Ranch Refuge. Virginia Vaughan

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СКАЧАТЬ what I do. You’ll be protected here, I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

      She glanced around at the house and barn. No one else appeared to be around. There were no other cars in the driveway and no lights on inside the house, but she did hear the sound of dogs barking in the distance. They were all alone out here together. If circumstances were different, she knew she could be in real trouble. She was reminded of one of those movies that claimed that no one would hear you scream.

      Still, she couldn’t be too careful. “I want to call my father.”

      “I don’t think that’s a good idea. No one knows you’re here and I’d like to keep it that way. That means you don’t call friends, family or coworkers. Those men will keep searching for you. Don’t make it easy for them to track you down.” He slid from the truck and walked around to open her door.

      Laura slid from the truck and let him lead her toward the house. Everything he said made sense, but his words had dual meaning. If no one knew where she was, then no one would know what had happened to her if Colton Blackwell turned out to not be what he seemed.

      He flipped on light switches as he entered the house, illuminating simple yet comfortable furnishings. It wasn’t fancy, but Laura wasn’t used to fancy.

      “Do you live alone?”

      “Yes. I bought this place two years ago, after I left the service.”

      She spotted a photograph on the mantel of Colton with a group of men all in uniform. “You said you were a ranger. Was this your unit?”

      He nodded, but a terse look crossed his face. “It was.”

      She saw his pained expression before he pushed it away. She recognized that look. She’d seen it many times during her stint as a nurse in the ER. It was the look of someone whose loved one had passed away. She’d heard about the Army Rangers and knew the work they did was dangerous. He’d lost men, probably one or more of the men in the photograph, and probably in battle.

      “The one on the end is Blake Michaels. He’s the deputy sheriff I told you about.” Colton started for the staircase. “I’ll show you where you can sleep.”

      He opened a door at the top of the stairs and Laura looked around at the simple bed, dresser and chair. It wasn’t fancy, but it was cozy and clean. She glanced at the dresser drawers and realized she had nothing to put inside them. She hadn’t had time to pack a bag and her extra scrubs were in her backpack, which she assumed was now lying abandoned in the hospital’s employee parking lot.

      “You’ll have your own private bathroom,” Colton continued, motioning toward a closed door. “There should be some extra toothbrushes in the cabinet and we’ll go into town tomorrow to buy whatever else you think you might need.”

      He kept extra toothbrushes? That meant this wasn’t the first time he’d intervened to help someone. It seemed to confirm what he’d told her in the truck. “I take it I’m not the first person you’ve helped to stay in this room.”

      He stared at her, his brown eyes filled with dismay. “You don’t trust much, do you?”

      His words were true if unwelcome. “I’ve never had much reason to trust easily.”

      “Well, you can trust me, Laura.”

      She wanted to believe that, but she’d been burned too many times before.

      “I’ve already moved my stuff downstairs. I’ll be sleeping on the couch while you’re here, so you’ll have the entire upstairs. If you need anything, holler.”

      After he left, Laura locked the bedroom door. She glanced around at the room. This was her safe haven for now. No one knew where she was or what had happened to her. A phone sat on the end table and she considered phoning her father to let him know she was safe, but she decided against it. Would her father worry about her? A part of her was happy to think that he might spend a few restless nights fretting about her. Or would he simply assume she’d taken care of his debt? No, Colton had said her father had been the one to hire him. He was trying to fix the mess he’d gotten her into.

      It was small consolation.

      She shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to her if Colton Blackwell hadn’t been there. And, despite the fact that she didn’t know if she could really trust him, she was thankful for his help.

      * * *

      Colton headed downstairs. He felt better having Laura under his roof. If anyone was coming after her, they would have to face him on his own turf.

      He hated how distrustful she seemed, unwilling to believe that anyone would want to help her without asking for something in return. She was clearly so used to being disappointed that she couldn’t imagine things going any other way.

      God, please help her to believe that I only want to protect her. And grant me the strength and discernment to keep her safe from harm.

      He pulled out his phone and dialed Bill Jackson’s number, his stomach turning as he made the call. This was the man who had caused Laura so much pain and grief. It was too real seeing the pain in her face. He knew that look. Oh, how well he knew that look.

      “It’s me,” he said when Bill answered. “I have her. She’s safe.”

      He listened to the rush of thanks and gratitude from the other end but soon cut him off. He hadn’t intervened for this man’s sake, regardless of how thankful he was. He’d done it for Laura and to make up in some way for the mistakes he’d made. Laura Jackson represented to him every person his own gambling addiction had hurt. If he could keep her safe, maybe he could make up for his past, even if just a little.

      * * *

      Laura’s mind raced. Sleep was impossible. Thoughts of the night’s events kept playing over and over again, reminding her that she was in a stranger’s home. How had she just gotten into the man’s truck and driven away with him? Away from everything and everyone familiar to her? Yes, she’d been under attack. Those men had been out to get her. But how did she know Colton Blackwell wasn’t one of Randall’s men, as well? For all she knew, his intervention had been planned, premeditated, to get her right where Randall wanted her—alone, frightened, vulnerable...and looking for a hero.

      She stopped that line of thinking before she made herself crazy. Randall’s men had been after her and Colton had rescued her. She’d acted on instinct, going along with him because she’d had no choice. But that didn’t mean she had to remain with him now that the moment of danger had passed.

      She picked up the phone to call for help, then realized she had no idea where she was...except for the city. Compton. That was, of course, assuming he’d been telling her the truth. She couldn’t trust him. After all, the only thing she knew about Colton Blackwell was that he’d said he had been watching her. What if he was worse than Randall? There was no telling what this man wanted from her.

      Certainly she’d been acting purely on adrenaline before. But now that she’d had plenty of time to digest what was happening, she realized she had to get away from him. Now. Tonight. She would sneak out and flag down a car for help.

      She slipped back into her shoes and quietly unlocked the bedroom door. Opening it softly, she walked to the top of the stairs and peeked down. The house looked dark except for the СКАЧАТЬ