A Wish For Love (Gates-Cameron 2)

Owens faltered. Ian took advantage of the opportunity to drive his fist into the larger man’s face.

Owens went down. Hard.

“What the hell? What’s going on in here? Cara!” Mark rushed through the splintered doorway. He went straight to Cara and jerked her roughly into his arm

s. “Are you all right?”

She started to speak, then caught her breath and buried her face in his shoulder. His arms closed protectively around her.

Bailey stared down at Owens. “Is he out?”

“For now,” Ian said grimly. He looked at her face. “You’re bleeding.”

She felt the warm liquid dripping from her temple. It throbbed, as did her sore ankle, which she’d twisted again.

She ignored the discomfort. Her eyes were locked on Ian’s mouth. On the blood that oozed from the deep cut at one corner. “You—”

“Bailey, who is this?” Mark demanded, looking down at Owens. He had one arm around Cara, the other around Casey. Both clung to him.

“He was after Cara,” Bailey said, dragging her attention from Ian.

Cara drew a deep breath and repeated the explanation she had given Bailey.

“I walked into a convenience store in Tampa just as he shot the clerk,” she added. “He fired at me, hit me in the shoulder and thought he had killed me. I lived to testify against him. He warned me then that he would find me and kill me. When I heard he’d escaped from prison, I knew he would come after me. Casey and I got into the car and just started driving. We ended up here. I—I thought we would be safe.”

“That’s why you were so frightened all the time,” Mark murmured. “You were afraid he would find you. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I had a terrible experience with the press in Tampa,” she explained quietly. “The reporters seemed to be fascinated with my part in the trial. They hounded me. It was because of them that Owens knew so much about me, even though I begged them to leave me alone. I—I was afraid that if… another reporter learned about me, he wouldn’t be able to resist the lure of a sensational story.”

Mark tilted her remorseful face upward. “You were wrong,” he said flatly.

“I know,” she whispered. “I think I knew all along that you weren’t like that. But I still thought it best for you to stay away from me. I—I didn’t want to risk anyone else getting hurt because of me.”

She looked at Bailey, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’m so sorry you were hurt again,” she said, her voice choked. “Casey and I were in the garden when Owens jumped out at us. This was the closest place for me to run to. I didn’t want to involve you, but I was so afraid he would hurt Casey.”

“You did the right thing,” Bailey assured her firmly. “I’m fine, Cara.”

Cara nodded, clearly struggling to reclaim her composure. “Thanks to your friend,” she said, turning to Ian with an unsteady smile. “I haven’t even had a chance to thank you yet,” she told him.

Ian’s eyes widened.

Bailey gasped.

Cara could see him.

“I—you’re welcome,” Ian managed to say, glancing at Bailey in question.

Mark was looking at Ian now, his face creased with a frown. “You look familiar,” he murmured. “Have we met?”

“This… this is, er, Bran Cameron,” Bailey stammered, then decided that further explanation was called for. “Anna’s brother.”

Mark’s jaw dropped. “Anna’s brother?”

Did Mark know? Bailey wondered, thinking of the times he’d acted so oddly when Anna’s name was mentioned.

Ian nodded, watching Mark warily.

Mark closed his mouth. “Well,” he said a bit weakly. “Whoever you are, I’m grateful to you for helping Cara and Casey.”