Jamie (26 page)

Jamie stared at Faith. What wait? She must have left the cabin seconds behind him to be down the mountain so quickly.

“I lost you back a ways,” Faith continued in a grumbling tone. “But I could hear you, and so I just followed the sound of voices. I couldn't make out the conversation, so your friend's privacy is still protected. No reason for you to be angry with me. No reason at all. But I do have a few grievances with you.”

Jamie drew a steadying breath, but he couldn't relieve the tension that held him in its grip. “What are you talking about, Faith?”

“I ran into some nasty bugs. One bit me.”

She lifted her arm to show Jamie a raised red welt near her elbow.

The sense of foreboding increased, keeping Jamie quiet.

Making a face, Faith trudged down a few more feet, slipping once, swearing under her breath. “I've got scratches, too. Right here.” As if she somehow blamed Jamie for that as well, she showed him the side of her neck, where a thorny bush had grazed her delicate skin.

Jamie flattened his mouth. That Faith might have followed on his heels had never occurred to him, proving that she'd once again been able to close him out of her thoughts. He didn't like it—but at the same time, it made her so very different from any other woman he'd known.

Whether or not that was a good thing, Jamie couldn't decide. But the facts that Faith was here now and that he had a growing sense of unease confused him. Surely, Faith wasn't the source of the unease.

She shook a finger at him. “You're not an easy man to track, Jamie Creed. I figured if I tried to follow you too closely, you'd hear me. But keeping my thoughts blocked while trying to see you and not make any noise didn't make it easy to get down that stupid mountain.”

She stepped closer, and finally stood in front of Jamie, her arms crossed over her chest, her head tipped back to glare up at him. “If you'd agreed to let me come along, none of this would have happened.”

The tension grew until Jamie felt ready to break with it. He gripped Faith's shoulders. “Open yourself to me. Right now.”

Alarmed, she dropped her militant stance and her mouth fell open. “What's wrong?”

“I don't know.” He gently shook her. “Stop blocking me, Faith.” If the threat came from Faith, Jamie would know it once she let him in.

“All right,” Faith gently agreed. She smiled up at him, and her thoughts became crystal clear. Caring. Worry. Tenderness. Protectiveness ... It was the last that threw Jamie for a loop.

“You think to protect me?”

“If I can. Don't you see? I don't know what's wrong. Just as you can't always figure things out, Cory can't either. She said I needed to be with you. She said I needed to stay close. But you keep running off on your own, and I can't bear it.” Pressing closer, Faith put her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. “I'm sorry, Jamie. I know I'm rushing you, and I know you don't completely trust me. I know you can't possibly understand. But ... I care about you. I always have.” Her arms tightened. “I know I always will.”

It took Jamie a few seconds to make sense of Faith's words, to absorb the depth and complexity of her feelings. But when he did, his knees weakened. The emotion in Faith's heart was unshakable, a tidal wave of sincerity that washed through Jamie, leaving him weak and yet filling him with strength.

Shaken, Jamie tangled his fingers in her hair, and his eyes closed to savor the moment.

Faith squeezed in tighter and, with the need for reassurance in her tone, whispered, “Jamie?”

The sound of a car saved Jamie from trying to form words. “Something's wrong,” he told her. “I don't know what, damn it, but something is.” He put Faith behind him and turned to see who approached.

Given the tumultuous mix of emotions bombarding Jamie's senses, it amazed him that he'd heard the car. On every level, he was aware of Faith curled against his back, her hands on his waist, her nose touching his spine.

Rigid and waiting, Jamie studied the bend in the road and let out a breath when Joe's truck came into view. “It's okay,” he told Faith, but added, “at least for now.”

Because the sense of a threat remained, stronger than ever.

Chapter Fifteen

Now that he'd alerted Clint to Jamie's predicament, Scott's thoughts were free to center solely on the situation with Alyx. It occurred to him that he hadn't questioned Jamie's prediction. Jamie said Alyx would be at Knute's, that she'd be in trouble, and he accepted it as fact.

And because Jamie told him to go in quiet, Scott kept the lights and sirens off, and pulled the cruiser into a field adjacent to Knute's overgrown acreage. Leaving the car in near silence and bending low, Scott hurried across the field until he could see the back of Knute's house.

He scanned the area, looking for Alyx or Knute or both. His gaze caught on a flash of red barely visible in the woods to the left. Alyx's red Mazda. Damn.

Almost at the same time that Scott spotted the car, Knute came out of his house. As disheveled and filthy as ever, but moving with sure-footed purpose, Knute strode toward a dilapidated shed at the outer edge of his property.

At a discreet distance, still crouching, Scott followed. As Knute went around the right side of the shed, a tall, dark-haired figure materialized on the left. And Scott's mouth tightened.

Without a disguise, Alyx flattened herself against the raw boards and peered around the corner at Knute. Apparently deciding the coast was clear, she sprinted away from the shed.

And unknowingly made a beeline toward Scott.

It amazed Scott how little noise she made, given the tall weeds, roots, and broken branches on the ground. She reached a tree and darted behind it, then glanced back again to make sure she hadn't drawn Knute's attention.

But Knute stayed busy examining a hidden growth of marijuana. Not enough to be truly alarming, but more than any one man would need. Scowling, Scott ruminated on plans to lock Lamar Knute away while somehow managing to keep Alyx uninvolved.

He wanted badly to protect her, to remove her from the situation right now. But any movement from him might give her away, and he wouldn't risk that.

Then Alyx pushed away from the tree in another mad dash. Unfortunately, her flight sent several crows screeching into the air—and Knute looked up.

She damn near stepped on Scott before he reached out and snagged her ankle. To her credit, she didn't make a sound while falling, and the second Scott's arms went around her, she went still.

Against her ear, Scott breathed, “Shhh. Knute is looking.”

Alyx nodded, but otherwise didn't move a single muscle. Scott wondered which alarmed her more—Knute ... or himself.

When enough time had passed with no noise, Scott lifted his head and surveyed the area. He didn't see a single soul. Had Knute gone back to his house? Or farther into the field?

Alyx whispered, “Coast is clear?”

“Seems to be.”

“He's growing pot.”

Scott looked down at the crazy, fearless woman he loved so damn much and considered throttling her. Nose to nose with her, in a whisper that matched her own, he said, “Yeah, I know.” Then, his eyes narrowed, he asked, “Where's your disguise, Alyx?”

“My ... ?” Alyx's eyes widened. “You think I'm the vigilante?”

“I'm not an idiot.” Scott didn't bother explaining what Jamie had told him.

“Not about most things, no.” Alyx sighed and sprawled out on her back in the itchy weeds. She stared up at the cloudless blue sky. “You want to know the truth, Scott? If I was going to attack someone, it'd be face-to-face, not hiding behind a mask. ”

Scott called himself ten times an idiot, but seeing Alyx on her back, hearing the husky hush of her voice, made him think of things he shouldn't. He had to keep in mind that they were presently on Lamar Knute's property without proper authorization, and Lamar was involved in growing an illegal substance.

Ignoring the rise of Alyx's breasts beneath her green blouse and the sexy length of her long legs stretched out in front of her, Scott summoned the voice of calm and reason. “You're telling me it's not you?”

She didn't look at him. “That's right.”

“But Jamie said he'd seen you ...”

“Yeah. I was there.” Very smug, she said, “Following Becky.”

“Shhh.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I think she's the vigilante. She's the right height, probably the right weight.” Her shoulder lifted. “And I think she has something to do with Jamie.”

“Ohmigod. Jamie did say that the vigilante wanted to get him off the mountain.”

Alyx pushed up on one elbow. “Maybe because she can't find him otherwise.”

A flood of awful scenarios ripped through Scott. His teeth locked. “Do you mean to tell me that you suspected all this—and still you followed her?”

“Hey, I'm taking an interest in the community. If you don't like it, well, what can you do? Break things off with me?” She snorted. “Oh, wait, I forgot. You already did that.”

Frustration sharpened his tone. “I did not break things off. I was trying to—”

“Ha!” In a sudden rush, Alyx pushed into a sitting position.

Scott caught her arm. The urge to tell her his feelings, to propose, burned in his throat, but now wasn't the time. “We can talk about this later, honey. But for right now—”

“For right now, I'm outta here.” Alyx shook off his hold. “Lamar's out of sight, so now's a good time for me to hit the road.”

Again, Scott snagged her arm in a gentle hold. “Be reasonable, Alyx. You can't go trooping across the field.”

“I didn't intend to.”

Scott sighed. “Then you're going to have a long walk ahead of you. Leave with me, and I'll drive you around to your car.”

“Thanks but no thanks.” She didn't quite look at him. “I'd rather walk.”

At her flat, emotionless tone, Scott released her.

Crouching, just as he'd done, Alyx darted away and disappeared into a line of wild brush and skinny trees.

“Damn stubborn woman.” Scott didn't want to let Alyx leave before he'd explained a few things, but she was in no mood to listen to him, and hiding in the woods wasn't exactly the best place to convince her. He reasoned that by letting her go, she'd at least be safely away from the situation. Once they were both well off Lamar's land, he'd have plenty of time to start mending fences.

Determined to be patient, Scott lay low, keeping an eye on Knute's land and house while waiting for Alyx to reach her car. He waited. And waited a few minutes more.

And when he still saw no sign of Alyx, he began to worry. Where the hell had she gone? Alyx wasn't a woman who ever dawdled. She should have gotten to her car and left already. But he could see a peek of her red Mazda hidden in the woods.

Loving Alyx was likely to give him heart failure, considering how often she made his heartbeat hammer. Right now, he instinctively knew something had gone wrong.

Creeping forward, his gaze constantly scanning the area, Scott heard the voices before he saw Alyx and Lamar Knute.

“Forget it, Knute. You don't scare me.”

No, Scott thought. Alyx didn't sound scared. Pissed maybe. But in no way worried.

Fury rang from Knute's tone. “You got no business snooping around on my property.”

With a shrug in her tone, Alyx said, “So sue me. And then I'll just tell everyone about your little crop of pot.”

“Bitch!”

“Slimeball.”

A heavy silence, fraught with sudden comprehension, hung in the air. Knute bristled with accusation. “I know another fella that called me a slimeball. ”

“I'm not surprised,” Alyx quipped. “It suits you.”

Scott heard twigs and leaves crunch beneath heavy boots and knew it was Lamar's drunken stomping. Creeping closer, Scott ducked behind a large rock and a growth of wild blackberry bushes. When he peered around the rock, he saw Knute crowding near Alyx, holding what looked like a hunter's knife in his hand.

His blood ran cold. If Lamar decided to strike, he'd likely cut Alyx before she'd have a chance to escape—before he'd have a chance to reach her.

Alyx, damn her, examined a fingernail and kept her stance relaxed.

Focused and full of fury, Scott crouched, his thighs tensed, ready to launch himself at Knute. He didn't want to announce his presence for fear of startling Knute. Drunks were often dangerous enough. But a drunk with a knife ... No, Scott wouldn't chance it.

Slow and full of menace, Knute snarled, “That son of a bitch hit me with a stick.”

“Yeah?” Alyx glanced up. “Too bad he—or should I say she?—didn't break your fool neck.”

“It
was
you!”

Alyx smiled. “If it was me, Knute, you wouldn't have gotten up.” Taunting Knute, she leaned closer. “I could hit you, and you wouldn't even see it coming.”

Knute's eyes widened.

With a silent curse at Alyx's lack of caution, Scott threw himself out of the hiding spot and toward them both. At the same time, Knute bellowed and lunged for Alyx.

To Scott's disbelief, Alyx reacted so quickly her movements were almost a blur. Stepping to the side to avoid the thrust of the sharp knife, she grabbed Knute's arm and flung him forward, using his momentum against him.

Unfortunately, Scott couldn't pull back, and Lamar crashed into him.

They both went down, Scott onto his back, Lamar atop him. The knife remained in Lamar's hand.

For the first time since knowing her, Scott heard Alyx scream. And not just any scream, but a high-pitched, girlish scream full of bloodcurdling terror.

Had Knute somehow managed to cut Alyx despite her fighting skill? Was she bleeding even now?

Dazed only for a moment, Scott snatched Knute's wrist tight in his fist and flipped to put Knute beneath him. So livid he could barely see, Scott struck Knute once, hard enough to knock him out, then launched to his feet. He kicked the knife away from Knute's lax hand and turned to Alyx.

Her face was white.

Reaching her in one long stride, Scott demanded, “Are you okay?” He looked her over from head to toe but didn't see any cuts. When he urged her to turn so he could examine the rest of her, Alyx resisted.

Hands shaking, Scott cupped her face. “Alyx, honey, are you hurt?”

Her voice was thick with regret when she gasped, “I didn't know you were right there behind me—”

Realizing that her pallor was from fear, not injury, Scott pulled her in close for a hug. “Shhh.” Her trembling matched his. “I'm okay, babe.”

Pushing back, Alyx ran her hands all over him, his chest, his shoulders, his face. “You're sure? He didn't cut you anywhere?”

“I'm fine, sweetheart. Calm down.”

She choked on a deep breath, and for one horrifying moment, Scott thought she'd cry. Then anger flashed in her beautiful eyes and she shouted, “He could have killed you!”

Drawing back, Scott smirked. “Gee, thanks. You were plenty safe, naturally. But I was a hairbreadth away from death?”

She squeezed her eyes shut. “Damn. I didn't mean that exactly.”

Scott softened. “Yeah, I know.” He tipped up her chin, kissed her mouth, and tried to regulate his heartbeat. The threat was over and Alyx was fine. Better than fine. “You know that you scared ten years off my life?”

“Sorry.”

“Are you?” When she didn't quite meet his gaze, Scott bent his knees to see her face. “You impressed the hell out of me. You were calm and in control. And fast. Damn, Alyx, you're fast.”

Her head lifted, and her face colored with pleasure at such an enthusiastic compliment. “Really?”

Nodding, Scott tunneled his fingers into her long hair. “Should there ever be an emergency where you're forced to defend yourself, I trust you'd do fine. But honey ...” Scott hesitated, trying to find the right words that would make her understand without insulting her.

Alyx nodded at Lamar, who was starting to show signs of renewed life. “You're not too bad, either.”

Scott gave her a level stare. “It's what I do.”

“Yes.” Her smile never wavered. “And I've always said you do it well.”

Turning away, Scott retrieved his handcuffs and knelt to restrain Lamar. “Would you like to ride to the station with me, Alyx? Once I get Knute settled, we can ... talk.”

“Depends,” Alyx said, watching as Scott helped Lamar scoot into a sitting position against a tree. “What do you want to talk about?”

With Lamar taken care of, Scott rolled his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck. This was hardly the right place, but Alyx deserved answers. He wiped the sweat off his brow and cleared his throat. Moving closer to her so that Lamar wouldn't overhear, he said, “I'd like to talk to you about ... us.”

“What about us?”

“I want you to marry me.”

Alyx froze. “You ... Why?”

He saw her expectation and her wariness. It was the wariness that cut him to the bone “You've been chasing me forever....”

“I'm done chasing you,” she reminded him.

And that punched up his temper. “Well, maybe
I'm
not done.” Determined to do this right, Scott dug into his pocket and pulled out the small velvet-covered box to thrust toward her. “Here.”

Alyx stared at it with the same fascination she'd give a snake. “What ... what is it?”

“Open it and see.”

With incredible caution, Alyx accepted the box, lifted the lid, and gasped. “Oh ... Scott.”

And then the words just tumbled out of him. “I love you.”