Dark Secret

The normally soft voice was a menace in her mind. More dangerous than any wild animal she had ever encountered. The threat was there, just like the time she had come upon a large mountain lion in its prime just after it had made a kill. She sensed his fear that she might not listen to him, that she wouldn't see the danger, but Colby was far more adept at reading wild things than he gave her credit for. And she chose that moment to touch his mind.

Colby pulled away from Ben and leapt to her feet, pacing away from him quickly, her mind working on two levels. She wanted to appear normal to Ben, yet she shared the swirling cauldron of dark violent emotions with Rafael. 'You would hate being married to me and you know it.' She crossed her arms and tried to keep from shivering. Somewhere out in the gathering darkness was something powerful and menacing. It crouched very close, watching them with the unblinking eyes of a tiger. 'I'd drive you crazy, Ben, and you know it. But it was very sweet of you to offer. I'm sure you earned your way into heaven tonight.'

Ben stood up slowly, trying not to look like he'd dodged a bullet. 'You know I'd do it, if you needed me to. Just don't do anything desperate, Colby.'

She walked down the steps of the porch and glanced around the yard casually. She felt the danger like a living, breathing entity. What is it, Rafael? Do you feel it too? Was it Rafael? Or was he simply tuned into the danger? Was Rafael threatening her?

I could never harm you, querida, never. There is no danger to you or yours, I would know. You are simply feeling me being a jealous man. The voice was his usual calm. She saw him then, standing by the corral as if nothing had happened, talking quietly with Sean and Joclyn as Ginny led Tanya's horse around in a wide circle.

Jealous? That was jealous? Colby stared at him for a long time. He looked completely normal, a handsome, charming foreigner who was very magnetic. Was she going completely insane? What did she think? That he was more than a man? He had power the same way she had power; it was easy enough to lose control. She understood that better than anyone could. Yet she had caught a glimpse of a raging beast, not human, something far more dangerous.

You can project that much danger when you are simply jealous? And not for a very good reason, I might add. She had to ask him. She didn't know if she wanted him to lie or to tell her the truth. But she had to ask him.

When we are alone and I can hold you in my arms we will talk. The words were spoken like a soft caress, running across her bare skin so that she touched her own arm. Astonished, she looked down. The blisters and redness were gone. Her skin was smooth and unblemished from the sun. He had healed her terrible sunburn.

'Are you going to talk to me or stare at that foreigner all night?' Ben demanded, coming up behind her. 'I thought you had another problem out here.' He sounded almost belligerent and Colby turned back to face him.

'You know, Ben, I don't think I'll understand men in a million years. They aren't at all logical like they try to brainwash women into thinking they are.' Colby turned away from him to stare up at the darkening sky. 'Paul is over in the hay field. I haven't checked on the problem yet, Ben. Juan Chevez was the one who found the steer and Paul saw it. He can take you out there, but its getting dark very fast. I don't know if you have time.'

'I'm getting worried about you and the kids out here by yourselves. I'm making time, Colby, I'm not going to let anything happen to you.'

She smiled at him over her shoulder, her hair falling in a bright cascade down her back. She looked so beautiful Ben was slightly shocked. She looked almost ethereal, hauntingly sexy and a little mysterious. He had considered her a younger sister almost all of his life. Ben's feelings about Colby were very mixed, and he didn't want to see her in this light. They weren't suited at all. He had never noticed her looking alluring and sexy before, not once in all their years together.

Ben glanced over at the dark stranger and caught the man looking at him. Rafael didn't look away, his smoldering eyes odd in the waning light. They reminded Ben of a cat's eyes, more suited to night vision than day. The eyes didn't blink and Ben looked away, not liking that intent, hair-raising stare. Rafael De La Cruz was making it perfectly clear that Colby was off-limits to any other man. Ben didn't trust him, sensing something violent and dangerous seething below that calm exterior. And De La Cruz seemed a playboy type, easily acquiring women and just as fast tossing them aside. Colby was not made for a one-night stand. She was a woman who would give herself completely to someone she loved. Ben didn't want it to be a man like De La Cruz.

He shoved his hat on his head. 'I'll find Paul and talk with Chevez, but, Colby, you keep the kids close and don't go wandering off by yourself.'

'I have a ranch to run, Ben,' she said quietly. 'I'm not going to let someone scare me off.'

'You said Juan Chevez found the steer. What was he doing riding your ranch?' Ben sounded casual, but Colby wasn't in the least bit fooled, she had known him far too long.

'After the fire, Rafael didn't want us to be alone here. He couldn't stay with us so he asked Juan and Julio to help us out.' She looked down at her hands, ashamed to admit her weakness to him. 'It was a good thing they stayed. I was sick this afternoon and slept most of the day away.'

'So De La Cruz ordered them to stay'

'They wanted to stay, Ben. They are Paul and Ginny's uncles, after all. They are concerned for their welfare.'

He turned his faded blue eyes on her. 'Are you trying to make me believe that Colby Jansen is not in the least suspicious about this setup? That these people show up out of the blue claiming your brother and sister and wanting the ranch to hold for them? That they just happen to be business associates and are staying with your neighbor Sean Everett whose entire crew just happens to be ex-cons? And that just about the same time they arrive, all kinds of `accidents' begin happening on your ranch? This is all coincidence, Colby? And now Juan Chevez finds a dead steer mutilated while he is 'watching over you' on De La Cruz's orders. It seems a bit far-fetched to me.'

'Didn't we have this conversation before, and I was the one saying these things to you? You told me I was stubborn and to get over it. You told me I was talking through my hat when I tried to point out to you that the things going wrong on the ranch weren't accidents.'

'Yeah, well, Pete's death was no accident, Colby, and it was no accident that Chevez and Everett's riders were up on the bluff. Or that Clinton Daniels and that scum Harris were out there either, along with that new hand of his, Ernie Carter. Now that's a real winner there. What the hell were you doing riding out there alone?'

'Ben'-she laid a placating hand on his arm-'you aren't suggesting everyone is conspiring against me, are you?'

Ben felt the weight of those peculiar eyes staring at him malevolently. He didn't look up to see; he knew instinctively they had De La Cruz's full attention and he knew it was because he had raised his voice to Colby and she was touching him. 'I think you're in great danger, Colby, and not just of losing the ranch. That's what I think and you'd better take me damn seriously.'

'I will, Ben,' Colby conceded with a little sigh. 'I'm worried too. I don't know what to think, but I don't want anything to happen to Paul or Ginny. I promise to be careful.' When he continued looking at her she sighed again. 'Very, very careful.'

'And not trust anybody too much,' he prompted.

'And I won't trust anybody too much,' she added obediently.

Ben walked off toward the hay field, and she watched him until his large frame disappeared around the side of the large barn. She stared at the barn, puzzled. It would have made more sense for the arsonist to burn down the barn. It was located farther away from the house and it didn't have built-in sprinklers. The barn would have gone up fast with the hay in it. Why hadn't they chosen the barn?

'Colby!' Ginny called out, her voice betraying annoyance. She desperately wanted to make a good impression. Tanya was very nice and she wanted Colby to pay her lots of attention so she would want to come back.

Colby hurried over, ignoring Rafael's hot gaze and concentrating totally on Joclyn and Tanya. She was aware of Rafael watching her intently the entire time she gave instructions, but she forced herself to keep from looking at him. She wanted to look at him. She even needed to look at him. She could feel her mind continually reaching for his. She had felt the sensation before; now she recognized it. And he often touched her mind. Like a shadow. Almost for reassurance. The moment he touched her she could relax again, breathe. She smiled at Joclyn and talked normally. She hugged Ginny often, going through the motions of being interested and excited by her chatter. She