Reckonings. Cynthia Eden

lunged to the side, and the bike missed him by inches as it shot past him. He jumped right back to his feet, his eyes on that motorcycle. The rider wore a dark helmet, so he couldn’t see the guy’s face. The dog was running after the bike, but there was no way Jinx was going to catch him.

      “Davis!” Jamie grabbed his arm. “Are you hurt? I’m so sorry!” Her hands flew over him. “I didn’t mean to drag you into this! I’d never want for anyone else to be hurt, I—”

      He caught her hands. The tumble of her words stopped. The growl of the motorcycle was a distant sound now. “What’s going on, Jamie?”

      “B-burglar.”

      He didn’t buy that. Especially because that hitch in her voice had been a telling sign of a lie. “Want to try again?”

       “Are you hurt?”

      He shook his head. “Didn’t even scratch me.” The guy had been too intent on fleeing. His goal hadn’t been to attack Davis. So just what did the guy want? “You said you didn’t mean to drag me into this... What is this, Jamie? Tell me what’s happening.”

      But she pulled away from him. Her arms wrapped around her stomach even as her shoulders hunched. Her dog rushed back to her side and pressed against her legs.

      “Jamie?”

      She looked toward her house. The lights blazed inside. The growl of the motorcycle was gone. And there was still no sign of the cops.

      She’s too isolated out here. What if she’d come back alone and that jerk had been waiting? His hands clenched as he thought of just what sick things the guy might have planned.

      “You were nearly run down. That’s what I meant.” She backed up a step. “I shouldn’t have let you play Good Samaritan tonight. I shouldn’t—”

      He reached out. Touched her arm. Felt the tremble that shook through her. “Sweetheart, sometimes, I can almost feel your secrets between us.” Did she think he hadn’t noticed them?

      She became very, very still. “You don’t want to know my secrets.”

       Yes, I do. And I’m not going to stop digging until I uncover every single one of them.

      “I don’t even want to know them.” She turned from him and headed toward her house with slow, certain steps. “That’s why I spend most days pretending they don’t exist.”

      She kept walking toward her house. Jinx looked at Davis, whined, then hurried after Jamie. Davis’s gaze swept the scene once more. Danger was out there, waiting to close in on Jamie. And whatever trouble the woman had stalking her...he wasn’t going to leave her to face it on her own.

      * * *

      NOT ALONE. NOT ALONE. Not alone!

      His gloved fingers tightened around the motorcycle’s handlebars. Jamie should have returned to that little house by herself. Some hick in a pickup truck shouldn’t have followed her. He shouldn’t have touched her.

       He shouldn’t have been with my Jamie!

      When he heard the shriek of police sirens, he killed the lights on his motorcycle and took the ride off the road. He hid beneath some trees, watching as two cruisers rushed by. Those cars were heading to Jamie’s place. Her house was the only one out on that long road.

      He glanced at his watch. Hit the button for fast illumination. And he smiled when he saw the time. It had certainly taken the cops a long time to respond to that alarm. If Jamie had been alone, he would have been able to spend plenty of quality time with her before the police showed up. So much time. Time to catch up.

      Time to punish.

      He’d remember that for his next little visit to Jamie’s place. Because he would be heading back there. Jamie wasn’t slipping through his fingers. He’d found her, and he would never let her go again.

       Chapter Two

      “You don’t have to stay here by yourself.”

      The cops had just left. They’d talked to Jamie. Searched her house and the edge of her property. They’d jotted down notes, and they hadn’t seemed overly optimistic that her unwanted visitor would ever be identified.

      “Just some kid...probably thinking he’d make an easy score.” Those had been the words from one of the cops. He’d shrugged. Just shrugged while she stared at him in growing terror. She wanted the break-in to be some fluke. But...

       I’m scared it isn’t.

      “Jamie, why don’t you come out and stay at the ranch tonight?”

      Her gaze jerked toward Davis. He’d stayed with her, all during the interview with the cops. He’d altered between anger and frustration, especially when the fresh-faced cops hadn’t immediately phoned in the news about the guy on the motorcycle.

      “There are plenty of rooms at the place,” he said, voice low, easy. “I’m not asking you to share my bed.”

      She could feel her cheeks burn.

      “I’m just offering you a safe place for the night. You can get the window repaired tomorrow, and then everything can return to normal for you.”

      Normal. What a fun word. “That’s really not necessary.” She tried to sound unruffled—as if she totally had this situation in hand. “I can board up the window tonight. I’ll be fine here.”

      His green eyes seemed to darken a bit. “What if he comes back?”

      “I have a gun.” Okay, she’d blurted that bit. But it was Texas... Heck, most people had guns. She’d never used a gun in her life until she came down here, but...she’d just started feeling nervous in the past few weeks. Having bad dreams. So she’d gone to the shooting range. She’d learned to shoot pretty dang well during those visits.

      His eyelids flickered. “Would you use it on someone?”

      She didn’t know. She hoped she’d never have to find out. Jinx padded into the den. The dog glanced at her, then Davis, then he just sort of flopped down.

      As was his way.

      “I can’t leave Jinx,” she told him. “We’ll both be fine here, really.” Then she headed for the door. They’d had an amazing kiss and, then they’d gone to...this. A completely weird and uncomfortable situation in which he’d nearly been run down.

       Story of my life. Bad things happen near me.

      There was a reason she didn’t let too many people get close to her. When people got close, they had a tendency to get hurt.

      Or to wind up dead.

      You’ll never be happy, Jamie. Never. I won’t let you go to another!

      For an instant, that voice thundered through her mind. So strong and clear...as if the man who’d once shouted those words was actually standing there. Goose bumps rose on her arms.

      Davis stalked toward her. She thought he’d just walk through the door and leave her to have a mini breakdown in peace. He didn’t. He stopped right in front of her, gazed down at her and asked, “Do you think I don’t know you’re afraid?”

      Were her knees knocking together that loudly?

      “And it’s not just tonight, is it? There’s more...so much more.” His fingers lifted toward her face, and she didn’t mean to, but Jamie flinched.

      He instantly froze. “Someone hurt you.”

      More than you can imagine. “Good night, Davis. Thanks for following me home. And I’m... I’m so sorry for all the trouble.”

      Anger