Bulletproof Christmas. Barb Han

to locate his phone while driving and used Bluetooth technology to make the call to Cadence.

      The recording said the number was no longer in service.

      When did she change her number? She’d had the same one since high school.

      Then he thought about everything that had happened to the family in the past few months after Maverick Mike Butler’s death. With all the media scrutiny, it made sense that she would make it more difficult to reach her. He hoped it had to do with the media and not their breakup. It shouldn’t bother him that she’d changed her number. It wasn’t really his business anymore no matter how much his heart argued.

       Okay. Plan B.

      He pulled over and checked his call log. Dade had been the one to reach out, so his new number must be on the log. Rory called that number. He didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until the call rolled into a generic-sounding voice mail and frustration nipped at him.

      Instead, he tapped the gas pedal harder and raced toward the house, hoping like hell that he wasn’t too late.

      Someone in the Butler household knew there’d been a security breach because Terrell Landry stood with his rifle shouldered and aimed at the conversion vehicle speeding toward the back side of the estate. Based on his disposition, his finger hovered over the trigger mechanism. A team of six formed a semicircle around Terrell twenty yards in front of where Rory stopped the conversion vehicle and put his hands where everyone could see them as he exited his vehicle. He’d be no use to Cadence or anyone else if he got himself shot on the property and he wouldn’t risk one of the men he didn’t know getting too excited with his trigger finger.

      “Rory Scott?” Terrell said, more statement than question.

      “In the flesh,” Rory answered. “Permission to approach?”

      Terrell’s next words allowed Rory to exhale.

      “Of course. Stand down,” Terrell told his men, lowering his own weapon. “But what are you doing here? I was told that you refused the job.”

      “Misunderstanding,” Rory said as he walked to the head of security, planning to meet him halfway. He’d known Terrell for half of his life.

      “Good to see you,” Terrell said, sticking out his hand between them.

      Rory shook it as the others flanked them. And then a few seconds later he found himself flipped on his backside, heaving for air after being slammed into the cold hard pavement with the wind knocked out of him.

      “What the hell, Landry?” he managed to get out through gulps of air. His lungs burned.

      “I’m sorry, Rory. I have orders,” Terrell said. “I’ve been instructed to contain you and call the sheriff in order to file a trespassing complaint.”

      “The Butlers offered me a job. Who would give you orders to have me arrested?” Rory ground out.

      “I got the order directly from Cadence Butler.” He shot another apologetic look. “She called it in yesterday.”

      She had to know that Rory would have been asked to help. Yes, he’d walked out on a relationship with her but this was over the top. Even for Cadence.

      Twenty minutes later, Rory stood in the foyer of the Butler home with his hands in zip cuffs and Boots at his side.

      Dade came rushing toward him as Boots sat next to Rory’s shoes. “I’m sorry, Rory. I don’t know how this order slipped past the rest of us and ended up being issued. It should never have happened.” He glanced toward his head of security and then the zip cuffs. “Take those ridiculous things off.”

      Rory’s anger almost overshadowed the real reason he’d shown up to begin with as Terrell removed the bindings. He rubbed sore wrists. “I caught a guy on your property with a scope on Cadence’s room.”

      Dalton entered the foyer, stress cracks around his eyes and mouth. He looked exhausted and Rory didn’t like being the one to deliver more bad news. “Where?”

      “Due north from the main house,” Rory supplied. “Is she here?”

      “Haven’t seen her yet but she was due in last night,” Dade supplied after shaking his friend’s hand. Dade was wearing jeans without a shirt or shoes. He’d obviously been roused from sleep. “I’m sorry again for the misunderstanding.” He motioned toward Rory’s wrists.

      This was no miscommunication, but he wasn’t angry at Dade or Dalton for it.

      “You want me to take care of this guy?” Landry asked, motioning toward Boots.

      “He belong to you?” Dade asked.

      “Does now.”

      “All right if Landry takes care of him while we talk?” Dade nodded toward the beagle.

      “Fine by me. Cadence needs to know how much danger she’s in.” She wasn’t stupid and if she realized how close she was to being shot, she’d take the right precautions. Rory didn’t even want to think about what might’ve happened if he hadn’t been there. Was he still frustrated with her for the stunt? Hell, yes.

      But he didn’t want anything to happen to her.

      It was probably guilt for walking out on her that had him wanting to protect her and not residual feelings. Rory didn’t do those with anyone no matter how much his heart wanted to argue at thinking about seeing her again.

      “I need to talk to Cadence,” Rory said as Landry picked up Boots and then disappeared.

      Dade stepped aside, allowing access to her hallway in the massive rustic-chic, log-cabin-style home. It looked more like a resort than private residence and he knew the layout well.

      “She doesn’t want to talk to you.” Ella Butler stepped into the hallway in front of Cadence’s room.

      “Too bad,” Rory said. “She needs to.”

      Ella was shaking her head and she looked rattled by the ordeal. “We understand what happened and will take it seriously. My sister has nothing else to say to you.”

      “Like hell she doesn’t.” He started toward her room.

      Ella stood there, arms folded over her chest. He would never do anything to hurt a woman so he flexed and released his fingers to keep them from reaching out to pick her up and move her.

      “What’s going on?” Dade’s brow was hiked.

      “Good question,” Rory added, focusing on Ella. “Your sister can have me arrested if I set foot on the property when I’ve been summoned, but I don’t get to warn of her the danger she’s in or ask why she’s so intent on not seeing me?”

      “No, you don’t. Now, leave,” Cadence said from her room.

      “This is none of our business, Ella,” Dade warned and Rory wondered if his friend knew about the fling. He doubted it, considering how determined Cadence had been to keep it under wraps.

      Just when Rory thought Ella was going to dig her heels in and fight, her expression softened and she said, “You’re right. We should stay out of it. I’m sorry, Cadence. But he deserves to know.”

      Cadence didn’t respond.

      “I’m sorry, Rory,” Ella said with a look as she, Dalton and Dade wished him good luck before disappearing down the hall.

      Deserved to know what exactly? Rory questioned.

      Rory tapped on Cadence’s door with his bare knuckles. He was the one who’d said there was no future for the two of them and then taken a job in Wyoming. When he really thought about it, she had every right to be upset with him. Not to trust him. Having him detained for being on Butler land was going too far but Cadence had a flair for the dramatic and she was probably still acting out of hurt—hurt that had been his fault.

      “It’s