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“In the middle of the day at the height of heat here in the canyon. You know, maybe they weren’t planning to kill you. Maybe they just thought they’d let your own foolishness do you in for them.”
“Nobody asked your opinion or invited you along,” said Finn defensively.
“Lose the attitude, Finn. You’ve already got yourself in enough trouble. I’m not taking you along and letting them use you for target practice. You’re going to give me the coordinates and the locator, then sit your ass down here and wait for me.” Croft stopped speaking for a moment and seemed to be thinking.
“You’re going to wait until a certain time, which I’ll figure out once I have the coordinates and can figure out how long it should take me. If I’m not back by that time, you get on Jasper, head back to Phantom Ranch, and call the authorities.”
“I thought you were taking Jasper.”
“You made a good point. I don’t want you stranded if something goes wrong. If Christian’s there, I can put him on Sam and lead him back. You’re going to be my backup.”
“Bullshit. You just want me out of the way. I’m going with you.”
“No, baby, you’re not. I have no idea what I’m going to find. It’s better if I can deal with the situation as it emerges and not have to worry about you. You could get yourself hurt, or they could use you against me to get what they want and kill us both. If things go sideways, you can get back to the ranch or…”
“That’s a day’s ride…”
“Or you might run into a park ranger, and he’ll have a satellite phone.”
“Why don’t you have one?” she accused softly.
“Because this wasn’t supposed to be a rescue operation, simply seek and find. Like I said, we figured he’d gone off with some girl and didn’t tell his little sister, or something hadhappened, and we’d be retrieving his corpse. Neither of which indicated a need, in my opinion, to take a sat phone. In either scenario, communicating with the authorities could wait until we were topside.”
“Is there a faster way to someplace I could call for help?”
“Yes, but you won’t like it. You cross the river and head back upriver. You’ll find a steep trail, about like the one we came down. Jasper knows it well. It’ll get you to a ranger station at the trailhead in probably four hours.”
“That’s still too long if something goes wrong. You’re better off to have me along with you. I can shoot.”
He smiled and kissed her, hugging her close.
“No, I’m better knowing you’re safe as would be Christian. Our dinner is cooked, and I’m done arguing with you. I suggest you make up your mind you’re going to do as you’re told.”
“What if Christian isn’t there? Or if he is there, and he’s dead?” she whispered, finally speaking aloud her worse fears.
“Then we’ll find out who did this and bring them and their whole operation crashing down around their ears. Baby, if you’re a bad guy, you want to avoid tangling with the Wild Mustang Security Firm. We haven’t been in business long, but Mac can already cherry-pick the cases he wants. We’re considered the best at what we do, and one of the things we do is K&R.”
She nodded. She had heard the moniker—Kidnapping and Ransom.
“That’s what this is—only they want this flash drive instead of money. Remember what I told you. Every guy who works for Mac has special-ops experience; most were in the US Marshals after that. Hell, even Avery, our pilot, was attached to my SEAL team in the same capacity. Come on. Let’s have supper, then you and I have a few things to settle.”
“Croft?”
“I don’t believe for a minute you didn’t know you were going to get spanked hard and loved even harder when I caught up with you. It’s been a long day, and we’re looking at the same for tomorrow.”
Chapter
Five
Croft watched a small shudder wash over Finn and wondered if it was dread for the spanking she knew she had coming or desire for the loving that would come after. The intensity of his feelings as he’d turned her pretty bottom bright red had surprised him. What had started as a way to express his anger and his authority over her had become something far more important and intense—a primal way to express his need to dominate and possess her. When he’d felt her surrender to him and reciprocate those feelings, he would have been surprised if it hadn’t felt so right.
Her complete capitulation to him had come when she’d climaxed as he mounted her and drove into her the first time. He was looking forward to having her do it again. There really was very little in life that could match the feel of your hips slamming into a woman’s heated backside as your cock ravaged her pussy. Those feelings were magnified when it was your woman, and you knew she shared your feelings. He smiled as he felt his cock getting seriously hard.
He ran his hand possessively down her flank and drew her against his body to kiss her temple as he fondled her. There was no doubt about it—he had developed serious feelings forFinlay Reid. Those tender feelings were offset, knowing she had been lying to him from the moment they’d met. Had she not, he could have had a team assembled and ready to go. As it was, he doubted very much Reid would be at the meeting place. He hoped Finn’s brother still breathed, and Croft could bring him back to his foolish little sister—the woman to who he was rapidly losing his heart.
He retrieved the foil packets from the fire while Finn fished out the plates and eating utensils from his saddlebags and spread out a blanket for them to sit on to eat. He’d been happily surprised to find when he’d returned from the river, she had made a single bed for them to share.
“How did you end up a cowboy?” she asked.
