Texas Lightning. Gerry Bartlett

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      “Yes.” Anna blinked back tears. “My TV is still here. No surprise. It’s not that big. My friend mocks me for it.” She trailed into her bedroom. The drawers had been pulled out from her bedside table and her chest. Underwear was strewn across the mattress, which was off the bed frame.

      “They were obviously looking for something. Money?” King picked up the mattress and slid it back on the box springs. “You keep cash here?”

      “No. I don’t fool with much cash. I’m all about my debit card.” Anna grabbed a laundry basket and stuffed the clothes that had been dumped on the floor into it. She shuddered as she left the room. She was washing everything that the cretins who’d invaded her space had touched.

      “Stop cleaning. The cops should see it like this.” King picked up a bowl and filled it with water. His new best friend licked his hand, then drank greedily as soon as he set it on the floor. “Wish the dog could talk.”

      “You and me both.” Anna picked up a sofa cushion, dropped it in place, then fell onto it. “I guess I should call the police. I have renters insurance.” Her lower lip quivered but she refused to give in to it.

      “Hey, talk to me.” King slapped the other sofa cushions next to her then sat. “You want to get a hotel room? I know you probably don’t want to stay here tonight. If these guys come back…”

      “What?” Anna stared at him. “Why would they do that?”

      “I don’t know. You tell me.” He glanced around the room. “They were searching for something. Did they find it?” He gave her a penetrating look. “You’ve been guarding your backpack since before I met you. I have a feeling there’s something in there that’s valuable. To you, and maybe to the assholes who broke in here. Or am I imagining things?”

      Anna took a shaky breath. She’d already figured out that King was sharp. And she hadn’t exactly made a secret of the fact that she wasn’t going to let her pack out of her sight or her reach during their time together. It had even sat between her legs at the restaurant. Thank God she was careful, because she’d be in tears, and in jeopardy of losing her job, if she hadn’t taken those special precautions before her little sightseeing jaunt today.

      “No, you’re not imagining things. I’m pretty sure whoever broke in here was looking for what’s in my pack.” Anna realized that, in her fright about her dog, she’d left the thing sitting in King’s truck. Unguarded. She jumped up and ran outside her door. The truck was still there.

      “Did you lock it?” She turned to him as he walked up beside her.

      “No, but I will now.” He pulled his key fob from his pocket and hit the command that made the lights on the truck flash as the locks engaged. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on, Anna? Whoever broke in here knew what they were doing. They didn’t have a key, but there are no signs of forced entry. So they were professionals. You carrying gold bars in that backpack? State secrets? What?”

      “You know that joke, if I told you I’d have to kill you?” Anna tried for a smile but couldn’t twist her mouth into one.

      “Oh, come on. I don’t believe you.” He shut the door and turned the dead bolt. “You’re a computer geek. And I don’t mean that to insult you. What’s in the backpack? A new revolutionary program?”

      “Got it in one, King.” Anna collapsed on the sofa and YoYo jumped in her lap for a cuddle. She buried her face in his soft fur for a long moment before she felt the couch move. King sat beside her again, waiting for more.

      “You didn’t insult me. I’m proud to be able to create computer software. It’s what I do. And I invented a program that has the potential to save lives. It’s why that huge company across the street paid big bucks for the little Boston company I worked for, and why I had to move here.” Oh, hell. Tears. There was nothing she’d like better than to be in her mom’s kitchen right now, surrounded by her older brothers. Safe. Instead she was telling this to a stranger. Could she trust him?

      Wait a minute. She didn’t believe in coincidences. Never had. So why had this man been the one to rescue her when she’d been about to faint today? And he’d been so determined to stick with her and keep her busy for hours. Was it so his buddies could break into her place and steal her computer? She faced him and looked into his dark eyes. He looked back, all innocence and interest. That in itself was suspicious. Men didn’t fall for her at first sight, and certainly not men of his kind. Rich cowboy types were as foreign to her as that lunch in the diner had been. Yes, at first it had been delicious, but now it was sitting like a greasy lump in her stomach, making her wish she’d never taken the first bite.

      He still held his gun, resting it across his knees like he was just a little too familiar with it. Why? Did all ranchers in Texas carry guns in their trucks? She had no idea. But her brothers had warned her to be careful here. And her boss had cautioned her about the program she was working on. It was valuable. Worth millions, maybe more. She was the brains behind it. Which meant taking her computer could be just the first play in a clever plot to steal her software. The second play? Well, there was no play at all without her to solve the glitches in it.

      “Anna?” King shook his head. “You going to tell me what’s going on? I can help you.”

      “I just thought of something.” She ran into her bedroom. Was it possible the thieves had missed her hiding place? She’d brought her heavy-duty snow boots to Texas even though her brothers had teased her about it. The boots had been just right for slipping what she needed inside. Sure enough, they were where she’d left them, lying on the floor of her closet. They’d obviously not been thoroughly searched, and when she stuck her hand deep inside she hit pay dirt.

      Anna walked back into the living room ready to confront King. She took a deep breath, determined to stay calm despite the nerves that threatened to make her sick and shaky.

      “What the hell?” He stared at the gun in her hand she aimed at him. “Is that a .38 Special?”

      “Sure is. It’s loaded, and I’m not afraid to use it either. Now why don’t you try to convince me you’re not in on this.” She waved her free hand at the mess around them. “I wasn’t born yesterday, King. It seems a little too convenient that you came to my rescue today, then managed to keep me busy while someone broke in here and stole my computer.” If he went for his gun she hoped like hell she had the nerve to blow him away. But he wasn’t a paper target and she’d never aimed at anything else. Please, God, don’t let it come to that.

      Chapter Two

      “You’re nuts. Why the hell would I need to do that?” He left his own gun where it was and pulled out his phone. “You work for Zenon, right?”

      “Yes, I told you that over lunch. But maybe you already knew that. Maybe that was part of your plan. My computer program is worth millions, King. I’m not kidding. I’m calling the police and I hope they find fingerprints that will help them figure out who did this. Will it show a link to you?” Anna knew she was getting worked up but, damn it, if this had all been a setup then she’d been played and it made her furious. Just when she’d thought she might have attracted a good-looking guy, made a connection, and possibly had something to look forward to here in Texas…

      He was ignoring her, on his phone. He glanced at her, then she heard her name. Whoever he was talking to must have reacted to it, because his eyebrows rose. He finally handed the phone to her.

      “Listen СКАЧАТЬ