His face was in the shadows, a gray blob that she couldn’t focus on. She had to see him, she had to know who he was. He had to be somebody who was on their military base. Therefore, he had to be one of their own. Then he stepped back, lifted the shovel and tossed more dirt on her face, on her head, over her eyes, until all was dark. With every breath she took, she inhaled dust. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t struggle. She couldn’t move.
“This is a dream,” JoJo told herself. “Wake up. This is a dream. You survived this once, you’ll live again. Wake up, JoJo.”
But she couldn’t. She was trapped in the darkness, unable to escape.
“Max,” she said, if not in words, then in her mind. “I need you.”
JoJo woke up the next morning with a headache and the sound of her alarm ringing incessantly. She blinked her eyes open and stared up at the ceiling she’d stared at most of the night. As far as she could tell, nobody had broken into her apartment, and she had just laid awake half the night worrying over nothing.
She tucked her handgun back in the drawer of her nightstand, along with her mace. On second thought, she took out the mace and put it in her purse in the kitchen.
Tired from her sleepless night, JoJo dressed quickly, knowing she needed to get out to the ranch early this morning since they had so much to do. And frankly, she wanted to be back at the ranch with the people who made her feel safe. When she was ready, she made her way to the front door and removed the chair from underneath the handle. Before she unlocked the door, she peeked out the blinds. The car was gone.
She unlocked the door and opened it. Something caught her attention on the door frame. It appeared as if it was splintered, like somebody had been digging at it trying to get past the deadbolt. Her stomach roiled, and she slammed the door shut.
Chapter 6
“Max, I’m glad I caught you.” Jake was just leaving the breakfast table with his coffee cup headed for the kitchen as Max entered the dining room.
“Mornin’, Jake,” Max said. “What’s up?”
“I’m making a run into the Springs to meet with our new guy, Cage Weaver.”
Max smiled. “So, he agreed to come onboard?”
Jake nodded. “Yes, he did.”
Max tipped his head to one side. “Aren’t you worried that we don’t have any work yet for any of us?”
Jake shook his head. “No. Hank wanted me to get people in place, because he’s positive we’re going to have a very busy schedule before we know it. He’s got feelers out to all his contacts. Shouldn’t be long.”
“Good. I hate taking his money for nothing.”
“Trust me, it won’t be long before we’re busy.” Jake set his mug of coffee on the dining table. “Weaver was eager to get started and asked if he could assist with the event this weekend. Since he’s having his vehicle worked on, I’m going to go pick him up and bring him out here.”
“Does Gunny have room for him to stay at the lodge with us?” Max asked.
“I’m putting him up at the casino for the weekend nights, but he’ll be working here during the day and through the evenings. He’ll have my truck to get back and forth.”
Max nodded. “That’s good. I’m sure Gunny and RJ can use all the help they can get. I’ll be out and about today with JoJo. She wanted to make a run through the trails for the ATV tour on Saturday.”
Jake gave him a twisted grin. “Tell you what, you meet with the new guy. I’ll go out on the trails with JoJo. That sounds like more fun.”
“Ha.” Max shook his head. “No way. I haven’t been up in the mountains since my accident. I’m kind of looking forward to it.”
Jake nodded, his smile disappearing. “It’ll be good for you.”
Max hoped so. He missed the crisp mountain air and the bright blue skies around the peaks.
RJ emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of fluffy yellow scrambled eggs. “Well, there you are. Just in time. I hope you’re hungry.”
“You know you don’t have to cook my meals for me. I can do that myself,” Max said.
RJ shrugged. “It doesn’t take any more time to throw a couple more eggs into a pan of scrambled eggs. But if you want to cook my breakfast tomorrow, I won’t say no.” She winked.
“You’re on,” he said.
She set the platter of eggs in the middle of the table and turned back to the kitchen. “However, you two can put the cutlery out. I’ll be right back out with plates.”
“I’ll lay out the silverware,” Jake offered.
Max hurried to open the swinging door for RJ. “Let me help you with the plates and glasses.”
“Deal,” she said.
Max followed RJ into the kitchen.
“You’re going to need a good breakfast when you go ATV riding with JoJo,” RJ said. “You’re guaranteed to work up an appetite.”
“How so?” Max asked.
“Well, she’ll be taking the chainsaw with her in case there are any trees on the path and a shovel to fill in any washes.”
Max nodded. “Nice to know. Forewarned is forearmed.”
RJ grinned. “That’s right, especially with JoJo.”
“What time does she usually get in?” Max asked.
RJ pulled plates down from a cabinet. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, what time does she usually show up here?”
“Oh, well, she’s already out in the barn.”
He frowned. “She comes in that early, and then stays as late as she does at the Watering Hole?”
“Not usually, but since we have this event going on this weekend, she promised to come in early and stay late. She likes being here. I think she likes to
