One Night with a Red-Hot Rancher: Tough to Tame / Carrying the Rancher's Heir / One Dance with the Cowboy. Diana Palmer

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СКАЧАТЬ long sigh. “Hurts like hell. But they think I might be able to walk again. They have to wait until I start healing and the bruising abates before they’ll know for sure. But I can wiggle my toes.” He smiled. “I’m not going to prove it, because it hurts. You can take my word for it.”

      “Deal.” She brushed back his unkempt hair.

      “Your old boss came by last night,” he said coldly. “He explained what happened. I gave him an earful.”

      “So did I. He’s back.”

      “I’m not surprised. He was pretty contrite.”

      “It won’t do any good,” she said sadly. “I won’t forget what he said to me. He didn’t believe me.”

      “Apparently he’s had some hard knocks of his own.”

      “Yes, that explains it, but it doesn’t excuse it.”

      “Point taken.” He glanced past her toward the door. “You’ve got bodyguards.”

      “Yes. Some of Eb Scott’s guys. They don’t like each other.”

      “Chet has a chip on his shoulder, and Rourke likes to take potshots at it.”

      “Which is which?” she asked.

      “Rourke lost an eye overseas.”

      “Oh. Dead-Eye.”

      He chuckled and then winced. “That’s what he calls himself. He’s got quite a history. He worked for the CIA over in the South Pacific for several years. Now he’s trying to get back in. His language skills are rusty, and he’s not up on the latest communications protocols, so he’s studying with Eb. Chet, on the other hand, is trying to land a job doing private security for overseas embassies. He has anger issues.”

      “Anger issues?”

      “He tends to slug people who make him angry. Doesn’t go over well in embassies.”

      “I can understand that.” She frowned. “How do you know them?”

      He sighed. “That’s a long story. We’ll have to talk about it when I get out of here.”

      She was adding up things and getting uncomfortable totals. “Kell, you weren’t working for a magazine when you went to Africa, were you?” she asked.

      He hesitated. “That’s one of the things we’ll talk about. But not now. Okay?”

      She relented. He did look very rocky. “Okay.” She laid a gentle hand on his muscular arm. “You’re my brother and I love you. That won’t change, even if you tell me blatant lies and think I’ll never know about them.”

      “You’re too sharp for your own good.”

      “I’ve been told that.”

      “Don’t stray from your bodyguards,” he cautioned. “I have to agree with them. I think Frank’s not planning to go back to jail. He’ll do whatever it takes to get even with you, and then he’ll try suicide-by-cop.”

      “Jail would be better than dead, certainly?”

      “Frank has anger issues, too.”

      She flexed the arm he’d broken. “I noticed.”

      “Don’t take chances. Promise me.”

      “I promise. Please get well. Being an orphan is bad enough. I can’t lose you, too.”

      He smiled. “I’m not going anywhere. After all, I’ve got a book to finish. I have to get well in order to do that.”

      She hesitated. “Kell, he wouldn’t come here, and try to finish the job he did on you?” she asked worriedly.

      “I have company.”

      “You do?”

      “Move it, you military rejects,” came a deep voice from the door. A tall, familiar-looking man with silver eyes and jet-black hair moved into the room, dressed in boots and jeans and a chambray shirt, carrying a foam cup of coffee.

      “Kilraven?” she asked, surprised. “Aren’t you working?”

      He shook his head. “Not tonight,” he said. “I had a couple of vacation days I was owed, so I’m babysitting your brother.”

      “Thanks,” she said with a broad grin.

      “I’m getting something out of it,” he chuckled. “I’m stuck on the middle level of a video game, and Kell knows how to crack it.”

      “Is it ‘Halo: ODST’?” Dead-Eye asked. “I beat it.”

      “Yeah, on the ‘easy’ level, I’ll bet,” Chet chided.

      “I did it on ‘normal,’ for your information,” he huffed.

      “Well, I did it on Legendary,” Kell murmured, “so shut up and take care of my sister, or I’ll wipe the floor with you when I get back on my feet.”

      Dead-Eye gave him a neat salute. Chet shrugged.

      “See you later,” Cappie said, kissing her brother’s cheek again.

      “Where are you going?” he asked.

      “On a job interview,” she said gently. “Brenda’s boss might have something part-time.”

      “Are you sure you want to move back here?” Kell asked.

      “Yes,” she lied.

      “Good luck, then.”

      “Thanks. See you, Kilraven. Thank you, too.”

      He grinned. “Keep your gunpowder dry.”

      “Tell them.” She pointed to her two companions. “I hate guns.” “Bite your tongue!” Kilraven said in mock horror. She made a face and went out the door, her two companions right behind her.

      Bentley met them at the elevator. “Where are you going now?” he asked her.

      She hesitated.

      “Job interview,” Rourke said for her.

      “You can’t leave the clinic,” Bentley said curtly. “I don’t have anybody to replace you yet!”

      “That’s your problem,” she shot back. “I don’t want to work for you anymore!”

      He looked hunted.

      “Besides, Kell and I are moving back to San Antonio as soon as he heals,” she said stubbornly. “It’s too far to commute.”

      Bentley looked even more worried. He didn’t say anything.

      “Aren’t СКАЧАТЬ