Keeping his back to Champ’s stable, Jake held his gun with both hands, moving silently. His arms were steady as he pointed the weapon toward the front of the barn.
Jake’s heart jumped when he heard a slight shifting sound coming from one of the far stalls. One that currently should have been empty.
Blood rushed past his ears and adrenaline shot through his system as Jake moved his finger to the trigger. He drew in a calming breath and held it. He was ready to fire when a familiar voice filled the tense air.
“You can lower your weapon, McQueen. I don’t think Olivia would be too happy if you killed me.”
Jake exhaled slowly, his heart working double-time to go back to its normal. He was re-positioning his gun against his back when the other man came out of the stable.
“Probably not,” Jake responded. “Except you’re already dead, so—” he let his voice trail off.
One corner of Mike Bradshaw’s mouth turned up into a crooked smile. “Good point.”
In spite of the impossible situation he was facing with Liv—all thanks to the man standing in front of him—Jake couldn’t deny he missed his friend something fierce.
Walking over to him, Jake extended his hand and said, “You’re taking one hell of a risk coming here, Mike.”
Olivia’s ‘dead’ brother shook Jake’s hand before pulling him in for a hug. The guy never had shied away from showing his emotions. I guess some things never change.
“Damn good to see ya, man,” Mike said sincerely as his strong hands slapped against Jake’s back.
“You, too.” Jake returned the hug. They broke away, and Jake shook his head. “But, seriously, Mike. You really shouldn’t be here. Olivia’s staying here.” Then, he quickly added, “Just for a few days. She’s been pretty stressed, and I wanted to bring her here. To get away from everything.”
He was rambling. What the hell? He and Olivia were both consenting adults. Not to mention the fact that her brother had allowed her to believe he’d been killed in a tragic training accident ten years before. So, Mike really shouldn’t have a say in who she dated.
“I know. I saw her leave with that really hot blond.”
Mike’s eyebrows bounced up and down a couple times, and if he noticed Jake’s overdone attempt to explain his sister staying at his place, he didn’t say anything.
“You saw them leave?” Jake looked at his watch. “That was over an hour ago. What the hell were you doing, sneaking around my place for an hour?”
He’d set up the retinal scanner to detect Mike’s eyes the last time his friend was here, so he didn’t have to ask how he’d gotten in.
Mike grinned. “I’m not a complete idiot. What if they’d forgotten their purses or some shit and had to come back? And for the record, I don’t sneak.”
“What about your cover? How’d you manage the time away?”
“The opportunity finally presented itself, and I took advantage. I followed Olivia’s story after Madagascar.” The haunted look shadowing Mike’s eyes was the same one that came over Jake’s whenever he thought about her time there. “I knew she’d be okay after she came home. That you’d keep her safe. I just...I don’t know. I guess I had to see her for myself. She wasn’t at her new house or the hospital she works at now, so I figured this was the next best place to check. She doing okay?”
Jake didn’t bother asking Mike how he’d been able to keep tabs on his sister while under cover. The guy had just as many—if not more—contacts than he did.
“She had some trouble when she first came home. Some jackass began stalking her, but Trevor took him out a few days ago. She’s good now. Really good, actually.”
Mike rubbed the back of his neck, his hand sliding beneath the ponytail he’d been sporting for the past several years as part of his cover.
“Damn, that girl never could stay out of trouble for long. So, where were she and Blondie headed?”
Jake wanted to laugh. It was a damn good thing Mac wasn’t around to hear Mike’s nickname for her. Otherwise, Mike really would be dead.
“Shopping.” Jake grimaced. He’d rather face down the enemy with his bare hands than spend an entire day going from store to store, fighting the crowds.
Mike walked over to Daisy, the horse in the stall across from Champ. Rubbing her nose, he said, “They’ll be gone for a while, then. I have some time.” He turned to Jake. “Wanna ride?”
Jake contemplated this. It was risky, but it had been over a year since he’d spoken to Mike, and damn it, he’d missed him. He also knew how Mac shopped.
The kick-ass sniper could drop a man where he stood from over 2,000 yards without so much as breaking a sweat. She also could have coined the phrase, Shop ’til you drop. They should have plenty of time for a ride.
“Come on, brother,” Mike prodded him. “It’s been a hell of a long time since you and I rode together.”
“Too long,” Jake nodded in agreement.
Mike grinned. “Well, alright then.”
After saddling the horses, Jake and Mike headed out the back of the barn and across the great expanse of his land.
Mike shifted on Daisy’s back, his eyes darting out over the horizon and then back toward the cabin. No matter what he said about being safe here, the man still looked around for possible threats. That, and the sister who still thought he was dead.
“You’re safe here, Mike,” Jake assured him. “The land is secure, and we’ve got plenty of time. Mac’s a soldier to the core, but I swear the woman could turn shopping into an Olympic sport.”
Mike’s broad shoulders relaxed, and he grinned. “Well, in that case,” he let some of his southern drawl slip. “Wanna race?”
Jake’s blood pumped with excitement. Nothing beat the rush of riding full-speed on his horse. An image of Olivia lying beneath
