Keep Me Safe

The two detectives had taken the lead going into the trailer while Caleb’s men had fallen behind Ramie. To his relief he saw Detective Ramirez bending over one of his fallen police officers but then his blood chilled when he realized the man Ramirez was tending to wasn’t moving.

“Ramirez!” Caleb shouted. “He okay over there?”

“He’s breathing,” Ramirez called back in a pissed-off voice. “Unconscious and bleeding like a stuck pig. He was impaled by debris.”

Caleb swore, his fury mounting with every passing second. Medics from three ambulances swarmed the area while multiple police cars screeched to a stop a short distance away.

“Caleb, how is she?” Eliza demanded as she crouched down next to him.

“I’m okay,” Ramie said weakly. “My head hurts like hell though.”

Eliza’s eyes swam with concern. “Did something hit you? Or did you hit it going down?”

“She wasn’t hit,” Caleb said through clenched teeth. “She damn near gave herself a stroke fighting to pick up the image of the bomb underneath the crap he wanted her to see.”

“So that’s how you knew,” Eliza murmured. “I saw your nose start to bleed, but I didn’t know if that was normal or not.”

“It didn’t used to be,” Ramie said drowsily.

“Baby, stay awake,” Caleb said in alarm.

He exchanged worried glances with Eliza, whose sharp gaze was already scanning Ramie.

“Kind of hard to sleep when your head hurts this bad,” she mumbled.

Caleb lifted his head up, looking quickly for an available medic. He was starting to get extremely worried. Ramie needed medical attention regardless of whether she thought so or not.

“You know they’ll just think I’m crazy if you take me in and explain how and why my nose bled and my head hurts,” she said dryly.

“There is that,” Eliza muttered.

“No way am I not bringing her in just because she’ll have to explain why her head hurts,” Caleb snapped. “They don’t have to know she didn’t hurt her head in the explosion. How do we know she didn’t?”

Eliza held her hands up. “I’m not arguing. That’s between you and her. Certainly wouldn’t hurt to get her a prescription for those headaches after the one she had earlier.”

He hated the idea that she suffered at all. And the idea that until now no one had ever been there to care for her when she suffered was more than he could stand.

“It’s not normal for a headache to cause nosebleeds,” he said fiercely. “What if she has a brain bleed? With the kind of pain she was describing and the mental strain she was under, it certainly seems possible.”

Eliza shrugged and then stood, motioning for one of the medics.

“Guess the best way to know is to bring her in and get her head checked out,” Eliza said.

“Traitor,” Ramie grumbled.

For some reason, that slight complaint completely unraveled Caleb. Maybe it was the fact that she was injecting levity in a situation fraught with turmoil. Whatever the case, his behind slumped downward to rest on the backs of his legs and he found his strength gone.

The adrenaline that had given him superhuman strength and focus just moments before was over in an instant and he felt too old and weary to even push himself to his feet.

Even after Ramie had been placed on a backboard and boosted upward to one of the stretchers, he remained where he was, hands shaking.

“Come on, I’ll help you up,” Eliza said, her voice gentle. “You’ll need to go to the hospital with Ramie.”

Caleb lifted his gaze to Eliza’s, his gut churning so much he worried he’d end up being sick all over the ground.

“She almost died,” he whispered.

“We all almost died,” Eliza amended. “But we didn’t. Ramie warned us quickly enough.”

“Caleb? Where are you?”

Ramie’s worried question spurred him to action. He allowed Eliza to give him a hand up so he didn’t embarrass himself by face-planting on the ground. Then he went to the stretcher and leaned over to kiss Ramie on the forehead.

“I’m right here, baby. Now let’s get you to the hospital so I know that you’re truly all right.”





TWENTY-NINE




BY the time Ramie was discharged from the ER, a battery of tests run to ensure she had no serious injury, including a CT of her head at Caleb’s insistence, she was exhausted and feeling the aftershocks of the bomb blast.

The only injuries she sustained were bruising and a feeling of being hit by a train. She was sore and stiff, every muscle protesting the slightest movement.

Caleb stopped by a twenty-four-hour pharmacy to have her prescriptions filled since it was an obscene hour of the morning the next day, and Ramie figured he had likely scared the poor pharmacist to death with his appearance because the script was filled in a matter of minutes.

“He likely thinks you’re a prescription drug addict,” Ramie said in amusement as they drove away.

He glared darkly at her, his scowl making her giggle, which only served to make him glower more fiercely.

“I’m so glad you find this so funny,” he muttered. “Do you forget you could have gotten killed today—yesterday? Whenever the fuck it was.”

“But I didn’t,” she said gently. “And you could have gotten killed too but I’m not biting your head off for daring to be in danger. You didn’t have to go, you know. I had to be there but you didn’t.”

“Stop right there,” he snapped, his mood as black as his expression. “Swear to God if you suggest one more fucking time that I should just leave you to your fate and not give a crap where you go or the danger you’re in I’m going to throttle you.”

“I was merely pointing out the hypocrisy of you being pissed at me for almost getting killed when you did the same,” she said in a mild voice.

“I’m not pissed at . . . Okay, maybe I’m pissed,” he grumbled. “Give me a break. I was scared, all right?”

“So was I,” she said, reaching over to squeeze his hand. “Do you have any idea how badly I panicked when I realized there was a bomb inside and didn’t know if I’d be able to warn everyone in time?”

He sighed and lifted her hand to his mouth, pressing his lips to her palm in a tender gesture. “I know, baby. I’m sorry. I don’t deal very well with feeling helpless and right now that’s exactly how I feel. I’m not used to other people controlling my happiness, my mood or my decisions. But you do.”

“I do what?” she queried.

“You have complete control over my happiness, my mood and my decision making,” he said starkly.

“Ah, the control freak in you frowns on that, huh.”

He shot her another glare. “What I would like is for you to stop making light of this. You aren’t helping.”

She smiled back at him, ignoring his scowl. “One of us has to not take things so seriously all the time. Otherwise we’d both be hot messes.”

He pulled through the gate at the end of his winding driveway and Ramie could see that every light in the house was on.

“Guess they waited up,” Ramie muttered.

“It’s not every day their brother nearly gets blown to hell and back,” Caleb said dryly. “Did you think they’d just go to bed and catch up with me in the morning?”

“One could hope,” she said under her breath.

The last thing she wanted right now was to be the recipient of their anger and disapproval over the fact that Caleb had nearly gotten killed because of her.

Caleb parked the vehicle in the garage and then stared at the cracked windshield, shaking his head. Every single vehicle at the bomb site had incurred damage. One of Caleb’s company SUVs had been totaled by a fallen tree. Yesterday’s blast had put a serious dent in his fleet of vehicles.

She groaned when she started to climb down from the passenger seat.

“Your ass stays put,” Caleb ordered.

“You know, you’ve got to work on your disposition, Caleb,” she grumbled. “Would it kill you to ask me something rather than hand down a command from on high?”

He appeared just behind her and then simply scooped her into his arms and headed for the door leading into the house.

“I find barking orders to be more satisfying.”

She snorted. “Ya think? I can’t imagine why you’re still single.”

He stopped short just inside the house, a frown seemingly tattooed on his face.

“I’m not single,” he growled. “And neither the hell are you.”

She lifted an eyebrow when he resumed walking toward the living room. “I’m not? You’re not?”

“Just shut up, Ramie,” he said in an aggravated tone.

She sighed and relaxed in his arms. Her lips twitched from trying to keep her laughter in, but one, he’d just get more pissed, and two, he’d wonder what the hell was wrong with her that she could laugh at a time like this.

What else could she do, though? The last year and a half of her life was a calamity of disaster and close calls. It was either laugh or start crying and never stop, and while Caleb might be pissed over her laughing, he’d freak if hysteria took over and she cried all over him.

Pissing him off seemed the lesser of two evils, and well, poking him amused her because the man had no sense of humor. She wouldn’t have thought she did either, but how else to explain her finding so much amusement in the fact that she’d very nearly been incinerated by a bomb blast.

He set her down on the sofa and it was then she saw his siblings—all three of them—standing across the room, their expressions drawn and worried. Relief was all over Tori’s face. And for some reason Ramie finally lost the battle and began laughing.

“What the hell?” Beau demanded.

“You think this is funny?” Quinn said in an incredulous voice.

Caleb made a sound of exasperation but then lost all semblance of anger when he looked at her.

“Shit,” he murmured.

“What’s wrong with her?” Tori asked sharply. “Is she okay?”

“No,” Caleb said quietly. “She’s not.”

“Don’t be angry, Caleb,” she said with an odd hitch in her voice. It sounded like she was gulping or making some other strange noise she couldn’t identify. “I have to laugh or I’ll start crying.”

“Baby, you are crying,” he said gently.

“I am?”

She lifted her hand to her cheek, astonished to find it wet. She became more aware of the odd noise emanating from her chest and throat and realized it was her. Sobbing.

“She’s hysterical,” Beau said unnecessarily.

“What was your first clue?” Caleb snapped.

“Y-you r-really n-need to learn to c-control your t-temper, Caleb,” she stuttered out between each gasping sob.

Her chest was tight, squeezing her insides to the point of pain. She was precariously light-headed and spots appeared in her vision.

“Get her some water,” Caleb demanded of no one in particular.

Tori scurried from the room and Caleb went to one knee in front of her.

“Ah, baby,” he said, all anger and annoyance wiped from his face and eyes. “I’m all right,” he said, accurately guessing the source of her hysteria. “I wish you’d be this concerned over your own well-being, but I’ll make you a deal. You look out for mine and I’ll look out for yours.”

“D-deal,” she said, her teeth chattering almost violently.

Tori hurried over, a glass of water in her hand, thrusting it at Caleb. There was actual concern on her face as she looked at Ramie.

Caleb ripped open the pharmacy bag and pulled out one of the bottles. She had no clue what the ER doctor had even prescribed. Caleb had been the one who talked to him because she hadn’t been able to keep her focus for any length of time during the seemingly interminable visit to the emergency room.

“Can you swallow this?” Caleb asked, holding a tiny peach-colored pill out to her.

“What is it?”

“Something to help you calm down and sleep. Take it,” he said firmly.

He nudged open her lips himself and carefully put the pill on her tongue. She made an immediate face and recoiled from the horrible bitter taste.

“I’m going to take her upstairs,” Caleb said over his shoulder. “We’ll talk in the morning. I have no idea what the hell we’re going to do next, but I don’t want Ramie involved any longer. She could have died today.”

“So could you have,” Beau said quietly.

Caleb glanced at Tori, who was as pale as death, her eyes wide with fear. Then he glanced back at Ramie.

“Give me just a second, honey.”

He rose to his feet and then held his arms out to Tori, who flew into them, landing against his chest. She buried her face against his neck as he hugged her tightly.

“I’m okay, Tori,” he soothed. “We all need to get much-needed rest and then we’ll decide what is to be done in the morning.”

A prickle of unease had Ramie rubbing her chest. His words sounded so ominous. As though he was going to discuss something life-changing with his brothers and sister.

“Where are Dane and Eliza?” Quinn asked sharply. “Did we have any serious injuries on our side?”

“They’re fine,” Caleb replied. “They’re assisting in cleanup and evidence gathering. I don’t trust the police to share important information with us so I made sure I had men on the scene.”

He let Tori go, squeezing her hand before allowing it to fall from his grasp. Then he gently helped Ramie to her feet as though she were a breakable piece of glass. Judging by the expressions on the others’ faces it was too late for her not to end up a hot mess, which only left Caleb to be the relatively sane one.

Still, she couldn’t help the apology that formed on her lips. She lifted her gaze to Caleb’s two brothers and then swept it to Tori.

“I truly am sorry,” she said quietly, scrubbing back the stupid, endless tear trails from her cheeks. “If I had known, if I’d had any idea this would become so dangerous and out of control for Caleb—and you—I would have never called him.”

Caleb went rigid with anger. His jaw bulged from the strain of clenching his teeth.

Beau stared at her a long moment, his expression softening into a look of apology.

“I’m glad you did, Ramie. I believe my brother needs you every bit as much as you obviously need him. You certainly can’t be blamed for the actions of a cold-blooded murderer.”

Ramie offered him a tremulous smile, though he was blurry through a sheen of tears. If only she could quit crying, for God’s sake.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely.

“I believe we all owe you an apology,” Beau said, including his brother and sister in his stare. “But we’ll wait to give it to you when you’re in better shape to hear it.”





THIRTY




CALEB wrapped his arm around Ramie’s waist and slowly walked her up the stairs. As soon as they reached the top, he swung her up into his arms and carried her the remaining way to the bedroom.

He leaned over the bed, easing her down, and then sat on the edge turned sideways to her as he wiped at more tears that streaked her cheeks.

“We make quite a pair, don’t we?” he asked with a sigh.

“I don’t know why I can’t stop c-c-crying,” she said through chattering teeth.

Her jaw quivered and a fresh surge of hot tears trickled down her temples and into her hair. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to her forehead in the tenderest of kisses.

Without a word, he began to undress her, though her skin was ice cold and goose bumps dotted her body.

“Cold,” she fretted.

“I know, baby. Give me just a minute and I’ll get you warm.”

She went silent, only a hiccup escaping her when she evidently tried to swallow back another sob.

When he was finished undressing her, he hurriedly divested himself of clothing as well and climbed into the bed with her, pulling her flush against his body so his heat would warm her.

She gave a drowsy sigh then yawned broadly as she nuzzled her face into his chest. He hoped the medicine was taking effect and that she’d soon drift off to sleep.

“Caleb?” she whispered.

“What, baby?”

“I realized something today.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

She hesitated a moment, her cheek resting on his bare chest, her soft breaths blowing over his skin.

“That I love you.”

His heart surged and his pulse began racing.

A fresh torrent of tears wet his chest.

“Ramie? Baby, why does that upset you? Hey,” he said, nudging her chin up with his fingers. Her eyes were glossy wet. Not exactly the reaction he’d hoped for when she made such an admission. “What’s wrong? Why does that upset you? You have to know that I’m pretty damn happy about the fact that you love me. I’d sure hate to be in this alone.”

“Because it scares me,” she said baldly. “If you don’t love anyone then you can’t be hurt. If something happened to you I couldn’t bear it, Caleb. I’ve never loved anyone before and I have to tell you it sucks.”

He laughed softly at her mournful tone and then he gathered her up in his arms, squeezing her tightly against him. He kissed the top of her head, smiling against her hair.

“I agree. It totally sucks,” he said, still grinning.

“If I didn’t hurt so bad I’d so jump your bones so I’m going to hang on to the sorry-honey-I’ve-got-a-headache line from last night.”

“I’ll let you get by. Just this once.”

“Caleb?”

“Yes, baby?”

“I really do love you.”

He squeezed her again, unable to control the urge to hold her as tightly as possible.

“I love you too, Ramie.”

“Caleb?”

He chuckled. “What, you imp?”

“That medicine you gave me made me loopy.”