Freefall. Jodie Bailey

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СКАЧАТЬ in the middle and blocked her ability to breathe. Before her body could react, a shadowed figure pushed her against the door, body heavy against hers as a hand pressed against her mouth. The flashlight clattered against the linoleum and rolled away.

      “Don’t scream.” The hiss grated against her ears.

      She struggled and fought the weight that pressed against her. No way was she going out like this, not after all she’d been through. If it was her time to die, she’d make sure her attacker bore marks he wore to his grave. Her body went limp, then she raised her knee, grateful for heavy combat boots and praying to connect with a foot when she forced her heel toward the floor. Her boot made contact with a satisfying thud, and her attacker’s grip loosened and fell away. Cassidy crouched and prepared to launch.

      “Cassy, don’t charge. I’m not going to hurt you.” The words came from the menacing shadow directly in front of her.

      Cassidy stumbled, and the coiled spring inside of her unwound with a snap as words penetrated her adrenaline-driven thoughts. For the second time in one day, that never-forgotten voice invaded her conscious. Her fists clinched tight. Shane didn’t deserve any less of a beating than a random, violent invader. A flash of lightning burned the shape of him into her eyes as she renewed her attack position. “You’ve got three seconds to get out of my house, Shane. I have no idea what makes you think this is okay.”

      “I wasn’t sure it was you coming in, so I hid the first place I could find.” His measured voice moved to the right. “Listen to me. Somebody’s been in—”

      “You have got to be kidding me. Isn’t it enough you showed up spouting crazy stories at my job on the most chaotic day ever? Get out.” There was no way she’d listen to anything he had to say. She spotted the beam of her flashlight shining at a crazy angle onto the refrigerator. Every good soldier knew a Maglite had enough heft to be an effective weapon, and it might feel good to swing it if she had to. She snatched it and held it high, prepared to strike. “I will use this on you, and I will call the cops and I will tell them it was self-defense.”

      “This is important.”

      “I’ve got no reason to listen to you. Know why? Because the years haven’t been long enough to make me forgive you. You’re not my husband. You’re not part of my life. You don’t even exist, as far as I’m concerned. We’re not rehashing this.” The beam of the flashlight arced higher as Cassidy cocked her swinging arm. “Now go.” Her heart beat so hard it pulsed in her eyeballs. It could be fear, anger or...

      She shook her head. No. It was fear or anger. Nothing more.

      “I know who I used to be. I did a lot of things wrong, but you’ve got to—”

      Cassidy’s head tilted back, her jaw jutting between them as if it could block the emotions that struggled to surface. “Don’t try to explain yourself.”

      “Fine.” Shane sounded like each breath was an effort, and she could just make out the hulk of his dark shape between her and the kitchen. “I heard a rumor on my last mission, and when I went to check it out—”

      “Spare me. Special Forces changed you, and I don’t care about your last mission or any of your other missions. It was bad enough to never know when you were leaving or where you were, but not knowing who you were after you got back? Watching you stumble home after drinking all night with your buddies?” She jerked the flashlight. “Hearing you—”

      Rapid pounding blasted against the front door.

      Cassidy’s heart leaped out of her chest and she fought to inhale against the memories and the present, then a familiar voice called her name. It sliced through her fear and robbed her muscles of their readiness.

      Her gaze shifted from Shane to the kitchen, and she hissed, “You’re out the door. Now. Discussion closed. I can’t do this with you.”

      “Who’s that?”

      Shane’s jealousy-laden voice made Cassidy straighten her shoulders. “Jackson. Maybe you saw him at my office? He’s a contractor who worked on the forward operating base during my last deployment. He’s trustworthy.” She backed two steps across the kitchen. “And he’ll tear the door down if he thinks something’s happened to me.” She tipped the flashlight beam in Shane’s direction, not one bit guilty about omitting the fact that Jackson was a good friend and nothing more. Shane could suffer with his assumptions...if he suffered at all.

      Her heart missed a step when the light hit his face. It was a reaction her emotions weren’t ready for in spite of the fact he’d stood before her earlier. The intervening years had dulled his image in her mind, and the flash of his features in the light shot long-forgotten memories across her heart.

      The pounding on the door grew more insistent, and she glanced over her shoulder, torn between the man she used to love and her would-be protector.

      “You and I are both in danger. Until I know more, nobody can know I’m here. Please, Cassy.” His voice pleaded as his shadowed form slipped into the closet.

      Cassidy stared at the door. In danger? The only danger she could see in her house right now was him. Her fingers gripped the doorknob as Jackson called for her again. She wavered, then decided Jackson would either burst in or call for reinforcements if she didn’t respond soon. She jogged toward the living room, unable to determine if anything about this bizarre evening warranted a phone call to the police.

      * * *

      Shane pressed his ear to the closet door and fought the urge to grip his biceps. It throbbed after the exertion of subduing Cassidy. He’d forgotten how strong she was. Worse, he’d forgotten how she felt in his arms. It had taken only a moment of contact to drive the images through his memory like they’d just been together yesterday.

      He shook his head. Now was the worst time for a long drive through their distant past. If he fell into old habits with her, there’d be no way to ensure she had a future. And considering he’d fended off a knife-wielding stranger in her house tonight, both of their futures might be shorter than either of them could imagine.

      Only muffled, indistinguishable voices reached his ears, so he gave up eavesdropping and dropped his forehead against the door. His eyes narrowed. Who was this “trustworthy” Jackson who felt so protective of Cassy? And, for that matter, why did he care? They’d both barricaded that door a long time ago. He didn’t love her. Wouldn’t love her. Even though touching her just now had flooded his senses with vivid reminders of touching her in the past.

      He pressed his fists into the door and shook his head. When he’d married her fourteen years ago, he’d promised to protect her. Yeah, the relationship ended in front of a judge four years later, but he wasn’t the kind of man to let a promise of that magnitude die. Whether Cassy knew it or not, she needed protecting now more than ever. He should go out there right now...

      His fingers unclenched. If he blew his hiding place out of some misplaced jealousy, there might not be another shot at discovering who was out to hurt her. It was just that, for all he knew, this Jackson joker had his hands all over what was going down in Cassy’s unit.

      Yeah, right. That would be a hundred-yard stretch. Jackson was probably some smarmy little horn-rimmed glasses accountant type with a bald spot and allergies that would—

      Footsteps, heavy ones, thumped toward him. It took a second, but he recognized the cadence of Cassy’s stride in her boots. Surely she wasn’t mad enough to throw open the СКАЧАТЬ