Branded by a Callahan. Tina Leonard

you heard back from Rancho Diablo?” she asked Ashlyn.

      “All present and accounted for,” Ash said.

      “This is all so suspicious,” Ana said, sitting down next to Dante. His blood pressure went to the roof of his skull, drumming loudly. He smelled sweet perfume and warm woman, and it was everything he could do not to reach out and take her hand in his.

      She’d be so shocked if he did.

      “If we don’t think anyone could have breached the house, then it’s something else,” Ana said.

      It suddenly hit Dante that Ana was working from a hunch. As a guy who’d relied upon his hunches at times to stay alive, Dante found himself paying close attention to what Ana was trying to tease through.“What else is likely?” he asked.

      She finally glanced at him. “I don’t know.”

      He nodded. “We’ll know soon enough.”

      “The thing is,” Ana said, staring earnestly into his eyes, “it feels too coincidental. It feels too easy. Career mercenaries don’t make mistakes. That’s why I think it was a cover for something else.”

      “Maybe just to keep us on edge?” Ash asked.

      “I don’t think so.” Ana shook her head. “I’ll go to bed and think about it. Maybe it will come to me in the night.”

      “Sounds like a good idea.” Dante stood, began stacking the glasses on a tray. Halloween had come and gone for another year. Thanksgiving would arrive next, always a family gathering of great camaraderie and joy—and then Christmas. But the costumes and carved pumpkins would disappear for another year, which made him a bit nostalgic.

      Why pick Halloween for an ambush?

      He and Ana carried the small dishes and glasses to the kitchen. “Have you talked to Tighe today?”

      He shook his head. He didn’t want to think about his loony brother at this moment. “I haven’t heard much from him. He’s been busy getting brained by bulls.”

      She nodded. “Okay. Good night.”

      He stared after her as she passed into the hallway. He heard her sandals on the marble floor.

      “Drooling is only cute when babies do it,” Ashlyn told him, giving him a nudge. “Need a bib?”

      He probably was drooling. Turning back to the dishes, he put them in the dishwasher. “Not sure there’s a bib big enough.”

      His sister looked up at him. “You know, you can treat Ana like she’s a normal girl, not some kind of princess you have to put in an ivory tower. I have it on good authority that she doesn’t bite.”

      “She might.” Dante didn’t care how much his sister ribbed him about Ana—he might be slow in his windup, but eventually, he’d work his way into the game. “Don’t think it’s escaped my attention that you, little sister, are working on quite the unrequited thing for one of the owners of this compound, and everybody’s favorite canyon-riding cowboy, Xav Phillips.”

      Ash glared at him. “Am I supposed to say ouch?” She tossed her head. “At least I would kiss Xav if he got close enough. Ana saved you. The least you can do is put down the barbed wire fence.”

      He grunted, wondered about Tighe. Why had Ana asked about his twin?

      “The kids love her,” Ash said, washing out some glasses. “I bet Ana will make a wonderful mother.”

      He blinked. “Is she going to be a mother?”

      “Maybe.”

      Ash didn’t clarify, and he wasn’t about to give her anything else to rib him about by asking. He had to go with the flow around here, especially where Ana was concerned, or he’d end up a laughingstock.

      Ash sighed. “Did you at least thank her for saving you?”

      “No.”

      “Then I’ll thank her for saving my big brother,” Ash said. “I appreciate what she did. If people aren’t acknowledged when they do a good job, sometimes they find another employer.”

      He got the hint and decided not to encourage his sister. “I’ll let you finish up here.”

      His sister snapped his butt with a dish towel as he departed. “Good night, dear brother.”

      He went out to the guest quarters, which consisted of three bedrooms and a small kitchenette. This is where he was bunking—and tonight, the sniper was also taking up one of the rooms, sleeping off the effects of the tranquilizer, which the doctor said wouldn’t last forever. They hadn’t gotten much out of the man because he mostly wanted to snooze, but one thing was clear: he didn’t want to go to a hospital. Said he’d be fine sleeping outside. They’d stuck him out here with Dante, who was fine with checking on him occasionally.

      Thing was, without the sniper on the roof of the compound, they were pretty much without cover. Someone had known the sniper was there—and had taken him out with enough tranquilizer to give an elephant a bit of a Rip van Winkler. Dante went into his room, his thoughts in a snarl, trying to make sense of the whole thing—but his brain stopped cold when he flipped on the light and saw the gorgeous blonde in his bed. Sound asleep, looking like an angel.

      Holy smokes, what was he supposed to do with this?

      He turned the overhead light off. Pondered his next move. Clearly Ana hadn’t wanted to sleep in the main house. Did she have the night off? He supposed she must have. After one black martini with a floating eyeball in it, was he relaxed enough to take advantage of the heavenly gift in his bed?

      Absolutely not.

      Dante felt like he was sneaking around in his own room. Maybe she’d been scared, and didn’t want to be alone.

      Nah. Ana hadn’t been the least bit intimidated.

      Maybe he should just turn around, walk back through the door, forget what he’d seen. Pretend he’d felt better sleeping in the main house tonight—

      The lamp beside the bed turned on, and Dante’s throat went dry as an old bone in the desert. Ana looked at him, her gaze curious.

      “Hi, cowboy.”

      Long blond hair draped silkily over one shoulder. She hadn’t changed out of her purple scrubs, but the cork sandals lay on the floor beside her.

      Okay, gifts this good didn’t just drop into his life. There was a trap, he just couldn’t see it. His concentration was shot, and any warning system he’d ever possessed that normally blared caution in a danger zone had surrendered. “Howdy, nurse,” he finally said, trying to play it cool. “I do believe you’re in the wrong bed.”

      “Maybe,” Ana said. “But I hope not.”

      He couldn’t mistake the soft invitation, nor the smoke in those emerald eyes. The lady was offering, and all he had to do was get rid of the barbed wire fence Ash claimed he was hiding behind. “All right,” he said, his voice husky, his throat a bit stiff for some reason. “You tell me what you want, lady, and I’ll see if I can accommodate you.”

      Safe enough. Let her state her mission—maybe she was only scared, after all—and he’d see if he could help her out.

      She turned out the lamp. He heard sheets rustle, and the next thing he knew she was moving into his arms. Her lips found his, and it was everything Dante had ever imagined kissing Ana would be like: soft, sweet, powerful.

      He didn’t ask any questions. He hung on like he’d hung on to Firefreak, praying he didn’t hit the ground too soon.

      “I’m going to get a little more comfortable,” she said, moving out of his arms, “maybe you will, too.”

      She went into the bathroom, closed the door behind her. His heart thundered like mad, a haze practically shutting down his brain. After all the