HER CALLAHAN FAMILY MAN (15 page)

Chapter Sixteen

“This is all my fault,” Storm said as he drove her and the children to Hell’s Colony, Texas. They planned to stay with the other Callahans for a few nights before she was taken on to a safe house. It was June, and the babies were thriving. Sawyer and the babies had been staying in the duplex, and it had been a fun rodeo of learning to breast-feed and juggle baby needs, as well as heal herself.

She wouldn’t have traded it for the world.

What she did wish was different was her husband. He came to help at night, but there was a distance between them now. Jace had gone back to work on the ranch before she’d wanted him to, and though he never spoke about his wound, she was pretty sure it still took a toll on him. He didn’t talk much, and slept a lot when he wasn’t helping her with the babies.

Jason and Ashley kept them very busy. They could be the happiest babies, but when they fussed, it was like a tornado had ripped through the duplex. Jason fussed if Ashley fussed, and vice versa. Neither of them liked to hear the other cry. The situation was made worse by the fact that Jason had colic. When it flared up at night, his cries kept both parents busy and exhausted. The house was small and close, especially with an unhappy baby, and Ashley got upset when she heard her brother wailing.

Lu said it broke her heart to listen to the babies at night. She and Storm could hear them, from the other side of the duplex. They would have needed walls a lot thicker to keep the sound from carrying.

Somehow, Jace managed to calm the babies eventually, and then the three of them slept, both infants on his chest, wrapped together like pieces of pie dough. Sawyer snapped a photo of the babies with him like that, and she treasured it.

When they did talk, it was a bit painful. Jace was pretty focused on her going to Texas, and then into hiding. He constantly made plans about it. Gradually, she’d quit fighting him, ever cognizant of Running Bear’s and Fiona’s words. Sawyer told herself it didn’t matter anymore—ever since the night he’d gotten shot, Jace had been different around her.

Quiet.

“I should never have involved you in my worries about Wolf and the Callahans,” her uncle said, breaking into her thoughts. “I was just so certain Wolf was telling me the truth. I couldn’t imagine him making so much stuff up. And of course, everyone knows about the bad blood between them.”

“I shouldn’t have worn the wire. I think that was the part that really bothered Jace. He never said it, but the fact that I’d been recording conversations was hard on him.”

“You thought you were acting for the law enforcement agencies that were working the case.”

“It doesn’t matter, anyway. I should have asked him. I just didn’t know him well enough then.” Yet she’d known him well enough to let him make love to her every time he’d caught up to her—which was often. In the canyons, when she was supposed to be working. On a mesa... Anywhere she was, somehow he seemed to be, too. Eventually, he would appear, and she’d never told him no. She’d wanted him as much as he’d wanted her.

And now he wanted her gone.

“If he hadn’t gotten shot, he wouldn’t be so spooked,” Storm said. “I can understand his position.”

“I can, too, and that makes it even harder. He worries about the babies.”

“Sure he does. He worries about you, too.”

Sawyer sighed. “Jace is an excellent worrier.”

“Well, they’ve been fighting this battle for a long time. I’m confident that no other family could have withstood Wolf and the cartel as long as the Callahans have.”

“What will happen, in the end?”

“I think,” Storm said heavily, “that the Callahans are outgunned and outmanned. Once the land across the canyons got overrun with smugglers and the like, I knew I’d made a bad mistake buying it from that old man. No wonder he’d been so eager to sell me his spread. I wondered why he was willing to let it go at such a rock-bottom price, but none of the preliminary information I had on that ranch showed any trouble. Who would have ever imagined that there were miles of tunnels under that place?”

“And we were sitting ducks for Wolf’s plan,” Sawyer said. “He got you to buy the property, and then had you send me to work at Rancho Diablo for information, while the cartel was busy tunneling underneath. The Callahans still don’t know how far they’ve managed to get, or if the tunnels reach under the canyons to Rancho Diablo yet. The Feds say it’s like a maze under there. A virtual city of catacombs.”

“It creeps me out,” Storm said. “I’m very happy staying in the duplex these days. But wherever you end up, Lu and I will probably follow. At least for a while. Lu says she wants to help you with the babies.”

“It would mean you’d be in hiding,” Sawyer said. “Uncle Storm, I can’t let you give up your life and hers that way. But I love you for offering.”

“Nah,” Storm said. “As Lu says, we have nothing better to do. We’d rather be with family than not. But do you have any idea where you’re going?”

“No. I’ll find out once I’m in Hell’s Colony.” She was worried, fearful of being away from family. Away from Jace. He wasn’t coming with her, that much was clear. He’d always said he didn’t want to live the way his parents had, but she’d never thought he’d desert her and the babies.

Then again, they hadn’t had much of a marriage.

She wished she could change that.

“The thing is,” Storm said, “Wolf used me.”

“We know he did,” Sawyer replied. “He used all of us to get to the Callahans. And though I never thought I’d fall for it, I did.”

“No, I think his plans ran much deeper. You remember how I told you that a long time ago I’d done some horse trading with Fiona?”

Sawyer nodded, and leaned into the backseat to check on Jason and Ashley. “I remember.”

“Well, a couple of weeks before Jace got shot, Wolf came to me and mentioned he had some horses he wanted to sell. Wanted to know where the best place for horse trading was.”

Sawyer frowned. “What did you tell him?”

“That I didn’t know. It didn’t work that way, in my experience. If a man had horses to sell, he talked to other people in the business who might know folks who were looking. But as far as I knew, there was no horse outpost or trading center where mass sales occurred around here. Maybe I’m wrong, but it just isn’t the way I’d done things.” A gentle rain began to fall as they crossed the Texas state line, and Storm turned on the windshield wipers. “Later, I wondered what horses Wolf was talking about. Was the cartel planning to bring horses up from Mexico to sell here?” He shrugged. “I just didn’t know. I never asked, either. By then I knew the less time I spent with Wolf Chacon, the happier I was going to be.”

“Horses,” Sawyer murmured. “It’s so weird. Everyone knows you used to breed and train horses. But Wolf could ask anyone in town where to buy or sell them.”

“And where would he be keeping horses, if he was planning to buy or sell them? He has no barn, no training area. As far as I know, he and his men seem to float, live off the land.”

Sawyer frowned. “I’ll ask Jace if he knows. He’ll probably call tonight. Maybe he’ll be able to figure out exactly what Wolf was after.”

“It just doesn’t make sense.” Storm glanced her way. “I know he loves you, Sawyer. You two are just going through a rough patch right now.”

Rough didn’t begin to describe it. Yet she’d always known there was a heavy price to being a Callahan. “Thank you for taking us to Texas, Uncle Storm.”

The sky turned darker as night fell. Soon it was almost pitch-black. “I’m going to need to feed the babies soon.”

“I know.” He pulled off the highway and headed down a deserted road.

“Where are we going?” Sawyer asked.

“Just keeping away from prying eyes.”

“You think we were followed?” Fear jumped into her heart. She couldn’t bear it if anything happened to the babies. “Surely we weren’t!”

“I don’t think so. But it pays to be careful.”

He stopped the truck, switching it off.

“You don’t have to stop driving.” Sawyer looked at her uncle. “I can get in the backseat and feed the babies.”

He let out a deep sigh. “Sawyer, I’m not taking you to Texas.”

“Why? What are you talking about?”

A truck pulled up behind them.

“This is just the way it has to be. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you, but I was asked not to.” He got out of the vehicle.

“Uncle Storm!”

He opened the back door, unstrapped one of the baby carriers and lifted it out.

“What are you doing?” Sawyer jumped from the truck to run around and face her uncle.

“Shh,” a voice said next to her, and she whirled.

“Jace!”

“Thanks, Storm,” Jace said. “Put the babies in the back. Sawyer, do you have everything? Anything else I need to get out of the truck?”

“I have everything.” She looked at him, shocked to find him there. “What’s going on?”

“Get in the truck. Quickly.” He shook Storm’s hand. “
Vaya con Dios,
Storm. I can’t thank you enough.”

“No problem. Take care of my little girl.” He kissed the top of Sawyer’s head, pushed her toward Jace. “Mind your uncle, girl, and get in the truck. I’ll see you again one day.”

Sawyer hopped into the dark truck, which was exactly like the one Storm was driving. The whole transfer had taken less than sixty seconds—and the next thing she knew, Jace was behind the wheel. He gave her a long, sexy smooch and then a rascally smile, obviously pleased with himself.

“You didn’t really think I was letting you go without me, did you?”

He turned the truck down the dirt road. Sawyer glanced back at her uncle, who was driving the opposite way. It looked as if someone was sitting next to him, though she could barely see in the dark. “Yes, I thought you were sending me and the babies off. I didn’t know when or if I’d ever see you again.” She glared at him. “Why all the secrecy? Couldn’t you have given me a little hint? I’ve cried because of you, you ape!”

“I’m sorry about that. But we had to keep everything very quiet. Storm agreed to help me, and I couldn’t endanger him. Even Lu didn’t know.”

Sawyer took a deep breath. “Never mind. I don’t care what rabbits you pulled out of hats to make this happen.”

“I have no intention of living without my family.”

“You’re taking us to Texas?”

“Actually, we’re not going to Texas. Storm is going to Hell’s Colony. He’s the decoy.”

“And conveniently, has a body decoy in the front seat.” It was all coming together—even the quick switch on the dirt road, the duplicate trucks.

“He’ll continue on to Hell’s Colony, and then my cousin’s going to fly him back in the family jet. By the time Wolf’s men figure out we’ve pulled a switch, you and I and the babies will be long gone.”

“Never to be seen again?” Sudden fear made Sawyer’s pulse leap. It sounded so scary. “Actual hiding, like your parents? And the Callahans?”

“For now,” he said grimly. “We shot Wolf. We’re on his short, fast list of enemies.”

“
I
shot Wolf.
You
had nothing to do with it.” She thought about the past and everything she knew about the Callahans. “I’m not the only sister-in-law who shot your uncle, either. So why has he pursued us so diligently?”

“When Rhein was arrested, he spent some time being interrogated by Sheriff Cartwright. The sheriff learned that Wolf took it particularly hard about the pink Taser. He felt like we weren’t taking him seriously. That a little pink toy gun wasn’t a respectful way to shoot a man.”

“So he would have been happier if I’d used a Sig Sauer 9 mm?”

“Apparently so.”

“The egos in your family tree never cease to amaze me,” Sawyer murmured. “If it helps, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shot him, I guess, but he came into my house uninvited, and I’m never going to be the kind of girl who sits helplessly and waits to be rescued.”

Jace laughed. “Fine by me. Personally, I admired your approach.”

“Except that now you’re going into hiding because of me.”

“With you, babe. And my children. No worries.”

She nodded and looked out the window. There were worries, plenty of them—but Jace was with her now, and their babies had their family.

It was worth shooting ugly old Wolf.

* * *

T
HEY
ENDED
UP
in a small house in Oklahoma, in a small town so far from anything, Sawyer imagined she could walk for days and not see another soul. If Wolf or his band of weirdos ever tried to find them, they’d have to go out of their way to do it. They were so far out in the country, it was a thirty minute drive for groceries. She’d have to go into “town” to get any mail—not that they got any at the post office, of course. They never would.

Jace was quiet all the time, and she could tell he was thinking about his family, and how he was walking in their footsteps, hiding out from an enemy who never seemed to rest.

There wasn’t any way to change it now.

Anyway, she knew Jace hadn’t been entirely forthright about why Wolf was in such a killing rage. He’d thought she’d been on his side, that she and Uncle Storm had cheated him. He felt betrayed, and was determined a price would be paid for that betrayal.

Jace rolled over in the bed next to her, reaching to hold her close to him. The babies slept on pallets in the same room. She wasn’t certain what they were going to do when Jason and Ashley got a couple months older. There were no cribs, and no reason to buy any furniture; they weren’t sure how long they’d be here. Or anywhere.

For now, the road was their home. They’d be here until a signal was sent, and then they’d move on to the next safe house.

“It’s okay,” Jace said. “I can feel you thinking about it, but let it go, Sawyer. Nothing matters but the fact that we’re safe, we’re together.”

She snuggled up against him, grateful that he was there, that she wasn’t walking this road alone. “I’m glad you’re with me.”

“That’s right,” he murmured, nearly asleep. “Tell me I’m your Prince Charming.”

“You could say that,” she said, kissing him. “It’s most likely true.”

“I know. But it’s more fun when you admit it,” he murmured. “Now go to sleep, angel mama.”