Running Blind Read online

  “I didn’t know,” she said, pressing her hands to her lips. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I thought maybe you were a married woman and … and I just wanted to protect Zeke.”

  Zeke asked, his voice calm, “What did you do?”

  “I did a search for Carlin Jane Reed on your office computer, just an hour or so ago.”

  It was a good thing that Zeke was holding her, because Carlin’s legs went weak again. She clung to him, knowing this was it, knowing she had to leave. Tonight.

  But Zeke was calm when he used his finger to grab her chin and tip her face toward his. His eyes were dangerous, but calm, that damned determination obvious in his expression. “You think he’s coming here?”

  Carlin couldn’t speak; she could only nod her head as she tried to figure out how to say goodbye to this man she loved.

  But Zeke gave a smile that chilled her blood, a smile that had nothing humorous in it and a whole lot that seemed as cold and deadly as when he’d beat the snot out of Darby. He said one word. “Good.”

  ZEKE STOOD IN the doorway and watched Carlin pack. After a few minutes of studying her as she ran back and forth between the closet and the bed where a suitcase lay open, he walked to the bed and started unpacking her things, taking them out of the suitcase as fast as she could throw them in.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he said calmly.

  “I have to,” she said frenziedly. “I don’t want to go, but I won’t bring my problems down on you.”

  “If you’re right about his skills as a hacker, the damage has been done and he’s on his way. Let’s take the opportunity to end it now.”

  “End it how?” Her tone was bitter, her cry heartfelt. “What are you going to do, shoot him? As far as the law is concerned, Brad hasn’t done anything illegal. There’s nothing you can do. Trust me, I tried. I really did try.”

  Since the PI hadn’t been able to track Brad, the bastard could be anywhere. He could show up here in a day, a week, a month. Maybe he’d moved on to another victim and wouldn’t show up at all.

  More than anything, Zeke wanted Brad to show up; he wanted to end this nightmare for Carlin, once and for all.

  “I have to go,” Carlin said, her hands shaking as she repacked a sweater he’d removed from her suitcase. “You don’t need this, I never meant to bring my grief to your door—”

  Zeke placed his hands on Carlin’s shoulders and turned her around. She had never seemed more fragile than she did at this moment, and he would do anything—anything—to protect her. And to keep her, once and for all.

  “I’m tired of being alone,” he said firmly. “I want a wife and kids, I want this ranch to be more than a business.”

  “Any woman in the world would be happy to—”

  “I don’t want any woman. I want you.”

  He kissed her, because he could, because he needed it, because she needed it. When the kiss was finished, Carlin fell into him and sighed. He stroked her hair, held her close.

  “Libby is leaving on the Saturday bus. She feels bad, Carlin, she really does.”

  “I know,” she whispered. “I don’t blame her. She doesn’t have to leave on my account. She was trying to protect you, she wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to hurt you. And that’s all I’ve done is hurt you. You would’ve been better off if I’d never come here, if we’d never—”

  “Not true. The past two months have been the best of my life. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”

  Carlin slipped her arms around his waist, and he felt her relax. “I love you,” she whispered.

  “Love you, too.” The words came easy.

  “And you’re right that Brad’s coming here whether I stay or not. We can’t undo what’s been done.” She lifted her head and looked him in the eye. “I won’t leave you here to face him alone.”

  Zeke smiled. He saw the truth in her eyes, and he also saw how much courage it took for her to say those words. “That’s my girl.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  WHAT KIND OF a shit-hole town all but shut down just because it was Sunday? Brad parked on the almost deserted main street, walked past business after business. They were all dark, the doors locked.

  He’d lucked out, considering where he was. The temperature had skyrocketed all the way into the upper thirties in the past couple of days. As he walked he ducked his head against the cold wind. He hadn’t needed his snow chains, and while he was colder than he’d like to be, he didn’t feel like he was putting his life in danger just by being outside. It was definitely too cold for a leisurely stroll, though.

  Maybe the downtown shops were closed, but the gas station he’d passed heading into town had been open. Someone would be there, maybe someone who would recognize Carlin’s photograph. With everything else closed, the gas station would have more people around than usual, so that was the place to go.

  He knew where the search had originated, and it was a good distance from town. A couple of things stopped him from heading directly to the site of the search. One, just because someone there had searched Carlin’s name didn’t mean she was there. She’d slipped up, and someone had found out her name. It made sense that she was close by, and Battle Ridge was the closest town—if you could call this dead-end bump in the road a town.

  Two, he hadn’t made it this far by underestimating Carlin. She knew what he could do with a computer. For all he knew she’d purposely plugged her name into the search engine in order to draw him into the open. The PI who’d been looking into Brad could be a part of the same plan. Maybe Carlin was as tired of running as he was of chasing her. If he headed out to the house where the search had originated, would she be waiting for him? Maybe she wouldn’t be alone. Maybe she’d have a weapon.

  Maybe she wanted this to end as much as he did. It was going to end, all right, but not the way she planned. He thought about that possibility for a minute, that she’d deliberately pulled him here, but it didn’t feel right. From the beginning, she’d run. She hadn’t tried to mend things with him, she’d simply run. That was what she did. But she didn’t know he was here, so he was in control now. And Carlin was so close he could almost smell her.

  TROUBLE WAS COMING, one way or another. Zeke called the hands together in the bunkhouse and laid it all on the line. They deserved to know, they deserved to be given the chance to walk away. When he was finished, he waited for the accusations and questions to start, but the men all just nodded and asked what they could do to help.

  He’d realized they were all good men, and still he was surprised that to a man they were ready to defend Carlin.

  In addition to those chores which couldn’t wait—those that were animal-related—the men would be watching the house, as well as the main road, until Brad showed up or they learned he’d been detained elsewhere. If Carlin was right about the man, they shouldn’t have long to wait: a few days, probably, since he’d need to drive from wherever his search had taken him. They would all be armed, each man choosing his own weapon.

  Spencer walked back to the house with Zeke, where they’d grab coffee and sandwiches before heading out to the pasture. He’d volunteered to take the first watch, but Zeke needed Spencer’s expertise with the bull this afternoon. As soon as Patrick took care of a few things, he’d be patrolling the house.

  Halfway there, Zeke said, “You weren’t surprised to hear what was going on with Carlin.”

  “Nope. I’m not stupid, boss,” Spencer said. “I knew right away that something was going on with Miss Carly. At first she was more skittish than she should’ve been, and nothing personal, but why would a pretty woman like that be content to live on a ranch in the middle of nowhere? She never asked nobody to take her to the mall in Cheyenne, she wasn’t texting girlfriends all the time, and she never complained about not going to the movies. I have sisters. I know what women are like.” He shook his head. “But I figured she had a good reason for being here so I didn’t say anything. And I also figured God had a good reason for sending