Shifting Targets (8 page)

“I heard some things,” she replied.

“Ah, well, you can’t believe everything you
hear in this town. After all, you should know. Hell, just a few
days ago the entire town thought you had been robbing he bank when
all this time Carter was just trying to set you up.”

“Why would he do such an evil thing?” She
swallowed some cola to hydrate her suddenly dry throat. “He’s the
one who stole my land. I did nothing to him.”

“Well, it’s true that I did do some things
for Carter in the past that were probably not very ethical. But I
couldn’t help with this one. He really went too far.”

“So you’re done with him now?”

“Yes. I try to avoid the wrong side of the
law. But you didn’t come here to chat about Carter. What’s really
on your mind?”

“I thought maybe you could help me get my
parents’ land back. With that no good rat in prison, surely there’s
going to be a sale of his estate. He’ll need a lot of money to pay
restitution for blowing up a federal building and to post bail,
don’t you think?”

Gage nodded with a glimmer in his eyes. “He
most certainly will. And he’s looking at serious jail time,
too.”

“So do you know if the farm is going up for
sale?” Her hope began to rise.

“Shye…we had this conversation, remember? Why
can’t you just let it go? That property is way too much for you to
handle alone.”

“I won’t be alone.”

His brows shot up. “Oh?”

“
Ina
and
Ate
…they will be with
me. They are sad, Gage. They long to return home and spend their
last years on the land of their forefathers. Life on the
reservation is suffocating for them.”

“But they are too old to help you run the
plantation. Think sensibly, darling.”

“I’ll hire someone to help me. Can you help
me?”

“What about your biker boyfriend?” His
expression shifted from warm to cold in one blink. “Do you think
he’s the type to settle into farm life?”

Suddenly the air became thick, making her
gasp in shock. The glass slipped from her hand before she realized
it and spilled on the floor. “I-I’m sorry…” She reached down to
pick it up, barely able to breathe.

He pushed off his chair and came around
toward her. Their hands met on the floor. He took hold of her wrist
and pulled her up. His eyes flashed with sheer spite. “Did you
think you could waltz into my office, bat those pretty eyes, pout
your sexy lips and sweet talk me out of the land?”

“Wh-what?” She backed against the wall.

“You underestimated me, darling,” he snarled.
“I’m nobody’s fool. I heard all about Trip Viper sweeping in to
make a daring rescue of his sweet little Indian girlfriend.”

Her thoughts scrambled.
How could he know?
He wasn’t there.
She realized Trip had been right and that Gage
must be deeper involved than she presumed.

“So just because I’ve been seeing another
man, you’re turning on me?”

A deep shade of red flooded his face. Rage
blazed in his eyes as he towered over her. “I waited twenty long
years for you to complete your career and return home to become my
wife. And what did I get? Nothing! Not a damn thing! Now you expect
me to hand over a priceless estate without any sacrifice on your
part?”

“Trip was right about
you!” she spat, even in sudden fear. “I tried all this time to give
you the benefit of the doubt and told him that you’d never harm me.
That Carter must’ve forced you into his dirty game. Now I see you
are not the man I knew years ago. I don’t know who you are
now!”

With both hands braced on the wall behind
her, he lowered his head until their lips were dangerously close.
“I’m the man who owns the land you want.”

She swallowed against the dryness of her
throat, glaring up at him. “You? You tricked my parents into
selling our farm?”

“No…” he replied with an insolent grin.
“Carter did the dirty dealing. I merely steered your gullible folks
in the right direction. After all, you weren’t here to protect them
and we did need the space for our growing business. Then you came
home and started breathing down his neck so he sold the place to
me.”

Her body seethed with fury. “You won’t get
away with this,” she hissed through clenched teeth.

“I already have and there’s only one way
you’ll be able to move your dear sweet Indian parents back onto
their farm before they die.”

“Just what is it that you expect me to do?” A
flurry of terrifying thoughts whipped through her mind.

He brushed his lips over hers and she
cringed.

“Marry me.”

“You’re insane…” Her stomach churned. “I
won’t be part of your corruption.”

“Sacrifices are made all the time, dear Shye.
You of all people should know. After all, isn’t that what
your
people practice?”

“You are so misguided it’s pathetic. You know
nothing of my people except fool’s tales. Our culture is rich and
pure. We don’t defile the land or lie and cheat.” With an indignant
lift of her chin, she stared back at him without flinching. “You
will never break me.”

“We shall see,” he said with a sneer. “You go
now, back to your rebel boyfriend and consider what I can offer you
compared to what he has. As my wife, your precious land will be
half yours.” He cupped her chin with a firm hand. “Since I’m in a
generous mood, I will give you one week…that’s seven moons in your
language,” he added with a mocking laugh. “Come to me when you’ve
made your decision.”

“And if I don’t?”

His hold on her face tightened and he gritted
his teeth. “Then I will come for you.”

She walked to Trip’s bike with a heavy heart
and feet that felt frozen to the ground. Each step seemed difficult
to take. Sliding onto the passenger seat, she sat numb from
betrayal and waited for Trip. He’d obviously been watching for her
as he appeared at her side without making a sound.

“You look badly shaken.” His voice was soft
and soothing as he wrapped protective arms around her. “What
happened?”

Sliding her arms around his waist, she clung
to him with her cheek pressed against his chest and eased off the
bike into his embrace. “You were right about Gage.” Her voice
sounded flat and removed.

“So he
is
working with Pike. I’m sorry
your friend let you down.”

“Not only that. It gets worse…much
worse.”

Trip lifted her chin with one finger until
their eyes met. “Talk to me.”

After taking a deep calming breath, she
relayed the conversation but stopped before the marriage part,
wondering how to present the ultimatum with tact.
How will he
react when I tell him the worst part?
Tears of rage and pain
blurred her eyes but she fought them back.

“He said I must make a
sacrifice
if I
want to regain partial ownership of the land and move my parents
back home.”

“What kind of sacrifice? Helping Pike take me
down? Become part of their drug ring? Do they want money or a place
to hide their cash? Does he want you to set me up?”

“No…” She shook her head and stared up at him
through misty eyes. “He expects me to marry him.”

Silence—her muscles tightened waiting in
agonizing silence for his response. Several minutes later he
spoke.

“You told him to go to hell, right?” Lines on
his face tightened and his expression intensified with
expectancy.

“I tried.”

“But?” His eyes searched hers in sheer
panic.

“He gave me one week to decide.”

“You’re not considering this. You can’t
possibly be considering this blackmail, are you?” He brushed a
runaway tear from her cheek.

“Of course not. I’d never marry that
scum.”

“Yet there’s more…what is it, babe?”

Her body began to tremble beneath the extreme
stress. “If I don’t go to him in one week…he’s coming after
me.”

Trip’s arms swept up her back, holding her
close. He rested his cheek against her hair and though his voice
was soft and low, he spoke with fierce determination. “Let him
come. We’ll be waiting.”

“I don’t want to put you on the run again. I
just keep bringing trouble into your life and getting in the way of
your plans.”

“I love you, Shye.” He kissed the top of her
head then eased back to gaze into her eyes. “We committed ourselves
to each other.
You
are my top priority now. Draven’s days
are numbered and now Gage just put his name on my list.”

Rage, love, passion—all flashed through the
shimmering depth of his eyes. She felt the connection in their
spirits and the resolve in his soul. Everything in his expression
screamed silent outrage yet under the fury she saw his gentle
heart.

“What will we do?”

“Do you love me enough to take on the
fight?”

“You shouldn’t have to ask.” She pouted
briefly then added with a softer slant, “I love you with all my
heart and soul. I only worry of bringing more chaos to your
life.”

“I think we’re past that point,” he said with
the easy smile she loved so much. Tenderly, he brushed stray hairs
from her face. “You have a gift…Shadow. You may have misjudged
Gage, but don’t ever underestimate yourself.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Not at the moment, but I’m sure we’ll think
of something.”

“I guess we’re not free after all.”

“Sure we are,” he said. “We’re no longer
wanted by the law, which is where I like to be. And now we know who
the ringleader is. See, my love, you have helped me with this case.
I knew Gage was involved, but had no idea he was the boss.”

“You sound confident.”

“I am.” He brushed a feathery kiss over her
lips. “Our enemies just gave us an entire week to devise our
counter attack. I can think of plenty of ways to spend our time
while strategizing.”

“The targets in this game keep shifting.”

He let out a short laugh. “And that is our
edge, babe.”

She half-smiled, impressed by his quick mind.
“I really do love you, ya know.”

“I know, angel.” He lifted her back onto the
bike. “How do you feel about checking out the rest of Remle’s
arsenal?”

Flutters of excitement vanquished her fear.
“Oh I like that idea.”

He mounted the seat to her front and pulled
her arms around his waist. “Hold on tight. I like to ride
fast.”

“You are so the perfect man for me,” she
purred while snuggling close behind. “Fast, hard and love
firepower. Let’s ride, baby.”

About the Author

Austina Love is a multi-published author with
various pen names in many different genres with Extasy and Divine
Destinies Books. Currently she resides with her husband and two
sweet Maltese dogs.

In addition to writing romantic fiction, her
passions include music, dance, culture, and creating new recipes in
the kitchen. Always the dreamer, never the realist, Austina takes
life one day at a time while battling the daily challenge of
Meniere’s Disease.

She has a deep love for animals and nature,
believes strongly in the spirit world and values loyalty most of
all in people. Her dream is to visit the ocean many times,
preferably on a Harley. The love of her life was a very special
Bichon Frise and not a day goes by that she doesn’t think of him
since his premature passing.

Ambitious and quirky, she loves to laugh. She
feels that passion is everything and without passion, one is not
truly living but merely existing.