Chapter 6 #2
It seemed like hours before she felt Owen’s muscles relax a little. Then she saw why when they crested a hill and she looked down on the Loughman Ranch. With a slight tug, Owen pulled her down as he squatted. She fell to her knees exhausted.
In all this time, none of them had spoken a word. She hadn’t slapped at the mosquitos biting her or cried out when she swept against a bush with stickers that cut her arms and legs.
Cullen rested his hand on Owen’s shoulder, and then he walked away, blending into the darkness as if it swallowed him whole. With a nod, Wyatt did the same in the opposite direction.
She and Owen remained where they were. In all the time they’d walked, Owen’s hold on her hadn’t lessened. He kept her tight against him, just as he continued to do.
Truth be told, it made her feel safe.
Then again, she’d always felt that way with him, even before he was a SEAL.
With the sounds of the night lulling her against the warmth of Owen’s body, she snuggled closer and felt her eyes burn. She shut them for just a moment.
Owen knew the instant Natalie fell asleep. He kept her upright so she didn’t fall while her head lolled to the side. Without thinking, he rested his chin atop her head.
He’d never been so scared as when he spotted one of the Russians with Natalie. Owen had reacted instantly—and with lethal force. They could’ve taken her away to rape, torture, or kill.
And it had set him off as few things could.
Later, he was sure his brothers would ask him about it. Right now, he just wanted Natalie at the ranch where he could keep her safe.
Being with Natalie in the dark reminded him of the times they’d snuck out to make love under the stars. It didn’t matter how many women came after her, he only ever saw her face.
Owen wished it wasn’t a life and death situation that had them in such a position now. He wished he’d returned to Texas sooner. He wished he wouldn’t have left that fateful night so long ago.
But he’d left because Natalie was the one thing that could’ve made him stay. He knew what they shared was something special, something that only came around once in a lifetime.
The sound of first one, then a second whistle from each of his brothers told him it was clear. He hesitated. He didn’t want to wake Natalie. Once he did, the reality of the night would come crashing down around her.
“Nat,” he whispered.
It took a moment before she raised her head and remembered where they were. He looked at her and nodded. Only when she returned the nod did they stand, their fingers linking as they walk from the trees.
Her back was straight, her gaze forward, but she held his hand as if her very life depended on it. Regardless of their past, at least she knew he would protect her.
The one thing Owen had always wanted to be was a hero in her eyes. Tonight, he’d gotten his wish. It was the circumstances that made his stomach turn. Natalie should never be involved in anything like this.
It was life and death from here on out.
Which meant her life was in his hands. It was a heavy weight he carried, but he did it gladly. Because it was Natalie.
Because she meant everything to him.
They ran across the yard toward the house. When they approached, Owen saw a shape step from the shadows. Callie opened the door so he and Nat could rush inside.
“I was getting worried,” Callie said.
Owen checked out the window before he turned to Natalie. His mouth went dry as he took his first look at her in the light. She wore a skimpy gown that fell to the tops of her thighs, held on to her shoulders by thin straps. It was black silk with cream lace around the top and bottom.
His balls tightened as he realized that’s what she slept in. That was the material he’d felt against his hand all night. It gave no more protection than a whisper.
Owen hadn’t thought about what she was wearing. His only goal had been to get her out of the house before the Russians arrived.
His gaze took in the numerous scratches and bites on her chest, arms, and legs. Natalie wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.
Before Owen could pull his mind away from imagining stripping her out of the gown, Callie draped a blanket around her shoulders.
Natalie grasped it tightly, bringing it around to hide the black silk from view. “Thank you,” she said to Callie.
“No problem.” Callie then threw Owen a dark look.
He jerked his chin to the kitchen. “I’m sure Natalie could use some coffee.”
“And clothes,” Callie murmured as she walked past him.
Though Callie was curt with him, her hand was gentle when she turned Natalie and guided her into the kitchen. He followed, standing in the doorway as Natalie sank into a chair at the table and Callie poured two cups of coffee. Owen declined the cup, which Callie kept for herself.
Natalie stared at the table after she’d fixed her coffee. Callie leaned her back against the counter while holding her mug between both hands, looking between him and Natalie.
“Are they all dead?” she asked and lifted her deep green eyes to his.
He wanted nothing more than to tell her a lie. He didn’t want her dragged into the mess Orrin had created, but there was no way around it now. His father had put her there, and she’d willingly walked into it all.
In situations like this, the worst thing a person could do was lie. Natalie’s life was on the line, and she needed to understand that.
Because there was about to be a drastic change she would more than likely fight.
“Yes, they’re all dead,” Owen told her.
Natalie took a sip of the coffee then nodded. “Thank you.”
“It’s what I do.”
“How did you know they were there?”
Callie spoke before he could. “I found a file in your papers.”
“A file?” A frown puckered Natalie’s brow.
Callie pulled the folder from Natalie’s bag and slid it across the table. He watched as Nat’s face paled as she opened it and read the pages. “Oh, my God.”
“I know it’s marked classified. That’s the only word I looked up,” Callie said.
Owen moved to stand beside Natalie in order to see the file. “What does it say?”
“No wonder they came after me. I grabbed this by mistake, but if I’d known it was there, I would’ve taken it anyway.”
He drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “What is it exactly?”
“Me.” Her green eyes lifted to him. “This is essentially a hit taken out on me.”
For a heartbeat, Owen could only look at her, his brain digesting the news. This couldn’t be happening. He’d left Natalie to make sure nothing like this ever touched her, and here she was, smack dab in the middle of a pile of shit too tall to climb over.
“It lists my address, my mother’s address, and all known associates,” she continued.
Callie nodded. “Of course, they wanted to know where you might go if you happened to get past them.”
“The ranch is listed, as well.”
“Because you and Callie were talking,” he said. “You set off alarms all through the embassy digging into Ragnarok.” Owen could only imagine the things the Russians had seen and heard Natalie doing each time she spoke with Callie.
Callie ran a hand through her hair, pulling the ponytail out as she did. “I don’t like this. We were careful not to discuss specifics on the phone.”
“That doesn’t matter,” he said, waving away her words. “Nat’s snooping made her a target. They let her live only because they hoped she might lead them to the bioweapon.”
Natalie looked from him to Callie and back to him. “And now?”
“Now that my brothers and I are here, you’re in the way. They’ve pieced together that you don’t know anything.”
Callie twisted her lip. “I really want to put an end to these assholes.”
“We will,” he promised. There was no other way. It had to be done. And they couldn’t waste another second. “However, we can use them, as well.”
Callie shook her head. “That’s a dangerous game.”
“Do we have a choice?” Natalie asked.
An image of the the asshole backhanding Natalie flashed in his mind. “No, we don’t. We have no idea where Orrin is or how to find him. The Russians are the best chance we have.”
“And Ragnarok?” Callie asked.
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “We find Orrin, we find the weapon.”
Callie sat her mug down next to the sink. “Let’s get busy, then.”
Owen couldn’t take his gaze off Natalie. She hadn’t yet realized the impact of what had happened tonight, but she would soon enough.
The first step was isolating her from everything. If the Russian group wanted her, they would have to go through him to get her. And that would never happen.
It was right that she was now staying at the ranch. She belonged there.
She belonged with him.
Always had. Always would.