скачать книгу бесплатно
Sloan looked up at Jonas. “Can you call my brother Galen? We might as well let the doctor take a look at this.” He smiled. “He’s actually a pretty good medicine man.”
There was a good deal of blood running down her leg. Kendall glanced at Fiona. “May I borrow a towel, please? I don’t want to bleed on the sofa.”
“You poor thing!” Fiona exclaimed, running to fetch one as Jonas went to yell for Galen.
“Jonas is a doctor. He can figure out if anything is wrong.” Kendall looked closely at her leg, and felt a little faint seeing her own blood. There was so much. She’d thought perhaps it was a scratch, but now realized the tear was long and angry.
“Jonas is a cardiac guy,” Sloan said. “Galen is an internist. And a spirit healer, by the way.”
Kendall sniffed. “There is nothing wrong with my spirit. Just my pride. I must have scraped myself when I jumped in the jeep.”
Jonas came back with Galen, and Fiona handed him a thick fluffy towel and some antiseptic. Galen smiled reassuringly at Kendall before bending to examine her leg.
“Sloan,” Galen said, peering at the wound.
Sloan looked at Kendall, who frowned back at him with some suspicion. “I don’t think so,” he said to Galen.
Galen looked at Kendall’s leg again. “Do it.”
Sloan squatted, placed his palms on either side of the wound.
“What’s he doing?” Kendall demanded, glancing at Jonas, who shrugged.
“Energy transfer,” Galen said helpfully, as if she’d know what that meant. “A little touch therapy in this case. It won’t take long.”
She wasn’t sure she liked having Sloan’s slightly rough palms on her calf and knee. His big hands surrounded the injury without touching it. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.
“It’s really not that big a deal,” Kendall said. “A bandage ought to do the trick. Maybe a little iodine or something.” She looked at Fiona helplessly, suddenly afraid. For whatever reason, the two brothers acted as if her injury was so serious. “Could have been a wolf, I guess,” she said slowly, knowing very well that something huge had hit the jeep. Something that had meant to harm her.
A little of the shock began to wear off as Sloan cupped her ankle, sliding his hands back up her calf, his eyes still closed. “Whatever it was, it was big, though I’m not trying to exaggerate.” Sloan’s palms warmed her, and she could have sworn she felt pulses of electricity emitting from him into her skin. Even deeper, into her muscles.
His eyes opened, and she found herself gazing into them. “What is it?” she asked.
“Not a thing,” Sloan said. “Everything is fine. A little rest will make you feel a lot better. Rest. You will wake up soon, and all will be well.” He slowly moved his hand in a circular motion in front of her face, and that was the last thing Kendall remembered.
* * *
“I KNOW IT’S A HUMAN attack, but what else can you discern?” Galen asked as Sloan carefully eased Kendall’s head back onto a pillow so she could sleep comfortably. He estimated that between the shock and the blood loss, the hypnosis might keep her out for an hour—hopefully long enough to get her to the hospital.
“This is a knife injury.” Sloan pointed to specific areas of Kendall’s leg. “As Galen said, this wasn’t done by an animal or even by Kendall scraping herself on something on the jeep. You can sense the dark power radiating here and here,” he said, pointing for Jonas’s and Fiona’s benefit. “My guess is that they were planning to take her hostage.”
It bothered him to say that. Kendall was a free spirit. And delicate. Maybe too delicate to survive on this ranch now.
“How can you tell all that just from looking at her leg?” Jonas demanded.
Sloan shrugged. “It’s in between what she said and what she didn’t say happened. What she remembers and what her subconscious recalls. Put your hands here,” he told Jonas, “and you can feel more. Notice the smooth cut in the skin, which indicates a sharp edge of some kind. Very likely a knife. But here, where her skin is torn, you’ll note a slashing and tearing effect. Jagged. As you probably know, that has the markings of a military weapon. Something a commando might carry.”
Jonas looked at him. “And the rest of the oogie-
boogie?”
Sloan smiled. “Close your eyes. See what you see.”
Though he appeared doubtful, Jonas placed his hands where Sloan had, and closed his eyes.
He opened them after a moment, shaking his head. “I don’t see anything. I feel warmth in her skin, like infection might be threatening.”
Sloan nodded. “That, too. You’ll need to ascertain when she had her last tetanus shot. Galen can handle the stitch-up and bandaging.”
He stood, not wanting any part of stitching up Kendall. A woman like her who wore figure-hugging suits and sky-high, parrot-colored heels probably wouldn’t be pleased with the cosmetic results, though Galen was very good with a needle.
Galen wrapped Kendall’s leg efficiently. “I don’t want to do it,” he said. “She’s not going to thank whoever does the surgery.”
Sloan nodded. “Wise decision.” He looked at Jonas. “You should take her to your local hospital, but be prepared to answer questions, based on the severity of the injury.”
Jonas nodded. “I can take her.”
“Oh, my,” Fiona said. “I don’t think anyone knew that the danger was this close. Poor Kendall!”
Sloan looked at the sleeping woman and her now-bandaged leg. Blood would soak through fast enough. Kendall would likely be annoyed when she awakened; it didn’t take someone skilled in touch therapy to sense the general impatience and suffer-no-fools sentiment in her personality. And she was brave as hell for going through what had happened without panicking.
“I’ll come with you,” Sloan told his cousin. “Just in case.”
“Just in case what?” Jonas said. “This is Kendall. She’s gentle as a summer day.”
Sloan smiled. “You want to be the only one around when she wakes up at a hospital with stitches in her pretty leg?”
Jonas looked a bit unhappy. “I guess not.”
“Neither would I.” Sloan picked Kendall up gently, placing her against his chest and carrying her outside. He settled her carefully in the seat of the sedan Jonas had brought around. They got in and shut the doors.
“So you’re really riding along to make sure nothing else happens to her,” Jonas said. “You’re certain of your kidnapping theory, aren’t you?”
He was surprised his cousin had picked up more than he said. “I think she’s an easy target.”
“You don’t know Kendall very well.”
This was true. “Her size, her general innocence, lends your employee a vulnerable air.”
Jonas sped onto the main road. “She’s not very vulnerable.”
But she wasn’t prepared for whatever was determined to get to the Callahans, either. “She’s vulnerable,” Sloan said, “and she’s not as sweet as you’re painting her. I didn’t see you raising your hand to stitch her up.”
Jonas smiled. “True.”
“So don’t try to sell me on your employee,” Sloan said, “because I’m not buying.”
“Just checking,” Jonas said.
Sloan was glad to see that they were soon pulling into a community hospital parking lot. “I’ll stay outside.”
Jonas got out, indicating he needed a wheelchair and assistance from the emergency staff. “You sure?”
“Yeah.” Sloan looked at Kendall as she was gently placed into the wheelchair. “Good luck.”
Jonas grimaced and went off. Sloan glanced around the hospital grounds, looking for shadows. He figured one would be there somewhere. Whoever attacked Kendall knew they’d gotten in a good hit; they’d be expecting her to show up at the E.R. It was another reason he hadn’t pressed Galen to do the stitch-up. Sloan wanted to get a look at whoever was planted at the ranch, before they realized the Diablo Callahans had reinforcements. He hoped to get the jump on them.
He pulled his hat down low and tugged his bandanna up a little more around his neck, and waited.
Chapter Four
Kendall woke up, not happy with Callahans in general, whether Rancho Diablo Callahans or the Callahan cousins. Jonas and Sloan were both on her bad list. “Ouch.”
“Only nine stitches,” Jonas told her.
“Nine?” She lifted her knee to peer at her calf. “Guess I’m lucky.” Fear seeped back into her as she remembered the rush of something dark and sinister coming at her...
“You’re lucky.” Jonas sat next to her on the hospital gurney. “No more hanging out alone for you.”
“What do you mean?” Kendall was outraged. “You sound like Sloan. Where is he?” She glanced around. “I have something to discuss with him. Specifically, that hypnotism thing he pulled on me. Like I’m a baby that needs a nap to calm down.”
Jonas grinned. “He’s in the parking lot.”
“Doing what?” She glared at Jonas.
“Waiting on you. Let’s go.” He helped Kendall off the gurney and walked her slowly outside.
Sloan was near the E.R. doors, just as Jonas had said. He looked as if he was on security detail, alert, watchful and dangerous—and Kendall realized Sloan was looking for something. Someone.
“You don’t think it was an accident, do you?” She got in the car, and Sloan slid in next to her.
“No. How’s the leg?”
It hurt. “Never mind. I’ll live.” She moved to get a bit more comfortable on the seat, and Sloan pulled her leg across his lap.
“Keep it up to help the swelling,” Sloan said.
She wanted to argue, but it did feel better to have her leg elevated. His fingers on her ankle, keeping her leg steady, were warm and comforting. Kendall sighed as a wave of tiredness swept over her. “Look, Callahan, you and I are going to have words in the very near future.”
He smiled, and she closed her eyes. He didn’t seem as worried as he should be about her temper. It was a strange thing. She was in charge of a global company that made and shipped large construction equipment. Her phone rang constantly with business deals. But Sloan seemed to think she was a helpless woman.
I’ve got a lot to discuss with that handsome rebel. Male chauvinists are not an attractive species.
But right now, he seemed pretty nice. His hand felt good on her ankle, and she knew she should chew his butt, but for some reason, her leg seemed to hurt less now that he was touching her.
I’ll seriously bawl him out tomorrow.
Jonas, too.
* * *
THE MEETING THAT NIGHT was held in the immense and beautiful upstairs library at Rancho Diablo, apparently a Callahan tradition. Sloan sat on a leather sofa, leaning back, his mind wandering. He couldn’t stop thinking about Kendall, worrying about her, though he doubted she would appreciate his concern. And he was more apprehensive than he’d let on. Although he’d vigilantly studied the E.R. parking lot, he hadn’t seen one thing, one person, that raised his radar.
But he felt a dark presence nearby. Hidden. Watching.
He feared the mercenaries who were now on Callahan land weren’t newbies to the game. Unlike the last merc who’d tried to take his cousins down, whatever was here now was serious. Their grandfather had warned of three—which meant the enemy could gather a lot of intel while husbanding their resources and not stretching too thin.
Sloan’s gut cramped. Kendall had been fortunate.
“I’ll let Sloan fill you in on what happened,” Jonas told the roomful of men and Ashlyn.
Sloan put down his crystal glass. “As you know, Fiona and our grandfather have decided we should stick together. I’m not sure about that,” he said. “With the attack on Kendall, I feel pretty certain she was an intended kidnapping victim. I’ll go with the general vote on whether we go undercover or remain on the ranch.”
He knew everyone in the room had the same thing on their minds: How best to protect the whole family?
“We don’t know what we’re dealing with,” Falcon said. “Kidnappings are a concern.”
“Anything could happen—not to scare the hell out of you,” Galen said.
Sloan saw his six Callahan cousins absorb this. They had families here. His side didn’t have skin in the game—no children, no wives. They could pick up and leave tomorrow, and this would have just been a nice vacation for them.
Except Kendall. She needed a bodyguard, in his opinion. She was tough, but a tiny woman like her was no match for a merc. The spirits had been on her side today.
The library doors opened. Chief Running Bear walked in, and everyone stood. Sam handed him a cut crystal tumbler of whiskey.
They all settled into the leather seats. Their grandfather set his glass on a table, his dark face serious. “Everything has changed.”
Sloan cast a glance at his cousins. They were serious, alert. Listening.
The chief looked at all of them. “With this direct attack on the ranch, we must change the enemy’s focus.”
“What are you suggesting, Chief?” Jonas asked.
“Divide and conquer.” The old man studied the people in the room, assessing their reaction to his words. He looked grave. “The situation is dangerous. The tactic must meet the moment. All Jeremiah’s children and grandchildren must leave the ranch.”
Sloan’s cousins didn’t say a word. He figured that had to be a huge bombshell dropped on them. But he also saw where the chief was going. With no one here, the mercs’ purpose was essentially wasted. They were never going to find the Callahan parents; Molly and Jeremiah would never be given up by their sons.
Unless a child was kidnapped. All bets were off if children were involved in a ransom situation. And that was the utmost worry now on the chief’s mind, Sloan felt certain, or his grandfather wouldn’t have suggested such a radical tactic.
With sympathy, he met Jonas’s gaze. But there was nothing Sloan could say. No one had expected the situation to get this dangerous so fast.
“Some can go to Dark Diablo. There’s room there for many,” the chief said. “Others can go to Hell’s Colony. Kendall and her brothers have offered their compound, which she says is large and safe. There’s also transport for the children, and a staff to assist with the transition.
“I told her we were looking for a place for the children to go to school, for maybe the next half year. I didn’t mention the mercenaries. When she’s over the shock of what happened today, perhaps more can be explained. For now, she believes we’re looking for a place where the children can also go to school. I was prepared to consider someplace in Canada, but Kendall has convinced me that, between the two locations, the family will be comfortable.”
Sloan glanced around at his brothers and sister. Their grandfather’s plan meant his family could all go back to their own homes. He would miss spending time with them. He’d thought they would be here longer, have more time together.
The chief looked directly at him. “You will stay here, Sloan, to keep an eye on the ranch. All of you, to watch over the Diablos, and the land.”
