Sudden Setup

Holden shook his head. The less she knew about his circumstance, the better.

“I’m more concerned about you right now,” he said. “Besides, you’re news and that’s bad for me.”

“You’re on the run from something.” She had part of that right.

More like someone.

Her gaze penetrated deep into him. “You know who I am, don’t you? You’ve always known.”

He nodded.

“And you’re not out to hurt me. So far, from what I can tell, you’ve been helping me,” she continued.

“I want you to listen carefully to what I’m about to say. What happened to you out there was no accident,” he warned.

She gasped. “Not you...”

“No, it wasn’t me. But someone did that—” he motioned toward the gash on her head “—on purpose.”

He let the revelation sink in for a minute.

“It wasn’t you and it wasn’t an accident,” she said so quietly that he had to strain to hear.

Holden handed her another cup filled with beans he’d warmed in the fire. “You’re used to better food, but this is protein and it’ll keep your stomach from growling.”

Ella took the offering with trembling hands as his message seemed to be taking seed. “Who would want me dead?”

He didn’t like that momentary lost look in her eyes.

“I’m telling you because you’re going to want to be careful from now on. Take necessary precautions and don’t wander off alone.” Holden leaned his hip against the counter.

She took a bite of food and chewed.

“You said that your father was killed,” he continued.

“Yes.”

“You’ll want to look at people who stand to gain from your death after his to start. Scrutinize those closest to you,” he said, figuring with her money she could hire proper security who could keep her safe until the law found the man trying to kill her.

“I have no idea. I mean, I think what you’re saying is that my brothers or sister might want me dead to get me out of the way or take my share of our inheritance, but I trust them with my life,” she said.

“What happened to your father?” he asked. The look he shot her must’ve been interesting.

“He was shot twelve times while he slept naked in the spare bedroom attached to his office in the barn,” she informed.

“No one heard anything?” he asked, thinking that someone had wanted to make a point. An act like that came across as anger motivated.

“The barn isn’t near the main house. Dad liked to keep home and work separate,” she said.

“Which is difficult, considering you do live your work when you own a ranch,” Holden said. “Your family would know everyone’s sleeping patterns and where your father would be on a given day.”

“He spent a lot of nights in the barn. What makes you so sure it’s one of them? Did you used to work in law enforcement?” She turned the tables.

“No.” Holden had no plans to elaborate on his background. The less she knew, the better for both of them.

“We leave as soon as the sun goes down,” he said, closing the bag to the coffee grinds.

* * *

ELLA REALIZED SHE’D been gripping the coffee mug so tightly that her knuckles were white. She reminded herself to breathe as she tried to absorb the reality that had become her life. Her brothers would not try to hurt her. For one, the Butler kids had had each other’s backs since childhood after their mother had taken off and left them with their father. They’d had to. Their father wasn’t exactly skilled in the parenting department. He’d loved them in his own way, Ella thought defensively. She’d always felt the need to protect her father. But he wasn’t the problem this time.

Thinking made her brain cramp.

Ella eyed the stranger carefully. By nightfall, she’d be done with him. He’d be out of her life forever. She should be happy about that, and yet the thought tugged at her heart. Maybe it was because she’d lost so much already with her father’s death. Or it could be her soft spot for lost causes. There’d been countless stray animals that she’d made space for in the barn only for her father to tell her they had to go. Usually, they were injured and she knew they’d never survive on their own. Her brothers or sister would come to her rescue and help her keep them hidden until she’d manage to nurse them back to health and then find a new home.

A few were worked into the menagerie of pets on the ranch. Oftentimes one of the hired hands would end up with a new pet to take home to his family. And many of the employees at Hereford Ranch covered for her to help with her causes. No one went against Maverick Mike’s wishes directly, but everyone pitched in behind the scenes to help Ella.

Looking back, it was probably difficult for them to turn away such a persistent little girl. Ella had been told more than once that she had the campaigning abilities of a politician.

Her gaze drifted to the wounded person standing before her with no name. If anyone needed to find his way, it was the man across the room. She told herself that was the reason she felt an unexplainable draw toward the mystery man and it had nothing to do with the inappropriate surge of attraction she felt every time she glanced his way.

“What will you do once you drop me off? You can’t stay here anymore, can you?” she asked.

“You need to worry about yourself. Use some of that money you have to hire extra security,” he snapped.

Ella bristled.

His voice softened when he said, “You’re in danger and you owe it to your father to be careful.”

“Why do you care?” she asked.

“I don’t,” he said. “But you should.”

A noise sounded outside and Blue Eyes dropped into a crouching position in half a second flat. The remarkable thing was that he made no noise with his movement, and that made her think he might have a military background.

His gaze locked onto hers and the look he shot her warned her to be quiet. She froze, fearing that whoever had tried to kill her was back. Would they have returned to verify that she was dead and then go hunting for her when they didn’t find a body?

Her pulse raced.

With effort, she slid off the chair and made herself as small as she could on the floor. Movement hurt despite the couple of pain relievers he’d supplied earlier. Ella knew Blue Eyes had this under control. And it struck her as odd that she felt safe with the stranger.

Thinking about the attempt on her life made her realize that there could be others coming to town to get a piece of her father’s will. Hadn’t his attorney, Ed Staples, warned that there could be a lot of surprises forthcoming? Even though he couldn’t possibly have meant this, Ella was beginning to fear that the actions of her father would haunt her and her siblings long after his death.

When the silence had stretched on for minutes, Blue Eyes moved to the window and checked outside. Without speaking a word, he slipped out the door.

Ella moved to the window to get a look for herself, watching as he moved stealthily. There was a certain grace about him.

Despite his untamed appearance, his muscles gave the impression he maintained a disciplined workout schedule. In fact, looking around the room, it was obvious that he liked things tidy. Something had made him want to drop out of civilization for a while. He couldn’t be a doomsday prepper because he seemed to have on hand only what he needed for a couple of days. She wanted to offer him some type of reward for saving her life but he’d already refused work. What else could she do? Offer a reward?