Chapter Sixteen

W hen Carson opened the door of what served as the Black Heart Security office, the scent of black cherries smacked him in the face.

He closed the door to keep any of their conversation from echoing through the rest of the house and walked right over to his sister, seated behind two enormous monitors.

Her fingers stilled on the keyboard she was tapping away on. She looked up at him, lips twisted in an annoyed expression that usually was the precursor to her little fist serving up a blow when she was a kid.

"Can I help you?" Her words were draped in sass.

"It smells like pie in here."

She pointed to a candle burning on the windowsill. "I had to do something . You guys come in from the barn smelling like horse."

"You smell like horse more than the rest of us do."

She tossed her head, long dark hair trailing over her stiff spine. "At first, but I wash ."

He grunted and dragged a chair out from under the nearest desk, drawing it up to hers.

Willow lifted her fingers from the keys and sat back in her seat, giving him her full attention even though the look on her face told him she didn't appreciate the interruption.

"I need you to do something for me."

She sliced a glance at the monitors. The search onscreen showed that she was well underway enacting the plan he spelled out. "I thought I was."

"Something else. I need you to watch over Layne while I go to her ranch with Colt."

She blinked, long lashes fanning her sun-bronzed cheeks. "Do you think she'll try to leave and follow you?"

"She might. She keeps asking me about seeing her horses. I don't want her anywhere near the place until I'm sure it's clear."

Willow nodded at once. "When are you leaving?"

"Now."

"How long will you be gone?"

"A few hours, max. Colt's been at Golden Horizon for the past week. He's got a good handle on things."

"Done. I'll wrap up here, and Layne and I will find Faye for a baking lesson."

He arched a brow.

"Faye promised to teach me how to make banana muffins."

His stomach grumbled at the memory of those banana muffins he'd stolen from the Londons' kitchen as a hungry teen with a hollow leg to fill.

"There's an extra Christmas bonus for you if you learn how to make them just like Faye."

A smile spread over her face. "You're on!"

He pushed to his feet and shoved the chair across the floor to the desk where it belonged.

Whirling back to Willow, he fixed her in his stare. "Don't tell Layne you're watching her."

She made a zipping motion with her hand over her lips, sealing in their little secret.

He walked out of the office, sure that if anyone could make Layne stay put, it was Willow. With Faye's help, of course. A homey afternoon in the kitchen baking banana muffins should keep them busy until he came back.

As he strolled to his truck, he sucked in the fresh air. Soon snow would fall, and the fields would be thick with it. They had a lot of work to do before then, and everyone here took their chores seriously.

He waved to a couple of his veteran friends leading horses from the barn to pasture. They nodded and tipped their heads to him in return but neither one smiled at him.

Carson knew the story of every person in the therapy program. After leaving the military, some had experienced homelessness. More than a few had been resistant to coming to the Black Heart, but once here, they settled in and saw the benefits of a simpler life and what the open spaces could do to heal them.

A few other guys had checked themselves in, seeking help before they did something that couldn't be undone. No matter what brought them, all of them deserved the best damn life possible. He should know. He'd been there, done that, and bore all the scars too.

He was lucky—he had his family to keep him going. But if he didn't? He wouldn't be much better off than the men in the program.

In a few more weeks, one of the trainings would begin. Then the ranch would be even busier, almost crawling with people. Their old man would have hated that.

Carson smiled at the thought of irritating the dead man.

He climbed into his truck and backed out, throwing a look at the expansive ranch in his rearview mirror. He was damn proud of the work he and his siblings had done to make Black Heart what it was today. They were still growing too. Besides the new group arriving by month's end to train, Oaks had lined up guest speakers to visit their vets—and one celebrity as a special surprise.

The few minutes it took Carson to drive the distance to Golden Horizon gave him enough time to let his worries seep into the cracks.

He wouldn't let them—Layne was perfectly safe at his place. With his sister and Faye to keep her busy, she wouldn't even miss him.

He turned his mind to the Londons' ranch. Colt claimed there was nothing new to report. But Carson needed to see for himself.

The security breaches he'd discovered there were so subtle that they were easily missed. Colt was good—damn good. But Carson only trusted himself not to make a mistake. He needed to be there in person and see it with his own two eyes.

On high alert, he studied every intersection and car he passed with suspicion. When he reached Layne's ranch, he noted that Colt hadn't parked right out front for anyone to see. There was no sign of his brother either.

Good. Real good. Colt had done his job exactly the way that Carson would do it if he were posted here.

As he parked in front of the house, he swept his gaze over the structure. All the windows were still shuttered with the blinds and curtains drawn. Now he could see why Layne was going stir-crazy inside. The land was far too beautiful to hide from view.

He'd done what needed to be done to protect her. When he first answered Layne's call for help, he hadn't known he was still in love with her.

The minute he'd set eyes on her, he denied it. But that only lasted until his body—then his heart—took over.

He didn't have to fight for her love. She'd given that freely. Now his biggest battle involved capturing her stalker.

Carson's hands fisted as he walked to the back door. After one knock, it swung open, and Colt stood there, a bored expression on his face.

"Welcome, brother."

Carson stepped inside. The house was cool, almost chilly with all the blinds closed against the warmth of the day.

The space gave off a strange vibe without its inhabitants. Like most homes, Golden Horizon was just walls and a roof—Layne gave it life with her calm and cheerful demeanor. Faye, too, brightened these rooms that felt so empty at the moment.

Colt shut the door behind them.

He turned to his brother. "Give me an update on the situation."

"Nothing new to report. I've been checking all the security footage. Not a single movement on the ranch that hasn't been a deer grazing in the field, or a possum wandering to the barn in search of some feed."

He nodded. "And at night?"

"You know I'm always awake. There's a good spot to keep watch from the back porch." He waved at the door off the kitchen that led to the spot where the Londons entertained guests in the summers.

Usually Layne didn't want anything to do with her father's friends and would sneak off during a party. To meet Carson.

"And you've been checking the loft in the barn like I told you to?"

Colt gave a single nod.

"All the horses are fine? Has the ranch hand who comes to care for them noticed anything funny?"

"Not a thing. I told you, all is quiet here."

He turned his head to look at the closed window. "Yeah. Too quiet."

"You think the stalker is gearing up for something?"

"I'd be shocked if he hasn't already put a plan into motion. Let's take a look at the security footage."

* * * * *

Layne felt like a character who'd stepped into the wrong film. The Malones were very welcoming to her and Faye, but neither of them belonged here. Without Carson, she felt even more lost, and he was nowhere to be found.

She wandered into the kitchen, thinking to make some tea. Seeing her housekeeper standing at the counter with a mixing bowl in front of her and baking ingredients spread across the black granite counter was a breath of familiarity.

She couldn't help but smile at the woman who had been part of her family for so long. "What are you baking?"

"Miss Willow asked me specially if I'd teach her how to make banana muffins. But I can't find her anywhere. I thought I'd get everything ready for when she comes."

"And do you have all the ingredients?" Layne sidled up to the island.

"Everything but muffin tins."

Layne bit down on her bottom lip. "There has to be some around here." She began searching the cupboards, tentatively at first since this wasn't her house. Then she began to really dig around, even getting on her hands and knees to peer into dark cupboards.

Pushing to her feet, she smoothed her rumpled top. "No luck."

"We have plenty of muffin tins at home, at Golden Horizon."

"Maybe I should go over and get them?"

"Carson did say he was going to the ranch. You could call him and ask him to bring the tins."

"Hm." She nibbled her lip some more. "I'll call him now." She left Faye fluttering around the island, organizing pouches of walnuts and fussing with measuring cups, and went into the living room to make a call.

Carson didn't answer his phone even after two tries. She set off toward the big bedroom converted to the Black Heart Security office, thinking to find Willow and ask about going to fetch the tins with her.

But the door was firmly shut, and she could hear Willow's voice rising and falling behind it. Unable to make out the words, and not wanting to overhear something she had no business knowing, Layne grabbed a set of keys off the peg in the entryway and walked out to the driveway where a bunch of black vehicles were parked.

She located the vehicle that matched her set of keys—a small sedan with tinted windows—and climbed behind the wheel.

Carson was already at Golden Horizon. She would be safe with him. And nobody would recognize her in the security company's vehicle. She'd buzz over, grab the tins and come straight back here so she, Willow and Faye could bake the muffins. After all the crazy events of the past few weeks, she could use some normalcy.

Before she backed out, she paused. On a scale of one to ten, how ticked off would her lover be when he found out she left the ranch?

She would only take back roads. Nobody traveled the road she was thinking of. It was a straight shot to her ranch. She wouldn't even hit a public road to be seen.

She continued on. Driving again made her feel normal. So did the warm rays of sun streaming down on her face and shoulder. The back road cut across the Malones' property, curving around the base of the mountain, to her own ranch.

Back in the day, she would ride her horse over to see Carson. Or he would take the ATV and visit her. Half the time, her father had no clue where she was, but Faye always did.

Faye had seen more than anybody else when it came to Carson. She still did.

Maybe Layne could visit her horses too, give them each a little love while she was there with Carson on watch.

She tried to call his phone again, but there was no answer. Was he okay? Did he meet with the man who wanted her for himself—or to kill her?

Carson was a trained SEAL. He was all right. He just wasn't answering his phone.

When she reached the end of the road that met with a narrow horse track on her own land, she slowed.

Just through the tree branches, she could see the back of her house. And the trail was also lined with thick cover. She would be fine.

A minute later, she arrived without issue and parked at the back door with Carson's truck only feet away. She used the new security code to unlock the door.

The house was quiet. She listened for Carson and Colt's voices but heard nothing. They must be outside, maybe even in the barn where she was going next.

She quickly located the pans Faye requested and put them on the front seat of the car she was driving. Then, with a cautious look around, she set off quickly for the barn.

Pressing a palm to the wood, warmed by the sun, the door gave a pleasant creak as it opened.

Suddenly, pain exploded through her skull. Something solid thumped to the floor at her feet, but she couldn't see through the blackness clouding her vision. Hot wetness rushed into her eyes and down her face.

Then came the sharp copper smell of blood.

She blinked, clearing her vision enough to stagger for the door. The pain of the blow made her stumble. Hand shaking, she lifted one to probe at her injury, gasping when she felt slick blood.

She drew her hand away and almost passed out at the sight of so much blood on her hand.

In a daze, she stood in the open door, swaying. Trying to focus on opening her mouth and crying out the only name in her brain at that moment.

"Carson…" Nothing but a weak squeak emitted from her.

"Jesus Christ!" The roar came from feet away. Peering up through the curtain of blood covering her face, she saw Carson sprinting toward her.

"Oh fuck! Layne! What the hell happened?"

She tried to answer, but her mouth only opened and closed.

"Don't talk." He scooped her off her feet and took off running. The orders he bellowed at Colt hardly registered in her dazed and confused brain.

"Get her to the ER. Fuck! I'm going back inside the barn, Carson."

"Call for backup. Be careful. Shoot to kill."

Those words sent a wave of fresh, icy fear through her body. Then he shoved her into the truck. When he gunned it down the driveway, she slumped in her seat, suddenly aware that she had a cloth pressed against her bleeding face. When she glanced over at Carson, he was shirtless.

Her stomach heaved, and she was pretty sure she blacked out for most of the ride because she didn't remember anything more until he pulled her out of the truck and carried her into the hospital in his arms.

"We need help! Now!" His roar rocked her already-fragile skull. More nausea rose up her throat.

Questions ricocheted all around her from doctors and nurses, but she couldn't answer any of them. All she was aware of was Carson beside her. Her hand in his.