Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard (shoe dog free ebook .txt) 📗

for him to look back now and see his mistake.

The echo of bullets ricocheted through his mind, yanking him from his thoughts.

Terra could have been killed.

Beautiful, amazing Terra.

He’d been an idiot to leave her. How strange they found themselves together again under this dangerous, high-pressure situation. Her lashes fluttered again, then her eyes opened and she stared right into his as if she’d sensed someone watching and that alone had stirred her awake.

Her lips parted with a small gasp.

She stood and moved to his side. “You’re awake.”

Unable to find his voice, he nodded.

She grabbed his hand. He appreciated the warmth and strength in her grip, and her soft skin. And that she was here in the room with him.

“What . . . what are you doing here?”

A confused frown twisted her beautiful features.

An idiot’s question. “I mean . . . thank you for being here.”

A soft smile replaced the frown, and her bright blue eyes shimmered. “Of course I’m here. I had to make sure you were all right.”

Terra released his hand.

“Wait. Where are you going?”

“I’m getting the chair.” She moved the chair she had been sleeping in closer to the bed and sat down, but it still wasn’t close enough for Jack.

“Your aunt will be here to relieve me in the morning. She wanted to be here tonight, but I convinced her to get some rest.”

“I hope to get out of this place before she gets here. What time is it?”

“It’s four a.m.”

“And they let you stay? You’re not family.”

“Aren’t I?” Her beautiful eyes held so many promises.

Or was he imagining she felt more for him than she really did?

He forced his thoughts to the immediate threat and danger to her and others. “Did we get him?”

A shadow crossed her gaze. “Not yet.”

Anger boiled through him. “How could he get away?”

“It takes a while for the forces to gather out there. You know that. He was probably long gone.”

He thought about her brother. If she was here with him, he assumed that meant she hadn’t gone to face Owen. Jack hoped that the sheriff or someone within his department had already approached her brother with a few questions. If Owen was involved, the last place Terra needed to be was at the ranch.

Nor should she continue her investigation. He hoped her superior would put her on desk duty while the shooting was being investigated, but he wasn’t sure how the forest service did things, considering they had so few investigators. She had to have thought of all this already. But he wouldn’t bring it up now because he didn’t have the energy to argue. He couldn’t stop her if she walked out that door.

How could he keep her here until it was over?

“Can you hand me my cell?” he asked.

She frowned again. “You don’t have a cell, Jack. Let’s just say you survived the bullets, but your cell didn’t.”

He started to sit up. “I’m getting out of here. There’s too much to do.”

She pressed a hand on his shoulder. “The doctor hasn’t released you yet. Even if he does, you know you’ll be on desk duty for a couple of days.”

He groused. “I don’t care. I can’t stay here. There’s something I can do.”

Jack’s left arm screamed when he tried to move it. Dizziness swept over him, and he gripped the bed until it passed. Then he eased his bare feet onto the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. Realization dawned that he was in a hospital gown.

“See, Jack. You’re pushing it.”

“I’ve been through worse. A graze isn’t that bad. I lost some blood, that’s all. The doctor patched me up.” He reached for the landline phone next to the bed.

“Who are you going to call at this hour? Nobody is expecting you to check in.”

He slammed the phone down. “I don’t know his number off the top of my head.”

“Whose number?”

“Detective Campbell’s.” Nathan could share details about what was going on.

“Nathan? Fine.” She stood and handed over a cell. “I lost my phone out in the cornstalks. But this is a burner. Nathan wanted me to text him.”

Jack grabbed the phone. “So, you guys are friends now?” That sounded entirely too possessive. But at the moment, he didn’t care if she thought he sounded jealous.

“He’s worried about you,” she said. “I was supposed to text him with any news.”

Jack hit Nathan’s name next to Owen’s in the contact list. Nausea threatened. Had she talked to Owen? The call buzzed a few times.

“Terra, what is it?” Nathan answered with the question.

“This is Jack. What’s going on out there?”

Terra crossed her arms.

“I was going to call Terra in the morning with the news,” Nathan said. “Or maybe deliver it to you in person.”

“Well? Did you find him?”

“Yeah.” Campbell blew out a breath. “In a grain silo. He’s dead.”

“He fell in trying to hide?”

“He fell in, all right. Right after someone put a bullet in his head.”

FIFTY-SIX

No idea who?” A stunned expression on his face, Jack kept her pinned with his gaze as he listened to Nathan. “This just gets better and better. Keep me updated. I’m getting out of here soon.”

He ended the call and handed the cell over to Terra.

She moved closer and wrapped her fingers around it. “What is it, Jack? What did he say?”

“Someone shot and killed Leif.”

What? She let the shock of that news roll over her. She hated to think it, but that almost seemed a fitting end. Still, she gasped and tried to step back, but Jack stood and gently grabbed her wrist, then reeled her in. He urged her even closer until their foreheads touched.

Being so near, especially when she wasn’t sure she had control over her emotions, scared her. She tried to back away, but he held her in place. He was much stronger than she imagined he would be after his injury.

“What . . . what are you doing?” Her voice came out breathy and revealed far too much emotion. She didn’t know if she could hide it anymore. Hide behind