Chapter 38
Natalie was happy to leave the Ritz behind. She almost asked Dvorak to call off the hit on her, but she knew it wouldn’t do any good.
They reached the Hilton without incident. She wanted back in a pair of jeans and on the road to the ranch within the next five minutes.
“I’m going to check us out and get the truck,” Owen said.
She nodded slowly. “I’ll get our things from the room.”
Natalie made it upstairs. She hurriedly stuffed their clothes in the bags and decided not to change yet. The quicker they were on the road, the better.
It felt like forever before the elevator arrived. The doors opened, and she entered, setting down the bags before mindlessly pressing the button for the lobby.
She leaned against the back of the elevator as she thought about Owen. The doors were shutting when someone stuck their hand between them and stopped them from closing.
Her stomach dropped to her feet when two Russians got in the small box with her. She knew a moment of true panic. Owen’s face flashed in her mind, and she wished he were with her. But he wasn’t. She was on her own.
Her gun was in her purse, which was in the bag and did her no good. Her few moves of self-defense would only do so much against two burly men.
“Where is he?” the shorter of the two men asked.
Natalie shrugged. “Who?”
“Dr. Jankovic.”
She looked between the two men. Was it a coincidence that they’d just learned that name from Dvorak? “I don’t know who that is.”
The larger man sneered at her. “You lie.”
“Get over it.”
Both men crowded her. The elevator dinged as it reached another floor. She saw the doors open, but she’d never make it off without them grabbing her.
It was the short one who said, “Konrad Jankovic. Tell us where he is, and we will allow you to live.”
Suddenly, the large Russian fell to one knee with a loud cry of pain. Natalie looked over the man’s head and saw Owen. Owen locked an arm around the big Russian’s neck and punched the second one so hard he slammed against the side of the elevator.
Adrenaline jolted through her, and she kicked the big one in the nuts, causing him to bellow in pain. Owen grabbed her arm and yanked. She jumped over the man, who was now on his side, holding his balls. She stumbled out and turned to watch, her heart in her throat.
There was a flash of light on the blade of a knife in Owen’s hand. Owen was swift and lethal as he stabbed the Russian twice in the side before coming up behind him and snapping his neck.
The doors to the elevator kept trying to close, but the big man’s leg prevented it. She shouted Owen’s name when she saw the smaller man lift a gun.
Her hand covered her mouth as she watched in horror as the man and Owen struggled a second. There were two soft retorts from a silencer, and then the Russian fell to his back, red blooming over his chest.
She could hardly draw breath as she watched the blood. Owen was alive, and for that she was thankful, but there was so much death.
She forced her gaze to Owen. He stood and adjusted the sleeves of his shirt beneath his tux jacket. He grabbed their bags and punched a button inside before kicking the Russian’s leg back into the elevator before he stepped out. The doors shut behind him.
Then he came to stand before her.
She looked into his dark eyes as he raked a hand through his hair to comb it back into place. He hadn’t even broken a sweat.
He was terrifying. And brilliant.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” he stated as he took her hand and gave her a kiss.
She nodded, because there were no words. Her heart still pounded in her chest with the force of a jackhammer as Owen walked her down a flight of stairs and outside to the truck.
They drove off before anyone else could stop them.
“I’ll have to call in a favor,” Owen said. “There are cameras in the elevator. They’ll see both our faces.”
Oh, God. She hadn’t even thought of that. “Will you be arrested?”
“That’s the favor I’m calling in. Did the men say anything?”
“Oddly, they asked where Jankovic was.”
“Interesting.”
“Yes.”
She kept reliving the scene at the hotel over and over in her head as they drove back to the ranch.
She wrapped her arms around herself. It was going to take a case of bourbon to get the taste of Egor Dvorak out of her mouth.
Not once did she regret doing what she’d done to help Owen.
It surprised her how easily it had come.
How effortlessly she’d used her body to gain information. Because they had to get answers.
Owen’s large hand covered hers and squeezed. She blinked and looked around as the truck slowed and turned. They were already back at the ranch?
She gazed at Owen to find the light from the dashboard showing a portion of his face. He smiled reassuringly, his grip firm.
“We’re home.”
Home. She liked the sound of that. “And it’s still standing.”
“I’m going to regret not killing Dvorak when I had the chance.”
“Leaving him alive was smart.”
Owen snorted. “It won’t take them long to discover he’s spilled their secrets. I give him a week to live.”
She was glad he still held her hand. With Owen, she became a different person. Stronger. Balanced. Happy.
Being with Owen seemed as natural as breathing. She feared she might have fallen in love with him again, but it didn’t scare her as it used to. If she’d ever stopped loving him.
Perhaps that’s why she’d thought she managed to forget about him. Though no one disregarded a man like Owen Loughman. He was utterly unforgettable, entirely extraordinary.
Absolutely astonishing.
He stopped the truck in front of the house and turned off the engine.
It felt good to be back at the ranch. It was one place she knew was heavily guarded. The Russians would have a hard time getting to them. And hopefully, they wouldn’t try.
There had been too much death and fighting at the ranch. It was time for peace. Time for love.
She gazed at Owen. Yes, it was time for love. It was time for her to admit what she yearned for, what she needed more than anything—Owen.
Natalie cleared her throat, suddenly nervous. “It seems quiet.”
“I think we’re all right on that front.”
“You expected an attack tonight?”
He gave a nod. “I did. It was the perfect time. I would’ve done it.”
“Perhaps they know it’s pointless.”
“I hope. We should get inside and get some rest.”
“Agreed.”
His smile took her breath away. “Come on, then.”
She watched as Owen opened his door and stepped out of the truck. Blowing out a breath, she opened her door and slid to the ground. The temperature had dropped, causing her to shiver. She wanted a cup of coffee in hand ASAP.
That’s when she remembered they were nearly out at the base. “I’m going to grab some coffee from the house.”
“Be quick.”
She was on the porch when she heard her name. Natalie turned her head over her shoulder and met Owen’s gaze. His smile was slow, seductive. It caused her stomach to flutter and her heart to miss a beat.
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she loved him, but she hesitated. It was something she wanted to say while seeing his face, not something to yell in the dark. Not yet anyway.
Her smile was huge as she walked into the house. Whatever happened, there was no denying her feelings.
She’d tried that. She’d even tried to ignore him, and that had been a joke. There was no more denial, no more lying. She was going after what she wanted.
Owen made a round of the house, his mind occupied with all things Natalie. He’d run the range of emotions tonight from desire, jealousy, fury, fear, and astonishment to admiration. Then again, Natalie always had a way of affecting him in such a way.
She had no idea how remarkable she was in everything she did. She had a spine of steel that had her standing up for whatever she thought was right.
When Owen glanced at the barn, he was surprised at how quiet everything was. Then he listened. There wasn’t a sound—not even the wind blowing.
He had no comm to check in with the men Callie had sent. He briefly thought of heading to the base. Then he looked at the house.
Natalie.
Every instinct yelled at him to get her to the base immediately.
His blood ran cold. He kept low and ran to the truck to get a weapon. His heart thumped painfully in his chest as he ripped off his suit jacket.
He crawled toward the house, listening for anything out of the ordinary. He should’ve noticed the quiet when they’d arrived, instead of being too preoccupied with Natalie. That could very well get her killed.
He was nearly to the porch when he saw a light go on upstairs. Then he saw a dark figure move within the house. A moment later, the room lit up with the flash of semi-automatic rounds and bullets spraying the air.