LITMIR.BIZ

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Quest. They’d had good reasons to lie, too. First of all, they weren’t supposed to be playing that online game, let alone sneaking out to meet up with strangers to capture their friends’ bases. And then there was the sheriff. He’d been looking for any excuse to bust their best friend Ryan’s older brother, Justin, the guy who’d let them into the game in the first place. If they didn’t cover for him, the sheriff would go after Justin like an angry pit bull. It would be his third strike and a one-way trip to a real jail. No more acting-out-against-an-abusive-father juvenile stuff. He’d be shipped off for good if their dad didn’t beat Justin to death first.

      Justin had cleaned up his act. And he deserved a second chance. Besides, it was no surprise that he’d taken a wrong turn in the first place with a father as cruel as his. The real miracle had been that Ryan hadn’t followed in his older brother’s footsteps.

      Even though it would have meant turning on their friends, Brody had visited Rebecca in the middle of the night to tell her that she didn’t have to keep the pact. Ryan would understand.

      But Justin didn’t have anything to do with Shane’s disappearance. And there was no reason to screw up another family.

      Shaking off the memories, Rebecca slipped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. She put the car in Reverse and tapped the gas a little too hard.

      An object flew forward underneath her feet. She hit the brake, bent forward and picked it up. Her cell. It must’ve fallen out when she was rushing into her car earlier.

      A mix of relief and exasperation flooded her as the thought of tracking her assailant via her phone disintegrated.

      It was too early to give up hope of finding him this time.

      She couldn’t do it alone. Brody had bought the old Wakefield Ranch. Rumor said he’d become a warrior overseas. Would he help? Could she reach out to him after all these years? How hard would it be to get his phone number and find out?

      Rebecca pulled into another parking spot and thumbed through her contacts. Her finger hovered over Ryan’s number. They hadn’t spoken in years, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt to reach out to him. She sent a text message to him, unsure this was his number anymore. It didn’t matter. It was worth a try. He still owed her one for helping to protect his brother.

      The text came thirty seconds later with Brody’s information.

      Seeing it, needing to reach out to him, made this horror so much more real. And her heart pitched when she thought about facing him again.

      * * *

      BRODY FIELDS LEANED against his truck. The call from Rebecca Hughes had dredged up old feelings best left buried. He’d almost ended the call without finding out what she’d wanted. Except he couldn’t do that to her. It was Rebecca. The sound of her voice had stirred up all kinds of memories. Most of them were good.

      He’d known her since they were kids, but they’d been teenagers when he’d fallen for her. There was so much more than her physical beauty that had drawn him in. She’d been the only female Brody had ever trusted and allowed inside his armor after his mother had betrayed the family, stolen money from the town and then disappeared.

      The mental connection he’d shared with Rebecca had been beyond any closeness he’d experienced. Looking back, maybe it was the loner in him that could relate to her isolation.

      When she’d pushed him away and said she’d never loved him, it had hurt worse than any physical blow. Soon after, she’d left for college, and then eventually moved to Chicago. He’d been the most surprised to learn that she’d moved back to Mason Ridge.

      For a split second, he’d hoped she’d called for old times’ sake. Then, he remembered what day it was—the anniversary of Shane’s disappearance—and he knew better.

      The conversation had been short. She’d told him what had happened and requested to meet face-to-face at The Dirty Bean Coffee Shop. He’d agreed, ending their exchange. The place was on his way home. Driving to the meeting point had taken ten minutes.

      The pale blue sedan parking next to his truck had to be hers.

      Knowing she was about to step out of her car and he was about to see her again hit him hard. How many times had he secretly wished he’d run into her in the past few months? Where’d that come from?

      Hearing that her abductor had returned hadn’t done good things to Brody’s blood pressure. He wouldn’t refuse her plea for help. And a little piece of him hoped he’d figure out if her case and the memories were the reasons she’d rejected him all those years ago. He’d been a boy back then. Helpless. A lot’s changed.

      He’d grown up. Survived his mother’s betrayal of his family and the town. Served his country. Gone on to become a leader of an elite-forces team. Spent time with a lot of interesting women. To be honest, not all of them were interesting, but they were smokin’ hot.

      He crossed his arms over his chest and tucked his hands under his armpits.

      The first thing he noticed as Rebecca exited her vehicle was her jean-clad long legs and red boots. His body instantly reacted to seeing the woman she’d become. There were enough curves on her lean figure to make her look like a real woman. She still had the same chestnut-brown hair that fell well past her shoulders in waves. She’d be close enough for him to look into her light brown eyes soon. Were they still the color of honey?

      Why did seeing Rebecca reduce him to being that heartsick seventeen-year-old brat again?

      Brody ignored the squeeze in his chest. Fond memories aside, he didn’t do that particular brand of emotion anymore.

      That she moved cautiously, surveying the area, reminded him why she was there. It wasn’t to talk about old feelings.

      “It’s good to see you.” She took a tentative step closer to him.

      Yep. Same beautiful eyes. Same diamond-shaped face. Brody hadn’t expected her voice to sound this grown-up. Or so damn sexy. He didn’t want to think about her in a sexual way. She’d been all sweetness and innocence to him at seventeen. And this wasn’t a date. He glanced around the parking lot to make sure no one had followed her.

      “Wish the circumstances were better. I’m glad you called.” The conversation needed to stay on track. So, why did he feel another physical blow when he saw disappointment flash in her eyes? “Tell me why you think I can help.”

      “He’s after me. Neither the sheriff nor the FBI caught him before. I’m scared. You’re the only one I can talk to who knows what really happened that night.” Her eyes flashed toward him nervously. “I’ve heard about the things you did overseas. I know you’ve done some security consulting on the side since you came back. I’d like to hire you to protect me while I sort all this out.”

      “I don’t need your money. I’ll help.” He didn’t have to think long about his answer. Brody had experience tracking down the enemy, and this case had always eaten at him. Guilt?

      “I’d still like to pay you something. In fact, I’d rather do it that way. I’m not a charity case.” She stared at him, all signs of vulnerability gone from her almond-shaped eyes.

      He stared back. “Fine. We’ll figure something out.”

      “Thank you.”

      He hadn’t expected her to look so relieved. “You want to grab a cup of coffee while you fill me in?”

      She nodded.

      Brody followed Rebecca to the counter, where they placed their orders. She reached in her purse to pay for hers. He caught her arm. Big mistake. An electric volt shot through his hand, vibrated up his arm and warmed places that he didn’t realize were still iced over.

      There’d be no use denying he felt a sizzle of attraction being near Rebecca again. It was more than a mild spark. She’d grown into a beautiful woman. But if he didn’t watch himself, she could put a knife through his chest with just a few words.

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