FEARLESS (20 page)

Martin looked at the gun and did a double take. “What are you doing with that?”

Davis didn’t think that one was fake. Everyone looked surprised to see John’s toy except John.

“Cleaning up.”

Davis wasn’t impressed. “Did they teach you to shoot that in law school?”

“Since my employee failed—several times, in fact—to finish this job, I see it’s up to me. I believe your luck has finally run out, Ms. Bart.”

That answered that question. Connor should have it on tape so that whatever happened now, they would be able to prove his guilt.

“John, stop.” Nancy put her hand over the gun and tried to lower it. “This isn’t—”

He shoved her aside. “What—necessary? Of course it is. I’ve been cleaning up your mess for years. Marrying this one.” He pointed at Martin. “Covering the trail for this McClintock woman.”

“Why?” Ronald asked.

“You think this is the first time someone crawled out from under a rock to dig into that case? Dear Steve was just the latest to try to capitalize on the situation.” John aimed the gun at Davis. “But you will be the last.”

That explained part of the plan but not all of it. Davis wanted every last piece. “You weren’t involved back then. Why step up now?”

“Because I own a percentage of the business and it’s grown every year. I have a significant financial interest in this family and they owe me.” John waved his hand in Nancy’s general direction. “Oh, she’ll claim she grew the fortune, but it was all me.”

In her fancy dress and high heels, she launched at her business partner. “That’s not true.”

Her husband caught her before Davis could rush in.

“If they go under, so do I and, frankly, I can’t allow that to happen.” John shook his head. “Not after all this time and effort.”

“Nancy wasn’t involved in Steve’s death?” Lara asked.

Davis understood the question. He’d thought this would trace back to Nancy, too. And it still might, but the true genius behind the plan to quiet everything down was pretty obvious. He had the gun in his hand.

“Me?” Nancy screeched, all signs of the regal woman gone now.

“The hit-man money came from your company.” John laughed. “Brilliant, wasn’t it?’

Davis watched Pax slip into the doorway behind John. Davis returned the smile with one just as sick and deadly. “Up until now.”

John shrugged, clearly not seeing that there could be an end here that didn’t wrap up in a positive way for him. “What happens now?”

Pax stepped up. “Me.”

John was turning when Davis got off his shot. He clipped the man in his side and watched him fall against the chair as blood spread over his white dress shirt. He hit the floor with a thud as a second crack vibrated through the room.

Davis looked around, ready to take on a second attacker, but everyone was frozen in shock at the sight of John sprawled across the floor. Nancy dropped to the carpet, her expensive dress forgotten as she threw her body over John’s still form and cried what looked like actual tears.

Not wasting any time or allowing for another surprise, Davis took a few long steps to bridge the gap and used his shoe to trap John’s gun against the floor.

When Davis stared back down at Nancy, he saw her weeping over the man who was supposed to be nothing more than a business partner. Martin watched, too, as the force of his new reality crashed over his face.

Connor rushed in the front door and started issuing orders. Sirens wailed in the distance as reinforcements and medical help stormed up the quiet street.

It had all worked out. Just as Davis had promised and insisted to Lara. He looked over at her and smiled, grateful when she smiled back.

Davis glanced over to congratulate Pax on his excellent timing.

It took Davis a second to realize his brother had fallen to the floor. The blood didn’t register until Lara screamed.

Chapter Twenty-One

Lara sat in the chair next to Pax’s hospital bed. Machines beeped and the heart-rate monitor took off every few minutes for a new test. Pax slept through it all.

John had got off a shot as he fell and it had gone straight into Pax’s thigh. The bullet had lodged there and the bleeding had taken some time to stop, but he was going to be okay. Davis hadn’t left his brother’s side for hours, and now would only venture as far as the cafeteria for a cup of terrible coffee.

“You can go home.” Pax’s eyes stayed closed and his words slurred together from the medicine.

She jumped at the sound of his voice, relief flooding through her as she squeezed his hand. “I’m fine here.”

“I was hoping you’d go sleep with my brother.” Pax fell right back to sleep after making the comment.

That was okay because she kind of hoped for the same thing.

When the tears had dried and the pain had stopped thumping in her head, she thought about that moment in the bedroom. Davis’s devastation was understandable. She’d dropped a terrible piece of information on him. She’d fired back about the letter from his mother. Actually, she was just the woman who’d given birth to him. Lara didn’t think she deserved to be called a mother.

After all the death, after watching Nancy weep over a man who didn’t seem to care if she lived or died, Lara viewed things differently.

Davis wasn’t perfect. He was shaped by a tough upbringing but so desperate for her love that he didn’t hesitate to tell her. He didn’t hide behind a fear of commitment or some other nonsense. He loved her for her and she returned the favor by insisting he be someone else.

He still played a part in their rugged past that he needed to own, but seeing one more person hold a gun on him today had shifted her world into perspective. Somehow they would get through this. He would forgive her and she would forgive him. They’d work on trust and build a life together.

“He loves you.” Pax’s head fell to the side but his eyes stayed closed. “He’s stupid with it.”

She patted Pax’s arm, trying to calm him back down. “I know. Save your strength.”

“I don’t know what happened...”

She watched the monitors to make sure his heart rate didn’t kick up to danger levels. “It doesn’t matter.”

“But he—”

“This won’t break us.” For the first time in a year she believed the words as she said them. “We’ll make it through.”

“Will we?” Davis stood in the doorway with a cup of coffee in each hand.

Her heart hammered so hard she was surprised all these machines didn’t pick up the beat. “Yes.”

Waiting for him to say something, anything, ate away at her. She wanted a restart with him. But he had to want it, too.

She swallowed back her pride and dropped all of her instincts and every last breath of self-preservation. “Or am I going to fight alone?”

He took his time setting the cups down on the tray and walking around the room to stand in front of her. He didn’t touch her but his presence reached out to her. “I never stopped fighting.”

Her heart soared as she realized that was true. “I walked away. I had to because...well, I’m not even sure it matters.”

The backs of his fingers trailed down her cheek. “It does.”

She closed her eyes on a wave of unexpected pain. “Please, Davis. I don’t want to fight.”

When he lifted her chin and pressed his lips against hers, her eyes opened again.

“It matters because I need you to know there is no one more important in the world to me than you. Nothing ranks above you.” With a gentle touch he slipped her arms around his neck and brought her in close. “I haven’t done a good job of showing you that, but if you give me another chance I will.”

Her breath hiccuped in her chest and tears clogged her throat. This deliciously strong, incredibly loving man stood in front of her offering everything she’d ever wanted. “Yes.”

“The idea of you going through the hospital alone...” His voice cracked on the last word.

“I should have told you, let you in.” She pressed a finger against his lips and closed her eyes when he lowered his forehead to hers. His body shook with a slight tremor.

He rubbed his head against hers. “You’ll never be without me again.”

“And we’ll have more babies. Big, fat, healthy babies.”

He pulled back and stared at her. “Are you sure?”

“I want to experience everything with you. The families we never had, the loving homes we always wanted.”

“About my mom—” He swallowed. “I couldn’t deal with it.”

“I know.” Lara kissed him. “We’ll figure that out, too.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you.”

Then his mouth closed over hers and all those months apart fell away. She felt love and commitment, promises and devotion.

His lips pressed against hers, deep and rich. It was a kiss that filled in those empty days and gave hope for the ones before them.

“Are you two done?”

They broke apart at the sound of Pax’s voice and his words running together.

“How are you feeling?” Davis asked with laughter in his voice.

“Fine.” Pax opened one eye. “Are you back together?”

She didn’t know that she could feel so happy, be so free. She tried to nod but was pressed too close to Davis’s chest to move her head. “Yes.”

He kissed her forehead. “Definitely.”

“Then get out of my room and let an injured man rest.” Pax’s eyes closed as he ended the sentence.

Lara started laughing at the outburst.

Davis looked at her with eyes filled with amusement. “You heard the man.”

“He suggested I take you to bed.”

“Excellent idea. But first we go get your engagement ring. I want to see it on your finger again.” When a tear rolled down her cheek, he kissed it away. “And it will never come off again.”

She nodded. “Never.”

* * *

C
ONNOR
WALKED
INTO
the conference room and set down two beers before slipping into the seat across from Ben. “Pax is going to be fine.”

Ben had already heard the news from Joel but was happy to hear it again. “He knows how to get attention.”

“You have no idea.” Connor tapped his fingers against the table in the same sort of frantic rhythm young boys used on new drum sets. “You did good work here.”

Satisfaction flowed through him. Ben wondered if that was the last he’d have of that feeling for a while. “Maybe that will help in my administrative hearing at NCIS.”

Connor shrugged as he took a long draw from one of the bottles. “I’m thinking you’ll be fine.”

“You going to pull strings for me?” Ben said it as a joke.

Connor took it very seriously. “I know some people.”

Ben was humbled and grateful and a whole bunch of things he hadn’t felt in a long time. This was a good team. An honest team. He thought he’d found that at NCIS, but those days were gone. Even if they did take him back, he might not want to return the favor. “That’s not necessary.”

“Yeah, it is.” Connor stopped peeling the label and spinning the bottle and looked up. “You could have played this a bunch of ways and you picked one that showed integrity. I told you before that’s not as popular a choice as you might think.”

“And not a characteristic I find at NCIS right now.” Ben grabbed the other bottle and leaned back in the soft leather chair. “I know that’s not fair but it’s hard to be excited about returning to a desk there.”

“Then don’t.” The ripping tear of the label cut through the room.

“You going to pay my rent?”

For the second time Ben joked and Connor gave a serious response. “Actually, yes. I’m offering you a job.”

The idea worked its way into Ben’s brain and settled there. “Here?”

“It’s the only business I own, so yes.” Connor put his hands on the table and leaned in. “You know the work. You’ve met part of the team. I can’t promise every case will end well, but I can promise you we’ll try to make it happen.”

“I don’t—”

“And we have dental.”

Ben lifted his hands in the air. “Oh, well, then.”

“Think about it.” With a knock against the table, Connor stood up.

Ben stopped him before he made it to the kitchen. “When can I start?”

* * * * *

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Cardwell Ranch Tresspasser
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Chapter One

J
UST
INSIDE
THE
door, she stopped to
take a look around the apartment to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.
This place, like all the others she’d lived in, held no special sentimental
value for her. Neither would the next one, she thought. She’d learned a long
time ago not to get too attached to anything.

The knock on the other side of the door startled her. She
froze, careful not to make a sound. The building super, Mr. McNally, again,
wanting the back rent? She should have left earlier.

Another knock. She thought about waiting him out, but her taxi
was already downstairs. She would have to talk her way out of the building. It
wasn’t as if this was the first time she’d found herself in a spot like
this.

She opened the door, ready to do whatever it took to reach her
taxi.

It wasn’t Mr. McNally.

A courier stood holding a manila envelope, a clipboard and a
pen.

“Dee Anna Justice?” he asked.

She looked from him to the envelope in his hand. It looked
legal. Maybe some rich uncle had died and left Dee Anna a fortune.

“Yes?”

He glanced past her into the empty apartment. She’d sold all
the furniture and anything else that wasn’t nailed down. Seeing him judging her
living conditions, she pulled the door closed behind her. He didn’t know her.
How dare he? He had no idea what kind of woman she was, and he certainly wasn’t
going to judge her by the mess she’d left in the apartment.

She cocked a brow at him, waiting.

“I need to see some identification,” he said.

Of course he did. It was all she could do not to smile. Well,
sneer, as she produced a driver’s license in the name of Dee Anna Justice. She’d
known where to get a fake ID since she was fourteen.

He shifted on his feet and finally held the pen out to her and
showed her where to sign.

She wrote
Dee Anna Justice
the way
she’d seen her former roommate do it dozens of times, and held out her hand
impatiently for the envelope, hoping there was money inside. She was due for
some good news. Otherwise the envelope and its contents would end up with the
rest of the trash inside the apartment.

“Thanks a lot,” she said sarcastically, as the courier finally
handed it over. She was anxious to rip into it right there, but she really
needed to get out of here.

It wasn’t until she was in the backseat of the cab, headed for
the train, that she finally tore open the envelope and pulled out the contents.
At first she was a little disappointed. There was only a single one-page letter
inside.

As she read the letter through, though, she began to laugh. No
rich uncle had died. But it was almost as good. Apparently Dee Anna had a cousin
who lived on a ranch in Montana. She ran her finger over the telephone number.
According to the letter, all she had to do was call and she would be on her way
to Montana. With a sob story, she figured she could get her “cousin” to foot
most if not all of her expenses.

She had the cabdriver stop so she could buy a cell phone in the
name of Dee Anna Justice. After she made her purchase she instructed the driver
to take her to the airport, where she bought a first-class ticket. She couldn’t
wait to get to Montana and meet her cousin Dana Cardwell.