Crymsyn Hart (8 page)

After spending time in the barn mucking stalls, Wyatt headed back to his part of the house and avoided his partner.
How could Landon have done this to me? Stealing away
the one person I’ve found after all these years. Now George will want him and not me. I can’t let
that happen. I won’t let that happen. At least he said he’d deal with Raul. I can’t imagine having
to erase her memory. God, even touching her is hard. Being without her near is difficult enough.

What am I going to do?
He glanced at his bureau and saw the number she had scribbled down. She was supposed to be busy tonight going over her data, but he doubted if she was doing that since he had erased Jeremy’s memory.
Fuck it
.

He grabbed his cell and punched in her number. It rang a few times and went to voicemail. “Hey, George. This is Wyatt. Can you call me so we can talk please? Landon told me what happened and…fuck. Please call me back.” He hung up and threw the phone down on the bed. He needed to get out of there.

He grabbed his hat, car keys, and slipped out of the house. The sun was setting and the urge for a drink ran through his soul.

He couldn’t get the picture of her and Landon together out of his mind. It had felt so good punching him in the face. His knuckles tightened on the steering wheel
. I can’t
do this. She has to be the one to choose. I don’t know what I’ll do if she’s going to go with him.

His anger escalated. The force of the wind began to push the Jeep this way and that. He tried to regain control of his emotions, but it wasn’t working. All he could think of was the mind-blowing night he had with George, then Raul’s instructions to wipe her 73

memory combined with Landon touching her, pleasuring George, and her moaning Landon’s name when it should have been his.
I can’t do this
. He pushed his foot down on the gas pedal trying to outrace the images in his head when out of nowhere Tempest appeared before him. He stepped on the brake, but the Jeep fishtailed and went off the road hitting a telephone pole head on. Something sharp stabbed his shoulder. His leg was crushed from the impact and the steering wheel pressed against his sternum.

Before he could pull himself out, pain overwhelmed him and darkness dragged him under.

* * * *

Something warm was pressed against his flesh. It made him open his eyes. When he did, he saw Landon peering down at him. He tried to get up, but every muscle and bone ached. He glanced around and found he was back in his room at the ranch. The moon shone through the window. He flexed his fingers, surprised he could move them.

“What happened?” His voice came out a harsh whisper.

“Your sorry ass died is what happened. First time is always the hardest. Hurts like a mother. You’ll be fine by morning.”

“Died? I don’t remember anything.” Dread overwhelmed him. “What about George? Is she okay? Did Raul—”

“I haven’t called him yet. I was going to, but I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out a way around it. He didn’t give you a time limit so it’s okay for now. Don’t worry. Look, I’m sorry about the fight we had earlier. I hated that you sped off like that.”

He shook his head and sat up. It even hurt to do that.
How could I have died? I didn’t
go anywhere.
“How did I die?”

His partner got up. “The steering wheel was shoved into your chest crushing your rib cage. The Jeep was torn in half. How fast were you going? I had to make up some story so the paramedics and the police would believe me.” 74

Wyatt laughed. “What did you say?”

“I said we were testing a new remote control car system and it got out of hand and that you were only a dummy so there was no need to bring you to the hospital.” He chuckled and it hurt to do that. He began coughing. “So I healed?”

“Duh. Of course you did. You’ve been shot and stabbed before. You know how fast we mend. I’d forgotten you hadn’t actually died. It takes a little while for us to come back from that. Rest for now. We’ll talk more in the morning. You owe Tempest an apple or something for coming to get me.” Landon left the room.

Even though he’d been a Rider for a long time, he had never died. He believed in the power and the immortality, but now he understood what it meant. They couldn’t die. At least he didn’t know of a way they could die. Tempest poked his head in through the window and gazed at him. He sensed the horse’s concern.

“I’m fine thanks.”

Good because I get tired of looking out for you.

He was stunned. “What did you say?”

Wow, it finally took you dying to understand me. I think it’s a miracle.

“Holy shit. I can understand you word for word.”

Tempest laughed.
Yeah. Shows you what a hard head you have. I’m glad that you’re
okay.

Wyatt wasn’t sure if he was crazy or not, but he heard the horse’s thoughts. He’d always wanted to. Now it was true. “So thanks for getting Landon. I appreciate it.”
Someone has to look out for you when you fly off the handle. All over a woman. Humans.

I’ll never understand you.

“She’s not just a woman.”

I know all about George. So does Whirlwind.

“Do you know anything that we can do? I can’t lose her.” The horse peered at him with deep amber eyes and flicked his ears back.
I’m not
supposed to be telling you this, but there’s a way you can get around Raul’s ruling.

“What is it?”

Turn her into a Rider.

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He blinked. Was that even possible? He’d never heard of three Riders for a certain territory. They were always sent in pairs. “How can we make her into a Rider?”
She’s a unique human. She stirs passion and emotions in each of you. The last time she
touched both of you at once, she blacked out. Who said she wasn’t a born Rider? They are rare,
but it happens. The power inside of her might extend to more than what you think. You just
have to unleash it. The two of you have to help her discover and use her power .

Both of us. He shook his head. Sharing with Landon wasn’t something he had ever considered. But he couldn’t lose her either. Maybe if that was what it took. “For a horse, you sure do seem to know a lot about all of this.” The stallion kicked the side of the house and the room shook. A biting wind raced through the bedroom.
I am more than a horse. I’m an elemental. You should know that by
now. I’m older than the hills. When life was first breathed onto this planet, I came into existence.

“Sorry if I insulted you.”

I’m not insulted. I’m just saying. I know a few more things about this whole organization
than you. Take my word for it if you want to save your lady friend. Now get some sleep.

Wyatt wasn’t going to argue with him on that. With the new information, he was going to talk to Landon in the morning. If there was a way to save her, then he would do anything. He hoped that Landon would agree. He closed his eyes and his thoughts drifted toward George.

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George gazed at her reflection. Her hair was all over the place and her eyes were puffy. The pressure of the storm weighed heavily on her. Everything hurt including her thighs after the two bouts of lovemaking she’d had in less than twenty-four hours. Of course that trail of thinking made her realize the snafu she was in now. She liked both men. Was drawn to both of them.
It’s a pity I can’t have the two of them and call it a day.

That’d make it so much easier. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about choosing.
She ran her hand through her hair and tugged on it.
I really don’t want to choose. Each of them makes
me feel complete except on a different level. Crap.

She sighed and hopped in the shower. The warm water helped revive her and relieved some of her aching muscles. After Landon left, she’d gone to the college to meet with Jeremy, but he never showed. When she knocked on his door at the dorm, his roommate answered and said that he was sleeping. Something about a bad burrito.

She’d gone over a few of the readings herself, but the later she stayed, the more uncomfortable she felt at the office so she went back home. Landon’s truck remained in her driveway. She assumed he would come back and get it, but so far he hadn’t. She was too tired to drive it back tonight so opted to do it in the morning. Now it was morning.

Out of the shower and dressed, she stood on the front porch of her parents’

farmhouse. Her father’s tractor was rusting in the last field he had plowed. She owned the surrounding ten acres, but there used to be more. Across the road rows of soybeans 77

ripened under the sun. That land used to be hers too, but it was too much upkeep for her and she wasn’t into farming so she’d sold it off to the local farmers. Land developers had approached her a few times, but she turned them down no matter how much money they threw at her. She had enough to be comfortable and made it work on her salary. The house was in disrepair, but her project for the next year was to fix it up.

The bright sun shone with only a few wispy clouds splashed across the blue. The forecast called for a clear day, but the way the air passed over her, she knew something would be stirred up. She just wasn’t sure what it would turn into.

Well if he’s not going to come back and get his truck, I’ll have to take it to him. Now to
remember the way.
She walked out to the vehicle and saw it was locked. Running her hands underneath the wheel wells and the bumper she was hoping to find some kind of a hide a key. Nothing.

Biting her lip, she headed inside and stared at her living room remembering he had pretty much been on the couch.
I wonder.
She pulled the cushions off, but the couch hadn’t swallowed his keys. She moved her foot and heard something jingle. Fishing under the sofa, she came away with a key ring.
Jackpot
. She grabbed her purse and headed out the door. She hopped into the truck and then looked at his GPS. She turned it on and noticed there was a home button.
Why not?
She pressed it and it gave her directions to the house.

After a thirty-minute drive, she pulled into the ranch. Seeing it in the daylight was even better. The horses were amazing. She parked and saw two horses, one a white and the other was a mottled gray. One that she had seen before. It eyed her. She walked over to the white one and began to pet it. Once she did, a zing went up her arm.

“I know you don’t I?”

It flicked its ears at her. A shiver went down her spine and she felt a weight on her back. They have to be close.

“Tempest, are you trying to woo her?”

George spun around to see Wyatt standing behind her. When she looked down, she saw his scuffed boots with the distinct silver buckles shaped like tornados. Then it 78

dawned on her where she had seen the horse before. He came to her and then stopped.

Her smile widened. When she got closer to him, her body shivered remembering the night they shared. Her cheeks burned when her thoughts drifted to Landon and what she had done with him. She could barely look Wyatt in the eye. Seeing him now, she understood she carried feelings for both of them.
Shit.

“Hey, Wyatt.” He wrapped his arms around her. Her whole body ached, but it felt good. Her bones were heavy. She rubbed her cheek against his stubbled one. It felt normal and right to be in his arms. She stared into his eyes and then kissed him lightly on the lips wondering if he would reject her, but he opened to her and traced his tongue along her lips. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be happy to see me.” He smoothed the hair from her face. “Of course I am, but there are some things we need to talk about.”

She chuckled. “Yeah like you telling me that you and Landon have the same profession.”

His eyes narrowed. “You know? How?”

“I don’t know exactly what you are, but I know you were the one who was showing off and jumping over my van the other day. What the hell were you doing?” He put a finger to her lips. “Not out here. The wind has ears.” He threaded his fingers through hers. She snuggled against him and inhaled his masculine scent. When she gripped his arm, her gift weighed on her more than it had before. They went inside and she was still clutching Landon’s keys. They walked into the kitchen. She put the keys down and leaned against the counter. Wyatt stood across the room. The separation put a sense of tension in the air. Gazing at him, from across the room, she bit her lip it was so hard to believe someone as handsome as Wyatt was interested in her. The slope of his nose, the chiseled chin, it all made her mouth water.

She cleared her throat.

“Do you want something to drink?”

“No. I’m good. Thanks. God, this is awkward. I assume Landon told you about yesterday.” She stared at the floor and couldn’t meet his gaze. Her cheeks burned. The 79

betrayal she felt was creeping up on her. Tears lined her eyes. She sniffled when Wyatt lifted her chin so she could look into his eyes.

“Please don’t blame yourself for anything. There’s a reason for what’s happened between the three of us. I’ll admit the idea of you with another man, especially my partner, made me furious, but then we talked about it.” She was confused. She could see the hurt in his eyes, but he wasn’t blaming her.

Wyatt gave every appearance of having accepted what had happened with Landon.

“What did you talk about? What’s going on?”

He ran his finger down her cheek hearing the static charge between them. There was a mischievous gleam in his eye. “We need you to put your trust in us?”

“It all depends on what’s going on.”

“Wyatt, stop charming her and let’s sit her down and explain what’s going on,” Landon said from the hallway.

The hair rose on her arms when he entered the room. Her bones ached more and her ears began to ring. Landon was dressed in tight jeans but no shirt. Looking at the scars on his torso made her wonder exactly what had happened to him. Whatever punishment he received, for saving her life, it didn’t seem fair to leave him scarred like that. He should have been rewarded as a hero. The torment he had suffered opened her heart. Wyatt retreated and pulled open the fridge. Landon smiled and placed his hand on her cheek. A zing went through her. His lips met hers in a sweet kiss before pulling away. Having them so close together made it hard for her to breathe, let alone concentrate. Wyatt gripped his water bottle and his mouth was set in a hard line, but he didn’t say anything once Landon pulled away. Her cheeks burned and she felt very much put on the spot.

“So what’s the big secret? Who are you guys really?” Wyatt threw Landon a bottle and then handed one to her. “Why don’t we go into the living room? It’s more comfortable.” Landon gestured down the hall. They all followed into a spacious living room with a stone fireplace that reminded her of the old time hearths where people did all their cooking. A large leather sofa sat before the 80

fireplace. A cord of wood rested next to the grate waiting to be burned. The room smelled of old leather. There’s the poker table set up in the corner with cards, she remembered seeing it the other night. She sat on the sofa and sank back into it. Wyatt sat on the arm and Landon on the seat next to her. They both kept their distance which was good because it was hard for her to focus around the two of them.

“Okay so you guys talked and now you’re going to play a hand of poker to see who wins me?”

Both men chuckled.

“No poker games. You asked us what we are. By telling you this, we’re going against the oath we took never to reveal our true natures. We are Storm Riders. We always ride in pairs. Each pair is assigned to a territory. Different riders for different storms. Some—” Landon began.

“There are some who ride hurricanes; others direct earthquakes, sand storms, typhoons, and fire storms. We each—”

Landon gave Wyatt a look and he quieted.

“Sorry. We don’t get to talk about this much and there isn’t an annual convention.

We only get to meet other riders once in a great while.”

“Going from what Wyatt said, we normally wrangle tornados, sometimes violent thunderstorms. Each Rider is immortal. We heal fast and very little can scar or kill us.

Normally the Storm Riders develop the powers of the elements and storms they are associated with. For us that’s air, wind, lightning and thunder if we get really pissed off.

Sometimes rain. When we ride, we become one with the elements. We have other abilities, but those are the basic ones.”

George stared at the two of them. What they said made sense it just seemed farfetched.
Of course it does, but I’ve seen it firsthand. Landon saved me when I was a kid.

Wyatt jumped over the van and commanded the twister to go away the other day. If they are
both infused with the power of the storms then that explains why I end up going haywire around
them. They throw my senses off. That’s why I blacked out when I touched the two of them at the
same time in the kitchen. Sensory overload. But God when they touch me it’s awesome.
“So why break the secrecy with me?”

81

“Y-you believe us?” Wyatt stammered.

She glanced at him enjoying the shocked expression. “Yes I believe you. I remember Landon rescuing me when I was a little girl and I saw you the other day.

Neat trick with the tornado by the way.”

Landon touched her knee to get her attention. “We’re breaking our vow because we don’t want to see you get hurt. Wyatt was told to erase the memories of the two storm chasers he encountered the other day because he was showing off. “ The color drained from her face. “Me and Jeremy? Why?”

“No one can know about us. Our Commander, Raul, told me I had to or I’d be punished by his superiors and…well you see what they did to Landon, so I did what I was told. I went to your office yesterday morning and altered the memory of your assistant. I didn’t know at the time the other storm chaser was you until I saw the picture on your desk. Raul came and told me I had to wipe out your memory too or he…” Wyatt looked down at his hands.

She glanced at Landon. His expression had hardened. “What is it you’re not telling me?”

“If we don’t cleanse your memory of our encounters then Raul’s going to kill you,” Landon whispered.

Panic flooded her.
Kill me!
“But why? I didn’t do anything. I’d never tell anyone about you.”

Landon shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. He wants you taken care of. We talked about this earlier, neither of us wants to let you go. We’ve come to the conclusion we’re both in love with you.”

“Is that true?” she asked Wyatt.

He nodded. “I know I seem like a hot shot but ever since I lost my wife, I’ve been trying to find someone to love. I never thought I’d find love again until we danced in the bar. You make me feel whole again. I can’t explain it.” He met her eyes and then looked down at his jeans. His cheeks turned red.

“What about you, Landon?”

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“You’re a true force of nature. I haven’t felt this way about anyone ever. I think it’s stronger than love. I don’t want to lose you. I know you haven’t known either of us for very long. This is really unconventional, but we don’t want to let you go. And it’s the only way we know of to protect you.”

“So how does this play into me not getting killed since you don’t want to remove my recollection of you?”

The men looked at one another. Wyatt answered. “We make you into a Rider. The only way for us to do that is if you’re with both of us at the same time. Then there’s no way that Raul can say anything about you being taken from us.” She stood up. “Whoa! Guys, I adore both of you probably more than I can fathom at the moment. And sleeping with you wasn’t something I planned on. It just happened.

Now you
both
want to get in bed with me at the same time. I’ve never—” She shook her head honestly not sure she could handle both of them at the same time even though she had contemplated it. “I’m no supernatural being. I’m a science professor who’s trying to find a better way of detecting storms. Or crack whatever it is that makes me be able to sense storms. Whether it’s a drop in the barometric pressure or an act of God. I can’t just stop my life.”

Landon tried to calm her. “We’re not asking you to put your life on hold. You can still be a teacher, just when the storms come you have to go. Please, George, it’s the only way to save your life.”

She shook her head and pushed past them. This wasn’t what she expected at all.

Not sure where she was going, she headed through the kitchen, back into the paddock, and down into the barn. The sound and the smells of the horses drew her. She was walking, trying to clear her head, when she walked right into a bale of hay coming at her. She stumbled against the barn wall, but kept her footing. When the bale went down, she saw a face that she recognized from the bar.