Texas Hunt

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Lisa initialed all the places the nurse had highlighted as Ryan positioned himself behind the chair.

When she’d signed for what felt like the hundredth time, he wheeled her out of the room, off the floor and into the night.

The air was still hot. It was the time of year in Texas when she went to bed and it was hot, she woke and it was hot. Midday, the rubber soles on her shoes could practically melt against the sweltering pavement.

“I’m parked in the front row,” he said, his voice still husky.

“That was lucky.”

“Turns out there aren’t that many visitors in the middle of the night,” he said, and she could tell he was smiling without looking at him. She could hear it in his voice.

“Thank you for breaking me out. If Nurse Ratchet had her way, I’d be zonked out with an IV drip that would have me slobbering down my chin as she spoon-fed me mashed potatoes.”

“Not a problem.” He chuckled. “I’m not that big on sleep, anyway.”

“Either way, I owe you a big favor for everything you’ve done today.”

“It’s nothi—

“Hold on a second. What the hell’s going on?” He abruptly stopped. Based on the shift in tone, this wasn’t going to be good news.

“What is it?”

“Someone slashed my tires.”

“You haven’t been here for long. Whoever did this must be close.” Lisa glanced around and gasped. “He must still be here.”

“I’ll arrange another ride. We need to get you inside.” He spun her chair around and wheeled her toward the hospital as she kept watch for any signs of movement in her peripheral.

Ryan parked her near the elevator, away from the automatic sliding glass doors. His cell phone was already at his ear by the time Lisa could see him again.

“Who are you calling this late?” she asked, panic written all over her features.

“Dawson lives close,” Ryan said, the line already ringing.

“Please don’t say anything,” she begged. That damn desperation still in her tone.

Their friend picked up on the third.

“I’m at the hospital with Lisa and we need a ride.” He paused, not eager to lie to his friend. “Must’ve picked up a nail on my way over. Left tire’s flat.”

Ryan said a few uh-huhs into the phone before he ended the call. “He’s on his way.”

She couldn’t quite feel relief yet; maybe it was hope. Her danger radar was on full alert after everything she’d been through. Every noise made her jumpy.

“Is there any way you’d consider not sharing any of this with Dawson yet?” she pleaded.

“I don’t even know what’s really going on.” Ryan kept his fisted hands at his sides as he kept watch.

A few quiet minutes later, Dawson pulled up in his SUV.

Ryan looked Lisa dead in the eye before he made a move to help her. “I won’t force you to say anything in front of Dawson. We’re going to my house. And when we get there, you’re going to start talking.”

Chapter Four (#ulink_b8c05b7a-e555-50ea-ae90-c299e292643a)

“I’m sorry about your father,” Dawson said once they were safely inside the truck. Based on the look in his eyes, she knew he meant it. He had questions. Ditto for Ryan.

“Thank you,” she said, unable to suppress a yawn. Exhaustion had worn her body to the bone and for the first time since this ordeal began she felt that it was safe to go to sleep. The burst of adrenaline she’d felt during the struggle in the hospital was long gone.

Dawson seemed content to leave things at that for now. She leaned against Ryan, put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. By the time she opened them again, they were parked in front of Ryan’s house.

“No need to go out of your way for me. I’ll be good on the couch,” Lisa said to Ryan as he helped her up the few steps to his house.

He turned and waved at Dawson, who’d been waiting for a signal that it was okay to leave.

Lisa was grateful that Ryan hadn’t forced her say anything in front of their friend. More than that, she was thrilled that she’d been able to let down her guard enough to fall sleep.

“Okay.” Ryan unlocked the door and led her inside. It was the first time she’d seen his house, a bungalow on an out-of-the-way street five miles from town. He’d already told her that the place sat on three acres and that he especially liked being on the outskirts of Mason Ridge. He was close enough to get anything he needed and just far enough to feel that he was away from it all when he went home.

He flipped on a light, walked her right past the leather sofa and moved toward the hallway instead.

“Ryan. What are you doing?” She tried to stop, but he nudged her forward.

“Giving you a place to sleep, remember?” He had the upper hand. He knew full well she couldn’t walk into the other room without support.

“You said I could sleep on the couch.”

“Did I?” His grin shouldn’t make her want to laugh. Maybe she just needed to think about something light for a change.

She should throw more of a fit about sleeping on the couch, too, but she didn’t have any fight left inside her after all she’d been through. Fatigue weighted her limbs, making it difficult to hold on to Ryan, and the new bruises she’d acquired were already tender.

“Can we close those blinds?” she asked, biting back a yawn as Ryan helped her ease under the covers.

“If that would make you feel better.” He paused. “No one can hurt you out here.”

He was already moving toward the window.

“I feel rotten for kicking you out of your own room. Are you sure you don’t want to put me on the couch? I’d be fine.”

“You’re in my house. That means we play by my rules. You get the bed.” He winked at her, but she could see the storm brewing. “I’ll leave the door open in case you need anything. Just give me a shout.”

“Where will you be?” She must look pitiful for him to hold off his questions until morning. Maybe she’d figure out what to tell him by then.

“On the couch.” He walked toward the hallway. “It’s not the first time.”

Even so, it didn’t feel right.

“No, Ry—”

His hand came up before she could finish her protest. “My rules, remember?”

She was biting back another yawn as she conceded. For tonight, she wouldn’t argue. However, she hoped to stay a few days, at least, and she had no plans to force him out of his bed for that long.

“I’ll be in the next room,” he said, turning off the light. “Unless you need me to stay until you fall asleep.”

“I’m good. Thank you, though.” Lisa knew that Ryan wanted answers and normally she’d trust him with her life, but more lives than hers were on the line. She had Lori and Grayson to consider. Maybe she could get word to Beckett that she had no plans to reveal his secret. Leave her family alone and she would never bring the truth to light. Would it work?

No. Wasn’t that the deal they’d had all these years?

There had to be a reason for the change. A family like his would be savvy. Maybe he figured she would come forward. No way could he allow this accusation to come to light given the depth of trouble his father was already in. The Alcorn name was worth a lot of money. Their reputation was big business. Between that and ruining their family name, their history in the town, maybe Beckett figured he needed to ensure only positive press for him and his father in the coming months. It was the only thing that made any sense.

If a plea wouldn’t work, then she’d threaten him if she had to. If he didn’t leave her family alone she would go to the law and then to the media and tell them everything.

His voice echoed in the back of her mind. What were the chances the sheriff would believe her? And especially after all these years? Would the media? It wasn’t as if she could produce any tangible evidence, not now. She’d believed Beckett’s threats as a little girl because she wasn’t aware of rape kits and forensics.

A good attorney could turn her testimony upside down. And then she, Lori and Grayson would have to watch their backs for the rest of their lives. Wealthy men had long reach and she doubted she’d be safe no matter how far away she moved, which was precisely why that plan wouldn’t work.

Either way, she couldn’t see an out. Plus, there was this new guy to worry about. The man who’d attacked her in the hospital was not Beckett.

Trying to think made her brain cramp. Frustration ate at her. Exhaustion threatened to pull her under. She was toast. No way could she think clearly.

For now, Lori and Grayson were safe.

She let that thought carry her into a deep sleep.

* * *

LISA WOKE THREE times throughout the night, screaming from nightmares. When she opened her eyes for the fourth time, the sun was bright in the sky. She glanced over and saw Ryan, shirtless, still sleeping in a chair. He’d stayed after the first round, saying he wanted to be close if she needed him.

His presence comforted her.

Her lips tingled with the feel of the kiss they’d shared. She didn’t want to be thinking about that first thing when she opened her eyes. And yet there it was all the same.

His chest was a wall of muscle and she had to force her eyes away from his sculpted abs. That body was built from hard work and she admired him for it. There were other marks on his body, too, and she didn’t want to think about the scars left behind at his father’s hand. She’d witnessed one of the beatings as she was skipping home from school one day. Thinking about it even now caused her heart to squeeze and anger to flair through her.

She didn’t ask, didn’t know what had triggered Ryan’s father that day. Everyone knew how bad the man’s temper had been. Ryan was quick to step in to cover for his brother, Justin, and she wondered if Ryan had done it on that day, too.

It had been two weeks until summer break, and the Texas heat had arrived early that year. Lisa couldn’t have been more than ten or eleven at the time. She’d stayed after school to finish a science project and passed by Ryan’s house on her way home.

His father had him around the side of the house, his hand clamped around Ryan’s arm as the man beat his son with a belt, buckle still attached.

There were no screams from her classmate, no begging for mercy, and that was a fact that would haunt her for years.

Ryan’s pain was endured in silence, like hers. He never spoke about that or any other beating afterward, either. She could see in his eyes when they’d been exceptionally brutal. His father was always careful to hit Ryan in places where the bruises wouldn’t show in plain sight. Every time Ryan had worn long pants in ninety-eight-degree temperatures to school, she’d noticed. Every time he had eased onto a chair, she’d noticed. Every time he’d worn long sleeves in the summer, she’d noticed.

And she’d known why.

Fire burned through her veins, boiling her blood at the memories. Only a coward hurt a child. Ryan’s father had been one. And so was Beckett.

“How’d you sleep?” Ryan’s voice surprised her.

“Good,” she said quickly, trying to slow her racing pulse. She’d slept better than good actually, even with the nightmares. She didn’t want to tell him how comfortable she felt in his bed. The sheets were soft against her skin. The mattress was like sleeping on a soft cushion. And his clean, masculine scent was all over the pillow.

The pain was messing with her mind. This bed was no nicer than the one at the hospital, she tried to tell herself.

He stood and fastened his jeans, and she forced her gaze away from the small patch of hair on his chest leading down toward the band of his jeans.

Walking toward her, he yawned and stretched, and she noticed just how powerful his arms were. There was enough muscle there to hold off a bear, let alone a man who liked to hurt women. She told herself that was the only reason she noticed—to see if he could protect her—and not because of the awareness she felt every time he was in the room.

The mattress dipped under his weight as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“I think I can eat.”

“What sounds good?”

“Don’t put yourself out. Anything is fine. A piece of fruit or yogurt would do.” She hated feeling so helpless.

“I can make an omelet,” he offered.

“No. That’s too much work, seriously.”

“Would you stop worrying about being a pain already? I don’t mind. I can scramble some eggs and heat sausage. But first, how does a cup of coffee sound?”

“Like heaven on earth.” She waited for him to leave the room before she tried to sit up. Pain shot through her with every movement. She fought through it. No way was she asking him to help her to the bathroom.

Carefully, she inched her legs toward the side of the bed until her feet hung off.

How long did the nurse say it would take before Lisa felt better?

At this rate, it was going to take a long time to make it to the bathroom let alone go for a run again. She shook it off and forced her legs over the side of the bed.

Pushing up on her arms, she winced. A good look at the bruises there only made things worse. At least she could use her anger to fuel her determination to get up. She focused all her energy on standing.

The first few steps were like walking on stilts for the first time. A few more and she started getting the hang of how to lean in order to reduce the pain that came with movement. By the time she returned to the bed, she was energized. Being able to do something for herself so soon was a huge win.

“Hold on there. Let me help you.” Ryan stood in the doorway two-fisting cups of coffee.

“No problem. I got this,” she said, in too much pain to outwardly express her excitement.