Chapter Thirteen
A n echo of boxing gloves thumping against a punching bag floated through the gym. From several feet away came the metallic clank of weights being racked.
The gym was a great addition to the Black Heart Ranch. It was a place where the veterans in the therapy program could go to stay fit and where they and the Malone brothers could blow off steam.
Colt threw another punch at the bag, a sheen of sweat coating his skin as he threw himself into pummeling something—anything.
He wished to hell it was Gideon Page.
The bastard had kidnapped Aspen. Harmed his brother. Despite them all ribbing Gray for being a soft pilot, Gray was a fucking badass. Only a man who knew how to fight with all the muscle backing him could lay his brother out.
Over and over again, he smashed his gloved fist into the bag, imagining it was Gideon’s face.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Carson lying on his back, doing his reps with a heavy amount of weight on the barbell. They didn’t need to talk, and Colt appreciated that. Having his brother here to keep him company was exactly the support he sought from any member of his family.
He may not be one for talking out his feelings; they all knew that and didn’t expect him to. Just knowing that they loved him and supported him in the way he needed made his heart swell with love and gratitude for his siblings.
Aspen didn’t have that. She’d only talked about her mother passing, and her good friend too. As far as Colt knew, she was alone.
Not now. Not anymore.
A bead of salty sweat stung Colt’s eye as he threw another jab at the bag. Carson stood from the lifting bench and came to stand behind him.
“You’re dropping your right arm.”
He swiped his forearm over his forehead. “I’m not here to impress anyone—just hit something.”
Throwing five more punches at the bag in quick succession didn’t seem to knock down the anger still boiling inside him. He dropped back and pulled off the gloves.
Carson watched him. “I got word this morning that Aspen’s pilot flew the plane back to Willowbrook.”
Colt met Carson’s stare. “Is that wise? Gideon could still be in the area.”
“I set a guard on the hangar. Nothing will happen to her plane. Our pilots are en route to fly our jet back too.”
He walked over to the mini fridge and grabbed two bottles of water. He tossed one to Carson, who caught it neatly out of the air.
“I also got word from Underwood about his cabin.”
Colt paused in twisting off the cap of his bottle. “He knows about the avalanche?”
Carson nodded. “He heard the avalanche and went up to check his property.”
“Christ, there’s nothing left of it.”
“I know. There’s more, Colt.”
He leveled his brother in a look. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“When he got there, he took a brief look around. Someone jumped out at him.”
Colt’s muscles hardened again with the urge to batter. Harm.
“Underwood was assaulted and robbed. His vehicle was stolen.”
“And you’re just now telling me this? We both know Gideon’s on his way here. To the ranch, coming for Aspen!” Colt took off toward the door leading outside. He had to get to the house. He’d left Aspen sleeping, and although the ranch was sealed up like Fort Knox, this man was unhinged. Colt had to be on guard.
Carson stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks before he could walk away. “She’s safe in the house. I’ve got Dutch watching the place.”
Colt sliced his fingers through his damp hair. “This son of a bitch cares more about hurting Aspen than getting caught. It’s not about the money.”
“No.”
“He’s too cocky. That makes him dangerous.”
“It also makes him susceptible to making mistakes. We’re going to get him, Colt.”
“I can’t just sit here waiting. I have to do something.”
“I know the feeling.” Carson’s dark gray eyes blazed with fury, gone as quick as it had come. He’d almost lost Layne to her stalker.
The realization crashed over Colt like a wave. He cared about Aspen—a hell of a lot.
“If anything happens to her…” The word stuck in his throat, a searing coal.
Carson gripped his shoulder hard. “We’re not going to let that happen. Black Heart Security wouldn’t have gotten to where we are if we weren’t the goddamn best.”
He filled his lungs with air and held the breath until his nervous system realized he wasn’t being hunted by an enemy.
But Aspen was. She wouldn’t be safe until Gideon was behind bars…or in a shallow grave.
“I waited to tell you because you needed to work some of this anger out of your system, Colt. It’s the only way for you to clear your mind, and you have to think straight if we’re going to get this guy. If you’re going to keep Aspen safe.”
Now he understood, and his brother was right.
“We need a plan of attack,” Colt ground out.
“Today.” Carson gave a hard nod of agreement.
As Colt turned to the exit and quickly crossed the short span of yard leading to the ranch house, he swung his head right and left, on high alert. He wished to hell he had his sniper rifle at the ready and that Gideon would step out and show himself.
When he entered the house, he strode directly to the guest room. He needed to see Aspen with his own eyes. He was her protector.
He was also her lover, and he had to make sure she was okay.
They had planning to do. He and his brothers needed to prepare for the worst.
* * * * *
Aspen quietly padded through the spacious ranch home. The early hour meant the place that was usually bustling with multiple siblings was still. The golden morning light streamed through east-facing windows and puddled on the dark hardwood floor.
She wasn’t exactly sure where she was going, only who she was searching for.
Colt’s brother, Gray. Ever since Colt slipped out of bed before dawn, she had been lying awake, worrying about Gray’s injuries. If not for her, he wouldn’t have been hurt, and she hated thinking that she was the cause of his suffering.
A long corridor with several doors on each side led to the main rooms of the home. Typically, hallways were just quick pathways to reach the place you wanted to go, but whoever decorated this one—probably Willow—had added family photographs interspersed with artwork that made Aspen stop to study them.
She stopped in front of a group photograph of all seven Malone children sitting on the front porch of a house she didn’t recognize. They looked like any kids—like they’d been riding bikes all day and slurping down cups of Kool-Aid. She leaned in close, trying to pick out Colt in the bunch.
She smiled when she spotted his red drink mustache and some red drops on his faded gray T-shirt. From what he told her about his father, the Malones didn’t have it easy. But they had each other.
She had to make sure Gray was okay so he could spend many more moments with his family just like these captured in the photos.
She continued on to the bedroom she’d seen him slip into the previous night. When she reached it, the door was cracked open wide enough to give her a view of his bed. Neatly made with the covers tucked beneath the mattress, tight enough to bounce a quarter off, it looked pristine.
Pausing, she listened hard for sounds coming from inside, but she didn’t hear any.
She moved on down the hallway, past a pretty collection of art featuring wildflowers done in pastel watercolors, and a funny photograph of an old horse that someone had stuck a straw hat on.
As she neared the end of the hallway, she caught the soft clink of a coffeepot being set down.
When she stepped into the kitchen, Gray looked up from the coffee he seemed to be scowling into. Seeing her, he made an attempt to rearrange his features into something more pleasant.
“You don’t have to pretend your head’s not aching. I can see it does.” Aspen crossed the kitchen to him. As soon as she saw the bruise across the bridge of his nose and extending beneath each of his eyes, sadness washed over her.
“Gray…I’m so sorry.”
He searched her face. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything.”
“If not for me, you wouldn’t have been put in a position to be injured.”
He shrugged, the bulk of his shoulders heaving in an almost exact mimicry of how Colt shrugged. “It’s part of the job.”
“Doesn’t sound like you’re part of the security agency.” She reached for a mug on the shelf and flipped it over to pour dark coffee into.
“I’m not, but I’m a Malone. We have each other’s backs.”
Relief that he was feeling well enough to talk, and not slurring his words or anything that would show his head injury was more serious than they were letting her believe, filled her. She tipped her head toward the kitchen table in silent question.
He nodded and carried his mug over. She followed, and they sat down together.
“You two are up early.” The soft voice coming from the doorway made Aspen and Gray look up at the person joining them.
Willow wasn’t only dressed for the day but already dusty from what Aspen guessed were barn chores. Her dark hair was piled up in a messy bun, and several wisps floated around her striking face.
Aspen considered herself to be a confident woman. After all, she had to be when dealing with billionaires and their families. But Willow was so sensationally beautiful and at the same time nonchalant about her appearance that Aspen felt a little shy around her.
“Here I was rushing around to get the horses fed so I could start the coffee early. I planned to bring Gray a mug in bed, where you should still be, I might add.” She threw him a dirty look as she poured a giant mug full of coffee.
She set the coffee on the table and took the seat across from Aspen.
“I wanted to check on Gray too. Make sure he didn’t need anything. You know, since it’s my fault he’s hurt.”
Gray stopped short of groaning. “Both of you can quit fussin’. I’m fine.”
Willow’s stare roamed over his bruised face. “Looks really fine.”
“Looks worse than it feels. You should know—you’ve been kicked by your horses enough.”
She let out a soft moan of appreciation as she sipped from her mug. “Mm. Who made the coffee? Aspen?”
“No, Gray beat me to it. It seems like I can’t get ahead of any of you Malones.”
“What do you mean?” Curiosity sparked in Willow’s eyes.
“Um…” She probably shouldn’t have spoken so hastily. Now there was no way of getting out of saying it outright. “You decorated Colt’s place at Lake Tahoe.”
As soon as the words were out, she bit down on her lip hard. “I mean… That sounded…”
“Like you wish you could have been the woman who decorated Colt’s cabin?” Willow didn’t bother hiding her smile. “I gotta say I’m surprised he took you to Tahoe. That’s his fortress. The place he went to get his life together after getting out of the military.”
“Willow’s the only family member to ever set foot in that cabin. You should feel special,” Gray added. He pushed his chair away from the table and stood, mug in hand. “I’d love to stick around, but you know me and sappy conversations.”
Willow laughed at him as he walked out of the kitchen. Now that she was alone with Colt’s sister, Aspen felt she should at least attempt to conceal what she’d laid awake half the night thinking about.
She was feeling things for Colt.
She was falling for him.
Lying in bed beside him, wreathed in his strong arms and inhaling his spicy, masculine scent had been the best way to fall asleep. When she woke to him slipping out of the room in the wee hours of morning, she missed him with a physical ache even though she knew he wasn’t far away.
In mere days, they’d been through so much. Lived an entire lifetime together, between the wedding and the road trips, jet-setting across the country and then Colt finding her tied up in that cabin.
She shook her head and took a sip of coffee to settle the events scattered across her mind like wadded-up notes tossed at a wastebasket. None of the events had hit the mark of what Aspen set out to do on this trip to Wyoming. But something else happened…to her heart.
Willow was staring at her. Judging from that expression on her face, she shared a trait with Colt—the ability to read people’s shifts in mood.
“I’m really glad that Colt found you.” Willow tucked a thick lock of hair behind her ear.
She almost choked on her coffee trying to swallow it too fast. “What do you mean?”
“We never thought he would come back to us. We’d have to hold a gun to his head to get him to sleep in the house. But you did it, Aspen.”
Her heart squeezed in her chest. She hadn’t realized how worried Colt’s family was about him and his choices. Or what her being here might look like to his family. What it might mean.
She set her mug down and eyed Willow. “I’m glad that Colt felt comfortable last night.” She didn’t know what to say even if she finally understood what she felt for Colt.
What she needed right now was a nice change of topic.
“You did all the decorating in the ranch house as well as at Colt’s cabin?”
Willow nodded. “I didn’t wait for an invite from Colt—I go where I’m needed. Right now, they’re all going to need a big rancher’s breakfast. Do you want to help me?”
She smiled. “Sure. But I know very little about fixing food for a crowd. I live alone and I eat a lot of takeout.”
Willow pushed away from the table and walked over to the refrigerator. Aspen followed, watching her pull out eggs and some meat wrapped in thick white butcher paper.
Over her shoulder, Willow shot her a look. “Grab the big cast iron pan and get it hot for the ham slices.”
“Okay.” Aspen wasn’t the most skilled in the kitchen, but she’d taken a few classes in her time.
As she located the skillet and hefted the heavy object onto the burner, she cast around for more topics of conversation to share with Willow. She asked about the horses and if this was their childhood home.
To her surprise, she learned they’d grown up in Texas but after their father passed away, the siblings couldn’t leave the old homestead fast enough. They’d settled in their second home here in the mountains.
Their talk was nice and provided more insight into who Colt, Willow and the other Malones were. But in the end, she and Willow bonded over fixing the rancher breakfast of fried eggs, slices of ham and stacks of pancakes.
“It must be so nice having your brothers around.” Aspen looked at the spread of platters.
Willow bobbed her head. “It’s nice but a pain in the ass too. Not one man I date passes their inspection.”
“I can imagine that they’d be protective.”
“You don’t have siblings?”
“No. Only child. Dad took off when I was young, and my mom passed away.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that, Aspen.” She gave her a sympathetic look that, to Aspen’s surprise, did not make her want to burst into tears. Instead, it felt like a sisterly hug, even though they didn’t touch.
“I appreciate it, Willow.”
“Our mom has been gone for so many years that I hardly remember her. How did you lose yours?” Willow asked.
“Cancer.”
She made a low noise of sadness and shook her head in sympathy. “That must have been so difficult.”
She eyed Willow. She rarely discussed her own health issues at the time, but she found the words perched on her lips.
“It was harder because I was fighting cancer at the same time.”
Willow whirled, eyes wide. She gasped. “Oh my god. How scary, Aspen.”
“Breast cancer.”
Willow’s gaze dropped to her breasts. For once, she didn’t feel self-conscious about how they looked. She realized that since Colt saw her as a survivor, she felt that burn of pride for all she’d managed to overcome.
“Wow. I mean, you look great!”
She let out a small laugh that eased her into a more comfortable zone with Willow. “I appreciate that.”
Willow stepped between the range and the counter, stacking more pancakes on the platter while Aspen made herself as useful as possible locating maple syrup.
“I’m sure your brothers are glad to have you working so closely with them.”
“I only dabble in the security agency as I’m needed. Oaks started the veteran therapy program after losing a good friend. It’s his brainchild and baby. I guess I do more for the veterans than I even do around the ranch.”
“What do you do to help the vets?”
“I always loved horses, and it made sense to use them to help others too.”
“So you’re in horse therapy.”
“Not officially, but yeah, you could say that. It’s amazing how some of the guys who come here have never even been around a horse, but it becomes a way of life they adopt. Not all people respond to the animals the same way. They each require different ways of healing. Like Colt.” She carried the platter of pancakes to the table and set it down. “I never could guess what would help Colt heal.” Willow turned to Aspen, a soft, knowing smile on her face. “But he seems to have found it.”
“Who found what?” At the deep timbre of Colt’s voice, Aspen whirled around to see him striding into the kitchen.
Her heart jogged in her chest. Damn, he looked sexy as sin in workout shorts and a Black Heart Ranch T-shirt. His muscles were even more pumped than usual, and veins snaked down his forearms.
His stare lit on her. In steady strides, he crossed the kitchen to reach her. Each step he took, her heart picked up an extra beat. When he wrapped his hands around her upper arms, tingles scattered throughout her body.
All at once, she understood what Willow saw happening between them.
She gazed up into his eyes. Just like that, she promptly fell totally…completely…in love with him.