Dream Shadow

DREAM SHADOW An Ellora’s Cave Publication, May 2004 Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc. PO Box 787 Hudson, OH 44236-0787 ISBN MS Reader (LIT) ISBN # 1-84360-926-6 Other available formats (no ISBNs are assigned): Adobe (PDF), Rocketbook (RB), Mobipocket (PRC) & HTML DREAM SHADOW © 2004 MARY WINE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. They are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously. Edited by Pamela Cohen. Cover art by Syneca.

DREAM SHADOW

Mary Wine

Chapter One The sound rain made as it fell was perfect. Grace let the corners of her mouth drop into a frown as a sharp whistle shattered it. Considering the thunderclouds above her she shut her eyes and ears to any more interruptions. Tipping her head back, she smiled as the icy droplets slid across her cheeks. Freedom. Plain, simple and found right here where the forests of Washington began. “Grace.” It was amazing the way Major Jason Jacobs could turn her name into a low growl of pure disgruntlement. Aiming her eyes into the night, Grace considered the forest with a longing that bordered on need. “There’s no need for a hotel, Major.” Grace considered the forest again. “Let’s camp. ” “I heard it’s been raining for two straight weeks, we’ll be drowning in mud.” The frustration in the Major’s voice was rapidly turning into indignant male pride. The problem with having conversations with any Officer was you never were you never knew just when they he would take an opinion as a slight to his authority. But male pride could often be amusing to watch. “I’d prefer to camp.” “Grace…” Grace raised her shoulder slightly in a shrug as she looked back at the freedom she was going to be denied. Turning on her heel she fell into step with the rest of her escort. The men of Jacobs’ Unit stood impatiently waiting for her to embrace being shoved into a hotel room neatly stored away. Tonight the night was alive, and that life came sailing straight at her. The abundance of it prevented any true understanding of just what it was. Spinning on her heel, Grace faced it head-on. Nothing but silence greeted her, yet the ringing echo was almost deafening. “What is it?” Snapping her head about, she regarded Jacobs. With his head slightly tilted in her direction, he stood patiently waiting for her to finish. Maybe the man was traditional enough to prefer a bed to the forest floor, but he had never forced her to abandon any vision before she captured it completely. Whatever floated on the wind, the scent of it somehow made the forest even more enticing. Pulling the fragments of emotion into her mind, Grace slowly attempted to force them into focus. The vision eluded her grasp, leaving behind an increasing hunger to track it down. Exactly why her curiosity was involved was a mystery. Caring about an assignment was trouble. Any emotional involvement would become the key to misery. Shaking her head in frustration, Grace turned back to Jacobs’ Unit. Too bad, for a moment life had almost begun to get interesting.

Maybe it was simple frustration that drove Grace to seek out the vision again. Maybe it was pure distaste for the stale confines of her motel room. Whatever the cause, Grace sat poised on her knees while she tried to assemble the bits of feeling she held into a recognizable picture. Major Jacobs could get his six hours of sleep. Grace might know better than to care about a mission but she’d already committed the sin of curiosity. Letting that small scrap of emotion get into her head was going to keep any type of sleep well and truly separated from her tonight. There was too much emotional bleed-out from the community. Anger, fear, hope and half a dozen other feelings were floating through the night. Grace couldn’t just feel it; she was almost drowning in it. Grace forced her mind into sharp control. She needed to focus to keep it all from blurring. This time, the connection with her mind was clear. The vision blossomed into full color commanding her complete attention. Grace could see every single hair on her target’s head. The emotion of curiosity crumbled away and left Grace with the unmistakable feeling of need. Her vision wasn’t a target any longer. It became a child and Grace could see her as clear as day. The night was literally singing. Grace was impatient to become a part of the harmony. Holding the vision at bay, Grace turned towards the room’s door. Her feet faltered as she caught the feeling of one of the Rangers. There was always a perimeter sentry posted at night. Slipping along side the window, she pulled the curtain away a bare inch to catch sight of the man. It wasn’t that she held any true dislike for Clark, but the man thought she was a witch. He wasn’t alone in that. Half the men that made up Jacobs’ Unit thought she was some sort of devil’s handmaiden. Tonight, the ugly label stirred her temper. She didn’t want to share the pure innocence of her vision with men that wanted to condemn her as a heathen. She wanted to touch this child, immerse herself in the uncomplicated bliss of early childhood. The Unit could be damned. Grace wasn’t in the mood to be judged and she wasn’t going to wait for daybreak.

***** So, they were here. More exactly, she was here. Brice continued to observe the three helicopters that currently sat on the asphalt in front of what served as the Benton County Airport. It was painfully easy to pick out the woman amidst the unit of Army Rangers. Even at his current distance, her slight build was obvious compared with that of her companions. Brice sunk back into the seat of his patrol jeep. The men left on duty were armed to deadly precision, including night-vision goggles. It had taken him almost two days, along with every favor that a living soul owed him on this planet to get this bunch into Benton County. There was no need to get started on the wrong foot. The instructions he had been

given were painfully clear. The airfield was to be cleared. It was, but there was no way that he was going to sit by waiting for this group to run him like a dog on a leash. This was his county; he just hoped he was making the right decision. Turning the ignition over, he pulled the jeep back on to the road. There was nothing right about this whole thing. Three years into his first term as Sheriff, Brice had seen a lot of things cross his path. Child abduction just wasn’t something that he ever thought to see in front of him. A man could fail to solve a burglary, maybe even a murder, but how could you fail to find someone’s little girl? Brice closed his eyes for a moment. He was really reaching this time. When it got out he was bringing in a psychic, it could very well cost him his re-election next year. Benton was a small community; nothing stayed a secret for long. By the end of next week rumors, if not the whole story, would be all over the county. If this Unit failed to turn up Paige Heeley, Brice could more than likely kiss his office goodbye. If this psychic bloodhound turned up his missing little girl, Brice didn’t give a damn about his office. Paige was just four years old and Brice would gladly take the heat once the family was reunited. The entire idea of a psychic being helpful still stuck in the back of his throat. Swallowing that concept was going to require some hard evidence. This one might be different. Whatever his own feelings about the paranormal aside, he was left with one hard fact. The United States Army didn’t tend to waste its time. For some reason, this woman was part of a Ranger Unit. Brice was about to wager a great deal on her being half as good as the rumors he’d heard about her. Now if they just managed to turn something up. Brice had every able-bodied man out searching and they hadn’t turned up so much as a hair ribbon. After two weeks, any hope of recovering the child alive was almost gone. Well, Brice wasn’t ready to give her up to the mountains. Paige Heeley was out there and maybe, just maybe, he had found the means to finding her.

***** The feel of the truck was as suffocating as the motel room had been, but Grace needed the machine and the speed it could give her. Grace forced herself to maintain enough of her rational mind to control the vehicle. This vision was almost painfully clear. For some reason she was drawn to it with absolute dedication. She really didn’t care what repercussions might result from following her instincts. Nothing mattered but this child. The sweet blue eyes were so clear. Innocence radiated from her in thick waves, that cheerful bliss that children alone seemed to have rights to. Reaching the end of the road, Grace abandoned the truck. She preferred to walk anyway. The smell of the forest was rich with life, intensifying the clarity of her link with Paige. The slight sound of the night creatures kept her company as she moved through the

darkness. Time melted away as Grace gave her attention completely to her link. It had just been so long since her tracking skills led her to anyone that Grace wanted to find. Grace’s fascination with her vision made her pace swift. There was still an hour remaining until dawn when she stopped in front of her target. While her vision of Paige was overwhelming in its sweetness, the wall that surrounded it reeked of something different. Just exactly what intruded eluded her grasp, but it was enough to cause a wave of wariness to cross her mind. Casting her eyes over the cabin that sat some two hundred feet away, Grace drew back from Paige for a moment. Breaking the connection snapped her back into reality for a brief time. Her body was groaning in displeasure over the demands that she had made of it. Grace ignored her fatigue. Something else was here. And it stank of hatred. Considering her target she probed further into it. Emotion was twisted around the cabin in front of her like a squid’s tentacles. Maybe Grace found the target desirable but that didn’t mean she was going to walk into a kidnapper’s hideout. Besides, the emotions and the facts weren’t making sense. Why would someone abduct a child? Murder was the obvious result of such a blaze of emotion. Grace ran an eye over the surrounding forest. The cabin was quite literally in the middle of nowhere. Paige wasn’t going anywhere. The clouds were beginning to lower again with the promise of rain. Perfect. A good downpour would cover Grace’s tracks very efficiently. Now she just had to outsmart the fox.

Chapter Two Brice pulled into the Riverbend Lodge’s parking lot from the back entrance. It was almost dawn. His one and only contact with this group informed him that they would be ready to move out at sunrise. Brice intended to be with them. A slight grin touched the corner of his mouth briefly. He doubted that his opinion was going to be considered but he’d deal with that soon enough. His deputies were currently continuing to search, but he was going to be riding shotgun with the newly arrived Rangers. Brice was curious to see what made this Ranger team special. He shrugged into his rain jacket as he stepped away from his jeep. Another wave from the storm front had been waiting to break all night; it looked like it was just about to descend upon them. Setting his shoulders Brice began a steady pace that would lead him to the room the woman had been shown to. Sometimes it amazed him the number of people in Benton that regularly pulled their curtains aside. It took him just one phone conversation with Jeff Dalton, who ran the Lodge, to discover exactly which room out of the eight she had gone into. Brice kept his pace even; he didn’t doubt for an instant that there would be someone on duty. He continued forward as dawn cast a gray light through the storm clouds and waited for the command to halt.

***** “Clear.” The voice that issued the command came out of nothing but darkness. The sentry holding him under guard snapped to immediate attention, drawing back to his original position opposite the door that Brice had attempted to knock on. The man that stepped out of the hallway caused Brice to raise an eyebrow. Recognition was almost instant. A man of Jason Jacobs’ size didn’t tend to be easily forgotten. At six feet four inches, Brice didn’t come up short often. Major Jacobs was one of the true exceptions. The man was immense, from his height of six feet eleven inches to his heavily muscled shoulders and impossibly long legs. The man’s hands even looked huge, but in fact they were simply proportioned with the rest of him. He was also family. The man’s sister had just married his cousin Grant. Frustration snaked through Brice’s body briefly. It had taken him a nerve-racking forty-eight hours to contact a man whose phone number he kept stored on his home computer. “Small world sometimes.” Jacobs extended his hand out along with his attempt at humor. Brice met it with his own while giving the man a slightly sour look. “As it would appear that you are not going to have me shot, Major, why don’t you fill me in?” Jacobs sent the Sheriff a grin before tossing the man’s question back at him. In his Unit, they didn’t answer questions. They asked them. “Seems you already know the score.” Brice cocked his head to the side and studied the man. He understood the Major just fine. No one promised him any information, just that their psychic bloodhound would bring back the rabbit. “Just wondering if it was the truth talking or the beer.” Jacobs raised an eyebrow in response. Someone had a loose tongue. He would have to make a note of the man’s name. Brice was a good man but Jacobs didn’t need to wonder about just whom that same man was leaking information to. In this game, sloppiness could have deadly results. “We deliver.” The hard certainty of that response gave Brice the first real hope he’d felt in days. Whatever Jacobs’ was planning, he seemed to have complete confidence in a favorable outcome. Jacobs’ hand cut across the morning air in a sharp salute as his men began filtering out of their rooms and into the hallway. It was done in complete silence as the Ranger Unit prepared for deployment. “So do I get to meet your operative? Or does she bite?” Jacobs’ gave a low laugh. Stepping forward he laid a solid knock onto Grace’s door. “Grace doesn’t waste time on biting. But she’ll kick your teeth down your throat if you let your guard down for half a second.” The Major’s description of their operative drew more than one snicker from the group. Brice snapped his head about, but whichever one of the men that held so little respect for one of their own, seemed also wise enough to wipe his face clean before

being discovered. Jacobs’ eyes turned hard, but his attention remained on the closed motel room door. He cast a long look at the posted sentry before sliding a key into the lock and disappearing inside the room. Jacobs considered the untouched bed and the neat, single set of tracks that marked the shag carpet on the floor. His eyes picked out the spot where Grace had dropped to her knees and the deeper mark her boots made when she’d pushed back onto her feet, before turning towards the bathroom. He could feel the wind coming through the open window and followed the tracks, noting the neatly removed pane of glass from the tiny window above the bathtub. Not a single man in his Unit would have fit through the slim rectangle, but Grace wouldn’t have gotten a scratch. That didn’t explain why she’d ever enter the field without her Unit or why in the hell his perimeter guard didn’t notice her leaving. Jacobs didn’t make a sound when he came back into the hallway but the anger was thick enough to cut when the man’s whispered words hit his men. “Your perimeter was breached. I suggest you find a way to join your operative instead of listening to my conversations.” Activity was instant. The Ranger Unit fell into practiced efficiency. Each man knew his task and the result was a machine oiled to perfection. Jacobs watched the precise actions of his men before he slid his hazel eyes towards Brice. “Grace found your kid.”

***** Twenty-four hours later, Brice’s jaw ached from the strain of clenching it. The storm was raging with full fury. Battling with freezing rain and mud up to his kneecaps had him critically short of patience. Jacobs’ confidence that his operative had found Paige Heeley wasn’t worth much if Grace didn’t show her face. What kind of Ranger took off without backup and didn’t check in? At the present moment if Brice found her body lying dead on the forest floor he just might put another bullet into her for good measure. Damn it! Thunder rumbled across the sky before echoing across the mountainsides. Brice set his shoulders and climbed another ridge to scan the area below, a favorite among the backpacking community. People hiked through the area during the spring and built small shacks out of any wood that they could find. The temperature was dropping again, and the addition of a stiff wind caused Brice to once again curse at fate. Forcing himself up another mud-slicked hillside, he stared down at the lake below. A small shack sat ten feet from the shoreline. His fingers reached for the radio microphone attached to his shoulder. “Allen, I’ve got another possible.” “Ten-four. Nothing here. I’ll move on to your location, Sheriff.” “Copy that.”

Making his way down the slope, Brice kept his eyes moving. The forest was thick here and there with a good amount of dead wood on the ground. Something caught his attention in a half-fallen tree. It was standing at a fifteen-degree angle atop some large granite outcroppings. Drooping from the trunk of the redwood, the half-dead branches formed a curtain that ran for almost twenty feet. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled up, the feeling intensified with the knowledge he was completely in the open. His hand inched towards his gun. His eyes slowly scoured the curtain of rotting foliage, searching for the one thing that was wrong. He couldn’t find it, but the feeling that he was being watched wouldn’t fade. Brice curled his fingers around the butt of his pistol. A slight rustle of leaves drifted on the wind. The figure slowly formed from the wall of rotting tree. It was human, barely. Covered in half-dried mud there were pine needles and dead leaves stuck into its head, it stepped from behind the branches forcing Brice to take another look to convince himself that the tree itself wasn’t moving. The mud and grime even covered its face and all the way down its chest, but the eyes staring out from the filth were a startling emerald green. A steady hand leveled his sidearm at it. Brice ran an assessing gaze over the figure looking for gender clues. There was so much forest debris stuck to the person. It was impossible to discern if it was a young male or a thin female. The emerald eyes lowered to the weapon in his hand before returning to his face. The gun didn’t seem to worry the individual any. The unconcerned stance seemed almost eerie. Not many people were that comfortable with a pistol aimed at them. “You’re not going to shoot me.” Maybe there was nothing else to identify her gender but that voice certainly did. Clear and almost honey-coated. Brice narrowed his eyes as he looked for the woman beneath the grime. Running his eyes down her length again, Brice noted the compact frame that would have allowed her to fit through a motel bathroom window. “Don’t be so sure about that, at the moment the thought is appealing.” “Oh… I see. A little disappointed you didn’t get to see the witch at work? Terribly sorry, Sheriff.” His anger really shouldn’t bother her. But his eyes were strangely interesting to her. Inside their depths sat something that made her shiver. It was a strange reaction, one born from her female gender. Grace frowned as sensation continued to move over her body in a steady wave. Dropping his gun back into its holster, Brice considered his swamp creature. This sort of cover was applied for survival. Not a single millimeter of her skin showed. No hint of hair color, instead those intense eyes stared out at him from a mask of thick greenish, black mud. Applied in stripes the different shades of mud formed an extremely effective camouflage. It was a skill only the elite of the armed forces ever learned. It should have looked ridiculous on a woman. Instead it made her enticing. Brice considered the surge of sexual energy that pulsed through his brain in response to her survival skills. Maybe the modern world might label him a savage for thinking that way, but Brice didn’t care. The truth was, a woman that radiated strength made a man itch to get between her thighs. “You’ve got a hell of an attitude for a Ranger.” “I’m not a Ranger.” “Meaning exactly what?”

She looked more like an Army Ranger than half the men he’d watched Jacobs command that morning. Except for the rather full front of her shirt. Instead of a set of tight pectoral muscles, she clearly filled out her clothing with a pair of breasts. That curl of tension caught him again as Brice considered the tight little nipples stabbing into the front of her shirt. Hunting brought out a primitive edge in the best of men. It looked like it brought out the same in this woman. Brice felt his nostrils flare slightly in response. “I’m an operative.” Males were such irritating creatures. They were control-seeking, career hungry and always cock led. Grace could see the arousal in his eyes. But she didn’t turn away just yet. There was an odd curl of excitement in her belly. His eyes dropped to her breasts and Grace felt her breath catch. She almost felt his eyes touch her. Grace didn’t think she’ d ever been so conscience of a man’s gaze in her life. Her breasts actually lifted under his stare making her shift as sensation coiled inside her belly. Grace turned her back on him as she ducked back through the tree branches. The need to escape became pressing. There was too much aggression in this man. It bled off his body like a scent that she could smell. Grace reached for her burden with gentle hands. There was something almost hypnotic about this child’s innocence. She was actually going to miss her. Giving her over to the care of the local law enforcement was almost sad. For now, it was time to find shelter from the storm. Angling Paige’s sleeping form against her chest, Grace adjusted the jacket that she’d wrapped around the child to shield her from the rain. Sleeping within the cocoon, she was oblivious to the cat and mouse chase being enacted over her. Grace’s ears told her the sheriff was quickly following her so she turned and emerged from her hiding place causing the man to jump back before he collided with her. Considering the shock on the man’s face, Grace thrust her burden forward forcing him to grasp it or let it drop. The sheriff didn’t disappoint her. His arms closed over his burden as he rocked back on his heels to avoid touching the grime Grace was covered with. She smiled as his eyes lit onto the fact that his current burden was also covered in mud and leaves. “If this is equipment, I’m going to drop it!” “Somehow I doubt her parents would be very happy to hear you say that about their daughter.” Brice drew his brows together. It couldn’t be that simple. Hefting the bundle into one arm, Brice moved the top of the fabric back to look inside. Brice sucked in his breath as he uncovered the small head of dirty blond hair. Bundled within the folds of fabric she was contently sleeping. The child made a slight face as the cold night air rushed in at her. Brice flipped the jacket back over her head while settling her more firmly into his arms. “How in the hell did you find her?” Thunder cracked across the sky a bare second after Brice all but roared his question. Paige erupted into a screaming bundle of frantic movement. Brice ripped the jacket away but Paige squirmed out of his distracted hold. The second her feet hit the ground she raced away from him at top speed. She disappeared behind the silent form of Jacobs’ operative. The emerald eyes lowered to

the small hands that clutched at her legs before rising back up to lock with Brice’s again. “That was brilliant.” “Maybe you could have warned me, before handing her off like that.” Grace considered the man in front of her. His face was tight with anger as his brown eyes moved over her again. There was a precise way he moved his eyes. The sharp edge didn’t miss a single detail. “You wouldn’t have believed me if I’d told you she was in that package.” Reaching for the two hands that were clamped onto her calves, Grace lifted the child onto her back. The second Grace felt Paige wrap her arms around her collarbone, she set her feet forward. Paige’s laughter drifted up as Grace began to climb out of the ravine. “Piggyback! Piggyback! Piggyback!” The little girl bounced up and down with her chant. Paige had begun talking the second she could and had not stopped until she’d dropped off into sleep. Her nap seemed to have recharged the child. Her small voice chattered about birds and trees and an infinite amount of other items. “Let me carry her.” Brice reached for Paige but pulled his hands back as she let out another ear-splitting scream. Half a second later, Grace had twisted around to aim her emerald eyes at him again. “I found her, I’ll carry her.” She made a perfect half turn and resumed her steady pace up the hillside. Her steps were steady and strong. Brice watched her as she continued with her burden without a hint of strain. Brice couldn’t think of a single woman that he knew that was that well conditioned. At the moment, Jacobs’ operative wasn’t even breathing hard. That was a level of endurance that Brice expected of every single man in his department. But seeing it encased in a woman half his size was slightly troubling. Shaking his head, Brice closed the distance between them. So the woman was in excellent physical condition. At the present moment, he ought to be thankful for it. Besides, it was a good three hundred yard climb to the top of the ravine. She was leaning forward just a bit to make sure Paige didn’t slip off her back. The posture gave him a clear view of her tight backside. Brice enjoyed the surge of arousal as it hit him again. This time he felt his staff twitch and rise in appreciation. The way she’d fled from him made him grin. With a bottom like that, a man would enjoy the chase.

***** Blissful silence was left behind as the last of the search Units entered the Emergency Room. Grace watched the glass doors slide closed behind them and sighed with relief. Raising her face upwards, she encouraged the rain to help rid her of some of the cover that clung to her body. Although it was cold, she enjoyed the feel of the rain as it worked its way to her skin. Life was contained inside the drops of water and as they slid across her skin they seemed to confirm her own link with their never-ending cycle. The asphalt of the parking lot broke that circle as the water was forced to run off into storm drains. Grace opened her eyes and looked out into the dark forest. Despite the fact

that she had recovered Paige, she still felt the call to return, but the summons was not nearly as strong as it had been the night she arrived. Grace lifted her eyes to consider the forest. She liked the wilderness but her senses wanted to go back out there for some other reason. Emotions were disruptive to her abilities. Feelings easily cut through the best concentration and always destroyed her mental links. Tonight was a blatant example of that lesson. She needed to sleep yet her mind was still tossing the tangle of emotions around. Even the Sheriff’s face was flashing around inside her head. A shiver shook her body. She was far too aware of the man. In fact she recalled the details of his face. The way he’d used his eyes to touch every inch of her body. Not many men were that intense. Most were slaves to their lust. But this man enjoyed his inner beast. He’d wanted to look at her breasts and been pleased she’d noticed. Grace hissed softly under her breath as she considered wanting to see him again. The desire mocked her logic. But temptation was cruel. Grace felt her breasts tingle slightly with just the memory of his brown eyes. Whatever she might want, it was going to have to wait until she appeased her fatigue. Then her discipline could subdue her rash physical responses. That didn’t mean that she needed to endure the confines of the medical building just yet. Sitting down on the curb she continued to enjoy the slide of the rain along her face. Buildings were stale. The walls blocked out every ounce of life. The very air became heavy inside their walls. Right here, there was the sweet sound of rain and the night was crisp and fresh. Pulling in another lung full, Grace sighed. Here, she could relax. A second shiver shook her closely followed by a third. Grace paid little attention to her decreasing body temperature. She was always cold after tracking a vision. Nothing would chase the chill from her body but sleep. Leaning her back against a large potted plant she absorbed the last moments of clarity her weary mind could take in. Her ears drank in the sound of the rain as the smell of it filled her lungs. She did love the night, rainy ones the most.

***** His third cup of coffee in hand, Brice turned the corner into the nurse’s station. His head dipped in a nod as the night staff sent a murmured bunch of greetings his way. Still something about tonight was subdued, though Brice himself was elated. He was still having trouble absorbing the fact that his wildcard idea had paid off. Guess that meant he would have to lay off the psychic jokes out of respect. He still didn’t have a clue what Jacobs’ operative was, but normal definitely wasn’t it. The subdued feeling followed him into the emergency room. Raising the coffee to his lips, he ran accessing eyes around to discover the cause. Two orderlies stood to the side of the double door entrance. With their heads pressed together. They whispered while staring out at something just beyond his view. Lowering the coffee, he stepped closer to the door to discover just what was causing the apprehension. A curse slipped from his mouth. Grace. In all the excitement she had simply escaped everyone’s notice.

She sat on the curb with her back set against a large planter completely oblivious to the downpour that was soaking her. Her crossed arms lay propped on top of her knees that she had drawn up to her chest. She was so still; Brice felt a prickle of worry run over him. Jacobs and his Unit were searching the far north end of the county. They also used different radios so it wasn’t until after he’d arrived at the medical center that Brice made contact with them. Two nurses walked by, their heads turned in unison as they cast nervous looks outside. “For Christ’s sake! Hasn’t anyone even offered her a cup of coffee?” “That woman ain’t normal.” “Look at her! Sitting out there like a penguin in a Jacuzzi. Don’t look like she wants any coffee to me.” Both orderlies crossed their arms and refused to budge from their observation point. “You know, Scott, there are times I’m ashamed to admit we have the same chromosome count.” Brice slammed his own coffee down before he grabbed his rain jacket and pulled it on. Maybe the woman wasn’t normal but that didn’t mean she was some kind of witch. For Christ’s sake, she’d brought in their missing person. You’d think that was worth at least common decency. Walking out of the door, Brice gritted his teeth against the chill in the air. Another ten degrees and they’d be plowing the roads come morning. Normal or not, the woman was still human. He crouched down beside Grace. The rain had washed most of the dirt from her face but the continued drenching was causing dirt to run out of her hair in muddy rivers along the sides of her face. She held her face angled upwards into the rain to keep it out of her eyes. Brice forced his eyes to watch for any sign of life. He’d seen corpses that looked more alive than she did right now, but there was a slight rise and fall to her chest. So slight he almost missed it. There was no missing the shiver that shook her frame a moment later. Just why she elected to remain outside in the cold, he didn’t know. But she was going inside right now before she ended up in shock from exposure. “Grace?” Not even a flicker of an eyelash. Reaching for her hand, Brice gave it a shake. She reacted to the touch with the same violence that a pressure-activated land mine did. Brice was treated to a view of stunning emerald fury before she planted both feet squarely over his chest and kicked him away from her body. She may have been small, but what there was of her was solid muscle. Reflex kicked in, causing Brice to brutally retain his grip on her body. Her attack sent him rolling across the asphalt, while his grip on her arm pulled her along with him. His brain reacted instantly to his vulnerable position. He flipped her over to her back before she had the chance to think. “Get off of me.” “What’s your problem? I’m the one getting soaked now.” Grace felt her body shudder in response to his. The pure dominance of his hold actually excited her. Anger flared inside her but it mixed with the intense stimulation of his touch, making her even more aware of his body.

“I don’t like being touched, so get off of me!” Her emerald stare was searing in its anger. Brice held it for a moment before pushing himself to his feet, pulling her along with him. The hospital parking lot wasn’t exactly the place to explore just what her body triggered in his own. The second she regained her footing, she violently jerked her arm from his hold. She retreated several paces before squaring off with him. A slight grin lifted the corner of his mouth as he considered the hard sound of her breathing. Desire was an unruly demon. It struck whenever it pleased. Jacobs’ operative didn’t seem to appreciate the sudden attraction. That made Brice lift both sides of his mouth into a smile. He was going to enjoy changing her mind. While she appeared to have plenty of mental energy to expend, her body looked to be just one step short of collapse. Spasms were shaking her frame almost continuously now. If she hadn’t had her jaw set so firmly, Brice fully expected he would have heard her teeth chattering. “Time to come inside, don’t you think?” “I prefer it right here.” The challenge she issued made Brice curl his lips back further. “Like it or not, you’re not staying out in this chill.” “The temperature is not life-threatening. Find someone else who needs your concern.” “Let me get a mirror, darling, because if that body of yours shakes any harder you’re going to end up on your tail.” “It’s my tail. Get lost.” “Go inside now!” The steel-edged command grated on her nerves. The sheriff seemed determined to force his will upon her. A ghost of a smile touched Grace’s face, most civilians were afraid of her. She considered the probing brown eyes once more. This man wasn’t a civilian, he was a predator neatly disguised in a civilian law enforcement uniform. The truth was etched in the depths of his probing eyes. He wasn’t tame. “No.” Her precise pronunciation of that single word was more telling than if she had screamed it. Brice’s eyes darkened as he watched her step back into a wider stance that would allow her to defend herself more effectively. He felt his arousal tighten another notch. She wasn’t going to give him the chance to chase her; she intended to stand her ground. “Fine, if that is the way it’s going to be.” His body tightened as he considered the raw surge of heat she inspired in him. He unhooked his hands from his belt as he considered his target. “But you’re going inside, honey.” “I see the two of you have gotten acquainted.” Brice turned about to find Jacobs standing exactly four paces behind him. Grace refused to endure the hard look that Jacobs pegged her with. Paige Heeley had been recovered, beyond that she declined to be critiqued. The Sheriff’s eyes flashed at her and she glared right back at the man. Her body shivered again as fatigue washed over her in a wave.

A blind man wouldn’t have missed the increased violence of the shivers that shook her body. Jacobs silently cursed himself. He shouldn’t have allowed his curiosity with Grace’s reaction to Brice to distract him from her level of exhaustion. And Grace was exhausted. Aided by the freezing rain, her body was slipping into shock as he watched. “Let’s go, Grace.” It was a simple statement, yet Grace struggled to comprehend it. Jacobs inclined his head in the direction opposite her. The sheriff was watching her with those sharp eyes again, so she forced her back straight. He wanted to touch her so she would deny him the chance by keeping her feet under her. She considered the tan sheriff’s department uniform that was sticking to his chest. The wet material revealed tight ridges of muscle that she remembered laying across her body. Her breasts lifted again as she spun on her heel before his eyes dropped to her nipples once more. An ache returned to her belly as she forced her remaining energy into recalling the tan uniform. The man was a civilian. So she would never see him again. Brice watched the uneven pair until they faded from sight. He winced slightly as the muscles of his chest issued a slight complaint. Casting his eyes back down the walkway, Brice slowly grinned. Now, that was definitely no lady!

***** With a shoulder propped against the bathroom doorway, Jacobs watched as Grace lost her fight to remain conscious. Her eyes were sliding closed now but she hadn’t even been aware of her surroundings for the last ten minutes. He was amazed that she managed the task of showering. Her respiration became increasingly shallow, recalling Jacobs to the reason he was sharing her room. Moving forward he efficiently attached a cardiac monitor to her unconscious form. Her flesh was icy cold. Pulling the blankets off the second bed, he tucked them up to her chin. Considering the information displayed on the screen, Jacobs slowly nodded approval. The unit had a shrill alarm that would alert him if her heart stopped. It was an assurance he needed tonight. He had been ignoring certain facts lately. Her solo mission was just another link in a chain. Depression caught up with the strongest of men. In a Ranger, it could nosedive into suicide. He just hadn’t wanted to see that Grace was so far gone as to leave her Unit behind. That wasn’t a mistake. Grace simply didn’t care. Well, he was going to have to find a way to change that. Death wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened. A true psychic was worth a fortune on the world market. Especially one with Grace’s success rate. The woman was a bloodhound. She had been just sixteen the first time he witnessed

her track someone down using nothing more than a wedding ring. Watching her wield that skill never ceased to amaze him. Given enough personal property, he had never seen her fail. Shifting himself away from the sleeping woman, Jacobs headed for the shower. He’d been wrong about how deeply she was into her depression. His commanding officer kept a lot of pressure on them to stick to military matters. But even Colonel Turvel had suggested that taking the Heeley case would be a good change of scenery. After all, finding a kid could put a grin on the most hardened of faces. Jacobs knew Paige Heeley wouldn’t be enough, but it was a to start.

***** “Another night behind bars.” “Your concern for my moral decline is heartwarming.” Sergeant Jenson sent his boss a mock salute in response. Brice simply grinned on his way out of the holding area. He was spending far too many nights on the cot in this holding cell. During the Heely case, it almost became his bedroom. Well, he’d make it home tonight. The thought of his own bed brought a full smile to his face. That smile deepened into something more predatory as he considered his prime objective for the day. Someone had abducted one of his citizens. Brice had a holding cell picked out for the guilty party. There was no way he intended to allow another family to become the target of this monster. Especially when the means to tracking the criminal down sat twelve miles down the road. If that woman could find Paige, maybe she could use her methods to find the abductor. Beyond that, Brice was curious to see if that female was any less abrasive by the light of day. She’d bared her claws quite freely last night. That idea brought a slow smile of appreciation to his face. Her rejection stirred something inside him. Brice let his memory recall exactly how she’d felt under him. It had been pure pleasure to feel her nipples against his chest. It would have been better to taste them. Pull them into his mouth and lick them until she wrapped those strong legs around him in surrender. Pulling into the motel parking lot, Brice released the fantasy. The first order of capturing her would be to keep her in Benton County. Today the sentries had withdrawn to more concealed locations. Slowly making his way down the hallway, Brice waited for the command to stop. When it didn’t come, he simply raised his hand to knock on the door of the room. Jacobs opened it a half second later. With the door open, a wave of heat made its escape. “Didn’t expect to see you so soon,” Jacobs commented as he pushed the door open. Both windows that the room offered had their curtains tightly closed against the light of day. While the remains of the storm were keeping the temperature low, it didn’t account for the level of heat that was present in the room. Brice peeled his jacket off the

second he stepped into the room. Running his eyes about for Grace, he almost missed her. What looked like a rumpled bed was her body covered with the bedclothes from both of the room’s beds. With the unspoken question brimming in his eyes, Brice looked to Jacobs. “It takes a lot out of her.” The extra blankets told Brice her efforts had shoved her body into shock. Tackling her in a rain-soaked parking lot certainly hadn’t helped. “I need to talk to her, ask her some questions.” Brice kept his voice low. Jacobs slowly folded his arms across his chest. “Being family got you through the front door. Permission to question my operative will take more friends than you have.” The unyielding manner the Major adopted was unmistakable. Brice considered his options. If he gave up now, he would have to be content with Paige’s return. “So why are you still standing in my county?” “There didn’t appear to be a reason to worry about spending another 48 hours here. ” Jacobs’ voice clearly indicated that he was currently reevaluating his earlier decision. Brice considered the territorial stance the man was displaying before his eyes moved to the source of their dilemma. Locked up inside the unconscious woman was a skill that could give him the edge against a creep that preyed on children. Brice still needed her… abilities. “I have a child abductor running around my county. It would be rather helpful to have an idea of just where to begin the search, Major. That may not be the concern of your superiors but it sure as hell is mine.” Strangely enough it was the reference to his rank that caused Jacobs to reconsider his position. Brice Campbell had a rather interesting file. In six short years with the Army, the man had ended up with an impressive record. “Fine, Captain, give her ten more hours. I’m not going to make it an order. Our job ends when the target is recovered.” Jacobs aimed a pointed stare at his company. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Grace can be very selective about who she talks to.” “I think she rather likes me.” Brice considered the way her nipples had stabbed into his chest. It was the most basic form of communication. Personalities aside, they were attracted to each other. That was something he intended to explore. A low laugh rolled out of the Major’s chest again. “I’ll be sure to notify your next of kin.” Brice turned to leave but stood in the doorway a moment. He turned his head back to look at the bed. As much as he wanted to continue this case, the physical toll this woman was clearly paying disturbed him. Brice didn’t know how he was going to do it but he had to settle this debt. “I owe you one.” Brice handed Jacobs a business card. “Call me if you need any help with her.” Jacobs sobered the second the door shut behind the sheriff. If he were smart, he’d pack up and be gone before Brice Campbell could notice. His commanding officer liked to keep Grace under tight wraps. It was an opinion that he shared to a good extent. The fewer people that knew about Grace, the safer it would be for her. Stepping outside the

room Jacobs let the morning air chase the heat from his body. The surrounding forest provided an opportunity that his Unit could benefit from. They had been shut up on base now for a few weeks. A few days in the mountains would trim the fat. While the base could provide all the physical training that his men needed, there was just no substitution for being in the field. There was an edge of uncertainty that nature could provide. The skills a man learned from that could mean the difference between life and death. Brice’s encounter with Grace was weighing on his mind. Physical contact was never something Grace tolerated well but now she was avoiding it to the point of violence. Brice seemed eager for another round with her. It might be interesting to see just what Grace would do when faced with the man’s questions. Pulling his mobile phone from his shirt pocket, Jacobs punched in a line of code to see if his commanding officer objected to his decision. Colonel Turvel must have been at his desk because a reply was almost instantaneous. Nodding his head with satisfaction, Jacobs replaced the phone. Maybe taking Grace off into the mountains would shake loose whatever it was that had prompted her to expose herself during this assignment. If not, then he might have to get creative.

***** “You don’t follow orders very well.” Running his hand across the top of his head again in agitation, Jim frantically searched his mind for any excuse to get out of the cabin. Sam was sure a stupid fool to have gotten them hooked up with this guy. Jim wanted out. “The kid was just going to the pot. I didn’t think she needed an escort.” “I’m not paying you to think.” Disgusted with the pathetic excuse of a man that stood in front of him, he gave a wave of his hand to get the man to vacate the cabin. He had more important things to do. His mission objective had not been reached. Another trap would have to be laid. Two single shots pierced the air, causing him to nod in approval. No loose ends. Failure was not an option.

Chapter Three Opening her eyes, Grace looked around. She slowly drew in a deep breath and released it. She felt wonderful. Her muscles were relaxed and her head was clear of every cloud. She held herself perfectly still. Not knowing the exact details of her current location made it vital to investigate her surroundings before making any sudden movements. If startled, Army Rangers tended to wake up mean. The men of her unit slept with their

guns more often than their girlfriends. A frown wrinkled her forehead; Jacobs lay stretched out on the opposite bed facing her. One hand was stuffed beneath his pillow; the slightest edge of his pistol peeked out from beneath the white cotton pillowcase. Moving her eyes back up to the window, she caught the slightest tinge of light. She was itching to get out and explore the forest before Jacobs’ commanding officer found some other assignment to ship her off to. Thinking of Colonel Turvel was a mistake. It soured her mood, opening the door to the depression that had been stalking her for the last few months. Oh, she knew it was depression; she just wasn’t inclined to do anything about it. Considering Jacobs once more, Grace eased her body over the opposite side of the bed. Jacobs slept lighter than anyone she knew did and sneaking past him was a favorite challenge. Today her reward for evading him would be the morning sunrise. It wasn’t anything personal, but Jacobs provided the best possible candidate for this type of training exercise. Besides, the four walls of the motel room were far too dingy to endure when a sunrise waited. Pulling the door open was painfully slow. The air that came rushing in was fresh making her eager to slip out of the room. But a dry hinge could end her game with a tiny squeak. Patience paid off as Grace slipped through the door and onto the sidewalk. The morning air was wonderfully crisp. Grace let a smile cross her face as she stepped away from the building. The very first rays of light were reaching up on the horizon. The motel looked out on miles of untamed forest and the dawn was slowly bringing the trees to life. Grace forced her feet to stop. She itched to move beyond the concrete sidewalk but that would bring company intruding on her sunrise. Having evaded Jacobs’ Unit so very recently, there was no way those same men would again make the mistake of not watching her every step. Not for some time to come anyway. She wanted to enjoy Benton’s forest. Exactly why she hadn’t woken up secured on base didn’t matter. The fresh air that surrounded her did. A slight movement caught her eye as Clark changed positions. Grace frowned deeply. Being in Benton meant she was still in the sheriff’s territory. Her body leapt at just the idea of the man. Yet, Grace considered her body with curiosity as well. She certainly wasn’t a stranger to being leered at. Brice Campbell’s look was different. The sheriff’s eyes had been alight with some unspoken promise. Her body burst into sensation as she considered exactly what kind of promise the man was giving her. The biggest surprise was that it was exciting her. The idea of him pressing her to the floor made her body throb. She was keenly aware of him in the deepest places inside her body. Sexual tension after an assignment was normal. The heat building between her thighs wasn’t. Her nipples were tightly beaded yet again as her skin began to tingle. Clark shifted again bringing Grace to immediate attention. Tilting her head she caught Jacobs in her sight. “Why are we still here?” Jacobs’ face turned into solid stone. Grace knew the expression. He used it on his men regularly. Well, she knew how to hide behind a mask as well. Grace caught the angry flash from his eyes as she slapped her own expressionless face on.

“You seemed in a hurry to see the forest a couple of days ago.” Grace didn’t even blink in the face of his displeasure. “Besides, we’re having dinner with Brice tonight out at his place.” Grace hissed in response. Jacobs raised an eyebrow. Fine. Let Jacobs haul her off to some dinner. Brice Campbell wasn’t going to make her run. Turning on her heel, Grace headed into the room for a shower. She didn’t care. She wouldn’t care. She refused to care. With the sound of running water to cover his amusement, Jacobs let his laughter hit the morning sunrise. Every new man into the Unit tried his hand at impressing Grace. The more experienced men would take bets on just how fast their green-eyed operative would smash the advances. Grace could freeze a man at ten paces and never break a sweat doing it. But Brice Campbell could make her blush.

***** “Time to move, Grace.” Tugging her jacket on she reached for the gloves that rested on the tile counter of the bathroom. Grace smiled as the black knit fabric clung to her fingers. Distractions from her flesh were annoying. Preventing her nerve endings from intruding with their limited perceptions was… comforting. Very controlled. There was a stability to be found in maintaining focus. Grace climbed into the helicopter in relief. This “dinner” certainly wouldn’t last very long. In fact, she had half a mind to remain inside the black machine and refuse to see Brice Campbell again. Sliding her eyes over to Jacobs she considered the glitter sitting in the back of his hazel eyes. Her C.O. wanted answers as well. Jacobs had spent the better part of the morning trying to stare her down. Maybe she should have given him his answers and saved herself this little social call. If she tried to remain with the Unit’s transportation, Jacobs would just turn the invitation into an order. Grace dug her feet into the floor of the helicopter to keep her body secured in her seat as Jacobs lifted the bird off the ground. He took to the controls with the enthusiasm that two days of downtime had left in his system. The craft banked at a steep angle while speeding along the rise of the forest. Grace let a smile play across her face. The aircraft surged forward propelling itself faster at its master’s urging. Grace enjoyed the freedom of the ride. It was a primal thing. The speed. The hard edge need to not flinch as they sailed over a rise of land, pulling away from the ground. A lake lay before them and the craft settled exactly one foot above the glassy surface of the water. The motion of the blades was causing the water to run in waves out and away from the helicopter. Grace loved the way Jacobs’ handled the aircraft. Air support was vital to the safety of his Unit. Jacobs wouldn’t travel very far from his bird for any reason. The clearing Jacobs aimed for was little more than an old logging road. Grace watched his face tighten as he considered the angle to bring his aircraft down at. Tonight the air moved in lazy gusts among the trees. The redwoods swayed in slow

rhythm as they waited for the moon to cast light over them. Despite the pleasure she found in the night, Grace was preoccupied with the exact reason for their visit. Lots of civilians had questions for her; Jacobs rarely allowed them close enough to voice them. That suited her fine. There had been too many years she was forced to endure the prodding of the curious. Now that the powers that be had their file on her she rarely needed to endure interrogations from anyone other than her immediate commanding officer. A few of them went out of their way to ensure they didn’t need to do it very often. Artificial light announced their destination. Grace surveyed the log structure that Brice Campbell called home. The outer walls were in fact large logs. The bark had been stripped from the wood and it was sealed to keep out the weather but no paint had been applied. It wasn’t small. Large multi-paned glass windows were set every eight feet along the front of the house. There was a porch that ran the entire length of the house. The roof extended to cover it, and support beams were spaced between the windows. The trees grew right up to the porch line. The only part of the forest that had been cleared, besides the logging road, was the small gravel road that gave access to the garage sitting twenty feet behind the house. Grace stopped before stepping onto the porch. Sheriff Brice Campbell was waiting for them. He shook out his frame and straightened up as his eyes caught them approaching his house. One hand reached for the brim of his hat and tugged it gently while his eyes held hers. “Good evening.” This was his territory; pure confidence was carried in his voice. The challenge was clearly written in his eyes. Grace stiffened her spine and stepped up onto the porch. She was not afraid of the man! Brice let his eyes wander over her. Ivory skin molded over her face with the perfection of porcelain. Coal black hair complemented her fairness. It all mixed into a stunning combination of beauty that Brice didn’t think he’d seen outside of a classic film. Yet she was dressed in standard green and brown army fatigues. Her hair was pinned into tight braids on top of her head and her boots were laced up over her pants. She was dressed right down to the last detail for a field inspection. Grace made it five steps into the large family room before she went rigid. Her senses rioted. Every corner of this house was his. His scent was drifting in the air. She lifted her head and tried to identify it but it was too elusive. Turning on her heel Grace considered the door. “Leaving before dinner is rather rude, sweetheart.” Brice folded his arms across his chest making him appear more overwhelming than he already was. “Social customs are time consuming as well as distracting.” “Someone really should teach you what the phrase ‘off-duty’ means.” Grace simply raised her eyebrow. If she didn’t respond, he couldn’t have a conversation with her. The thought didn’t give her much satisfaction and it was childish. Grace considered both men before shaking off that small bit of guilt. There was nothing immature about being tired of being interrogated. But Brice Campbell made her… sensitive. Pressing her lips into a firm line, she

moved to one of the windows to consider the view. Fine. She was in the house. Both men moved off in the face of her dismissal making her smile. Grace took a slow breath into her lungs and tried to calm her surging emotions. Now that she was further into the house, Grace caught the scent of dinner in the air. Whatever it was, it did smell good. The rattling of dishes reached her ears as well as bits of the men’s conversation. Left to herself, she wandered about the house. It was dark but she preferred it that way. Next to the living room there was a dining room. It had a beautiful wood floor. The room was bare except for a large oil painting. It depicted a scene of a huge black stallion rearing up on its hind legs. Strength radiated from the creature, despite the fact that it was only a creation of paint and canvas. A hallway was next to the dining room. The first door led to a bedroom. It was a guestroom. The bare essentials furnished it. The floor was wood again. In fact, the hallway had a wood floor with a length of carpet running over it. A bathroom was next. Grace stopped in the next doorway. It was another guestroom. The next room caught her interest. All the pieces of furniture were antiques of some sort. There was a large wooden chest with a domed top. Grace stepped in and slowly ran a hand over it. The wood was smooth and well-oiled. Next to that was an old coat rack. A uniform of some sort hung from it. At first glance it looked like Air Force dress blues. It wasn’t. Two rows of brass buttons ran down the front of it. It was a Union Civil War uniform. The pants were neatly hung behind the jacket. A length of crimson caught her eye. A large gun rack was centered on the wall behind her. The guns that were resting in it were long rifles and looked to date from the Civil War period too. There were three rifles and two smaller hand pistols. They all gleamed from recent polishing. The last item that rested on the gun rack was a sword. It too was polished to a high luster. It rested carefully on the rack without its scabbard. Grace reached out softly touching the butt of one of the pistols. “That’s a black powder gun.” Grace stiffened. Brice Campbell moved like a panther, silent and steady. A curl of excitement hit her belly as his eyes slowly moved down her length. There was a blatant honesty about the way he looked her over. He always brought his eyes back to hers when he did it. A small shiver raced down her spine in response. Brice Campbell wasn’t interested in just looking. There was a promise burning in his eyes that made her shift back a step. “Is it people that make you nervous?” His question was simple yet confusing. There were always questions asked about her, but it had been a really long time since someone actually looked her in the eye and asked her. “It’s… People are distracting.” Brice crossed his arms over his chest as his eyes tried to sink into hers. Grace shifted as the attention made her warm. Her skin actually began to grow hot as he watched her. “Why are you so worried about being distracted? Dinner isn’t a life or death situation. My cooking’s not that bad.” A tiny smile lifted her lips. Brice felt his mouth answer the expression with a grin.

“You should do that a little more often.” “I don’t issue invitations that I’m not interested in honoring.” Grace let her smile sit on her lips as she stepped towards the doorway. His eyes watched her intently before taking one long step that blocked the exit. She pressed her lips into a firm line. “Not every man thinks a smile means a woman wants to jump into bed with him.” “You’re hoping it does.” The words came out of her mouth on impulse. Grace slammed her teeth together but too late. Tossing a challenge out was really stupid. His lips curled back into a wide grin that showed his teeth. He stepped closer making his body seem far larger than it was. She felt small next to him; his strength seemed to grow as her body shifted away from him again. It wasn’t something she could control. Her breath came in small pants as she caught his scent. Brice felt the hard bite of arousal and curled his lips back to enjoy it. Impulses shot along his bloodstream. All of them were deeply sexual. Covered in mud she’d been so very relaxed in the role of a solider. Maybe he just wanted to see if there was a woman hiding behind her stiff composure. Maybe the boy inside him wanted to pull her hair to see what she’d do. But the man inside him wanted to do a whole lot more. “Maybe I am hoping that was an invitation. Come over here so we can find out.” She shook her head but her nipples were stabbing through her shirt telling a much different story. “You’re wasting your time.” His lips tugged up in a grin before his hand shot out to capture her wrist. His body moved with solid purpose, binding her into his hard embrace. Grace gasped for air as her flesh responded with searing emotion to the touch. “I don’t think so.” Grace thrust her hands forward to brace against his chest. He lowered his firm mouth to hers. He traced the corners of her lips with his, pushing against the firm lips of her closed mouth. One hand wrapped around her face, his thumb pulled her chin down to allow him access. Warm and determined, his lips moved over hers pushing aside her resistance as they sought out her taste. His tongue was a bold invader that demanded the deepest secrets of her mouth. Heat exploded in her belly as his chest rubbed against her sensitive nipples. “You taste as good as you feel.” Sliding his hand down the length of her arm, he captured her wrist and pulled it up in front of her eyes. His fingers deftly moved the top of her gloves aside as they settled over the sensitive skin of her inner wrist. Grace pushed against the embrace. His arms tightened as her body exploded with heat. “Your pulse is racing.” One large hand traveled over the smooth column of her throat to press against the pulsing artery in her neck. Releasing the pulse point, Brice slid his hand down the side of her face before his mouth settled on top of hers once more. Moving his mouth over hers, he drove into the cloud of mystery that surrounded her. He demanded a response that she didn’t seem to have the discipline to deny him. Emotion crested over her like a wave. Grace found temptation sweeping her along

in its grip as she balanced on the sharp edge of sensation. Her fingers curled into talons as she struggled for release from the overwhelming stimulus of his touch. Every inch of contact between their bodies burned. Desire became a driving force inside her and Grace spread her fingers out on his chest seeking the ridges of muscle he was using to hold her against him. Pressed to his huge frame, his erection pulsed against her ribs making her belly tighten with need. A soft moan escaped her mouth when he lifted his lips from hers. Cradling her head in his hand, he tipped it back until his mouth could find the exposed length of her neck. Her eyes were glassy with need; her hips nestled against his body as she surrendered to his touch. Another moan escaped her throat when Brice closed his lips over the ivory skin of her neck. That feeling of domination swept her making her moans deep expressions of yearning. Her hips twitched forward in blatant invitation. Brice raised his head as he savored the scent of arousal. He could smell her sex right through her clothing. Moving a hand he gently palmed a breast. Tracing the beaded nipple with the pad of his thumb, he watched her eyes spring open in response. “Let’s go down to my bedroom.” The harsh rasp of his breath hit her ears as his hand gently squeezed her breast again. A jolt of fire spread down to her center making her body scream with need. The pure intensity of it was too much to understand. Grace aimed a brutal shove at his chest. Brice let her go. Arousal was thick in the air but her eyes were also flashing with panic. She tasted too damn good. The sweet smell of her sex was hitting his body with primal force. He wanted to drag her down to his bedroom and shut the world out until he’d explored every last inch of her body. “Maybe it’s a good thing Jacobs is waiting.” Brice reached his hand down to snag a rifle from its rack. His eyes were hard as they moved over her face but he pulled a powder horn from the end of the rack and abruptly left the room. The wall behind her transformed from prison to support as Brice went out the doorway. Grace let her body slump against it as she struggled for the emotional stability that seemed to have crumbled away so very quickly. Her lips were alive with tiny pulses of feeling as she fought for the detachment so very necessary for her focus to become complete. Heat was radiating along every square inch of her skin in some unspoken need for her clothing to simply be discarded. Her breasts were straining against the sports bra she had on and she couldn’t ever remember the garment being so uncomfortable. Pulling a deep breath into her lungs she felt the heat move into her core to set off a pulse that she felt directly in her sex. Grace ground her teeth together in anger. The pulse of arousal was unmistakable and she hated it. Being at the mercy of her body was annoying as hell. She pressed her thighs together as she tried to clear her mind. Control returned by slow measures. The explosive discharge of a weapon reached her ears. Any topic was welcome if it meant the end of her awareness of Brice’s kiss. The rifle discharged again. Grace stepped out on to the back patio and watched as Brice lowered it to begin the process of reloading. He lifted a powder horn to the

muzzle, pouring a measure of the black powder into the barrel of the gun. Next went a ball and then he used a long rod to pack it all firmly into the barrel of the gun. Brice handed the weapon off to Jacobs, issuing careful instructions to him. Grace watched as he pulled the trigger mechanism. The rifle discharged with a cloud of smoke. “Where do you fire this thing off at?” “We have an historical group that gets together once a month. Mock battle and a dance. You should come by this weekend. It’s one of the local ways of unwinding in Benton.” The invitation might sound innocent to Jacobs but Grace found Brice’s steady gaze settled on her as he issued it. Alarm raced along her nerve endings as she considered the idea of finding herself in his company yet again. “If you like the rifle, you should try the cannon.” Jacobs’ face split into a grin. “You’ve got a cannon?” “Not me,” Brice held his hands up in innocence. “But my group has eight of them and they could use a man big enough to handle those ladies.” Brice disappeared into the kitchen. Jacobs turned his attention on her and Grace struggled to keep her emotions buried. Instead, Grace noticed the plush porch furniture, a sofa and chairs all with thick padding. There were candle lanterns burning on the small coffee table along with napkins and salt and pepper shaker. A small smile of relief crossed her face. Dinner wasn’t going to require her to sit in the house. Dropping into one of the chairs, Grace stretched her neck as she tried to loosen the tight muscles. The air was cool and crisp but wonderfully fresh with the scent of the forest. Brice returned and handed a plate of food to her. Grace gaped at the amount of food that was on it. How much did the man think she ate anyway? “Let me know when you’re ready for seconds, darling.” She glared in response to his endearment but he seemed to enjoy her temper. Setting her eyes onto her meal, she lifted her fork with rapid movements. If cleaning her plate would bring an end to their evening, she was willing to cooperate. It was time to see just what Brice Campbell wanted from her. The poor wording of that thought brought a blush to her cheeks. Jesus! What the hell was wrong with her tonight anyway? Men, emotions, kissing… It was enough to drive her insane! Letting her eyes roam over Brice she watched the simple way he was conducting a conversation with Jacobs. His brown eyes locked with her own. Heat immediately surfaced in her face again. That was it! Dropping her plate, Grace jumped from her chair and used the porch’s railing to climb into the branches of a pine tree. Turning her eyes at both of them, she propped her body against the trunk of the tree. Lifting her chin, Grace let the scent of the forest drive away the distracting emotions of society. The two men were welcome to each other; she wanted the companionship of the night. Jacobs was just trying to rattle her chain by dragging her along to dinner. The problem wasthat it was working. Her head was throbbing with the tangle of feelings.

Thrusting aside emotions was the only way she’d ever found any peace. Thinking of Paige as a child instead of the target had been a major mistake. Snapping her eyes around, she sent a glare at Jacobs. She wasn’t going to turn into some social queen. Jason Jacobs was the only C.O. the Unit had ever had that didn’t snap a whip over her. Grace kept her efficiency rate as high as she could in response. But if the giant wanted to start playing mind games with her, he was in for the fight of his life! Brice watched the drama unfold. There was a clear line being drawn, even if he didn ’t understand the facts of the matter. Jacobs reached into his pocket and sent a small black box sailing through the air. His operative snatched it from the air and jumped over the porch railing in the same instant. “Goddamn it!” Jacobs let his curse slip out in the same whisper-soft tone he’d used with his men. “ Sorry, Brice, but I can give you the location of the cabin she found Paige in.” Brice considered the night for a moment. If he were smart, he’d let the woman go. That idea lasted exactly two seconds before he pushed to his feet. She’d just felt so damn good against his body. Brice wasn’t in the mood to let her run away. “Hold it right there, Brice.” Brice didn’t turn around. His eyes cut into the darkness as his night vision began to kick in. “Why?” “I told you that I wasn’t going to make it an order. Grace likes to be alone.” Turning around, Brice crossed his arms across his chest. He’d enjoyed kissing her and wasn’t in the mood to let her reject him. But it looked like the first obstacle he had to clear was her C.O. “I don’t expect to find anyone in that cabin tomorrow. Is it possible that she could trace one of the suspects from whatever is left in that cabin?” “Our job ends when the target is recovered.” “Can she do it?” “That’s not the point, Brice.” “Maybe. Maybe not” Brice aimed a hard look at Jacobs. “But maybe you should take a closer look at your operative. Some people need more than just orders to fill their life. If you keep applying her like a piece of hardware, don’t be so pissed off when she acts like it.” Jacobs climbed to his feet. Brice had an interesting effect on Grace. In fact, Jacobs had never seen her give so much attention to any man. Grace needed shaking up and maybe Brice had a better shot at it than he did. “Fine. You’ve got a point. I’m pulling my bird off the ground at dawn.” Pulling another slim black box from his pocket, Jacobs efficiently punched in a line of code before raising his eyes back to Brice. A lopsided grin split his face. “I’ll get Grace back out to that cabin, but I’m not going any further than that.” “She’ll do the job.” Jacobs considered Brice’s confident face. “Just why are you so certain of that?” “Your operative made the fatal mistake on this one, Jacobs.” The Major dipped his head with understanding before he jumped the porch railing and disappeared. Grace had made the error of seeing Paige as a child instead of a target.

Every Ranger knew that detachment was essential. Brice considered the night and the boundary that stood between him and Jacobs’ operative. There was a woman locked up somewhere inside her. He was itching to get another chance to find her. Fighting to spend another hour with her went beyond the needs of his case. It was now personal.

Chapter Four Dawn was beautiful. Grace stood facing the east a full hour before the horizon began turning pink. Why stay in bed when sleep was miles away? Maybe fatigue would soon extract its toll but for now she would take the chance to be free of the motel room. “A man could get used to seeing you in the morning.” She jumped back into a fighting stance once again. A frown touched his face as Brice considered her. Being on guard was one thing, expecting violence at every turn spoke of a harsh life. “Good morning.” “It was.” “You must have missed the Army code of conduct class on social etiquette.” “Maybe you should take the hint.” “And get lost?” Brice stepped in a slow circle that forced her to either move with him or give him access to her back. She snapped about to prevent him from gaining that advantage. “Can you track from objects in the cabin?” So, the man still wanted to question her? Well, Grace did have to give him extra points for persistence. “Sometimes.” That grin appeared on his face again. Confidence radiated from the small expression. The man was a perplexing tangle of emotional stimuli. Grace watched the way he let his eyes slip down her body again. It was annoying to discover how much she enjoyed the man looking her over. “Jacobs makes the decisions on just where I go tracking.” Straightening her legs she tugged her gloves more firmly into place. The only skin exposed to his stare was her face; her cheeks were tingly with heat. Exposure seemed to be something Brice Campbell held a skill for. His brown eyes seemed to see all too clearly the way her body leapt in response. There wasn’t any logic to such a conclusion, but Grace tugged at her gloves again anyway. “Do you just avoid questions or am I a special case?” “I normally ignore them.” “The questions or the men?” “Both.” There! Now she was being rude. Sliding his eyes down her length, Brice picked out the tiny details of arousal. The set of bulky fatigues she wore hid most of her curves but not the tremble of her limbs. Desire snaked along his stomach as he noted the stain spreading across her cheeks.

Funny, but it was the first time he’d ever really watched a woman blush. It brought his body to full attention. Thrusting his hand forward, he curled a finger across the satin surface of her face. “ Looks like you’re not having too much luck with me.” Already far too aware of the man, his touch sent her body into a full panic. Thrusting her hand upwards, Grace was rewarded with the rather satisfying smack that came from her hitting the man’s elbow in its one soft spot. Brice rocked back on his heels as his hand rubbed at the spot. His eyes closed to mere slits, satisfying her greatly. “Leave.” The woman held a vocabulary of one-word responses that would impress a monk. The pain in his elbow settled into a steady throb. “Why don’t you like being touched?” That simple curiosity confused her again. Why was the man interested in her feelings anyway? If it wasn’t critical, it didn’t matter. “Emotions are distracting.” “A little distraction can be… enjoyable.” “Concentration yields results. Everything else is a waste of resources.” That was the reality. “No, honey, but I’d sure like to hit the man that taught you that.” His attitude was so… possessive. It should have made her angry. Instead Grace took a moment to consider whether or not Brice Campbell might have a good point. Her body certainly thought his ideas were good. “I would have loved to see that look on your face last night.” Grace knew that. The low rumble of his voice brought her memory surging forward. It brought back the raging need that she’d felt throbbing in her body for most of the night. Her skin tightened under his sharp eyes. “Maybe we can try it again tonight.” She hissed softly under her breath. A second later she’d sprung away from him. Jacobs stepped through the motel room door to consider both of them. Brice returned the man’s stare. He wanted Grace and it didn’t matter who discovered that fact. In fact, the sooner Jacobs learned that, the sooner the man would stop interfering in the chase.

***** Anger really could hurt. “Which direction, Grace?” “North.” Snapping the word out, Grace set her teeth together again. Jacobs angled his aircraft into the north as she considered the forest below them. The man had to be sick. Jacobs never agreed to investigations. Never. Yet here they were. Covering the miles she’d carried Paige over. The helicopter sliced through the distance in mere minutes. As isolated as the location was, it was easy to spot from the air. Even if her eyes had failed her, the spot still held amazing interest. Grace let her anger dissolve as she considered the cabin once again. Her curiosity

jumped to attention. There was still something here. Despite her intention to ignore the man, Grace followed Brice Campbell with her eyes. He joined her unit when they hit the ground and began an approach on the cabin. Without the tan of his uniform to betray his difference, she would have been hard pressed to note it. His movements blended in with those of the other soldiers without a hint of awkwardness. “Brice Campbell is a Ranger.” Between the sharp attention and sure movement of his body, the training was unmistakable. His current uniform was irrelevant; once a man reached a certain level with the Special Forces, he never truly left them. “One of the best.” Coming from Jacobs that was high praise. The note in his voice said a great deal about his respect for the man. That explained why she was looking back down on this cabin again. Returning her eyes to the objective, Grace waited for movement. It wouldn’t be long now. The cabin sat in a twenty foot clearing. The Rangers would make a combined assault on it to minimize any threat to the Unit. “It’s clear.” Jacobs stood watching her. Considering the cabin again, Grace felt her curiosity rising. That was trouble, pure and simple, but she really wanted to go back down into that cabin. Each step she took toward her target was odd. Mainly, because she didn’t have a target. There was never a time there wasn’t a target or a purpose that she was told to focus on. So, today she could follow her curiosity and see where it led. Stopping in front of the door, Grace turned and considered the silent forest. She could feel the weight of the men watching her but it wasn’t enough to stop her from wanting whatever sat on the other side of that door. Grace let her mind shift into focus. Stripping her gloves from her fingers, she entered the cabin. Too many people had used it over the years. Images sprang up in large amounts of static. While the forest was warm with the approach of summer, the cabin was sticky from its windows being secured shut. Wandering about, Grace reached out, touching a piece of furniture here, and a countertop there. The living room was an odd collection of shabby furniture that had seen better days the decade before. Something was here, but nothing was taking firm shape. The static continued interfering. The bedroom stood just in front of her. This was where she had clearly seen Paige when she had first tracked her. Grace knew every inch of the bedroom. Walking into it, she stopped dead in her tracks. Sitting in the middle of the bed was a small crumpled blanket. The kind a child used for security. The hand-knitted stitches lay pulled and stretched out of their original orderly rows. Wear like that only resulted from the tiny hands of a child as they carried it about for comfort. It was not Paige’s. Grace was absolutely sure of it. She regarded it like a coiled snake. It was odd that something that personal had been left behind but then after Paige had been removed it was very possible another child could have been moved in haste. Grace reached for the blanket, curling her fingers into the fabric. She closed off everything and fell into the void that might allow her to locate the owner of the item.

***** Brice stood and waited. He had been waiting for the past hour. No one spoke. Nothing moved. There was no sign of Grace, and from his view no movement inside the cabin either. Brice ran his eyes over a couple of Unit’s Rangers. They were deadly serious and equipped for war. Brice felt inadequately armed with only his pistol on his hip. Maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised that Grace jumped into a fighting stance on a regular basis. Her companions were fingering automatic rifles. Another hour crawled by. Jacobs started to shift closer to the cabin. Tension was beginning to build in the man’s body. That must mean that things were now starting to run long. Another twenty minutes passed by before the tension broke. Jacobs turned his head. Something must have come over his radio. Brice watched as the huge shoulders relaxed and he started down into the clearing. Brice followed, watching as Grace came around the corner of the structure. A small scrap of cloth was tightly clenched in her fist as she covered the ground separating them at a rapid pace. It seemed to require a great deal of effort for her to halt and give Jacobs the briefest of glances. “There was another child here.”

***** How could she have missed a second child? She was never that careless. Grace put her aggressiveness into climbing the hill. The others were scrambling to keep up but she didn’t care. By the time she got to the helicopter, she was drenched in sweat, her heart pounding beneath her breasts. Still she couldn’t have cared less. She had been so certain that there weren’t any other children here that night. How had she missed it? Grace paced around the helicopter in circles. She was so mad it hurt! She could clearly see the other child but couldn’t get a location. It was floating in pieces around her head. There was just too much static! Nothing was clear. Except for the actual child herself. Anger boiled higher as frustration caught her in its grip. Uncertain just what was causing her anger, Brice moved in a little closer. If there was another child, his only link was Grace. She had taken off before on her own and Brice couldn’t allow her to do that again. Jacobs seemed to have similar thoughts taking up a stance on the other side of the helicopter. His eyes were trained on Grace as she abruptly stopped, fixing her eyes on the door of the black machine. Solid red clouds were all that Grace saw as she faced the aircraft. Self-inflicted anger consumed her, as did the inability to solve the current case. She looked at the tiny box that she was expected to climb into and her mind rebelled. Instinct took over. For Grace that meant to seek shelter in the land. She pivoted on both feet and sprang for the forest cover. She made it three paces before Jacobs grabbed her around the waist. With one arm he lifted her off her feet. Two strides and he wrenched the door of the helicopter open dropping her into the seat. He sent the door closed with a slam and depressed a lock

button on the exterior of the door. He pinned Brice with a hard stare. “Now we’ve opened a can of worms,” he stated before circling the craft to climb into the pilot’s seat. Brice climbed aboard as the helicopter lifted off the ground.

***** They covered the quarter mile of forestland back to Brice’s home in record time. Grace seemed determined to outrun her vision. But she was intent on some goal. “Is she always this intense?” “When she works, yes.” Jacobs seemed to watch his operative with a practiced eye. Her frantic pace didn’t seem to surprise the man. He kept himself exactly one step behind her, while his men fanned out around them. Every man on the team knew exactly his role. Grace hesitated as she reached the bottom step of his home. She cast her eyes back towards the forest before she caught her C.O.’s eyes. Abruptly she turned and went into the house. “I’ll make a sketch.” Brice watched her sit in plain view of the front window. She pulled a small pad of paper from her backpack and angled her head towards the blank page. Her eyes became mere slits as she forced her vision to life on a sketchpad. “She’s not much on explanations.” Brice said as he continued to watch her work. The vision appeared to capture her attention completely. It was like she was attempting to translate her psychic sense into something the world around her would understand. Turning away from Grace, Jacobs considered his men. They were perched among the trees as they waited for his orders. Their training was evident as each man found cover instead of standing around in the open. “She’s frustrated. Grace likes her cases neat and clean.” Well they had that in common. Brice watched her fingers as they brushed and smudged at her work. Standing on his porch while she occupied his living room was rather strange but the woman didn’t suffer company well and Brice wanted that sketch. She couldn’t make out the men’s exact words but Grace didn’t need to. They were talking about her and people called her rude. At least she didn’t discuss a person while hiding behind a pane of glass. She didn’t see the men leave, but the floorboards vibrated as they stepped down the wooden front steps. Just the slightest tremor, but she felt it all the same. Grace silently put the paper aside. She wanted to walk, needed to walk. Her emotions felt drained and she needed the life nature could provide to renew herself. Her name was being carried on the breeze again calling her to join the night. Slipping to her feet she silently made her way out the back of the house. Grace loved the sound of the night. She listened to the call of the night birds as they called to their mates. The gentle brush of leaves as the wind moved them about. The smell of water came to her. Wherever there was life, there must first be water. Grace headed to the water. She was rewarded with a small lake. It was very small, maybe only thirty feet wide, but to her it was perfection. Her eyes drank in the stillness. The moon was only a quarter full and the surface of the lake was glass smooth in the dim light. Slowly wandering through the trees that surrounded the lake, Grace pondered her

feelings. Things had changed once she had picked up the blanket. She stopped. That was what was really bothering her. There wasn’t a single trace of that second child anywhere in the cabin, only on the blanket. Something was odd. She just couldn’t put her finger on it. One thing was for certain. Grace wanted to stay in Benton until she could discover what it was that eluded her here. That desire was strongly rooted inside her head. She wanted to dig up whatever it was that surrounded this case. Grace was even discovering that she feared being pulled away before she finished her quest. Having little to say over her assignments never really bothered her… until now. In fact, it was slightly amazing that she was walking through the forest and not across the landing pad on base. She was sure Brice Campbell was behind her present reprieve. Jacobs got edgy when unfamiliar Army personnel wanted to question her. Civilians normally needed signed orders to get into the same room. Colonel Turvel was far worse, the man would see her sitting in a cell if he thought she wouldn’t outright rebel against such treatment. So… just what was it about the man that inspired respect in Jacobs? Their continued involvement with a civilian matter confirmed that fact to her. Otherwise, Grace was certain she would have woken up secured on base. The Army moved her as they pleased, when they pleased. Colonel Turvel would be on the other end of Jacobs’ phone soon enough demanding their return. Grace’s desire to stay would not be sufficient to change that order. Besides, she doubted anyone would ask for her opinion. The wind shifted direction and Grace froze. A scent came with the wind. The wind shifted back but she knew, just knew she wasn’t alone. She could not see them, but she was absolutely certain someone was there. And it wasn’t Jacobs. The wind shifted again. The scent came with it. Recognition dawned, impacting her on a primal level. She had made the mistake of forgetting that this was his territory. Brice Campbell had tracked her down just like the predator she had decided he was. Brice watched Grace search for him. She was good, very good. The slight sounds of her increased respiration touched his ears. She lifted her chin and pulled a deep breath of night air into her lungs. Adrenaline surged through his body. She could smell him. A female’s sense of smell was roughly three times that of a male, but most women never leaned to use their senses so very effectively. A grin split his features in primal appreciation of her skill. Brice enjoyed the surge of arousal. It pricked along his nerve endings. Tracking her across his land was deeply satisfying. The fact that she covered her trail so well made the experience that much more enjoyable. His grin broadened in satisfaction for having found his prey tonight. Grace’s eyes picked up the shadow now. The wind shifted again, carrying a stronger warning. Wariness invaded her mind. She brutally pushed it away. The night was her sanctuary and she wasn’t going to let him invade it. “Do you always disappear like that, or should I take it personally?” “Feel free to take it personally.” A sharp bark of laughter greeted her ears in response. Grace stepped back further into the shadows. She felt more exposed facing this man than she could remember ever

being before. “But more importantly, you should get the hint that I don’t want company. ” “That’s not true.” Brice considered her a second before closing the gap between them. Once again she was on guard only he wasn’t in the mood to let her shut him out. Grace was literally shaking with the need to flee. He seemed to grow bigger and more menacing with each step. Oh, he wanted her to bolt and she knew it. That was the only reason she refused to give in to the screaming demands of her emotions. She would be the master of her body. It would not control her. Brice moved the last step to bring their bodies into contact. It never happened. As he moved, she dropped to her knee and rammed herself into his hips. Surging up, Grace tossed his off-balance body right over her back. She twisted about to land a sharp blow to the center of his back. His breath expelled from his lungs, leaving him gasping for breath on the forest floor. Digging her feet into the soft earth, Grace made it just two steps before her ankle was pulled out from under her. Aided by gravity, she slammed into the blanket of pine needles that covered the forest floor. The sharp ends pricked the exposed surface of her face before Brice forced her onto her back, lowering enough of his body weight to ensure that she stayed there. “Now… I believe we’ve been here before.” “So you know what I want?” Hissing her answer, Grace strove to force his body off of her own. Sensation was instantaneous, the nipples tightening with invitation. A warm hand cupped a single breast with his thumb gently rubbing the tight nipple through her clothing. “This says you want more than a kiss.” “I don’t want you to touch me.” “But you still enjoyed being kissed.” She jerked in response and tried to toss him off her again. His face set into a frown. There was definitely something wrong with a woman being mad that she’d enjoyed a man’s kiss. “It’s not against the law, Grace; in fact, it’s rather normal.” “I’m not normal!” And she didn’t want to be! Grace shoved against his hold again as she fought back the urge to scream with frustration. Heat was erupting along every millimeter of her body. His hand was heavy as it gently cupped her breast. His thumb continued to move in a lazy circle around the sensitive tip. Her opposite breast ached for the same treatment. “Yes, you are.” Her body went still as his words hit her. Brice shifted his weight and traced one hand over the satin of her face. “Your cheeks are hot with a blush again. Attraction between a man and a woman is as normal as it gets. All the training in the Army can’t dismiss it.” Lowering his head, Brice sought for another taste to combine with the scent that gripped him. Her body jerked away from his, breaking the fragile contact. Sliding a firm hand over the smooth column of her throat, Brice tilted her head up to meet his demands. Shuddering in horror, Grace felt her body leap beneath the man that held her. Sliding along the contours of her mouth, he pressed further seeking to taste her. Sensation crawled across her body, pricking her with its intensity. Each square inch of

contact burned hotter as he continued his conquest of her mouth. Grace forced her body to surge upwards in an attempt to escape. One of his knees settled between her thighs as the wall of his chest ended her hopes of escape. Brice stayed firmly settled across her body as his lips pushed hers open to complete her fall. Sensations long suppressed defied her attempts to contain them. They burned their path across her mind refusing to be held by the bonds of logic or will. She kissed him back. Grace lifted her hands and spread them over his chest. She didn’t know how a man could feel so very good. Brice did. It was solid strength that made her body pulse. His hand traveled down her neck towards her breast as Grace offered it to his touch. His gentle grip made her moan with the sensation. “Do you like that?” Brice moved his hand over her breast as she arched her back. He wanted to hear her say it. Gently pinching her nipple, Brice watched her eyes fly open and lock with his. “Tell me you like my touch.” Arrogance was written across his face. Grace struggled with her body’s demands, as her pride insisted she resist his order. But she did like it. Her body seemed to need his touch. His hand became completely still making her breast ache. “Yes.” His hand left her breast making her shift in anger. Brice pulled her shirt out of her pants, raising it to bare her chest. His palm settled over her breast again with just her thin bra as a barrier. Grace felt her back arch again as she sought out a firmer touch. She seemed powerless to control the urge to get closer to his body. His hand gently stroked her bare midriff moving upward to unhook her bra. “I’ve wanted to taste you since I met you.” Brice pulled the thin cotton bra away from her body. Cupping the mound of her breast he sucked the nipple into his mouth and groaned. His tongue immediately licked over the beaded tip as he pulled it further into his mouth. The pealing tone of an electronic paging unit broke through Brice’s determination. It wasn’t his pager, but too many years among the black forces had him granting attention to the device out of reflex. The thing could issue several tones, the one that was currently filling the air demanded immediate obedience. “Tell Jacobs to go to hell.” The pager was a harsh reminder of reality. Grace shook her head to clear it. A low growl came from Brice as he continued to roll her nipple between his fingers. There was a primitive edge to his face as he looked back at her bared breast. His knee rubbed against her sex as he refused to release her. Grace pushed against his chest with a single hand. He was too strong for her to move. It was a request to be released, one she wasn’t certain she wanted granted. But the pager continued chiming. Jacobs’ Unit would close in on her location inside of three minutes if she failed to respond to the page. Grace surged to her feet the second Brice rolled away from her. Propping an elbow against the ground, he watched as she yanked her clothing down. She drew her face into a tight mask before stepping away from his body. “Attraction is useless. Even if the Army can’t stop it, they can certainly interfere. You ’re a civilian and I don’t officially exist.” Depressing a code into her pager silenced the unit. Grace gripped her redemption in a tightly clenched fist. Brice climbed to his feet with a lazy ease that she knew was false. She slowly widened the gap between them as her eyes took a last look at him.

“Goodbye, Sheriff Campbell.” “Good night, Grace. The next time I catch you, I’ll make you feel even better.” Casting one last look at him, Grace turned towards her Unit’s aircraft. It was goodbye. Even if she was attracted to the man that was just one further reason why she should never see him again. Grace struggled to bring her emotions under tight control before facing Jacobs. All she needed was for her C.O. to notice just how Brice was able to jerk her out of her tracks. With her recent run of luck, the giant might decide it was just what she needed. Men were crude. Jacobs’ superiors already thought a good trip to bed would improve her attitude. Maybe that was true for men. Well, maybe it was true for women as well. Grace didn’t know. But the sheer intensity of Brice Campbell’s touch shattered her control. Grace gave a slight laugh as she pictured Colonel Truvel’s face when her efficiency rate dropped because she was mooning over Brice Campbell. Yes, goodbye was far better.

***** The silence of his home informed Brice that his guests had departed. Slowly moving across the porch, his eyes sought for any clue that they had ever been there. Not a single one remained. His kitchen would have passed a white glove inspection. Every dish was in its place without even a single soap bubble left behind in the sink. She did exist! Flattening out a hand on his counter top, Brice chewed on his frustration. As her words sunk in, he felt his temper rise. Exactly who in the hell had the audacity to try and train a human being into believing they weren’t allowed to feel? Well, he was going to make sure he interfered with that training. Pushing away from his counter, Brice moved through the house on silent feet. He felt a surge of desire race along his bloodstream as he contemplated the hunt ahead. He intended to make sure that it was only good night.

***** Two days later, Grace stood looking down at the cabin again. The mystery of it was hounding her. Being drawn toward Paige she could understand. The community of Benton was tight. The entire area had been flooded with the anxiety of the little girl’s plight. The second Grace hit the asphalt outside town she’d been awash in the emotional tide. But there wasn’t a single reason that Grace could think up that would tell her why she’d opened her mouth and asked to be brought back out to this cabin. Beginning a slow circle around the structure, Grace let her mind wander. It wasn’t a skill she was comfortable with. Focus was more to her liking. When there was a target,

she could apply discipline and that produced a tight case. But maybe the problem was that this case was still open. If there had been a second child, Grace would have felt her. That might just be guilt speaking. Considering the cabin’s kitchen door, Grace reached a hand forward to pull it open. Her second child’s face sprang up in full color a second before it faded. Grace froze on the threshold as frustration boiled straight through her until it erupted into anger. The heat of that anger hit her memory as familiar. In fact, exactly the same as the day she’d found that blanket. Grace flung her body back from the structure and felt her temper lessen with the distance. Extreme events could imprint themselves onto places or buildings. But Grace found herself staring at the cabin and its anger. She simply didn’t understand the intensity of it. Children didn’t hold such anger inside them. Her mystery blanket child couldn’t have left such a level of hate behind. Well, emotions were trouble. There were psychics with a true gift of understanding human emotions, but that wasn’t Grace’s talent. She was definitely far more sensitive to human emotions than the men of her unit, but where Grace really excelled was in her tracking abilities. Paige wasn’t inside the cabin anymore and it was time to move on. Curiosity had a history of getting people into far too much trouble. Turning on her heel, Grace dismissed the cabin for a final time. “There’s nothing here.” “Didn’t look like nothing to me.” Jacobs sent his eyes over the cabin before aiming them at her again. “Emotional static, nothing more.” Grace turned her back on him before he asked any more questions. There was no point in trying to explain something that she didn’t understand herself. Once they left Benton County, it wouldn’t matter anyway. More emotion surfaced as she considered leaving Benton behind. Brice Campbell wouldn’t have the means to find her. Regret stabbed straight through her. Grace tried to toss it aside but that left a yearning in her body that refused to be banished. Two days later her breasts still tingled. His mouth had been so hot on her nipple. Thinking about it made her nipples bead. She had one of the most disciplined minds on the planet but she couldn’t evict Brice from it. Making her way among the trees, Grace kept her eyes moving. Jacobs was utilizing the forest to heighten his Unit’s senses. Despite the aches that often accompanied such expeditions, the chance to sleep surrounded by nothing more than the night was well worth it. Her ears picked up the clues that informed her as the rest of the Unit fell into pace with them. Grace didn’t really give them much notice. Half of the Unit ignored her out of fear that she’d curse them or read their minds like some cheap science fiction movie. The rest of the men were only interested in interaction if it involved sex. Jacobs was the only exception. Grace actually enjoyed conversing with the man from time to time. An hour after the sunset, Jacobs called a halt to their day. Grace sat down gratefully. The rest of the men settled into pockets that betrayed just where close relationships had

formed. Left to herself, Grace sorted among her pack looking for just what would serve as her dinner. A set of long legs invaded her vision as Jacobs settled himself a mere foot from her body. He really was a giant. His size had no doubt played a part in his assignment to her Unit. But he was also a brilliant pilot. Grace wondered if the man was getting the itch to settle down. She didn’t think that he would ever leave the service. But if he did something like get married, he’d most likely transfer out of her Unit. It was selfish of her but Grace didn’t want to deal with anyone but Jacobs. She must be getting old because it had not bothered her so much in the past. Her last C.O. had been an ass. Stephen Fredricks always had a mean streak in him, but when he was given command of the Unit it turned into full corruption. It had been one of the longest years of Grace’s life. “Speak.” Grace snapped her attention back to Jacobs. He was watching her with those eagle eyes of his. She simply shrugged. Getting involved in a conversation tonight seemed too exposing. There was a level of comfort that came from keeping herself private and tonight even Jacobs’ company felt abrasive. “Spit it out Grace.” “Just an idle thought, Jacobs. It’s not worth your time.” Grace watched his hazel eyes turn hard as he considered her refusal. “I was just hoping you were thinking about me.” Grace almost choked in response. Jacobs had never made anything even close to a pass at her before. And she liked it that way. “Get a life, Jacobs.” He regarded her for a long moment. “I like my life just fine.” “Then maybe you should cut loose a little more often.” Grace wasn’t in the mood for her C.O. to suddenly get the hots for her. “Maybe it’s time you did.” Grace straightened in anger. Jacobs calmly returned her look. Understanding dawned immediately. Jacobs had clearly informed his C.O. about her recent solo outing. Now the two men were worried that their prize bloodhound needed to be cured of her urge to roam. Men could truly be idiots. Dropping her unopened dinner back into her pack, Grace frowned. Jacobs’ C.O. never spoke directly to her but he sure didn’t have a problem dissecting her life. “You can stop worrying, I’m not going to follow Karen’s example.” Jacobs’ eyes turned solemn as they regarded her. He didn’t believe her. He reached forward and snagged her uneaten dinner from her pack and sent it flying into her chest. Grace caught the foil pouch in reflex and glared at him. “Even if I were planning on putting a pistol in my mouth, I doubt sex would change my mind.” “Sex with me, you mean?” Jacob’s exact meaning eluded her. Sex was sex. Just who her partner might be didn’t make much of a difference. And there were just some things that were none of his business. Grace dropped the foil pouch again as she glared at Jacobs.

“You’ve never been interested in me and if you are now, it’s definitely time for you to go on leave.” His hazel eyes looked over her with a mixture of emotions, but no form of sexual interest lurked there. Not even something as common as lust. “The package you come wrapped in isn’t hard for a man to find interest in, but I agree that sex just for sex isn’t the answer to anything.” Jacobs reached into her pack and grabbed the foil pouch again. “But eating dinner will keep you on your feet, so open it.” Whatever comment she might have been considering died as Grace felt the unmistakable touch of another psychic. There was only a handful on the planet that could make their way into her mind. Her eyes narrowed as she identified him just a bare second before she thrust him out of her mind. Devon Ross might be able to get inside her mind but he didn’t have the strength to stay there if she wanted him evicted. “We have company.” Jacobs issued a sharp whistle that brought the men of his Unit to complete attention. Weapons appeared in every hand as they rolled into whatever cover was closest. His eyes lit onto her face with razor sharpness as he waited for her to clarify her statement. “Devon Ross is here.” Very close. The man didn’t have as much reach as she did. He needed to be close to his target to link with it. Jacobs’ phone vibrated for attention almost on cue. “Major Gennaro said he’d drop by for supper.” Jacobs flipped his field communications phone open. “Nice of you to drop by, Major Gennaro.” Jacobs kept his eyes trained on her as he snapped his phone shut. Grace recognized the look instantly. Jacobs took his duty to the extreme. Even if the company was expected, he’d always secure her position. But that didn’t explain the odd topic of conversation. Having her lack of sexual experience discussed wasn’t sitting very well on her mind. They simply didn’t understand. The emotional tide that went with the physical intimacy was too… intense. Just kissing Brice Campbell was still distracting her two days later. A small trace of emotion raced across her skin as she considered the Benton County Sheriff. There was an image sitting inside her skull of the man pulling her top off and tasting her bare nipples. Her breasts tingled with sensation as the memory caught her attention again. Devon Ross took another try at sinking into her head. Now that the man was closer, his abilities were much harder to fend off. Grace took to the challenge with a surge of anger. She wanted to be left alone. Evicting Devon from her mind left her with Jacobs’ hooded eyes to deal with next. Pushing to her feet, Grace took her pack with her and inclined her head in the direction of the forest. She didn’t like to change in front of the Unit. Jacobs normally allowed her privacy. But given his current mood, he just might decide to order her to stay with his men tonight. Grace gave him exactly two seconds to issue that order before she turned and melted into the forest. Relief almost flooded her. The lack of human intrusion left her with lungs that suddenly could fill with cool night air. Lifting her head she let the breeze slip down the open collar of her shirt. She understood just how Karen had felt. It was like there was a hand wrapped

around her throat, squeezing and tightening until ripping it away became absolutely necessary. Grace could feel the leash around her neck tighten as she forced her feet to stop. Her current freedom was just an illusion. The second she stepped away too far Jacobs would be right on her heels. But it was still an improvement. Surrounded by the night, annoying things like conversations could simply float away. “It is a beautiful night. Isn’t it?” Her pack hit the dirt as Grace turned to confront her company. She knew exactly who it was. Anger flashed across her brain as she immediately identified Brice Campbell ’s voice because her body leapt in response to it. “You have a death wish or something?” Brice kept a steady eye on Grace as she found him in the dark. Surprising her wasn’t the best move he could make, but shattering her perfect control gave him the advantage. “I don’t have any information about your case. So leave me alone.” Grace reached for her pack but let it slip to the ground again as she considered the fact that Brice Campbell was standing in front of her. He shifted his frame away from a tree and moved directly into her path. That left her with returning to her Unit as an option to sharing his company. “But maybe Jacobs can shed some light on things.” Grace tossed her head in the direction of her C.O. “I didn’t come up here for my case.” Confusion crossed her face as she set her eyes on his face. Brice watched the sharp set of her mouth as she tried to keep her curiosity at bay. She wanted to know why he was there and was just too stubborn to ask the question. “I came to see you.” His words set off a response that Grace frantically tried to stop. Heat rose in her face and she recognized the peculiar tremble her body seemed to reserve for Brice Campbell. His lips lifted into a grin as his hands unzipped his heavy jacket. Her eyes were drawn to his chest as he shrugged out of the garment. “You’re wasting your time.” “Maybe. Then again, maybe my office got a report about an armed group of men making their way up this patch of forestland.” Setting his shoulders against a tree, Brice tipped his hat back and grinned at her. “I couldn’t resist the urge to tell Jacobs how a little gray-haired lady pegged one of his men.” The picture of her C.O. getting that little tidbit caused laughter to rise up. The sound bubbled out of her mouth before Grace thought better of it. A grin flashed across the sheriff’s face in response. “But I like the idea of coming to see you better.” His words were too soft. Grace snapped her head around but he’d already captured her wrist. A sharp jerk and she tumbled forward. This time, Brice made very sure to capture both her arms in a solid grip. He plucked her up off her feet as he fitted her body against his. “Easy.” He whispered the word against her ear, but it was more of a soothing sound

than any attempt at communication. Grace found herself listening to the sound of his heart. For some reason her own was matching its tempo as her body melted closer to his. Her nerve endings were suddenly alive with tiny pulses of feeling. There wasn’t any question of controlling her body’s reaction, it simply happened. His hands slowly released her own as they moved up her arms. There was a deep sensation of pleasure that confounded her with its intensity. Strength radiated through the touch and her back arched as she waited for him to touch every inch of her arms. Brice dropped his jacket across her shoulders. His lips hovered over hers as his breath teased the sensitive skin. He lowered her to the forest floor again. His jacket acting as a blanket to keep her from lying on the pine needles. Grace shifted in indecision. He’d laid them down in a deep shadow formed by young saplings. Without light, her remaining senses became even more sensitive. His scent wrapped around her. It was pure aggression. But he wasn’t trapping her with his body tonight. Instead he’d settled alongside her body with his head propped on his elbow. Grace kept her body absolutely motionless. She could feel the strength rising like heat from his skin. It was a clear declaration of power. She didn’t want him to restrain her again. Having the freedom to touch him suddenly became very important as she felt her blood rushing through her veins. Brice captured one of her hands and tugged on each fingertip until her glove came free. Lowering his head, he gently bit the skin on her inner wrist. Her breath caught making him grin. “Your skin is as soft as silk. I want to touch every inch of it. Taste it.” He wasn’t asking for permission. Instead his voice was firm with demand as he ran a smooth hand over her arms and neck. Grace couldn’t escape from the sensation. He surrounded her. His hand settled over her breast as his fingers began separating the buttons. His fingers brushed her bare skin with each button he released. Baring her breasts fed his primal instincts. Brice enjoyed the bite of arousal even as painful as it was. He was going to tame her, gentle her, hear her demand his touch. Her small pink nipples were tight and hard. Brice brushed them with his fingertips and listened to her gasp. Frustration made her angry. Grace pushed against his chest but not for release. His erection was pulsing against her thigh making her body pound with heat. His fingers trailed in a lazy circle around the mound of her breast. “Stop playing with me.” “I’m not going to make love to you here.” Brice caught a nipple with his lips and sucked it deeply into his mouth. He flicked it with his tongue before pulling away. “I won’t love you until you come to me. Unconditionally.” His lips captured hers a second later. He thrust her denial right back into her mouth as he kissed her. It was a hard invasion that demanded a response. Grace found her lips returning the kiss from sheer instinct. Deep inside her body, surrender seemed to be the only option. His large hands lifted her back into a high arch as he sucked on each of her nipples in turn. Heat snaked from each tip straight into her belly. The tender flesh between her thighs became overheated and heavy. Grace twisted her hands into his hair as she gasped with need. The intensity of it was frightening. Her body had never demanded something so very completely.

Brice held his body under iron control. Having intercourse with her wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted her. Every part of her. Seduction was an art a wise man learned. Overwhelming her defenses was simply the first stage. “Open your legs for me.” Grace lifted her eyelids but it was too dark to see him. The command was bluntly sexual. One her pride should have balked at. Instead she shifted her legs slightly open, raising her breasts back up towards his mouth. Dropping a single kiss onto each nipple, Brice trailed soft bites along her neck. “ Wider.” “No.” She wouldn’t comply. Grace snapped her thighs together but his hand landed over her sex before she’d completed the movement. Brice firmly squeezed the tender flesh, rubbing the fabric of her pants against the over-stimulated folds of her body. Pleasure spiked into her under his hand. It was raw and searing. Her thighs fell open as she moaned. “Good.” His hand moved back towards her breast but halted over the button on her pants. There was the smallest pop as he opened her clothes, pushing the fabric away from her body. His hand traveled back to her sex. A low whimper escaped her lips as he gently stroked her damp folds. “Do you like that?” Her hips pressed up for more attention but Brice halted all motion. “You told me not to touch you, Grace.” His fingers made a lazy circle before stopping again. “Have you changed your mind?” He found the small nub in the center of her sex and stroked it with firm pressure. Her body jerked as pleasure spiked into her belly. She could smell her own scent as he rubbed her flesh. Her body was twisting into a tight knot of sensation under that finger. He stopped again and her eye flew open. His jaw was clenched tight as he loomed over her. Waiting for her to say what he wanted. “Yes.” “Yes… what?” His demand was too much. Grace strained towards his fingers but the pressure wasn’t enough. He knew the right way to touch her body. Need was pounding through her, demanding release. “Touch me, just touch me.” His fingers stroked her body making her hips press frantically towards relief from the twisting demands of her body. Everything centered under his hand in a mind-numbing jolt of pleasure. A sharp cry escaped her lips as her body released its tension in a wave of pleasure that radiated throughout her entire being. Brice gently stoked her bare breasts as she struggled with her climax. Her eyes sprang open a second before she brutally shoved away from his body. Letting her go he watched her roll away and onto her feet. She fought with her clothing as Brice deliberately licked her juices from his fingers. “Grace.” His voice was solid steel. It froze her in her tracks. Tilting her head Grace watched Brice emerge from the shadow they’d laid in. “I’ll see you soon.” Grace shook her head. She couldn’t see him again. It was devastating to her control.

But her thoughts were in a tangled mess so she spun on her heel and settled for distance from him. She was gone a second later. Brice considered the forest as he waited. Jacobs didn’t disappoint him. His shadow parted from the night as he closed the distance between them. “I don’t want to make this personal, Campbell, but stay away from my operative.” Considering Jacobs’ words, Brice found his eyes shifting over the obstacle the man presented. “If you have a personal reason for that, say so.” A low sound escaped from Jacobs before his face set into solid granite. “Grace is my operative, Brice. We’ve been together a little too long for sex to get added to the equation now. Besides, she isn’t interested in me.” Jacobs watched the look that spread over Brice’s face. There was a grim purpose that stared out of the man’s eyes; it was something that only another hunter understood. This wasn’t a man that was going to settle for rejection. He was planning on hunting Grace down until she yielded. Grace didn’t have a prayer… as long as Brice could find her anyway. “You’ve got to let her go, buddy.” No, Brice didn’t have to let her go. But he did need to get around Jacobs. “Wake up Jacobs. She’s already slammed the door in your face. That girl’s dug in so deep, you don’t have a prayer of shaking her out.” “So, just exactly what do you think you’ve got that will do the job?” Brice let his mouth turn up in a grin. “I’ve got her attention. Your operative can’t seem to shut me out like she does you.” And that was a real problem. Admitting he couldn’t reach Grace was tough to swallow. She was his responsibility and Brice was stepping on his toes. But she was also his friend and there was no way in hell he would let her slip further away without a fight. Female operatives in Grace’s age group were especially vulnerable to depression. Two suicides in the last year intensified his need to reach her. Maybe Col. Turvel was a worm but he just might have a point about Grace being a virgin at twenty-five. Which left him with the all too large problem of admitting that she didn’t have any problem shutting him and the rest of the army that surrounded her completely out. Every assignment they’d taken in the last six months hadn’t produced even a hint of emotion from Grace. “You’re a damn civilian, Brice.” Noting the deep scowl on the Major’s face, Brice decided the man gave in with less grace than anyone he knew did. “Bring her out to the Mill this weekend. The event draws people from all over the state; a couple of strange faces won’t be noticed. Everyone needs a break from combat. Maybe it’s time you gave her one.” “Exactly what are you thinking that will prove?” Brice gave his friend a hard look before he pushed away from the tree and began turning towards home. “Maybe I’d like to see your operative discover she’s a woman.”

Watching Brice fade into the dark left Jacobs with the prospect of telling Grace she was going to spend the weekend with a whole bunch of civilians. She was going to aim those emerald eyes at him and try her damnedest to cut him into tiny pieces. Cocking his head to one side, he stopped just outside camp and considered his operative. She’d planted herself against a tree while she eyed Devon Ross and the rest of Gennaros’ Unit with open hostility. Well, that was the end of his one and only bright idea. Devon Ross was the closest thing to Grace’s own kind that he could think of. The man was in prime condition, same age group and another psychic. But Grace wasn’t even mildly interested in conversing with him. Brice Campbell wouldn’t give Grace the chance to shut him out. That idea pushed Jacobs’ decision into firm resolve. Grace would join the living again, if he had to turn his back while Brice dragged her kicking the entire way. Solutions did have a way of coming around after all. He had permission to crawl around Benton for the next ten days. Brice’s invitation wouldn’t take them out of the county. Every man needed a little basic R and R. Gracie couldn’t be that much different. “Nice jacket.” Jacobs’ attention shifted momentarily to his men; before he crossed his booted feet and settled his body exactly three inches from her own. Great. Just what she wanted, another male dictating her needs. She didn’t need any of them. Grace glared at her C.O. but got nothing but arrogance in return. He shifted his pack and settled in for the night. It really shouldn’t bother her. Jacobs bunked next to her on a regular basis. Just why it was getting under her skin didn’t make sense. But she could justifiably blame Brice for it. Every time she set eyes on the man her world spun off-center. Jacobs was part of her world and Brice Campbell was the intruder. Life was going to be much more bearable the second she got her brain centered on that fact. Winter wasn’t completely gone; with the sun down, the temperature was dropping. Tucking her chin into the collar of Brice’s jacket, she caught his unmistakable scent. It was annoying to discover just how well she recognized it. But it was more than that. More than scent, her body was currently absorbing every hint of Brice that was left among the fibers of his jacket. Her skin melted into its folds in an attempt to find his. Her traitorous body was actually enjoying the experience while her logic screamed against nature and its inbred drive for procreation. She was a contradiction to nature. There was no point in having any of the same urges as a normal woman. Her life wasn’t normal and wasn’t ever likely to be. Finding her emotions stirring at Brice Campbell’s command only deepened her need to escape. But she wasn’t going to have to run. Jacobs and his superiors would lift her out of Benton County soon enough. Brice Campbell would be left behind and so would her emotions. Thank God!

Chapter Five

“Brice just might have been on to something, you do look good in a skirt.” “Even Muslim women don’t wear this many layers of clothing.” Grace considered Jacobs’ set features. “What game are you playing?” “Civil War historical re-enactment. I hear it’s a great way to unwind.” Dressed from head to toe in blue wool, Jacobs was a prime picture of Union Army correctness. Just where the man had managed to obtain the historical uniform was a mystery, but his source was responsible for her attire as well. The underclothing alone covered as much of her body as her standard fatigues did. On top of the chemise and bloomers, a stiffly boned corset was laced into place. She didn’t have to be a psychic to notice just how much fun Jacobs had tugging the laces tight. A long full skirt, blouse and wool jacket completed the ensemble, making her grateful for the mild weather. Grace stepped on the hem of the skirt, or maybe it was the petticoat, twice before she even got into the truck. Yes sir, it was going to be a long day! The one piece of the outfit that Grace truly loved was the jacket. It was the most amazing piece of art she had ever seen. It was made of soft gray wool, but what amazed her was the tiny black and green cord that was stitched down into patterns on it. Someone had spent hours of loving work on it and Grace felt privileged to wear it. She had never felt that way before about a piece of clothing. Standing at the top of what was to be used as a mock battlefield, Grace watched as blue and gray-coated reenactors attended a mandatory safety class. They were lined up in blocks of about fifty men each. A man on horseback was off to the side of the field. He raised his sword and lowered it in the early morning sunlight. The deafening sound of three hundred rifles discharging cracked the air. Smoke clouds rose up among the men on the field. The sword rose again and the eight cannons fired off next. The class seemed to be over but the men weren’t leaving the field. The officer atop the horse kneed the animal forward to address the assembled men; there was enough brass sitting on the man’s shoulders to almost blind her. All the men on the field raised their right hands and repeated the five rules of conduct for the weekend. Grace found the rules highly amusing. Among them was the rule: “Everybody be friendly and play nice together.” Grace wandered down to the camp area. She decided she was improving her walking skills. She only tripped once. The upper field was considered the Northern camp. They were in blue so that made them Yankees. There was a good deal of activity here. Women were cooking over open fire pits. The women were, for the most part, dressed exactly as she was, yet they bent and walked without any effort. Several smiled, calling out greetings to her as she walked among them. Beside the fire pits there were rows of tiny, one-room cabins built into the mountainside. Below the more permanent structures, there sat almost a hundred canvas tents. Many were lying on the ground waiting for the men to return before they were raised. Children ran about with wooden toys and cloth rag dolls. The little boys sported knickers, while the girls dashed about wearing long calico dresses. The smells of

breakfast started to drift with the breeze. She could see why this would appeal to people. You could step out of the modern world and its stresses while you were here. There was an air of acceptance and community. The camp was beginning to be overrun by blue coats. Any woman who had hot coffee became an instant point of congregation. “Good morning Ms. Grace. It sure is a pleasure to see you today.” That deep tone was instantly recognizable. Grace turned to find Brice standing not more than two feet behind her. Her mind simply went blank. It should have been against the law for a man to look quite that good in a costume. Brice took advantage of her lack of response to capture her slim hand and carry it to his lips for a soft kiss. The contact of their flesh impacted her and she pulled her hand from his grip. Grace slowly took in the sight before her. The dark blue wool molded to his frame with precise care. The length of crimson that she had seen at his home was in fact a sash that was wound about his waist. Lean hips tapered into strong legs. The pants were different from Jacobs’. These pants had inner patches on the thigh area. For riding she thought. That meant he had a horse here. She brought her eyes back to his face. His brown eyes had been watching her assessment of him and he seemed to approve of her looking him over. He locked stares with her for a moment before he slowly returned the favor. With absolute dread Grace felt a blush burn her cheeks. “Do you care for stallions, Ms. Grace?” The blush deepened to beet red. Grace thought she heard him laugh under his breath, but was too busy trying to regain her emotional balance to know for certain. Before she could form a good answer, Brice reached for her hand again. This time he placed it on the inside of his arm as he started to escort her down the hill. “Jacobs is over at the corral, I told him I’d bring you over.” The mention of Jacobs made her want to go along well enough but she was not going to stroll arm in arm with the man! Grace extracted her hand from his arm, firmly folding her hands together in front of her. Brice grinned. She wasn’t anywhere near to giving quarter. The silent challenge that she sent out to him was making his blood rise. “That’s just fine if you don’t want to take my arm. Of course, it’ll just announce to all the other men here that you’re available.” Grace shot her arm out so fast he missed a step. She curled her fingers lightly over the bulge of his biceps. Trying to concentrate on her footing wasn’t helping. Grace was all too aware of the man walking beside her. His warm hand clasped hers to the steady pulse of muscle that lay under the coat. The man just caused her emotions to go haywire. Memory was painfully clear. The flesh between her thighs began to pulse in response to his scent. They crested the rise and the horse corral came into view. There were dozens of horses and Brice steered her through the maze of people and animals. Brice kept moving until they’d climbed yet another rise. Below them sat five corrals. All were spaced out from each other. “The stallions,” Brice informed her. Grace ran her eyes over the magnificent creatures. They tossed their heads and pawed at the air, daring anyone to ride them. A huge black one caught her eye and she

recognized the animal instantly. The painting hanging in Brice’s dining room captured the creature’s likeness exactly. Somehow the idea that this man didn’t ride a more tame horse made her tremble. He was strong, very strong and very basic. Just like the black stallion that he chose to ride. Her eyes locked onto the coal black creature. Its likeness had been captivating; the reality was spellbinding. Brice kept them on a steady course that led to the stallion’s corral. “That’s Cole.” Jacobs had a boot propped on the rail of the corral and was watching the black beast intently. Brice issued a high-pitched whistle and the horse tossed his head and reared up onto his hindquarters. Brice lifted her hand from his arm carrying it to his lips once again. This time he lingered over the kiss. Grace tried to pull free, but he held her hand firmly while his eyes steadily refused her demand. The slow burn of a blush worked its way up her face again. Those brown eyes pinned her with an intent that was more threat than promise. “You are an irritating man.” Brice Campbell was far too sure of himself. His eyes actually lit up as he caught her words. Tossing her head back, Grace turned on her heel before she gave in to the urge to physically push the man away from her. “And you are a stubborn female.” Brice watched the angry sway of her skirt as she all but ran back up the hill. His body was acutely aware of her, even as she was placing distance between them. She would never outrun him, but it was sure amusing to watch her try. “Maybe, I should mention the fact that Grace gets a little… violent when men hit on her.” Jacobs considered Brice. “You might have noticed that the night you two were introduced.” Jacobs’ look was lost as Brice jumped the corral. He held a gloved hand out and Cole nuzzled into his master’s hand. He pulled a saddle from the fence and began strapping it onto the stallion. “Well, I hear some girls like that sort of thing.” “Aha.” Pulling his hand over his jaw Jacobs settled his feet under him, bringing his body to its full height. “Consider yourself warned, I’m not going to search her just to save your hide.” “Now Jacobs, if you mean to imply that Grace would need a weapon to injure me, I’ m going to be sorely disappointed.” “She’ll need a weapon to kill you.” “Thanks for the compliment.” “That was a warning, Brice.” Swinging up into the saddle, Brice considered the Major. “Take a hike, Jacobs.” Digging his heels into the stallion, Brice cleared the fence in one long-legged jump. Jacobs watched the other man’s sure command of the animal. “A really long hike. She’s not your sister and she’s not underage.” Rolling his shoulders back, Jacobs considered the direction Grace had gone. Duty dictated he follow her, but instinct told him to go the opposite way. A slight grin settled over his face. Well, well now, he and Grace had been together too long. Brice had a point.

“You’re wasting your time.” It wasn’t that the woman who issued that wanted to be overheard, her close proximity caused it to happen. A flustered man stepped directly into her path forcing her to either stop or collide with him. “Now, Beth, just let me explain.” “Maybe Wendy doesn’t mind sharing her man, but I do.” Hooking her hands back into the handles of a huge basket, the girl set her feet to walking around her unwanted companion. She raised her head high as she dismissed his presence. “You are going to marry me, Beth!” Her basket dropped to the ground with a thud as she thrust her face into his companion’s. “I guess I must have missed the part where you asked me to marry you!” She planted her right hand in the center of his chest as she shoved him away from her body. The picture was actually funny; the woman called Beth stood a good two inches above her unwanted company. The man wasn’t short, but she stood at six feet with a head of auburn hair to accentuate it. “Don’t waste your breath!” Reaching for her basket, Jacobs looked at the rather tempting backside her skirt displayed while she bent over. Not some tiny female that he’d be worried about breaking, her body was full of feminine curves in all the right places. Her would-be boyfriend did as he was instructed. He didn’t waste his breath; instead he pulled her forward by her forearms and planted his mouth over hers. The basket hit the ground again as she lashed out at the unwanted attention. The boy joined the basket as Beth used her greater size to extract her body from his embrace. Rage contorted the man’s face as he climbed to his feet. “You’re a cold bitch!” Moving in front of her, Jacobs neatly cut off the man’s attempt at revenge. While his eyes mirrored rage, his common sense overruled his impulses. He flung a last glare at Beth before stalking off. A stifled sound of frustration came from Beth before she bent down for her basket once again. Jacobs snagged it from the ground before her fingers made contact. “You seem to keep dropping this.” “It’s an allergic reaction to men being too close to me.” A pair of deep blue eyes snapped at him while Jacobs let a grin split his face. “Guess that means I’d better keep it. There’re a lot of men here today.” Grinding her teeth together Beth propped her hands onto her hips. Fine, just fine. If the man wanted to haul her cooking pots to camp he was welcome to the chore. She fluttered her eyelashes before sweeping her skirts around him. “Ever so kind of you.” “No trouble.” And it wasn’t. She walked up the path with the bearing of an officer and was covered from head to toe in her historical dress. But there was something intensely feminine and definitely sexy about her as she stalked up the hill with her dress swishing over her hips. “No trouble at all.”

Jacobs shouldered her load and followed her up the hill. Letting a woman lead the way had rather nice advantages. At least from his view it did. The smooth skin of her neck was the only bare flesh his eyes caught but she was certainly one of the most sensuous sights he’d ever seen. “Thank you.” She dropped him a small curtsy before arranging her camp kitchen to her satisfaction. Her actions dismissed him and Jacobs found it amusing, so he stayed. The activity of producing a meal over the campfire took most of her attention but she brought her blue eyes around to rest on him from time to time and Jacobs grinned at her in response. Duty finally ended his game as Jacobs reluctantly left the camp in order to check up on Grace. He reached into his jacket pocket for his portable-tracking unit with mixed feelings. Under the current conditions, he wasn’t sure just what Grace would be doing. Satellite links were amazing things. Pressing a line of numeric code into the palm-sized terminal, Jacobs waited for his link to pinpoint her location. He was itching to check up on her with his own eyes, but that would defeat the purpose of this weekend. His face mirrored his concern as her pager informed him that she had retreated from the inhabited areas in favor of the forest. Applying an additional set of codes into the keyboard he waited again. Lt. Anson had better know exactly where Grace was; she was his primary assignment. A few of his other Rangers were keeping the man company. With the frequency that his Unit saw action, there was little room for inattention. Now, Grace was a credit to every one of her years in the field, but his men outnumbered her twenty to one. They were too dependent on his diligence. The entire function of this Unit was to utilize Grace’s abilities. The job was simple: deploy, protect and retrieve their mission goal. Any man that couldn’t keep up with their operative was dead weight. It was his job to make the cut that would ensure the survival of his Unit.

***** Frustration was becoming her closest companion. Considering the reenactors in front of her, Grace picked Jacobs out from among their midst. The day’s events were being crowned with a dance. Jacobs’ was currently turning a young woman about as he tried to mimic the steps of the 1800’s dance. The smile sitting on his face deepened the frown sitting on hers. Maybe the man had a point. It was rather shortsighted of her to take off without backup. But setting his men to track her like a fox was rather extreme. Especially when she was stuck wearing a dress. Encumbered in the historical costume, there was no way she could elude Jacobs’ men. Any refuge the forest normally held was effectively cut short tonight. But that didn’t mean she was going to trot into the middle of a dance. At least the event was blissfully free of manmade light sources. It made it possible for her to walk on the fringes without

being illuminated. The night breeze carried the chill that seemed to inhabit mountains the world over. Whatever the temperature during the daylight hours, after sunset the air always carried coolness induced by the water that supported the abundance of life. Dragging it into her lungs she closed her eyes, letting the sounds of night touch her. The complete absence of manmade machinery was soothing to her soul. There was no incoming aircraft announcing themselves with either jet or propeller to disturb her appreciation of the night. Tipping her head back, she searched out the constellations overhead. Without the blinding lights of a landing pad, they shone back at her with pure brilliance. The soft nicker of the horses reached her, causing her to glance in their direction. Brice’s stallion fascinated her. The unexpected chance to be near him improved her mood greatly. Cole shifted away from her presence, pawing at the ground in agitation. Settling herself atop the rail of the corral, Grace simply waited. The stallion would approach her or not, depending on its whim. Waiting was an art that Grace had almost perfected. Holding herself completely still, she enjoyed the movements the animal made as it considered her. Curiosity won him over. Grace slowly reached up along the neck of the beast, soaking up the life that pulsed from its flesh. “Now I’m jealous.” Snapping her head around, Grace took in her company. With nothing but moonlight, he stood more shadow than flesh. But ever fiber of her person instantly identified who he was. Grace even recalled the warm scent that belonged to Brice Campbell. Striding forward he settled himself just inches from her body as he greeted his mount. The affection was well-received. Watching his firm hand as it stroked along the neck of the animal brought back the vivid feeling of it sliding along her own body. Heat surfaced in response to the memory making Grace forever grateful for the darkness that would hide it from this man. Just as a shark smelled blood, a simple blush would attract the hunter in this male. But her body wasn’t going to leave things to chance. Arousal surged through her with the speed of light. Her breasts tightened painfully under the stiff corset. Her skin demanded freedom from the layers of cloth. Her body wanted the release that Brice had proven he could give her. Brice dropped his hand, causing the horse to toss its head back while stomping at the ground. “What does he want?” With a grin lifting the corners of his mouth, Brice cleared the fence before landing on both feet inside the corral. He took a mere minute to secure a bridle on the horse before he swung his body onto the bare back of the animal. Lit by nothing more than silver moon glint, man and horse resembled more legend than reality. They shifted together as the breeze carried their scents to her. Grace watched as Brice wrapped the reins tightly about one hand before extending the other to her. “Come here, Grace.”

The horse seemed to be almost a part of him. Strength and vitality radiated from them. She felt another burst of emotion, as she was attracted to that strength on a purely instinctual level. He was absolutely male, and that appealed to her greatly at the moment. Placing her hand into his, she smiled at the jolt of sensation. Standing up from her seat on the corral fence, Grace swung her leg over the back of the horse. Her skirt and petticoats hampered her, but she worked them out of her way. Brice waited while she tucked the endless yards of fabric on either side of the horse. “Hold on to me.” His command caused Grace to hesitate a moment. She wasn’t exactly sure how to go about what he asked. Placing her hands on his belt, she held there. He slowly shook his head. Warm hands closed over hers gently pulling them around his body. Pulling until she was completely pressed to his back from neck to thigh. Her body had adjusted to the decrease in temperature that the night held. Her chilled skin rapidly soaked up the heat that his body radiated. Her cheek settled against his shoulder, causing her head to fill with the sounds of his heart as it drove life along the body she was pressed against. Gathering up the reins, he sent them running off into the darkness. After a few awkward seconds, she melted into him moving her hips in unison with his. He gasped stiffly as arousal hit him with full force. Her scent deepened the need. Grace was lost in emotion. The animal under her surged forward, carrying them along in the night. The animal she held in her arms was a living force. Her body matched his tempo and responded with almost brutal emotion. There was no one to see her, no one to criticize her body’s responses. She felt them. Really felt them allowing conscious thought to evaporate. Her body responded with that sharp arousal that Brice seemed able to draw from her. Heat surged along her veins as her center began to throb with hunger again. The motion of the horse between her legs intensified that sensation. Brice drew the horse to a stop, and slid from the back of the animal, taking her with him. In one fluid movement he wrapped their bodies into a single unit. His eyes sparked at her in the dark, as her emotions boiled dangerously higher. “Don’t kiss me.” Brice regarded her face as he considered her plea. Smoothing his hand gently along the curve of her face he smiled as she turned into the touch. He understood now. She had been kissed before, but she had never shared the emotion of her own free will. While most women had difficulty separating mind from body, Grace was a master of the art. “Kiss me back.” Brice slowly bent his head down. Had he moved a fraction faster she would have bolted, but Grace stood her ground as his lips settled lightly on top of hers. The light contact shocked her, his mouth slowly moved over hers, gently seeking companionship in intimacy. Hesitant as to how to respond, she slowly moved her lips against his. Control vanished as sensation rose causing her to simply want. His mouth firmly took control of hers. Parting her lips while boldly tasting her. He pressed her firmly to his body as passion ruled his thoughts. His lips firmly moved on

hers, tasting and sliding along the sensitive surface. Each tiny concession on her part fed his desire. Grace felt his body move against her in growing aggression as he gained the response he demanded from her. A firm hand pressed her hips into his frame and the ache inside her became inflamed. It was a frightening flare of emotion that beckoned her closer with its dangerous appeal. Once again her body tightened; her skin aware of each and every inch of contact. She rubbed her breasts against his chest and listened to him groan in pleasure. Her head fell back as his mouth traveled down the column of her throat. Grace danced into the flame that burned her. Nothing mattered, except finding the end of this feeling. His arms pressed her to his body and it shocked her to discover how much she liked the feeling of his hard muscles. His arms had ceased to function as a restraint; instead he used them to mold her closer. His hand gripped her bottom, holding her steady as he slowly rubbed against her. She exploded in passion as well as uncertainty. Opening her eyes, she stared at the hunger that looked back at her. She suddenly felt bold. Her blood was rushing at near light speed through her veins bringing her body to life as she’d never felt before. The sensations were intoxicating. Freedom seemed at hand, the freedom to simply be herself. Lifting her hands she reached for the buttons of her blouse. His eyes followed her movement with arrogant satisfaction. Her corset pushed her breasts up in a tempting display that Brice’s eyes fastened onto. His fingers dipped under the garment to lift her nipples free. His lips teased one nipple before trailing little nips down the side of her breast until he reached the swell of its twin. The tip of his tongue licked a path to the top of that mound until his mouth closed over its peak. A slim hand roamed over his body until it found the bulge of his sex. She curled her fingers around him, fighting against the wool of his pants. A low growl came from his chest as she fingers pulled the button fly open. His swollen staff eagerly thrust forward. Grace curled her slim fingers around its length, as her own sex grew wet with longing. “Let’s go back to my tent,” Brice whispered. “I don’t want our first time to be rushed like this. I’ve fantasized about you in my bed, and that’s where I want you.” “They’ll be waiting to watch me there.” Grace stroked the length of him. She didn’t want to think about the Unit or the men waiting to resume their duty to guard her. One hand lifted her chin. “It’ll be a rough ride.” “I don’t break that easily.” He groaned with satisfaction. His head dipped to a nipple, his tongue reaching out to lick it. Sucking it into his mouth, Brice sent her body spiraling back into the vortex of sensation. He pulled her skirt up, letting the night air brush her legs. One hand found the moist folds of her body. One firm finger stroked and parted her center. She cried out as he found the tiny nub hidden in her sex. The folds were drenched in her sweet scent as she pressed her hips up to his hand. The polite rules of society didn’t have anything to do with them. The attraction was as primal as nature at its most dramatic, stronger than all the times before. “Look at me.” Grace raised her eyelids. Every last hint of civilization had left his face. His hands gripped her bottom as he lifted her, and firmly placed her back against a huge tree. Grace whimpered slightly as he spread her most tender flesh to his satisfaction. The

night air caressed her exposed body as she felt the hard tip of his sex probing her entrance. Grace wrapped her arms around his massive shoulders. The animal inside him wanted to claim her. It was a primitive ritual that logic had no place in. The hard thrust of his body split her flesh. Grace clenched her teeth against the pain. Brice flung his head back as he fought for enough control to hold still to allow her body to adjust. His chest rose on huge breaths as he let them escape through clenched teeth. “You’re a virgin.” He cursed under his breath as he fought for some shred of control. “Does it matter?” Her voice was soft with hurt. Brice bit back his next curse. “I would have waited… ’til I got you back to a real bed.” “Don’t stop.” She couldn’t bear that. The pain was gone and all she felt was the raging need that had drawn them together. Grace tightened her legs around his hips. His staff jumped inside her making her quiver with renewed need. Her tight passage gripped his flesh making thought of anything but thrusting vanish. Lifting her bottom, Brice controlled her body completely. Satisfaction permeated through him. “I won’t.” His hips moved with fluid thrusts that stroked the center of her body. Waves of pleasure washed through her. There was so much pleasure. It began to build into rapture. “Yes.” A tiny moan escaped her as Grace tilted her hips forward to allow deeper penetration. His hips hammered into her body at a pace that stole her breath. She clung to him as he controlled the tempo. Tension coiled around his staff as it moved in and out of her. He stretched her almost to the point of pain. She hung on the border as he sent his staff in to the hilt. “That’s it honey. Hold me.” Her passage griped him with internal muscles as he thrust harder and deeper. The need to climax roared through him but he wanted the feeling to last, and he wanted her to come first. Brice watched her face. “Come for me, Grace.” Her emerald eyes lifted and he saw pleasure was overwhelming her. “Just let it happen.” She didn’t have any choice. His body was too controlling. His thrusts centered on her body making it tighten and pulse with thrust. It twisted into an unbearable knot one second before she exploded in sensation reverberated through her body. Her thighs clamped around his hips as she clung to him as the waves hit her deepest core. He growled deep inside his chest and thrust up into her body with a force that shook her. The orgasm caused her muscles to clench around him, wresting control from him. He thrust again and exploded. Once again Grace felt her body burst with passion. Spent she collapsed against Brice, somehow knowing that he wouldn’t let her fall. It was at that moment she surrendered herself completely. It was far too simple to cover the signs from their coupling. The second her feet touched the ground, her skirt dropped over her legs to cover her impulsive behavior. Her mind jumped into sharp focus as her body continued to pulse. A solid hand cupped her chin as she tried to duck away from Brice’s keen eyes. He raised her head and firmly kissed her clenched lips. It was a warm, deep kiss that moved over her mouth in a lazy movement. “Let’s go find a bed.” Brice left her standing there as he brought Cole forward. He

didn’t mount the horse. Instead his hands settled onto her hips and lifted her up onto the back of the animal. Brice swung up behind her and pulled her against his body with a solid arm. Each step the horse took on the way back to camp seemed to jar Grace back into reality. Such a complete loss of control defied her understanding. Her body never controlled her mind. She couldn’t let it happen. The arm that bound her to Brice was solid yet tender. His hand stroked her thigh. He pulled her against a chest that was so very inviting with its strength. His lips laid tiny kisses along her hairline as he guided them closer and closer to the hard evidence of reality. Somehow, she’d been able to let herself be free in the forest. Here in camp, there were eyes ready to critique her every movement. Grace pulled herself into tight control. It was her only defense against a life that was often brutally harsh. The sight of her tent made her face erupt into flames. Grace dropped from the horse and simply ran from Brice. He shattered her control. But she couldn’t survive without discipline. Her skirt flipped out in ripples as she ran. Brice frowned. He wanted to follow her and force her to face him—and he would. He hadn’t counted on her being a virgin. If he’ d known, he would have managed to find the strength to wait to make love to her until they got to a bed. At least, this first time. But he wasn’t sorry. Truth was, he was deeply satisfied that she belonged only to him. If that meant he had to chase her to the end of the globe, he would. Dismounting, Brice spotted one of the Rangers. The man moved quickly away from Grace’s tent and towards better cover now that their operative was back in sight. Brice nodded approval. She wasn’t in his tent but she was safe. For the moment, it had to be enough. Grace would come to him. Nothing short of that would appease him. And she’d do it right in front of her unit.

***** The bright rays of morning crept over the surface of the canvas tent, lighting up the interior. Her body refused to disregard the impulse to wake and rise. Sleep had been little more than a distant image, but too many years of military training refused to allow her brain to slip back into slumber now that day was breaking. Rolling over, she sat up and rubbed her burning eyes for a moment. Where had that discipline been last night when she needed it? It took more than an hour to master the urge to return outside. She’d sat on her cot while her traitorous body had urged her, no… demanded that she return for more of what Brice had shown her he could and would give her. Renewed anger shot through Grace’s body. Scared? Why was she scared? She had sat on this damn cot and demanded that very question of herself last night. Nothing scared her anymore. Once, having people shoot at her had scared her, but not anymore. How could it? Grace really didn’t care that much about it anymore. She was nothing but a tool, to be utilized at someone else’s command. The intolerable part of that was that

she found herself believing it lately. Had she really let them wash her personality so clean that she refused to even feel? That was so pathetic she winced. Had she really given up? She was still alive, wasn’t that worth more of an effort than refusing to let the smallest emotion into her mind? Grace considered that for a moment. Brice certainly made her feel last night. The question wasn’t merely sex or no sex; it was about trust, and yielding her mind to the control of her emotions. But she had enjoyed it so much she wanted more. A slight movement caught her eye. Grace turned her head. Jacobs was stretched out on a cot on the other side of the tent. His expression was disgruntled, as his hazel eyes fired questions at her. Grace closed her eyes and groaned. Jacobs slept lighter than a mother bear. He was completely aware of her restless night; in fact, he’d shared it. Now he wanted to know the reason behind it. Ninety-five percent of the people on this planet Grace would simply walk away from and not give another thought to, but not Jacobs. He was also one of the very few people who knew her, really knew her. Grace got to her feet and started to get back into the petticoats and corset. She purposely kept her eyes away from Jacobs. She had to get her emotions straight before trying to deal with him. Grace forced her face to appear mild before turning back to where he was still stretched out on his cot. He slowly sat up, pegging her with a hard look. His eyes assessed her, and Grace was very much afraid that they missed nothing. The deep sound of Brice’s voice as he greeted Cole broke into their mental battle. The sound of that deep voice brought her unsteady emotions closer to the surface. Jacobs’ eyes locked onto the proof of it on her face. Between the two men, Grace felt suffocation tighten around her. She needed to breathe Turning on her heel, she started for the freedom that the tent opening promised. Her right wrist was captured by one of Jacobs’ hands. “Let go.” “Then talk to me.” Jacobs set his teeth in frustration; those emerald eyes rejected any attempt he made to understand their depths. “All right, then we do this my way.” Jacobs snapped a small silver bracelet onto her wrist before he released her. Grace glared at him a moment. She felt like arguing but the need to escape from all human contact was greater. Spinning on her heel, she swiftly left the tent. Brice looked up as she emerged but she barely spared him a glance. That one look was enough to set her emotions to the breaking point and she yanked her skirt away from her feet as she climbed up to the tree line and the safety it presented. She didn’t stop but continued at her frantic pace, until her sides began to ache from the constriction of her corset. Grace considered stripping the garment of. The pause was enough to make her aware of the distance she had traveled. She was maybe a mile and a half from the tent. Lifting her right arm Grace glared at the bracelet. It was a tracking device, an electronic leash. She despised the thing. It would give off an alarm if she were separated from Jacobs by more than two miles. It could then be used to pinpoint her exact location. Her paging unit functioned in a similar fashion. The difference was she carried it by choice. Trying to remove the bracelet would set off another alarm. The problem with that

was the very real possibility that Jacobs would replace it with a close proximity unit that he carried for combat situations. That device only had a fifty-foot range. Sinking to the forest floor, Grace pulled her knees up to her chest. The light breeze stirred the morning air. The small sounds of the forest surrounded her. Normally they brought comfort. Today, nothing seemed to be able to quiet the surging emotions that drove her. Idly turning the shiny thing around her wrist, Grace tried to conceive a course of action. There was a dull ache between her legs to remind her of Brice. Mentally she couldn’t shake his pull. Now her body was marked. Maybe it was time to ask Jacobs to take her back to base. Army bases had a nasty habit of being enclosed in solid concrete. If she asked to be returned there then it was, in effect, like locking herself in a stone room. She considered it for a time. It would be much easier to deal with. Raising her eyes to the trees above her, Grace took in the absolute beauty of it. There were few places in the world that she loved as much as the forest. For once she was able to stay and enjoy it. Even Turvel had agreed to them sticking around for a while. Grace got to her feet and began to walk back along the way she had come. Turvel had surprised her there. Normally he liked to keep her under tight wraps. Maybe he just had a soft spot for kids and had wanted her to continue with the investigation. Grace truly didn’t know the man that well. He had been a friend of Fredricks however, and Grace remembered that very well. When Fredricks had run the Unit, she had worn an ankle close-proximity beacon around the clock. Grace had in fact destroyed several in her attempts to be rid of them. In a way, that was one of the reasons that she and Jacobs were so in tune with one another. She had been tagged with the beacon and someone had to be within fifty feet of her at all times. Grace walked almost constantly. Fredricks allowed it because it kept her physical condition high. However, it meant that someone had to keep pace with her. Guard duty had not been a popular assignment among the men of the Unit. Jacobs had taken the duty the majority of the time. Fredricks himself only took the duty when they had been working. A small smile crept across her face. It had been one of her favorite games to try and get just enough ahead of Fredricks while she was tracking to make the alarm go off in his ear microphone. This investigation, however, wasn’t going anywhere. Grace considered it for a time. She had a single piece of evidence, the blanket. From that she had produced a sketch that had to date not resulted in a confirmation of a missing child. The cabin itself was a puzzle. Something about it just screamed at Grace to return and dig deeper. Logic told her not to do it. Both times Grace had been there she had felt the anger. The first time it had completely taken control and she had in fact been unable to function outside of it. That was of great interest to her because her empathic skills were not very strong. Maybe in comparison to a normal person they were but not when compared with true empaths. That led her to believe that the emotion had been laid there for a reason. It was unlikely that it had resulted from some person or event. It would not have stuck to the structure so well. The muffled sound of gunfire echoed among the trees. The first battle of the day was

in progress. Grace circled the valley to observe. Her eyes watched as the columns of reenactors loaded and primed their weapons. Units of men were working the cannons. Her eyes picked out Jacobs as he joined in the effort of loading one of the large black cannons. They fired it and the force of the discharge sent the cannon rolling back some ten feet. The men pushed it forward and resumed loading again. Grace felt so disconnected from it all. Down there were hundreds of people who could sit together and enjoy each other’s company. They touched and loved with open affection. They even became distressed when that contact was removed. Sometimes Grace wondered if she was really a member of the same species. Her eyes continued to watch as Jacobs interacted with them. It was easy to forget that he was in fact very different from her. They spent so much time together it was comfortable for Grace to believe that they were siblings. She was deluding herself. A cavalry charge was next and the fifty or so horses came up the valley at full gallop. Brice stood out as he rode Cole. Her eyes watched as he blended with the beast and rode with fluid movement. It was beautiful to watch. It had been even better to experience it. It had been so very freeing to let Brice and Cole carry her through the night. Grace had been so completely in tune with both horse and master. The complexities of social interaction didn’t seem to be too great for the people below her. So why was it something she was unable to accomplish? Grace straightened her back; she wasn’t going to find the answer up here. The only true way to learn something was to do it. Maybe that meant she was going to fall flat on her face but Grace wasn’t afraid of a few bruises. Her decision made, Grace descended into the valley and entered the “Northern Camp”. Some of the women looked up and greeted her. Making the effort to respond in kind, she watched with interest as food was prepared over campfires. Grace knew survival skills, but cooking was a mystery. “Grace, over here.” It wasn’t hard to identify Jacobs’ dance partner. The woman’s crown of auburn hair had been visible even from the distance Grace had watched from. Grace returned her smile and made her way to the table she was working at. “I’m Beth. An extra pair of hands is always welcome at my fire.” Grace’s uncertainty must have been written on her face because Beth took a moment to consider her newest recruit. Her eyes shifted as she decided on a task. “Be careful, my dad insists on keeping my cooking knives razor sharp.” Running her thumb over the edge of the weapon in question, Grace gave an appreciative nod at its edge. Beth’s father knew how to treat a blade. “I’ve been told I have a knack for sharp weapons.” Turning her head away from her fire, Beth gave her a critical look in response. “I guess it’s a lucky thing for all the men that they are out on the field.” “Maybe.” A giggle escaped from Beth in response. She wasn’t sure if Grace was serious or not, but the image was amusing just the same. The banter about the cooking table was very interesting. Grace had no idea that women talked like that. As all of the men were on the battlefield, it was open season on

the males of Benton County. Grace caught Beth looking at her several times. “You have a question to ask.” “Well. Not really.” Beth stumbled over her words. “Is it personal?” That might account for the woman’s reluctance to voice it. Beth turned her face up and considered Grace for a time. She set her shoulders firmly before opening her mouth. “Is Jacobs yours?” “My what?” “Your man.” “Oh… ” Her words trailed off as Grace considered the other woman. Men were jealous creatures; it would seem that women were much more practical about it all. They simply asked. “We just work together.” “Really?” Beth asked hesitantly “You’re not his girlfriend?” “No,” Grace assured her. “I could have told you that.” Another woman chimed in. “After all, if any of you had seen Grace here with Brice Campbell last night, you would know that Jacobs isn’t her man. Brice is.” Grace nearly cut her finger off She stopped cutting and gaped at the woman. Seeing her shocked face they burst into giggles. Beth reached over and gave her a quick hug. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Nothing’s a secret in Benton County.” “Obviously not.” Grace spent the rest of the day with the women, who seemed to delight in teasing her about Brice. They found things for her to do and she really tried. But after burning her second round of vegetables, she was banned from the cooking fire and sent back to the chopping block. When she ran out of things to chop, Beth handed her an apron. After donning it she found herself up to her elbows in flour and bread dough. The surprising thing was that she really liked it. The dough was rubbery and sticky and she enjoyed working it . She let a smile cross her face as she worked another lump of dough. Brice and Jacobs found her just like that. “Brice, buddy you might have to hold me up.” Finding Grace standing in the middle of a group of laughing women had Jacobs checking his forehead for fever. She was covered in flour while she contently kneaded bread dough. Bread dough! Grace could assemble a gun in less than two minutes flat and was an expert shot. She had a lot of skills, but domestic ones were not among them. Brice sent her a smile while tipping his hat, then bent down and placed a fleeting kiss on Grace’s lips. The action started several women giggling. Grace felt the blush as it stained her face. It also caused the few men in the area to move back several paces. They tipped their own hats while they lowered their eyes and moved to place the other women between them and Grace. Considering the knowing looks that were cast her way, she angled her eyes back onto Brice. “Wouldn’t it have been simpler to post a sign on my forehead?” Her voice was barely a whisper but her eyes were screaming at him.

“Kissing you was much more enjoyable.” Her fingers crushed the dough she held. Of all the nerve! The man had publicly branded her. He lived here. By nightfall the whole county would know. “You are an irritating man.” “Oh, but most men are.” Beth sent Grace a wink as she scooped up the ball of dough. Her blue eyes simmered as she moved them over Jacobs. “Especially the ones that wear uniforms. It’s their complete faith in their mental superiority. “ “Brice is the only one around here that wears a regular uniform, but I appreciate the compliment.” Jacobs grinned with his comment. Grace didn’t bat an eye at Jacobs’ words. It wasn’t so much a matter of honesty as it was a matter of security. Beth held no true understanding of the risks involved with knowing just who Jacobs was. Throwing her off the scent was for her own good. “Um-hum. Well, if that’s the way it is, I have a suggestion for you, Mr. Jacobs.” Beth turned neatly on her heel and settled her head exactly three inches from Jacobs’ ear. “The next time you dance with a lady, remove that rather large caliber pistol you keep in your shoulder harness or leave a bit more space between yourself and your partner. Because there are the bulges that a girl’s mother tells her to steer clear of and then there are the bulges that a girl’s father warns her about.” After Beth delivered her opinion, she swept her skirts around both men with a rustle and turned back to her cooking. A grin spread over Jacobs’ face making Grace stare at him in confusion. He looked like a schoolyard boy as his eyes watched the sway of Beth’ s skirts. The afternoon had one last battle and it seemed that most of the participants would be leaving soon after it was concluded. Beth served up lunch before she began packing up her camp kitchen. Brice and Jacobs helped her haul her cooking pots back up the trail where the cars were parked, across the horse area. Grace was actually feeling pleased with her efforts. She had managed to converse with other women and not run for cover. It was surprising how much she had enjoyed the good-natured banter, but the lack of sleep from the past night was beginning to catch up with her. With a muttered farewell to Beth, she ducked into her tent while the men continued on to the parking lot. Her body gratefully sank onto the cot as she relaxed. She opened her eyes a half-hour later to find Jacobs kneeling beside her cot. His eyes held a troubled look, as he considered her. Pushing herself up, Grace gave him a steady look. Jacobs’ hazel eyes were systematically watching her for information. “You spend too much time worrying about me.” Jacobs raised an eyebrow at her statement. “Too bad, Gracie.” Now it was her turn to frown. Jacobs only called her “Gracie” when he was trying to get inside her head. His eyes darkened as he took in her frown. An unpleasant smile appeared on his face. “Later.” His voice held a wealth of promise. Reaching out he unlocked the silver bracelet from her wrist, sliding it into the front pocket of his jacket. “Come on. Beth’s outside waiting for you to join her.”

In fact, both Brice and Beth were waiting. They stood close to the corral and spoke in quiet tones as they waited. It was the first time Grace had really seen Brice since last night. She slowly met his eyes. He returned her look with a steady strength that had Grace wanting to back up. A slow smile crept across his face, and Grace did take that step back. Beth gave a loud sigh. She walked over and took Grace by the hand. “You will have to excuse Sheriff Campbell. He was born handicapped by the fact that he’s a male.” Grace suppressed a laugh at the woman’s ability to casually insult both of the men present. Beth started to pull Grace off but Jacobs stopped them. “Where are the two of you headed?” Beth turned around and settled her hands on her hips before giving him an answer. “Nothing you boys would be interested in. Now go play with your guns and we’ll let you know if you manage to impress us today.”

Chapter Six Beth led Grace up to the top of the clearing. A number of women had made their way there as well. It seemed to be the end of the weekend social. They all stood about a hundred yards from the tree line. It gave them a terrific view of the battlefield. The women slowly milled about sharing stories of events past and some of the current event. Beth took Grace along with her, introducing her as they spoke with different groups. The reveille sounded, and they quieted down giving their attention to the columns of men that were beginning to enter the field. Gunfire exploded on the field. The women surged forward to get a good view. Grace hung back and simply observed the battle. There came another round of black powder explosions. The cannons fired off next. Grace searched out Jacobs and watched him work the large gun. The men on the firing line reloaded and readied their weapons for another round. The explosion split the air, and Grace stumbled forward with it. She caught herself forcing herself to remain on her feet by sheer will. Her entire right side was bone-chilling numb. Grace knew exactly what that meant. She had felt bullets pierce her flesh before. The numbness began to recede as burning pain began to make itself known. She forced it back, deepening her breaths to keep oxygen flowing to her brain. The cavalry started their charge up the hill as Grace tried to discover just where the bullet had hit her. She had no doubt about it. The pain centered on her right side, just above her hipbone. It was surging and screaming along her nerve endings. Her hand clasped the area and she felt the warm sticky slide of blood seep through her fingers. Grace tightened her grip on the wound but she felt the blood pool in her hand. She deepened her breaths again. She was losing blood too fast to retain her feet. Her paging unit has been discarded back inside the tent. She’d left it behind in the face of being shackled with the bracelet this morning. Life seemed to be in complete agreement with Jacobs. Deserting her Unit was an

invitation to get killed. Without her one link with Jacobs, it was possible that she wouldn’t get the chance to tell him he was right.

***** Brice was leaning over Cole’s neck as he began another run across the battlefield. The final battle of the weekend was always the most intense. Yes, he was a boy with his toys! Cole left the other members of the cavalry unit behind. Brice didn’t slow him but gave the stallion his head until he had reached the top of the cannon row. He pulled the horse in and Cole lifted up on his hindquarters with his front hoofs pawing at the air. Brice stuck to the saddle looking up to where the women always stood for the final battle. He was showing off and enjoying himself hugely. All the cavalry members would do the same. It was a tradition during the final charge of the weekend. Cole hit the ground and Brice looked up the hill expecting to see the smiling faces of the women. His smile faded as he saw they were clustered about something and in fact a few of them were waving him up the hill. Cold dread washed over him as he realized that something was very wrong. Digging his heels into Cole, Brice sent the horse up the hill at a gallop. He stopped Cole six feet from the cluster of women and jumped from the saddle. People immediately gave way as he traveled to the center of the disturbance. Icy dread gripped him as he got a look at Grace. She was on her knees and fighting to stay upright. Her hand and arm were drenched in bright red blood. The gray coat she wore was slick with it. “Brice?” Stripping the costume jacket from her, he cursed at the amount of blood that he found under it. Pulling the remains of her blouse free, his eyes settled onto the wound. He knew a gunshot wound when he saw one. Using her clothing, Brice applied brutal strength in his effort to slow the bleeding. She sharply drew her breath in but made no complaint. “I see your point.” “About what?” Brice didn’t care what she said as long as she remained conscious enough to speak. “Waiting for backup.” Confusion crossed his brown eyes briefly. Grace wondered why. Her statement was clear enough. Didn’t all men enjoy being told they were right? “ I left my pager in the tent.” To the other women present, that was an innocent statement. Brice knew better. One squeeze on that electronic unit would have brought help on the double. Every Ranger knew the slim black satellite links were their sole source of help. Brice broke her stare to search the woman looking on. Finding Beth, he sent her a hard look. “Find Jacobs, now!” Beth needed no further encouragement, grabbing two handfuls of her skirt she ran down the hillside into the battle. Dodging between men and horses alike, she ignored her corset’s constricting hold. She knew exactly where Jacobs was. Her lungs burned as she forced herself to run faster.

Jacobs looked up as some sort of commotion was occurring on the field. He could hear the cursing of several men. His eyes scanned the area in front of him. The cursing became louder as the column to his immediate right crumbled. The cause of the uproar came barreling full speed right at him. Beth raised horrified blue eyes to his as she struggled for enough breath to speak. With one hand she pointed up the hill as she forced a single word out between gasps. “Grace.” Lifting Beth off her feet, Jacobs deposited her ten feet behind the cannon line. “Stay right there!” He issued the command in deadly ice. Assured that Beth was safe for the moment, Jacobs turned and charged up the hillside. Beth stood trying to recover her breath as she watched him climb up the mountain. Numerous men were giving her dirty looks for having invaded the battlefield but she gave them a dirty look right back. Her heart was racing and not just from that run. Jacobs had lifted her like she was a feather. Despite her concern for her new friend, Beth suddenly felt very feminine.

***** Brice knew exactly when Jacobs arrived. The curse that exploded from his mouth was more than likely heard by half of the men on the battlefield. He dropped down beside Brice and immediately began to assess her vital signs. “Helicopter is en route.” Brice’s words were absorbed as Jacobs gently moved Grace ’s head around to look at him. Barely conscious, she tried to focus onto his eyes. “Come on, Gracie, don’t quit on me,” he ordered her. Flipping open his satellite link he scanned it for his men. “Goddamn bunch of idiots!” “Let me know if you’re not going to kill the man, because I will.” Increasing his hold on Grace, Brice raised his head to glare at Jacobs. There was an entire Ranger Unit in the hills and not a single man in position to protect their operative. “They were on the other side of the field, watching me.” Grace watched Jacobs through half-closed eyes. She was focusing on the pain. It would keep her awake longer. Blinding pain meant life and she wanted to live. Shivers crossed her skin as her body gave into shock. Rolling her head back to Brice, she tried to form her thoughts into words. “I’m cold.” Brice nodded in understanding. She was losing a lot of blood. Brice didn’t dare move his hands but he didn’t need to. Jacobs shrugged out of his jacket in response to her need. The wool frockcoat was long; she sighed as his body heat covered her. Running his eyes over her, Brice noted the signs of her decreasing condition. Her skin had turned chalk white as her body diverted blood to more important areas. Where in hell were those medics? The strength of this woman’s will almost blinded him to one very basic fact. She was half his size. Right now that could mean the difference between life and death. A man could stand the amount of blood loss that she was enduring; Brice just prayed that her body could as well. The medic his county helicopter delivered left much to be desired. Brice glared at the sandy-haired kid as he took his time covering the short distance to his patient.

“I’ll take it from here.” “Are you a doctor?” Jacobs’ tone clearly indicated that he already knew the fresh-faced youth could be nothing of the sort. “Emergency Medical Technician.” The pride that the kid issued his credentials with told Jacobs the ink was barely dry on the boy’s certification papers. Reaching out he grabbed the medical box held by the boy, flipping it open before searching out the items he wanted. “You can’t do that!” Whatever else the medic intended to say dropped from his lips as he watched Jacobs’ complete the task of stabilizing his patient. The efficiency of his movements caused him to stare in open-mouthed wonder. Jesus! Grace had forgotten just how much a shot of adrenaline burned. The accompanying glucose allowed her to not miss a single second of it. She snapped her head over to Jacobs. She knew he’d increase the dosage if she failed to respond quickly. His hazel eyes locked with hers. Grace knew what was coming next. Interrogation. She beat him to it. “Sunday, June eighth. I have no bloody idea what time it is and I’m twenty-five.” Jacobs nodded his approval and the medic came forward and began to wrap her for transportation to the medical center. Brice still wouldn’t relinquish his post and in the end Grace was strapped to the backboard and loaded onto the helicopter with him right alongside her. The helicopter lifted from the ground, while Grace locked her eyes with Brice. There was deep worry in his brown eyes. Grace let them lock and search her own. She was too occupied with dealing with the pain to try and place walls between them. Besides his strong, steady strength seemed to flow between them and Grace was thankful for it. The pain was becoming harder to ignore and she desperately needed to know she wasn’t alone. Brice fulfilled that need. He was a solid rock from which Grace was able to shield herself from the storm that battered her body. She slowly smiled at him before allowing her eyelids to drop in surrender.

***** Clark just couldn’t contain the smile of joy that split his face. Damn, but he had enjoyed dropping that witch. Just like the boss said, neat and clean. She had gotten the jump on them with the kid so now they needed time. Her butt would be theirs soon enough. If that meant she would have to pay for the time delay with her own pain, well life was a bitch.

***** The lights of Tri-county Medical Center were blindingly bright as usual. Brice paced the hallway of the surgical unit. He had been wearing out his boots for the last three hours. Grace had been hustled into surgery and he’d been left standing in the hallway.

This wasn’t the first gunshot wound that he’d brought here. Unfortunately, Brice knew it might not be the last. The fact that it was Grace made all the difference in the world to Brice. He gut clenched with cold dread at what someone might come out and tell him. Brice continued his vigil in the hallway. Jacobs had made him swear an oath that he wouldn’t leave Grace’s side. It hadn’t been necessary. There wasn’t a single force on this planet that could have budged him from this spot. A deadly look entered his eyes, there was one thing he’d rather be doing. Helping Jacobs deal with the shooter. But it wasn’t Brice’s command, and he had to respect that. Brice’s body jerked as the door opened. Dr. Fenton walked forward, extending his hand out to Brice. “She’s in recovery now. Lucky girl.” “Can I see her?” “She’s still out. As soon as she wakes you’ll be the first person that gets in.” The doctor rubbed a weary hand across his eyes before making his way down the hallway. Brice waited exactly two seconds before pushing through the doorway that led to the intensive care unit. “No visitors.” The nurse issued her warning before she even raised her head. “ Oh… I’m sorry Sheriff. Didn’t know it was you.” Brice eyed the young nurse with critical eyes. She’d come halfway around her duty station before she’d identified him. Her dedication to duty was admirable. “Where is she?” “She’s in number two.” Muttering a brief thank you, Brice pulled the curtain back that served as privacy in this ward. Pulling a stool over, he settled himself down. No one was going to get a second chance at her tonight. Very few people knew who Grace was, so who had fired that shot? It hadn’t been an accident, and he’d bet his last dollar that the person wanted to hit her just the way they had, hard but not lethally. Someone wanted Grace occupied with something else for the next couple of weeks. Brice would ask her later, but he was almost certain that extreme pain would interfere with the psychic abilities that she had. But wounding her would keep her in his county for the short term. Long distance travel would be ill-advised, considering the potential for blood loss. Brice found it even more interesting that the man had been able to target her in the midst of a crowd. That was just the sort of skill that a Ranger was required to have. Jacobs might not want his help but the man was going to get it. Having a rat in a Ranger Unit was deadly. If you couldn’t trust the man at your back, you were already dead. In this case, the traitor had miscalculated. Whatever was going on was happening in his county. Running his eyes over Grace, he let his anger show on his face. The physical toll that had been extracted from her was causing his temper to rise. Brice was going to have to make sure to ruin someone’s day.

Chapter Seven The cloud was so thick it was smothering her. Twisting and fighting through its layers took every last ounce of energy that she had. But Grace persisted. She wanted out, away from the drug-induced slumber. It wasn’t that much further. Every single muscle was drawn tight as she shoved her way into consciousness. Forcing her eyelids open, the blinding lights hit her unsuspecting pupils, causing them to scream in protest. She sucked in a huge gasp of air as she forced her eyes to stay open. Her limbs were heavy, almost stuck to the surface of the bed. Moving one protesting arm across her body, she groped to find the IV pumping the drugs into her bloodstream. The tape crinkled as she tugged at it, pulling it away from the flesh of her arm. With the tape gone, she moved her fingers towards the slim plastic tubing. Her wrist was gripped just before she captured the thing. Swinging her eyes about, she glared at the offender. “I think the doctor would rather you left that right where it is.” Brice stared down at her as he settled her arm back alongside her body. His hand smoothed the tape back onto her skin. Tension held her face taut. Her breath caught and held as she struggled. “I ’ll get a nurse to bring you something for the pain.” “No!” She was barely able to fight off the pain currently floating around her body. Pain was natural. Drugs would rob her of the simplest of thoughts, locking her into blackness where there was no focus, no control. “You’ve got to be in pain.” In fact her eyes were glassy with it. But the emerald pools snapped back at him in denial. Grace glared at the I.V. once again. Brice’s hand still covered her own, preventing her from removing the thing. Looking back at his set face, she gave into her only option. “Please don’t.” Her plea caught him off-guard. Fact was, he didn’t want to let her sink back into unconsciousness. Being able to look into those eyes of hers sent a wave of relief crashing through his skull. But the way her face was stretched tight told him that the anesthesia was quickly losing its hold. “The pain is only going to get worse, honey.” “I don’t fear pain.” “You can’t like it very much either.” His words came out in a low growl. Grace set her teeth into her lower lip in frustration. Brice didn’t understand and if she didn’t change his mind, a would be pumping her full of morphine in two minutes flat. “The drugs are suffocating. They lock me in darkness.” His eyes wavered in conflict before he dipped his chin in a slight nod. Grace let her breath out in a sigh. Relief was welcome in any form. Even from her fears. The pain of her body would only subside with time.

He shifted his hand, moving it along her arm in slow even strokes. The contact drove home how very cold she was. But it also brought more feeling than simple warmth. Lifting her hand Grace invited him to touch her. Their fingers touched and mingled in silent intimacy. His brown, steady eyes sank into hers as he slid his palm up to the surface of her face. Turning her face into his palm, she pulled in the scent of his skin. Rubbing her cheek against his palm she let her eyelids flutter shut.

***** Grace ground her teeth together as she slowly forced herself to sit up. Just a little bit more. Sweat beaded on her forehead as the pain became blinding. Collapsing back onto the elevated hospital bed anger flashed through her body. She was so weak she couldn’t even sit up. It was intolerable The doctor kept telling her to relax and let herself heal. She’d been relaxing for four days already. Wasn’t that enough? She resented having to be looked after. She didn’t have anywhere to go, but she wanted out of the hospital room so badly she ached What truly bothered Grace was the fact that the ever-present pain kept her from focusing her mind. Not that she needed to track anything just at the moment but she felt uneasy with herself distracted completely by her body. The last four days had seemed almost endless. A quick rap on the door warned her that someone was entering. Jacobs pegged her with a huge smile. “Tried to sit up again, didn’t you?” There ought to be laws against someone knowing her so well. She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment and heard him laugh softly. “You make a terrible patient, Gracie.” “Well, don’t quit your day job, because the nursing field is better off without you.” The bedside table slid in front of her. Jacobs deposited a tray of food onto it as he smiled at her. “I love my job.” The man did too. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing, but at the moment Grace found it rather suffocating. Jacobs was currently bunking on the opposite side of the room. Her C.O. never shared her bed, unless it was absolutely unavoidable. However anytime he felt that there was the slightest threat to her health, he slept in the same room. She rolled her eyes up to look at Jacobs now. He definitely felt there was a threat to her safety now. He wore his gun belt buckled over his fatigue pants. The man always had a gun on his person, but he was displaying it as a warning at the moment. Both to anyone who even thought about coming near this section of the hospital and to Grace herself. He had her locked down and intended to keep it that way until he was satisfied that the threat had been neutralized. Her eyes fell onto the tray of food that he placed on the table. The ever-present pain was robbing her of her appetite. The aroma of the food only managed to cause nausea to

rise in her throat. Placing both hands onto the table, she shoved it away. It was shoved right back at her. “I’m not hungry.” “Eat or I’m going to let that nurse in here with something for that pain.” Fighting the pain took too much of her strength. Grace didn’t have enough left to fight with Jacobs. Not in his present mood anyway. Forcing her eyes to roam over the food again, she pulled a piece of fruit from it. Bringing it to her mouth, Grace began to nibble at it. She felt the weight of his stare before he turned on his heel and left her to her meal. The food dropped back onto the tray as Grace gave a short hiss of disapproval. She was generally disgusted with the entire human race at the moment. Men were currently at the top of the list.

***** Brice kept his footsteps even and steady as he approached the corridor of the medical center that was currently being occupied by a unit of Army Rangers. His office was swamped with complaints from family members of other patients. Brice kept his steps even because he didn’t want to startle the sentry that was on duty. It would reflect rather badly on him if he managed to get shot in the medical center hallway. His lips twisted into a smile as he caught sight of Jacobs in the hallway. The huge man was softly conversing with the man posted at Grace’s door. Jacobs dismissed the man and he snapped a salute before leaving the area. Jacobs gave Brice a nod before he rapped on the door and entered it. Brice came to a halt and waited. Jacobs emerged a couple of minutes later with a food tray. His face was set into deep lines as he surveyed it. Brice ran his own eyes over the tray. “Still not eating?” Jacobs shook his head slowly and deposited the tray at the nearby nurses’ station. “It’s the pain. She’s just stewing with it right now. Maybe tomorrow.” “She’s too thin as it is.” Brice pointed out. “You’re welcome to give it a shot, but when Grace doesn’t have an appetite… ” “And who could blame her?” Both men whipped around as that statement came sailing down the hallway. Beth was calmly walking toward them completely ignoring the sentry that was trying to stop her. The man seemed loath to physically restrain the six-foot tall female and he cast an uncertain look at his commanding officer. “Return to your post.” The man snapped a salute before hastening away from Beth at top speed. Jacobs raised an eyebrow. He wondered just what she had said to get past the man. He intended to find out. Beth stopped in front of Jacobs. Lord, he was too handsome for words. She had spent the last two days trying to work up a plan on how to get over here to see him. She had finally found just the ticket that morning and here she was. She just wished he wasn’

t looking so furious with her. She stiffened her resolve and gave him the sweetest smile she owned. No guts, no glory. “Have you tasted this hospital’s food? It can be termed as cruel and unusual punishment in some people’s minds.” Beth breezed right on, hoping to not give them the chance to throw her out. “Now, I happened to spend most of my day in the kitchen and I would wager that Grace will find my cooking more to her liking.” Jacobs stared at Beth for a moment. He had no idea what the woman was talking about. But she had the prettiest face he’d ever seen. She was holding a large wicker basket, and now that she was standing next to him he could detect some very good aromas coming from it. The food she had cooked up over the campfire last weekend had been wonderful. Jacobs imagined that in a modern kitchen, the woman could bring grown men to their knees. “Beth, you can’t be here.” “Excuse me, Major Jacobs, but that almost sounds like you consider me to be a security risk.” Beth thrust her basket into Brice’s arms and rummaged around in her purse for a moment. Withdrawing a card of some type, she thrust it into Jacobs’ face. Pulling the military identification card from her, Jacobs compared the photo with her face. It certainly looked correct on the surface. But just why did she have it? He was just opening his mouth to ask that question but she beat him to it. “I have to say that I don’t think my father would take too kindly to you insinuating that his daughter might be a traitor.” “Who’s your father?” “Hal Stewart. He’s retired now but you need the discharge papers to remind him of that fact.” Beth informed him. Jacobs assessed her for a moment. A smile began to break across his face. Damn, but this was a woman! She visibly relaxed as he smiled. She had guts. That was for sure. Not many women could brazen their way past one sentry and stand up to him. “Since I heard you were held up here as well, I brought plenty.” “Who have you been talking with, Beth?” demanded Brice. Beth raised an eyebrow at him. “Now Sheriff Campbell, I do believe you are accusing me of being a gossip. I haven’ t been talking to anyone.” Beth settled her hands on her hips “I do however have ears and noticed that every one in the county is talking about how this hospital has been turned into a military base. That’s because Gil Bryson swears that he needed a background check on his son before his wife was even out of the delivery room.” Both men had the good grace to look a little guilty. “I do hope you two didn’t think you had some kind of secret here? If that’s the case, I need to have a little chat with you about Benton County and its extremely efficient gossip chain.” Beth took the basket from Brice and settled it on the top of the nurses’ station. As she lifted the lid, the aroma had both men eyeing it with hunger. Beth pulled a plate and started to fill it with several things. Finished, she draped a tea towel over the food. “Now, if you two let my cooking get cold, I’ll leave you at the mercy of the cafeteria from now on.”

Beth held her breath as she looked back at them. She still couldn’t quite believe that she was pulling this off. She’d paced around her kitchen for an hour trying to work up the courage to get into her car and try it. “If you’ll excuse me, I intend to feed Grace. She’s just about the skinniest thing I’ve ever met.” Jacobs did stop her there. Beth waited for him to voice his concern. “Beth, Grace can be a little stubborn. It might be best if I took that in to her.” Beth drew herself up to her full six feet. She had made it this far and she wasn’t backing down now. “Such little faith, Major Jacobs. I’ll have you know I raced across a battlefield in a corset for that woman and I am not above throwing it in her face if it comes to that. Don’t worry, Dad says I could shame a fighter pilot into taking vows of chastity.” Beth gave him a wink as she walked right past him and opened the door to Grace’s room. Grace raised her face up to investigate the intrusion. “Grace, it’s so good to see you, I’ve been so worried. What are you wearing anyway? Insensitive men, leaving you in a hospital gown… ” The door shut out the rest and Jacobs found himself laughing. Grace just may have met her match tonight. “Are the men in this county blind?” Brice was already filling a plate when Jacobs asked that question. Only a fool hesitated when offered Beth’s cooking. “She failed to mention her Daddy’s stars.” Raising an eyebrow, Jacobs glanced back at the closed door of Grace’s room. A general’s daughter? That explained a lot. There were only two kinds of women that couldn’t get a date on an Army base. Married ones and the general’s daughter. No man in his right mind would chance letting a broken heart ruin his career. Biting into a piece of chicken, he closed his eyes in ecstasy. No woman under the age of fifty should be allowed to cook so well. Taking another bite, he looked over what else the basket offered. “Beth did say her father was retired, right?” Grace sat on the bed and laughed softly. Beth was infectious with her humor. She had marched right in and sat on the end of her bed, starting up a conversation that was still going. She’d placed a plate of chicken directly in front of her before moving across the room. “You need your strength to keep Brice on his best behavior. Men can be such brutes if a woman shows even a hint of weakness.” Giving in, Grace started to nibble at the fried chicken. It really was good. “What are you looking for?” Beth pulled another of the closet doors open before she answered. Her lips pressed into a tight line before she sent it shut again. “Some clothes for you. That gown has got to go.” The meager cabinets the room offered were empty. Setting her hands onto her hips, Beth stood considering what else was at hand. Her eyes lit on Jacobs’ duffel bag neatly stored in the corner beside the bed. She didn’t hesitate a second before pulling the thing from the floor and opening it.

“You just take over.” “Hum?” Shaking out a shirt, Beth sent a look over to Grace. “When one is dealing with an officer, it is sometimes necessary to remind them that women are not grunts.” Prize in hand, Beth replaced the bag before she began rummaging about the bathroom. Twisting her head, Grace tried to determine just what the woman was looking for now. Popping another piece of chicken into her mouth, she decided that Beth’s cooking skills were far more interesting. “Who taught you to cook?” “Desperation, books and the odd television show.” Emerging from the bathroom Beth smiled as she removed the now empty plate. “I mean have you ever tried to stomach what passes for food on an Army base?” The laughter escaped her lips before Grace could stop it. “Regularly.” The bed shifted as Beth leaned behind her and pulled the tie that held her hospital gown in place. Beth had it striped off her body and the shirt in place in almost the same movement. “There! That will do for now anyway.” Beth sent her fingers into the tangled web of Grace’s hair as she pulled the pins from it. “Men don’t mind living like pigs so they never notice that we women do.” “Meaning what?” Beth pulled the brush through the tangled mess of her hair before she answered. “Meaning, neither of those two even thought about handing this brush to you. With your side torn up that way, it should have been on this bedside table, where you could reach it.” Neatness Grace understood. Vanity was almost a foreign language. Her appearance wasn’t considered because Jacobs was far more concerned with her immediate health. “ Speaking of Jacobs, just how did you get in here anyway?” “Bluster and diversion.” Giving Grace’s hair a final pass with the brush, Beth placed it on the bedside table. “I was shaking in my boots. Jacobs sure can look mean when he takes a notion to.” “I’ve noticed that myself a time or two,” Grace responded. A sleepy yawn caught her off-guard. “I’d better let you sleep. I’ll come by again tomorrow and bring you something to wear. Men are so thick. They think nothing of letting a girl sit around half-naked and freezing.” Grace gave her a smile before she disappeared out the door. She yawned again. She was tired, but couldn’t fall asleep just yet. She considered what it was that she was waiting for. It dawned on her that she was waiting for Brice. He had come every night. She wasn’t sure if she should be annoyed with herself for longing for the man’s presence or not. The truth was she was just too tired to care at the moment. Someone rapped on the door and she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face as Brice stepped into the room. “Good evening.” He tipped his hat again. His eyes ran a lazy course over her before returning to her face. Appreciation was reflected from his eyes.

“Looks like Beth had her way with you.” “I think I got the better end of the deal.” Settling himself on the side of her bed Brice lifted a strand of coal black hair from where it rested on the white sheet. “How did you manage to keep this away from the base barber?” Her hair was her only vanity. Actually, it was her only link left to a family long ago lost. Her mother use to sit and brush out her hair, the memory was a dear one. “It’s been cut before.” Moving his hand forward, Brice slipped his hand into the black curtain of silk. “Not recently.” No one had ever handled her hair. Watching his fingers slip among the stands was strangely intimate. Reaching the ends, Brice moved his hand all the way to her head this time. His fingers rubbed over her scalp before slowly combing down the length of her hair once again. “I never leave it down.” Her words came out in a hurried rush. Her lungs didn’t seem to be able to draw in enough air and they increased their pace. Reaching the end of her hair Brice raised his hand once more. A sure smile was sitting on his mouth as he laid his hand along her face once more. It stayed there, cradling the side of her head while his eyes aimed steady into hers. “You will take it down when we make love.” She shook her head but he controlled the movement with his hand, leaning forward until his breath brushed her lips. “And I’ll comb my fingers through it just like this.” Grace sucked her breath in as she felt the emotion surge up inside her. He dropped the lightest of kisses onto her mouth before pulling back to sit upright. Her lashes fluttered and then slipped closed. Her breathing slowed as sleep overtook her. She was free of her endless masks when she slept. Grace reacted to his body in such a basic fashion that it shot desire straight through him. Beneath everything else that she was, Grace was still a woman. Brice had every intention of being the man to show her how to be one.

***** The morning and afternoon were gone by the time Grace woke up the next day. Brice was the last thing that she remembered. Her eyes fell onto the clock sitting beside the bed. Sweet Mary! It was after five in the evening Stretching her legs out, Grace sighed. She felt much better today. The pain still lingered but it wasn’t overwhelming. Grace always woke with the dawn. Today she’d slept the day away. Guess she had Beth’s cooking to blame for that. The mention of food brought a complaint from her stomach. However, Grace had another priority at the moment. She wanted a shower and was feeling good enough to try it. Rolling herself onto her stomach, she used her hands to push herself to her knees. Maybe sitting straight up wasn’t working so well, but there was more than one way to skin a cat. The I.V. tubing that was attached to her right arm got tangled. Grace examined the tubing for a moment. The doctors had left it in despite the fact that she refused the

pain medication that they wanted to dispense through it. The spot where the needle was inserted into her arm had in fact become very sore. Deciding that she had more than enough pain to deal with, Grace pulled the tape away and took the rubber needle out of her arm herself. She was ready to be up and about. Grace had had her fill of being pinned to the bed by any means, especially plastic tubing. With that done, it was much easier to get her feet onto the floor. Grace took those first few steps slowly but her body was sound. Maybe not up to full strength but she could manage a shower if she took it easy. Her hair was still down and Grace decided that she would wash it. Another thought crossed her mind, Beth had been correct. She was freezing

***** Propped against the wall, a slight smile lifted the corners of Brice’s mouth. Grace was awake. He could hear her moving around in the room. That pleased him immensely. Now Jacobs couldn’t throw him out. Jacobs came around the corner just then. He raised an eyebrow at the smile that was still on Brice’s face. “She must be feeling better.” “You know that because?” “Sounds like she’s in the shower.” Jacobs slowly shook his head. That was Grace for you. She was pushing it but then he would become concerned if she weren’t. “Guess I’d better find her something to wear. ” “Don’t bother on my account.” “Sheriff Campbell, that’s downright mean!” Beth scolded coming around the corner. Jacobs turned on his heel. That was twice that the woman had managed to sneak up on him His face set into a frown. Beth moved with silent grace most people never learned. He saw the slight hesitation in her blue eyes as she took in his set face. Jacobs didn’t relax his features because he was curious to see what she would do. Beth knew that look. Her father was an expert at the intimidation look. She batted her eyelashes a few times before placing her basket on the nurses’ station. If Jacobs wanted to play that game with her, she would just ignore the man. “What’s in the bag?” Beth glanced at the bag folded over her arm. A slight smile crossed her lips as she took in Jacobs’ commanding tone. She made sure to wipe the amusement off of her face before she turned around. “Some clothes for Grace. By the sound of things, not a moment too soon either.” Jacobs watched as she once again opened that basket and filled a plate full of food. Whatever it was, it smelled fantastic. She breezed right past him knocking on the door before she entered it. Brice started to laugh softly. “You know, Jacobs, I think she put you in your place quite nicely.” “That she did.”

***** Grace looked up as the door opened and smiled as Beth came in. She hadn’t been certain if she would show up again. More importantly, she had food with her. “Looks like I’m right on time.” Beth pulled leggings and a long sweater from the bag. Grace looked at the clothes. She had never worn anything like them. She had seen other women wearing the style. The sweater was a deep purple and was fuzzy and soft. “Thank you, Beth.” “It’s no problem. Now let’s get that wet towel off of you before your dinner gets cold.” An hour passed before Beth left. Grace had been grateful for the woman’s companionship. Grace looked around the room. She wasn’t sleepy. No, she was tired of these four walls. Not too sure just how far she was going to get, Grace made her way to the door and slowly pushed it open. No one shoved it closed so she went out into the hallway. “Good evening.” Grace recognized the deep voice instantly. She walked a little further away from the door because Brice was currently leaning against the wall next to the door. He was in uniform and Grace decided that it suited him well. Pressed to perfection, the tan uniform failed to conceal the prime condition of the man that wore it. It was odd the sensation that she got from looking at his body. Grace was always around men that were in good physical condition. None of them caused her stomach to tighten or her face to blush. Moving her eyes to his, she studied the brown orbs. The strength of this man still impressed her. She was absolutely breathtaking. Beth had a good eye for clothing because the sweater fit her very well. Too well, for Brice’s comfort. The soft knit material clung to her breasts, giving him a clear view of them. Her eyes were shifting between the corridors, searching for an avenue of escape. “Care to take a walk?” A walk? Yes, she wanted to walk, she just wasn’t too sure she wanted to go with Brice. Clearly he was on duty, so her options were company or her room again. “ Outside?” “With your hair wet?” “I’m not cold.” But she was pleased. Reaching up, Grace gave her secured hair a light pat. Brice Campbell was far too sure of himself. Just like a game of chess, she was constantly on guard. Reaching for her hand, Brice settled it onto his arm. He already had her surrounded; she just didn’t see it yet. “I think I know just the place.” Grace turned her head up to look at him. Brice turned her down another corridor and then through a double glass door. A smile slowly formed on her face. They had entered an outdoor atrium. It was surrounded on all four sides by the hospital but there

was no roof. The night air surrounded them and Grace gratefully filled her lungs with it. Full size trees lined the edges, while a variety of greenery filled in the spaces between the larger trees. Moving forward she trailed her hand along the leaves while breathing in the night air. Completely forgotten, Brice stood and watched as she greeted the night. Like an old friend, Grace embraced the small slice of nature. Her face transformed into a tapestry of wonder. She was so very beautiful in that moment of freedom that it humbled him to witness it. Her body was beginning to become weak again. She didn’t want to return to her room just yet. A bench caught her eye and she dropped onto it. Tilting her head back, she looked at the stars. Grace was truly beginning to like Benton County. It was a beautiful place. “Beautiful view.” Brice dropped down next to her on the bench. He had his head turned up but was watching her from the corner of his eye. Slightly startled Grace mentally scolded herself. It wasn’t like her to display her feelings so openly. “Cold?” Brice watched her shake her head. “Would you tell me if you were?” “Probably not.” “That figures.” The disgruntled tone of his voice surprised her. Any amount of cold that she would feel here would not be enough to be life-threatening. To voice it would be nothing more than a complaint. “Why would you want to know?” There was a ring of true curiosity behind her question. His eyes darkened for a moment as it occurred to him that she wasn’t putting up a front as he’d assumed. No, Grace simply didn’t expect anyone to be concerned with her immediate comfort level. That was something that a man learned during intensive training. The needs of the body had to be cut down to the most essential. “How long have you been in the field?” “Ten years.” Brice simply stared at his companion. Eight years? She must have been little more than a kid must. Grown men folded under the pressure. The walls that she hid behind took on new meaning; they were essential to her survival. Grace watched his face tighten, “Why does that bother you?” The tension betrayed by the man’s body was intense. Grace searched his eyes looking for the reason behind his displeasure. He clearly disapproved of her life. His judgment needled at her despite the fact that she had no control over such facts. Getting to her feet, Grace intended to leave behind the harsh judgment that was being leveled against her. She would not hang her head in shame “My life is not your concern!” The angry rejection her voice carried hit a nerve. She would not shut him out. Brice would tear down every wall she built with his bare hands first.

“Wrong.” Brice pulled her into the curve of his body with ease. Capturing her head with his hand, he pulled her head back. “This makes it my concern!” Grace knew his intention but was powerless to escape it. He seemed to delight in her helplessness, taking his time lowering his mouth to hers. His mouth was so warm that it shocked her. Grace attempted to jerk her head away from his but his hand on the back of her head held her still. His mouth firmly opened her own as he pushed her resistance aside. His mouth was moving across her own in such a way that her body demanded she answer him. She could almost feel her blood rushing along in her veins. Slowly she moved her lips in unison with his. He growled low in his throat and deepened the kiss. Her body was exploding with warmth, as well as the reckless desire to touch him in return. Her hands reached up to explore the chest that her eyes had scanned earlier in the evening. The muscles were hard and pulsing with life. Her current clothing didn’t shield her from his body as her historical dress had. Her nipples beaded and pressed into his chest, this time he gently rubbed a hand over one and listened to her gasp at the sensation. “I’m still thinking about it. Are you, Grace?” His hand moved again and cupped that breast through the fabric of the sweater. Brice smiled as he noted her passion-drugged eyes. He could smell the arousal on her body. It was gaining a response from his body that was rapidly becoming more than he could control. Burying his face in the curve of her neck, he inhaled the warm scent of her skin. Pushing an arm beneath her knees, Brice swung her up against his chest before she had time to recover her damn logic. He carried her right through the overly bright hallway of the ward. His scent wrapped around her making her more aware of the pulsing body hidden by his uniform. Grace found herself back in bed before a good retort had formed in her mind. With one arm on either side of her body he loomed over her a split second while his eyes locked with hers. Very precisely, his hands cupped her breasts through the sweater. Grace couldn’t think because it felt so very good. She wasn’t aching anymore. Instead the touch caused pleasure to move like a wave through every last layer of her flesh. Jacobs’ voice drifted through the closed door and Grace snapped her eyes open. Brice’s face reflected his pleasure a moment longer before he pulled his hands away from her body. “We’ll have to finish this later.” The iron determination he displayed shot anger along her body. She belonged to herself No man was going to force his way into that single part that belonged only to her. “Don’t bet on it! My hair is staying up.” Halting a bare step from the door Brice turned around in response to the challenge in her voice. Hooking his hands into his belt, he locked eyes with the female that denied his claim on her.

Grace refused to give quarter. Brice was nailing her with those brown orbs of his but she would not yield. A smile crept across his face while he reached into his pocket. His hand reached for the bedside table a second before he turned, leaving her in peace. Turning her head, she looked at the item that he left behind. Against the stark white table, the twenty-dollar bill stood out. Her eyes widened in outrage as she understood his intent. The man just took her bet.

***** “Yes, sir.” Jacobs snapped his phone shut wishing he could so easily deal with his C.O. Sometimes he really hated the Army. Actually, just certain officers. Col. Turvel was a superstitious ass. The man would deny it to his last breath, but he was afraid of Grace. In the four years that Jacobs had held this command, Col. Turvel had made certain that he and Grace never set eyes on each other. “Trouble, Major?” “And then some.” Almost certain the dilemma revolved around Grace, Brice considered the wave of jealousy that hit him. “Well, it can’t be getting any worse.” Brice’s dry comment gained a chuckle from Jacobs. “You don’t know Grace. Now that she’s found her feet, keeping her in that room will become near impossible.” “So, I just discovered.” Jacobs’ face immediately forged into solid stone. “Relax, I took her to the atrium and then tucked her back into her bed.” “That won’t last long.” Running another hand over his jaw, Jacobs considered Brice. “Dr. Fenton is rather adamant about me not flying her out of here. Too much damage from that bullet.” Jacob’s problem was just what Brice had been looking for. An opportunity to move just another step closer to Grace. “How’s my place sound?” “Meaning?” “I’ve got a couple of spare rooms and a very secluded mountain top.” The invitation didn’t fool Jacobs for a second. But the man’s offer was just too good to turn down. His house was the perfect place to stash Grace while she healed. The growing relationship between them was beginning to bother him. Grace was going to be removed from Brice’s life just as soon as Col. Turvel decided she was fit for duty again. Taking her backup to the man’s house was only going to open a deeper wound. Jacobs just didn’t have a better solution. Another set of vigilant eyes on her right now was exactly what she needed. He just hoped Grace would forgive him when that order to leave came in.

*****

It was odd the way her senses would snap on. Sometimes, it was almost like a switch was flipped. A certain amount of pain could be ignored. The amount coming from her side couldn’t be. But the vision came anyway. Raising her head up, Grace rolled completely off the bed while her feet hit the floor and caught her body weight with the precision of countless hours of training. Reaching for the vision, her mind closed around it but there wasn’t enough substance for clarity. Raising her head, her feet began a course that would lead her to the source of her vision. There was something addictive about it. The scent was familiar now. It had lingered at that cabin as well as on Paige. Now it was threading its way along the forest just a hundred feet from Brice’s house. The distance was the clearest piece of her vision. Even as her feet carried her closer, her mind pulled and tugged at it. Searching for the reason she found it so very intriguing. Emotion floated in thick waves. Anger burned its way into her body coursing along her blood stream into every cell of her flesh. Pulsing and biting at her temper, it incited an explosion through the psychic link. She slipped through the back door of the house and dug her feet into the wooden planking of the deck as her body charged forward. A solid band of steel jerked Grace straight out of her steps. Her body screamed in agony as her flesh sent up a roar of pain. Still caught in her quest, Grace struggled against her captor. The rage she turned on him caught Brice off-guard. He stumbled as she slipped out of his grasp. Light as a doe, she sprang down the steps of his porch. Throwing his body over the railing, Brice landed a single step in front of her. Her eyes stared completely through him. But the bright red blood seeping into her shirt captured his complete attention. Psychic or not, the human body still had basic needs Planting both feet solidly on the ground, Brice swung her up against his chest. He took his porch steps three at a time and stumbled through the back door before his captive ceased her fight. “Grace?” Brice intended to set her back on her feet. Instead she stumbled as her legs refused to accept her body weight. Her eyes stared right through him as he caught her wrists to prevent her from ending sprawled across his living room floor. “She won’t answer you Brice.” Jacobs issued his conclusion a second before Grace aimed a brutal shove at his supporting arms. “Back away, Brice.” Nodding his head, Brice backed away but placed himself in the open doorway. Witnessing the intensity of her abilities brought him an understanding of just why she would have gone after Paige without a care for backup. The woman wasn’t even aware she was bleeding, much less that she needed an escort. Her eyes reflected nothing but burning intent. Grace’s head was pounding. She pushed the pain away. It was here. The answer was right here All she had to do was look at it. She could see the words on the page but they were blurred and her mind refused to bring them into focus. Her body was interfering with its pain. With the discipline of years of training, she tried to force it aside. It stubbornly resisted her efforts. She rounded on the doorway that led back to the porch.

She reached out to feel it. The echo of anger was thick. She stepped closer and the anger built inside her body. Just like any moth, Grace found herself being summoned by the burning flame. Logic intruded, demanding that she break the hold. Wrenching her body back, she fell across the living room floor. Forcing herself to get on her feet, she felt the vortex recede and vanish. No! She wanted the answer. Nothing but emptiness remained. Instead as her mind’s vision faded her eyes caught the sight of Brice’s intense scrutiny. Had he been watching her the whole time? Her side was burning as fatigue caught her in its claws. She really shouldn’t be so tired. Looking into those brown eyes, she tried to form a question from her exhausted brain. “I’m sorry,” every bit of color drained from her face just like the sand did in an hourglass. “Jesus!” The curse came out of Brice’s mouth as he jumped forward to catch her collapsing body. Limp as a rag doll, she folded into his embrace without a single ounce of resistance. Settling her body back onto the guestroom bed resembled arranging a stone effigy too closely for his taste. Brice considered the pasty white cast of her skin before he attended to the task of cleaning her stitches. The slightest scuff on the wooden planking told him Jacobs was in the room as well. He reached for Grace’s ankle. The slim black cuff he left behind caused Brice to raise a calculated look at him. “What’s happening to her?” “I wish I knew, Brice.” Jacobs’ face was covered in concern as his eyes moved to the tracking unit he’d secured to her slim ankle. His hand clenched the control unit that would receive any signals transmitted from the unit. “Just what does that mean?” “You asked for a psychic, Sheriff. No one promised you answers. Just the kid.” Jacobs turned on his heel and left. Brice caught him as the man stepped back out onto the porch. “Is this why you never let her finish investigations?” “Partly.” Casting a sidelong look at Brice, Jacobs returned the man’s probing stare. “ She’s practically perfect when it comes to tracking. That effectiveness drops when she gets to the investigating end of the case.” “But the cost is rather high for her.” “Exactly.” Turning towards the sheriff, Jacobs stuck his finger out at the man. “ Which is why I don’t let every lawman from here to China run her to exhaustion. We get the prize and they have to figure out the details on their own.” That would lay it all neatly at his door, but Brice wasn’t buying it. “I take it not all of her C.O.s have held that same consideration?” “Grace wouldn’t have survived this long if she’d been allowed to be weak.” Jacobs raised a hand to rub over his jaw. “But you’ve got far too much eyesight for your health. I change what I can, when I can.” Which meant Jacobs’ C. O. didn’t see anything wrong with treating a woman like a prize bloodhound.

***** Jacobs headed down the steps and into the forest. Considering the trees, Brice followed him. Just what had grabbed Grace’s attention so much that she’d been willing to fight to get to it? The woman wanted answers. Maybe Jacobs didn’t agree with her using the energy to dig for them but she wasn’t a machine. The slightest signs marked the forest floor. Someone had been there recently, but that was most likely one of Jacobs’ men. That didn’t mean it wasn’t their shooter. Lifting his eyes, Brice found one of the rangers concealed in the rocks just a hundred yards ahead of him. His fingers flexed slightly as he committed the man’s face to memory. The man knew something. Brice didn’t have Grace’s psychic abilities but his gut told him not to turn his back.

***** Grace sat up almost the same second that her eyes opened. The predawn sky had yet to display the first rays of morning but the darkness was receding as she watched. She swung her feet to the floor, wincing a bit as her side ached from the sudden movement. Her boots were missing. Looking along the side of her bed once again, Grace ground her teeth together. Her boots were either on her feet or neatly lined up within arm’s reach. If they were missing, it was no mistake. But the black ankle band was strapped to her right foot. Grace glared at the thing as memories of Major Fredricks surfaced in her head. That C.O. had delighted in shackling her like an animal. Grace was was flat out sick of it. Everything. Her life was a cage and she was becoming more and more aware of the steel bars that imprisoned her. Padding through the silent house, she made her way out the back door. The night’s chill hit her bare arms but she welcomed the confirmation that she was no longer separated from the forest by manmade walls. But she was confined to the structure without her boots. Annoyance burned away the last of her slumber. There were few enough things she enjoyed. Being denied walking really made her mad. Yet there was something about the house that just breathed life. Grace actually found herself at ease within the structure. Running her hand over the doorway, she let her fingertips brush its smooth texture. While built of the most basic of materials, nothing was rustic. “I hope it meets with your approval.” Of course, she wasn’t alone. The second she moved the black monitor strapped to her ankle dully reported it to the base unit. But it was a surprise to see the black wristband on Brice. Her eyes wandered over him in blatant curiosity. Instead of the pristine picture he normally presented, his hair was tousled and his blue jeans rode rather low on his hips. Slightly rumpled, his unbuttoned shirt betrayed the fact that he had slept in it. There

was something very basic about waking this man from his sleep. Despite the fact that it had been an electronic device that had roused him, Grace found herself feeling very much like she’d disturbed him in his bed. Heat stung her cheeks as she moved her eyes back up to his face. “You built this house.” Watching her cheeks turn scarlet in response to him was one of the most erotic things that Brice had ever witnessed. As basic as Grace was, the telltale sign of arousal screamed for a response. She was intently examining his carpentry skills, trying to dismiss her own desire. Brice slowly moved his eyes over the curves displayed by her clothing. Brice frowned as he returned to her face to discover she was still engrossed with the doorframe. The woman’s discipline was frustrating the hell out of him. “That explains a lot.” “Why?” Looking back at him, Grace was relieved to discover that curiosity had replaced the predator in his eyes. She was grateful for the change but it didn’t come free. It was going to cost her an explanation. “Every corner has something of your personality in it. The need that drove you is still lingering.” Her statement was designed to expose him just as he was exposing her. The dangerous glint that crept into his eyes made her wish that she’d left the matter alone. The man that stood in front of her now was furious at having been unmasked. Forcing herself to hold his eyes she watched as the emotion surged across their depths. Slowly nodding his head, Brice returned her look. All right, he deserved that. Bringing a psychic into his house was inviting her to notice the ugliness that he’d used the labor to expel from his soul. “Some missions take a little more R and R to leave behind.” Grace nodded her head in understanding. The scars that some missions left had to be sterilized or they would leak poison for a lifetime. Lifting her hand from the doorframe, she moved it over the side of his face looking for the man that he had become. Each fingertip made itself felt. Brice stared in fascination as he felt her searching through his mind. It wasn’t an act of invasion. Instead they met each other someplace where words held little meaning. Reaching up, Grace touched her lips to his completing the intimacy. She had never felt as complete with any other soul as she did at that moment. Opening her eyes, she looked into the eyes of a man who very much considered her his prey. Dropping her defenses was being interpreted as surrender. Stepping back, she slid her walls into place. “Come back here.” He issued the words in a low rumble. Grace stared into eyes that were sharpening into a razor edge. The strange thing about it was, she like the sound of his command. Because her body liked the feel of his and her memory was crystal clear. His male scent drifted up to trigger sensations that raced across her skin. He shifted and lifted one huge

arm towards her with his palm turned up. “I shouldn’t have kissed you.” She shifted her feet nervously as her green eyes flicked back over his face. Hooking his thumb into his waistband, Brice moved his back to the doorframe behind him. Emotion was raging inside her. Arousal was an unruly demon and it was striking through her body. The color on her cheeks deepened. Moving his eyes over her he picked out the sharp points of her nipples as they thrust up beneath her shirt. “I didn’t mind. In fact, I’d like you to try it again.” “Such recklessness would bring nothing but grief.” That damn logic! Pushing away from the doorway, Brice stepped forward and wrapped his hand around the back of her head. Angling her face up, he glared into her eyes. “Some things happen whether you want them to or not.” Dropping his mouth onto hers, he applied gentle pressure to her startled lips. “Stop running, Grace, or I will chase you down.” Brice stepped aside as anger flashed across those emerald eyes.. Grace turned on her heel before she remembered she was barefoot. She whipped back around and glared at Brice. “Where are my boots?” His lips turned up and parted to flash a wide smile. “Right where I put them, next to my bed.” His hand opened up to reveal one of her hairpins. Brice held it steady between his thumb and first finger before he very deliberately tossed it over the porch railing. Grace sent her foot stomping onto the deck. Her heel screamed in protest because she was barefoot. Her teeth clamped together in rage. Of all the conceited male things to do! Putting her stoic “mask” back in place, Grace walked off the porch to retrieve her hairpin. But before she got very far, Brice grabbed her and firmly placed her back on the porch. The smile melted off his face as he gave a smug nod of his head. He turned back towards his house and disappeared through the doorway. Well, she would just go and retrieve her boots. That bedroom was exactly thirty feet away All she had to do was walk there. Grace found her feet stepping backwards instead. She couldn’t get that close to him right now. Not close enough to smell that warm male skin or she’d melt again. Her body was still trembling from his last kiss. If she walked into the lion’s den, she might as well take her clothes off now.

***** “When is your next historical event?” Brice tried to control the urge to jump. But there was still a tensing of his shoulders. Grace felt a smile creep across her face. It was about time she was the one causing the emotional responses. He snapped his head about and caught her in his stare. His lips pressed into a tight line before he lifted the corners of his mouth into a grin. “Fourth of July weekend. It’ll be twice the size.” Considering her next move, Grace crossed the patio and took up a seat. Both men sat engaged in cleaning their guns. Despite the fact that they had her fixed with their eyes, their hands continued to move confidently over the weapons. “I want to go.”

Jacobs gave her a hard look. “What are you working on, Gracie?” That was a good question. One Grace intended to find the answer to. It was something she wasn’t going to find roaming about Brice Campbell’s home. “Something familiar.” Brice raised a single finger at her. “You know, you’re a little too good at shutting out the rest of us humans.” Grace glared at him in response but Brice flung it right back at her. “Empathy is not that simple.” “Fine, try educating me a little.” Regarding her two critics, Grace searched both faces before replying. She’d spent the last week trying to let it go but the link persisted. “It defies logic. Emotions come in streams that can jump borders or change at the snap of a finger. Forcing it into a clear picture isn’t possible. It has to be endured before it can be understood. More importantly, I am not a clairvoyant-empathic. “ “So just what is up at Jennings Mill that has your attention?” Grace considered that question. The truth was she didn’t know. But the desire to find out was clawing away at her. “A piece of the puzzle is there. But I’m too far away to see it clearly. But I can feel it here. There are pieces floating around this house.” Considering the monitor fixed to her ankle, she lifted her stare to Jacobs. Understanding crossed his eyes before his jaw set into stubborn determination. Well, maybe it was time the man understood that he wasn’t the only person with determination. “Whatever it is, someone thinks it’s worth shooting me to protect. Personally, I’m in the mood to kick over their apple cart.” Pushing her feet beneath her, Grace turned on her heel after a final look at her C. Watching her leave, Jacobs had to force himself not to order her to stay. Just how to resolve their conflict was wearing a hole in his brain. “You’re being an ass, Jacobs.” “Just how do you figure that?” Brice lifted an eyebrow at Jacobs’ tone. The giant tipped his head and shook it with frustration. “You’re right, I am being an ass.” Lifting his gun back into his lap, Brice began a slow polishing of the barrel. He rather liked the idea of taking Grace back to the mill. If they were lucky, the bastard that had shot her would make another move. Then he would own him. A very unpleasant smile crossed his face. “Just who is that for?” “Whoever put that hole in her.” An equally unpleasant look crossed Jacobs’ face. The two men locked eyes as they shared a common rage. “Setting her up as bait could have deadly results.” Brice knew that. But the alternative was just too much more risky. “This problem will follow you back to base. You can only watch your back for so

long, Jacobs. Out here you’ve got friends to help you trap the rat.” That was something that could make all the difference. Brice considered the hard nod Jacobs sent him. “Just what did you have in mind?”

***** It was amazing how one simple action could bring such relief. Just two seconds and Jacobs had released the lock on her ankle band. Grace couldn’t control the smile that spread across her features as she watched the thing disappear into the man’s pocket. Maybe it was the easing of tension in their relationship but with the termination of her restraint, Grace felt her mind shift into sharp focus. It was the first time she had been able to do it since being shot. Grace simply walked out of the room. She wanted to get the feel of the porch to see if anything was still lingering from the day she had felt the anger aimed at her. She continued out onto the porch and stood at the rail. She could detect the image that was eluding her. It was here. The image was not very strong however. It was old and that meant that whoever had been here, they had not been back. The image was oddly familiar. Almost like a familiar scent that you couldn’t quite place. Jacobs stood in the kitchen watching Grace. He knew that look on her face. For whatever reason, she had recovered her clarity. He briefly considered giving her boots back but decided against the idea. She physically wasn’t up to the strain. Besides the boots were Brice’s little stunt. It wasn’t that Jacobs enjoyed hemming her in. Nothing was further from the truth. He enjoyed her tenacity. He also had a great deal of respect for her strength and stamina. He ’d never seen a female that was her equal. The problem was that Grace had been trained to ignore pain. She was in fact so good at it that she would run herself to exhaustion. As her commanding officer, he had to make the call on when she had had enough. Grace dropped to one knee and folded her hands over her upraised one. Everything was shifting off-center again. Pain and fatigue intruded, causing her focus to shatter. Her mind was willing but her body was weak. Disgust bloomed inside her. Setting her teeth, she forced herself to rise to her feet. At least the momentary glimpse confirmed that she was on the mend. Being able to shut her body out again would return her balance.

***** It had taken a week, but Grace was very good at waiting. And watching. Listening to the slight sounds of the house, she shifted out the sound of Brice lowering his body into one of the porch chairs. The scent of oil drifted in on the evening breeze. Brice Campbell would be working on his black powder gun for the better part of the next hour. She was completely aware of the man. Healing had a side effect. Her body was once again yearning for his. It was much harder to ignore now that she’d felt him inside of

her. Turning down the hallway, Grace considered the master bedroom. Her heart actually increased its rate before she even crossed the threshold. Pressing her lips together in annoyance she strode toward the dark room. Standing in the doorway, she could feel him everywhere. A delicate shudder moved over her skin. It was so very odd the way her body could feel him. Her eyes moved over the bed. He had never brought a woman here. No, only his scent lingered in the room. Grace straightened. Her boots caught her eye. Lined up neatly next to the bedside table. Only she didn’t sleep in this bed. Reaching forward she jerked them off the floor. Her boots didn’t belong here and neither did she. Walking slowly to the doorway she slipped out of the room. She had achieved her first goal. Now she had one more to go. She was going for a walk tonight Slipping out the window, Grace melted into the tree line. She stretched and pulled fresh air into her lungs. It felt so good to be free again. The night sounds fell on her ears and she took time to watch the stars. Her legs protested a bit at the pace she set but she didn’t slack it. Her body had weakened in the last month and she needed to build back that endurance. Training her body was normal and she desperately needed the plain, harsh reality of her life to intrude. Too many thoughts surrounded her. Too many emotions. Closing her eyes, she pulled the night air into her lungs. This was what she wanted the night and its blissful harmony. Her body rejected it. Her skin longed for the warmth of human touch. Her breasts lifted and the nipples tightened as the memory of Brice’s scent filled her. Turning back towards the house, her feet carried her forward. Yes, she needed to return but she also wanted to return. Separation seemed to be far too much to endure. Grace dropped to a knee at the edge of the light. Brice was still polishing his gun on the back porch. His hands were smooth and steady as he moved a polishing cloth over his sword. His eyes were trained onto the task with relaxed enjoyment Heat surfaced in her face as she watched him. Why Brice Campbell? Men looked her over regularly. A few even made the mistake of touching her. So why couldn’t her body dismiss his as easily? She had to find the cause,, because it was extremely unlikely she would ever set foot on Brice Campbell’s mountain again. Jacobs seemed willing to give her the weekend to poke around up at Jennings Mill, but Grace wasn’t fool enough to think it would go any further. Besides the true issue was Turvel. Jacobs’ C. O. had to be in agreement or they wouldn’t be going. Period. Grace pushed back to a standing position. She intended to find out just what was up at that mill. Striding forward, she walked right out of the darkness. Brice tensed as she appeared. He was half out of his chair before his eyes recognized her. Grace wasn’t a fool; if he’d been cleaning a modern rifle, she’d never have surprised him. But the opportunity to push Brice off-balance, even momentarily, was too tempting to resist. “Nice night for a hike.” He wanted her. The need was painfully sharp now. The way she moved was too certain, too full of strength. It doubled the need, sending his body into surging purpose. Maybe it was the image of her standing in his bedroom. Moving his eyes over her boots,

Brice’s eyes moved up her body and rested on the emerald intensity of her eyes. Maybe it was the fact that she was all too pleased with herself. Her head was high as she climbed the steps of his porch. Her tits moved with each step. Sweat darkened her hair and the long-sleeved blouse she’d worn. She didn’t need to be empathic to feel the aggression coming off him. Grace could feel it. Actually taste it. She let a grin show on her face as she marched past Brice. The man was too sure of himself and she would deny him She made it just one step into the hallway when his step landed right behind her. Grace spun on her heel only to find herself facing his shoulder. Brice bent down and swept her into his arms. He surged back to his full height so fast her head swam in response. A heavy hand landed a solid smack on her bottom before it settled into a tight grasp on her flesh. Rage exploded inside her, but her options were severely limited in the tight hallway. The second Brice cleared the next doorway, she pushed away from him and found her body airborne. She bounced in a tangle of limbs before realizing that it was the master bed that she’d been flung onto. It was his turn to smile now. Brice considered the picture Grace made in his bed. She rose to her knees as she contemplated just how to go about trying to kill him. Murderous rage was flashing green fire from her eyes. Pulling his gun from the waistband of his jeans, Brice set it onto the fireplace mantel. Maybe it was the fact that she worked with a giant, but Grace had somehow forgotten just how large a man Brice really was. He filled the room completely, forcing a sense of vulnerability to cross her body. Tossing a challenge down at his feet had been rash because the man in front of her was far too happy to accept. She kept her eyes glued to him waiting for his strike. Grace almost made it past his grasp. She dove under his reach but he flipped and caught her body while his own rolled back onto the surface of the bed. The mattress bounced under their tussle. His scent filled her head as he rolled completely over her. But he didn’t stop on top of her body this time. Instead he rolled onto his back and clamped his ankles around her own while his hands settled onto her bottom. Her face ended on top of his chest. Grace thrust her hands down and pushed away from him. With his hands firmly gripping her bottom, her back curled up giving barely a foot of separation. “The idea of having you in my bed has kept me awake every night you’ve been under my roof.” “It’s a very bad idea” Grace hissed her answer through gritted teeth. He smelled so good! And his body felt even better. Her fingers spread out over the wall of his chest as each one of her fingertips felt the pulse of life. Her breath escaped her lungs in a harsh gasp as her stomach clearly felt the rising proof of his passion. “Seems like a rather good one from my point of view.” Unhooking his ankles, Brice released his grip on her legs. She pulled her knees up and they slipped over the sides of his hips. A groan escaped his lips as he pressed his throbbing erection into the soft center of her body. What was he doing to her? Grace pushed away from his chest to find herself sitting atop his hips. The hard staff of his sex pressed against flesh that was suddenly begging

for more attention. Her clothes were too tight, too hot. She tugged at the collar of her shirt as the heat rose even higher. Brice pulled the garment over her head and threw it across the room. The air hit her skin and Grace simply enjoyed it. Brice aimed his eyes at her face before his hands very firmly unhooked her bra and sent it sailing away to join her top. Grace found herself feeling vulnerable in that first moment when his eyes dropped to her bare breasts. She wanted to please him and she’d never actually thought about whether or not her breasts were pretty. “You’ve got the most beautiful set of tits.” She was stunning. Sitting atop him like an Amazon. Her breasts were thrust high as she stretched out her neck displaying the slim column of tempting flesh. Sitting up Brice fastened his mouth to that ivory satin. His hands moved up her back as he pressed their bodies more firmly together. Oh God…everything was shattering! His lips were too hot, but she couldn’t ask him to stop. It felt so good, so right. Her fingers twisted into his shirt, popping buttons free as she searched for his skin. The rough hair brushed her fingers before she found the hard muscle of his chest. A deep rumble of approval came from him. Lowering her head she caught his stare. “Kiss me, Grace.” And she did. Slightly hesitant she bent forward to touch her mouth to his. Feather-light her lips moved over his searching for the right touch. His lips parted, as she became bolder. They weren’t close enough. She wanted to feel him, just him not the layers of denim and cotton that covered both of them. Her response shredded his remaining control. Cradling her neck, Brice rolled her body and pinned it beneath his. She shifted with indecision but settled her hand onto his arms. Reaching for one breast, Brice cupped it and rolled it in his grasp. A harsh gasp escaped her lips and he treated the opposite breast to the same sensation. Grace couldn’t think, and she didn’t want to. Brice bent his head and licked her nipple before he pulled the entire thing into his mouth. She arched with the sensation and heard her own little moan of pleasure. “Do you like that?” He knew she did and Grace struggled with her pride. Brice’s eyes were hard as he waited for her to voice her surrender. “You are so stubborn, Grace.” “I give as good as I get, Campbell.” Grace pushed up on her elbows and caught his nipple with her lips. His rough breath delighted her and she licked the puckered nub through his shirt before she sucked on it harder. Her fingers twisted the fabric until it parted to give her his bare skin. “This doesn’t have to be a battle, sweetheart.” Brice pushed her back onto her back and searched her eyes. He wouldn’t let her turn it into some shoving match. Grace refused to yield and she watched his eyes grow hard in response. He captured her wrists and pulled them above her head in a swift motion as he kneed her thighs apart. His free hand made quick work of opening her pants before he stripped them off her body; the thin plain panties she wore went next. He flung them across the room to join her top. Brice slipped his hand over her sex and gently squeezed. Her body shuddered with need and Grace struggled with her control. His hand

moved and parted her flesh as he found her most sensitive spot. Her body jerked away but he held her down as that finger began a slow circle. Sensation was sharp and merciless as it spiked through her body. “Does it make it easier this way?” Brice held his own desire in check. Brice increased the pressure on her clitoris and watched her skin reddens with passion. His touch was painfully sharp and Grace struggled against his hold, but her hips pushed up toward that hand. His finger pressed against her and then circled before it pressed again. Suddenly everything drew tight and pleasure spiked straight through her as Brice ground his hand over her sex. She collapsed back onto his bed and felt the sting of tears behind her eyes. Her wrists were free and Grace didn’t have the strength to move her arms. Instead she felt his hand cup her cheek as his breath brushed her lips. “I want to make love with you Grace.” His mouth covered her and thrust her denial back into her throat. Grace surged up but the solid strength of his chest kept her in place, as he demanded a response to his kiss. Grace surrendered that response because her body demanded it. She wanted him. Wanted more than he’d given her in such a one-sided pleasure. “You made your point Brice.” “Did I?” Her emerald eyes were cloudy with passion. Brice eased to his side and watched her adjust herself against him. She moved her slim fingers under his open shirt as she lifted her eyes towards his. “Yes.” Grace still didn’t have the words to express it. But she wanted his pleasure to mingle with hers. Her body seemed incomplete without his. Spreading her hands over his chest, she sighed with enjoyment. Moving down she boldly rubbed the bulge of his sex through his jeans. The bed shifted as Brice stood up to strip his pants off. Grace watched him with eyes that burned along his skin. She hadn’t come to him yet, but the details could wait. Right now she was stretched out in his bed. Her breasts were swollen and tight as she watched him bare his body to her. Grace stared at his sex. The heavy rod was swollen and stiff. Reaching forward, she slipped her hand around it. Brice sucked his breath in as she moved her hand up the length of the staff. It pulsed in her hand reminding her how it had throbbed deep inside her body. Brice’s eyes were harsh with arousal. She moved her hand again and watched his face draw tight. The bed shifted again as he rolled back to join her. His hands were firm but gentle as he pushed her onto her back. His fingers brushed over her healing wound as he watched her face for any sign of pain. Dipping his head, Brice licked a small pink nipple. She arched her back and he sucked it into his mouth. Her hips thrust up in a tiny movement along with her back. Brice covered her mons with a firm hand then slipped a finger into her wet sex. “Open for me, honey.” His staff throbbed against her leg and Grace obeyed as she moaned with anticipation. Her passage ached for his body to fill it. His finger slipped into her body as she spread herself for his possession. His body lifted and settled between her thighs. Brice held himself above her as the tip of his staff nudged the opening to her body.

Her hips thrust up seeking his possession. Brice pressed forward as he groaned with pure pleasure. She held his staff perfectly. Her hips tilted to ease his penetration as her nipples brushed against his chest. Her passage was flooded from her first climax. But she thrust up towards him eagerly seeking another orgasm. His body was so hard. Grace craved it and she pushed her hips towards his. They moved together in a dance that fed her cravings. Pleasure tightened around his staff again as she let him drive her towards climax. His thrusts were hard and heavy and she wanted more. “Look at me Grace.” His hips bucked with the command. His face was raw and devoid of civilization again. The brown probe of his eyes was hard as his sex. The jump and throb of his staff hit her body as she tightened around him to milk him dry. Pleasure split her apart as he ground his staff deeper into her body. His eyes watched her absorbing every last wave of sensation that coursed through her body. Brice rolled off her immediately. He brushed his hand over her wound and nodded with satisfaction. The stitches were dry. Gently rubbing her hip he eased any discomfort that might have resulted from their activity. Tipping her chin up, Brice considered her emerald eyes. She was slipping her mask back into place as he watched. “Grace.” His voice was a deep warning. The back door squeaked as it was opened. Heavy boots hit the floor, as the door closed. “Are you deaf, Campbell? You’ve got company knocking on your front door!” The back door slammed shut behind Jacobs as he walked back into the house. The sound of her C.O.’s voice hit Grace like a bucket of ice water. “Family has the worst sense of timing.” Brice rose from the bed and yanked his jeans up his legs. Stuffing his shirt into his jeans, Brice reached for his gun. He adjusted the jeans again as his body protested the confinement. Raising his eyes, he took in the panic rising in Grace’s face. The woman controlled her emotions so well it was almost like watching a transformation. The bed dipped as he leaned his weight across it. His hand firmly cupped her chin as he laid a soft kiss against her lips. “Stay right here.” “No… that’s a really bad idea.” Brice’s mouth opened her lips with firm demand before taking a deep taste of her. A heavy pounding sounded from the front room and a curse slipped out from under his breath. “I’m beginning to enjoy our conversations, honey. We can talk all night long. Right here.” Brice turned away to see to his company. Grace rolled off the bed and stared at the top of it. The neat corners were pulled free now. The top quilt rumpled and wrinkled. Oh God… what had she been doing? Every inch of her flesh was screaming. No, it was wailing, lamenting the loss of Brice’s touch. Backing away from the bed, Grace grabbed her clothes. Her body was weak. So weak she already wanted another taste of the man. She had to escape. Distance would be the only wall that would keep Brice Campbell at bay.

***** “Who’s behind that door?” Jacobs’ voice was stone cold, as he demanded information. “I told you, around here you have friends. I called a few of them over.” Jacobs cocked his head to the side as he digested that. “Why are they here?” “Every piece of this trap needs to be tight. We don’t have time to be guessing just which face to trust.” Understanding came instantly. Jacobs stepped back as he waited for Brice to open the door. The men that entered were muscular with razor sharp eyes. They committed his face to memory even as he did the same. The last man through the door gained complete approval from him. “Grant Campbell.” The sheriff of the neighboring county crossed into the room as he stuck his hand out in greeting. Jacobs shook his brother-in-law’s hand before sending a grin over to Brice. “Where’s the brat?” Grant Campbell lifted the corners of his mouth. Jacobs never referred to his sister as anything other than brat. But the man also took brotherly affection to the extreme. “At home, no doubt changing the locks on the doors because I wouldn’t bring her along.” “She knows I’m here?” The steel was back in Jacobs’ voice. Brice leveled a hard stare at the man. “You might recall that little chat Ms. Stewart had with you about the gossip chain around these parts. I’m surprised Sarah didn’t waltz into the hospital.” “You can thank me later. Sarah doesn’t like being kept away from her family.” Grant stated his opinion before he dropped his frame onto the sofa. “These are my men. The best. But most importantly they know the mill inch by inch.” That was a resource Jacobs didn’t have. He wasn’t fool enough to believe it didn’t matter. He needed people that knew the area. And he needed strangers. It would give them the edge. A lopsided grin split his face. “I think we should introduce them to Grace.” The shadow of the hallway hid her most effectively. The only occupant of the living room that noticed her was the large bloodhound one of the deputies had with him. The animal aimed its large eyes into the dark to study her. He lifted his nose and shook his head to pull her scent into the deep folds of skin that made up his face. The animal raised a foot to paw at its master as it let out a low-pitched whine. “What’s got you all excited?” The deputy in charge of the bloodhound ran a familiar hand over the animal’s fur but the dog wiggled away from the attention. He aimed his eyes back into the darkness before emitting a series of whines and yelps. “Rudy’s more excited than I’ve seen him in a long time.” Brice considered the hound. “Yep. You don’t have a bitch hiding out back there, do ya?”

Jacobs choked. Brice tried but the sound that came out of his chest sounded far too much like a laugh. Grace frowned. Damn males. They always thought themselves so very perceptive. She knew how to be a bitch. If Brice Campbell found the idea so amusing she just might have to crack his skull with the reality. “Good evening, gentlemen. I hope you’ll excuse my tardy arrival.” Grace strolled into the room with a smile plastered to her face. She fluttered her eyelashes just a bit as she looked over their company. Considering Brice’s cousin she turned her full attention onto Grant Campbell. “How is your wife?” Grant Campbell jumped to his feet while his hand made a quick pull at his hat. The other deputies followed their sheriff. Muffled greetings filled the room as the men tried to stare at her without their mouths dropping open. “What a fine animal.” “Oh, Rudy is. Thank you, ma’am.” Deputy Allen grinned like a schoolboy as she smiled at him. Grace opened her eyes a bit wider in innocence as she gave her attention to the young deputy. “You know anything about tracking hounds?” “I’m familiar with tracking.” Allen grinned again as he launched into a shining explanation of Rudy’s tracking abilities. Grace gave him a smile while she appeared to hang on his every word. Rudy did interest her. Allan gave the dog its leave and he ambled over to her giving her a thorough investigation with his nose before sitting at her feet. Grant’s other deputies were practically begging for the chance to gain her attention. Grace fluttered her lashes again before placing the final touch on her performance. “Could I offer any of you gentlemen a drink?” “Coffee would be great, ma’am.” “Very kind of you, ma’am.” “Thank you, ma’am.” Turning aroundGrace narrowed her eyes as she caught Brice staring at her. His brown eyes probed into her while his lips pressed into a thin line. “I’ll take a beer.” Her eyes lit up with amusement before she turned towards the kitchen. Jacobs sent her an annoyed look before adding his order to the list. “I’ll take two of those beers.” Grace slapped a hand over her mouth as a giggle escaped her. It was worth the effort of waiting on them just to see the look on Jacobs’ face. Smiling seemed to be endurable when the action annoyed Brice so very completely. Maybe she was just sick of being so very predictable. Scooping up the finished mugs of coffee, Grace considered her idea. Yes, that was exactly it. She had a belly full of everyone predicting her moves, anticipating her reactions, scoring her efficiency rate; compressing her life into a neat well-organized report that would be filed away in a plain manila folder. Moving back to the living room she plastered a smile across her face. Well, they could just add this to their findings.

Chapter Eight The sight of Jennings Mill should have caused her to tighten her defenses. Instead, Grace felt like every last drop of tension was bleeding away into the morning sunlight. Filling her lungs yet again, she held the fresh air a moment before letting it out. Grace shook her head at her own folly. There was camp to make. Moving around the back of Brice’s truck she hooked her hands into one of the many bundles that needed to be unloaded. Brice pulled it out of her arms. “No lifting for you.” Brice shouldered the load and walked over to their campsite. Fixing an annoyed look at the man’s back Grace turned and pulled a larger bundle from the truck bed. “That means you, Gracie.” Jacobs yanked her newest burden away. “I am not an invalid.” Neither man paid any attention to her rising frustration. Jacobs pulled a second load from the truck before he confidently carried both bundles down the trail. Grace whirled around to grab something else from the truck. Her fingers hooked into a stack of folded canvas when Brice’s hand made solid contact with her bottom. Plucking her up, Brice captured her wiggling body up to his for a moment before tossing her several paces from the back of his truck. Her skirts spun in a wide circle away from her legs as she turned to face him. Her eyes flashed green fire at him causing him to grin. “I catch you over here again and I’ll turn you over my knee.” Oh, and he’d enjoy it too. Grace glared at him before turning away. Brice Campbell was just far too attractive. Every time she caught sight of his eyes she wanted to sink into the brown pools. Just the way he moved his mouth was enough to bring color to her cheeks now. The low rumble of his amusement drifted on the wind and her cheeks flushed further. So much for tension relief. “Grace! I’m so glad you came.” Beth rounded the truck with her arms full. She aimed a bright smile at Grace as she came closer. “Come on let’s get over to the camp. I want one of the upper cooking fires this time and you have to stake a claim early on a holiday weekend.” “Need a hand?” “Oh could I ever? These cast iron pots are the worst!” Beth immediately handed off several large cooking pots. Delighted to have someone that didn’t intend to coddle her, Grace took Beth up on her offer immediately Beth was correct. Women were already laying claim to the better cooking spots. Beth surveyed what was available and led Grace in that direction. As the woman set about arranging the hearth to her satisfaction, she also made a careful point of not getting too close to Grace. Having people be nervous around her was normal, but watching Beth do so just seemed so very disappointing. The gossip chain must have delivered the news to Beth of just what Grace was.

Women especially avoided contact with her after finding out she was a psychic. Except for the few that wanted her to teach them how to cast spells. Disappointment hit her like a wave. She really liked the red-haired woman. Being tolerated for the sake of her attraction for Jacobs was a harsh blow. “Tell me the truth. Did I mess up by challenging Jacobs’ authority at the hospital?” Beth stopped her fussing and sent large blue eyes at Grace. “I know you know him. Some men can’t take it when a woman runs them in circles. It’s just my way sometimes. I just don’t want to make a fool out of myself.” Nervousness floated across her face but it wasn’t directed at Grace. Instead the woman aimed pleading eyes at her. Relief flooded her as Grace discovered Beth was worried that she’d stepped on Jacobs’ pride too hard. “It would depend on what you mean by the term, ‘mess up’.” ‘What do you think I mean?” Beth asked in exasperation. “If your intention was to wave a red flag in front of the bull, you hit the mark. If you don’t want Jacobs’ attention, I suggest you pack up now and move to another state.” “You really think so?” “You’d be surprised at the number of women who try the helpless approach with Jacobs just because of his size,” Grace explained as she took up her post at the chopping block again. “Brice has the same problem,” Beth commented and she started to arrange some meat into a large cast iron cooking pot. “With him being the sheriff and all. He really hates it. I imagine that’s why he likes you.” “Meaning what?” Grace asked. “Just that you must be one of the toughest women I’ve ever met. Half the men here are scared to death of you. Not Brice, he’s eating it up,” Beth informed her. “Now you’re teasing me,” Grace scoffed “I doubt there is anyone here who’s afraid of me.” “Believe what you like, but since retiring my dad runs the only feed store in the county, and I hear everything at that counter. One of the more colorful tales making the rounds is that you are having a wild time with both those men out at Brice’s place.” Grace choked on that one. Beth reached out to pat her on the back. “A little off the mark?” Beth asked her. “Extremely.” Something in Grace’s voice must have alerted Beth because she stopped what she was doing and stared at her face for a time. “You aren’t joking?” she stated. “You’ve got to be one tough lady if you kept all those guys you work with out of your pants.” Grace suddenly felt very exposed. She stopped chopping and laid the knife down. “Don’t get that way. Sometimes I could wish that I were still one. Seems sad that I wasted it on some guy that didn’t appreciate it. No, he just wanted to say he’d gotten the General’s daughter. It was never really about me.” Grace looked at the blue eyes. She’d never really thought about her virginity one way or the other. The girl in front of her found it a reason to respect her. Grace smiled as she picked her knife back up. “I believe you summed it up nicely at the medical center.”

“I did?” Grace raised a grin towards Beth. “Men are thick.” Beth giggled as she turned back to their dinner. “That they are, my friend.”

***** Grace sat eating with amazement a few hours later. How did Beth turn food into something that tasted this good? If she stuck around her, she was going to gain twenty pounds for sure She watched as the men who were present heaped compliments on her. Beth was enjoying the attention. Jacobs and Brice had sat down at a small table with some other men and were currently engaged in a card game of some sort. Giving Beth a hug, Grace set off for the tent and relief from her binding stays. People were arriving in droves now, and the path was crowded as they carried their belongings up to the camp. Crossing the battlefield she left them behind. The horse corrals came into view next and Grace noted that every single corral was full. Several makeshifts ones had also been erected to contain the number of animals that were present. Candle lanterns bled yellow light into the darkness. The conversation of the reenactors drifted along with the scent of pine on the wind. Someone was playing a fiddle, and the soft sounds of some love ballad filled the air. The strong sense of community was insistently pulling at her. Last month it had been easy to stay on the fringes and not allow herself to become too accustomed to the people here. Now it was very different. Right now, she wanted out of her corset How had women worn the things every day of their lives? She was getting much better at maneuvering the petticoats and skirt. She no longer needed to pull the things up when climbing the hills. There was a certain walk that a girl developed that just sent the fabric swishing out of the way of her feet. Grace crested the hill and looked down. It was pitch black tonight. Her eyes would adjust, but it might have been wise to have a lantern with her. Shrugging her shoulders, Grace made her way into the tent. If she needed light, she knew that there would be a flashlight in the tent. The flashlight was strictly against the rules, but telling Jacobs to not bring his camp gear was like expecting the tide to not come in. Besides, the dark didn’t bother Grace. It had been a source of solitude as long as she could remember. But she wasn’t alone tonight. At least she sincerely doubted that she was. Her lips twisted into a slight smile. Several men were clearly keeping an eye on her. The deputies she’d met at Brice’s floated about, but the others were just reenactors that seemed to think of her as a lady in need of their protection. That was almost comical. Great pains had been taken to ensure that she was as rough cut as any grunt. Yet there was just something about the way a man tipped his hat at a girl that made her want to hide some of those edges. Now she knew that the corset was indeed causing damage. It was cutting off enough blood flow to her brain to make her go soft. The slightest sign of feminine weakness would have the men of her unit attacking her like a wounded doe. Her gender alone was

considered inexcusable. The only hint of female grace she clung to was her refusal to let her language resemble a trash heap. Her corset was laced down on top of a petticoat. There was a thin chemise under the corset as well. Grace twisted her arms around to her back trying to work the knots of the lacing free. She frowned in frustration. Her first corset had laced at the back but also had a row of front hooks that the wearer could use to take the thing off with. This corset only had the back laces. Grace continued to pick at the knots but it was very possible she was making a bigger mess of them. She made a low sound of frustration. She really wanted out of the thing If she didn’t need it for tomorrow she would simply use Jacobs’ survival knife to cut the front of it open. But she did need it. Another groan issued from her throat. “Grace, do you need some help?” Grace jumped. That had come from right outside the tent door flap. The deep tones identified it as Brice. She hadn’t expected him to follow so quickly. He repeated his question when she didn’t reply. Grace contemplated the situation for a moment. She did need help. The pain was becoming distracting. Inviting Brice inside to help take her clothes off would not have been her first choice but he was her only option. Practicality won. “Yes, I do.” The tent flap moved as Brice ducked under the roof pole and stood up in the center of the tent where the ceiling was higher. She’d managed to effectively avoid him since they’d been interrupted. Stepping up closer he caught the unmistakable female scent she carried. “I’m stuck in this thing.” He nodded in understanding, but Brice didn’t care about the corset. His eyes were fastened onto the tempting display her breasts made as they swelled over the top edge of the garment. The thin cotton of her chemise barely covered their ivory surface. “Grace honey, that’s not a bad thing from my point of view.” The look on his face captured her complete attention. She suddenly felt beautiful because his face mirrored uncontrolled desire. She had caused that look to cross his face and Grace experienced a sudden surge of feminine power. Brice watched her eyes fill with pleasure and he grinned as well. Finally! She was finished running. Closing the distance between their bodies he lowered his mouth to the inviting cleavage her corset provided him. She sighed as he trailed soft kisses over the delicate flesh but her body jumped as he grasped her hips. “Grace?” “I think I’ve had enough of this corset for the day.” Brice used his large hand to turn her away from him. Grace dropped her hands in front of her. She felt him start to work at the knots. The close quarters of the tent made her aware of his body heat. Grace felt the answering emotions from her body. Her eyes closed with a mental groan as she felt that heat start to make its way up her torso. Her breath tangled inside her lungs again. His scent brought to mind every reckless urge that she’d had while lying in his bed. Her emotions surged against her hold on them. Seeping through cracks in the wall that Grace hadn’t noticed before. The

corset slackened and released its hold on her body. Grace couldn’t contain the sigh of relief that escaped her. “Was it putting pressure on the wound?” Brice asked softly from behind her. His arm slid around her waist to rub along her hip line where the bullet had hit her. “Umm.” Brice pulled his breath in sharply as she arched her back. Her shoulders came into contact with his chest and her breasts were thrust high. His eyes roamed over the soft flesh that was barely covered by her thin chemise. The light was dim but he clearly saw that the small nipples were beaded and hard under the fabric. Her chest rose and fell in rapid agitation. He pulled her body firmly into his. Slowly he lowered his head, gently pressing his lips to the soft curve of her neck. A slight tremor started to shake her. His mouth descended again to work its way along the column of her throat. His hand left off rubbing her flesh to slowly travel up her ribs to the soft mound of a breast. His thumb softly circled the beaded nipple as she arched herself offering the flesh up for his touch. Grace felt her last layer of control shred. Her body demanded more of his and she was not going to deny the request. Why had she never noticed how sensitive her breasts were? His warm hand almost burned her and the simple touch of that single finger was causing her nerve ending to pulse with a tempo that was both foreign, and deeply recognizable. Her hands traveled in back of her to find his strong thighs. Her fingers spread, gripping the muscles that were covered by his wool pants. Her touch caused fire to streak along his nerves. Releasing her breast, Brice turned her to face him firmly settling his mouth onto hers. She moaned softly but he controlled the impulse to brutally crush her lips. He moved her lips with his, tasting and sliding the smooth surfaces together. Grace followed his lead and moved her body closer to his. He jerked as she pressed her hips up against his aroused flesh. The first time she had felt his erect staff it had scared her. Now, she absorbed it as proof of her own attractiveness. She gloried in the fact that she aroused him. Boldness streaked along in her veins and Grace spread her hand over his hip. Spreading her fingers she trailed them until the pulsing staff of that erection was right under her palm. She curled her fingers around him and delighted in his harsh groan. Making him respond to her touch was addictive. His mouth schooled hers as passion burned her body. His hand returned to her breast as Grace felt his staff throb under her hand. She wanted so much more, but she suddenly thought about just where she was. Jacobs could come in at any moment. “Brice, we can’t do this.” The man growled, low and deep. The sound left no doubt in her mind that he wasn’t in the mood to be put off. “Why do you always say something that your body disagrees with?” His body bordered on the edge of violence. He watched her with hooded eyes waiting for any movement that would give him the excuse to yank her back into his embrace. “Jacobs sleeps here too.” Grace watched her words sink in. Brice shifted his eyes over the twin cots that were separated by less than four feet. A low curse slipped out of his mouth.

She was right. Damn! Brice considered her. While he held her, the walls she erected when they were apart began to crumble. The second they parted she ran for cover. He could see her slipping one of her masks into place. The passion wasn’t enough. He wanted all of her. Extending his hand he offered it palm up to her. “Come with me.” Her breath caught and her eyes went wide. Nervousness ran across her face but her hands locked firmly together. Brice tightened his resolve. She would come to him. Nothing else would do. Grace knew exactly what he wanted and she was in the mood to yield it to him. But she held back as the decision sat on her mind. This wasn’t a man that would be a casual lover. She would vanish like the morning mist in forty-eight hours. Wanting him was one thing, using him to fill the void inside her heart was wrong. Her own power over him made her stand in her place with her hands tightly clasped in front of her. Brice Campbell deserved better than one night of love. Grace would never chain such a man to her memory. Because she would be just a memory to him by next week. “I don’t give a damn who’s out there watching.” But maybe she still did. Brice clenched his jaw as he considered the firm set of her lips. Sneaking around her guard wasn’t enough, he wanted more. “When you get tired of letting everyone else run your life, you know where my tent is.” Brice shouldered his way under the tent flap before he said to hell with his pride. “I’ll be waiting for you Grace.” The words were more stunning than a blow. Grace stumbled under their weight. Her hand slapped over her mouth to hold back the cry that came out in response. Grace sank onto her cot pulling her legs up to her chest. Tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. She felt. She felt so much. Her walls lay in crumbled heaps and she simply felt relief. Grace considered everything that she had been formed into, yet she had still managed to become her own person. They could impress skills onto her body and mind, but she was still the person she was born to be. Life was just out there waiting for her, and Grace knew it was time to embrace it. Feeling meant hurting, but shutting it out had simply left her empty. She could tell him. Stand up and walk straight to his tent and let Brice decide if he wanted their relationship on display. Grace hugged her knees closer instead. Neither of them had enough willpower to walk away anymore. And she cared too much about Brice to risk letting him love her. It had to stop here because she had to leave him. The slight crunching sound of gravel alerted her to someone’s approach. The tent flap moved as Jacobs ducked into the tent. He flung his jacket down with barely controlled fury. It would appear she wasn’t the only one having a frustrating night. He turned in the darkness and studied her face for a time. Jacobs knelt in front of her cot, bringing him eye level with her. He sat absolutely motionless as he regarded her. Reaching out, he traced the wet tracks of her tears with his thumbs. She let him. He slowly shook his head as she let him stroke her face again. Fresh tears spilled and he caught them, and she let him. Reaching forward, Grace rubbed her hands along the sides of his face. The gesture had once been a sign of the caring friendship that she held for him, this man that shared

so much of her life. The touch that she reserved only for him had been this, simply to rub both hands along his jaw line for a moment or two. Grace couldn’t remember having done it in the last two years. She caught the tear that escaped the corner of his eye. Just one. The only one she had ever seen him shed. “Hi, Gracie,” he whispered in the dark, “I’ve missed you.” “I know,” she answered as she slid her hands up and over his. He captured them in his own. “I’m sorry.” Jacobs squeezed her hands a moment longer before he stood up. “See that it doesn’t happen again.” Grace watched Jacobs as he moved around the tent. Striping out of his uniform he folded and stacked everything away neatly. Using his coat as a pillow, he settled down on his cot in a pair of fatigue pants; no more ready for sleep than she herself was. Her own frustration was still gnawing away at her insides. After studying him for a time, Grace decided he was suffering from the male version of the same feelings. A slight laugh escaped her. Jacobs looked over at her, a question brimming in his eyes. “We are truly the most pathetic creatures on the planet,” she informed him. Jacobs watched her for a moment before his mouth turned up in a smile. Sometimes he forgot that she knew him just a little too well. “There are times I think about drinking and this is one of them.” Jacobs let out a laugh at that comment. Grace never drank alcohol. She prized her control too much to allow it to be undermined by something like drinking. Reaching into the folded coat pocket he produced a small metal flask that contained some very old, very smooth scotch. “Fine, you think about it and I’ll do it.” She laughed softly again as Jacobs raised the flask in a salute to her before he downed a swallow. She pressed her emotions down because this was the way it would be. Jacobs would follow orders and so would she. There simply wasn’t any other way for her to live her life. She was a psychic and Brice was a civilian. It was a barrier that could not be breached.

***** Dawn invaded the tent and Grace forced herself to rise. She had promised to help Beth with making breakfast and knew that the other women would be up with the sun. Jacobs looked like a large disgruntled bear. Grace didn’t bother him other than to have him lace her corset into place. As she left the tent, she heard him start to pull on his own outfit. There was the Saturday morning black powder safety class to attend. Grace stood for a moment breathing in the fresh morning air. The sun’s warmth was already chasing the chill of the night away. Movement caught her eye and she turned to see Brice standing in the corral with Cole. He was saddling the horse for the morning class. Grace watched him for a time. Her eyes soaked up the image of him. She knew she would carry it with her forever. He gave her a slightly pained expression causing her to stifle her giggles. Now she knew who had given the scotch to Jacobs. Grace hurried off to the Yankee camp to join Beth. A black powder explosion rent

the air and Grace couldn’t contain a giggle. The cannons exploded next and she laughed out loud. “What?” Beth demanded. Grace raised sparkling green eyes to Beth. “Jacobs was a little down last night. In fact he downed a little, scotch that is, last night.” Beth started to laugh. She laughed so hard she was holding her sides. “Jacobs just seemed so angry when he left last night. I thought he wasn’t interested,” Beth did a little verbal fishing. Grace didn’t say anything. What was there to say? Jacobs wanted to sleep with you but we’re out of here tomorrow at dawn? Better to let Beth think it just wasn’t working out. The more time that Beth spent with Grace, the more she was coming to the conclusion that she never made a habit of lying. If Grace didn’t want to answer a question, she simply didn’t. Grace didn’t try to hedge around a subject or to change one, she just didn’t say anything at all. So today, Grace didn’t have anything to say. A childhood spent in the Army told Beth everything she needed to know about that. Jacobs was Special Forces. She really should be grateful the man had walked away last night. Most of the Rangers she knew would have taken her to bed and then walked away. But that didn’t make her happy. No not a bit.

***** The last battle of the day was in process. Since the event was three days long, the women had not gone to the top of the field to watch. They would do that tomorrow. Grace stood at the cooking table. Sunday afternoon was half over. Beth had yet to put dinner over the fire and Grace was beginning to wonder why. She normally had something cooking at all times. Yet she had even let the fire die. “Come on, time to make our escape.” Grace gave the girl a questioning look. “What are we escaping from?” “It’s bathing day,” Beth continued to explain as she hurried Grace up the walkway and around the lower edge of the battlefield. Grace noticed that most of the women were following their example. “As soon as the battles finish, the men head for the lake. The rule is that we women folk have to be on the other side of the field or we get caught.” “You’re joking?” Grace just had to ask her friend. Beth shook her head in a negative gesture. “Women are second. The men get an hour then we get an hour.” Beth winked at her. “I hope you ate well at lunch, because the men cook on Sunday night.” “So what do we do if any of those guys stick around past their time?” Grace decided to ask. “No one’s tried it in some time, but if we catch them, we make them walk the gauntlet.” “Wait a minute. Out of all of these guys, no one tried to take a peek? And they have the first hour to pick out a good hiding place?”

“It’s an honor thing.” Oh right. It was a much better bet that not a single one of the woman knew a thing about tracking. They didn’t know where to look, so they never caught anyone. Grace herself could care less if someone wanted to go to the trouble of watching her bathe. Nudity wasn’t something that bothered her. Her living conditions just didn’t allow for an excess of modesty. Now, the concept of tracking down some egotistical males that was what Grace called entertainment “Grab your stuff, we only get an hour.” Grace hurried into her tent to grab up a few things. She emerged, and she and Beth started up the hill. After spending the last twenty-four hours cooking over a fire pit, the idea of being clean was very enticing. The women didn’t hesitate a second before they flung off their cumbersome dresses. Petticoats and corsets were dropped over any available rock. Shrieks sounded out as they jumped into the lake water. Pulling the pins from her hair Grace unbraided it before she dove into the water. Bathing itself was quick and efficient. Grace just didn’t know how to linger over the process. Climbing up onto a rock she pulled a brush through her hair. Even wet she twisted it into a braid and began pinning it back to the top of her head. “What are you watching?” Beth seemed truly curious. Grace considered the answer to be obvious, “Peeping Toms.” “No way.” The red-haired girl stared at the opposite shore. “Clear as day,” Grace aimed a pointed look at her friend. “They’re pathetic at camouflaging.” “Show us, Grace, we haven’t caught anyone in a long time.” Grace looked at her friend and caught her smile. She gave Beth a slight nod of approval. “Stay here. Be ready to catch them.” The women gleefully agreed before Grace melted into the forest. She decided to target a spot where she had noticed three men all sitting together. As soon as she disturbed one group the others would flee. Grace was curious just what the women planned to do with their prisoners. Circling around the men’s position, Grace smiled. They had made the mistake of choosing an area that was steep and only about ten feet from the lake itself. They also were far too involved with watching the women below them to bother to make sure their position was secure. Grace stood three paces behind them and they never even looked up. Pathetic really, they were even downwind of her. “Anything interesting, guys?” All three surged to their feet in surprise. They couldn’t keep their footing on the incline, and two of them tumbled right down the hill landing at the shallow edge of the lake. The third managed to halt his slide and turned to face Grace. She took in his astonished expression before pulling her skirt out of the way, planting her foot in the young man’s midsection and sending him tumbling down to join his friends. The women swarmed forward capturing the young men, laughing and squealing in their excitement.

Brice looked up as he heard the commotion from the field. He and Jacobs climbed the rise and watched as what looked to be every woman from both camps swarm onto the field. Brice couldn’t contain his laughter. “Looks like a little afternoon entertainment.” “What do you mean?” Brice angled a smile at Jacobs before looking back to the field. “Any man caught watching is their prisoner. But they haven’t caught anyone in years.” “Want to take a wild guess as to who might be responsible for that little change?” Jacobs asked with dry humor. Brice slid Jacobs a look, laughing low in his throat. “Not much gets past her.” “Nope,” Jacobs agreed. The women formed two long lines that stretched down the field. A number of them had their “prisoners” held at the top of the line. Grace watched in amusement as young and old, every single woman at the event came running. They were holding brooms and riding crops and carpet beaters. Jacobs couldn’t stop laughing as the three offenders were sent down the center of the women. The women delighted in swinging their brooms and other weapons. The men hastened to get to the other end of the line, but as soon as the last man reached it the women broke ranks to chase them down the hill. “That’s just plain harsh.” “Makes me glad I never got caught,” Brice informed him. The two men slowly made their way onto the field. The women were busy celebrating and Beth and Grace were at the center of it. Grace started to make her way out of the crowd. The women’s enthusiasm had been very amusing to watch. If she ever got out to another of these events she was going to catch a few more of those young men just for the entertainment value. Little girls frisked about playing tag, using the women’s skirts to hide behind in their game. Grace found it charming as one of the children grabbed her legs and hid among her skirts. Grace stood still waiting for the child to move on. “London Bridge!” the child demanded. Grace had no idea what the girl was referring to. Beth knew and raised her arms out in front of her body. Following her example they grasped hands forming a “bridge” for the child to go under. A parade of others followed and Grace found herself in the center of the game. The little girls chanted while running around Beth and Grace for a short time. Their attention was soon caught by something else, their song continued as they paraded away. A last child with dark hair ran under the bridge but stopped and dove under Grace’s skirts. Her small hands grasped Graces legs. Grace’s body bolted as visions exploded in her mind. The electric shock was powerful and Grace strove to bring it to focus. Beth felt it through their joined hands. It was so painful for the other woman that it tossed her body back several paces before she landed on her backside in the dirt. Beth’s mind had barely registered the fact that she was sprawled in the dirt before her body was literally plucked from the ground. She couldn’t seem to draw breath and her hands clutched at the solid wall of flesh that she found herself against.

Dropping to her knees in front of the little girl, Grace firmly attempted to bring their contact into focus. It was the second child. The dark-haired little girl sat in front of Grace smiling at the attention she was receiving. Grace forced a smile onto her face to keep the little girl from becoming alarmed. Every detail was correct. Grace had felt the child while holding that blanket and there was no doubt that this was indeed she. Grace’s eyes ran the length of the child. She was dressed in a baggy calico blue dress. There was a small apron tied around her waist. A small blanket was tucked through the waistband of the apron. Grace reached out gently touching it. “Is that your new blanket?” The child nodded and pulled the corner of it up rubbing her face into the fabric. She grabbed Grace around the neck and pressed a wet kiss onto her cheek before running off to find the other girls. Grace pushed herself to her feet and began to walk. She didn’t spare a thought for anyone else because she would lose the link she had gained from the child’s touch. Grace wanted to explore that link but she had to get off of the field first. The vision was demanding her complete attention and she fought to keep it at bay long enough to get to her tent. Grace made it by sure force of will alone. One step inside the canvas walls, she fell to her knees allowing the void to surround her. Jacobs stood holding Beth. He was torn between the need to follow Grace and watch Beth. Brice had told him to stay with Beth and Jacobs reluctantly relinquished his duty to the sheriff. If it had been anyone else, he would have turned her over to one of the people nearby. He just couldn’t do it with Beth. It wasn’t very often that someone made the mistake of touching Grace while she was working but the few times it had happened Jacobs had seen this very same thing. He had even felt it once. It hurt like hell too. Beth was trying to draw breath into her lungs. Her body was lax from lack of oxygen. “Loosen her corset!” someone commanded him. Jacobs thought that was a good idea. He supported Beth with one arm and pulled her blouse apart with the other. Fortunately her corset had front hooks and he pulled at them until they sprang apart. He spared a brief look for the sweet flesh that was exposed before pulling her blouse to cover her again. She succeeded in filling her lungs and her blue eyes popped open as hands gripped at his arms. Her chest rose and fell in a frantic pace as she tried to regain her equilibrium. Beth slowly regained her bearings. Her eyes fixed on the man that held her. Why was Jacobs looking at her like that? Memory flooded her and she looked around for Grace. Grace was nowhere to be seen but there were a number of women and some men circled about her and Jacobs. Beth realized that her feet weren’t even on the ground but hung some inches above it. She was quite literally being held over Jacobs’ arm and it wasn’t even making the man strain. Instead he watched her with those hazel eyes of his. He slowly gave her a lopsided grin. Beth became aware of several facts. One her head was pounding Two, she was being pressed to Jacobs’ all too sexy male body. Three, her corset was open, which meant she was bare-chested with only a thin cotton calico shirt between them. Her face turned beet red. She expected Jacobs to put her on her feet instead he looped an arm under her legs and carried her off on those long legs of his. Jacobs didn’t stop until he stood in front of his tent. He had intended to put Beth there but Brice was standing in front of the tent and inclined his head to indicate that Grace was inside. Jacobs stood for a moment undecided as to his next course of action.

“Put me down!” Jacobs disregarded that demand completely. Beth looked fine right at the moment but he knew from experience that she could get cold very quickly. The strain that one of Grace’s visions put on a person’s body was amazing. He had no intention of letting her out of his sight. Brice settled the dilemma by striding over to his own tent and returning with a folding canvas chair. He placed it in the shade and Jacobs sat Beth into it. She immediately began to rise but Jacobs set her back down with one large hand placed firmly on the center of her chest. “Stay right there.” Major or no major, she was not going to be ordered about. “I will not!” Rising to her feet, Beth tilted her head back in stubborn defiance. Instead of Jacobs’ narrowed eyes, blackness crowded her vision. Sucking her breath in, she tried to defeat the wave of dizziness that assaulted her next. Her vision returned, but with nothing more than a kaleidoscope of swirling colors. “Sit down, honey.” His second command floated over her ears with its gentle tone. Beth really had no choice, her body collapsed back into the chair as she fought to keep her eyes open.

***** The sun was setting with a brilliant show of crimson and gold. For once, Grace stood completely oblivious to the natural splendor that surrounded her. She had been expected. Paige Heeley was nothing but bait. Set neatly in a trap that Grace walked straight into. Some of the pieces were fitting together. Others were still mismatched. Where did the second child fit in? That blanket had been placed in that cabin for Grace to find. Could the entire reason have been to keep her interested in staying in Benton County? So why did someone put a hole in her last month? It could have been to keep her from discovering the little girl during that final battle. That seemed almost too simple. After all, Grace could have run across the child during the rest of the event. Unless the child was attached to the lower camp and whoever was running this show knew Sunday afternoons was the one time all the women got together. Whoever it was, they had a personal hatred for her. A rage that was strong enough for her to detect even after the person expressing it was gone. Only when her mind was completely open did she fall into acting on that sort of emotion. It was a side effect. One she went to great lengths to control. Whoever was here, they absolutely hated her. She stopped in her tracks. There was too much evidence here but not enough facts. Now she had her second child, yet no clear reason for either kidnapping. Once Jacobs considered those facts, they would be leaving. The certainty of that separation was as clear as dawn. Grace looked at the night sky. The last hours of her time in Benton County were ticking away. Once Turvel got wind of this, she doubted she’d see a civilian case in the next decade. Certainty was closing around her like a cage. Grace could almost see the steel bars

in front of her eyes. Swinging around, she looked across the field to where Brice stood. Jacobs was nowhere in sight but it was plain that the sheriff was on duty. Watching her. Just like there was always someone watching her. But tonight it was Brice. Not some impersonal solider that would complete his duty round before gratefully turning the chore over to another. Brice was here because he was waiting for her. The very idea of him stepping into the routine of her life angered her. She liked Brice’s disruptions far better. Because he was right. Too many people told her what to do, what to feel, what to be. Always telling her to suppress her feelings. Contain her yearnings. Perform to their specifications. Well not tonight! Spinning on her heel she set her legs moving towards her goal. The breeze carried his scent and she filled her lungs with it. He smelled like a man. Strong, determined and very aggressive, set her blood speeding through her veins. She was coming to him. Brice could actually feel it. The clear purpose communicated itself through her walk. His shoulders tightened as victory surged along his skin. Having her in his bed had been intense. Watching her come to him was staggering. Her hand was already lifting towards him, as she got close enough to touch. Snaking his hand out, Brice captured it. His grip was solid steel. His fingers locked around her hand as he turned and pulled her after him. Her feet scurried to keep up, the ruffle of her petticoat flipping away from her ankles in the effort. All she saw was his set shoulders. He doubled his pace and she scrambled to keep up. Her foot landed on one of the many layers of her skirt and she tripped. Brice almost didn’t turn around. The sharp tug on their joined hands had too much possibility of being the evidence of a change of mind. Instead of a look of confusion, all Brice caught was the top of her head as she used her free hand to yank a handful of her skirt away from her feet. Dropping her hand, Brice scooped her off her feet. Her body settled against his chest and she sighed. There was just something so very complete about being in contact with his body. Brice shouldered his way into his tent. His mouth collided with hers in the same instant. Hunger drove him as he let her legs slide down while his hands settled in firm possession on her hips. The layers of historical garments were almost endless. Her skin screamed for freedom from their confining hold. Brice’s fingers pulled and tugged until the dress lay in a tangled heap around her knees. Pulling her off her feet again, he lifted her away from the mess. But the wool of his jacket frustrated her. Grace sent her fingers to attack the unwanted garment. The ropes that held his mattress in its frame creaked as he rolled onto his bed. Pulling Grace along with him, Brice groaned in sheer pleasure. Their bodies merged in complete freedom. Grace slid her hands into the mat of hair that covered his chest even as she lifted her mouth for another taste of his. “Wait.” ”Grace… ” His tone was dangerous. Grace laid her hand across his firm mouth. “You forgot something you promised me.” He propped an elbow beneath him while his body made a barrier between her and

the tent door. Grace almost smiled; his hand formed a claw as it pulled at the sheet. The raw force released on his face caused her belly to tighten. The curl of passion quickly rose upward inflaming every inch of her flesh. Rising up on her knees, she pulled the pins from her hair. But she didn’t hurry. Instead Grace watched his face as she surrendered to his whims. She would carry the memory for a lifetime, maybe even beyond. Her breasts thrust forward as her hands worked. Brice stared at the rosy nipples before dropping to the firm thighs she knelt on. Her body was sculpted to perfection. The thick rope of her braid dropped over her shoulder and he watched as she combed her fingers through the strands to free them. “You made me a promise.” Her words were whisper soft as she swung the curtain of her hair behind her. She settled back on her knees and leveled her emerald eyes at his face. “Is this what you wanted?” The way he arose from the bed made her wary. A slight tremor shook her body. There was an infinite amount of strength contained inside the man. Her body was frail in comparison. His hand searched along her head before it pulled gently down the length of her hair. Her eyes slid closed, as sensation renewed its grip on her. “Yes.” His voice was rough and edged with arrogance. Moving back to her head, Brice twisted the silk around his fist before pulling her back against his body. Capturing her hips, he rolled her completely beneath him and groaned in pure satisfaction. Her thighs parted at his demand as her hands clung to him in trust. Brice pulled his mouth from hers to watch those eyes of hers again. He gently crushed her breast causing fire to flash across her eyes. She wanted him. No. She demanded him. Brice almost exploded with that knowledge. He lowered his head to draw a beaded nipple into his mouth. Her flesh was sweet and he sucked harder on the sensitive point. She arched her back offering it to him. It was unbelievable how good that felt to her. Grace was dancing in the candle’s flame as his mouth seared a path along her breast to its twin. His hand traveled down her abdomen and slowly made its way into the notch of her thighs. Pleasure spiked her body again as he sought out the sensitive flesh that lay hidden there. The weight of his body returned trapping her beneath him in clear purpose. His fingers drove into the folds of her sex and rubbed along her center until they found her clitoris again. This time, she relaxed as pleasure coursed through her body in waves. His fingers moved and one thrust into her body with firm pressure. Grace gasped as she clenched in sensation. Brice thrust that finger back into her and rubbed against her aching breasts as he did it. Her eyes slipped shut as he continued the motion and sucked one nipple into his mouth. “Brice, I can’t stand this.” “Yes, you can.” Brice watched her face as desire drew it tight. “Come for me.” Her hips thrust upwards as Brice thrust two of his fingers into her sheath. The moan she let out was low and deep. He’d watched her the whole time. Grace studied his eyes and the arrogant pleasure reflected from them. That emotion made her bold. His erect penis was throbbing against

her thigh and she simply raised the leg. This time his face tightened and she lowered her leg to watch his jaw clench. A solid shove on his shoulder pushed the man back but Grace knew he allowed it. Maybe that made it more exciting. She swung the curtain of her hair across his body in a slow gesture that made his breathing harsh. “I believe it’s my turn.” His eyes closed to mere slits and Grace smiled. Setting her hand onto his thigh she trailed her fingers along his inner leg and watched his sex jump. She wrapped a hand over it and felt that throbbing travel all the way up her arm. His eyes slipped all the way closed and Grace smiled with pure mischief. Brice jerked his eyes back open as she closed her lips around his staff. Her tongue immediately stroked his length as she pulled more of him into her mouth. “Jesus Christ, Grace!” Brice pulled her back by her hair and pinned her to the bed. A naughty smile raised her lips and he roughly kissed her. Tonight, he wanted her completely. She took his weight and cradled him with her thighs. No hesitation crossed her eyes; instead she tipped her hips up to ease his penetration. She surrendered more gracefully than anyone ever could have. His staff parted her sex and Grace found trust the only thing she needed to hold onto. She didn’t want him to be controlled. Raising her hips she forced more of him inside her. He gasped and pulled back before giving in to his urge to bury himself inside her. Grace absorbed him as he impaled her body. Brice rode the tempest with her. Both abandoned their separate identities to grasp each other, as the tide of emotion swept them along in its current. Emotion quickly crested and Grace found herself clinging to him in intimacy. She didn’t want to the feelings to end. She wanted this feeling of completeness, of rightness. Grace took in the strong brown eyes that watched her. Watching as those fiery emeralds filled with pleasure had to be the most erotic thing that he’d ever seen. She was watching him and he let her see his own satisfaction.

Chapter Nine “Are you cold?” “Not yet.” Brice’s body was intensely warm. “Then why are you shaking?” “It’s normal.” The woman was about as normal as a hurricane hitting Benton County. The shivers increased in strength as she moved closer to his body in search of heat. “Grace, explain what’s happening here.” Forcing her eyelids to open, Grace stared at Brice. Even in the dark, she could tell his face was set into a deep frown. “When I work, I get tired. Linking with a vision takes complete focus. It drains me.” “You mean it sends you into shock.”

“Hmm. It’s not so bad tonight. No tracking this time, so… I’ll be up… tomorrow. But I can’t pay up.” “What do you mean?” Grace lifted her head and forced her eyes to focus. “You took my bet, but I don’t have any money. I’ve never had any money.” Her head dropped onto his chest. A tiny sigh escaped her before her respiration grew slow and even. But her body shook with increasing tremors. The skin on her back lost its heat quickly to the night air. Pulling both their bodies from the bed, Brice settled her back beneath the covers. Pulling her back into the curve of his body, Brice used his own heat to still the tremors. They eased slowly until she lay sleeping contently against him. Her scent was thick in the tent and Brice found himself breathing it deeply into his body. He resigned himself to letting her rest. The facts of their lives where sitting heavily on his mind. If her focus was returning, he doubted she’d remain in Benton County much longer. The type of unit that Jacobs ran was specially trained in the art of disappearing. Brice had no idea what to do to prevent it from happening.

***** Jacobs lifted his hand to rub it over his jaw. It was just after midnight and he hadn’t slept a wink. Beth was draped half over his body in nothing more than a couple of pieces of thin Victorian underwear. Jacobs smiled. She looked damn good in it too. The woman was wearing an actual pair of bloomers and he liked them. He’d tossed her corset over Grace’s cot before taking advantage of the seer silk her chemise was made out of. The dark coral of her nipple showed right through the loose garment. A frown crossed his face. She had been so cold when he’d stripped her down. It’d scared the hell out of him. He’d watched the same thing happen to Grace hundreds of times. He’d been concerned. Maybe even a little worried a time or two. Nothing like tonight with Beth. Ice-cold dread had gripped his gut. The reason was clear. Grace was tough as nails. He’d long ago learned to respect the fact that she would survive at all costs. Beth was another matter. His hazel eyes ran over her face for a moment. She was a woman, soft and curvy and full of life. She wasn’t weak by any means, but she wasn’t a trained soldier like Grace was. Slowly running his hand along the side of her head, he smiled. She had warmed up. She was sleeping soundly now with her head pillowed right in the middle of his chest. His body was reacting all too strongly to her and he knew he wasn’t going to get a lot of sleep tonight. He found that he didn’t mind. He’d never spent the entire night with a woman before. Well, other than Grace and that was very different. Grace sure as hell didn’t stir up his emotions the way Beth was doing at the moment. Beth stirred and sighed as she shifted her body closer to his. He couldn’t contain a low growl as her knee nudged his erection. One of her hands was slowly roaming over his chest as she made some of the sexiest little sounds. He kept his eyes on her face. If she made the mistake of opening those beautiful blue eyes of hers, he wasn’t going to

give her much of a chance to get out of his bed. Beth sighed again and moved her hand over Jacobs’ arm. She wasn’t asleep. Hadn’t been for the last fifteen minutes or so. Lord, the man was built! She wasn’t exactly sure just how she had gotten into bed with him, but she had no intention of wasting the opportunity. Beth had never been so bold in her life. Jacobs just seemed to bring it out in her. She just couldn’t seem to get enough of the man. Maybe it was because he was so big. It wasn’t often she got to feel small next to a man. Beth knew it was more than that. She loved that lopsided grin that he had. She also liked the way he ran his eyes over her body. It made her feel pretty. Beth wasn’t foolish. She knew that Jacobs and Grace led a somewhat uncertain life. She also knew it was risky of her, but she couldn’t bear to not embrace every second she had with this man. If that decision meant she was headed for a broken heart tomorrow, well, she intended to enjoy today as much as possible. Beth slowly moved her body again. This time she rubbed her breasts gently against his chest. Her hand moved back across his chest and dug into the thick muscle she found there. His hand suddenly slapped the cheek of her bottom firmly gripping the flesh. Beth softly laughed and opened her eyes to stare into his hazel ones. He released her bottom and then gripped it again. “How long have you been awake?” Jacobs softly demanded. A naughty little smile was the only answer Beth gave him. She moved her hand down and across his tight abdomen. She started to move her leg again but the hand that gripped her bottom tightened firmly pressing her hips to his thigh. She felt positively decadent. Yes, Jacobs brought out a level of boldness that she hadn’t known she even possessed. At the moment it was very exciting. Beth still had her head pillowed on his chest. His heart was beating at an accelerated pace. She wasn’t the only one that found her actions exciting. Her hand continued to roam. She felt the slightest tensing of his body before he surged up, rolling her onto her back. He accomplished it with amazing ease, Beth found herself completely trapped beneath his body. Even her roaming hand was secured to the surface of the cot. Jacobs held himself under tight control. She was the most arousing thing he’d ever seen. He had her on her back with that hair of hers spread out on the pillow. His fingers slowly twisted some of it around his hand. She wasn’t frightened of him, most women would be. Bringing his knee up, he gently pressed it into the soft flesh between her thighs. Her breath caught, before her eyes fused with his. “If you want to leave Beth, this is your chance.” He whispered that in a deep tone that had Beth shaking as passion started to burn along her body. She didn’t trust her voice to speak, so she simply shook her head while she gave him another little smile. Jacobs watched that little smile cross her face and he gave her one in return before releasing the control he held over his body. Desire shot up his body slamming into his brain with full force. Beth must have seen the fierceness of it reflected on his face because her smile faded and she hesitated for a moment. She was trying to pull her hand free and he released it. She gripped the side of his head pulling him down as she raised her own head off the pillow to bring their mouths together.

Beth found herself pressed back onto the pillow as Jacobs opened her mouth, demanding complete possession. With shocking clarity Beth realized just how controlled he had been the other night when he had kissed her. He wasn’t hurtful, but he was fierce. He sought to master her completely. Beth was fierce in return. She had never felt like this before and she threw herself into the tide of emotions. Tomorrow was an eternity away. Grace awoke just before dawn. Her mind was clear. So was her memory. Brice was curled up along her back. The most amazing emotion hit her as she felt him so close after he had managed to physically achieve his goal. The emotion was almost cherished? That tender emotion disturbed her. In fact, Grace was discovering a very strong sense of togetherness this morning that was very emotionally binding. She’d known it would happen but she didn’t realize quite how strong it would be and she wasn’t sorry. No, he hadn’t given the pleasure to her; he had shared it with her. Maybe she was physically new to this emotion but the idea of binding affection was very familiar to Grace. She had felt it while searching for people for years. It was, however, the first time she had felt it within herself. The disturbing thought of being parted from Brice reminded Grace of the conclusions she had come to the evening before. She needed to fill Jacobs in on the facts. It was very possible that he would decide to pull out of the county. As much as that pained her, Grace had to be logical. If someone had gone to this much trouble to keep her busy, then they would not be above hurting anyone who got in their way. Grace felt a twist of fear. Brice was the sheriff of Benton County. Any kind of disturbance would see him in the middle of it. She was not willing to risk his life. That admission brought a slight sense of panic. Brice was not helpless. In fact he was one of the most capable men she had ever met. Grace simply found the idea of him being hurt very disturbing. “Grace, has anyone ever told you that you think too much?” Grace found herself turned onto her back and a very naked, very handsome man was pinning her to the bed beneath him. Those steady brown eyes gripped her, refusing to let her think any longer. The first faint rays of light were just beginning to fall on the front of the tent as she looked at the face of the man above her. Yes, she did care for this man. She must never let him know it. Grace slowly slid a wall up to keep him from reading her eyes. “Too late, sweetheart.” Brice held her steady as she tried to break out of his embrace. Her eyes flashed at him but he simply gave her a steady look back. She twisted again and he pinned her down by rolling between her legs. Pushing his staff into her, Brice watched her eyes register his possession. His hands gripped her head refusing to allow her to break the eye contact. He wanted her to say it. Brice had seen it in her eyes, now he wanted the words. “You came to me, Grace. It’s not a two-way door.” He stopped moving and held her impaled on his staff. It tortured her with prolonged sensation that wouldn’t be satisfied. Instead, all that Grace felt was the

throbbing of his penis, hard and deep inside her body. “We are finished fighting, Grace.” His hips moved and thrust into her. Grace moaned with rapture and pushed her hips up for his possession. But he stopped again and she groaned with frustration. “Tell me to finish.” It was an arrogant command. Grace glared at his hard eyes and struggled against her pride. He thrust again and held her down while the demand sat between them. But he was right; there wasn’t any place for fighting between them. So she forced her body to relax and let her face soften as the feel of his penis captured her complete attention. “I want you, Brice.” And she did. Any concession was enough. Brice thrust his hips with growing speed as she kept time with him. “Slow down, Brice, if you can that is.” Her thighs gripped him as her voice turned softly mocking. Sweat bead on his brow as she neatly turned the tables on him. She set the rhythm and kept it slow as she watched his jaw clench tighter and tighter. “If you want to play lover, I’m going to kick your ass.” She bucked under him and took his penis all the way to the root. Her passage clenched as she climaxed and his penis exploded into her depths. Grace balanced on the edge of sanity as the vortex engulfed them both. It was searing and draining and she rode out the tide of feeling. When it was over, Brice gently lifted her face to study the green eyes. She looked back at him and let him see the uncertainty she was feeling. Well, he was a little uncertain too. But what they had shared went beyond passion or sex. It entered into that world where soul mates met and merged for life. Having found each other, the void would never be filled but by each other. “I don’t want to leave.” It was the truth, as desolate and trapped as it made her feel. Precious minutes remained, and Grace turned to Brice wanting to make them last long enough to fill a lifetime.

***** The sun had been up a good hour before Beth forced herself to get up. She got to her feet groaning slightly. “Sore?” Beth couldn’t meet his eyes. By the feel of her face it had to be beet red. She had no clue what had gotten into her last night but she had never been such a brazen hussy before in her life. Jacobs must think she was insatiable. Beth had lost count of the number of times they made love. A large hand gripped hers turning Beth around. Her eyes ran over the slight grin that was sitting on Jacobs’ face and Beth knew exactly what had gotten into her. Love. She was in deep this time. Beth lifted her chin and gave Jacobs a smile. She was twenty-eight years old. If she wanted to spend the night with a man, well. she guessed she was old enough to make the choice. While the bright light of day might be making her blush, she couldn’t say that she regretted her decision.

Beth gave Jacobs another smile before she set about finding her clothes. She found her shirt, but nothing else. Memory was returning and she had a dim one of Jacobs undressing her. She had been freezing for some reason. Jacobs was enjoying watching Beth look around for her clothes. Right up to when she found them and started to put them on. The sun was up and she had a point. Besides, he needed to check on Grace. He was simply loath to end his time with Beth. He sat up and stretched, and smiled as her eyes returned to his body. “Sure you want to get up?” “You want breakfast?” she countered. “Yes. ma’am.” Beth had gotten her clothes back on and she started to leave but stopped herself. She needed to thank him for taking care of her yesterday. She hadn’t been the most agreeable of patients. Beth realized that if Jacobs had let her leave then she could have collapsed and ended up in the hospital or worse, been alone when it happened. She knew he couldn’t discuss what had really happened between her and Grace, but it didn’t change the fact that he had taken care of her when he could have left her in someone else’s care. Turning around, Beth gave Jacobs a smile. He was still sitting on the cot watching her with that lopsided grin of his. “I’m sorry I was such a handful.” Jacobs regarded her for a moment. He knew exactly what she was referring to. His accustomed response of cover-up sprang out of his mouth before he really gave it much thought. “Just a little heatstroke. You should take it easy today.” Anger started to boil inside Beth. She knew that whatever he and Grace did, it was classified. She had been raised on an army base and knew enough to keep her mouth shut. It was making her see red to realize that Jacobs thought she was so thick as to buy a heatstroke excuse. Did the man really think she was nothing but some backwoods simpleton? Her temper got the better of her and she gave into it because she was certain that they were alone. “I did not faint from the heat! I am not asking just what it was, but I do not appreciate you assuming that I am stupid enough to buy that line, Major.” Beth intended to leave the tent on that note but Jacobs jumped to his feet and caught her up against his body. She pushed and twisted a moment, but where most men would have found it difficult to hold her, Jacobs didn’t budge an inch. Beth finally resigned herself to his hold. Slowly running his eyes over her face, Jacobs searched it for a time. It had been a mistake to say that and he knew it. Watching her eyes for a time, he also realized that she most likely felt he thought she was nothing more than a fling. He had walked away from every other woman before, but Beth mattered. She mattered a great deal to him. “I’m sorry honey. It’s just a conditioned response. I known you aren’t the same as any other woman I’ve ever met, but I just don’t know what I can do about it right now.” Beth watched those hazel eyes for a moment. It was much more than she had been expecting. The warmth that was reflected back at her was heart-stopping. She was content to wait. Stretching up, she pressed her mouth to his. Jacobs let her lead for a short time but took control and it was another hour before he was once again thinking

about checking in on Grace.

***** Cole nickered in greeting when Grace pulled herself up onto the top of the corral fence. The sun was fully up, maybe 0900 hours. A slight smile crossed her lips. It would appear she was the first one to emerge this morning. Pulling her hair around in front of her, Grace began to brush it out. It was full of tangles. She slowly worked a brush through it. Grace began the task of braiding her hair up and around her head. She was skilled enough at the task that she didn’t need a mirror. Her hair once again coiled and pinned down, Grace simply waited. Cole nudged her for attention and she ran her hand over the stallion’s neck. If they stayed in Benton, Grace was going to ask Brice to take her for another ride on the creature. Cole lost interest, leaving her to her thoughts. It was getting late, but she wasn’t going to disturb Jacobs . If nothing else, there was a battle at eleven that morning. The noise from the black powder explosions would have both men on their feet in short order. Jacobs finally emerged. He stopped to sit in the chair that was in front of his tent to pull his boots on. He was wearing nothing but his pants and he shrugged into his shirt as he walked over to where Grace sat. He gave her a sheepish smile as he realized that she had been waiting there for him. Grace watched his hazel eyes for a time. He was tired also, but very much at ease. She wasn’t judgmental. Never had been. Their relationship was built on trust and truth. Jacobs was a male and Grace simply accepted that he would have sexual needs. Those hazel eyes of his were assessing her in return today. “Do me a favor and stop inspecting me like some experiment. I get a little too much of that from your superiors.” “Brice is bringing out your opinionated.” And Jacobs wasn’t too sure if he liked that or not. Grace could see that written clearly across his face. “You didn’t seem to care for me keeping it to myself either. Make up your mind, Jacobs.” “Point taken.” “Things are becoming clearer.” “What did you find yesterday?” “My blanket child.” Jacobs’ face went hard with her answer. He had suspected that was the case but he knew better than to try and second-guess Grace. He asked her precise questions and Grace slowly laid out the picture as she saw it. As she had suspected, he wasn’t happy. In fact, he was mad. Jacobs didn’t let his temper boil often, but there wasn’t much he detested more than the idea of treason. If they had been set up, then they had an informant somewhere down the line to catch. A traitor. “What do you want to do?” Grace considered that for a time. Jacobs didn’t often ask her opinion on matters that concerned the Unit’s operation.

“I want to finish it here.” Grace watched as Jacobs’ eyes lit up. He wanted that very same thing. Grace didn’t think the risks had impacted on his anger yet. It was possible that he had considered the risks and had a plan in mind to minimize the danger. “That would be risky, unless,you’ve worked out that part of it?” Jacobs frowned as he considered her comment. He didn’t want to pull out of the county. In fact he wanted to lay a little bait out himself. He didn’t think she was talking about risk to herself. That wasn’t Grace’s style. Himself? He doubted it. If he hadn’t been so set on trying to discover just where his information leak was he would have seen it earlier. Beth? There were no secrets in this county and he hadn’t even been making an attempt to keep his interest secret. As his mind identified the problem, Jacobs immediately started to understand that it was going to be far harder to deal with than just putting Beth into custody. Beth had family in the area. Her father would be simple to deal with. He was retired military and would understand the need for precautions. Beth wouldn’t like the idea, but Jacobs knew he could talk her into some measure of understanding. But they had friends and family in the area and that posed problems. Brice was also a problem. Jacobs had a healthy respect for the man’s ability to protect himself. Family was the concern there as well. Brice had lots of family, close family. They were scattered all over Benton County and the neighboring county of Preston. For that matter, Jacobs himself had family in these mountains. His sister Sarah, as well as one of his brothers, lived just over in Preston. Jacobs was stunned to see just how effective this trap was. One or two people could disappear and Jacobs could still lay an effective trap. He realized now that they had become too familiar with the people in Benton to continue to be objective. “I see your point.” “About what?” That question came from Brice, who had quietly joined them. He came closer and gave them both a steady stare. Brice stood and listened to Jacobs’ explanation. He saw red more than one time during it. The fact that he had some reckless traitor loose in his county was the root of it all. That would explain why they had used kidnapping. Children did not get kidnapped in Benton,! The trap was tightening with every sentence Jacobs spoke. Brice was more than ready to go into the mountains and have it out but Jacobs was right about his family. He could not protect them all. It would, in fact, be all too easy for whoever was out there to get to Brice through a family member. The highest probability would be his cousin Grant. Grant could hold his own, Brice was certain of it. His wife Sarah was a different matter. Brice liked Sarah just fine, but the woman had an amazing ability to attract trouble without even trying. “I think I’d better give Grant a call and tell him to put a leash on his wife.” Jacobs’ frown got deeper. The complexity of this trap was increasing by the second. Whoever had set this up knew absolutely everything about him and Grace. Right down to the type of assignments that he had been accepting to bring Grace out of her depression. The only good thing about that fact was that the list of possible suspects was very short. Grace tuned out the men’s conversation for a time. Something was nagging her. The

morning battle was going on. It had in fact started some twenty minutes ago. The noise from the black powder guns was very loud here. People had been moving around for the last forty-five minutes. Grace looked at Jacobs’ tent. She had a clear view of the front of it and was certain that Beth hadn’t left it anytime after Jacobs had. The sun was lighting it up now. While there were shadows cast from the furniture of the tent, Grace was almost positive no one was standing up in the tent. Jacobs and Brice were still discussing possible courses of action, and the black powder explosions continued in the background. Dread began to pound inside Grace’s head. She had found the child yesterday. This was the first time since that had happened that Beth had been left alone. Grace truly prayed that she was wrong. “Jacobs, don’t you think it’s odd that Beth is sleeping through all this noise?” Both men surveyed the tent. It took just seconds before they both reached the same conclusion that Grace had. Pistols in hand, they approached the tent, Jacobs came in from the front and Brice took the rear. The curse that escaped from Jacobs left her in little doubt as to what he’d found. The dread that had begun to twist in her stomach knotted into full terror. Beth was gone.

Chapter Ten Grace stood in front of the open tent and watched the two men search. There wasn’t much to find. The canvas side of the tent beside Grace’s cot had a long slice in it. The obvious work of a hunting or survival knife. Most of Beth’s clothes were there. Her boots were missing. The slight scent of chloroform was lingering in the tent. Traveling around the tent, Grace entered it from the front and pulled her duffel bag from under her cot. Jacobs always had her gear with them. Jacobs grasped her arm to stop her. Grace returned his look. The man was absolutely furious, she was sincerely grateful that she wasn’t the target. “We have to finish this now.” Grace aimed her opinion straight into her C.O.’s eyes. “Col. Turvel will never agree to that.” “So call him after I’m gone.” “That’s a very bad idea.” Brice stood with his arm folded over his chest. “My men will catch them.” “Time is the issue here.” “You found Paige just fine. Let’s arrange backup this time.” Grace considered both men. Their eyes were busy calculating risk factors and manpower angles. The slightest scent of anger drifted around the tent. She had to go after Beth now “I can’t wait.” Urgency was building inside her head. Beth’s life was on the line. Grace could feel it. “This is personal. There’s so much anger pointing right at me.” Brice yanked her forward by the arms. He wanted to shake her and break the psychic link that was pulling her away from any protection he could provide. “I won’t

let you go out there alone.” “I’m just as effective at finding bodies. The only problem is I never notice just when they die. Sometimes it takes days. They could kill Beth tonight and I’d still pick up a solid trail when you get your men in place.” Backing out of his embrace, Grace lifted her chin. “We finish this now.” A low curse came out of his mouth. Jacobs echoed the thought before Brice nodded at her. The risk was just too great to take. “I’m going to find my jeans. Don’t move without me.” Time was of the essence. The battle would end soon and the area would be flooded with people. They needed to move out now. Jacobs handed Grace a small pistol. He didn’t often arm her, but these were unusual circumstances and another armed person could make a difference. At the very least it might keep Grace from becoming a burden to Jacobs’ Unit and Brice. Her C.O. pulled the silver bracelet out next. Grace didn’t hesitate as she took it from him snapping it onto her wrist. Now came the hard part. Grace needed something personal to use to get a lock on Beth. There wasn’t time to go up to her tent or to the cooking area. She had maybe ten minutes before the area would be full of people. She had to be gone by then. Jacobs stepped out of the tent with his duffel bag over his shoulder. The privacy was well-received. Grace pulled her mind into tight control. Grace focused on the cot that Jacobs and Beth had shared. The imprint was there but it wasn’t strong enough. Kneeling on the ground she laid her head onto the cot to try again. Too much of Jacobs was there. She was unable to separate the two images. Grace stood up and searched for something else. Parts of Beth’s Civil War costume were still under the cot. Pulling the corset out she tried to work with it. Nothing was coming from it. As Grace examined the garment closer she could see that it was new. Jesus! Just a little help! The odds were stacking higher against them. None of the clothing was working, and Grace was feeling the pinch of time. She had one last possibility. Jacobs had spent the night with Beth. It was very possible that she could pull the link off of him. It would however exhaust the man for the next eight hours. Her C.O. would not receive that information kindly. There was simply no other choice. Jacobs considered Grace from the tent doorway. He knew her body language too well to mistake it. She turned those green eyes up to him and he felt the weight of her stare. It dawned on Jacobs exactly what she had in mind. He firmly rejected the idea. He had a duty to uphold. He could not allow Grace to go on an assignment without his backup. Grace stood up and faced off with Jacobs. He refused and she insisted. “I can’t do it, Grace.” “We have to, because I don’t think we can live with ourselves if we don’t.” Jacobs continued to resist the idea, but Grace simply wouldn’t let it go. Too many years of trust bound the two. It was one of them or neither of them. “Trust me, Jacobs.” Her words cut into him like shards of glass. He had always asked her to trust him. Jacobs reluctantly nodded his head. Grace had trusted him to guard her back for too many years. She had allowed him to see the weakness that invaded her body after each assignment. Now she was asking for the return of the favor. Every fiber in his body

rebelled, but there was really only one answer that he could give. A particularly foul curse came out of Jacobs’ mouth and Grace knew he was going to consent. Brice stood behind the man and placed a solid hand on his shoulder to stop him. “What are you going to do?” Grace felt her focus shift to Brice. She wasn’t used to explaining her tactics but she needed to adjust that thinking. Brice needed a quick introduction to backing her up. Classified didn’t mean dirt under the current circumstances. “I need a piece of property to get a link from, but nothing here is working.” “So she wants to use me.” Jacobs’ voice announced his anger. Brice’s eyebrows drew into a frown. “You can pull it from another person?” Grace felt a tiny smile lift her lips. She was the best because pulling a link off another human wasn’t simple. “Sometimes. When it’s someone my target has been intimate with, the odds are excellent.” Jacobs ducked under the tent pole and sat down on the cot. He let another curse slip out of his mouth, as he seemed to brace himself. Brice stepped closer and looked at his face. Jacobs sent him a half grin. “This is going to knock me flat for hours.” Brice understood in an instant. “I’ll keep her in sight, Major.” Jacobs gave him a last hard look before Grace knelt on the ground between his knees. Grace needed to get under the anger that was boiling inside him right at the moment. Brice moved into the tent as well but Grace couldn’t concern herself with him right now. She had faith that he could handle her. That would have to be enough. Bringing her mind back to focus on Jacobs, Grace raised her hands but stopped when she saw him tense. “Jacobs, I’d appreciate it if you would try not to hit me.” Brice watched as the other man gripped the edge of the cot. The contact between Beth and Grace yesterday had sent Beth flying and Beth outweighed Grace by a good amount. He imagined that Jacobs would hold his ground. Brice moved in closer all the same. If Jacobs did take a swing at her, he wanted to be able to block it. Grace closed her eyes bringing herself into focus. The link was here. She needed to disregard Jacobs completely. She was going to cause him pain. Grace firmly shut the door to her emotions. It was time to work. Her emerald eyes opened as her hands flattened out onto Jacobs’ chest. The man jerked with the contact, but Grace paid him no mind. Brice watched fascinated as her hands slowly roamed over Jacobs’ chest. It resembled retracing the path of some lover’s hands. Slowly they traveled across his shoulders to rest on his biceps. Her eyes fixed and dilated. She had found what she was searching for. Brice jumped as Jacobs’ body jerked and one huge hand swung up at her head. He caught it and wrenched it back. Unfortunately just as Beth had discovered the day before, he was now linked into the current. Brice couldn’t make himself let Jacobs go. The pain was intense and mind-numbing. Grace released her hold on Jacobs and both men fell into oblivion. She paid them absolutely no mind. The picture was becoming more focused by the second. Just like a camera lens,

Grace forced it to pinpoint accuracy. Yes, she had it now. Every detail. They were walking. The forest and the trail were clear. She stayed with the vision, leaving the tent the exact way that they had. They moved quickly, so she needed to move faster. Nothing crossed her mind but the vision and getting herself to it. Miles melted behind her as darkness fell. Nothing interfered. Her body could not get her attention. Nothing but the vision called to her. She was close, very close. She stopped as she found her target. Only then did the link dissipate and allow her to think beyond the focus needed to track. Her body was exhausted and she stood on shaking legs as she faced Beth. Her body collapsed to the forest floor as the dark clouds pressed in on her. The chilling cold came even as she brutally tried to force it back. By sheer force of will, she opened her eyes. The man that leaned over her brought horror to her mind. The smile on his face was twisted with evil as he delighted in watching her struggle. His identity burst upon her brain seconds before the darkness claimed her. Colonel Stephen Fredricks.

***** The storm clouds drifted and Grace saw the eye of the storm. She brutally thrust herself up into it. She had something pressing to do. She forced her cloudy mind to remember. Beth. She had been looking for Beth. Forcing her eyes open, she took in her dim surroundings. She was lying on a hard floor. Not dirt, but rough wood planking. It was some kind of cabin, maybe twenty feet by thirty feet. She was freezing. A single wool blanket was covering her body but the cabin was cold and dim. It was the kind of dim light that came with dark rain clouds. The slight sound of rain reached her ears. Sweet Jesus. Fredricks was behind this. It all made sense. He knew her too well and had played her and Jacobs along like a couple of puppets. Now Grace understood the anger. It had been aimed at her. Dread tightened in her gut because she didn’t see Beth. Now that Fredricks had Grace, it was very possible that he had already shot the other woman. Fredricks and Jacobs detested each other. Grace knew that he would delight in causing the death of someone he thought Jacobs cared for. The question now was what did the man want with Grace? It had to be more than revenge. It took resources to set something like this in motion. Fredricks had to have others helping him. More than likely soldiers either current or retired. That kind of help didn’t come without high compensation. There were always men who were willing to betray their country but it didn’t come cheap. The answer to that question was clear enough. Fredricks had sold Grace. The federal government had trained Grace to be an operative for them and their interests. The only thing that they truly gave her in return was protection from some of the more twisted people that inhabited the world. Ruthless people who would pay a great deal of money to have a trained psychic under their control. There had been offers made right in front of her. The first few had truly worried her. Grace had finally realized that she was much more valuable to the government in their hands. That didn’t mean that a private party felt the same way about it. Grace watched the only door in the cabin. Fredricks had planned it down to the last

detail. So why was she still in Benton County? Moving Grace while she was helpless would have been the ideal plan. Thunder rumbled in the distance and Grace considered it. If the transportation was by air, it was possible that the storm was interfering with the pick-up. That was more of a break than Grace could have hoped for. The door exploded inward and booted feet scuffed the rough floor as several people came into the structure. Grace snapped her eyes closed. The longer they thought she was out of it the better. Information was the only thing that could help her at the moment. Her time was limited before the fatigue would force her to sleep once again. Fredricks had never really taken enough notice of her habits to realize she awakened in the middle of storms. It was the only card she had to play at the moment. “Get moving, bitch. I want dinner!” Bitch? Grace couldn’t risk a look but she hoped that meant that Beth was in the cabin and alive. The rattle of a gas stove drifted to Grace’s ears. Slight sounds of pots and dishes followed. Footsteps came close to her and Grace forced herself to remain still. A hand gripped her face roughly turning it up. A filthy word escaped from Fredricks’ mouth before he let her head drop back to the floor. Pain exploded as her skull impacted with the hard wood floor but Grace held her passive expression. Grace waited. If Fredricks would leave then maybe she could speak to Beth. She needed to warn the other woman. Time crawled by and Grace knew her window was quickly coming to a close. A knock sounded on the door and Fredricks bellowed for whomever it was to come in. “Sorry, sir, but the client is on the horn.” “I’ll be right there.” Grace snapped her eyes open the second the door closed. She hadn’t realized that she was handcuffed but pushed herself to a seated position despite the restraints. Beth turned as she noticed the movement. Her blue eyes were large and round. She started to speak but Grace firmly shook her head. Beth clamped her mouth shut and turned the gas off before hurrying over to kneel beside Grace. “Thank God! I’ve been so worried… ” “Shh… Listen, Beth. Just listen. Whatever you do, listen to every word they say. We need information to get out of this. I’m going to fall asleep again, don’t worry. When I wake up, I’ll get you out of this. Just survive. Whatever they want, do it! Names are important. Remember every one you can. But don’t talk. Don’t ask questions. Just listen. ” Grace reached out clasping the other woman’s hands. She looked better than Grace could have hoped for. She had a bruise on her right cheek and a collection of scratches and scrapes. Her eyes were large but not panicked. She was holding up well under the circumstances. Grace gave her a jerk of her head to get her to return to the stove. Beth obeyed and Grace lowered herself back to the hard floor. Now if God could give them just a little more help. Maybe Grace could get Beth out of this alive. The next time Grace woke the cabin was darker. The sun was down. Shifting her eyes about, Grace saw that Beth was sleeping along the wall next to her. The woman was wearing nothing but her Victorian underwear and boots. The chill in the air suggested that the storm was still in the area. Grace tried to move

but she was still bound by the handcuffs. Her ankles were secured as well. Her body ached from the long hours on the hard floor. Grace dismissed the pain. She imagined it was going to get a lot worse before it was over. It was dark, so that meant that they would not move until tomorrow. Grace forced herself to go back to sleep. Basic survival skills dictated that she should take advantage of the rest while she could. She would need the strength later. Grace opened her eyes again as dawn was breaking. It was hard to tell because of the storm clouds, but her internal clock told her that it was close to 0500 hours. She wasn ’t far off. The door pushed open a few minutes later and she watched as Fredricks and another man came into the room. There was no further reason to try to keep up her sleeping role. Maybe Fredricks would start talking if he thought he had her attention. Fredricks’ blue eyes zeroed in on her open eyes. A smile twisted his features and Grace gave him her mild expression. He exchanged a sidelong look with the other soldier. “Told you. I know this witch.” “What about the other one?” Grace held her breath while she watched Fredricks consider the man’s request. Her face remained smooth and calm. Pushing herself upwards, she gave Fredricks a disgusted look before propping her back against the wall. Grace’s aim was to distract the man and it worked. He couched down grasping her jaw to force her to look at him. “I’m going to enjoy watching that look get wiped off your face! You will do exactly what I tell you to do or you can watch Jacobs’ little friend here get lead pumped into her. ” Fredricks unlocked the restraints that bound Grace’s ankles before he hauled her to her feet. “Get the other one moving. She’ll help me keep this one in line.” Her legs were stiff from not moving but Grace forced them to support her. The weather outside the cabin was dismal. Thick gray clouds clung close to the ground. Rain immediately began to soak her already chilled body. Her eyes assessed the line of maybe twelve men that were standing ready among the trees. These were rugged trained killers. Their camouflaged clothing was working well to keep them hidden among the forest. Grace slowly noted each one of them. Ranger Clark smirked at her as he fondled his rifle. Grace closed her eyes to slits and dropped them to the man’s genitals. Clark stumbled as he fell back because fear made him clumsy. Oh yes, Grace knew how to be a bitch because at times it was the only weapon she had. The grip on her arm was released and Fredricks walked over to his pack for a moment. Grace continued to watch the group of men. Several of the soldiers had turned to study her. A few had even raised their weapons up. Good. Some of them were afraid of her. Gossip could come in handy sometimes, and Grace could tell that these men had been listening to a great deal of it about her. It could help her defeat them later. Grace gave them her best piercing look. Let them think she was trying to read their minds. It worked beautifully. Most of them found a reason to move away from her. Fredricks returned and thrust some clothes at Beth. They were standard fatigues. “Put them on.” he ordered the girl.

Beth didn’t hesitate. Grace’s words were stuck in her mind and she changed into the clothes without a complaint. Beth wasn’t scared anymore. She had been at first, but her temper was in control of her now. She was going to survive this just to prove that she could. If Grace could do it, then so could she The clothes were bulky but they were better than her bloomers and chemise anyway. She was grudgingly grateful that these animals had thought to bring her boots along. Her Civil War boots were the best pair of shoes that Beth owned. With the amount of walking she had already done, she was eternally thankful that she had splurged when she bought the expensive footwear. Now she looked just like one of the soldiers. Beth frowned at that idea. She hoped that didn’t get her shot when Jacobs caught up with them. Jacobs would find them. Beth believed it. It was the only thought that had kept her sane in the first few hours of this nightmare. Now that Grace was awake, Beth felt confidence surge through her. Grace was the toughest woman that she had ever met. If anyone could get them out of this, then Beth figured that Grace was it. The last piece of clothing that she was given was a large camouflaged rain poncho. Beth pulled it over her head and the hood covered her hair completely. She wasn’t thick enough to think it had been provided for her comfort. This Fredricks guy wanted her and Grace to look identical to the rest of the men. Her suspicions were confirmed when he returned to pull another poncho over Grace’s head. Grace was already wearing the same kind of clothing that the soldiers were, but she was much shorter and slight of build, so she still stuck out. The poncho helped disguise that fact, but not completely. Grace kept herself from looking at Beth. It was the only protection she could give the other woman right now. Grace could not let anyone see that she cared for Beth. Beth could easily pay a high price if it became suspected that Grace would suffer from her pain. They moved out seconds later. Walking north, they were headed into the Cascade mountain range. The terrain was rough and Grace knew it was going to become rougher. The storm raged around them, making it difficult to judge the time of day. Grace was berating herself for letting Fredricks set her up so completely. It had, in fact, been almost a perfect trap. Grace had managed to avoid being captured twice. Once with Paige and the second time had been outside Brice’s cabin. That was exactly why she had been shot, to weaken her enough that she would be susceptible to that anger ploy. It had very nearly worked. Fredricks must have been watching, just waiting for her to be left alone. He had moved in and agitated her enough that she had made a break for it. It really agitated Grace to think that she had been manipulated so very completely. She had suspected it was happening but not enough to prevent her from reacting to the bait that was laid out for her. It would have been simple for Fredricks to take her from Brice’s house. The two men would have been outnumbered and outgunned. A great deal of trouble had been taken to ensure that it looked like Grace had just taken off. That was an interesting fact, because she knew he didn’t harbor any good feelings for Jacobs. In fact, Grace surmised that Fredricks would more than likely delight in ending Jacobs’ life. Someone wanted Grace herself to be accused of leaving. That meant that someone else was helping to call the shots in this deal. Whoever it was, they wanted to remain hidden. Yet it had to be someone who Fredricks would obey. The most logical choice would be Turvel. His involvement would account for a lot

of things, information being the foremost thing. Fredricks had a great deal of current information on the unit, Grace’s recent depression being the most prominent item. Fredricks had tried to make it look like she was losing it. That meant that the man knew she had been acting emotionally unstable. Col. Turvel was the only person besides Jacobs who had really known about that. The other members of the unit didn’t stick around long enough to get that clear a picture of Grace’s behavior patterns. Jacobs would not have discussed it with his men, but he would have reported it to his commanding officer. Grace really hoped Jacobs didn’t call this in to Col. Turvel. If the man was involved, then it could cost Jacobs his life. Grace realized that she was hoping for a miracle. Jacobs was an Army officer, and hoping he wouldn’t report to his commanding officer was hoping for a lot. The only hope lay in the fact that it appeared that Col. Turvel didn’t want his name on this piece of work. If everyone here disappeared, there would be no one to point the finger at Col. Turvel. Jacobs might be suspicious but he had no evidence. For that matter, Grace didn’t have a lot of evidence herself. She had enough questionable facts to point a big finger. More than enough to go over Col. Turvel’s head and get General Slynn to hear the case. If she got out of this alive, Grace had every intention of fighting for that hearing. She had a few other things to bring up with the general as well. The Army had been calling the shots in her life for too many years. Grace wanted a revision of terms. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that she could walk away free and clear. No, she would always have to work with them. However, having tasted a real life this last month, Grace wanted more. Grace was practical enough to understand that sex wasn’t love. What Brice made her feel went beyond the physical pleasure. But that was far from a declaration of love on his part. Fredricks held his hand up to halt the men. He was looking for shelter for the night. He had never been one for pushing his own body. Grace turned slightly to look Beth over. She had kept up well. Her size was helping her survive. With her height, her leg span made it easier to keep up with the pace that had been set. No one had given either woman provisions and Grace hoped that Beth had been drinking the rainwater. Beth gave her a slight grin and then wiped it off her face. Grace gave her one in return before letting her face go expressionless. It seemed that Beth understood just what Grace was up to. They started to move again, this time almost straight up. They didn’t go far. Their goal was the granite rocks set into the mountain above them. Huge rough pieces of granite rose from the earth like rows of teeth. They formed natural caves that would provide shelter from the elements. Grace and Beth were shoved into one of the highest caves. There was no possibility of escaping upwards because the rock face was smooth and reached for almost thirty feet above them. Fredricks and another man occupied the cave directly below them. Grace propped her back against the cold stone. Beth followed her example. Fredricks would eventually feed them. He needed Grace to walk or they would have to drag her dead weight with them. He would just enjoy making the women wait for a time. He had done that when he had run the Unit. Little nasty things, most were more

annoying than truly distressing. Although escape was out of the question, Grace was delighted with the current arrangements. Sound traveled up. So she could clearly hear every word that was coming out of Fredricks’ mouth. That might help her gain some of that evidence that she needed. No one could see her or Beth. The dirt they sat on was soft. Grace placed her hands in the dirt and started to scratch out words in the sand. Beth caught on fast. While the conversation was slow, it was private. By morning Grace found herself more frustrated, Fredricks had fed them but he had kept his mouth shut for most of the night. Two more days of hiking passed before she got the information that she needed. They had stopped sometime in the mid-afternoon. The weather had cleared but they were still wrapped in the ponchos for concealment purposes. For most of those two days, Grace had been working on playing up some of the soldiers’ fear of her. It was working rather well. Clark was helping things along nicely. Two of the men started to make the sign of the cross over themselves anytime they looked her in the eye. Some people really were inherently stupid. Some of the men were becoming restless. That was a sign that maybe the ground operation had not been part of the plan. True to his form, Fredricks wasn’t taking note of the increasing hostile attitude of his subordinates. That little lack of attention from her ex-C.O. might just give her an advantage. Mutiny could spell escape for her and Beth. While they sat eating rations, Fredricks had taken a call on his global net communications cell phone. Very little information was gained from it other than they had another sixty miles to hike before the end of the journey. The first splintering of the group unfolded like a well-planned script. “This is as far as I go.” One man stood and faced Fredricks. “Shut up and sit back down.” “No, I agreed to help you capture the woman. I’ve completed the job.” Fredricks’ angry expression didn’t cause the soldier in question to waver. Some of his confidence visibly deserted him as three others stood up to join in the standoff. “It’s just a change in plans, I’ll compensate you for the extra time,” he appealed to them. “No. I’m not staying around that witch,” another man declared. He was one of the ones that had taken to making the sign of the cross every time he looked at Grace. “Fine, just don’t get caught,” Fredricks responded. Now that the first four had been successful, another two men stood up and joined them. Fredricks became noticeably nervous as the count grew to six men. “What’s your problem?” One of the two gave Beth a look before answering Fredricks. “I don’t shoot women.” “You knew the risks when you came on board. Fredricks insisted. “Shooting someone in a firefight is one thing. An unarmed woman is another.” “Then go! If anyone else is feeling like going, you’d better go now!” Fredricks exploded. Grace watched as another man joined the group. It was the second man that had

been making the sign of the cross. It was a bigger splinter than she had been hoping for. The seven men didn’t spare her a glance as they moved out. Two of them did give Beth a parting look. The men split into two groups and melted into the forest. In this terrain, it would take them at least another four days to make that distance. Good, maybe some of the remaining men would get nervous and leave. It was also possible that one of the men that had left would be captured. She wasn’t too sure how much information they had but it would give Jacobs a better idea as to where to look for them. Six men left. Better odds certainly but still difficult to get around. Unfortunately it had been confirmed that Fredricks intended to kill Beth to silence her. Grace hadn’t really expected anything else but it made the timing of an escape all that much more important. Beth had to make a clean break or someone would just drop her in her tracks. There were two reasons why she was still alive. First, they didn’t want Grace to become a burden. Second was the fact that they didn’t want to have to worry about the body pointing Jacobs in the right direction.

***** Brice came to before Jacobs did. It was the noise from the final battle of the weekend that had woken him. He tried to get to his feet but his mind was still groggy and his legs were unsteady. Brice rubbed his stinging eyes and tried again. This time he made it to his feet. He didn’t need to look, he knew Grace was long gone. Jacobs was still out cold. After trying to wake him but failing, Brice left him. He had to mobilize a search immediately. It took an hour for Brice to get everything moving. Every resource that the county had was moving. He just prayed that it was enough. He regretted the way it had all come down, but Brice wouldn’t have changed his actions. If Jacobs had hit Grace then she more than likely wouldn’t have gotten her link. Brice would rather believe that the two women were out there together than Beth out there alone. Grace had more ability to protect herself than most men he knew. It took some doing but Brice got Jacobs to come around. The man came up swinging. Jacobs’ mind cleared and he frowned as he noticed that Brice was standing there. He muttered a curse. “I forgot to tell you not to touch me.” Brice handed the man his gun and simply nodded. “Let’s go, my helicopter is waiting.”

***** Jacobs was deep in thought on the way back to the airfield. Grace’s suspicions of an information leak were well-founded. His guess would be Turvel. He was the only one with enough current information to have set this whole thing up. The problem was the man was his C.O. He needed a support unit as well. If Turvel was involved, it could be a death warrant for any man that came out on this mission. Jacobs needed to find a good

bunch of witnesses that could back him and his men up if it came down to the wire. There really was only one choice. There were only three units that operated under Col. Turvel that also happened to have the same makeup as Jacobs’. Major Gennaro’s operative was a male, but Major Lorance’s unit was dealing with another female psychic. Her abilities were very different from Grace’s. Lorance’s operative was nicknamed the truth finder. She could sniff a traitor out in a split second. Major Lorance had made contact with Jacobs just a couple of weeks after he’d been given command of Unit with Grace as his operative. It was the only time he’d ever come close to disobeying his orders. Major Lorance had fifteen years more experience and Jacobs felt inclined to hear the man out. Neither of their Units officially existed and they both reported to Colonel Turvel. Major Lorance had made an excellent point to Jacobs. They could back each other up if something like this ever happened.

***** Two more days of hiking, and Grace knew her time was running out. She had to find a way to get Beth out of this or they were both as good as dead. She would not comply with a terrorist to survive. They could try drugging her, but the drugs destroy her abilities. Pain, well, Grace could put herself into a coma if she wanted to. She knew that she would go that far to escape. Grace had set her internal clock to wake her every hour. Jacobs had taught her that trick. It was coming in very handy on this trip. The sentry was changed every four hours. She and Beth had been huddled together in the middle of the group for the past two nights. Tonight was slightly different. They were camped on the edge of a small river. It wasn’t the heavy season for rain so the river was eight feet below the top of its bed. Grace and Beth sat pressed together with large boulders sticking up and around them. The remaining men were spread out to avoid sleeping on the rocks. No great distance, but it might be enough. Grace felt they had to take the risk. She and Beth were three feet from the drop into the river. By chance, there was a smooth almost cylinder rock next to Beth that was just a couple of inches bigger than Grace. In fact, Beth was leaning on it in her sleep. They still had their ponchos and Grace eyed the rock again. Beth’s poncho would fit over that rock just about right. If Grace curled up next to it, the sentry who was twenty feet away would never notice it was a rock. The man in question was watching the forest. He would bring his eyes around to them sometimes, but for the most part he trusted that they were asleep. Grace gave Beth a nudge to wake her. Keeping her movements small, Grace worked at the laces of Beth’s boots. The girl came awake but kept absolutely still. She pulled her feet out of the boots at Grace’s insistence. Watching the sentry Grace gave instructions to her friend with her hands. Beth slowly ducked out of her poncho and slipped it over the rock. Everything seemed to take too long. Each slight noise seemed to be too loud. The sentry stood up causing both women to freeze in terror. His eyes raked over them taking in details before he turned on his heel to wander over to the tree line. The metallic sound of a zipper opening gave

them their chance. Grace turned her head and pushed Beth towards the river. Beth hung back. “Go!” Grace hissed her command; this was no time for illogical arguments. Beth gave her a hurt look but dropped down onto her belly and slid headfirst into the water. The river was deep enough that barely a sound was made. Grace moved closer to the rock that had the poncho draped over it and leaned against it like it was Beth. The zipper was jerked up. The slight crunch of the man’s feet came as he returned to his post. She felt the eyes of her jailer move over her before the smell of smoke on the night breeze told her that the man had dismissed them in favor of lighting a cigarette. Grace silently prayed that Beth made good use of the four hours of darkness she had left. Beth was strong and she knew the area. She could make it out of the mountains alive, as long as she didn’t do something foolish like trying to rescue Grace. Beth’s head broke the surface of the water and she gasped for breath. The water was so cold! It pricked her body like a thousand needles, but she forced herself under the surface again swimming with the current. She finally stopped because she knew she was risking hypothermia by remaining in the water. Beth pulled herself into the tree line. Her hands were numb but she got her boots tied on and she began to run. Tears streamed down her face but she kept running. Beth kept the river in sight because it would lead her back to Benton. Her dad had taken her hiking when she was a kid and he had always told her to follow the water. It would lead you to civilization. Fresh tears fell as dawn approached. She was free but Grace wasn’t and Beth didn’t want to leave her friend. Her conscience demanded that she do something to help Grace, but Beth needed to be practical. There were six armed men back there. She was no use to them and she knew that their leader had ordered her death. She had to find help. She forced her body to move faster. It was the only way she could help her friend. Beth continued to follow the river. Now that it was daylight, she had to slow down and try to keep under the cover of the forest. If she walked in the riverbed, she could be picked off like a rabbit. Hunger gnawed at her but she forced herself to walk. She had to find Jacobs. Jacobs would know what to do. It was well past sunset that night when Beth finally sank to her knees. She couldn’t move. She had never known a body could ache so much. She had to rest. She hadn’t seen a living soul all day long. She huddled up against a tree as she tried to still the shivers that raked her body. These mountains had always seemed so beautiful, now they just kept growing in size until Beth wasn’t sure if she would ever make her way out of them. Hunters were constantly finding the remains of the victims that these hills claimed. She had no idea how long she had slept when something woke her. Beth stayed absolutely still because she was certain she heard something. The wind shifted and the sound came with it. It almost sounded like a jet plane. That didn’t make any sense. It grew louder and with it came the steady chop of a helicopter’s blade. It was pitch black out and she didn’t know if it was friend or foe. Maybe it was the Sheriff’s Department or maybe it was the scum that had kidnapped her. There was just no way to know for sure. Beth stayed against the tree. It was too big a risk. The part of the river that she was by was very wide and only about a foot deep. It was a fifty-foot span covered in thousands of smooth round rocks. The helicopter was

slowly making its way down the riverbed. Beth started to tremble. The machine sounded so evil and it was black against the night. Spotlights flashed over her as they moved down the riverbed. Beth was just letting her breath go when the helicopter stopped and moved back in front of her. The spotlight was off but it came back on brighter than before. She was several feet back from the water so she didn’t think they could see her. “Come out with your hands up!” Terror erupted inside Beth. They knew she was there. They must have heat-seeking radar or something. Beth didn’t know what to do. She stood up but her legs were shaking and she knew she couldn’t run very far. The loudspeaker interrupted her frantic thoughts. “Come out now, or you will be shot!” The only problem with that was if these were the bad guys, then they were going to shoot her anyway. Beth didn’t have any choice. She slowly made her way into the streambed. She was still wearing the camouflage clothing. Her fear of being mistaken for a soldier returned with full force. Her legs shook as she stepped from the cover of the trees. She stretched her arms out above her head. Beth stood in the bright spotlight while the wind from the propeller blades chilled her to the bone. The standoff continued for what seemed like an endless time. Beth was done being scared and just wished they would get on with whatever they were going to do The air filled with the sounds of another helicopter. The night was suddenly full of the black machines. Two of the things landed right in the riverbed, the sound of their metal doors opening caused her heart to accelerate yet again. Even with the spotlight on her face, Beth could see the long rifles that were pointed at her. The men stopped just outside the spotlight. Beth simply couldn’t keep her hands in the air any longer. Her arms dropped to her sides and she sank to her knees as well. The bone-chilling water quickly soaked her up to her knees. If they were going to shoot her, they could just get on with it “Hands up. Now!” she was ordered. “Go to hell!” Beth intended to yell that but it came out as a barely understandable croak. The long hours in the freezing water were taking their toll on her voice, as well as her body. In fact, in another minute, Beth was very much afraid that she was going to be face down in that damn water again. The circle began to close in on her. Beth forced her head up to watch them. Was it her imagination or was that one off to her right a really big man? Maybe he was even as big as Jacobs? That would be too good to be true. He held a large pistol level with her head. Beth kept her face on him as he stepped closer. He stopped just a few feet from her and the pistol lowered. “Beth?” The sweetest rush of relief hit Beth. She knew that voice! It was Jacobs! She really tried to get to her feet but her legs refused. It wasn’t necessary. Jacobs holstered his pistol and plucked her up from the water in almost the same movement. Oh yes! It was Jacobs. No one picked Beth up like he did. Jacobs clasped her body in a hug so tight he later thought it was a wonder he hadn’t hurt her. His body shook as he felt the tremors that ran up and down her frame. She was

alive. Thank God! She was alive! He lifted her up and away from his body for a moment to look at her face. Those beautiful blue eyes looked back at him and that sweet smile of hers was beaming on her face. Jacobs had prepared himself to find her body. To be gifted with her life was almost more than he could deal with. Beth would be lucky if he didn’t lock her in the brig for the rest of her natural life. He slowly returned to the business at hand. Jacobs’ hazel eyes assessed her. She was suffering from exposure. He needed to get her out of the water and warmed up. Most of all, he needed to find out just where Grace had freed her. There was little doubt in his mind that Grace was responsible for Beth’s freedom. Unfortunately, he knew that her captors would not make the same mistake again. “Jacobs.” Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. Jacobs moved his radio around to his face to order the last helicopter to cut its rotor so that he could hear her. He also turned and walked out of the river to get out of the current’s rushing sounds. The Unit’s medic was already spreading a blanket on the forest floor and Jacobs placed her on it. He hesitated for only a moment before he striped her wet clothing from her body. Her eyes went large and round but she didn’t protest beyond that. She wasn’t so sure when the medic started to pull a blood sample from her arm. Jacobs clamped a hand onto her arm to secure it and used his other hand to turn her face up to his. “Relax, Beth. Let us help you.” Beth watched that handsome face of his and tried to relax. It wasn’t easy when you were lying naked in front of a bunch of men. Someone else came up and tossed a black bag to Jacobs. He pulled some clothing from it and Beth gratefully tried to help get the clothes onto her body. Jacobs gently pressed her back, refusing to let her help. Jacobs watched the medic as he checked Beth’s blood sugar level. He was a field medic too but in this case he wanted to be the one dressing her. Jacobs pulled the clothing onto her. It was too big but it would help warm her up. Her blood sugar level was so low, he was amazed she was still conscious. He had to talk to her now. He couldn’t wait. The medic gave him a questioning look and Jacobs nodded for him to administer glucose and adrenaline. “Beth, honey. I’m sorry about this.” Beth wasn’t sure just what Jacobs meant by that. She thought he was sorry for the injections themselves. Beth wasn’t that leery of a needle. He was watching her intently and she sent him a slightly questioning look. It hit her in a rush. Her brain exploded just as her entire bloodstream seemed to catch fire. Her body jerked up off the blanket and Jacobs firmly forced her back down. If she’d had a voice, the scream she let out would have been heard for miles. It hurt so badly. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she jerked against the arms that bound her. “Breathe, honey, just breathe,” Jacobs encouraged her. Breathe? She felt like hitting the man She was certain that was why he was holding her down. “Tell me where Grace is.” Beth snapped her eyes around to his face. How could she have forgotten about

Grace? She told him exactly how she had gotten away from her captors. His questions were precise. Beth was warming up. Unfortunately, she was also becoming very sleepy. Her eyes were starting to close, but her mind kept telling her that there was something she had to tell Jacobs. What was it? Grace had told her it was very important. She had to tell Jacobs or he could be killed. “Sleep, Beth.” A warm hand slowly stroked the side of her face. No! She needed to tell him about “Turvel!” That was it! “Beth, what about Turvel?” She had closed her eyes. Jacobs gritted his teeth before slapping her cheek “Beth. Come on. Talk to me.” “I saw him,” Beth whispered. She opened her eyes to look at Jacobs. “He was there the day before Grace came. He was talking to Fredricks and I saw him. He told Fredricks to shoot me the second he had Grace, but I think Fredricks was afraid Grace would become too much trouble if he didn’t have me along to threaten her with.” Beth was pleased with herself. She lifted her face into a smile. “Grace was still a bother. Half the men split off because she kept looking at them like she’s some kind of witch. I bet she’s a pure bitch now.” “When did those men leave?” Jacobs tried to keep his voice even. Beth was slipping away into shock but he needed the information now. “Yesterday… I think… Maybe… What day is it?” Jacobs stood up the second Beth’s eyes closed. He let the anger show on his face then. It had been a battle to keep it from Beth. He cast a look at Major Lorance. The man was deadly furious as well. Jacobs pulled his phone out, and placed a call to General Slynn. He had his proof now. He also needed the General’s help in protecting Beth. She was their only witness. He had to go after Grace. The General was far from pleased. The idea that one of their best psychics had been sold to the highest bidder was making the man madder by the second. Jacobs was to recover her at all costs. As for the witness, he’d have his own people there within the hour and would make sure she was around to point the finger at the court-martial. The fact that Beth was a civilian was even better. It meant that she had never met Turvel before. If she could pull him out of a lineup, it would lend more credibility to her testimony. Jacobs closed the phone line and looked Beth over for a moment. The field medic had wrapped her in a thermal sleeping bag. She looked like she was encased in a black cocoon, but it would get her body temperature up to a normal level. He needed to move out. Fredricks had a two-day lead and he couldn’t waste another hour. The problem was who to leave Beth with. If Col. Turvel had anyone planted in the unit, it would be very easy for them to eliminate her tonight before she talked to the General. There was still the question sitting in the back of his mind about just who had shot Grace. “Allow me,” Major Lorance said. “I’ll make sure she makes it to the base.” Jacobs watched as the man issued orders into his head microphone. Jacobs considered that his people might be a better bet. It was unlikely that Col. Turvel had thought to monitor that unit as well. Four people approached them and waited for their commanding officer’s orders.

Lorance was brief. Jacobs assessed the men before he nodded his approval. The last person was a female. Taking a closer look, he recognized the unit’s psychic. She was maybe five foot six with light green eyes. “Can she track Grace?” “No, not unless she’s dead.” The woman in question settled herself on the ground next to Beth. The other men took up posts around the area. “But she can spot dishonesty in a nun.” Guess he knew now why Turvel had made certain that Grace was never present at any of their meetings. He was afraid she had the same ability. Convinced that Beth was as secure as it was possible for Jacobs to make her, he turned and moved his unit out. He just hoped that with Beth out of danger, Grace had been able to slow Fredricks down enough to give Jacobs the chance to catch them.

Chapter Eleven Brice stood in the dark waiting for any sound to give him a clue as to what direction to go. He had heard the call come over the line that they had found Beth. He knew the spot also. He was a three-day walk from that location. Jacobs might have the technology but Brice knew his county. Brice had three other men with him. They were the best trackers this area had to offer. One was his cousin Grant Campbell. The two men agreed that there was only one possible location that their kidnappers could be headed for. Mirror Lake. It was in fact one of the highest elevation lakes in the state. Access was by foot only. Except for the lake itself. Properly equipped helicopters could land on the surface of the lake. The surrounding cliffs would keep the aircraft from showing up on radar. Brice had people waiting there, but he wanted to box them in. So he and Grant had brought in a couple of bloodhounds and were tracking the group from the south side of the lake. The dogs had picked up a slight blood trail that afternoon. Brice was beginning to anticipate being able to wrap his fingers around the throat of the man that had Grace. Now that Beth was out of the picture, Brice felt his primitive instincts kick in with full force. Brice took his office seriously believing that every man had his right to his day in court, but not the men who had Grace. These men had crossed more than one line in his life, and the score that he had to settle with them was very personal He was the law in Benton County. It would appear that they had chosen the area because they felt his department wouldn’t give them any trouble. That was score number one. Brice was no backwoods hick sheriff and these men had made a big mistake in underestimating him. Score number two was the fact that they had used a child to start this entire thing. A little girl. Maybe Benton County wasn’t the big city, but in this area men did not use children They did not frighten them, kidnap them, or use them as bait. Family was sacred, and these men had trespassed onto that ground. Brice had only taken volunteers for this job. He had more than he needed. The outrage in the entire community was

running at an all-time high. Brice would be lucky if a lynch mob hadn’t been formed by the time he got back to town. One of the bloodhounds sent out a low whine. Brice was right on the animal’s heels. Brice had grabbed Grace’s corset from the tent and used it to give the dogs her scent. Now that the rain had cleared up, the dogs were tracking on a steady course that was leading them right to Mirror Lake. They were maybe a day’s walk from the lake and Brice was beginning to feel the edge of civilization leave him. The primal glow was burning slowly in his gut. Brice wanted blood. In a wholly basic manner, he had the feeling that he was going to get it. Just hold on Grace, I’m coming.

***** Grace woke at dawn as usual. Her body ached from sitting with her back to a tree all night. Fredricks had been furious to discover Beth missing. However, there was nothing the man could do about it. It did bother Grace to see the edge of panic that had entered his eyes since it had happened. Fredricks was losing his grip on the situation and that could spell disaster for her. She would not put it past the man to kill her and then take his own life. If it came down to the wire, she knew that Fredricks would never surrender. Grace looked down at the coil of rope that bound her to the tree that she had her back against. Dawn was quickly chasing the night shadows away. The remaining men began to stir. She had been able to slow their progress considerably over the last couple of days. Now that Beth wasn’t there to be used against her, she had done everything in her power to disrupt the operation. Grace flexed her jaw, wincing with pain. She had received more than one blow to her face over the last two days. Fredricks had taken to using physical chastisement to deal with her determination to sabotage his plans. He stopped short of actually breaking any bones because he still needed her to walk. Grace made slow progress. He had tried to use the threat of shooting against her but Grace called that bluff. Fredricks wasn’t going to shoot her. There was too much risk that she might bleed to death. Terrorists didn’t pay for dead psychics. He had hit her several times with his pistol but stopped doing it when the weapon misfired and the bullet cut a deep groove into Grace’s shoulder. He resorted to his fists after that. It hadn’t deterred her. The shoulder wound was useful. Grace kept flexing the muscle to keep it open. It was intensely painful. Grace was counting on Brice to bring in Allen and his bloodhound Rudy. The weather had been clear for several days now, so the dogs would be able to pick up the scent of blood. Even just a little bit. So she flexed her shoulder muscles and rubbed against any tree or rock that she could, in an effort to leave a trial. Grace snapped her attention back to the present. Fredricks walked behind the tree to release the rope. She wasn’t given an opportunity to escape. The rope was looped back around her neck and pulled tight. Fredricks was smart, Grace would give him that. He made sure that the rope was secure but could not strangle her. If Grace could have gotten it to cut off her oxygen, then she would have done so just to slow them down further. Being led like an animal might not be very dignified, but this was a struggle for

survival, and Grace would fight as dirty as she knew how. With her hands still bound by the handcuffs, the leash was effective to a point. Grace ’s neck was raw from the rope cutting into the flesh, but she continued her struggle. By forcing Fredricks to pull her along, she had cut their speed by more than half. Grace just hoped it was enough. She could dig her heels in but the pain from the noose became unbearable at a point and she would stumble forward. It was a fight that she continued to wage.

***** Brice stooped down to get a closer look at the blood that was smeared against a rough-looking granite rock. Rudy pitched back on his hind legs and let out a whine. He shook his face and pulled Allen forward. “He’s got her now, Sheriff,” Allen jumped forward with his dog as Rudy applied his nose to the trail. Brice nodded. They would make Mirror Lake by sundown. He just hoped that wasn’ t too late. He needed Jacobs to back him up.

***** Anger boiled behind Jacobs’ eyes as he snapped his phone shut. He hadn’t found another trace of Grace. Time had run out and he knew it He turned the helicopter in the direction of Mirror Lake. The blood trail that Brice had was the only card they had to play. If they got to Mirror Lake and Grace was gone, then they might as well go home. The kind of people who could afford to buy someone like Grace would be untraceable once they got her into the air. And Grace knew that too. It was very possible that she would make a last stand that would result in her death.

***** Mirror Lake sat at an elevation of almost ten thousand feet. The crumbling granite cliffs and made up the slope that allowed the lake to form, rose up one hundred feet from the surface of the lake on all sides. There was only one way to descend into the lake. From the east side there was a steep, but useable trail that descended to the water’s edge. Reaching the crest of the trail was almost a straight climb up among granite rocks that ranged in size from pebbles to boulders. It was a climb that only the strong could make. It required that the person scale the larger rocks while being very sure of their footing among the smaller pebbles that could easily undermine a person’s footing. Grace could have made the climb in an hour without a pack on. It was an almost two hundred foot climb in a high elevation. Grace made it last an entire day. By the time they

got her to the top of that embankment, she had almost reached her limit. Her eyes fell on the stark beauty of the lake. It was currently marred by the presence of three helicopters that sat on the smooth surface. They weren’t as modern as her unit used but Grace recognized the models all the same. They were combat aircraft, heavily armed and very good at avoiding radar. The three craft sat bobbing in the smooth water like a bunch of crocodiles just waiting for prey to swim too close. “Well, now. Say hello to your new unit, bitch,” Fredricks sneered in her ear. There was a great deal of cover around the lake. The large boulders that made up the valley provided that cover. Two black clad men came forward as they noticed them standing at the top of the ridge. They motioned them down but Fredricks hung back and pulled his phone out of his pocket first. He waited. One of the men below pulled something from his hip. From their distance, Grace couldn’t pick out details but she surmised that the item was another satellite unit phone. Fredricks’ phone buzzed. A few brief code words were exchanged before the phone was closed and replaced into the front of his shirt pocket. He turned a self-satisfied smile to Grace. “Time to meet your future.” One hand gripped her upper arm and pushed her forward to begin the descent into the valley. “Wait!” That had come from one of the five remaining men. His eyes were scanning the crafts that bobbed on the surface of the lake. “I’m staying here. I’ve finished the job. I’m not walking into a death trap. Once they have her they could turn those guns on us from the air and cut us to ribbons.” “They just transferred the money. They wouldn’t have done that if they intended to kill us.” Fredricks insisted. “Good, you can transfer our share right here and now.” Fredricks tried to stare the man down, but the sun was starting to set and he wanted to get this finished before it was dark. If Grace managed to get free in the dark, it would be very difficult to recover her in this area. He pulled the phone back out and did as the man requested. Grace looked all the men over. She was pleased to discover that every last one of them was sporting a bruise or some other marks from her. She herself must be a sight but she had kept six men at a child’s pace for three days. She had also freed Beth. Grace sincerely hoped her friend made it to safety and remembered what to tell Jacobs. If Grace didn’t come out of this alive she could at least console herself with the thought that the two of them could be together. The time had come. It was do or die. Hairpins could come in handy. With the one secured in her palm she slipped the end into the lock on her cuffs. Her eyes scanned the trail. She would let Fredricks get her a quarter of the way down it. She needed the distance from the five men that had just turned and started back down the trail they had spent the day climbing. At the same time, she didn’t want to get too close to the men down by the water’s edge. The light was fading and that meant her best chance for escape was quickly approaching. Grace hung back making Fredricks once again drag her down the slope. She wanted him off-balance. The footing was uncertain, and her greatest fear was that she would lose her own balance and go tumbling down the trail. That could have

deadly results. It was exactly the fate Grace was planning for Fredricks. “You know something, I don’t think I’ve ever told you just what a pathetic excuse for an officer I think you are.” Fredricks stopped for a moment and narrowed his eyes in anger. Grace watched as he renewed his grip on the rope leash and leaned back to put all of his weight into the next pull. His muscles tightened and Grace struck. She whipped her hands around griping the rope while jumping into a front round kick. Her attack connected solidly, sending his body down the trail. Gunfire erupted from behind her and a bullet whizzed right over her head. Fredricks would shoot her rather than see her free. Pressing her back to a large boulder Grace watched in horror as several of the recently paid-off soldiers crested the top of the rise to add their weapons to the hunt. Gunfire filled the air, but Grace didn’t wait to discover who was shooting at her. Forcing her body forward she sought cover from the men on the rise. Fredricks took advantage of the backup and launched himself at her body. They wrestled for a moment, and then the ground seemed to slide out from underneath their struggling bodies. Grace had made it too far off of the trail. The force of impact tossed them onto the unstable granite slope that slid into the lake below. Covered by coarse eroded pebbles, it grated the exposed surface of both of their skin as they tumbled down the side of the canyon. Fredricks hooked his hands onto her arms and held with brutal strength as they slid down the rock face. The momentum of their trip increased as the rock face became steeper. The friction caused by their slide tore and scraped at their clothing and at the skin underneath. Despite her own distress, Grace could hear the sound of gunfire erupting from every corner of the valley. She briefly wondered at its cause before she was launched into the freezing depths of Mirror Lake. The water had to be just above the freezing point. It sucked the breath from her lungs. The cold water was stabbing and completely mind-numbing. They both broke the surface of the water gasping for breath. Grace felt herself being brutally shoved under the surface of the water again. She struggled with Fredricks, but he was strong and panic was lending him more strength. If she blacked out she was as good as dead. In desperation she used the only weapon she had, her psychic abilities. Grace had never used them as a weapon but she refused to let her life go without every effort. She halted her body’s struggle and hooked her hands into the bare flesh of his arms. Forcing herself to focus with the last of her consciousness Grace tried to pull a vision from Fredricks’ mind. Fredricks’ body convulsed with pain. He jackknifed up and away from Grace. The force of it pulled her above the surface of the lake allowing her burning lungs to gasp for air. Her numb fingers lost their grasp as Fredricks put several feet between them. His eyes were filled with rage and Grace saw the flash of his pistol as he leveled it at her. She immediately forced herself to dive beneath the water to seek escape.

***** Brice and Grant topped the rise just as the first round of gunfire erupted. They had

in fact been just thirty feet below Grace and her captors for the last three hours. It had taken every ounce of control he had to not interfere in their climb. Brice knew they were outgunned. He couldn’t take the chance that Grace would get caught in the crossfire. The minutes had ticked by like hours. Jacobs and his men were just on the other side of that rise. All they had to do was box them in. Grace had made it easy for them to get so close and to remain there. She was efficiently distracting her captors with her fight to remain on this side of the ridge. Despite the rage that ran through his body at her treatment, Brice felt pride beam from him as well. Grace was one tough customer and she wasn’t giving an inch. She was effectively diverting six trained men. No small feat. When the rest of the men had split off it had caused Brice and Grant to shuffle out of their way quickly. The first shots had forced their hand. The soldiers had quickly gained the rise and Brice had sprung after them. “Sheriff’s Department! Freeze!” Brice’s command sent panic through the unit of men. Two turned to face the threat and Brice fired before they got those high-powered rifles aimed at him. Grant backed him up. The other men dove for cover, as the valley erupted into gunfire. The three men just below the ridge were shooting at anything that moved. Brice and Grant had slowly cut around them to try and get a clear shot. Someone beat them to it. A short silence was followed by the sound of automatic gunfire. The identity of the shooters was revealed by the “Clear!” that was shouted afterwards. Looked like Jacobs was right on time with his Ranger Unit. The all-clear was short lived. Weapon fire echoed up the valley from multiple locations. The Rangers dove for cover even as they returned the fire. Brice found cover just in time to watch Grace and Fredricks slide into the water. At this elevation the lake was just above freezing and hypothermia would set in within ten minutes or less. The fight continued as they picked off the occupants of the helicopters. One of the pilots was still aboard one of the crafts and the machine swiftly lifted off the surface of the lake. The pilot seemed to hold no loyalty to the men that frantically waved at the craft from the ground. It lifted straight out of the valley and into the night. Exposing themselves in their attempt to contact the helicopter it was simple for the Sheriff’s personnel to secure those foolish enough to leave their cover. Some surrendered, the Rangers shot the rest. Between the Rangers and his deputies, a second “Clear!” was called. This time it was a good one. Brice traversed the trail that led to the shoreline of the lake in record time. Fredricks’ body was floating on the surface of the lake. Jacobs had the man covered but he wasn’t responding to any commands. Lights came on and lit up the area. Jacobs slowly relaxed his stance. Fredricks was dead. His ex-C.O.’s body floated with fixed and dilated eyes that stared into the night. The man had always been an ass but now he was also a traitor. Brice scanned the surface of the lake for any sign of Grace. The water was smooth just like a mirror. Not a single ripple disturbed it. “Grace!” “Search the shoreline.” Jacobs roared that command into his radio. Thirty men descended to the lakeshore and systematically followed the water’s edge

looking for Grace. Not a single rock was overlooked. They didn’t even find a footprint. Almost a half-hour had passed and Brice knew she couldn’t survive the temperature of the lake water for that amount of time. He just couldn’t believe that she had come so far to end up a victim of the icy depths. He paced the shoreline willing her to surface even while logic told him it was impossible.

***** Grace heard her name being shouted. It was rather far off, making it simple to ignore. There was far too much pain in that same place. It was so nice right here. She could sleep and rest. Grace very much wanted to rest. Someone shouted her name again. Grace pulled herself a little closer to the sound. Who was that? Someone familiar, Brice? A slight smile touched her face. The movement caused pain and she came closer to the sound with the pain. Her entire body started to complain as she came closer to being fully awake. Grace couldn’t remember ever hurting so much. Her very skin felt like it had been peeled away. The intense pain cleared her mind from sleep, and she ground her teeth together to keep from crying out with it. It was so cold! The kind of cold that tore into a person’s flesh and even ate at their bones. She looked at the shoreline of the lake. There was light now and she could see the men as they searched. Just what were they looking for? She couldn’t remember the assignment, and she didn’t care It was too cold and her body was filled with too much pain. Lifting her head, Grace looked at the underside of the helicopter that she was laying under. She was draped along the landing platoon on the bottom of the craft. The lights from the shore didn’t reach out this far. Her eyes fell on Brice as he paced the shoreline. Something was wrong but she couldn’t understand what. Her brain felt very fuzzy. “Brice!” Her voice didn’t want to cooperate with her command. The word came out between chattering teeth and not nearly loud enough to be heard some fifty feet away. “Grace!” This time it was louder, because both Brice and Jacobs had shouted her name together. In a moment of clarity Grace realized that she was slowly freezing to death. Hypothermia had set in. That was the reason she couldn’t think. She had to get their attention before she slipped into the water and drowned. Her brain started to blur again but she fought it, welcoming the pain to keep her coherent. She had to wake up. Her body was shaking just like a dog did when it was wet. Grace used every last bit of strength that she had to clear the cobwebs from her mind. By getting out of the water she had bought herself time. However, her perch was quickly becoming a deathtrap for her. Every second that she remained floating on the surface of the water, her body lost more heat. The helicopter that she was under was the furthest out from the shoreline. Directly in front of her, lights had been set up and were currently illuminating the area where the surviving men were sitting. She wasn’t sure if her body would make that distance in the frigid water.

Time was currently her greatest enemy. There was no point in debating the odds. She could die right here or take her chances in the water. Taking a final deep breath, Grace dove into the lake. The frigid temperature brought welcome relief from a great deal of her pain. The water was clear but with no sunlight it was transformed into a smoky crystal. As she surfaced for breath, Grace forced herself to find the shoreline. Her brain was trying to fog over but she held on to the fact that that shore was close. She forced her body forward, because the alternative was to go down.

***** The men sat in small groups. Conversation was hushed as well as rare. While the outcome of the mission was favorable, every man present knew that they had failed in their primary objective. Jacobs and Brice both stood in separate spots as they contemplated the lake. No one attempted to approach either man. Jacobs broke from his own thoughts long enough to call for some support aircraft. He had better move his prisoners out before he gave in to the urge to kill them. At the moment there was nothing he would like to do better Looking across the space that separated him from Brice, Jacobs thought for a moment. He wanted to know how deep the lake was but it could wait. Tomorrow would be soon enough. He would have to retrieve Grace’s body, but for now he would let her rest where she belonged, in the wild. Brice stood on the opposite side of the prisoners from Jacobs. He kept his eyes out over the lake surface. How could she have fought so hard to end up in the water? All day he had been just yards below her marveling at the way she kept up the battle. All of that and she had drowned. Over an hour had passed. Brice was too logical to keep up false hope. No, tomorrow as the sun rose, they would send down divers to recover her body. It would be accomplished all too easily. Jacobs would take it back to base and Brice imagined that the Army would erase all evidence that she had ever existed. Brice still couldn’t quite absorb the fact that she was dead. He could still feel the weight of those green eyes. Grace had been so tenacious in life that Brice wouldn’t be surprised to see her ghost haunt this lake. The air was filled with the sounds of approaching aircraft. Brice looked up as they circled the granite crater to begin their descent to the surface of the lake. The running lights of the craft lit up the area briefly. Brice watched the helicopter land, the craft settling just yards from the shoreline. Jacobs straightened his back and approached his pilot. He had eight prisoners that he wanted out of his sight, now It was with barely controlled violence that the bound men were hauled to their feet. Running a practiced eye over his men, Jacobs realized that he wasn’t the only man present that wanted more blood. They had to contain themselves and so would he. Jacobs sent a look over at Brice, the Sheriff’s Department personnel were his responsibility tonight. The look that Brice read off Jacobs’ face was clear enough. Brice left the shoreline to run a sharp eye over his people. Jacobs had the right idea. It was best if these prisoners were removed in all haste.

***** Raising her head up out of the water Grace gasped for breath. She forced her legs under her and her boots slipped in the mud that covered the bottom of the lake. Her body shook violently in its effort to warm itself. She stared stupidly at the helicopter that sat in front of her. She didn’t remember the aircraft being there. Who cared? She wanted out of this water; if that meant swimming under another machine, she would do it. Grace hadn’t thought it possible to get any colder but she was wrong. The rotor of this aircraft was still running. As she stood half out of the lake water, the air current that the rotor produced hit her wet clothing. The chilling wind brought her skin temperature down even further. Dropping back into the water, she crawled along the bottom of the lake. Grace kept her eyes fixed on the shore that was almost within reach. Her brain had room for only one thought, and that was to keep moving. Thankfully, the helicopter began to lift away. Her brain was giving into the cold. Grace welcomed the darkness that enclosed her from all sides. She would sink down into its welcoming, pain-free folds just as soon as she dragged herself onto that rock shore. The remaining two yards was almost unsurpassable. No, she would get out of this water! Grace commanded her body to get onto that shore. Her feet dug into the mud, and she pushed forward grateful to feel the solid stone of the shoreline under her hands. Using her hands and knees she pulled her body completely from the water. Grace sat on her knees with her hands braced onto the ground for support. Having gained her destination her numb mind was incapable of forming any other thought. Her eyes stared transfixed at the stone that had seemed so important to reach, she couldn’t remember why.

***** As the aircraft faded into the distance, the area was left in silence once again. It was with a subdued tone that men began to look for a place to make camp for the remainder of the night. The baying of the three bloodhounds was shockingly loud under the circumstances. Rudy set up a howling that was amazing in its intensity. Rudy gave a huge lunge that pulled his leash clean out of Allen’s hand. Every eye followed the mad charge the animal made to the darkened shoreline. “Sheriff!” Deputy Allen reached down to lavish praise onto his partner. Rudy had found his target. Brice had already turned to follow his deputy. The dog stopped not more than twenty feet from where he stood. It was pitch black now. Brice stared at the slight figure that knelt on the shoreline in disbelief. Where had the person come from? He had been watching the helicopter lift off from that spot not more than three minutes ago. Rudy was still baying. The bloodhound stuck his nose against the person before he

resumed his barking. Stepping up closer to the person, Brice aimed the beam of his flashlight at its face. “Grace?” Someway, somehow, she had survived. Brice slid to his knees in front of her. Her eyes were fixed onto the rock that she knelt on and her face was chalk white. Her clothing stuck to her body as the excess water pooled onto the rock she knelt on. Reaching a hand out he sucked in his breath at the chill that came from her body. Brice raised a hand to her throat to feel for a pulse. She didn’t move or even blink. Her eyes simply stayed focused on the granite rock that she knelt on. “Grace? Talk to me.” She didn’t even blink in response. “Jacobs!” Brice didn’t wait for the man to find him. He thrust his hand beneath her knees and lifted her from her perch. Her body was as limp as a rag but her eyes stayed fixed and dilated. Jacobs wasn’t sure what Brice had found but he sure as hell hadn’t expected it to be Grace. His hand shook slightly as he pressed it to the column of her throat. “Jesus!” He swore at the temperature of her body. “Medic!” Lights swirled before her eyes and Grace imagined that they had to be on a Christmas tree because of the multiple colors. Odd, but she couldn’t remember if it was Christmas or not. Maybe it was Christmas, because it was very cold. There must be snow on the ground. She loved snow, Daddy would take her out and they would play. First she would have to ask her mother to help her put her snowsuit on. There she was, her mama always had the nicest smile for her and she was holding out a hand to Grace. Raising her arm Grace reached for her mother’s hand. Her mother was telling her to wait, but why? Grace wanted to go now. No, her mother was firm, she must wait. The colored lights faded and her body burned. Slowly Grace tried to take in what surrounded her. The stars were bright. Benton, she was still in Benton County. Strong, steady eyes looked at her. Was that Brice? She would have to ask later. Right now she wanted to go back to her parents. It had been so long, she would go back… “Grace? Open your eyes!” Jacobs slapped her cheek but she didn’t even flutter her eyelids. Her eyes had stayed open and fixed while her heart stopped. Now she closed them but she had a steady pulse. He needed to get her to a hospital fast. If she coded again like that he just might lose her. The helicopter was three minutes out but they would be ready when it got here. The medic and Brice finished strapping Grace onto the stretcher and the three men climbed to their feet and hauled it toward the water’s edge. It took less than thirty seconds to load the aircraft. Both Jacobs and Brice kept a firm hand on that stretcher and an eye on the cardiac monitor on top Grace’s chest. It had to be the longest flight of both of their lives.

***** The eye of the storm was just starting to appear. Grace waited impatiently for it. She wanted to wake up. Something important needed to be done. She couldn’t remember what. She drifted as she waited. Time halted. Her mind began to dissipate.

No, she would wake up She would not let the eye pass. It was over her now. She could wake up if she wanted to. It seemed to be more of an effort than normal. Grace did not relent. She promised her body she would sleep again soon. Now she would wake and remember what it was that she needed to know. Grace forced herself to break through the last layers of sleep. Forced herself into consciousness. Lifting her eyelids she took in her surroundings. It was very dim in the room. That sort of dimness that came from heavy blinds blocking out the sunlight. That was the only thought that made it across her brain before the pain hit her. It was blinding. Intense and worse than she had felt in a very long time. Grace couldn’t even identify the source. Her entire body seemed to be screaming in unison. She jackknifed her body upwards attempting to escape it. Deeper pain resulted from the movement. It forced the breath from her body as tears fell from her eyes. Grace had her jaw clenched so tight; it was a wonder that she didn’t crack her teeth. Her body was distracting her so completely that there could have been twenty people in the room and Grace doubted that she would have noticed. “Grace, lie down.” Snapping her head aroundGrace tried to make her brain function long enough to recognize the man that was trying to force her back down onto the bed. He was insisting and it was too painful to resist. Grace closed her eyes as another wave of pain came with the movement of lying down. “Brice?” “Nice of you to join us.” Her brain was still very fuzzy but pieces began to float across it in a tangled collage: Fredricks, the freezing lake, Brice had been pacing along the shoreline. He had been yelling at her. Why? For the life of her, Grace couldn’t remember. “Why were you yelling at me?” she demanded. Brice looked at her for a moment. It was clear that she was disoriented. It was also clear that she was in intense pain. Maybe the woman did hate drugs, but by the look of her, Brice was willing to inject her himself. He looked across the bed and locked eyes with Jacobs. “I’m going to get a nurse in here.” “I’ve got it covered Brice.” Jacobs pulled his own medical kit from the side table and pulled a pre-drawn syringe from it. Pulling the cap from it he used the I.V. that was still inserted into her arm. The firm grip on her wrist caused her to snap her head around. Grace watched the injection for a moment before she raised her eyes to see just who was administering it. “If that was adrenaline, I will hurt you!” She couldn’t take any more pain just now. Jacobs only gave her a gentle smile. Grace turned her head around to look at Brice. He was wearing the same smile. So what did that mean? Grace felt like there was more wool between her ears on a sheep had. The pain began to recede and she sighed in relief. That was much better. However with the relief of the pain, her body relaxed right back into sleep. Grace fought it. She wanted to think. She wanted to ask… about… Beth. Brice watched her relax into sleep. For the first time since they had gotten her to the medical center she was truly resting. He should have insisted on the pain medication earlier. Her brief consciousness at least gave Brice the assurance that she truly was on the

road to recovery. Considering the condition that he had found her in up at Mirror Lake, Brice welcomed the reassurance. He still had no idea how she had gotten onto the shore but he didn’t care. She was alive. Brice intended to be properly grateful for the miracle. The first twelve hours that she had been at the medical center had passed at a snail’s pace. Dr. Fenton had been unable to get her body temperature up to normal. Despite Jacobs’ assurances that that was normal, the doctor had made some grim predictions. Her heart had not stopped again and Brice and Jacobs had setup in the intensive care unit and waited. Twelve hours later, just as Jacobs had predicted, her body temperature rose to a fever. The wound on her shoulder had become infected, and her body was attempting to fight it. Dr. Fenton had been amazed by her progress and moved her to a normal ward. If the hospital staff found it odd that both Brice and Jacobs remained constantly by Grace’s bedside, no one voiced the opinion. Brice looked at Jacobs for a moment. The man hadn’t called for a nurse to administer that injection. It made sense that he would be a medic. He was responsible for Grace in all situations. Brice considered that for a moment. Why were they sitting in the medical center then? Grace hated it here. It was going to be hard enough to keep her in bed. At least at his place she would be more comfortable. Besides, Brice wasn’t taking any more chances with her safety. Keeping her out of sight would keep this from happening again. His mountain was secure; Brice was impatient to see her securely settled away from any prying eyes. As innocent as the local residents might be, the information they could spread was not. “Is there any reason to stay here?” Brice asked to make certain. Jacobs rubbed his jaw for a moment. He could take care of Grace. Fact was he was itching to get out of the place himself. There was only one real problem with Brice’s house. “I can’t land the bird close enough to your place.” “How large a spot do you want?” “Just how would you be planning on accomplishing this project?” Running his eyes over Grace again, Brice tightened his face. “I believe I have come to understand your position of keeping her out of sight.” A hard nod was Jacobs’ response. “This is a logging town. I just might know a couple of guys that could be encouraged to be a little careless with their heavy equipment.” “Brice that will only buy you a reprieve.” The walls of reality were closing in on him. The look on Jacobs’ face wasn’t needed. Just looking at Grace and her list of injuries was enough. She could not survive in his world. The wall of secrecy the Army surrounded her with kept her from becoming a commodity worth dying to obtain. Taking her up onto his mountain would give them time, nothing more. Even though he knew it was going to make it harder to let her go, Brice would do it anyway. For now, he could wrap her in enough protection to allow her to recover. His protection. “I know. But I’ll take what I can get.”

***** Despite the pain he knew was heading Brice’s way, Jacobs just couldn’t contain a grin. It would seem that Grace had found herself a champion. The sheriff was going to cause trouble that was for sure. Jacobs’ orders clearly stated that he was to pull out immediately if that ever happened. Turvel had given those orders. However, Traitor Turvel had been removed from command and hopefully very soon he would be removed from life. A rather unpleasant smile crossed Jacobs’ face. The man was a traitor. In his opinion, Turvel wasn’t going to get half of what he deserved. Running his eyes over the sleeping woman, Jacobs let his anger show on his face. Yes, he would enjoy watching Turvel get what was coming to him. Grace was nothing but a mass of bruises. It was only the fact that she was still alive that kept Turvel breathing. She was going to drive him to drink while she healed, Jacobs decided. Then again, if he moved her back into Brice’s house, the good sheriff could try his hand at riding herd over her. He was now in charge completely of his unit. General Slynn had noted that it might be wiser to be in direct contact with the man that was on the front line. That attitude was extending itself to Grace as well. Slynn wanted a meeting with her as soon as she was fit. He himself had only met the general a handful of times. The outcome of that interview could have life-changing results for both of them. That interview would have to wait. Grace needed to have her mind focused when she went up against Slynn. For now, he’d sleep a lot better with her conveniently out of the way, just in case Turvel had any brothers out there.

Chapter Twelve Grace didn’t remember the next few days. She woke and slept again. Nothing was clear. Sometime during that time she had been moved. She liked it much better here, but didn’t have a clue where she was, just that it was different than the last time she’d been awake. Opening her eyes a day later Grace surveyed her surroundings. She was on pain medication. She knew it immediately. For Grace that meant that she felt like one of her senses was completely cut off. It was as alarming as finding yourself suddenly deaf or blind. The dosage of medication had to be high or it would not be such a complete block out. Grace lifted her hands. There was no I.V., which meant it was being delivered by injection. Grace looked at her surroundings again. The scent of the room was what triggered reconnection. Brice. She was in Brice’s house again. The guestroom was familiar and oddly comforting. Judging from the light that filtered through the blinds it was early afternoon.

Grace pushed herself up. There was pain but not enough to keep her down. She swung her legs off the bed to stand up. She wasn’t exactly sure where she was going as her brain was still not functioning. Getting on her feet was nothing more than a basic survival skill. The sudden change of position caused her head to swim dizzily. She slapped her hands down onto the top of the dresser to stay on her feet. The slapping sound brought immediate response. Grace had pushed herself back onto her feet by the time the booted footfalls got to the bedroom door. Jacobs stopped and gave her a slow smile. That was his girl for you, right back on her feet. True, she was just about to fall over, but she had gotten up under her own power. Grace watched the smile on Jacobs’ face. She slowly gave him one back. Her memory was clearing. She had made it. The question she had wanted to ask was coming clear. “Beth?” Jacobs’ smile became broader as he stepped into the room. He gently gripped her biceps and sat her back down onto the bed. “She’s fine.” Grace watched him as he settled her back into the bed. Jacobs sat on the edge of the bed for a moment and she watched those hazel eyes assess her. Pulling her arms free of the blanket that he had tucked around her she lifted her hands to gently rub them along his jaw line for a second. It felt good to be secure again. “Sleep, Gracie, we’ve got some decisions to make when you’re ready.” That was by far one of the oddest statements that she could remember Jacobs ever making.

***** That statement kept her mind occupied for the next couple of weeks. Jacobs refused to discuss it until he deemed her ready. Brice was cordial almost to a fault. Grace flatly refused to stay in bed during the day. Two weeks later Grace decided that enough was enough. She refused the pain medication. Her body ached, but she needed to think, even if it was out of focus. That wasn’t what was really bothering Grace. Brice was. Maybe her understanding of emotional relationships was weak, but it didn’t take a psychologist to notice the change in Brice’s attitude. He was cutting her a very wide path. A month ago, she would have been delighted to see him halt his pursuit, now it disturbed her greatly. Maybe he had pulled back because he discovered that he just couldn’t deal with the dangers that her life entailed. Grace considered that. No, that was not the problem. If that were the case, then he would have done it after she had been shot. She continued to ponder the question. The last time they had made love it had felt like they had melted into the same person. Having him treat her like a stranger left her feeling very vulnerable. That feeling further unsettled her mind. Despair came on the heels of feeling exposed, causing her to pace the confines of the porch in her distress. Everything seemed to be crumbling inside her. Pain was slicing

along her emotions and she had no idea how to stop it. Being torn apart by an outside force was almost more than she could bear. Having Brice reject her was unendurable. Abruptly, Grace turned, leaving the porch as she walked back to the oldest source of stability that she knew. The forest welcomed her with its timeless silence. The house itself had so much of its owner in it that she sought escape from it and the despair that was churning inside her. Her surging emotions lent her strength and she pushed up the hill and found herself at the edge of the lake. Staring at the water she recalled the first time she had seen it. So many things had changed. Was it only three months ago? Why didn’t she understand? Her emotions were erupting like a volcano and nothing made sense. Except that something was wrong. She wanted something so badly that it was tearing a hole inside of her. What was it? It all centered on Brice, but the definition eluded her. Brice stood and watched her distress. He had barely caught up with her. That was due to the fact that he had stopped to tell Jacobs to take a hike and leave them alone. It had taken every bit of strength he possessed to give her this much time. He still wasn’t any closer to finding a solution to the problem but he just couldn’t keep his distance any longer. Something was upsetting her greatly. Her respiration had still not slowed. Her eyes would tell him what the problem was. Those emeralds never lied. All he needed to do was to turn her around and get a look at her. Grace was normally so composed that it doubled the impact to see this much emotion coming from her. Brice stepped towards her. He made his steps heavy so that she would hear them. He didn’t want to get into a struggle with her by startling her. She heard him and whipped around. Grace almost screamed in frustration! She had no idea what she was feeling. All that she knew was that Brice was the center of it all. She needed to be alone to sort it out. Her eyes took in those steady brown ones and everything inside her seemed to shatter into tiny fragments. The female inside of her surged upwards leaping at the chance to be united with what it considered to be its mate. The wave of emotion was so thick she was drowning in it. Those damn eyes of his prodded at her demanding an explanation that she herself didn’t have. He extended his hand out and she jerked herself out of his range. “Come here, Grace.” His body filled with anger as she violently shook her head. She wanted him It was painted across those emerald eyes of hers. Why was she fighting it? Brice didn’t know but he sure as hell meant to find out. He carefully watched her eyes waiting for an opening. She returned the stare taking a second to try and assess him in return. That second of inattention was the opening that Brice needed. He sprang at her clamping his arms around her body. She bucked and struggled like a frightened doe. Grace knew a lot about fighting and Brice found it a struggle to keep her contained. Well, he also knew a thing or two. Keeping his arms locked around her body, Brice pushed her back over his leg and followed her body to the forest floor. She knew the strategy, but he was still twice her size. Brice had her pinned to the ground in short order.

Grace was so mad it hurt Why was he doing this? She flashed her anger at him with her eyes but refused to give him the benefit of demanding to be released. The beast knew she wanted up. There was no reason to vocalize the demand. “Grace, why do we always end up like this?” “Get off of me!” “What do you want to run from Grace? Me or yourself?” “I… I don’t… you aren’t.” Brice searched her eyes for the answer that she seemed unable to voice. He saw the confusion but didn’t understand the cause. Brice tried to think, but having her body pressed to him was having a huge effect on his own desire. Something was upsetting her greatly, but her body was sending out clear signals that the animal inside of Brice was reading loud and clear. Grace saw it coming. His eyes turned smoky with desire and she knew when he gave up the fight to ignore it. Brice lowered his head until their lips met. He demanded and she couldn’t seem to find the will to resist. Her lips parted, as his possession became complete. The tide washed over her again and Grace simply didn’t care anymore. This was Brice. He was the other half of her and she could not deny it. Her body demanded his. Her own lips became fierce as she kissed him back. She wanted so much and he was the only one who could fill that emptiness. Brice felt the change in her body immediately. He didn’t have a clue as to why, but he’d find that out later. Right now he wanted this woman. Right here. Right now. They were like two primal creatures. Both had tracked each other across the forest. Her clothing was a barrier that he couldn’t tolerate. With a firm hand on the back of her neck, Brice tipped her face up to his. “You will not shut me out, Grace.” His voice was full of angry intention. This man wasn’t going to tolerate something as shallow as intercourse. He wanted her from her flesh to the very center of her mind. He wouldn’t let her take back that surrender she’d yielded to him in his tent. His mouth took hers with undisguised hunger. His tongue parted her lips and demanded possession. The hand on her neck turned her head to suit him. Pulling them both to their feet, Brice growled. “Take your clothes off.” He gave her a bare foot of distance with his command. Shutting him out had made him furious. Now, the man in front of her wanted her obedience as penitence. His hard eyes watched her fingers as they pushed each button of her shirt open. Heat climbed up her chest as he continued to watch her pull the shirt off and reach for the hook of her bra. Baring her breasts seemed rather revealing and she hesitated. “Let me see you, Grace.” His husky voice gave her the confidence she seemed to lack and Grace dropped her garment leaving her breasts for his eyes. She didn’t rush through the process, his eyes seemed to enjoy her obedience too much and the heat inside her body doubled. She dropped her last garment to the forest floor and waited. His brown eyes raked her and glittered with approval. Brice didn’t take his time with his own clothes. He ripped his shirt off and his jeans followed quickly. The only attention he gave to the chore was to lay his garments over her own to make them a bed. “Now, come here.” Brice extended his hand. The gesture was a reminder of the trust

that she harbored for him. It was also a symbol of his pride. He wanted her to come to him. Grace had no intentions of disappointing him. Placing her hand into his, Grace found herself pulled up into his embrace. Their bodies collided with a force that could only have been created by nature. The blending of male and female was completely perfect in every detail. Grace ran her hands along the hard planes of his body delighting in his strength. Brice slowly explored the soft curves of her body marveling in her capacity to accept his hardness. Lowering their bodies to the ground, Brice made sure she was on their clothing. She was covered with scratches and deep purple bruises from her ordeal. He wouldn’t see the pine needles add to it. “I love your skin. It smells delicate.” She laughed as Brice hands moved up her sides. “I’m not delicate.” “Compared to me, you are.” Brice nipped her neck with his teeth and sucked on the spot as she gasped with surprise. Grace shuddered at his words. She suddenly felt completely helpless against his power. His hand was gripping her neck again as his thumb gently rubbed at her nape. But it was the suggestion of capture that made her quiver. She was on her back while he rolled half onto her in a gentle pin that she didn’t have a chance of upsetting without his permission. His face was ruthless as a hand rolled first one nipple, then the other and his eyes watched her face for a response. He was going to make her submit. “I warned you to stop running, Grace.” His hand left her breasts and moved over her belly towards her sex. The folds began to throb in anticipation of his touch. “Now, I’ m going to remind you why you belong to me.” His finger parted her and landed on her clitoris. She arched with the sensation but his hand on her nape suddenly gripped her and kept her face aligned with him. “Keep your eyes open.” Grace did because his finger had become completely still. She would do anything if he would just move that hand and give her some relief. Her thighs fell open in invitation and he began to stroke her throbbing flesh. But instead of giving her relief he played her body with teasing strokes that intensified the ache. His eyes studied her, as he never actually touched her clitoris again. “Brice… ” He smiled in triumph and pulled his hand away. He moved and the cool air hit her warm body. A second later, her body convulsed as his mouth replaced that finger. Grace flung herself up but he pushed her back onto her back as he applied his lips to her sex. She fell back and shivered. Grace had never dreamed she could feel like this. His mouth was unbearably hot as he sucked her clitoris into his mouth and flicked it with the tip of his tongue. Climax loomed in front of her but he stopped and grinned instead. “Not yet, sweetheart.” But she gasped as he used his hands to pull the folds of her body apart. The tip of his tongue flicked around her center and up towards her exposed clitoris and then down again. Brice watched her strain on the pile of clothes and continued to torment her. Her

body was flung back as she arched her hips up towards his mouth. His staff was throbbing with need and he waited just a bit longer until she was on the edge. Abruptly, Brice stopped and sat up. Her eyes immediately snapped open and flew to his face. But the green emeralds didn’t stay there. Her eyes dropped to his erect staff as she eyed it with hunger. She flipped up in a second and Brice grinned. He loved watching her come to him. Sitting on his knees he waited and watched her face as she considered him. So he wanted to play? Well, Grace would give him a taste of his own medicine. Taking his staff in her hands she applied her own mouth to it and listened to his breathing become harsh. His hand tangled in her hair and she took the flesh deeper into her mouth. She felt the jump and pulse of his penis just as he yanked up her head away. “You learn too quickly, Grace.” “Are you complaining?” Grace reached for his sex and gripped it in a solid hold as he gasped again. He pushed her down and followed her with his body. His penis probed at her sex and pushed in to possess her. “I’m not complaining.” Brice impaled her with his staff and her body stretched to admit him. He pulled back and thrust again because they were both beyond any more gentleness. It was a hard ride as he pounded into her body and she came with him. Her gasping pleasure shattered his control and Brice ground himself into her passage. Rolling himself to his back, Brice pulled her with him draping her along his body. His desire was momentarily appeased. “Grace, we can stay out here all night if you want to keep running.” Grace lifted her head listening intently for a moment. Brice started to ask her what she heard but her hand covered his lips to halt the question. A slight whine started to fill the air. Brice knew the sound now. Brice couldn’t believe his good luck. The helicopter came into view as it lifted away from the mountain and disappeared into the night. Grace’s expression was almost funny. Brice stood up and found his boots. He looked back at Grace. “I told Jacobs to take a hike and find his own girlfriend. You’re busy tonight.” Grace simply stared at him. She wasn’t sure she could find a comment for that. She couldn’t remember the last time Jacobs had left her. Actually she could, it was over two years ago, and the last time he had gone on leave. Grace wasn’t given more time to think about it however. Brice jerked his pants on and scooped up their clothing as he pulled her to her feet. He wrapped his shirt around her as she stepped into her discarded boots. He kept hold of her hand and pulled her barely covered body behind him. Oddly enough the contact didn’t bother her. It simply seemed right. Brice led her into the quiet house and he secured it before gripping her hand again and leading her to his bedroom. Grace was too busy trying to decide just what had changed Brice’s attitude. She came to her senses as she stood next to the king-size bed that occupied the room. Despite the semi-darkness of the room Brice noticed the hesitant look on Grace’s face. He stopped for a moment to survey her. Something was certainly churning away inside her. It wasn’t their physical relationship. She wanted it as much as he did. His brain searched for the answer and he silently cursed himself when he found it. Having broken down her walls to free her emotions, he should have remembered

that she was very inexperienced with dealing with them. If Brice could have given himself a good right cross he would have done so. He had made love to her up at camp and then the next time he saw her he avoided her for two weeks. His intentions had been for the best, but that didn’t change the fact that this time the barrier between them was one he’d constructed himself. Grace stood and observed Brice. He was busy contemplating her. Grace really wished she knew what he had on his mind. It was odd but being in his room with him seemed very much a form of commitment to her. Yes, she had physically shared her body with him. By sharing his bed it seemed that she was almost defining them as a couple. “Grace, you’re thinking too much again.” Brice walked over to tilt her head up. She watched him with those emeralds of hers. “Excessive conversation is a distraction.” “Shutting the entire world out isn’t healthy either.” A slow grin worked its way across her lips. “I know a few officers that would disagree with you. Besides, men don’t like women to talk.” Pulling her down onto the bed with him, Brice considered her statement. Living her life with a bunch of Special Forces soldiers he could just imagine the kind of talk that she was drawing information on relationships from. “Grace, Rangers don’t talk about women. They talk about… ” “The most effective method of getting laid without forming a commitment.” The firm belief that ran in her voice caused Brice to shift in frustration. Too many people had spent a lifetime convincing this woman that she was to serve while expecting nothing in return. Maybe there wasn’t a solution but just possibly he could teach her something that made life worth going through. “This isn’t getting laid. It’s called making love, and believe me there is a very big difference.” Watching his eyes turn smoky, Grace let her own display her hunger. Somewhere between them lay a companionship that she still found baffling. Reaching for her hairpins, she pulled them out of her hair. “Show me.”

***** Another sunset and it had been a beautiful one, just like every other one in the three weeks after she escaped Beth sat on a bench watching as the first stars began to fill the darkened sky. They were dim compared to what she was used to. Here on base there was just too much artificial light. “Ms. Stewart?” Beth stood up to follow her escort. She had been out here a long time, but it wasn’t like she had anything better to do. The escort returned her to the secured wing that she was staying in. Beth had been here a little over three weeks now. Although the first week

had been spent mostly in bed. Once back inside the building her security bracelet was checked back into the main system. Beth had the freedom of the building. That wasn’t exactly saying much. At the moment she was the only person here. Along with guards at every exit and even a few that simply patrolled the premises. Oh, yes. It had been explained to her that it was for her protection. Every effort was made to make her comfortable, but a cage was still a cage Beth settled down in one of the common areas and tried to read. She just wished someone would call her and tell her what was going on Not someone, Jacobs. Beth was really trying to be patient, but she was so worried about Grace. Lord, she hoped that her friend wasn’t still out in the woods with that madman. The other alternative was so upsetting that Beth avoided thinking about it at all. She tried to take hope in the fact that she hadn’t heard from Jacobs, which meant that he was busy with Grace. Right? Beth hoped so anyway. She wasn’t completely in the dark. Beth understood the seriousness of her position. She smiled slightly. Well, if General Slynn had failed to impress it upon her, her father certainly had. The only phone call that she had been allowed was with her father. Her father had been kind but firm. She had better not disgrace the family name by being difficult. Then he had turned into a father and demanded to know why he hadn’t met this young man. Half the county knew about it before he did. Beth set her face into a frown. Her father wanted to meet Jacobs? Well, she’d like to see the man herself The last memory she had of him was when he slapped her to get her attention. The next time she woke up she had been here. Now it was three weeks later. The only thing of note that she had done had been to pull Turvel out of a lineup. It gave her immense satisfaction to point her finger at the man. The General kept asking her if she was certain. Beth had finally informed the General that when someone gave the order to have you shot, you tended to remember the face She did in fact understand what it meant to finger the man. She may not be in the military but she had been raised on a base, and completely understood what the word treason meant. General Slynn had finally nodded. Beth had been behind a one-way window for the lineup. She’d picked the man out of three different lineups. There had been four in all but Turvel had been excluded from the third one to see if she would finger someone else. Beth hadn’t. She knew who her man was. They could change his clothes but she knew his face and would, without fail, remember it for the rest of her life. Realizing that she had been reading the same page for the last half-hour, Beth closed the book. Tonight she was just too restless. Beth walked around the common area for a time. It wasn’t very big. It consisted of a couple of sofas and a television. There was one corridor that led to her sleeping quarters and the opposite direction led to the kitchen. That was it. The only windows were immediately next to the doors. There were four entrances to the building. Beth wasn’t allowed within twenty feet of them. Beth turned her wrist up examining the silver bracelet that was strapped to it. It had a red liquid crystal screen that stared back at her. The device was used to track her and had an alarm that activated if she got within ten feet of any of the doors. This facility was just one step away from lockup, both criminals and witnesses alike were held here. Anyone that didn’t quite rate the stark conditions of a cell was placed here. Beth supposed she should be grateful that this base had a facility like this one. Many Army

bases didn’t. She didn’t really want to contemplate just where she would be laying down her head in that event. “Ms. Stewart?” Beth turned to find a fresh-faced young man looking at her. “Yes?” “Please come with me.” Beth straightened her shoulders. It wasn’t like she had a whole lot else to do. The man was leading her back toward the main entrance of the building. Maybe her dad had called. Beth would welcome a friendly voice tonight. Beth wasn’t led to one of the telephones, instead there were four security personnel waiting at the front desk. Beth noticed that her jacket and duffel bag were already being held by one of the men. The silver bracelet was removed from her arm by one of the front desk personnel. Beth barely had time to note the absence before another of the security personnel secured a different one onto her wrist. As soon as the soldier finished securing the monitor, her coat was held out for her and she left the building with her escort. It looked like it was moving day. Not that anyone seemed to think she needed to know anything. The door of a plain, gray-colored sedan was opened for her. Beth slid into the back seat. She had wanted something to do. It looked like she had gotten her wish. Even looking out the window of the car as it pulled away from the curb was something more interesting than what she had been doing. Beth had only been allowed short walks around the building that she had been housed in. They seemed to be on their way to the opposite side of the base. Beth took in the equipment and aircraft as they passed it. The car made a stop and all the windows rolled down. The car was completely inspected and identification checked before it was allowed through a heavily guarded gate. Beth looked around with increased curiosity. This was a high security area; extremely off-limits to civilians like herself. In fact, it was off-limits to three-quarters of the Army. Beth had been to similar places with her father a few times. There was less to see here because most of it was stored in hangers out of sight from the air. The car passed through another gate before it came to a stop. Beth stepped out when the door was opened for her. They were on a huge landing pad designed for helicopters. There were in fact a number of them around. Several different models and colors. Beth was handed over to two Rangers. One of them took her bag before he started to lead her through the maze of machinery. They passed through another gate and Beth found herself looking at some of the meanest looking machines that she had ever seen. Even her dad had never shown her this kind of stuff. There were four black helicopters directly in front of her. They were ultra modern, coal black things. They just looked deadly. Her escort halted. Beth watched as one of the Rangers left to make his way over to a group of men that stood between the two machines. They were all clothed in black flight suits. When the Ranger got their attention, every single one of them turned around to pin their eyes on her. Beth felt like she had just been dropped into a den of wild wolves. They all moved forward in a pack. Beth held her ground only by sheer force of will. She had no idea what she had done to gain this group’s attention, but she reminded herself to never do it again Beth straightened her back and fought the urge to squirm. The entire group stopped just steps from her and boldly assessed her. Beth began to wonder if she shouldn’t turn around to make sure they didn’t miss anything. A second later every last one of them

snapped to attention including salutes. Beth turned around to see what had caused that reaction. Maybe it was General Slynn. General Slynn was in his early sixties. The two men that were walking across the black top were definitely not in the same age group. Even in a black flight suit and mirrored glasses, Beth recognized the men. Jacobs lifted his hand to return his men’s salute. He ran his eyes over Beth. She still had to be the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. He could tell she was just a little nervous standing there with his men giving her the once-over. Jacobs tightened his face as he noticed that in fact a few of his men were now taking the time to look her backside over. Beth saw the look and turned around to find the cause. Two of the men had the grace to look guilty, the rest just grinned at her. Beth propped her hands onto her hips. “I don’t suppose anyone would care to inspect my teeth?” Beth narrowed her eyes as a mixture of affirmative answers came back at her. “Sure.” “Definitely.” “Love to.” “Absolutely.” Beth shook her head. Never give a group like this an opening. She reached over and pulled her duffel bag away from the man that held it. She turned herself back around to face Jacobs. He slowly pulled his glasses off and placed them in the front pocket of his flight suit. Now there was his feisty girl. Reaching out he took the duffel bag from her and tossed it back to the man that had held it. He reached for her arm next and pulled it out straight. Beth watched as Jacobs took a slim black control box of some kind and placed it next to the unit that was strapped to her wrist. A couple of high-pitched chirps issued from both units before he released her arm. “Sorry, Ms. Stewart, General’s orders.” She briefly considered arguing the point. Maybe she should save it for a battle that she had more chance of winning. Beth’s father was fond of instructing her to only charge in when she had a chance of getting her hands on the prize. The security bracelet had been on her arm when she had woken up here. Chances were, it was staying right there until this whole thing was finished. At least she was out of that building. Jacobs continued on to one of those black helicopters. Beth started to follow but then stopped. That was the best example of restricted hardware that she had ever seen. Beth had no intentions of getting close to it until she was told to do so. She was in this mess because she had seen too much. There was no need to stack the deck further against herself. Pulling the passenger side door open, Jacobs was surprised to notice that Beth had not kept pace with him. He was too used to Grace knowing her way around the Unit. Beth was standing almost exactly where he’d left her. She had her arms crossed across her chest and was watching him with those blue eyes of hers. “If you think I’m moving before being told to, you don’t know my daddy very well. ” Jacobs let a slow smile slide across his face. He did tend to forget that she was an

Army brat. She had identified this as a restricted area, and wasn’t making a move until she was directed to do so. It was a very healthy attitude for his woman to have. “Hope you like to fly.” Beth relaxed and started walking towards the open door of the helicopter. Jacobs was wearing that lopsided grin of his. It made him much more approachable. Beth hesitated before she climbed into the aircraft. She needed to know about Grace… Jacobs’ face didn’t give her even a hint, but he clearly expected her to get into the aircraft without any information. A hard edge entered his hazel eyes as her hesitation lengthened. Beth shook her head before she climbed into the seat. The door of the aircraft was firmly shut a second later. The interior of it was silent except for a slight electronic hum. Beth ran curious eyes over the various controls in the cockpit. The pilot’ s door opened and Beth was delighted to see that Jacobs was climbing into that seat. “Now,” Jacobs said as he pulled the door shut. He reached over to pull Beth out of her seat and into his lap. Capturing the side of her head in his palm, he firmly settled his mouth on top of hers. Beth was a little shocked to find herself in his lap but nothing mattered as he started to move his lips across hers. She just melted and wrapped her arms around his neck. This was the man that she had missed. Jacobs placed her back into her seat. The disappointed look on her face made him grind his teeth together in frustration. It was going to be a long flight. “Strap in.” Beth pulled the shoulder harness on. The aircraft pulled off the pad. Beth watched as the base was left behind. She listened as Jacobs spoke with the other craft in their group. She enjoyed the rich tones of his voice. Truth was, she enjoyed the fact that he was back. A hundred questions crowded her mind. She firmly kept them to herself. She had known that starting a relationship with this man meant uncertainty. Jacobs would talk to her when he was ready. A large hand reached out to capture hers in a warm hold. Beth turned her head around and locked eyes with Jacobs. He gave her a smile. Beth felt herself returning it. He was happy to see her too. “Flying bother you?” Beth tilted her head a bit. They were flying smooth as a whisper. She surmised that he was keeping it slow and easy for her sake. In fact, Jacobs wasn’t even paying that much attention to controlling the aircraft. It was a bit annoying to discover that he thought she was so faint-hearted. She was a little tougher than that. “I’ll let you know when we start flying.” Jacobs took in the expectant look on her face. So she didn’t care for the soft treatment. Desire snaked up his spine. He had forgotten the fact that Beth was all woman. She had been through a rough ride out there with Fredricks. Jacobs half expected her to be having difficulty dealing with it. He had purposely left her in a secure location this long to give her time to recover emotionally. It would appear that she was taking it all in stride. Even the psychologist that had debriefed Beth mentioned that she was very well adjusted. No complaints. Beth had asked very few questions. He could see the wheels turning inside her head. She had questions. For some reason she was keeping them to

herself. Beth wanted to see him fly? “Hold on.”

***** Grace slowly moved her hand along Brice’s chest. They had been making love for hours. Yet she still delighted in touching the warm muscle that covered the man. Her fingers traveled up and among the soft hair that covered him. He wasn’t asleep. He wanted answers. Their rational thought processes may have been on different wavelengths, but their bodies were in perfect harmony. It amazed her to feel this way. Her body simply fit with his and Grace couldn’t seem to even think about separating them. They had satisfied each other several times, yet they always returned to this companionship. Brice could have rolled away, but he didn’ t. Grace may be new to sexual relationships, but she knew that the couple didn’t always end up in the middle of the bed after intercourse was finished. It had been the same up in his tent. Grace had woken up with him wrapped around her. She had thought at first that maybe it was just the cold. Now she knew it was more. The question was, just what was it? Logic told her to simply ask Brice what it was about. For some unknown reason, she held back from doing that. Was she afraid of the answer? Grace considered that possibility. She couldn’t lie to herself. She was very emotionally entangled with Brice. Between the trust and the attraction, something was growing that her mind refused to define. The one thing abundantly clear was the fact that Grace wanted to stay right here. It felt completely right to be in his bed with him. What was more, Grace didn’t want anyone else in Brice’s bed. The concept of jealousy opened a can of worms that Grace had been avoiding. She had come to the conclusion up in those mountains that she wanted something more from life. While Grace wasn’t sure just what that was, she did know that she would have to fight for it. Turvel was gone. As soon as Jacobs decided that she was recovered, there would be a quiet trial and the man would simply disappear. In the world where Grace lived her life, there was very little use for due process. Turvel had known that. Grace held no pity for the man. He deserved what was coming his way. That meant General Slynn was going to be setting the parameters for her life. Grace had never been in the position to make demands before. She wasn’t sure she was now. She just couldn’t go back to the way it had been. There had to be some middle ground where it could all meet. It really depended on whether or not the General was even open to discussing it with her. Grace tightened her face. He would discuss it with her! Grace wasn’t holding many cards in this game, but she had a few. One of her best ones happened to be the fact that they could not force her to work. Both pain and drugs destroyed her abilities, but she needed the Army too. She couldn’t just walk away clean. That would leave her very vulnerable to attack. Brice shifted and rolled her onto her back. Grace watched the glitter of his eyes as he

watched her in the dark. She could feel the arousal that slowly began to build inside his body again. It transferred itself to her through every touch, every breath that she drew. “Talk to me, Grace.” His voice was rough with the edge of passion. Grace pushed up away from the bed and rolled Brice onto his back. He allowed her to do it and she sat herself on top of his hips. Slowly she drew the length of her hair across his bare chest. She was rewarded with his swift intake of breath. Brice tried to think. She was making it impossible. She was sitting on top of him like some forest creature. Her nude breasts thrust forward, gleaming in the moonlight that filled the room. Brice moved his hands up to capture both of the firm mounds of flesh. She leaned into his hands and lifted her hips to slowly impale herself onto his flesh. “I’ve been talking all night, I know you understand me.” Grace rose and fell on him. He was gripping her hips now, and she was stunned by the primal glory that was displayed on his face. She kept her pace slow and even because she could tell that it was driving him to the edge. Brice tried to move her faster but she refused his demand. His eyes locked with hers, he did understand her. It was her turn to take him someplace new. Her hips continued their dance, and Brice felt the sensation tighten in an almost unbearable hold. Moving herself slightly faster, Grace watched in fascination as Brice surged up to meet her body. He bucked under her and thrust himself forcefully into her. She clamped her thighs around his hips and held him within herself. She felt the jerk and pulse of his flesh as he started to empty himself into her body. Her own body reacted with primal instinct and she moaned as pleasure spiked through her. Brice was just opening his eyes when she started to come. He watched as her face betrayed her pleasure. Yes, he did understand her. Sitting up he captured her head between his hands and slowly kissed her. Rolling her beneath his body he started to move within her again. “Stay with me, Grace.” Her body slowly moved with his and she answered him with it. She would try.

Chapter Thirteen The sun was fully up. Brice rolled over and stretched out his arms. His eyes opened but he already knew that the bed was empty except for him. Looking over at the floor he noticed that her clothes were missing as well. That woman could move more silently than a cat. Forcing his body out of the bed, Brice headed for the shower. He wanted to talk to Grace. It was truly amazing. For the first time in his life he had found a woman that didn ’t talk him to death. Instead he was left wishing she would talk. Reflecting upon it now, Brice realized that they had in fact had very few conversations. That didn’t mean they hadn’t communicated. They had communicated all night long. Brice turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. He felt about eight feet tall today. In an odd twist of fate, he had met one of the most fascinating women that the planet had to offer. She was as wild as a forest

creature, and Brice had no intentions of asking her to change. He found it arousing the way she sought the land. He also found it arousing the way she sought him out. Stopping in front of the bedroom window, Brice slowly scanned the forest. She was out there right now. He would be very surprised to discover her still inside the house. Looking at the landing pad that broke the forest, Brice frowned. It served as a blatant reminder of how much was unsettled at the moment. Brice had never felt the urge to bind a woman to him before. Now, it was powerful. Her scent lingered in his room. Despite the fact that he had sated his body with her several times during the night, Brice wanted her again. It was more than just sexual desire that drove him. Brice wanted to bind her to him so completely that she would never leave him. Nothing short of that commitment would satisfy him. Making his way into the kitchen, Brice smelled the very welcome scent of coffee in the morning air. Pouring himself a mug, Brice noticed that the back door stood open. Stepping out onto the porch he noticed that Jacobs was watching the forest intently. There was a great deal of tension coming from the man. Raising his mug up to hide his smile, Brice watched with interest. “She does love her morning walks.” A low growl came from Jacobs as he shot Brice a heated look. “I’m going to break someone’s neck.” He had eight men on duty around the clock. No one had seen Grace leave. He expected better from his men. Grace was playing cat and mouse. Seeing if she could get out. The fact that she had succeeded was insulting. Normally she carried a paging unit. The unit was the one thing that he had introduced to their working relationship. Grace agreed to never ignore a page and he let her have the freedom to walk as she pleased. He had not given the unit back to her yet. He had hoped to put off this confrontation for another week. Grace seemed to disagree. Jacobs lifted his coffee to his lips. Well, maybe it was time to have that talk with her. It could be that was all she wanted. He had to admit that she had a right to a little information. Now he just needed to find her.

***** Sometimes it was amazing how easy it was to observe some people. If you had enough control of your body and patience. Grace idly watched the Ranger in front of her. She was four feet from the man and had been for the last two hours. Now she had to be careful. She did not want to startle the man. Grace would prefer not to get shot again anytime soon. She had a point to make. A little bit longer would see it done. She was almost certain that Jacobs was looking for her now, but as Beth had pointed out, men were thick. Grace would stay out here a while longer to ensure that he got the message. Jacobs was going to explain that odd statement of his today. Grace was taking a hand in her own life and she intended for Jacobs to be the first to understand the new rules. Information was going to be shared on a much more open basis. As difficult as she herself might find it, she and Jacobs were going to start having conversations. The Ranger slowly moved on. He was running a search pattern. They were all linked together by radio. The small device was in his ear with a slim microphone that

wrapped slightly around his jaw, toward his mouth. Jacobs had to be looking for her. It was well into the morning now. Sunlight filtered down among the trees. Grace had to move slowly now. It would be easy for her to be spotted. She had made it to where she wanted to be. The helicopter pad was directly in front of her. She would not be able to cross it without being seen. However, it was not her intention to go undetected any longer. Jacobs would understand her statement clearly. Pushing herself away from the tree, Grace walked directly towards the lead aircraft. The command to halt was completely ignored. Grace reached for the handle of the passenger side door. It identified her fingerprints allowing her to pull the door of the craft open shutting herself inside before the sentry got close enough to stop her. She depressed the lock button and watched as the man tried to get the door open. He would fail and so would his partner. Grace settled back into the seat to wait. She had spent far too many hours in this seat. In some ways there was a familiar comfort to the spot. It paled in comparison to the warmth that she had found with the sheriff of Benton County. He had asked her to stay. Grace had no idea just how long that was for, but she intended to be here to find out. Her emotions were no longer churning. Instead they had grown into a mass of living and breathing life that Grace felt she was unable to separate herself from. It would take ripping pieces off of herself to leave it. The door opened, pulling Grace back to her purpose. Jacobs settled himself into the cockpit. She turned herself sideways to look at him. His hazel eyes were watching her. He contemplated her for a time. “A person could wish you’d learn to just ask.” Those emerald eyes simply regarded him in mild amusement. Jacobs slowly shook his head. She had asked him in her own way. Sometimes she reminded him of a caged animal. No matter how tame you believed it to be, its spirit was still wild. Grace simply had no use for the complexities of society. “I’d like to know what happened, I don’t remember much after I hit the water.” Jacobs slowly nodded his head in agreement. Grace listened to the information on the outcome of her kidnapping. Fredricks had suffered a brain hemorrhage of some sort. Beth had positively identified Turvel as having been involved. Three of the other men involved had also incriminated the man. They had been taken into custody up at Mirror Lake and were now turning evidence to try and help themselves. Her would-be owners were mostly dead and the few that had been captured were tight-lipped. General Slynn was demanding a trial soon. That suited Grace just fine. “You clear enough to go through with that now?” Grace considered Jacobs question. No, things were not clear. Maybe he had a point. She was only going to get one chance at this. She should do it with herself focused. “I see your point.” She replied as another thought crossed her mind. “Is Beth here?” “Thought you and Brice were going to have all the fun?” Grace narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. “No need to be crude, Jacobs.” “Thanks for getting her out of there.” Jacobs’ face went serious with his sentiments. “Beth is stronger than you give her credit for.”

“I’m beginning to notice that.” “Thanks for getting me out of it too.” Grace stuck her hand out between their two seats. Jacobs clasped it with his own hand and gave it a hard squeeze of affection. “Where do you want to go from here, Gracie?” Grace rolled her eyes at the use of that name. “I don’t know, I guess it depends on whether or not Brice wants a bunch of house guests or not.” “The man built a landing pad in his backyard.” Jacobs delivered that with dry humor. “So, maybe he wants me to stick around, for now.”

***** Grace watched the orange and red flames dance. Brice had built a fire in the master bedroom hearth. A slight smile crossed her face. Brice was currently propped up on an elbow behind her, idly running a hand over her naked breasts. When he had returned from town tonight, Brice very politely tipped his hat to Beth before tossing Grace over his shoulder like a sack of laundry. One solid kick from a boot-clad foot had slammed the master bedroom door shut. That had been some time ago. The wood had been pre-stacked in the hearth. It had begun to get cold in the room. Grace didn’t think Brice was cold. The heat that came from his body told her that. He had lit the fire anyway. Grace had striped the comforter from the bed and here they were. “What did you and Jacobs decide today?” Brice felt the tension that his question caused in her body. Too bad. It had driven him crazy for most of the day. He had half expected to find them gone when he got home tonight. He had no intention of going through that again tomorrow. “Is it really so hard to talk to me?” Grace felt a stab of guilt. She was used to the uncertainty of her life. That didn’t mean that Brice was. Sitting up, she turned to face him. Those brown eyes of his were staring at her. “I’m sorry, conversation isn’t exactly one of my strong points.” “I’ve noticed.” The dry humor in his statement made her smile. “I have to go deal with this whole thing soon.” Brice pushed himself up to listen to her. He considered his next question. “Are you going to fight for some rights?” Her eyes sharpened. Brice didn’t change his expression. “Did you really think I hadn’t noticed?” “It would be easier, if you hadn’t.” Grace informed him. She watched as anger began to burn in his eyes. He started to speak but she held her hand up to stop him. “There are certain things that I intend to ask for. There is little point in asking for the

impossible. I will always work with this unit. I know you want answers, but you should consider very carefully what you ask for.” Brice watched her with hard eyes. She was trying to shut him out. Clearly showing him where the line between her world and his ran. He found that completely unacceptable. “You’re willing to continue just as you have been?” Grace couldn’t tell just what Brice was after. Something had trespassed onto his moral code. “No… ” She said slowly “Good. Then don’t let it happen.” Brice informed her. He had spent most of the day thinking about how to keep her in Benton County, in his life. “Marry me.” “Excuse me?” Brice slowly smiled. She had almost choked. It was a good thing that he had a steady ego. That wasn’t exactly the kind of response that any man would like to receive to a proposal of marriage. However, considering that he was dealing with Grace, the very fact that she wasn’t headed for the door seemed almost promising. Those damn brown eyes were steady as a rock. How dare he be steady after placing a trap like that out into the middle of her road? Marry him? It was completely out of the question. Still, a reckless desire to say “Yes” invaded her logical thoughts. Her eyes widened as the emotion swept her body. It was blossoming up inside of her like a poppy in spring. Grace had never considered marriage in regards to herself. What man on this planet could accept the second place standing that would come with binding himself to her? Brice had to be one of the worst possible candidates. He was the law in this county. Yet she was out of his jurisdiction. Was that the reason he had proposed, to make it harder for her to disappear? That made much more sense than the idea of him actually wanting to marry her. Those beautiful emerald eyes were growing large and round. Brice could see her brain working frantically to sort out her thoughts. She really did think too much. He found that he didn’t want her to be thinking just now. The firelight was turning her skin to deep ruby. Her lack of modesty amazed him. Whenever she was out of this room, she was covered from head to toe. But when they were here, she never made a move to hide her body from him. Reaching out, Brice curled his arm around her waist to bring her body into contact with his. Their flesh met and desire surged through his body. Brice watched as her eyes reflected her budding desire. Yes, he did want to bind her to him, in every possible way in this life. She was his mate, his counterpart, and he would do whatever it took to force her to admit it. Her body acknowledged it, now all Brice needed to do was get her to stop trying to reason it out. Her curves melted and fused with his body in a symphony that went beyond sexual fulfillment. It even went beyond love. “Marry me, Grace. Be my wife. Have our baby.” His mouth settled on top of hers and blocked out her refusal. She tried to turn her head, but he followed her. Demanding her surrender. The temptation to accept him was strong, and her body was weak. Grace struggled to remain in control but her passion and his words undermined her will. She would not

buckle! But she would meet him, somewhere in the middle. Her lips moved with his and she surged forward to greet him. This was Brice. Grace had never been so complete as she was when they were together. Their bodies moved together intimately as the outside world was forgotten.

***** The sun was just starting to set. Grace loved it here. The forest. The people. In three months, her life had somehow taken an unexpected turn and was now sitting poised in front of a doorway that led to… happiness? How could that be? It seemed so achievable. Grace knew there had to be something that she was overlooking. Grace stood and looked at the face of the dying sun on the water. She was avoiding the issue that was foremost in her thoughts. Brice’s marriage proposal. It was amazing how much a single question could upset her life. Was it a question that she should answer? Maybe she should just walk into General Slynn’s office and inform him that she was getting married. That would certainly set an interesting mood. It just might get her thrown into the lockup. At the very least, shipped out to the Middle East. As her thoughts moved, so did her body. Grace climbed the nearby hills as she tried to sort herself out. She really wished she knew just why Brice had asked her to marry him. Was he attempting to become her Knight Protector? If so, she would decline. Marriage vows were sacred to her. By accepting Brice into her body, she had already formed a very strong bond. That bond grew stronger every time they joined together. It hit her with sudden clarity that she was completely out of control. Grace forced herself to move faster. Even as she did so, she knew that she could not escape her emotions. “Is there a reason why you’re wearing yourself out?” Grace whipped her head about. She had known someone was there. She had just assumed it was one of the Rangers. They tended to stay out of her way while they trailed her. She was never left truly alone. Brice stood a few feet behind her. He was still in his tan uniform. Her eyes ran over the symbol of his office that was neatly pinned onto his chest. Brice wondered why his badge was holding her attention. She had seen him in uniform before. Tonight it held her interest. At the moment she reminded him of the first time he had tracked her down. She had one of her masks firmly in place and her body was drawn tight and unyielding. He crossed his arms over his chest while he considered her. She was pulling away from him. “Come on. I think it’s time to get this show on the road.” His meaning slowly became clear. Grace simply smiled. Yes, it was time! Whatever happened it sure wouldn’t be worse than this waiting. Brice extended his hand and she placed her own firmly into it. “Let’s go.”

***** The lights of the base landing pad were blindingly bright tonight. Grace had forgotten just how much the base reminded her of a stone cell. Concrete covered the earth, and the few plants that were allowed, were contained and limited. A delicate shudder ran over her body. A large warm hand ran over her shoulder. Grace looked up into Brice’s warm eyes. “Cold?” Grace shook her head and started to leave it at that. The frustration that was reflected in his eyes caught her attention. “I like Benton better. There is too much concrete here.” Brice had not been expecting her to give him an explanation. The fact that she was making an effort pleased him greatly. He ran his hand over her neck to lightly rub at the tension that was there. It was late, maybe ten-thirty. Jacobs had gone in search of securing quarters for them. For the short term, Brice had moved both women inside a flight hanger and he and four of the men that had traveled with them. Grace seemed to be at ease with the armed escort. Beth, however, was notably nervous. Something about Beth was gaining Grace’s attention. Brice seemed to notice it also. Grace studied the girl for a time. She was trying very hard, but the close proximity of the armed men was making her jumpy. Reaching out, Grace grasped the other woman’s hand. Beth had made Grace feel comfortable in her world, now it was time for Grace to return the favor. This was her world. While Beth was holding up extremely well, it was in fact a lot to ask, for her to ignore all the automatic weapons that were currently present. Grace pulled Beth with her as she slowly began to circle the hanger. It was a large one and would help to pass the time. Beth gave a sigh of relief as she noted that the Rangers were observing them, but not following them. The walking gave her something to keep her mind from racing. It dawned on her just why Grace walked so much. Beth had thought it very odd this past week the amount of time that Grace had spent hiking. Brice would no sooner leave for town than Grace would make her way out the back door of the house. She never took anything with her and very often she wouldn’t return until sunset. “I think I’m beginning to understand your affection for hiking,” Beth told Grace. “It helps.” “Is it always like this?” Beth asked that before she thought better. “Yes, it is always like this. Sometimes there are more. Sometimes less, whether or not you see them, but they are always around.” “Why did you answer my question?” Beth asked that in a quiet tone. They had reached the far side of the hanger and Grace stopped to look at her friend. They would not be overheard here. “Because it’s more than time that we stopped expecting you to play dumb.” “Damn straight it is!” Beth answered her companion. “I’m sorry, did I say that out loud?”

Grace couldn’t help but laugh. Beth had a sense of humor that just infected her. “Now, it might be a little more difficult to get that fact through to Jacobs. As you have pointed out to me, men are thick.” Beth gave her a slow smile. “I think I’ll leave it to your imagination,” Grace told Beth. “Be careful, Beth. Before you ask those questions, think very carefully. Jacobs will not leave this unit. That means you will have to get used to the lack of privacy. I think you need to understand that you will only get one opportunity to get out.” Grace locked green eyes with Beth for a moment. “Consider the choice very carefully Beth. You will only have one chance.” As they circled the hanger again, Beth continued to dwell on what Grace had said. Beth understood that she knew too much as it was. Between Jacobs and her father’s influence, it was still possible for her to walk away. However, she was straddling the fence. Beth had no idea what could happen to her if she didn’t have people looking out for her. People who knew too much tended to disappear. Beth didn’t think they would physically harm her, but that still left a lot of room for alternatives. Something told her she was much better off not knowing just what some of those options might be.

***** A pair of hazel eyes watched the two women as they walked. Jacobs really wished he knew what Grace was up to. Beth’s entire body language had changed. It had been bothering him for the last week about what to do with Beth. She knew too much. “Makes me rather nervous to see those two with their heads together,” Brice informed him. “Amen!” “Are they going to release Beth?” Jacobs’ eyes took on a hard edge. Brice returned it. “It’s time for some answers. Beth is my responsibility, too. She’s a resident of Benton County. I can see the writing on the wall. I’m interested just where you stand on it.” Brice bore up to Jacobs’ hard stare. Maybe he should toss the ball into the sheriff’s court to see what he would do with it. “I guess a lot depends on what you plan to do about Grace.” “I plan to marry her, watch her tummy get large with my baby and spend the next few decades trying to understand how her mind works.” Jacobs felt like someone had nailed him square in the gut. The expression on Brice’s face told him that the man was dead serious. “And just what does Grace think about that?” “She’s still getting used to the idea,” Brice informed him. Jacobs would just bet that she was. Brice had to be one of the best strategists that he had ever met. The man was cutting off Grace’s avenues of escape. When Grace didn’t want to discuss an issue, she didn’t. Brice intended to make certain that the topic came up.

“Brice, the brass is never going to let that happen.” “I wondered when you’d get around to having this conversation with me.” Brice noted the distaste in Jacobs’ eyes as he searched for just the right words. “Save it. There is no way I am going to forget her. If my only option is to put a uniform back on, then I’ll adjust.” “That doesn’t ensure you a posting to my unit.” Brice grinned as he took in the frustration behind Jacobs’ voice. Becoming the man’s junior officer would be abrasive at the very least. “Well, I still have a few friends out there. But there’s one thing you might consider before trying to stop it from happening.” “And that would be?” “There is no one else you can pull in that will take her safety quite so seriously.”

***** Jacobs led the group to a secure wing of residential quarters. Access was restricted, so there was no reason for their escort to remain. Jacobs caught Grace as she passed him and snapped the silver bracelet on to her wrist. She looked up to find Jacobs waiting for her reaction. Grace simply shrugged her shoulders and followed Beth into the room. Beth sat down on the double bed and slowly began to take her boots off. She was tired, but had been hoping to spend these last few hours with Jacobs. But, they weren’t married and the base had strict rules for the housing of single officers. She looked up and noticed that Grace was still standing. She hadn’t even put her duffel bag down. The room was stifling in Grace’s opinion. She had forgotten how much she disliked base housing. Especially secured housing. With a groan of frustration, she placed her bag on the floor by the bed. It was close to midnight. Sleep, she imagined would elude her but she would make the pretense of it for Beth’s sake. The high-pitched chirping sound of Beth’s bracelet interrupted the silence in the room. Beth looked at the device that was strapped to her arm like it was a spider. “Jacobs is adjusting the distance,” Grace explained, “My guess would be that they are sleeping on the other side of the building.” Beth looked at the silver bracelet that was adorning Grace’s wrist. “So, we’re tagged and locked in under guard. What’s next? The camera in the corner?” “No. Jacobs would have just bunked in here with us instead,” Grace informed her companion. “Isn’t that against base policy?” Beth asked as she stretched out on the bed. “In case it has escaped your notice, we’re not covered by the policy book.” “At least not the published one,” Beth declared. Grace lay down next to Beth with her mind full of tomorrow’s meeting and its importance to her future. She intended to give General Slynn no option but to accept her terms.

***** Cold blue eyes raked over Grace for the hundredth time. She refused to flinch. General Slynn had been making his best effort to get a reaction out of her. So far, she had denied him. He questioned her repeatedly about her involvement with Colonel Stephen Fredricks. Both during her kidnapping and during the year that he ran the Unit. The questioning continued on to include her involvement with Turvel. Grace had expected an interrogation. She was however running very short of patience at the moment. The very tone of this session seemed to indicate that she was responsible for the chain of events. Grace knew that she shouldn’t let the man’s opinion of her bother her, but it did. It was in fact scraping her nerves raw. Grace finally just stopped answering the General’s questions. He wasn’t worth the effort. “You will answer the question!” Slynn raked her with his eyes again. Disappointment was rapidly climbing along her spine. Grace considered just why that was so. What else had she expected? That a high-level officer was going to actually give her some say in her life? That had been a lot to hope for. But she did have hopes. Along with dreams and longings that sat inside her heart crumbling at the callous disregard this man aimed at her. “No, I think we’re finished.” “You are finished when I say so, lady.” A slow smile crept across her face. One thing was going to change today; she wasn’t a lady. Grace was going to have the satisfaction of telling this man to go to hell “Take your orders and be damned!” “I’ll see you eat those words.” Grace raked her eyes over the rage the man’s face was currently etched with. Too bad. She was finished holding her tongue She refused to become his tool, if the only other option was to become a thorn in his backside, then she would adapt “Really? Just what did you have in mind? A life of servitude without a single return?” “You get first-class protection in return, girlie!” “You seem to be rather short of psychics. If you want my efficiency rate to remain where it is, I suggest you adjust your attitude.” “You’re flirting with insubordination.” “It’s better than being run on a leash.” A slow laugh started to work its way up his body. Well, now. She was one hell of a bitch! It was really too bad that he couldn’t take credit for training her. The General had never seen a female Ranger before. Grace watched as the General’s body shook with laughter. Not loud but low and deep. His face transformed into a slight look of admiration. For her? That would be a new one. Grace continued to observe the man. She was uncertain just what to make of him in his present mood. The man had been trying to grind her into powder for the last three hours. Now he was sitting there amused? And people said she behaved oddly!

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” The General extended his hand across the desk. Grace regarded his hand for a time. No commanding officer, other than Jacobs had ever willingly touched her. He kept his hand extended as she watched him. Grace stuck her hand out and clasped his. The man didn’t flinch but returned her grasp with his own firm one. “Well now, it seems we do have some things to discuss.” Grace couldn’t have agreed more.

***** It was well after four in the afternoon when Grace finally finished her meeting with General Slynn. She was actually beginning to like the man. Just a bit. The day was running very long now and Grace wanted nothing more than to get outside of the walls that enclosed her at the moment. Fall was quickly approaching. It was being carried on the afternoon breeze. Grace decided that it must have been a beautiful day in Benton. The blacktop stretched out in front of her and she surveyed it dispassionately. She wanted to walk, but not here. Grace had spent endless hours walking the confines of the base, in the past. At the moment, the gated area reminded her of a large dog pen. A slight step behind her caused her attention to shift. Grace turned to find Jacobs standing next to her. He was still wearing his game face. Rock hard. Grace simply returned it. His eyes started to twinkle as one of his lopsided grins split his face. Grace felt an answering smile cross her own features. Jacobs leaned over to scoop her up into a hug. “You need to learn how to hug, Gracie.” “Go play with someone your own size.” “Yes, ma’am.” Her pager came sailing through the air as Jacobs turned away. Catching the unit, she slipped it onto her belt with an action that was effortless from countless repetitions. “Going somewhere?” It shouldn’t have surprised her that Brice had found her. He would search her out no matter their location. The link that bound them was stronger than any barrier that life could construct to separate them. Grace looked in the eyes of the sheriff of Benton County. Everything that she had ever needed sat looking back at her—steady, strong and completely honest. She would never completely understand him, but she would never understand herself either. “I might be.” Crossing his arms over his chestBrice kept his face set. Knowing their separation was coming didn’t keep the blow from landing with any less force. “If you can handle all my baggage, my answer is yes.” His forehead creased in thought. Reaching up, Grace smoothed the skin as she searched his eyes. “Yes, I will marry you.” Her fingertips settled over his lips to seal them shut.

“But that landing pad is going to get bigger and I have this rather testy C.O. that will insist on hanging around. He’ll probably want to move right onto your property along with a host of other inconveniences.” Her hand was twisted away from his face and held in a bone-crushing grip. Grace got a quick glimpse at his joy before he turned on his heel and used his grip on her hand to pull her along with him. The pace he set forced her to a near jog to keep up. It wasn’t until he stopped that she recovered enough breath to question his behavior. “Brice, what are you… ” “Can I help you?” Grace stared at the nurse that issued that question. Brice had dragged them both into the base hospital. “We need blood tests for our marriage license.” It was such a common request that the nurse simply motioned her two clients to follow her. These enlisted boys were always so eager to get married. “Brice, it’s not that simple.” Picking her up by her waist, Brice sat her on the table that the nurse indicated. His fingers worked at the buttons that held her shirt closed at her wrist. Rolling her sleeve up he locked his eyes with her emerald ones. “Grace, I’m taking you home. We’ll figure the rest out later.” “Home?” Her voice betrayed the confusion that her emotions were causing to run inside that head of hers. Brice simply grinned, he was going to enjoy upsetting her world. “Yes, home!”

Chapter Fourteen Spring was in the air again. Grace felt the change in the weather. There were still a few patches of snow on the forest floor. Slowly walking along the back patio, Grace looked up at the half-finished house that was being built two hundred yards up the hill. The sounds of construction drifted on the morning air. The home had been started the season before. Construction was forced to a halt when the snow started to drift. Jacobs and Beth had spent their second winter in the back guestroom. This year, however, they would move to their own home. Brice and Jacobs were both currently working on the roof of the house. Grace watched as they secured roof tiles to the framing of the house. Brice dragged her to the chapel the second that nurse finished drawing their blood. The twenty-four hours needed to complete the testing had not pleased him. Having gained the opportunity to legally bind them together, Brice had thrust through the barriers with amazing force. Somehow he’d persuaded the Chaplain to marry them despite their lack of paper work. In fact they were pronounced husband and wife before the sun had set. Grace smiled. Did it truly matter? She had been bound to the man from the moment

she met him. There were a few interesting moments just before their wedding had begun. The Chaplain asked for Grace’s maiden name. General Slynn had given Grace a wide avenue of freedom. She had a home. She even had a bank account now, complete with monthly pay. However, she still didn’t have a public past. Her birth family name would not be following her into her future. The man had never encountered a bride without a maiden name and a few moments stretched out awkwardly. Jacobs had stepped forward to inform the man that she was his sister. If the man had doubts about the truth of that statement, he kept them to himself, duly noting Jacobs on her marriage license. This was home now. Grace was truly amazed to discover that she had a home. She and Jacobs still worked the unit and a hanger had been added to the landing pad. Well, Grace thought, they hadn’t been working for the last five months. Grace ran a hand over her distended tummy. She had hidden the pregnancy from Jacobs for almost five months. They had been out tracking down a pair of lost hikers in California when he noticed that her flight suit didn’t quite fit any longer. It had not been a high point in their relationship. Grace felt her pregnancy was a very personal thing. The child that grew within her was something that she was very aware of. Grace could feel its presence every minute of the day. She knew when it slept and when it was awake. If something did go wrong, then she would ask for help. That had not happened. It was a private thing between her and Brice. He spent hours laying in front of the fireplace in their room. Brice would hold her in front of him and simply stroke her belly. Another pain crossed her body. Grace took one last look to ensure that she would not have company anytime soon. Her son was ready to be born and Grace wanted privacy for the birth. Brice would have a fit but this was a personal time for her. Her husband would have to understand. Grace intended to birth her child where he had been conceived. A hospital was completely out of the question. If she needed help, her pager lay close at hand. Grace had never feared pain and now was no exception. It was not quite noon when Grace came back onto the patio. The sun had chased the chill from the air. Grace contemplated her son in the bright light of day. She had bathed and dressed the child in preparation to greet his father. The baby looked up at her with her own emerald green eyes. Grace had known that the child would have her eyes. She had felt it before its birth, and now as Grace held her son she knew that she had brought another gifted child into the world. It would be interesting to see what abilities he held. The baby amazed Grace. How was it possible to love something so much? This small creature that she felt she already knew was a living, breathing expression of her love for Brice. It was almost as if their love had broken off a small piece and now she held it in her arms. This child would carry on the love that his parents had shared long after they were gone. Starting up the hill, Grace carried her son to meet his father. Standing next to the house, Grace looked up at the two men who were still working on the roof. It would have been simple to have the home built, but Jacobs was enjoying doing the work himself. Brice seemed to enjoy it as well. Beth came around the corner and smiled at her. As she came closer, her face reflected slight shock as she noticed the child. She came closer to stare at the newborn

infant. “You give the rest of us women a bad name,” Beth informed her. “What did you say?” That had come from Jacobs. He hung his head over the edge of the roof in search of his wife. He grinned as he caught sight of the two women together. Grace calmly waited for him to notice the baby. Jacobs had keen eyesight, and it didn’t take very long. He pulled his head up out of sight and Grace listened to the whistle that he let out to get Brice’s attention. Grace watched as her husband descended the ladder with breakneck speed. He had discarded his shirt at some point and she ran her eyes over his chest. He had already started on a tan from working on the roof. As the season progressed Grace knew that he would turn brown. He looked at her with a mixture of wonder and frustration. His wife simply returned his look with that steady confidence of hers. Brice shook his head. He decided that he should be grateful that she hadn’t taken off into the forest to have their baby. She was just as much a wild creature today as she had been when he had met her. Brice slowly looked at his son. The baby lifted its eyelids to display its emerald eyes. Brice took the child and held him. A son. Brice looked up at Grace and smiled into his wife’s eyes. She had given him so much and now she had given him a son. Despite the fact that it seemed inadequate, Brice said it anyway. “I love you.” Grace knew that. She lifted her emerald eyes to lock with the steady brown ones of her husband. The bond between them never stopped strengthening. It was her greatest source of security now. They were bound together by the bonds of family. It was complete. It was whole. It was love.

About the author: I write to reassure myself that reality really is survivable. Between traffic jams and children’s sporting schedules, there is romance lurking for anyone with the imagination to find it. I spend my days making corsets and petticoats as a historical costumer. If you send me an invitation marked formal dress, you’d better give a date or I just might show up wearing my bustle. I love to read a good romance and with the completion of my first novel, I’ve discovered I am addicted to writing these stories as well. Dream big or you might never get beyond your front yard. I love to hear what you think of my writing: [email protected]. Mary welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at P.O. Box 787, Hudson, Ohio 44236-0787.