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Bring On The Night
Sara Orwig
This time he was playing for keeps Colonel Jonah Whitewolf had always lived life on the edge, whether it was in the Special Forces or working for a security company, but nothing could have prepared him for the shock of stumbling upon his ex-wife…and the son he had never known.With Kate and little Henry sharing his house, Jonah wanted only to spend every day with his son…and every night seducing the woman he'd loved and lost. But with danger haunting his ranch, Jonah hoped that Kate would trust him and understand that this time he wasn't risking his life for his job but for his family.
“You’re going to tell him the truth today and now—here at the park—or I will,” Jonah said in a voice of steel.
“I don’t want to be cheated of knowing my son one more day.”
She nodded. “All right, Jonah. I guess you have that right.”
“Damn straight I do. What have you told him about me—about us?” Jonah asked. “Did you tell him we’re divorced?”
“Yes. I told him that the army was important to you, and you were gone most of the time, so we decided it would be best to part. I told him you wanted out of the marriage.”
“Kate, that’s a damned lie,” Jonah said, standing again and pacing away from her, fury making him shake once more. He whipped around. “You’re the one who walked.”
Dear Reader,
Welcome to another month of excitingly romantic reading from Silhouette Intimate Moments. Ruth Langan starts things off with a bang in Vendetta, the third of her four DEVIL’S COVE titles. Blair Colby came back to town looking for a quiet summer. Instead he found danger, mystery—and love.
Fans of Sara Orwig’s STALLION PASS miniseries will be glad to see it continued in Bring On The Night, part of STALLION PASS: TEXAS KNIGHTS, also a fixture in Silhouette Desire. Mix one tough agent, the ex-wife he’s never forgotten and the son he never knew existed, and you have a recipe for high emotion. Whether you experienced our FAMILY SECRETS continuity or are new to it now, you won’t want to miss our six FAMILY SECRETS: THE NEXT GENERATION titles, starting with Jenna Mills’ A Cry In The Dark. Ana Leigh’s Face of Deception is the first of her BISHOP’S HEROES stories, and your heart will beat faster with every step of Mike Bishop’s mission to rescue Ann Hamilton and her adopted son from danger. Are you a fan of the paranormal? Don’t miss One Eye Open, popular author Karen Whiddon’s first book for the line, which features a shape-shifting heroine and a hero who’s all man. Finally, go To The Limit with new author Virginia Kelly, who really knows how to write heart-pounding romantic adventure.
And come back next month, for more of the best and most exciting romance reading around, right here in Silhouette Intimate Moments.
Yours,
Leslie J. Wainger
Executive Editor
Bring on the Night
Sara Orwig
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
SARA ORWIG
lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband who will take her on research trips anywhere from big cities to old forts. She is an avid collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both reading and writing them.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Prologue
“Revenge is better than money,” the man said quietly. Raking his blond hair away from his face, he stood in the hallway of San Antonio’s busy airport and glanced again at the listing that showed Flight 10 from Amarillo, Texas, was on time.
Through the windows the man could see bright sunshine outside, no bad weather to interfere with incoming flights. Inside the lobby people hurried to and fro, pilots strode past on their way to departure gates, lines grew longer at the security checks.
The man waited patiently, his gaze searching the crowd. He wanted to make certain that the flight had arrived and the special passenger was on it. His blue eyes scanned each dark-haired man, pausing briefly on first one and then another. Then his gaze was arrested.
A tall, black-haired man in a charcoal knit sport shirt and jeans crossed the airport lobby and headed toward a rental car desk, where he set his flight bag on the floor and spoke to a smiling attendant.
The man watched him smile even as his fingers curled and his fists knotted. “You’re hurrying to get your inheritance, aren’t you, Colonel Whitewolf? You think you’re so tough, with your Special Forces training. None of it will do you any good. You’ll see. You’ll go down. You’ll be first, then the others. It’s already started. While you get your car, I’ll go out to the ranch and have it ready for you. A real warm welcome.” He laughed softly.
He walked outside and hurried to a black, two-door sports car he had stolen only an hour earlier. The tags had been changed and he knew no one would bother him.
He started the engine and pulled out of the parking space, glancing in the rearview mirror at the terminal, thinking about Colonel Jonah Whitewolf, who was probably still inside at the rental desk.
“When I get through with you, you’ll regret you ever accepted your inheritance. You’re trained to deal with an enemy you can see. Now you’ll have to deal with an enemy you won’t see. Welcome to Texas, Colonel. Welcome to hell.”
Chapter 1
A bullet could change a man’s life in the blink of an eye, Jonah Whitewolf knew, but he’d never expected to have his life transformed while sitting quietly in an office.
As he stood at the car rental desk in San Antonio the memory of that moment in April still haunted him.
He recalled how he had listened in stunned disbelief as the lawyer quietly read from John Frates’s will, listing the inheritance: “To Jonah Whitewolf, to whom I am profoundly indebted, I bequeath the Long Bar Ranch, which is the Frateses’ working cattle ranch. This ranch, the livestock, the house, the land, the mineral and water rights and everything included in the ranch, shall go to Jonah Whitewolf to do with as he deems proper. In addition to the Long Bar Ranch, one and a third million dollars is hereby bequeathed to Jonah Whitewolf to do with as he sees fit.”
In shock, Jonah had stared at the lawyer. Her announcement was a moment cast in his memory forever. He could still remember how his surroundings had become unforgettable—the beautiful blond lawyer’s oak desk, her gold pen and pencil set, her slender hands holding papers as she read, the tall clock quietly ticking, the faint scent of roses in a crystal vase on a polished wooden table. Every sight, sound and smell had been etched in memory in that instant when his world changed entirely….
While the attorney had continued reading, Jonah had glanced at Michael Remington and Boone Devlin, two of his closest buddies from past days in Special Forces. Five years ago, the three of them, along with another Special Forces friend, Colin Garrick, deceased, had rescued John Frates when he had been held hostage in Colombia. Because of that rescue the three survivors of the mission were now inheriting fortunes. Mike Remington looked as shocked as Jonah felt, but then Mike’s inheritance had been an incredible surprise: John Frates’s town house in Stallion Pass, Texas, a million and a third dollars—and John’s baby daughter.
Boone had seemed equally shocked by his bequest of a nationally famous quarter horse ranch. Jonah had been faintly relieved that he hadn’t received a baby, although he had been plenty shocked to be willed a cattle ranch plus the money. He recalled thinking how ironic at this point in his life to inherit such a thing. Had the inheritance come six or seven years ago, he would have been able to save his marriage.
Unbidden, memories of his ex-wife, Kate, had crept into his thoughts. He had loved her then, and her loss still hurt today. Kate’s image floated into his consciousness: silky chestnut hair, enormous hazel eyes, thick dark lashes. An ache in his chest brought him back to reality, and he forced the memories away.
His job in Special Forces had caused the divorce. If he had had a ranch and a fortune, how different life might have been! He closed his mind to that course of thinking. What-ifs could ruin your life.
A cattle ranch and over a million dollars…His family would be ecstatic for him. Jonah thought about his present job—working around the world, putting out oil well fires. A ranch would give him an opportunity to settle in one place. On the other hand, he would be more isolated than ever.
The amount of money was staggering. He was well paid in his job, but this was wealth beyond anything he had ever dreamed of.
The minute the lawyer, Savannah Clay, finished reading the will, she looked at them with her big blue eyes. “You each will receive a copy of the document. Do any of you have questions?”
Silence was heavy in the room and the attorney had arched her brows. “No questions?”
“I’m not sure I believe this is happening,” Jonah stated quietly.
“It’s already happened,” Savannah replied in a well-modulated, no-nonsense voice. “John Frates felt strongly about what he wanted to do with his fortune.”
Again the silence was broken only by the ticking of the tall clock in her office. Once more she asked, “None of you has a question?”
“Yes,” Jonah said. “If I choose not to keep the ranch, can I sell it?”
“There are papers to sign, but yes, once this inheritance is legally yours, you are free to do with it as you choose.”
Jonah nodded. “If we sell, we get the money, plus the million and a third that each of us inherited?”
“That’s correct,” she replied firmly. “That’s only a portion of the Frates fortune. For the rest of their lives, his in-laws, Dina Frates’s parents who are in rehab, will be provided for. There is a foundation, trusts, other bequests to charities. But the three of you got his personal things and part of the Frateses’ estate. He intended Colin Garrick to have a share as well, but upon Colin’s demise, he changed the will and that money was divided, which is why each of you got a million and a third. He rounded up the total to make it equal.”
“How soon do we have to see about all this?” Jonah asked. “I’m supposed to leave for Russia next Sunday.”
“There’s no hurry. The ranch has an excellent foreman and manager. John Frates was just there part of the time and had nothing to do with running the place.”
“So we’re free to sell these inheritances?” Boone repeated.
“Yes,” Savannah Clay answered. While she talked to him, Jonah looked at Mike, who was silent and white as snow. His friend kept raking his fingers through his wavy black hair, an uncustomary gesture.
Jonah had seen Mike shot and he had seen Mike in critical, life-threatening situations. Remington was a cool, quick thinker, able to move and act swiftly, tough as well as brave, but at the reading of the will he had seemed on the verge of fainting.
“Are you all right?” Jonah whispered as the others talked.
Mike swiveled his head and gave Jonah a glassy-eyed stare. “Yes,” he murmured, but Jonah wasn’t convinced. Mike was not his usual take-charge self. Yet Jonah knew that inheriting a baby would be a shock far greater than inheriting ranches, as he and Boone had.
“Any questions, Colonel Remington?” the attorney asked.
“Yes, but I’ll wait until the others are through so I don’t take up their time,” Mike replied.
Even though they protested, Mike did wait, and finally Jonah and Boone signed papers, got their copies of the will and left the lawyer’s office.
“What a day this has been,” Boone remarked as they stepped into the sunshine. “When I flew in here, I thought the three of us would have a reunion and that would be it.”
“Yeah. Life takes strange turns,” Jonah replied. “Nobody knows that any better than the three of us do. I wish Colin were here to claim his inheritance.” Both men were silent until they reached black cars parked side by side. Then they stopped and faced each other. Boone had his hands on his hips, his tan sport coat pushed open. “See you back at the hotel. I’m going to swim, and then let’s have happy hour and celebrate our inheritance,” he said with a grin.
“Sounds fine with me. I’m still in shock,” Jonah replied as he shed his navy suit coat and pulled off his navy tie.
“I think all three of us are in shock, but Mike’s been hit the hardest. And I don’t blame him. Thank goodness he’s the one with the baby,” Boone said, unlocking his car door and tossing his sport coat on the seat.
“Yeah, I guess.” Jonah felt an aching twist deep inside.
“Man, you’re still hung up about your ex? Get over her,” Boone said, turning back to frown at Jonah. “You can marry again and have a passel of kids.”
“Boone, have you ever been in love, even once? I mean really in love?” Jonah asked, mildly annoyed by his friend’s remarks.
“Hell, no, not like you were. And I’m not going to be, either. No marriage chains for me. Lighten up.” With a flash of white teeth, Boone Devlin grinned. “The world has lots of beautiful, exciting women. You need to get out and about and forget her.”
“Sure,” Jonah answered dismissively, remembering what a playboy Boone was.
“And don’t bury yourself on a ranch, although there’s small danger of that. You’ll sell your inheritance as fast as I intend to sell mine.”
“Maybe not. I’m going to think about it and look the place over.”
“What do you know about cattle ranching?”
“I told you that my grandfather had a ranch, and I spent every summer there when I was growing up,” Jonah replied.
“You move to a ranch and you’ll be a hermit,” Boon warned, jiggling his car keys in his hand.
“As if I socialize a lot out in the oil field.”
Boone laughed and opened the door of his car. “See you at the hotel.” Each climbed into his rental car and drove out of the lot.
Jonah shoved those April memories aside and smiled at the clerk behind the rental counter. Moments later, he strode out of the San Antonio airport into bright sunshine on a cool, early June morning. After quitting his job and selling the home he owned in Midland, Texas, he was back in San Antonio to look at his inheritance for the second time.
He wanted to work the ranch, and from the time he’d made his decision, his eagerness to make the move had grown.
In the space of time between his first trip to San Antonio and this one, another shock had transpired. Savannah Clay, the lawyer who had read John Frates’s will to them, had married Mike Remington—a marriage of convenience to give Frates’s baby girl a mother and father. Jonah was surprised, and wondered how happy Mike was with the arrangement.
As Jonah neared the gates to the ranch, however, he forgot about Mike Remington. Green fields spread endlessly to the horizon. Stands of oaks gave shade to the hills, which were bright with patches of wildflowers. All land he owned…Then Jonah spotted two spirals of gray smoke rising against the deep blue sky, and he wondered what was burning.
As he drove along, watching the plumes of smoke darken and expand, Jonah had a gut feeling that something was wrong. The ranch hands could be burning off a field, but he didn’t think so.
Clamping his teeth together, he pressed the accelerator, speeding along until he reached the turn to the ranch house, then bouncing over the cattle guard. The ominous black smoke increased and he gunned the engine, skidding on gravel along the drive.
In the distance he heard sirens that only confirmed his suspicions. Another few seconds of driving and he saw bright orange tongues of flame spiraling in the sky. He caught up with a pickup truck speeding ahead of him.
Then, at another turn, the ranch house, barn and outbuildings came into view. Trees burned in two areas while flames shot up one wall of the barn, Jonah saw, but the roof hadn’t yet caught and men were pouring water on the blaze. Men fought the three blazes.
