Bear Exposure (Highland Brothers 3) (8 page)

C
hapter
1

Kyle

I
t had been two weeks
. Two weeks since Kyle had been back on US soil. Sometimes he felt like the desert sand was still in his nose, in his lungs, clogging his throat. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do stateside with clean air to breathe.

Sure it was a hell of a lot nicer being back. There were things like showers and beds, but he had a mission in Razastan. That mission wasn’t over until the target was taken out. The problem was the target kept moving. He kept switching the plan. Making it impossible to capture him.

Kyle had been tracking the target for over a year. He was the highest ranking member of Razastan’s regime, and he was well guarded and well funded.

It hadn’t been Kyle’s choice to back down, but they needed fresh intel if they were going to succeed. For now his team was scattered, waiting on orders before they could go back into the country.

He didn’t want to leave. They had to force him out. If he hadn’t made a promise it probably would have taken the entire Army to remove him.

While he waited, he had another mission. One he would rather never have to complete. It was the kind of mission every Ranger dreaded.

Kyle turned on the windshield wipers on his Jeep, and made another turn. He had been driving for hours, trying to find his way on Oregon’s back roads. When Sam told him he lived in the middle of nowhere, he meant it. There was nothing here but tall trees and rain.

He slowed the car when he saw the last name on the mailbox: Collins.

He groaned and pulled in.

“I can’t believe you made me promise this,” he muttered.

He parked in the driveway, staring at the house in front of him. This was it.

He slammed the Jeep’s door behind him and climbed the stairs. There was a wreath on the front door. A yellow ribbon tied to the base.

He pulled his shoulders back, ready to knock. Ready to fulfill his duty. Ready to try to right some of the wrong that happened to Sam’s family.

C
hapter
2

Whitney

W
hitney climbed
the rocky steps cut into the side of the cliff that led back to the house. She wrapped the sweater around her shoulders, pulling the edges tight against her chest. The wind picked up the ends of her auburn hair.

The waves crashed fiercely against the sand. Even with her back to the ocean, she felt the chill cut through her.

It was good to take a break. She needed to get out of the house. The memoires were almost suffocating. But she didn’t know if watching the waves made things any better. All she could think about were the summers when she and Sam played on the beach.

When she didn’t think she could take the icy winds anymore, she decided to pack more boxes. They weren’t going to pack themselves.

The last month had been the worst of her life. Her restaurant had burned to the ground. Her brother had been killed and no one would give her any answers. She was left with a house that was falling apart, just like her.

As she reached the top of the cliff and made her way through the path that opened to the house she saw a Jeep parked in the driveway.

She crossed the yard, keeping one eye on the Jeep. She tried to open the gate, but the latch was stuck. The damn thing had been broken longer than she could remember.

She rattled the handle until it finally let loose.

She looked around for the driver of the Jeep. She wasn’t expecting anyone. No one drove out here. Sam’s memorial service was a month ago. The flower deliveries had stopped.

She took one step and then another before she saw her visitor.

“Hello?” she called?

His back was turned to her. He was staring off the edge of the porch, looking over the cliff. From there you could see the waves crash and hurl on top of the rocks.

When he turned around she almost tripped over the last step. It didn’t help there was a loose board.

“Whoa.” He ran over to grab her before she landed face first on the porch.

His hand circled her waist, catching her as if she were light as a feather. He stood her upright.

“Hi.” She stared into his deep blue eyes. She thought she saw flecks of amber.

He cleared his throat.

She tried to wiggle free, but his hand was clamped to her waist. His grip was firm.

“Thanks.” Her hands landed where his fingers were wrapped against her. They were wide strong fingers.

“You’re welcome.” He finally released her, his chest expanding.

“Can I help you with something?”

His brow furrowed. He took a step back. “Holy hell,” he whispered.

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry. It’s just…” He held out his hand. “Brake. Uh, Kyle Brake.”

She took his hand, noticing how rough it felt closing around her palm. “Nice to meet you. I think.”

He nodded. “It is.”

“Are you lost? Or are you selling something?” she asked.

She tried to figure out why this man was standing on her doorstep. She didn’t know faces like that existed. His jawline was square and his cheekbones high. His hair was dark, almost black, which was a dangerous combination with those eyes.

“Neither.” He smiled.

Oh shit. He had a gorgeous smile too. The kind that would melt the panties off any woman. She twisted her bottom lip under her teeth.

“Then what could have possibly brought you out here?”

Whitney waited for his answer.

“Sam sent me.”

Her eyes widened, and she reached for the column. But she wasn’t looking. Her eyes were fixed on the tall stranger, and she missed her mark, landing back in his arms.

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T
he mixture
of cool rain and warm blood washed down my cheekbone. It was pointless, but I wiped the stream from my eyes and massaged my throbbing temple.
Keep going, Ivy; keep going
.

As I hurdled each step, the pace of the footsteps tracking me seemed to cut the distance between us. My chest hurt as I tried to catch each breath and push myself into a faster pace. He was close and I didn’t know if I could make it to the seam before he stopped me. A quick diversion might help, but that was how I got into this mess. I had to do something. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t make it back, and this was not the place I wanted to get stuck.

The sidewalks and brownstone steps blurred past as I searched for a place to hide. I felt my body lunge forward and shudder with a thud. I hit the pavement, and my already scraped face smacked into the stones. My lungs froze from the impact. My throat clamped shut. I tried to pry myself up, clawing at the cracks in the sidewalk. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

In that moment, I realized I could be caught. How could I have been so careless to jeopardize everything?

I jumped forward in the bed, clutching the sheet to my chest. A dream. It was a dream.

“Illuminate,” I whispered, holding my hand forward.

The soft orb formed above my palm. It’s light bounced around the hotel room. I steadied my breath. It was only a dream. But it wasn’t the first time it had awakened me. I looked at the clock. It was nearly three.

“Extinguish,” I called to the light, watching it fade to remnants of glitter. I sank into the pillow, pulling the sheet to my chin.

I didn’t know what the dream meant. I didn’t know what triggered it or why I kept having it. I turned on my side, curling my knees upward.

The room was cold, but the chill shaking me had rooted under my skin. Something or someone had been chasing me. I shuddered, knowing it would be nearly impossible to fall asleep after a nightmare.

I tried to focus on tomorrow. I needed a distraction from the feel of rain on my face and the taste of blood on my lips. I reminded myself I was here for a story. I needed a glitzy set of Vegas characters I could take back for my next book.

I walked through how I would travel, keeping my mind pointed on performing the spell I would need. How I would
time spell
. I pictured the Starlight Casino and Resort.

The casino was a labyrinth, but I discovered a service corridor that didn’t have cameras. I would be able to start the spell and travel from there.

My body began to feel heavy again. The shaking had stopped. I pictured the blackjack tables and the doorway where I would make the seam. My eyes relaxed.

There was a reason I had chosen the Starlight. It was part of old Vegas. I would find my story here. I had to. My fingers let go of the sheet as sleep fell over me. Tomorrow I would find my story. Tonight I would forget the dream.