Freefall. Jodie Bailey

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СКАЧАТЬ Jackson winked as he straightened and ran his hand down his polo over his chest. “Want to grab some dinner? You can tell me all about your visions of chaos, and I can tell you all about how Lauren dumped me last night.”

      This time Cassidy winced. “Ouch. She did?”

      He cocked his arm and swung like he was taking a major league pitch. “Strike three. I’m out. Reese takes the walk of defeat back to the dugout.”

      “Yeah, okay.” She ushered him out of the room and flipped off the light, then pulled the door shut behind her. “If I know you, there are six more in the bullpen waiting to pitch to you.”

      “You one of ’em?”

      Her laugh was hollow as she tested the door lock. What made him bring that up today? Of all people, Jackson knew best that she would never be involved in another relationship, not without some sort of lifetime guarantee. Something that said if it broke, she could get her wasted years back. “You know better. I’ll let you take me to dinner. Then I’m going home to start my weekend. My nice, quiet weekend.”

      * * *

      Shane slipped the back door closed and stopped. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the late-evening light outside faded. He stared across the kitchen, listening for sounds of movement in the house.

      He’d left her office determined to make her see the danger she faced. If she refused to believe the truth and something happened to her that he could have prevented...

      It hadn’t taken much effort to find out where she lived, but his intention to wait in the driveway and try to talk to her was thwarted when he drew near the house and saw the man he’d chased earlier slip into the side door of the garage. His only thought had been to protect Cassy, so he’d parked down the street and edged along the side of the travel trailer sitting on the lawn to the left of the garage, noting it still bore the bumper sticker from when Cassy and he had taken it on their first trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

      A rustling above his head stilled his movements. For an instant, he thought about charging up the stairs to play hero, but he had no idea of the layout of the house. If the intruder heard him coming and hid, he wouldn’t have a prayer of getting out of this without a confrontation he’d have to explain to the police. Shane couldn’t see that one ending well. They’d forget all about the arsonist he’d followed and want to know what he was doing uninvited inside his ex-wife’s house. Know what the penalty is in North Carolina for stalking, son?

      There had to be a way to draw the guy out, get eyes on him. Shane let his gaze travel the room again as a soft thud drifted through the ceiling. And there was his answer, lying on the counter in front of the toaster oven. A garage door opener.

      Shane crept along the granite counter, snagged the opener and slid into the short hallway between the kitchen and what appeared to be a dining room. Pressing his back against the wall, he pushed the button and shifted into a defensive position as the garage door’s movements rumbled through the walls.

      A curse and a flurry of noise echoed from above, then silence engulfed the house.

      Trying to discern slight sounds, Shane held his breath. No footsteps thudded toward him. Surely he wasn’t headed for the front door. Maybe...

      Adrenaline jerked at his muscles. Was the guy lying in wait for Cassy? Shane narrowed his eyes and hit the button again, listening as the door ground into place, ready to defend if necessary. If it was Cassy they wanted, it was Cassy they’d think they were getting.

      Easing around the corner, Shane opened what he judged to be the garage door and slammed it, then slipped back to his hiding place.

      A man stood in front of him, silhouetted by the dining-room windows. Muted light glinted off the blade of a knife.

      Shane judged the other man’s bulk in an instant. His adversary had two inches and twenty pounds on him. That, and there was the blade of the knife that made height and weight irrelevant.

      Well, nobody had ever said going against a drug smuggler would be easy. Ducking his head, Shane lowered his shoulder and charged.

      TWO

      “You have got to be kidding me.” Cassidy dropped her head against the back of her SUV’s seat and stared through the Trailblazer’s windshield into thick, gooey darkness. It was like Murphy and his laws followed her around, blowing up cars in the parking lot, inviting her ex-husband into her office, knocking her power out in a storm just as her garage door closed.

      There wasn’t a tornado warning she didn’t know about, was there? Because it sure wouldn’t surprise her if she blinked and found herself in a storm-tossed Kansas cornfield.

      Maybe she’d forget the idea of her bed and sleep right here. The way things were going, her cell would ring and the soldier on twenty-four-hour staff duty would call her back into work anyway.

      Thunder cracked a shudder through her. It was doubtful she’d ever get over the adrenaline rush that came with booming thunderstorms, especially if cars insisted on blowing up outside her office.

      The army had been easier when she was younger. Multiple trips to the “Sandbox” of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan had sapped her of any form of resilience. That and, apparently, thirty-four was the age when bounce-back time doubled. Her own bed and a sound sleep couldn’t come soon enough. Maybe when she woke up, it would be easier to pretend this entire day had been a nightmare.

      Even her metal flashlight felt heavier than usual as she grabbed it from under the seat and opened the car door. It wouldn’t do to survive a war zone only to break her neck tripping over a rake in her own garage.

      Reaching across the console, she snatched the paper bag that held her supper. Halfway to their cars, Jackson had received a phone call that forced him to cancel, so Cassidy stopped and picked up a thick, juicy burger at the corner grill near the house. Her stomach urged her to drop to the concrete and inhale the thing right there, but eating in the dark made her nervous, especially after the time she’d spent with all sorts of creepy-crawly critters on the other side of the world. Scorpions and camel spiders would probably always haunt her nightmares. The way they skittered... She shuddered again and gingerly set one foot on the ground, half expecting something to wriggle up her shin.

      She inched her way to the kitchen door. Once she made it safely inside with her neck intact, Cassidy killed the flashlight and flipped the mudroom light switch.

      Of course. Nothing. A quick glance across the kitchen through the back windows told her she wasn’t the only one who’d be suffering part of this summer night without air-conditioning. She groaned. And it was raining. There wouldn’t be any open windows to relieve the heat. Wonderful.

      Cassidy tipped her neck to the side and stretched tight muscles. She still reveled in the spicy smells and warm comfort of her own house after her deployments overseas. Central air and hot showers and overhead lighting were things she’d never take for granted again. Well, she wouldn’t once the power came back on anyway.

      A strange sixth sense sent little spider footsteps down her spine and raised cold chills in their wake. Something wasn’t quite right. Must be the darkness. More light. She needed more light. There were candles on the coat closet shelf. She flipped on her flashlight and yanked open the closet door.

      Eyes gleamed back at her.

      As СКАЧАТЬ