sideways, her brown eyes wide and fearful. Soothing the mount, Brody rubbed his hand over her coarse hair looking for signs of injury.
Assured the horse suffered no harm and had settled considerably, Brody swung into the saddle and reached for Kate. “We’ll ride double. The village isn’t far.”
Kate put her foot in the stirrup , and Brody pulled her up behind him with a moan. She settled in nicely and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Brody imagined he smelled to high h eaven, and her body against his only made him sweat more, but he wouldn’t change a thing. Knowing, for a while, at least, she was safe buoyed his sprits.
Brody kicked the horse into a steady walk as Kate’s cheek pressed into the back of his shirt. He’d been trying to ignore everything about her since he’d begun watching her two weeks ago.
Now he couldn’t.
No one had mentioned her beauty. How her long, smooth blond hair reflected the sunlight at noon. Those damn eyes weren’t mentioned either. Not just blue, but a bold cerulean that reminded him of a still lake right before sunrise. He couldn’t imagine anyone more beautiful. All of it made him want to possess her in a way he’d never considered.
Soon she relaxed against him, and her soft breathing kicked up his heartbeat yet soothed him. Exhaustion had won out. He doubted she’d had much time to rest in the last eighteen hours.
Guilt cut a wide path across his heart and into his conscience. He’d been a damn fool to ever involve her in this mess. What if Chavez had killed her? Then what? Here he’d thought this would be so easy.
Fate had proven him wrong again.
Brody refused to think of the consequences waiting for him back at the office. He severed all that shit from his mind. The only thing he cared about was keeping A.J. and Kate safe. So far he’d done a miserable job.
Behind him Kate stirr ed. “We close to the village?”
“Not far.”
“When are we going back to get A.J.?”
“I’m getting you settled and then riding out.”
She stiffened. “I’m not staying behind.”
“Thanks to me , you’ve been put through enough hell. I want you to stay at the village. Jake will be here to pick us up in about six hours. If I’m not back, you get on that plane and go home.”
“I won’t do it.”
Brody reined in the horse then looked at her over his shoulder. “There is nothing you can do here but get killed. I brought you against your will. Now I’m insisting you go home...where you belong.”
“ But since I’ve met A.J, I want him back as much as you do. I’m going to help you get him out, or we’ll all die here in the desert.”
“Are you crazy ?” Brody couldn’t believe her words. “You’re going home.” What person in her right mind wouldn’t want out of here? Away from the danger.
“No , I’m not.”
Finished with the conversation, Brody turned and gently tapped the side of the horse, which had become restless, and pulled toward home. “We’ll see about that.”
“I’m sure we will.”
***
A.J. Roddi o’s world crashed down quickly after being recaptured. Rough men shoved him into a vehicle, returned him to the La Hacienda, and tossed him back into the dungeon. His battered body ached with renewed pain, while the bullet wound in his side burned like fire. There had been no medical treatment since his first capture.
Luck ily infection hadn’t set in. However, A.J. was no fool. He’d been at this game too long. His well-honed instincts told him they weren’t keeping him alive because they enjoyed his company. No, something was on the wire, and he had to find out what before it was too late.
Slumped in the back of his cell, A.J. thought of Kate and Brody. He wondered if they ’d made it out alive. By all appearances, he was the target. They weren’t after the others. Yet earlier the guard alleged their boss had big plans for Kate tonight. So, why leave her unscathed?
Chavez’s biggest mistake was leaving Brody free. The
Assured the horse suffered no harm and had settled considerably, Brody swung into the saddle and reached for Kate. “We’ll ride double. The village isn’t far.”
Kate put her foot in the stirrup , and Brody pulled her up behind him with a moan. She settled in nicely and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Brody imagined he smelled to high h eaven, and her body against his only made him sweat more, but he wouldn’t change a thing. Knowing, for a while, at least, she was safe buoyed his sprits.
Brody kicked the horse into a steady walk as Kate’s cheek pressed into the back of his shirt. He’d been trying to ignore everything about her since he’d begun watching her two weeks ago.
Now he couldn’t.
No one had mentioned her beauty. How her long, smooth blond hair reflected the sunlight at noon. Those damn eyes weren’t mentioned either. Not just blue, but a bold cerulean that reminded him of a still lake right before sunrise. He couldn’t imagine anyone more beautiful. All of it made him want to possess her in a way he’d never considered.
Soon she relaxed against him, and her soft breathing kicked up his heartbeat yet soothed him. Exhaustion had won out. He doubted she’d had much time to rest in the last eighteen hours.
Guilt cut a wide path across his heart and into his conscience. He’d been a damn fool to ever involve her in this mess. What if Chavez had killed her? Then what? Here he’d thought this would be so easy.
Fate had proven him wrong again.
Brody refused to think of the consequences waiting for him back at the office. He severed all that shit from his mind. The only thing he cared about was keeping A.J. and Kate safe. So far he’d done a miserable job.
Behind him Kate stirr ed. “We close to the village?”
“Not far.”
“When are we going back to get A.J.?”
“I’m getting you settled and then riding out.”
She stiffened. “I’m not staying behind.”
“Thanks to me , you’ve been put through enough hell. I want you to stay at the village. Jake will be here to pick us up in about six hours. If I’m not back, you get on that plane and go home.”
“I won’t do it.”
Brody reined in the horse then looked at her over his shoulder. “There is nothing you can do here but get killed. I brought you against your will. Now I’m insisting you go home...where you belong.”
“ But since I’ve met A.J, I want him back as much as you do. I’m going to help you get him out, or we’ll all die here in the desert.”
“Are you crazy ?” Brody couldn’t believe her words. “You’re going home.” What person in her right mind wouldn’t want out of here? Away from the danger.
“No , I’m not.”
Finished with the conversation, Brody turned and gently tapped the side of the horse, which had become restless, and pulled toward home. “We’ll see about that.”
“I’m sure we will.”
***
A.J. Roddi o’s world crashed down quickly after being recaptured. Rough men shoved him into a vehicle, returned him to the La Hacienda, and tossed him back into the dungeon. His battered body ached with renewed pain, while the bullet wound in his side burned like fire. There had been no medical treatment since his first capture.
Luck ily infection hadn’t set in. However, A.J. was no fool. He’d been at this game too long. His well-honed instincts told him they weren’t keeping him alive because they enjoyed his company. No, something was on the wire, and he had to find out what before it was too late.
Slumped in the back of his cell, A.J. thought of Kate and Brody. He wondered if they ’d made it out alive. By all appearances, he was the target. They weren’t after the others. Yet earlier the guard alleged their boss had big plans for Kate tonight. So, why leave her unscathed?
Chavez’s biggest mistake was leaving Brody free. The
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