Still the One (18 page)

“So, where are we going?” His warmth coaxed her closer. Kit wanted to snuggle up to that broad chest, press a kiss on the side of his neck.

His gaze traveled over her face, lingered on her lips long enough to make them tingle.

Reflexively, she licked them. “Rafe?”

“Yeah.” He jerked his gaze to hers, and she saw desire flare in the black depths, saw him bank it. “Uh, let’s see. We’re going to Fort Towell. The cabin is located just east of there, on the edge of a wildlife preserve.”

“Where’s Fort Towell?”

“South central Colorado, down by a town called Alamosa in the San Luis Valley.”

“How long will it take us to get there?”

“Probably two and a half hours.” His gaze dipped to the swell of her breasts, revealed by the scoop neck of her gown.

Her hands tightened on the sheet. She wanted him to kiss her, wanted to know if his feelings were the same as they had been last night before they’d gone to sleep. But he wanted slow, and she’d promised.

He looked away, stood. Walking to the window, he glanced at his watch.

“I’ll shower and dress.” Kit slid out of bed, her nerves shimmering. How could he notch up her pulse with just a look? “It won’t take me long. Do we have time?”

“Yes.” He turned, kept his gaze trained carefully on hers. “I’ll jump in once you’re finished. It’s early enough that we should get there by mid-morning.”

“And what about Ape Boy?”

He grinned at her use of the nickname he’d given their tail. “We’ll keep an eye out. Once we get to Fort Towell, we’ll stop for directions to the cabin. I only have an address. We’ll also make sure we’re still alone. Anyone following us will find it a lot harder to hide in such a small town.”

“What if we don’t see him? We didn’t yesterday.”

“If he’s still tailing us, we’ll spot him.”

“And what if he’s not?”

“We’ve either lost him or he’s following Liz and Tony.”

She swallowed against the possibility, then told herself not to borrow trouble. She turned and walked into the bathroom.

An hour later, they were ready and in the car. While Rafe filled up with gas at a convenience store on the way out of
town, Kit bought two large, steaming cups of coffee and two sausage biscuits.

Leaving Pueblo, they drove south on I-25. As Rafe smoothly maneuvered the Corvette through early-morning highway traffic, she savored her coffee and watched him. Broad shoulders made the most of the moss green T-shirt he wore today. Beneath the aroma of roasted coffee, she caught a whiff of the hotel soap he’d used.

Her gaze slid over the flex of sinew on his forearm as he shifted gears, moved down to muscular, denim-clad thighs and scuffed boots. He was one gorgeous man.

He kept one hand on the wheel as he drank his coffee. His gaze switched frequently between the rearview and side mirrors. Kit regularly checked her side mirror, but she saw nothing suspicious.

They drove in the opposite direction of most morning traffic, and the number of cars thinned quickly. If the bald guy was still following them, and if he was still in the silver sedan, he’d be easy to spot on this flat stretch of land.

Wildflowers along the side of the road provided an occasional splash of color against greening farmland. Just to the west and behind Kit’s shoulder were the Wet Mountains, a subrange of the Rockies, their gray-purple face and snowy peaks wreathed in clouds. Kit’s gaze kept returning to Rafe, as did her thoughts.

She was glad he’d finally opened up to her about his resentment. For the first time in the days since they’d begun working together, he’d let her in.

Why had it taken her so long to see the way she’d put him second to her family? It had finally hit her after they’d made love, after he’d withdrawn from
her.

At first, she’d been angry and hurt, but that had soon dissolved, leaving her to stare at the cold, hard truth. His distance from her had allowed her to see that she’d always done the same thing to him. When they’d been together
before, she had only committed fully to him when they’d made love, holding back at all other times. She thought she needed to be self-sufficient, and she had been. So much so that Rafe had believed she never needed him.

Shifting her gaze out the window, she admitted the real reason she’d left him in the first place. He’d wanted to relieve her of some of the responsibility she carried, and that had frightened her. She’d felt threatened. Because if she had let go, she realized, she would’ve felt she was giving up a part of her identity, the part that had taken over and become a surrogate mother to Liz.

It wasn’t just being with Rafe, but also the past ten years that had taught her that. During those years, she’d battled giving up that responsibility a fraction at a time. Could she live her own life without taking on her sister’s? There was a balance somewhere, and Kit wanted to find it.

Her cell phone rang, and she pulled it out of her purse. “Maybe it’s Liz,” she said to Rafe. “Hello?”

“Kit?”

“Yes.” Her head came up and she grabbed Rafe’s arm, mouthing, “Tony.”

She slid closer to Rafe, leaning over to hold the phone so they could both hear.

“This is Tony. Tony Valentine.”

“Of course, I know it’s you, Tony.” She bit back her impatience and the flare of worry that he, not Liz, was calling her. “Is everything okay?”

“Liz is fine, yes. I wondered if you guys would meet me?”

“Absolutely. Where?”

Rafe’s gaze sliced to her. He shook his head as if he couldn’t hear.

She angled the phone toward him, her shoulder flush with the hard line of his. Their heads touched.

“I’m in a little town called Fort Towell. I left Liz back at the cabin asleep.”

“But she’s okay? And you’re okay?”

“We’re both fine,” Tony reassured her. “She needed to sleep, and besides, she doesn’t blend too well.”

Rafe chuckled.

Kit grinned, her anxiety lessening somewhat. “Tell us where to meet you. We’re already on our way there. We found out about Eddie’s cabin.”

Tony gave them directions to a place called Pet’s Diner, right off US-160. “I’m driving an older model Ford pickup. White.”

“Okay.”

Rafe motioned for her to give him the phone.

“I’m going to pass the phone to Rafe. He wants to talk to you.”

She took Rafe’s coffee cup then she handed him the phone.

“Tony, Rafe Blackstock. We’re less than two hours away. Keep a low profile. You’ve been doing great at that.”

Kit dug a pen out of her purse, then a receipt. On the back of it, she jotted down the name of the diner.

Rafe said, “Good. Put that evidence in a separate place from the computer. Right.”

After another pause, he said, “Have you noticed anyone following you? That’s good. Okay, we’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

He hung up and handed the phone to her. “Tony said he hadn’t seen a tail, but he left Liz at the cabin in case he did. He’s protecting her.”

“He darn well better be. He got her into this mess,” Kit muttered, stuffing her phone into her purse.

“Are you sure?”

She looked into those steady black eyes. “No. You’re
right. She got herself into it. She probably just jumped right in the car with him and took off, no matter what he said.”

“Kinda like her sister,” he teased.

“Hmph, you needed me and you know it.”

He chuckled, his eyes sparking with humor and a softness that made her stomach dip.

She was supposed to be with this man. Only him. Would she ever be able to tell him?

He’d made no promises last night—neither of them had—but Kit felt encouraged. They’d reached a level beyond what they had shared before.

For the first time, she’d let him in, really let herself depend on him, and though it was intimidating, it was also freeing in a way she’d never expected or experienced. That mix of emotions played through her. She was thrilled Rafe hadn’t rejected her, but could she be what he needed this time? Could she really let go of the responsibility she’d carried for so long?

She was going to try with everything in her. She didn’t want to lose him again. If anyone walked away, this time it would be him.

And that was a possibility, she told herself. The thought unleashed the same swelling panic in her that it had before, but she fought it down.

Less than an hour later, they took the US-160 West exit off I-25 and drove west through Walsenburg. Seventeen miles took them through La Veta Pass. The flat prairie began to roll and dip, becoming a valley. After several minutes, Rafe pointed out a sign declaring that Fort Towell was less than an hour west. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, visible only as bluish-gray summits while they’d traveled south, rose to their north, looking close enough to touch. Clouds haloed the peaks; the sun beamed through, splashing gold onto slopes of evergreen trees.

Kit noted that, while she and Rafe had driven in silence
at times, it had been comfortable. She slid a look at him, her heart clenching.

Memories washed through her—his burning kisses, the bone-melting stroke of his hands on her flesh. She’d never stopped loving him and wanted to tell him that, but now wasn’t the time. He didn’t trust her not to walk away again. Those three words wouldn’t mean anything until he did.
If
he ever did.

Knowing these thoughts would drive her crazy, she focused on her sister. “What’s the plan once we meet up with Liz and Tony?”

“First, we’ll make sure Alexander’s goons aren’t around, then we’ll see just how safe their cabin is. If necessary, I’ll move them to a motel somewhere. I’ll call Uncle Wayne for backup and also connect him with Tony. By now, Craig’s delivered what he found to the FBI. Wayne will tell me how he wants to proceed. I’ll either take them back to Oklahoma City or meet my uncle somewhere.”

“
You
sure are going to be busy.” She arched a brow, unable to resist jabbing him a little. “What about me? You’re not planning to ditch me, are you?”

She had only meant to tease, but the words too closely mirrored her secret fear. An awkward silence grew between them.

“No,” he said quietly, then shifted his attention to the road. “
We’ll
do all that, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Uncle Wayne will probably want Tony in protective custody, possibly Liz, too. Will you be all right with that?”

Kit smiled as she realized she really would be. “At least I’ll know where she is and that she’s safe.”

“True.”

Since the beginning, she’d been nervous about the outcome—they were talking about Liz, after all—but she’d never doubted Rafe would find Liz. Never doubted he’d
keep her, Kit, safe. She had every confidence he would see this through to the end with her, but what about afterward?

He glanced over. “How well do you know Tony?”

“Not well. He’s a likable guy and smart. Computer smart, anyway.”

“Bad influence?”

She shrugged. “At first, I thought he’d be the one man to make Liz feel settled, but I was wrong. I was disappointed when he went to prison. Sure made Liz the more steadying influence in that relationship.”

“There’s obviously something still between them.”

“Yeah.” Kit ran her fingers through her hair.

“Think she’ll see him once this is over?”

“I don’t know. She obviously wanted to before all this started. It may depend on whether he goes back to prison.”

“Are you okay with it if she gets back together with him?”

“Do you think it would matter if I weren’t?”

His lips twisted. “I imagine you’re anxious to see her.”

“I’m anxious to smack her, but that’s never done any good.”

He chuckled. Kit angled into her seat so she faced him, her gaze following the golden wash of sunlight over his features, his muscled arms. “I’m just glad they’re okay.”

“She always seems to land on her feet.” Rafe passed a car, then moved into his lane again.

“Yes,” she murmured. He was exactly right. Liz
would
manage to land on her feet whether Kit were there to catch her or not.

Studying Rafe’s sculpted jawline, the noble profile, Kit realized he’d been right about something else, too. For years, she had struggled with letting go of the responsibility she felt over her mom’s death. She knew it would break her mother’s heart to know Kit blamed herself. Getting her
own heart to let go of that blame was a different matter altogether.

Every time she thought she had managed to do it, her sister would pull a stunt, and all the uncertainty would well up again.

Kit saw that maybe she’d used that as an excuse. Maybe she’d been afraid to let Liz go rather than really believing that her sister depended on her completely. That realization drew her up short, but it fit, settled something deep inside her that had felt restless and out of place since her mom’s death. Part of her would probably always feel responsible for her mom’s death, but she was tired of carrying it, especially by herself.

She looked at Rafe, and a new determination filled her. She was willing to do whatever it took in order to keep him in her life this time. But regardless of what he decided about them, it was time for her to make some changes, starting with how she dealt with Liz.

Before long, she and Rafe could focus on themselves, sort things out. Once Liz and Tony were safe, Kit could tell her sister about her plans for a new life.

T
he closer she and Rafe got to Pet’s Diner, the more edgy Kit became. Not just because she wanted to see for herself that Liz was all right, but because she wanted this finished. The fact that neither she nor Rafe had spotted the bald guy tailing them also had her nerves jangling.

“What do you think happened to Baldy?” she asked as Rafe flipped on his signal and turned into the gravel parking lot. “We haven’t seen him since Grady City.”

“I don’t know, but we need to keep an eye out. I don’t like the way he suddenly disappeared.”

Kit nodded, taking in the long white building in front of them. A red-trimmed door and windows, along with a tasteful back addition, nearly disguised the fact that the front section had originally been a mobile home. They drove between the two rows of vehicles parked along its length. She pointed out Tony’s white pickup at the far end of the front row.

Rafe nodded. “If Alexander’s goons are around, they won’t miss it, either.”

He eased the ’Vette into the first available spot, between an old Chevy sedan with peeling green paint and a grungy brown four-door Jeep.

He killed the engine, and they both got out. The early summer air was comfortably cool, the sun bright in a pale blue sky. To the north rose four mountain peaks Rafe had learned were Mount Lindsey, Little Bear Peak, Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point, snow visible on their summits.

Kit scanned the row of cars behind where they’d parked, noticed that Rafe did the same, but she didn’t see the silver sedan or any car that looked familiar. She should’ve been relieved, but like Rafe, she wondered what had happened to the guy who had attached himself like their shadow.

Semis and sports utility vehicles zoomed past on the highway. Tufts of sagebrush dotted the sandy pastureland across the busy roadway.

“There he is.”

Kit turned toward Rafe, her gaze going past him to the end of the row. A slender man in a baseball cap, Denver Broncos shirt and jeans stood at the tailgate of a white Ford pickup.

Tony made eye contact, then turned and walked around the truck to the side of the diner.

Kit started toward him, and Rafe fell into step with her.

“You doing okay?”

“Yes, just ready to see Liz.” She smiled at him, wishing she weren’t so jumpy. “I’m glad this is almost over.”

“Won’t be long now.”

She hoped so, hoped they could get Liz and Tony out of here before Alexander’s goons showed up. They rounded Tony’s pickup and Kit saw him standing in the shadows of the building.

She glanced at Rafe. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Not going anywhere.” He squeezed her shoulder.

Grateful for the support, she reached up and touched him.

Even in the shadows, Kit could see how strain had hardened her brother-in-law’s usually soft mouth. His short brown hair was hidden beneath the ball cap, and he’d grown a full, if spotty, beard to go with his mustache. His wire-framed glasses did little to hide the anxiety in his gray eyes. “Hi, Tony.”

“Hi, Kit. Sorry about this.”

“Me, too.” She gestured to Rafe. “This is Rafe Black-stock. He’s my…a private investigator. He’s got contacts with the FBI and can get you some protection.”

The men shook hands. Even though Tony stood only an inch shorter than Rafe, he seemed smaller due to his narrow shoulders. He backed against the stucco wall, edging farther into the shadows as he glanced nervously behind him. She and Rafe moved closer; Rafe stood on her left side, keeping an eye on the parking lot.

Tony’s eyes were red-rimmed and tired-looking. “Thanks for meeting me. I want you to take Liz with you. There could be trouble, and I don’t want her involved. I hope you’ll have better luck at talking her into leaving than I have.”

Kit nodded. “We’ll get her out of here. What about you?”

“Thanks.” Relief flashed across his sharp features. “I’m going to the FBI. I’ve got three disks in my truck, taped under the seat. They contain all the evidence I could find against Alexander on his computer. From the first time he approached me about running a scam for him to where he threatened to hurt someone close to me.”

“That’s good,” Rafe said.

“Should I give them to you?”

“No, you hold on to them, turn them over to the FBI yourself.”

Tony nodded, his gaze darting to the parking lot. “We
can go to the cabin if you’re ready. I wasn’t followed. I’ve tried to be careful about noticing that.”

“Great. We didn’t spot a tail, either.”

Kit pressed closer to Rafe, reassured by his easy handling of their covert meeting. She’d hired him because she trusted him, had known he would help her; in the bargain, she’d gotten a confident, more-than-competent professional and maybe a second chance with him. “Should we follow you to the cabin?”

“Yes,” Tony said, “but I wanted to give you directions, too. In case you lose sight of me. We’ll turn right onto this highway and go four miles west. Take a dirt road marked by two brick columns. From there, it’s about fifteen more minutes, past a mesa and some thick forest. Liz will probably be awake by the time we get there.”

“And mad,” Kit said with a smile.

“Very mad. But this is for her own good.” Tony’s smile eased the lines of fatigue and worry in his thin face. His gaze searched Kit’s. “I really tried to keep her out of it. She wouldn’t listen.”

“I know how she is.” Kit was past being angry with either of them; she just wanted them to come out of this safely.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “Maybe you can talk some sense into her, tell her to get on with her life and forget about me. I imagine I’m looking at more time, seeing as how I skipped out on my parole.”

She admitted to a flare of admiration. He really seemed to have Liz’s best interests in mind. “We don’t think your parole officer turned you in yet. A few days ago, we talked to him and he indicated that he’d let us have a chance to find you.”

“Really? That’s great. He’s a pretty nice guy.”

Rafe stepped behind Kit, his body a solid shield at her back. He eyed the parking lot carefully before turning to
Tony. “Once we get Liz and make sure you two are somewhere safe, I’ll call my uncle at the FBI. They’ve started building a case against Alexander with some evidence recovered from your computer.”

He explained about Craig and the information he’d turned over to Wayne Blackstock.

“Your guy must be good.” Respect lit Tony’s eyes.

“It took him a while,” Rafe said with a grin, “but he got it.”

He put a hand to the small of Kit’s back, his touch warm and reassuring as the three of them walked toward Tony’s pickup.

“Ready?” Rafe asked.

Tony nodded and slid into his truck while she and Rafe moved to the ’Vette.

“Did you ever see the bald guy?”

“No.”

She studied Rafe, trying to determine if he were uneasy or nervous, but his black eyes revealed only caution.

Twenty-five minutes later, after bumping and twisting along a rutted dirt road past cedars and pines and a pair of deer who skittered away at the sight of them, she and Rafe pulled up behind Tony’s truck in front of a small, A-frame cabin.

Tony started up the pine steps. Kit followed with Rafe, admiring the beauty of Liz’s temporary home and inhaling the scent of pine on the cool air. Leave it to her sister to find a gorgeous spot to hide.

The cabin was nestled in a lush grove of evergreen trees. Framed by a pale blue sky and sun-tipped branches, the picture was as inviting and perfect as a travel brochure. Birds chirped, and a slight breeze whistled through the trees. Since Kit had left Pueblo, the temperature had dropped slightly. Though still pleasant, it was cooler in the
valley. She rubbed her arms, wishing she’d brought a light jacket to wear over her short-sleeved cotton shirt.

Rafe waited at the bottom of the steps for her. Five steps, carved from the same golden pine as the cabin, led to a wide deck. Sunlight glittered off two triangular windows situated on either side of the door. She and Rafe started up the steps.

“Whoa.”

The alarm in Tony’s voice had Kit’s head coming up. He stood in the open doorway, his hands in the air.

“Tony!” a woman screamed. “They work for Alexander!”

Liz!
The voice jolted Kit. Before she could call out, Rafe grabbed her wrist. She jerked toward him, stunned.
What was going on?

He silenced her with one quick slash of his index finger.

“Hey, man, don’t shoot.” Tony stayed frozen in the doorway. “I don’t have a gun.”

A masculine voice murmured something, then Kit heard another unfamiliar male.

“Run, Tony!” Liz cried.

Rafe ducked under the stair rail, pulling Kit with him. She stumbled onto the ground beside him. Apprehension clogging her throat, she followed, her steps barely making a sound on the pine needles and grass, the tiny bits of gravel.

Her brain tried to catch up to what her eyes had seen. Rafe tugged her to the side of the cabin, put her behind him.

For a moment, his hand flat against the curve of her hip to hold her to him, he listened.

Trying to do the same, Kit pressed close against his back, but heard only the roar of her heartbeat in her ears. Sweat slicked her palms. She clutched a handful of Rafe’s T-shirt
as her stomach dropped with a sickening thud. Alexander’s men were here and they had Liz.

His mind racing for a plan, Rafe turned, took Kit’s hand. It was cold in his. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with shock.

“Kit,” he whispered. “Look at me.”

She focused on his eyes, and he squeezed her hand. “Good. Listen. We don’t have much time. Tony’s trying to get them all out of the cabin, into the open. He told them the disks were in town.”

“Why?”

“If he can get them outside, we have a chance to get to Liz.”

The shock disappeared from her eyes, and she gripped his hand. “What do we do?”

He released her, pulled his gun from the small of his back. “I’ve got fifteen shots here. You have to help me.”

She nodded, still pale.

“Get behind the cabin. Stay out of the line of fire.”

“But I want to help.”

“This is the best way. You’re not armed. You can’t protect yourself unless you stay covered. I’m going to try to get to Liz, send her your way.”

“Okay.”

He touched her cheek. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, yes.” Her eyes were dark with worry, but clear.

He walked her to the back of the cabin. “No matter what, stay covered until this is over.”

Her hand tightened on his arm. “Be careful, Rafe. Please.”

“I will. We’ve got plans after this, right?” He smiled at her.

“Right.”

He allowed himself one hard kiss, then edged along the
back of the cabin to the opposite corner. After one glance to make sure Kit was safely in place behind the cabin, he eased up the side, thumbing off the safety on his Magnum.

He hoped Kit would do as he’d asked. If there was any chance of her being in the line of fire, he wouldn’t be able to think of anything except her.

He looked back once more. She was there, waved at him. Thank goodness, she was playing it smart. She’d stay out of sight.

Putting all other thoughts out of his mind, he slipped silently to the front corner of the cabin. Tony stood at the bottom of the steps, still talking.

He had managed to get Alexander’s goons and Liz outside. The two men, Baldy and a tall, skinny guy, matched the descriptions Rafe had gotten after the murder of Eddie Sanchez. Skinny stood on the middle step, his gun trained on Tony. On the top step, the bald guy held Liz in front of him like a shield, one arm hooked around her neck.

The lush body and tight black outfit were classic Liz, but Rafe had to look twice at the blond bob. He’d only ever seen her natural medium brown hair. She whimpered, her body pulled awkwardly into Baldy’s.

When the man shifted, Rafe finally saw his gun, drilling into the underside of Liz’s jaw.

“I’m telling you, those disks are in town.” Tony’s features were drawn, his gaze trained on the man who held Liz. “If I don’t pick them up by tomorrow, they’ll be mailed to the police.”

Good thinking, Tony,
Rafe commended silently, trying to gauge his chances of taking Baldy from this angle.
Move down another step, you slimeball.

Skinny stepped to the ground, backed Tony into the hood of his pickup.

The bald guy pushed Liz down another step, then another. Rafe moved silently toward them.

“Leon!” the skinny man called. “There’s a car back there. Behind this truck. It’s a black Cor—”

Rafe jammed his gun into Leon’s back. “Let her go.”

The man tried to angle away from Rafe, put Liz squarely in front of him, but she dug in her heels. He yelled, “Junior!”

The skinny guy whirled, aimed at Liz. Tony roared and tackled him from behind. The gun went off. Liz screamed.

“Drop, Liz!” Rafe ordered. “Fold your legs and drop!”

His words were drowned out by more gunfire from Junior. He and Tony grappled on the ground, fighting for the gun.

Rafe yelled at Liz again, and she folded her legs. Caught off balance, Leon stumbled, slamming her into the railing.

“Tony!” she screamed. “Tony!”

Junior’s gun fired again. Leon draped himself over Liz like plastic wrap. Rafe couldn’t get a clear shot.

Tony yelped, frantically pushing at the man on top of him. Scrambling off the ground, he stumbled and bumped into the grill of his truck. “He’s dead. Crap, he’s dead.”

Before Rafe could tell Tony to get Junior’s gun, Leon exploded into motion. He pushed Liz to the side and bolted down the steps.

She tumbled over the rail, on top of Rafe. Under the sudden impact, he stumbled. They both fell to the ground.

A shot rang out. Tony cursed. Another shot cracked the air. By the time Rafe moved Liz and darted under the steps, Tony had taken cover behind the passenger side of his truck and was shooting at Leon, who had ducked behind a tree.

Tony fired twice more, peeked over the hood to squeeze the trigger again. This time, the gun clicked, empty.

Leon popped out from behind his tree, shot twice. Tony dove for the ground.