Chapter 12
Aspen
Could I handle the dangerous man any longer?
I’d been asking myself the same question for two days. After tonight, I wasn’t certain I’d ever find an answer. But every time I was with him, I felt like I was on cloud nine.
Even though I’d almost died.
Whatever was going on was deeply entrenched in a good portion of the community. I’d seen firsthand the way the sheriff had pushed Montgomery’s concerns aside. I only hoped that Montgomery knew what he was doing.
Heroic.
I had no doubt that Montgomery wasn’t used to being called heroic.
I also doubted that he’d want me to suggest that’s what he’d become.
Seeing him racing into the fire had been utterly terrifying.
Helping the family escape had been an adrenaline rush.
Then seeing him going up against the local sheriff had been eye opening, especially given what the man supposedly in authority had said to him.
The asshole was lucky I hadn’t lashed out more than I had.
I’d seen the look in the sheriff’s eyes.
Hatred. What the hell was the confrontation all about?
The implications he’d spouted off weren’t something to be taken lightly.
Was there a conspiracy to take away land from various owners?
I was in way over my head, but the man holding my hand needed to come clean about what was really going on. I would insist on it.
A cold wave skittered down my spine as I continued to think about the fire, the ache in my throat a reminder of how close we’d come to losing our lives.
I was still holding the flashlight, one hand tightly fisted around it.
I could still feel the explosive heat, the sight of the flames rushing toward us one of the most terrifying things I’d ever been through.
My throat was parched, my mind still foggy from what had occurred.
I shuddered as Montgomery took off in the Ferrari, moving quickly through the number of vehicles that had driven into the estate. He said nothing as he drove toward his house, keeping the engine idling when he parked near the front walkway. We weren’t staying here. That was for certain.
“Just stay in the car,” he instructed, not bothering to look in my direction at first.
There were no right words at this moment, but I wanted to be with him. Every part of me needed to have his arms wrapped around me and that made zero sense to me. He was still the arrogant bastard I’d met only a few days before. He was still the dark man who’d lost all sense of himself.
But there was more. He was changing, allowing me into his world. Or maybe I was just dreaming.
When he turned his head slowly, a single moan popped from my mouth.
“Everything will be okay.” He said the words with no emotion before jumping out of his vehicle.
I watched as he walked away, remaining chilled from the entire experience. Everything about him was purposeful, but he was different tonight, the experience dragging him back to the wretched event two years before.
When he finally reappeared, he had several items in his hands, moving toward the trunk before I could make out what they were.
After dropping them inside, he returned, saying nothing as he handed me a bottle of water.
Then he threw the gear into reverse, turning sharply until he was able to head down the driveway, swinging onto the road going through the estate.
He was focused as well as furious, remaining quiet as he drove out onto the main road.
As soon as he’d made the turn, he accelerated, pressing the pedal to the floor, the car fishtailing back and forth.
A slice of fear rumbled into me as he rounded several curves, the tires squealing from the pressure he was putting on them.
“Slow down.” I realized I was barely whispering. When he didn’t respond, I leaned forward. “Montgomery. Slow down! Are you trying to kill us?”
“I assure you that I know how to navigate the area.” His answer was succinct, laced with the same anger I’d heard before.
I darted another look toward the road, the scenery flashing by so quickly that everything became a blur. “I don’t like this. Please.”
Hissing, he shifted down the gear lower, allowing the car to slow down naturally. “You don’t trust me.”
“It’s not a matter of trust. I can see how angry you are.”
“You’re right I’m angry. The man needs to pay for what he’s done.”
“What man?”
He laughed, shifting a quick glance in my direction. “Prescott Westfield.”
“You need to tell me what the hell is really going on.”
“I will tell you what is necessary in order for you to do your job.”
“If that’s all I am to you, another employee that you’ll flush out of your system, then why am I here?”
I didn’t need any light to know he was incensed by my question. His body language made a loud statement, his breathing rapid. When he finally answered me, his words were a reminder of our extreme chemistry. “You’re much more than that.”
I exhaled, unable to take the flash of scenery whizzing by. There was low visibility other than what his headlights highlighted. My heart was in my throat, every nerve standing on end. There was no sense in peppering him with questions. It was obvious he wasn’t ready to talk.
If he ever would be.
The water bottle was cool to the touch. I finally placed the flashlight onto the floor, cracking open the bottle, guzzling down a solid third. Nothing had ever tasted so good. “Do you want some?” I asked, realizing he’d only brought a single bottle with him.
“I’m fine.”
No, you’re not. I dared not say the words.
I closed my eyes, trying to calm my nerves.
What I found amazing was that after the near-death experience, the fact he’d ignored all practicality by racing into a burning home didn’t seem to faze him.
It was as if he’d lost all sense of the fear of danger after Carmine’s death.
Maybe that was the reason for his ruthless ways.
Even more confusing was that I couldn’t be angry with him.
I’d been driven to walk by his side into the blazing fire as if I’d been able to place my trust in him. At least that was somewhat comforting.
Clenching my fists, I bit my lower lip to keep from moaning.
While I should feel out of control from my heightened emotions, the deep longing that kept me breathless around him, and the understanding I could have died in that fire for my impetuous behavior, that wasn’t the case.
I felt excited, as if standing on the edge of the precipice was exactly where I needed to be.
His grip remained firm, twisting his hands as he concentrated on driving, remaining quiet for the next several minutes.
There was something so intense about him, even more so than before.
He certainly had some kind of purpose, although I was almost terrified to find out what that was.
After a few minutes, he seemed to settle down, slowing enough I was able to open my eyes.
“Where are we going?” I managed after a few seconds.
“To a special place.”
The road remained treacherous, the elevation increasing as well as the curve of the road, but he seemed to know what he was doing.
I finally saw a sign giving me some indication of where he was heading.
The Mayacamas Mountains. I took a deep breath, my fear of heights threatening to derail my newly found euphoria.
I also noticed signs for what appeared to be several resorts, but he was already bypassing them, heading into what appeared to be a lonely section of the mountains.
When he finally started to slow down even more, I gripped the dashboard as I sat up in my seat. I wished that it was morning so I could better see the surroundings. I had a feeling they were spectacular.
He slowed down again, the car crawling by yet another dark area.
When he made a turn in through a bank of trees, only a single post indicating there was even anything down the rocky path, my stomach started to churn.
Within a short distance, he stopped the car, killing the engine while leaving the headlights on.
“I found this place years ago. I used to come here several times a year. To think. To plan. Maybe to dream. Then I stopped coming.”
“Because of Carmine?” I asked in a husky whisper.
He nodded several times. “The last time I was here was with her. I rarely took a day off, but it was her birthday. I wanted to make it special. I tried, giving her a very special gift.”
“Star.”
Laughing softly, he turned his head in my direction. “Such an astute woman. Yes.”
“That’s why you feel so guilty.”
He exhaled, the sound becoming ragged. “She’d wanted a horse of her own for so damn long. When the fire struck, she refused to allow the mare to die. I was a fool.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have,” he snapped then shook his head. “You didn’t deserve that.”
“No, I didn’t,” I said quietly. “Why are you bringing me here?”
After rubbing his jaw, he took a deep breath. “Because it’s time to live again.”
When he reached over, I held my breath, uncertain of what to expect.
The moment he eased his hand between my legs, the hard pulse in my throat became suffocating.
But he was only reaching for the flashlight.
I wasn’t certain if I was happy or disappointed.
There were so many things about him that remained unhinged, yet on this night, he seemed in more control than ever.
After grabbing whatever he’d brought from the trunk, he guided me into the darkness, remaining on the same path.
The flashlight did little other than highlight the shadows in the trees.
It didn’t take long for an exquisite clearing to make itself known.
I hadn’t paid much attention to the full moon before.
Now the giant orb was breathtaking as it shimmered across a lake, able to highlight the mountains in the distance. This was something I hadn’t expected.
“This is gorgeous.”