Cold Day In Hell by Jerrie Alexander Page B

chuckled, obviously not frightened. "She's here in Texas."
    Ty's long nights of worry whooshed from his lungs. "Why so fuckin' secretive?"
    "I told you a dozen times she was all right. The last thing you needed was to jump on your white horse and go try to fix things for her."
    "Fix what?"
    "Nothing. Other than the struggles of trying to start a new life."
    "Exactly where is she?"
    "Tyrell." Nate waved a hand in the air as if to erase his spoken word. "Sorry. You've been Tyrell to me since college. It's like Kaycie wanting to be called Kay. I may never get used to it."
    "Try harder." Ty lowered his tone. "Third time. Where is Ana?"
    A need to see her had eaten at his peace of mind since she'd left for the safe house one day and never returned. He didn't analyze the feeling to death. Concern for her was understandable. Hell, they'd been through more in a couple of days than most people experienced in a lifetime.
    Damn, she was tough. Forcing Jack Fury to sit in the back of the boat while she'd turned it around and returned them to Santiago's village must've been hard on Fury's ego. By doing so, she'd saved Ty's life. Again. Just as she had at the waterfall. They shared a bond. That's all it was.
    He owed her, and he paid his debts.
    "She's working at the Hill County Library. Teaches English as a second language. Holly lives in Hill Top now. She's the assistant librarian and was willing to help out."
    "Jesus. How is Holly?" Ty scrubbed the towel over his face, mopping sweat and hiding his embarrassment at not asking about her sooner.
    Only a purebred ass would've forgotten her experience. Kidnapped, beaten, and offered up as a trade for evidence, she'd struggled getting back on her feet. She and Kay were best friends, and the two were like family to him. They'd helped fill the void his sister's death had left.
    Back in the States for three weeks and all he'd thought of was getting a clean bill of health and finding Ana. He'd worried about her. After all, she'd been his responsibility. He had to follow through and make sure she was okay.
    "Holly's still in therapy. But she's coming along. I think being around Kay and me served as a constant reminder of the kidnapping. Holly's a strong woman. It might take awhile, but she'll work through the trauma."
    "She's a city girl. What's she doing living in the boonies?"
    "Making a new life for herself. She's thirty minutes outside of Fort Worth."
    "I need to see them both."
    "I know. It was my job to ensure you were a hundred percent before I unleashed you on the world." Nate grinned, sounding more like Ty's friend than his keeper.
    "I'm ready."
    "Good enough. I'm hitting the shower." Nate picked up his towel. "How about we grab a beer before I go home?"
    "Yes" was on the tip of Ty's tongue, but he quickly rethought his answer. He had to make good use of his time here. He was cleared for duty, so Nate could assign him a new case Monday.
    "Rain check on the drink." Before he started something new, he had to close the door on Ana's case. Make sure she was settled and moving forward with her life.
    Odd how often she'd popped into his mind over the past few weeks. Not only her beautiful face and smartass mouth, but he also seemed to remember tears running down her cheeks when he'd regained consciousness in the hospital. Late at night, he had almost felt her hand on his arm. The next thing he'd known, Jack Fury had been escorting her to America.
    Why had she cried? Had she cared whether he lived or died? Why was he curious?
    Showered and ready to go, he promised Nate he'd stop by for Sunday lunch and headed out Interstate 75 toward Hill Top.
    Time to rejoin the living.  
    October weather in Texas was nothing like the damp heat of the jungle. The day was warm, the sun was shining, but the sky? Damn, he'd never seen it so blue.
    Happy to be on his own, he turned off the air conditioner and rolled down the windows. The wet summer, a phenomenon in Texas, had painted the trees and pastures a