If You Only Knew

Chapter Fifteen



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“WHAT IS IT? What’s wrong?” Uncertainty rang in Rayna’s voice.

“A breach in the perimeter fence.”

An incredulous expression swept her face, and she inhaled a quick breath as she searched his eyes. For an instant, he’d forgotten how much she’d been through in the last four days and how tenuous her emotional state might be. He’d fallen right back into treating her like his partner, a member of the team, but she still needed some time to put everything into perspective. Immediately he went into glossing-over-the-incident mode.

“It’s probably nothing—it happens every now and then. Usually it’s a deer or a neighbor’s cow, but under the circumstances, we should take it seriously. We’ll give Nate a few minutes to check it out. He’ll call when he has something to report.”

Ty’s gaze traveled over Ribs. The dog was on his feet and moving fairly well, in spite of the mauling he’d taken. Rayna moved toward him protectively, anxiety darkening her blue eyes. Ty stopped beside her and reached to pull a piece of hay from her blond curls, then brushed his knuckles across her cheek. An anxious half smile appeared for a heartbeat before she turned her attention to Ribs again.

“He’ll be okay. We’ll head straight back and keep an eye out for anything unusual, but we’re not going to look for trouble. Nate and Joe can handle the heavy lifting if there’s any to be done. Agreed?”

“I guess.” Rayna’s doubtful frown gave away her fear and showcased her anxiety.

Ty hated seeing that look on her face again. She’d been a victim long enough. Maybe the best medicine would be for her to think like a soldier. Treat this like any other mission.

He turned her toward him and rested his hands on her shoulders. “This is probably nothing, but I’m taking the lead on this one, and I need you to back me up and do exactly what I say until we get back.” He set his jaw and braced himself as he waited for her reaction. It might be the last straw to demand she follow his orders.

She only appeared to favor him with a small portion of her attention as the squalling siren drew her gaze toward the house.

Hell, she wasn’t even listening to him. He needed something to grab her interest—something she couldn’t ignore. Taking a step closer, he slid his hands down her arms. “It’ll be good practice for later… in my bedroom.” He hid a grin as her surprised gaze jumped to his. Jolting her out of panic mode and giving her something else to think about besides the danger they might be facing had been his objective, and if her flashing eyes were any indication, it had definitely worked.

A short laugh burst from her. “Fat chance, Whitlock!”

He smiled. “Just checking to make sure you’re paying attention. I still need your promise. Do what I say until we get back to the house?”

She shrugged. “Sure. Unless something better comes to mind.”

Ty frowned. When had she ever not gotten the last word? He let his breath out slowly. “Ready?” When she nodded, he took her hand, then whistled for the dog.

He holstered his weapon, and she shoved her Sig in her waistband, beneath the tail of her shirt. Rayna circled wide around the dead cougar that lay between them and the door, and they stepped out into the sunshine.

Ty tried to let Ribs set the pace, and he started out strong, but before they’d covered a hundred yards, the dog trailed behind, breathing hard and stopping every few feet. Ty couldn’t decide if it was the attack or Rib’s emaciated condition that was to blame, but he’d obviously made a bad call. He should have left the dog in the barn and gone back for help.

Rayna glanced back at Ribs every few seconds, a frown furrowing her brow. “Why would those cougars come so close to civilization? Shouldn’t they be up in the mountains eating rabbits and deer?”

“They should have been, but in 1994 the State of Oregon passed a law banning the use of dogs for hunting cougars. In no time, the cougar population spiked, and the excess animals were forced out of the back country to find food. The hungrier they get, the more unpredictable they become, and they lose all fear of man. Before I left here six years ago, there were routine sightings in the outlying areas and reports of sheep, cattle, and even horses attacked.” Ty paused and glanced back toward the barn. “Something else that no doubt got in while the gate was open for Nate’s workers. They could’ve stayed hidden in here indefinitely, only venturing out in the open when they got hungry. Those two must have been damn hungry to go after an adult human… or fairly certain they were going to succeed.” His stomach twisted as images of what could have been flashed through his mind.


Rayna reached for his hand and he squeezed hers, hoping to reassure her and setting his own mind at ease in the process. She knew how close she’d come to being dinner for those two cats, and she was handling it better than he was.

As soon as they stepped from the meadow into the cover of the trees, Ty stopped to let Ribs rest. The dog immediately found a shady spot and collapsed. Rayna sat beside him and scratched his head, the only spot that didn’t appear to be wounded. At least he still had enough energy to lick her hand.

Ty knelt in front of the dog and surveyed his cuts. The bleeding was minimal, but several of the scratches were packed with dirt and whatever else had been on the barn floor, and that probably wasn’t good. Walker wasn’t a vet, but with his medical training, he’d be able to tell them if they needed one. Those tears that shone in Rayna’s eyes wouldn’t fall if he had anything to say about it. He settled on a rock opposite her and watched as her hands and low voice comforted Ribs. Damned if a little jealousy didn’t sneak up and bite him.

“Why did you follow me?” Rayna didn’t take her eyes off the dog.

He studied her over the dog’s head. “I followed you to apologize.”

“Apologize? I knew how you felt about me going after Andre. It’s not like you were talking to Joe behind my back. You have doubts about me. You don’t have to apologize for that.”

He reached for her hand and squeezed it as she looked up and met his gaze. “Yes, I do. I’ve been a jerk ever since you said you were going back to college. I should have been happy for you.”

She dropped her head into her hand, and when she looked up again, she gave him a sad breath of a smile. “I’ve been lost for so long.”

“I know.”

She smiled and cocked her head to one side. “I think I’m going to be okay now, thanks to you. I’m sorry I dragged you through all that… with Charlie. That wasn’t fair to you.”

“I’m not sorry. I’d gladly do it all over again. I was lost, too, you know, before you came along. Just two lost souls, destined to be friends.” Ty winked and received another sad smile. A twinge of guilt hit him as the not-so-friendly kiss he’d stolen just before the alarm went off replayed through his mind. A grin lifted one corner of his mouth as he dwelled for a moment on his body’s immediate and hard reaction to that kiss. He’d blown by the friend barrier with no effort.

His phone vibrated, and he checked the caller ID before answering. “What’s up, Nate?” He almost put the phone on speaker but thought better of it at the last second.

“Somebody cut a hole in the fence in the east quadrant. I think it’s just kids messing around, and they’re probably long gone, but we’re checking it out. Where are you?”

“We’re in the trees just past the meadow. Ribs took a beating against those cats so we’re resting. Haven’t seen or heard anything here.” Ty shook his head at the question in Rayna’s eyes.

“I’ll bring a quad and pick you up as soon as I can.” There was an edge to Nate’s voice that wasn’t completely unfamiliar to Ty. Something had him worried.

Ty ended the call and got to his feet. He wasn’t going to sit here and wait, and he wasn’t going to hide anything from Rayna. “They found a hole in the fence so they’re checking it out. Nate’s not worried, but let’s get going anyway.”

“Not worried? Does Nate have holes in his high-tech security fence often?” She scrambled to her feet.

Ty studied her for a second. “Smart… and pretty.”

She blushed self-consciously as he stepped closer and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. She didn’t seem to mind and hung on to his arm when he broke contact. He rubbed a thumb over her cheek. To hell with the friendship idea. He wanted it all.

He snagged her hand. “Come on… let’s go.”

They coaxed Ribs to his feet, and Rayna stayed beside him, urging him to move a little faster, not that it did much good. When they were halfway through the stand of trees, Ribs sat back on his haunches, his front legs spread wide. No amount of coaxing could get him up.

“We’ll have to leave him here. We’ll get a quad and come back for him.” Ty was wasting his breath, and he knew it.

“He just needs to rest for a few minutes. Then if he won’t move, I’ll carry him.” Rayna knelt beside the dog.

“Eighty pounds of squirming dog? You’re strong, but I doubt it.”

“He saved my life, Ty. I’m not leaving him.” Her tone was final.

Ty swore under his breath. “Well, I’m not leaving you. Aw, hell! I’ll carry him.” It was what he should have done from the beginning. They’d be back at the house by now and know what was going on. He pulled his gun from its holster and handed it to Rayna, then knelt beside Ribs.

As he was about to lock his arms around the dog, a flurry of movement in the brush beside the road grabbed their attention as a man, gun raised and aimed at Ty, slid quickly down the small incline.

Ty straightened and went for his gun out of habit, encountered the empty holster, and swung toward Rayna as the dog growled. Someone else stood beside Rayna, brandishing a weapon. The second shooter was small, five-six or -seven, dressed in black from hat to boots. A woman. He’d bet on it. The man was tall, in good shape, and looked like he knew what he was doing. Something was familiar about both of them.

“Toss the gun into the bushes.” The man motioned at Rayna with the barrel of his gun.

Ty caught her eye and nodded briefly. She tossed his gun to the side of the road. Ty focused on the man again. If he were one of Andre’s goons, he and Rayna would both be dead by now. Who the hell was this, and why did Ty feel like he knew him?

The woman beside Rayna lowered her gun and walked toward him. “Do you get it yet, Ty?”

He recognized her voice immediately. He should have known. She always did the opposite of what he expected. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Bree?”

“No harm done. I just need a little information.”

“This isn’t the way to get it. You can start by telling your hoodlum to holster his weapon.” Ty glanced toward the man at the edge of the trees.

“That’s no hoodlum. Don’t you remember Sean?” Bree laughed, the soft, breathy laugh he remembered.

Sean Phillips. FBI agent with lots of pull and few scruples. He’d beaten the shit out of Ty one night in a holding cell because Bree had agreed to work with him on the Andre Komarov case. Sean hadn’t wanted her anywhere near Andre, and apparently thought he’d have more luck intimidating Ty than he would convincing Bree it was a bad idea. Ty wouldn’t likely forget the man, and someday, God willing, he’d get the opportunity for a little payback.

He’d never told Bree what happened, figuring she had to work with the creep. He could see now that might have been a mistake. “Yes, I remember Sean.” He stared at the gunman. “You’ve got a lot of balls showing up here. Put your gun away, because if I have to take it from you, I’m going to enjoy it way more than I should.”

Sean snorted derisively. “Tell us what we need to know and we’ll leave.”

“What is it you’d like to know?” Ty didn’t plan on telling Sean anything.

“I need to know where Andre is… that’s all.” Bree pulled his gaze back to her.


“What a coincidence—he’s looking for you too.” Ty turned to face the woman.

“We don’t know where he is.” Rayna’s gaze slid between the two of them, wary and watchful.

Ty tried to catch her eye. He was well aware she was still armed, her forty-five shoved in the waistband of her jeans. He searched for a way to warn her not to underestimate the pair.

“She’s lying. She was just a reluctant guest of Andre’s.” Sean’s temper was beginning to show.

“Watch your mouth, Sean.” Ty turned back to Bree. “Rayna and I were both at a house in Los Angeles. I’ll even give you the address, but Andre won’t be there. I’d be happy to help you find him, though, if you’ll send your boy home.” Ty enjoyed watching Sean fume.

“I’m no one’s boy, you fool. I’m her husband.”

Ty didn’t expect that, and his shock must have been evident on his face. He glanced at Bree and started to reach for her before he caught himself and dropped his hand. “You married him?” The revelation confused him and turned his stomach. He started to voice his condolences, saw the distress on her face, and decided it wasn’t worth it. He pasted on what he hoped was a sympathetic smile and cast about for a safer subject.

“How’s Madison? What is she now? Seven? Eight?”

Bree’s countenance instantly brightened. “Seven. She’s wonderful. Smart. Gorgeous. A real spitfire.”

“Just like her momma, then.” Ty’s smile turned genuine as he imagined the little girl, the spitting image of Bree. He’d always had a soft spot for the kid.

“All right. Enough catching up. Tell us where Andre is so we can get out of here.” Sean stepped onto the dirt road and moved toward Ty.

A growl rumbled from Ribs the same instant Sean leveled the gun at Ty’s heart. The dog, barely able to move a few minutes ago, crossed the intervening space in a flash and grabbed Sean’s wrist. An expletive tore from Sean’s lips as Ribs bit down and held on.

Bree brought her gun up, but Rayna was way ahead of her, pushing the barrel of her Sig forty-five into the woman’s back while confiscating her weapon. “Hurt my dog and you’ll be sorry.”

Sean dropped his weapon and Ty retrieved it, shoving it into his belt. At Ty’s command, Ribs backed off, leaving Sean to cradle his bloody arm.

“I should have put that mangy animal out of his misery the first time I saw him.” Sean took a step back as the dog snarled.

“He may be mangy, but he’ll do.” Ty motioned for Bree to join her husband. Rayna kept them covered while Ty patted them down for additional weapons. Bree was clean, but Sean carried both a backup handgun and a Special Forces tactical assault knife. Ty had expected as much, but it was clear from Bree’s expression she didn’t have a clue he was so well armed. Ty couldn’t help wondering what else she didn’t know about the man.

By the time Nate pulled up in the four-wheeler, Sean and Bree were on their knees with their hands on their heads. Bree was strangely quiet, her eyes focused on the ground in front of her. Sean was blustering enough for both of them.

Red-faced and antagonistic, Sean swore profusely. “Remember that cell in Portland, Ty? If your girlfriend continues to hold a federal agent at gunpoint, she could end up in a cell like that someday.” His smirk was the last straw.

Rage tore through Ty. Sean tried to gain his feet, but Ty’s fist caught him solidly on the jaw, spun him around, and dropped him in the dirt.

“Get up, you son of a bitch,” Ty growled.

“Oh man. That’s been a long time coming.” Amusement shone from Nate’s eyes as he cut the motor on the quad and stepped off. “Hell, buddy. Leave you alone for a couple of minutes and you start associating with riffraff.”

Bree skewered him with a glare that would have buckled the knees of a lesser man, but all Nate did was grin. Sean seemed to finally remember Bree and reached a hand to help her stand until Rayna made a tsking noise and slowly moved her gun to point at his chest. His hand dropped to his side and he scowled at her.

“This is bullshit! Detective Sanders, tell your friend to put her gun away before she does something I can’t forgive. I won’t have a problem sending her to federal prison.”

Nate snorted a laugh. “Is that a threat, Special Agent Phillips? You’re in a bad position to be making threats.”

Ty stepped close to Rayna. She refused to look at him and when he tried to take the Sig from her hand, she turned away. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” Her curt answer and the way she still avoided his gaze told him something was definitely wrong.

He thought they’d worked through the worst of their differences. At least they’d been talking. What happened in the last few minutes to cause this chill in the air?

Bree happened. He thought back over their confrontation and grimaced at the memory of reaching out for Bree after learning she’d married Sean. In an instant, he’d understood the loneliness and fear that had no doubt led to Bree’s decision. Still, he couldn’t help the loathing and revulsion for the man she’d chosen, and in a moment of pure sympathy, he’d reacted without thinking. And Rayna had witnessed it. Did she think he’d lied to her about Bree?

He grasped her hand and held tightly when she tried to pull away. “Come on, let’s get Ribs in the quad. We’ll talk later.”

She tried to jerk her hand away again.

“Promise me, Rayna.” That time she met his gaze and he smiled, hopefully.

“By all means.” She tugged her hand again and this time he let her go.

Ty stepped to where Ribs still guarded Sean, knelt, and picked him up, depositing him in the back of the four-wheeler.

Nate climbed behind the wheel and Rayna crawled into the passenger seat, facing the back so she could keep an eye on the dog.

“You two start walking.” Ty pointed toward the house a half mile away before he stepped up on the rear bumper and grasped the rollbar. “We’ll be right behind you.”

Bree glanced around anxiously. “Ty, I need to talk to you.”

Sean grabbed her arm roughly. “Shut up, Bree.”

Ty let it go, even though anger shot through him. What could she have been thinking—marrying that creep? The Bree he’d worked with on the Andre Komarov case six years ago had been smarter than that… and stronger. Had she come by herself, he would have told her whatever she wanted to know. Hell, he’d have helped her get Andre. Something was really wrong here. He wanted to talk to her too. Alone. No way he’d get the truth from her if Sean was in the room. Hopefully, Ty could make Rayna understand.

He dropped his gaze to where she sat. She scratched the dog’s ear as she spoke to him, but Ty couldn’t hear what she said over the rumble of the four-wheeler. Ribs’s blood stained the front of her shirt and reminded him again how close he’d come to losing her. He knew now, without a doubt, he wasn’t willing to live without her. Question was… how was he going to fix everything?

The quad rumbled to a stop beside the garage at the same time Nate’s black Jeep pulled up in front, followed by a dark blue sedan. Joe and Walker hopped out of the Jeep, and Walker stepped to the sedan to help a petite, dark-haired Hispanic woman Ty had never seen before from the back. The woman lifted out a small dark-haired girl.

Joe nodded at Ty. “We decided to put a temporary fix on the fence while we were out there. Look what we found tucked back off the road near the damaged section.”


“Mommy!” The little girl ran toward Bree, but Joe intercepted her and turned her into the ready arms of the dark-haired woman, who picked her up and followed Joe into the house.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Rage exploded from Ty as he jumped from the rear of the four-wheeler and stalked toward Bree. “You brought Madison on this botched mission of yours? She’s a little girl, for God’s sake! Are you trying to get her killed?”

Bree turned and raised her hands as if to ward him off. “I had no choice, Ty. I didn’t have anyone I could trust to keep her safe. Please… let me explain.”

Ty shook with the effort it took to squelch his anger. Bree had no business bringing her child into any kind of a situation involving Andre Komarov. If her husband’s murder hadn’t proved that, the kidnapping attempt six years ago should have done the job. Had she lost her mind? Ty clenched his teeth and breathed deeply until he retrieved a modicum of control.

“Okay, we’ll have that talk, but he stays here.” Ty gestured toward Sean, who looked as though he’d argue until Ty turned away, dismissing him. “Nate, would you make our friend here comfortable for a bit?”

A grin surfaced in Nate’s expression as he shoved Sean toward the house.

Ty caught Walker’s eye and motioned toward the dog. “Would you take a look and see if we need to call a vet?”

“Sure.” Walker lifted Ribs from the quad, and carried him carefully toward the backyard.

Ty grabbed Rayna’s wrist and stopped her from following Walker and Ribs. “I need to talk to Bree.”

“I figured you would.” Rayna’s voice was icy as she stepped away from his grasp.

“Come with me? Please?”

Rayna’s gaze darted to his and the fact she hadn’t expected to be invited registered clearly.

He leaned closer so only she would hear. “We’re a team, sweetheart. Remember?”