Chapter 1

Chapter

One

O h, shit! There’s no way I can do this!

Finlay Reid stood, looking over the rim of the Grand Canyon, then back at the impassive face of the appaloosa mule whose reins she held. Having lived in the United States and traveled extensively, she’d seen pictures of the Grand Canyon, but no representation—pictures, video, or paintings—did it justice. Not only was it far more beautiful and majestic than anything she’d ever experienced, but the distance to the great chasm’s floor was far more imposing than she could ever have imagined—beautiful, but terrifying.

What the hell had she gotten herself into? There was no way the kind of riding she’d done all her life had prepared her for this. Galloping her well-schooled Irish Draught through the fields and over natural jumps was no kind of experience for riding some misbegotten hybrid animal down a trail of death .

Steady. Finn reminded herself unless she could get the specified thumb drive to the people who were holding her brother, Christian would be killed.

She’d never been one who suffered from vertigo, but the enormity of what she was about to undertake hit home and made her dizzy. The trail descending the side of the sheer rock cliff left no margin for error—one wrong move and she would plummet to her death.

Her guide, Billy Crofton, rounded the corner of the horse trailer leading a big, black mule. “Ms. Reid, I’m Croft.”

She turned away from the rim of the canyon and walked toward him with her hand extended. Croft either didn’t see it, or ignored her, as he swung up onto his mount.

“You need to get on Jasper,” he said, barely able to hide his impatience and annoyance.

What the hell did he have to be annoyed about? She was paying his firm a pretty penny for what should be a fairly simple, straightforward job… at least the way she’d explained it. The fact she hadn’t bothered to include the finer details of what was going on was beside the point… wasn’t it?

“I want to be on the floor of the canyon and find a place to set up camp before it gets too dark. You were late getting here,” he continued. “The longer it takes us to pick up some sign of where your brother traveled, the less likely I’ll be able to track him. In the desert, the weather can play hell with any trail left to follow. Before we get started, is there anything else you can tell me?”

“No,” she lied.

Well, maybe not lied so much as left out a few salient points in her depiction of the situation. That wasn’t exactly true either—there were other things she could tell him, she was just choosing not to.

“If you’ve changed your mind,” he drawled, “I can go on without you. Someone else from the firm can come get you and Jasper.”

“No. He’s my brother, I need to be there when we find him.”

Finn gathered up her courage, resiliency, and pride, along with Jasper’s reins, put her foot in the stirrup, and pulled herself into the saddle. It wasn’t her most graceful mount, but it would need to suffice. Normally, the horses she rode had English tack, without the bedroll and other gear attached to the rear of the saddle. She feared swinging her leg that much higher to clear the equipment might seem obscene and threatened to rip her tight jeans.

“You ready?” her erstwhile guide asked. Not waiting for the answer, he turned the large, black mule he was astride toward the trailhead.

Croft would lead them down to the floor of the canyon, close to one of the campsites where her brother had last been reported to have been seen. It was just the two of them riding mules that carried all they should need; they had no pack mule. Croft had assured her everything they needed was strapped behind their saddles. Taking a deep breath and saying a silent prayer she wasn’t about to make a terrible mistake, she cued Jasper to follow.

When Finn had originally decided to try to find her brother, she had talked to Willa McDaniel about guiding her into and through the canyon. Willa was a well-respected adventure guide and was said to know the Grand Canyon like the back of her hand. Unfortunately, Willa had declined, saying she was set to leave on a long-overdue honeymoon and suggested Finn hire her husband’s Wild Mustang Security Firm. If any kind of foul play was involved, Willa had proposed Mac’s firm would in a better position to help than she was since this was the sort of thing they did routinely. Regardless, Mac had assured her the firm had one of the best trackers in the business, who knew the Grand Canyon almost as well as Willa.

Finn looked straight ahead. The narrow trail seemed suspended between a sheer cliff, leading straight back to the top of the canyon on the right and another on the left, descending to the bottom with not so much as a twig to break one’s fall. When Finn made the mistake of looking over the edge, it had been all she could do not to vomit. Panic seized the lungs in her chest and threatened to stop her heart.

“Mr. Croft?” she called.

“Just Croft,” he said, not unkindly, but not in any way that indicated he had any interest in talking with her or hearing what she had to say.

“Croft. I did a bit of research on your firm.”

“It’s Mac’s firm, I work for him.”

“Right, well, Wild Mustang Security Firm is certainly an interesting name.”

Croft chuckled. “The boss is an interesting man. Ex-special forces and now ex-US Marshal. His last case with the Marshals brought him and Willa back together, and he decided to leave the Marshals and start his own security firm. Outside of Mac, Willa’s greatest passion is mustangs, so he named the company to honor that. Every man who works in the field for him has special forces experience. Anybody working in any capacity is a veteran of some sort.”

“I take it you’re a special forces veteran.”

“Yes, ma’am. Three tours of duty.”

“Which branch?” She would have an easier time conversing with Jasper .

“I prefer not to talk about it,” was his curt reply.

“How did you meet Mr. McDaniel?”

Croft shook his head. “You may be the only person within a thousand miles who calls him Mr. McDaniel. Many people still refer to both him and John Hampton as Marshal, but most of us call him Mac. I met Mac when he needed a tracker. I was cowboying for the cattle ranch that abuts his and Willa’s place.”

“Why would someone with your skills want to be a cowboy?”

“Why wouldn’t they?” he said a bit defensively. “It’s a simple, honorable way to make a living. After all I’d seen and done, I needed simple. As I said, I’d prefer not to talk about it.”

“Why would Mac need a tracker? My research indicated Willa is…” Finn’s sentence was cut off when a small rock dislodged, falling from the edge of the trail. She couldn’t stop the horrified shriek that escaped her lips.

C roft swung around in the saddle and looked at her—really looked at her for the first time. That was the problem. He hadn’t been looking at her face when he’d come around the end of the trailer, he’d been looking at her ass, and she had a damn fine ass. How could he have failed to notice the woman was absolutely terrified? Oh, sure, he’d noticed she was beautiful, stunning in fact. That was damn hard to miss—and hard was the operative word. It had been a while since he’d mounted a woman and sunk his cock balls deep into her wet heat. His dick throbbed, reminding him the gorgeous Ms. Reid would be an outstanding choice to break that particular dry spell.

“Are you all right, Ms. Reid?” he asked, knowing full well what the answer would be if she told the truth.

She took several deep breaths. “I don’t think this was a good idea. Is there someplace we can turn around?”

“Not until we get to the bottom of the trail on the canyon floor. At that point, it’d be twice as bad to come back up. I thought you told Mac you could ride?”

“I can. I ride all the time in Fairfax County—fox hunts, cross country, and I take dressage lessons at least weekly, more often if I can.”

“Shit,” he swore under his breath. Better a rank beginner than someone who had just enough knowledge in civilized arena riding and on groomed courses to be dangerous. “Are you afraid of heights?” he asked, noticing her looking down into the vast chasm.

“I never thought so. How much longer?”

“It’s probably another three hours to the canyon floor, then a couple more to Phantom Ranch. That’s the closest place they can land to airlift you out. Why the hell did you say you were experienced?”

“I am experienced,” Finn argued.

Croft answered with a snort, shook his head, and turned back toward the trail.

“Is there a wide spot I could just get off and walk? I don’t think this mule is paying attention. Every time the trail changes directions, he almost walks off the ledge.”

Croft kept riding but called over his back, “There is no wide spot, and Jasper is one of our most experienced mules. He’s not going to fall off unless you somehow manage to pull him off his feet and over the edge. If you’re that scared, why don’t you close your eyes, hang on to the saddle horn, and I’ll take his reins and lead you down.”

“Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Don’t puke on yourself or Jasper,” he commanded. “In this heat, it’ll stink to high heaven.” Croft stopped his mule, and Jasper stopped several paces behind him.

“Come here, Jasper,” Croft said, turning toward the rock face to their right and extending his hand to the mule.

The sight of her blanched face let him know Finlay Reid was in way over her head. The Grand Canyon had always been a place of solace for him. He knew from experience what usually got people hurt or killed was fear. Jasper stepped forward, and Croft stroked his long, Roman-nosed face.

“Ms. Reid, I need you to untie the lead rope around the saddle horn and toss it to me.”

“I know how to ride,” Finn said tersely.

“Not a mule and not on this trail. I’m not asking you for the lead, I’m telling you to toss me the rope.”

“I don’t like not having control.”

“I’ll bet,” he said, trying to keep his tone on an even keel. “You need to give me the damn lead—now untie it and toss it to me. You look like you’re going to be sick and pass out. That isn’t good. There’s a kind of belt with a buckle attached to the saddle behind you. You’re going to strap yourself in and let me get you to the bottom of the trail.”

“I don’t like being told what to do.”

“Do I look like a man who gives a damn? If I have to risk my life to come back there and make you follow my orders, you won’t like what happens when we get down to the Canyon floor.”

Finn lifted her chin defiantly. “You don’t scare me.”

“I don’t doubt it. You don’t have enough common sense not to be afraid of me. You don’t want to test me, and you should know, I don’t make idle threats. Are you going to do what I tell you or not?”

“Just lead on. I’ll be fine.”

Croft watched her sway in the saddle. Swearing under his breath, he carefully dismounted to the right, so the cliff wall, reaching skyward, was at his back. Inching his way toward her, he reached up to untie the lead, and she swatted at his hands.

“Knock it off,” he snarled. Untying the lead and clasping it in his hand, he reached around her for the safety strap. He tried to buckle her in, and she again pushed at his strong hands. He felt a loose stone give way and quickly found more stable ground. Finn gasped as he finished securing her in the saddle, so she would be safe. Taking Jasper’s lead, he slid by Sam’s rump, then swung up from the off-side.

“Just hang on to the saddle horn and try to stay in the middle of Jasper’s back. If you’re going to be sick, there’s an airsick bag behind you in the pack. Grab it and keep it with you. We can dispose of it when we get to one of the trash collection areas.”

“I don’t think I can do this,” she said softly.

“You don’t have a choice,” he growled. “I’m going to move out, and Jasper is going to follow along. Everything will be fine.”

They rode the next couple hours in silence. The only sounds were the hard hooves of the mules as they walked down the trail, the screeches of the raptors overhead, and his client’s irregular, shallow breathing. Croft listened intently, and when he heard her breathing become more settled and take on an even rhythm, he glanced over his shoulder. The fool woman had finally closed her eyes.

He shook his head. Mac owed him for this. Mac had finally put his foot down with Willa and reminded her Croft was almost as good a tracker as she was. He had given her no choice about going—no choice in this instance meant he’d told Willa she could go either with a freshly spanked bottom or not, but they were going. He smiled, knowing Willa had most likely snarled back at him and left for their trip, needing a soft pillow to sit on. It didn’t take long for an observant man to figure out Ethan McDaniel was the dominant partner in that relationship. Not that Willa was submissive—not by a long shot—but when Mac laid down the law, Willa had little choice but to behave. She rarely did so without a fight, but in the end, she yielded.

Croft wondered if he’d ever find a woman like Willa. She was a handful, but she was strong, smart, and filled out a pair of chaps in a way guaranteed to make a heterosexual man hard. He shook his head. Funny thing was, after he got to know her and saw her around Mac, her beauty and charisma no longer affected him that way. Croft now saw her as his friend first, his boss’ wife second, and a woman whose tenacity and business acumen he admired. Fact was, he felt the same way about Mac.

“How you doing back there, Ms. Reid?”

“Would you please quit calling me Ms. Reid? If we’re going to be traveling together for several days, I think Finlay or Finn is more appropriate.”

“You Easterners are big on appropriate,” he said scornfully.

Although a cowboy through and through and far more western than eastern, Croft had been born and raised on the East Coast. His family had a long and distinguished history as Naval officers, and he had been raised to believe he would live and die as a member of the United States Navy. He had dutifully attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, and graduated as an officer. From there, he had applied for and been accepted into the vaunted SEAL training program and spent more than a decade as a member of one of its elite units.

“It has nothing to do with being an Easterner,” she responded disdainfully, “and everything to do with trying to be pleasant.”

Croft’s only response was a snort.

Irritated, Finn asked, “Why did you offer to take me along and help me locate my brother?”

This time his answer was a sound that resembled a cross between a bark and a laugh.

“I didn’t offer anything. My boss was set on getting away with his wife on a honeymoon that should have happened long before now. He assigned me the task of trying to find out what happened to your brother and dragging you along for the ride. I’ve been trying to figure out what I did that got him that pissed off at me.”

Finn made a strangled cry of irritation. “When we get down to the end of the trail, you can call your company and tell them to send someone else.”

“Apparently, you’re not familiar with how my firm works. You hired us, and Mac assigned you the best man for the job. That means you’re stuck with me.”

Croft was almost glad to hear her getting snarky. It meant she was focused on something other than how terrified she was on Jasper, going down a very challenging trail. He’d chosen this trail since it was the shortest route down, but it was one of the tougher ones to ride. Given the information he’d been supplied, he’d foolishly thought she was up for it.

Talking to her also meant he could focus on something other than how fine her ass had looked when her jeans were stretched tight across it as she mounted Jasper. He wouldn’t mind mounting the fair Ms. Reid… under different circumstances.

“If that’s true, you and your company are fired. I’ll go by myself.”

He glanced over his shoulder to look at her. “Let me get this straight, your new plan is to go wandering around the Grand Canyon on foot?”

“I would hope you would allow me to continue borrowing the mule.”

“That hope would be in vain. The animals and I are a package deal. You do know there are all kinds of things that can kill you down there, don’t you? Snakes, mountain lions, bears, dehydration, falls… lots of ways to die.”

“You are insufferable.”

“Insufferable?” Croft laughed, this time genuinely amused. “I’m a royal pain in the ass. Look, Ms. Reid, why don’t I take you to Phantom Ranch? You can stay there, and we can either send a chopper for you, or you can take a raft downriver to one of the exit zones, where someone can pick you up in a nice, air-conditioned vehicle.”

“Listen, you arrogant jerk, I’ve hiked some of the remotest places on Earth. I’m sorry if riding down this suicide trail got to me. I’ve been a bit stressed about my brother. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“And I’m just as sure you won’t be. So, either you ride with me, or I ride alone, and you go Back East to wait for me to send you word about what happened to your brother. Personally, I’d prefer the latter.”

“I’m sure you would,” Finn snarked. “But your personal preferences are irrelevant.”

All Croft could think was that one trip over his knee for a well-deserved spanking would negate her belief.