If You Only Knew

Chapter Twelve



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RAYNA STALKED TO the opposite side of the infirmary—as far as she could possibly get away from Ty—stuffed her fingers in her pockets, and paced back and forth in front of a barred window. She’d jumped to an erroneous conclusion, thinking Ty had changed his mind about sending her away. He was only doing what he thought was best. She understood where he was coming from, but it made her furious nonetheless. And of course, she’d thought the moment of shared affection between them meant as much to him as it did to her, so she’d offered sex. God, how stupid could she be? She couldn’t wait to find out what Ty thought she’d expected to gain by sleeping with him. Heat poured into her face.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t hold his breath and wait for her to show up in his room. Torn between swearing in completely unladylike fashion or bursting into tears, she bit her lip and continued to pace.

Ty spoke with Joe on the phone for a minute and shared the plan with the sheriff as soon as he hung up. She overheard most of what was said but was too disappointed to care. Every time she glanced at Ty, he was watching her, his gaze dark and piercing. She scowled, turned away, and stared out the window.

Sheriff Barnett asked a few questions about the incident in their motel room, and when he finished and left, the ensuing silence blanketed the room with a chilly silence.

Rayna tensed as Ty approached. He didn’t touch her but stopped close enough that the heat of his body seeped into the skin of her back. She couldn’t help the shiver that slid along her spine. How could he possibly have this effect on her when she was so frustrated with him?

She took a step sideways, but he blocked her escape with his arm. When she darted the other direction, he boxed her in with arms on either side of her, his fingers resting lightly on the window ledge.

He brushed her hair back with his jaw and nuzzled her neck. Her traitorous body responded, leaning into him. Rayna pressed her lips tightly together for fear she’d give away how his mere touch made her into a blithering idiot. Apparently, her silence was encouragement enough. He stepped into her, tugging her back until their bodies met. His arms came around her, holding her against his hard, muscled body. He caressed her hips as his lips brushed kisses over her neck and throat.

Lost in a sea of yearning, she struggled to remember the reason she was so angry at this man who made her feel so many things all at once, but she couldn’t quite bring it into focus. The answer was right there… outside her grasp… but with each passing moment she cared less. She rubbed her hands against his legs, and the shudder that passed through him gave her a sense of power.


He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. His mouth covered hers, and his relentless assault turned her legs to Jell-O. Then, as suddenly as he began, he stepped back.

His grip on her waist was the only thing that kept her from collapsing. She blinked at him, and his knowing smile broke the spell she was under.

“Just curious. Was your offer to sleep with me tonight my prize for letting you stay?”

Her breath escaped as though he’d socked her in the stomach. Rayna staggered back a step, and his hands dropped away. The sorrow in his eyes turned the knife in her chest. She’d hurt him. Selfish, stupid, and bullheaded, she’d thought only of herself and what she wanted. If the truth were known, she’d been doing that for a while, and this wasn’t the first instance Ty had paid the price.

She drew herself up straight and met his gaze. “No. My offer to sleep with you was the real deal. Looks like we’re forever missing the boat, though, doesn’t it? I know you’re trying to protect me, and even though you’re wrong in this case, I appreciate your concern.” She reached toward him, but let her hand drop without making contact. “I’ll go if Joe agrees with you, but he’ll know how I feel before he decides. Either way, you won’t have to worry about me anymore.”

Understanding dawned in his eyes, and they darkened. His lips parted, but no sound escaped. He stepped toward her as though to take her in his arms, but the opening of the infirmary door stopped him in his tracks, and they both turned to see the sheriff hurry into the room. The chopper landed on the hospital pad just as Sheriff Barnett’s cruiser slid to a stop at the edge of the asphalt.

“Thanks, Sheriff.” Rayna grabbed her bundle of clothes and hopped from the car.

“Come back and see us sometime when you don’t have the Russian Mob after you.” Barnett was particularly jovial tonight—probably glad to have them out of his quiet little town.

Ty shook his hand. “Sheriff, it’s been interesting. Stay safe.”

“You need that advice more than I do.”

Ty stepped out with his bag and put a hand on Rayna’s waist to usher her toward the chopper. She flinched away from his touch but kept moving. Walker broke away from the side of the chopper and jogged toward them. When she reached him, they linked arms.

“From what I hear, it’s not the best idea for you to hang around out here in the open very long.” Walker had to shout to be heard over the noise from the chopper. He studied the bandages and bruises on her face and frowned. “What did you do to piss this guy off so bad?”

“Just my natural charm, I guess.” God, it was good to see him. He never changed. Always steady and dependable. She really was homesick.

Rayna climbed into the backseat, and Ty jumped in beside her. Joe leaned back, handed them both headsets, and squeezed her knee. She settled the gear on her head, then buckled her seat belt.

“Thanks for dropping in.” Ty clasped Joe’s arm.

Walker took his place up front and put his headgear on, then glanced over his shoulder at Ty. “Good to see you’re still in one piece.”

“I had some help. Whose idea was it to call Nate?”

“Mine.” Joe’s curt response left no room for discussion. He was a consummate leader, and his men followed him because he was the best at what he did. Arguments over his decisions were rare.

Rayna caught the pain in Ty’s eyes before he turned away from her. He obviously believed Joe sent Nate because he didn’t think Ty could handle the situation. Maybe that was the reason, but she doubted it. The two men had worked together a long time, in some ugly situations, and Joe always trusted Ty with his back. There had to be more to it than that.

“How’s Cara?” Rayna laughed when Joe glanced back, an I-told-you-so look in his eyes.

“I knew that’d be the first thing out of your mouth. She’s doing great. Doctor says two weeks, and I promised I’ll be there when the baby comes.”

It was a perfect opportunity for Ty to suggest Joe take her home immediately. She eyed him questioningly when he looked her way. Deep green eyes stared her down, a clear message in them that turned her insides soft.

She forced herself to look away. “I’ll be there too.”

This time Walker’s gaze swept between her and Ty. “That’s great—if that’s what you want.”

Ty looked away first.

Rayna settled back in her seat. The sun was riding low in the west, the sky clear and brilliantly blue. Parallel lines of highway raced along below, edged in green trees and grass. A deep sigh of contentment escaped her. Here, surrounded by Joe, Walker, and Ty, she was safe. How long had it been since she truly felt safe? This was where she belonged, but soon Ty would be gone. A few minutes ago, she’d been so angry with him her world had turned a frightening shade of red, yet the thought of never seeing him again shook her tenuous security.

Who the heck was she anymore? Certainly not the girl she was before Charlie died. The one who depended on him for everything—including decisions. Nor was she the tanned, perfectly manicured, bathing-suit-toting California collegian she’d masqueraded as for the last few weeks. She’d lost track of who she was supposed to be, and she didn’t care very much for the woman she’d become. It was time to change all that, and she’d start by being honest with herself about her feelings for Ty.



IT WAS DUSK when the chopper set down in a field behind Nate’s uncle’s house. Ty had spent enough time here, he was sure he knew every square inch of the place. It should have felt like home… but fell strangely short.

Joe cut the engine. “When you said Nate had a place out in the country, I didn’t expect this.”

Walker whistled. “On a cop’s salary?”

Ty laughed. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you sometime.” He’d thought the same thing the first time he saw the place. A three-story, Southern-style mansion set smack-dab in the middle of forty acres and surrounded by the very best surveillance equipment known to man. It had belonged to Nate’s uncle then. Uncle Leo had always been rather vague about what he did for a living and why he needed a fortress. He’d passed away three years back and left the place to Nate, along with enough money that he could give up his job with the PPB if he wanted to.

The funeral was the last time Ty had seen his friend until this trip. Nate and his girlfriend, Val, had planned to move in and live here, but Nate still referred to it as Uncle Leo’s house, and Ty knew, instinctually, that Nate only touched the money to keep the buildings and grounds up.

Guilt pummeled Ty again as he set foot on the ground. He should have kept in touch with Nate. This must have been a damn lonely place after Val left. Ty could relate.

It had been a perfect place for Ty to bring Bree and Madison, and Uncle Leo had loved the female attention. Now, Rayna would be safe here, too, until Joe could get her… He groaned. Suddenly, he didn’t want to finish that sentence.

Nate, backlit by yard lights, waved as they piled from the chopper, and sauntered forward to meet them halfway.

Joe stuck his hand out. “Joe Reynolds, and this is Walker. Appreciate you helping my friends.”

Nate shook hands with both men. “Our mutual friends—glad I could help.” He looked toward Ty. “Sheriff Barnett said there was some trouble after I talked to you.”

“Nothing Rayna and I couldn’t handle.” Ty glanced toward her, saw her blanch, and wished he’d kept his mouth shut.


As members of Joe’s team, they’d learned to compartmentalize and laugh at close calls. The nature of the job required it. Their sanity demanded it. Apparently, Rayna would need a little more time before it amused her that she’d nearly shot Ty.

Automatically, he reached out to comfort her. “A good night’s sleep will put it all in perspective.” Was it his imagination, or did she lean in to him for support?

Nate grabbed a bag and led them toward the house. “My trip home was uneventful. If anyone followed me out of town, it didn’t take them long to realize I was alone. Wish I’d stayed, buddy.”

“You know what they say about hindsight. It could have been the other way around. It worked out. Although, I’m a little hungry. How about you, Rayna?” Ty rubbed his hand up and down her back. She still didn’t pull away, and he took a step closer.

“If I know our Rayna, she’s always hungry.” Walker threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her from Ty’s reach.

She groaned. “Come on, you guys. I don’t eat that much. Do I?”

“No. Not for someone who’s been on a weeklong starvation diet.” Joe ducked when she threw a punch at his shoulder.

Ty was glad to see her smile, and his lips twitched in response.

A four-foot spiked iron fence separated the field from the lawn. A cobblestone path spilled from an open gate and disappeared into darkness to their right. Inside the yard, the winding path separated into three different trails and crisscrossed a mound of earth covered with rocks, flowers, bushes, and trees. The earth mound extended for twenty feet in both directions. There’d been plenty of speculation about Uncle’s Leo’s secret garden, as Nate called it. Ty suggested they’d find the bodies of Uncle Leo’s victims buried there if they dug it up and finally know how he came by his undisclosed wealth. Apparently, Nate had seen fit to keep it just the way it was.

The trail across the immaculately kept gardens narrowed and wound its way through twenty-five feet of foliage, requiring all but Rayna to duck, before it opened into lawn again. As soon as Ty stepped from the vegetation, he heard the growl. He stopped and put a hand on Rayna’s arm.

“That damn beast is back!” Nate reached for one of the rocks alongside the garden path just as a dog padded into view ahead of them.

“How did he get in?” Ty’s gaze ran over the blocky form of the animal.

His wide head and chest, thick neck, and short, pointed ears gave away his pit bull heritage. He stopped when they did, and intelligent eyes watched them. A low noise that could have either been a growl or a whine came from his throat. His chest was white while the rest of his body was a dusty tan, and he had a stripe of white down his face that called attention to gentle brown eyes. The animal was thin, stocky in front, but his ribs protruded in stark relief.

“I had some workers in a couple of weeks ago doing repairs on the fence and alarm system. They were in and out of here for a week or so, and since I couldn’t be here the entire time, I left the gate open for them. The dog showed up after they were gone. I’m not convinced one of them didn’t dump him here. Tried to catch him or run him off. Couldn’t even get close.” Nate met Ty’s gaze. “I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I did scout around for signs of any other activity. I found some deer tracks, but that was all.”

A grin tugged on Ty’s lips. Apparently his partner could still read his mind.

Turning his attention back to the dog, Nate hollered, and when the dog didn’t move, he reared back to throw the rock.

“No!” Rayna gasped and stepped forward. “He’s starving. Can’t we feed him something?”

“If I feed him, I’ll never get rid of him.” Nate slid the rock from one hand to the other. “I wasn’t going to hit him.”

“Let’s at least take him to the humane society.” She took a step forward and stretched out her hand.

“Rayna, that dog might take your arm off.” Ty drew his gun.

Rayna turned on him. “Don’t. You. Dare.”

“Taking a pit bull to the humane society around here is the same as a death sentence. I was hoping he’d just leave.” Nate dropped the rock and sighed. “Guess I’ll get something to feed the mongrel.” He made a wide circle around the dog and headed for the house.

Rayna moved slowly forward. Within five feet of the animal, she dropped to her knees. He still growled, but now the sound lacked enthusiasm and ended on a high-pitched whimper.

“Don’t talk to him and don’t look him in the eye. Just let him smell you.” Joe glanced at Ty and concern shadowed his eyes. Clearly he wanted Ty to stand ready.

The dog took a few shambling steps forward and sniffed at the woman kneeling in front of him. Then, as though suddenly convinced she represented no danger, his tail wagged a slow rhythm. He took the last two steps and leaned his flat forehead against her shoulder.

A collective breath left Walker, Joe, and Ty as Rayna gently scratched the dog’s ears. Ty shoved his gun in his waistband and shook his head. Why was he surprised? The woman could charm anything. He moved closer to where the pair huddled on the ground.

Nate returned from the house with two plastic bowls and gaped at Rayna with her arm thrown across the dog’s back, then turned his gaze on Ty. “I haven’t been able to get within twenty feet of that mutt.” He walked around the dog and stopped behind Rayna, handing her the water bowl first, which she set down. The dog, however, had already smelled the food and was doing a little dance on his front end as Rayna put the food bowl in front of him.

Hard telling what Nate had found to feed him, but it smelled damn good, and Ty didn’t blame the dog for diving in. The pleasure on Rayna’s face as she sat back and watched the emaciated animal devour the food made him slightly jealous, but he couldn’t help smiling. Right about then, she glanced at him and returned his smile, and a weight lifted off his chest.

He’d been afraid he’d destroyed their friendship by pushing her. Seeing her so full of joy hammered home the truth he’d nearly forgotten. He’d miss their friendship more than anything. It was obvious he didn’t know how to be her lover, but they’d started as friends, and if that was how it had to continue, so be it. For the time he had left with her, he’d concentrate on being her friend and forget about a future that was obviously out of his reach.