the commander and the Grand Council.”

Luke grunted. “Blame it all on me. I'm on the commander's shit list anyway. Say I threatened to blast Nanna Finnegan's coconut cake recipe online or something.”

Luke could only imagine the look of horror on Finn's face when confronted with the prospect of having to confess to his tough-as-nails grandmother that the famous cake recipe that had made the family a fortune had been outed.

“Dude. My nanna would
kick my ass
if that got out to anyone outside the family. Hell, she'd kick
both
our asses. You've met my nanna. You know she could.”

“Finn, your grandmother makes the godfather look like a fucking saint,” Luke drawled. “The last thing I want to do is piss her off. Seriously, though, I've got a bad feeling about this guy who's trying to get a job at my ranch and need you to do me a solid. I wouldn't ask if I wasn't concerned about Sarah and Eli.”

There was another pause. “All right, but you owe me one. Send me what you've got.”

Luke hung up and forwarded all the info he had on Evans, then headed inside. His hackles instantly rose when he saw Eli sitting next to Evans, chatting with the men around the table, grilling them about their work experience.

Evans riffled Eli's hair with a laugh, then raised a hand to Luke when he saw him standing in the doorway. “Your boy's relentless. His questions are tougher than Ms. Hadley's.”

“Eli,” Luke said, his tone sharper than he'd intended. “Let these men finish their coffee. Then we need to get going. We have a lot of ground to cover before lunch.”

Though Evans's grin was friendly as he turned back to the conversation with Davis and the others, Luke didn't trust the man's easy manner. He had all the outward appearance of a capable, seasoned ranch hand, a man who was used to long days and hard work.

So why did Luke feel as if he had invited the wolf to come dine among the sheep?

Sarah wasn't entirely sure what to do with herself with Luke and Eli gone for the morning. When Luke had called to tell her about Jim's accident, she'd offered to drive over to the main house to be with Mel. But when she learned that Mel was on her way to the hospital, she decided she'd rummage through the fridge and storeroom to find the ingredients for a pot roast that they could run over later to repay the family for the times they'd done the same for her and Eli.

It was the least she could do. They'd accepted her and her son with open arms—even when they'd known something was off about the reason for their presence. And the way Sarah's stomach knotted with concern when she'd learned of Jim's fall told her all she needed to know about how much she'd come to care for Luke's family.

Thirty minutes later, the roast was in the slow cooker and she was still searching for a way to pass the time. She showered and dressed and took Chief out to play in the snow, but he quickly tired of the game and wanted to go back in.

She was still stomping the snow from her boots when she heard a clatter in the kitchen. Adrenaline spiked in her veins and she sent a glance toward the clock. It was only ten o'clock—probably too soon for Luke and Eli to have returned.

She crept into the kitchen, listening for the sound again, but didn't hear anything. Still, she checked the oven to ensure her roast was still doing okay, then made the rounds, checking all the doors and windows, ensuring they were all locked, just to be on the safe side.

Deciding that all was secure, Sarah headed back upstairs to see if she could find a movie in the loft, but a persistent beeping down the hall caught her attention. She glanced at her phone. There were no alarms from the security system, so she made her way to Luke's office, where the sound seemed to be originating.

She tapped the mouse pad on Luke's laptop and saw the source of the beeping. Someone was trying to reach him via teleconference. She sat down in his chair and answered the call. Seconds later, a handsome if stern face appeared. The man's sable hair was cropped short, the style as severe as his expression. His hazel eyes narrowed in confusion.

“Where's Rogan?” he demanded.

“He's out,” Sarah told him, leaning back in the chair and lacing her hands together, peering down her nose at the screen in the way she'd seen her father do numerous times. “You can speak with me. I imagine that's why you're calling anyway.”

The man inclined his head slightly. “Very well, Sarah. I'm Commander Will Asher.”

“I know who you are,” she interrupted. “I'd say it's nice to meet you, but that would be a lie. But, hey, from what I understand you're pretty good at telling lies . . . you know, like the one you sent my employer when you hacked into my email.”

He dipped his head, acknowledging her accusation. “Fair enough. I apologize. But I assure you that we were only acting in your best interests.”

“How's my father?” she demanded. “Do you think I could get an honest answer about that?”

“He's improving,” Will assured her. “He still isn't able to come off the respirator, but we hope that'll happen soon. We have our best doctors in charge of his care.”

Sarah met his gaze, staring him down, waiting for him to say something else. When he didn't she said, “So, if my father's fine, are you calling to tell Luke it's time to off-load us?”

“No,” Will said. “Unfortunately, there was a slight delay, but that should be rectified within the week. Then you can get back to your normal life.”

“Except I can't, can I?” Sarah retorted. “Because you've already wiped my life clean. Did you even bother boxing up our stuff so that we'd have it when you relocate us? Or is my life with Greg classified, locked away somewhere where only you Templars can access it?”

Will sighed and actually seemed remorseful. “I'm sorry we have to relocate you, Sarah. But providing you with new identities is for your safety and security as well as ours. I have no way to know what else you and Eli might be privy to, and we need to make sure whoever is behind this current breach won't go after you again. Your belongings will be delivered to you after you're settled.”

She nodded. “Will I be able to see my family again?”

“Of course,” he said. “We can work out arrangements.”

Sarah pressed her lips together in an angry line. “And Luke?”

Will hesitated for a moment, his expression impossible to read. Finally, he answered, “That depends on him.”

“From what I heard, it sounded like that ball's in your court, Commander,” Sarah pointed out.

Will's harsh mouth curved up a little at the corners. “I see why Luke likes you. Okay then, Sarah, you're right. It's my call what happens next. I'm not thrilled with the prospect of losing one of my best men because of a . . . distraction.”

Sarah's brows lifted slightly. “Distraction? That's all you think I am to Luke?”

“Do you know why Luke is one of my best men?” Will asked in response.

Sarah leveled her gaze at him. “Because he's intelligent and loyal and deadly?”

Will inclined his head, acknowledging her assessment. “Yeah. But he's also single-minded. Even before he was recruited, nothing ever distracted him from his mission. That single-minded dedication was one of the things Jack Grayson saw in Luke that made him approach him to join us.”

“And you think having me in his life is nothing more than a distraction?” Sarah said.

“There are some who have a calling to this life, Sarah,” Will explained, avoiding answering her question. “But sometimes we're asked to make sacrifices for a greater good. That's never been a problem for Luke. Until now.”

“So you would deny Luke a chance at love, at happiness, because it doesn't suit
you?
” she demanded. “Templars are forbidden to have a personal life outside of their duties to the Alliance?”

Will shook his head, his hard expression softening a little with something that looked like regret—and sorrow. “No. It's not forbidden. It's . . . not recommended. But I'm not going to insist Luke give you up, no matter what kind of heat I take from the high commander.”

Sarah's brows lifted slightly at this. That was certainly not what she'd been expecting to hear....

“But I need you to understand, Sarah,” he continued, “the life we lead, it's not easy for partners and spouses to accept. Your parents are perfect examples of that.”

“My parents have nothing to do with my relationship to Luke,” Sarah told him.

He regarded her for a long moment before asking, “How are you going to feel when Luke has to disappear without a trace—maybe for weeks at a time? How are you going to deal with the fact that he might not be able to give you any notice before he has to leave? How's
Eli
going to feel when Luke promises to be at his baseball game but doesn't show because he had to fly out to Uzbekistan and couldn't tell you ahead of time because his movements always have to be kept in the strictest confidence?”

“I don't know, Will,” Sarah drawled, “probably the way you felt when that happened to you when you were a kid, I'm guessing. But I'll thank you to leave Eli out of this. He's my concern. Not yours.”

“I'm just trying to prevent you and Eli from getting hurt,” Will said. “And you should know that I'm not about to let Luke walk away from the Alliance—he may not realize it, but he's damned important to this organization. And he's a friend. A brother.”

Sarah narrowed her gaze at the man. “Well, then I guess you need to decide what to do in order to convince him to stay, Commander. But
you
should know, I would never ask him to leave the Alliance for me or my son. I've been doing just fine on my own for the last three years. I'm not after a new dad for Eli—that's not my style. And I know what the Alliance is to Luke, what making a difference and being a part of something bigger than himself
means
to him. I wouldn't ever ask him to give that up. I care far too much for him.”

Will offered her a curt nod. “Thank you, Sarah. I appreciate—”

“That said,” Sarah interrupted, peering down her nose at him again, “let me make a couple of things
very
clear, Commander. My relationship with Luke is none of your goddamned business. And I don't give
a shit
about what you think is best for me or for my son. I'm the one who gets to make
that
call. Understood?”

Sarah tapped the laptop's keypad, disconnecting the call before Will could respond. Still offended that the man would think her so selfish, she shoved away from the desk with a huff and stormed from the office. She'd never wanted to punch someone so much in her life. That insufferable jackass! Like she didn't know how much Luke would be giving up if he stayed with her . . . She was well aware of it.
Painfully
aware of it, in fact.

She marched into her bedroom and quickly changed into the yoga pants and T-shirt that she'd worn the other day when she'd planned to train with Luke only to end up working out with him between the sheets instead. Heat surged in her veins at the thought of their first time together—and every time since—but she gave herself a mental shake, forcing away her desire for him and focusing on her anger at Will as she made her way downstairs to the workout room in the basement.

And it was the face of Luke's commander that she pictured as she pummeled the punching bag, his condescending accusations she heard over and over again in her head as she ran on the treadmill until her muscles burned and sweat soaked her hair and clothes.

The workout helped, but her anger still burned as she climbed the basement stairs to the kitchen, wondering just how much of the conversation she should share with Luke when he returned home soon with Eli for lunch.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that the sound of Chief's low growl didn't at first register when she entered the kitchen. But his furious barking brought her up short, her heart leaping into her throat and cutting off her breath when she came face-to-face with the intruder that blocked her way.

* * *

Luke reined his horse to a stop and swung Eli down from behind him. “I need to get Eli back home for lunch,” he told Davis, checking his watch. “Sarah's probably wondering where the hell I am. You think you have it from here?”

Davis nodded. “Go on and get outta here. Mel had some sandwiches already put together, so I'll feed these guys and then head over to your place so we can take them through the paces there.”

“I'm still full from that delicious pie,” Evans told them with a grin. “If you want, I can head on over with you now.”

Luke traded glances with Davis, who must've picked up on Luke's wariness. He slapped Evans on the back. “You know, no reason I can't grab the sandwiches and take them over to Luke's place. We'll all head out as soon as we put the horses back in the barn.”

Luke handed Aesop's reins over to one of the other men and helped Eli into the SUV, suppressing a grin when the boy bit back a grimace as he eased down onto the seat. “You okay?” Luke asked as he slid in behind the wheel.

Eli nodded. “Yep. But, man, you weren't kidding about being in a saddle for too long. I think I probably need some more practice.”

Luke chuckled and started up the SUV. He took the ride slowly, avoiding any ruts in the road so as not to jostle Eli more than necessary. By the time he was entering the gate to the driveway that led to his house, there were two pickup trucks coming up the road behind him. He recognized one of the trucks as belonging to Davis. The other one was Evans's.

“I want you to stick with your mom in the house when we get home, Eli,” Luke said, glancing into his rearview mirror. “Stay inside unless one of us is with you.”

“Um . . . okay,” Eli agreed, his eyes going a little wide at Luke's concern. “But why? What's wrong?”

“You said you'd trust me, Eli,” Luke reminded him. “I need you to just do what I ask, okay, buddy?”

Eli nodded and swallowed hard. His voice was little more than a rasp when he added, “Okay.”

Luke was slowing to a stop in front of the house when Eli suddenly shouted, “Chief! What's he doing out here by himself?”

Luke threw the SUV into PARK, fear sending a current of electricity up his spine. “Stay in the car, Eli.”

He leaped out and pulled his gun out from under the seat, then slammed the door, locking it and shoving the key in his pocket before Eli could protest. He heard the others getting out of the trucks as he crept toward the house, making a visual sweep of the area as he moved forward.

“Who the hell is this guy?” he heard one of the other men whisper.

Davis was at his side in an instant, weapon in hand. Evans showed up on his other side, his own gun out. Luke fished out the clip he'd removed earlier and tossed it to him in an arc. “You might need this.”

Evans sent a surprised glance his way.

“Davis, stay here and guard Eli,” Luke ordered.

Davis shook his head slightly. “When we find Sarah, you and I are gonna have a chat about what the hell is going on, Rogan. You feel me?”

Luke gave him a curt nod and motioned to Evans for them to move in. The door was slightly ajar. He placed his palm flat on the wood and slowly swung it inward; then, testing a theory, he signaled with his left hand that he'd enter first and that Evans should cover him. And, just as he'd begun to suspect from the way Evans had moved, Evans signaled back that he understood.