take those pictures while he was at the ranch the year before last, and Sam was inclined to agree. Greg was an intense young man, but he wasn’t a stalker, or a killer. To be assured of this, Cade had secretly had his scholarship moved to an Eastern college where one of Rick’s men had befriended the boy. He hadn’t moved from the area since, which eliminated him as a suspect.
“Okay, boys and girls, we have a lead.” Rick stepped into the dining room carrying a thick manila folder in one hand. On his hip, he had strapped his pistol, a precautionary measure all the bodyguards had taken after Mark Tate’s death.
“Rick.” Cade stood to his feet. “We’ll take this into the office.”
“Like hell you will.” Marly stood, anger vibrating through her voice. “This involves all of us, Cade.”
The family was standing now, the women’s expressions protesting, angry, the brothers’ bleak and savage. Rick faced the group, his face showing his exhaustion, his eyes his sorrow.
“Marly.” Heather watched as Sam touched Marly’s arm, drawing her attention to him. “Cade will tell you the details later. Let us take care of this, Munchkin, for now.”
Heather couldn’t see enough of Sam’s expression to know what Marly saw there. Her face tightened in pain, and tears came to her eyes. She turned back to Cade. His expression Heather could clearly see. A man tormented, tortured. He couldn’t even look his lover in the eye.
Lora Leigh
Heather’s Gift
44
“Cade. I love you,” Marly whispered deeply, and if Heather had ever doubted the woman’s love for the surly rancher, she didn’t doubt it anymore. “You can’t hide this forever.”
Marly’s voice was filled with pain, anger, and helplessness. She touched Cade’s cheek unselfconsciously, aware that everyone watched the display. When Cade looked down at Marly, Heather’s heart clenched in pain for him. His emotions were dark, and so painful it broke her heart. She wondered how Marly bore the pain.
“Not yet.” He shook his head, the bitterness of his rage echoing in his voice. “Not yet, Marly.”
“Fine.” She nodded, her voice lowering, her expression tightening in anger. “When you’re ready to trust me, Cade, just let me know. Maybe I’ll still be ready to listen.”
She ignored the rough protest in his voice as she left the table and rushed from the room. Heather couldn’t say she blamed the other woman at all.
“I’ll talk to her,” Sarah whispered, looking up as Brock leaned to her. His arms went around her in a tight hug, his lips pressing to her forehead as his face twisted with his pain.
“Thanks, babe,” Brock whispered so low that Heather barely heard him, despite the fact that she stood only a few feet from him. “I’ll be up when we’re done.”
When he released her, he touched her hair, then watched as she turned away and headed for the stairs.
“Can we get started now?” Rick asked, laying the folder down on the table.
“Not yet.” Sam took a deep breath. “She goes too.” He nodded in Heather’s direction.
Her eyes narrowed.
“Heather’s part of the security force, Sam,” Rick bit out. “It’s information she needs to know to protect your ass.”
She crossed her arms over her breasts, staring back at him in challenge.
“I’m nothing to you, remember?” she reminded him of his past inference. His hands gripped the back of the chair Marly had sat in, nearly turning white from the grip he had on it.
“Doesn’t matter,” he growled. “She goes, Rick.”
“She might go, but it won’t make a difference.” Rick’s voice was firm, his expression icy. “I won’t hide this information from her. It affects her, not just due to her job, but due to the fact that her life is now in more danger than any of the rest of you. Would you deny her the information that would help save it?”
The bombshell was dropped with the ease of words, but the echo of the implications resounded throughout the
“Okay, boys and girls, we have a lead.” Rick stepped into the dining room carrying a thick manila folder in one hand. On his hip, he had strapped his pistol, a precautionary measure all the bodyguards had taken after Mark Tate’s death.
“Rick.” Cade stood to his feet. “We’ll take this into the office.”
“Like hell you will.” Marly stood, anger vibrating through her voice. “This involves all of us, Cade.”
The family was standing now, the women’s expressions protesting, angry, the brothers’ bleak and savage. Rick faced the group, his face showing his exhaustion, his eyes his sorrow.
“Marly.” Heather watched as Sam touched Marly’s arm, drawing her attention to him. “Cade will tell you the details later. Let us take care of this, Munchkin, for now.”
Heather couldn’t see enough of Sam’s expression to know what Marly saw there. Her face tightened in pain, and tears came to her eyes. She turned back to Cade. His expression Heather could clearly see. A man tormented, tortured. He couldn’t even look his lover in the eye.
Lora Leigh
Heather’s Gift
44
“Cade. I love you,” Marly whispered deeply, and if Heather had ever doubted the woman’s love for the surly rancher, she didn’t doubt it anymore. “You can’t hide this forever.”
Marly’s voice was filled with pain, anger, and helplessness. She touched Cade’s cheek unselfconsciously, aware that everyone watched the display. When Cade looked down at Marly, Heather’s heart clenched in pain for him. His emotions were dark, and so painful it broke her heart. She wondered how Marly bore the pain.
“Not yet.” He shook his head, the bitterness of his rage echoing in his voice. “Not yet, Marly.”
“Fine.” She nodded, her voice lowering, her expression tightening in anger. “When you’re ready to trust me, Cade, just let me know. Maybe I’ll still be ready to listen.”
She ignored the rough protest in his voice as she left the table and rushed from the room. Heather couldn’t say she blamed the other woman at all.
“I’ll talk to her,” Sarah whispered, looking up as Brock leaned to her. His arms went around her in a tight hug, his lips pressing to her forehead as his face twisted with his pain.
“Thanks, babe,” Brock whispered so low that Heather barely heard him, despite the fact that she stood only a few feet from him. “I’ll be up when we’re done.”
When he released her, he touched her hair, then watched as she turned away and headed for the stairs.
“Can we get started now?” Rick asked, laying the folder down on the table.
“Not yet.” Sam took a deep breath. “She goes too.” He nodded in Heather’s direction.
Her eyes narrowed.
“Heather’s part of the security force, Sam,” Rick bit out. “It’s information she needs to know to protect your ass.”
She crossed her arms over her breasts, staring back at him in challenge.
“I’m nothing to you, remember?” she reminded him of his past inference. His hands gripped the back of the chair Marly had sat in, nearly turning white from the grip he had on it.
“Doesn’t matter,” he growled. “She goes, Rick.”
“She might go, but it won’t make a difference.” Rick’s voice was firm, his expression icy. “I won’t hide this information from her. It affects her, not just due to her job, but due to the fact that her life is now in more danger than any of the rest of you. Would you deny her the information that would help save it?”
The bombshell was dropped with the ease of words, but the echo of the implications resounded throughout the
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