Dangerous Secrets: Callaghan Brothers, Book 1 (8 page)

Jake’s eyebrows rose.  “She wiped down her own car?”  Who the hell would wipe down their car while waiting for a tow?  And why?  “What about the plate?”

Ian smirked.  “Doesn’t exist.”

“The GPS?”

“I’ve got it in my room.  Looks like a series of coordinates, not just one set.  I’m going to plug them in later and see what comes up.”  Ian looked more serious than usual.  “Your instincts were dead on, Jake.  She’s running, big time.”

“What about the tavern in the photo?”

A slight frown marred Ian’s brow.  “I didn’t make a lot of progress on that yet.  The search engine brought up over a thousand hits.  I ran one of my screening programs against the results, maybe about a hundred of which seem plausibly relevant.  I’ll sync it up with whatever I find on the GPS later.”

Jake nodded appreciatively.  No one was better at gathering digital intel than Ian.  He had no doubts that by this time tomorrow, they would know everything there was to know about the mysterious Taryn.  Which was good, because time was going by too quickly.  Unless they found some way to prevent it, in less than forty-eight hours Taryn would be gone.

“Thanks, Ian.”

“Jake?”  Ian shifted his weight slightly, a sure sign that he was going to say something Jake didn’t want to hear.  “My gut’s humming.”  Ian’s gut always “hummed” when something big was about to happen.  It was like a sixth sense, an instinctual warning that something big was about to happen.  It had gotten them out of more close calls than either cared to think about.

“I know,” Jake said soberly.  “Mine too.”

* * *

T
aryn muttered a series of curses for allowing herself to be snuck up on like that.  It was so unlike her.  She had become so accustomed to expecting the unexpected that even the slightest sense of another presence usually had her instantly alert.  It was a learned skill, one at which she had become quite adept, and one that had served her well on more than one occasion when she had been forced to seek rest in less than ideal conditions. 

But Ian had entered her room and watched her for God knows how long before she realized it.  Had he been so inclined, he could have done horrible things to her before she was able to lift a finger in defense.  The thought was terrifying.  Been there, done that.  And she had sworn she would never, ever allow it to happen again.

The familiar sense of raw determination began to surge through her, pushing away the fear. 
Never.  Again.

She closed her eyes and allowed the energy to fill her until there was no trace of the panic, no shadow of the frightened girl remaining.  This was where she needed to be to think clearly and figure out just what the hell was going on.

Ian would not have hurt her.  Her empowered self recognized that right away.  He was curious.  Aroused.  But there was no malice there.  None intended for her, anyway.

Even when she had the knife to his throat, she believed that he could have disabled her at any time.  He knew it too.  So why hadn’t he? 

Why had he let her believe she had the upper hand?  Why had he lain there, baring his neck even as she felt his entire body thrumming beneath her?  A brave act indeed.  Maybe she wouldn’t have killed him, but she could have undoubtedly done some damage.  So why take the chance?

Did he get off on aggressive women?  Hardly.  Taryn knew his type.  He might like a little wildness, but Ian was definitely not into playing the sub to a domme.  Was he toying with her?  Possibly.  Even with her holding the knife on him he’d been hard as hell, like a rock beneath her.  Yet he didn’t force himself on her, like he could have.  Like he wanted to.

She remembered the way his eyes flicked to the doorway.  How there had been a subtle but definite change. 
Jake
.  Ian held himself in check because Jake wanted him to.  She had the distinct impression that Jake was among a very small number of people Ian listened to.  But again, why?

Because he thinks he needs to protect me
, her methodical self answered.  For some reason, Jake Callaghan had appointed himself as her guardian angel.  Most women probably would have taken comfort in that, but Taryn found it more annoying than anything. 

There was no denying that Jake was a good-looking man.  Strong.  Decent.  Kind.  And quite possibly the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on.  Even being in the same room with him made her ache in places she didn’t want to think about.  But he saw her as someone who needed looking after.  As honorable as that seemed, Taryn simply did not do the helpless female.  She could accept this room as payment for bartending, but that was just fair trade. 

He wanted more, that was obvious.  A woman would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to pick up on his interest.  Adding to that, the fact that she wasn’t eating out of his hand was grating against his nerves and his inflated sense of propriety.  That was obvious, too.  The look in his eyes when she defied him was almost primal in its intensity.  Immense power simmered just below the surface; she could feel it.  It sent a flush of warmth through her entire body, and turned that vague ache into an outright throb. 

Hell, even if she actually wanted his help (which she didn’t), defying him would totally be worth it just for the surge of heat that came with his reaction.

But even she had to admit that a tiny part of her loved the way he seemed to care about what happened to her.  How long had it been since someone had done that?  It was nice to be warm and safe, not to mention clean and dry, with food in her belly.  Knowing that for one more day, at least, she didn’t have to face the world completely on her own.

The realization hit her then, a firm but gentle virtual tap on the shoulder.  That was it! 
That
’s why she had surrendered so completely to the exhausted sleep.  Because deep down, she knew nothing would ever hurt her as long as Jake was around.  And Ian, too.  That was also the reason she had been able to stop herself from blindly lashing out at Ian.  He was devilish, yes, but she knew instinctively he would never really harm her. 

Feeling as though she’d had an epiphany of sorts, Taryn splashed some cold water onto her face.  Time to move on.  She had a few things she wanted to do before her shift started in a couple of hours.  Grabbing her toothbrush, Taryn looked in the mirror and froze.  Violent curses flew in whispers beneath her breath as crystalline violet eyes stared back at her. 

They’d seen her without her contact lenses in.

B
y the time Taryn joined them downstairs, her eyes were back to that smoky dark gray color again, her hair clipped up above the nape of her neck.  Her forest green knit shirt hugged her curves flatteringly if a little loosely, as did the faded Levi’s it tucked into.  She’d lost weight recently, which was an easy thing to do since she’d been living on apples and peanut butter for the last couple of weeks.

Jake and Ian were behind the bar.  A decent crowd had already assembled for the pregame hoopla, now showing on all four of the massive flat screens placed strategically along the walls of the public area.  She drew in a deep breath; the familiar scents of lemon oil and fine whiskey soothed her somewhat ragged nerves.

“You okay?” Jake asked discreetly.  She caught the way his eyes flicked to hers, but he refrained from commenting on the change in color.  Either he hadn’t noticed, or he was being thoughtful.  She didn’t think for a moment he hadn’t noticed. 

“Of course,” she said lightly, summoning what she hoped was a casual smile.  Ian wasn’t quite as subtle with his inspection; she could feel his gaze as plainly as if he was touching her and avoided looking at him directly.  Instead, she glanced around, taking in the crowd.  It took only seconds for her practiced eye to analyze and dismiss each person in the bar as an immediate threat.  “Thought you didn’t need me till six?”

“I thought you could use the extra sleep,” Jake told her.  “And this is nothing compared to what it will be like tonight after the game when our boys win.  Last night was just a warm-up.”

“Oh, okay then.” She found it hard to believe the place could be any more packed than it had been the night before, but Jake had no reason to lie about that.  It was good news for her; bigger crowds meant more tips in her pocket. 

“I guess I’ll just occupy myself for a while.”  She slipped her leather jacket on and started walking toward the door. 

“Where are you going?”

Was that genuine concern she saw in those amazing blue eyes?  Or was he just worried she was going to leave him high and dry?  She shrugged.  “Don’t know.  I’ll check on my car, I guess.  I need to get a few things anyway.  Maybe do some exploring.  I’ll be back and ready to work at six,” she reassured him. 

Proceeding through the door, she missed the meaningful glance Ian shared with Jake.  “Hopefully, her exploring wouldn’t require use of the GPS,” Ian muttered under his breath, while Jake nodded in agreement.

* * *

J
oey Braxton was hanging up the phone at the garage just as a whiff of warm caramel apples hit him.  He looked toward the open bay door, knowing who he would see there.  A twinge of guilt pinged through him.  Joey was still green, but he was building a reputation for being an honest mechanic.  The thought of lying to a customer, even a stranger, did not sit well with him.  Especially one as pretty as this one.

“Hi,” Taryn said with a smile, and his discomfort increased.  She seemed so nice.  Still, Sean Callaghan was his boss, and when the boss’s brother asked you for a favor, you did it.

“Hi.”  He watched as she walked over to her car - currently on the lift - and patted the side with her hand like a favorite pet.  “What’s the bad news?”

Joey wiped at the sweat beading on his forehead with the bandanna he always kept tucked in his pocket.  “It’s going to take a little longer than I originally thought,” he said slowly, regretfully, as he watched her face fall.  The truth was all he needed to do was flush the fuel line – and she’d be good to go.  He’d planned to finish it up this afternoon, but that was before Ian Callaghan had shown up and asked him – very nicely - if he could work on some of the other cars first.  Ian hadn’t said why, only that he and his brother Jake would consider it a personal favor. 

“Oh,” she said, her disappointment obvious.  “It’s serious, then?”

He swallowed hard, feeling like a rat.  Those big, smoky eyes were killing him.  “I can’t say for sure.  Based on what you told me, the problem’s in the fuel injection system.  I need to download the codes to be sure, though, and run a complete set of diagnostics.”  He looked at her apologetically.  “I don’t get a lot of Audi’s.”  That part was true at least.

“I’m sure you’re doing everything you can,” she said, making him wince. 
Ouch.
  “So how long do you think you’ll need?”

“Couple of days, tops,” he hedged.  “I was kinda hoping to catch the game today...” 

“Of course,” she said. “Homecoming, right?”  He nodded.  “Well, far be it from me to come between a man and his football,” she said with a little laugh.  She asked him if he could lower the car for her to get something out of the trunk, and, glad that he could do
something
for her, he did.

* * *

T
aryn retrieved a backpack-sized piece of canvas luggage from the trunk, slung it over her shoulder, and left the kind but anxious Joey to his business.   

Losing the Audi for another couple of days wasn’t exactly good news.  Hopefully the problem turned out to be minimal.  If not, well, it wasn’t the end of the world.  She’d picked up the car a few states back for cheap.  It had to be one of the ugliest cars she’d ever seen – squat and boxy and in need of a paint job - but it had served her well. 

At least she had someplace to stay through Monday, as well as a job to boot.  It wasn’t like she would have taken off on Jake anyway, not when she promised she’d work the bar for him.  If the car wasn’t ready by Monday afternoon, she’d simply have to find other means of transportation to get her where she needed to go.  It was about time to trade anyway.  Keeping the same vehicle for too long wasn’t smart.

Thinking that way was second nature to her now, but it hadn’t always been that way.  Once, a lifetime ago, she had had everything any girl could ever want:  a loving family, lots of friends, a big house and pretty clothes.  How could she ever have known that one day she’d be struggling for things she hadn’t once given a second thought?  Like having enough food to eat.  A warm, dry bed to sleep in.  And a bath.  Those things were her new luxury items.  Someday, she hoped, things would be different again.  But for now, keeping under the radar was the most important thing. 

Taryn made a brief stop at the local Wal-Mart and picked up a couple of essentials.  She allowed herself a few indulgences, too – scented, moisturizing body wash and shampoo, a bottle of nail polish, a new razor, a few silky undergarments and some extra batteries.  Before her shift tonight, she was going to treat herself.  It might be the last chance she had for a while.

* * *

E
very time the door opened Jake looked up, hoping to see Taryn.  She’d only been gone two hours, but it felt like much longer.  What if she decided not to return, then what?  Would he ever be able to find her again based on the little they knew about her?  And should he even try? 

His anxiety increased with each passing moment.  Thank God they were busy enough to keep him moving constantly.  If he had time to kill he’d have been pacing like a caged tiger, fighting the urge to go looking for her.  From the looks of things, Ian wasn’t faring much better.  He looked up every time Jake did.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst, that’s what his father always said.  The best?  Taryn walked through those doors and decided to stay.  The worst?  She was already well on her way out of his life and not looking back.  He told himself repeatedly that Taryn would not go back on her word.  If she said she would be back to tend, she would.  There was a lot he didn’t know about her, but he sensed that much.

The wave of relief he felt was substantial when she entered the Pub a short time later, shopping bags in hand.  She smiled at him, and all the angst just melted away.  It was easy – too easy – to picture her walking in like that every day, returning home.  To him.