Read Online Iron Cowboy by Diana Palmer - Free Book Online Page A

better to bite you with, my dear,” she drawled. “You’ve been warned.”
    She wiggled her eyebrows at him before she turned back to Sara. “If you need me, just call. I’m on until midnight.”
    â€œThanks,” Sara told her.
    She winked, gave the bodyguard a glance and waltzed out of the room.
    Tony made a rough sound in his throat. “My ears are not big,” he muttered.
    Sara wouldn’t have dared disagree.
    He glowered. “People are supposed to be nice to you in hospitals.”
    â€œOnly when you’re sick,” Sara told him, smiling. “Thanks, Tony,” she said as the pain began to diminish, just a little.
    â€œNo problem.”
    â€œWhere’s Mr. Cameron?”
    â€œHe had a phone call to return,” he said, and looked worried.
    â€œDo you go everywhere with him?”
    â€œWell, not everywhere,” he replied. “He gets antsy if I follow him into the restroom.”
    â€œI never knew anybody who had a bodyguard,” she told him. She moved drowsily. “In fact, I never knew a bodyguard.”
    â€œFirst time for everything,” he said, and he smiled.
    She smiled back. He’d looked frightening the first time she saw him, standing beside Jared’s truck outside the bookstore. But now he was starting to resemble a big teddy bear. She closed her eyes and went to sleep, but not before she heard a soft, deep chuckle. She’d said it aloud.

    Jared walked in with a scowl, pausing to stare at Sara, who was fast asleep. “Did they give her something for pain?” he asked Tony.
    The big man nodded. He wasn’t smiling now. He looked both intelligent and dangerous. “Is something going on?”
    Jared looked toward the door, paused to push it shut and put his cell phone away. “Max thinks they may have tracked me here.”
    â€œThat isn’t good,” Tony replied.
    â€œWe expected it,” Jared reminded him. “We’ll have to be extravigilant is all. I told the foreman to put a man with a rifle at the front gate and keep him there, even if he has to have catered meals.” He cursed under his breath. “I hate hiding out,” he said harshly. “If they’d let me do what I please, we could have handled this on our own, and more efficiently. They’re going to protect me to death!”
    â€œNot here,” Tony said slowly. “You know they’re doing the best they can. Meanwhile, this is the best place to be.”
    Jared let out a long breath. “It’s the waiting.”
    Tony nodded. He glanced toward the bed. “What about her?” he asked. “She isn’t going to be in the line of fire, is she?”
    The other man stuck his hands in his pockets and looked stern. “She hasn’t got anybody else.”
    â€œYes, but she has no idea what’s going on. She could become a target.”
    Jared glared at him. “Then you’ll just have to call in a marker and get some backup, won’t you?”
    Tony sighed. “I gave up a hot tub and HD TV to come down here.”
    The glare got worse. “Don’t blame me. I was willing to come alone. Your boss decided I needed baby-sitting,” Jared said irritably.
    â€œMy boss was right,” Tony replied. He shrugged. “I guess I can live without the hot tub for a few weeks.”
    Jared put a hand on his shoulder. “Sure you can. You need to reread Sun Tzu.”
    â€œI can quote it verbatim,” Tony told him. “This isn’t my first job.”
    Jared chuckled. “No. Of course it’s not.” He stared back at Sara. “We can’t let them hurt her.”
    â€œWe won’t,” Tony replied. “I promise.”
    Jared relaxed a little. But just a little.

    Sara woke up and it was dark again. She’d slept for a long time. She looked around curiously. She was alone, but there was a cowboy hat occupying the seat beside her bed. It