The Texas Ranger's Bride (Lone Star Lawmen 1)

“That’s not true. There’s blood on your forearm.”

“He bit me.”

“Let me see.” She pushed the sleeve of his shirt up to his elbow. “You need to go to the ER for stitches and a tetanus shot. You could be infected already.”

“The bleeding has stopped. I’ll take care of it later. Right now we need to talk.” He ushered her over to the couch, where they could sit.

The warmth of his body stayed with her. “I know what you’re going to tell me. This isn’t over yet.”

“No, it isn’t.” In the soft lamplight, his chiseled jaw stood out in stark relief. “We don’t know if his brother was watching what went down here tonight from a distance, or if Denny planned to kidnap you and take you to his brother at another location. What we do know is that when the brother we’ll call Dan realizes Denny has been arrested or isn’t around anymore, his rage will escalate and he’ll come after you himself to finish the job. Dan is the one who approached you in Pendleton.”

Kellie kneaded her hands. “When he finds out you exist—maybe he believes it now—his hatred toward you is what frigh

tens me.”

He gave her arm a squeeze. “Nothing’s going to happen to either one of us. Why don’t you go upstairs and phone your parents? Tell them that one of the brothers is now in custody, and we’re hoping to catch the other one soon. It will be a great relief to them.”

“I know.” She looked into his eyes. “Are you going to get your arm looked at now?”

“I’ll do it after I run by headquarters. Vic will stay here while I’m gone so you’ll be safe. I want you to go back to bed and we’ll see each other tomorrow.”

“It already is tomorrow.”

His lips twitched. When he did that, her heart skipped a beat. “So it is.”

“Cy?”

“What is it?”

Terrified she might give in to the impulse to kiss him and humiliate herself, she got up from the couch. “Thank you. There should be a better way to tell you how I feel, but I can’t think what it is. Please get that arm examined.” Before she blubbered all over the place, she left the living room and hurried up the stairs.

She wished she could go with him, but that was ridiculous. He was a Ranger and had business to take care of. He’d just taken down one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals. Cy had done his job and needed to finish up.

Kellie sank down on the side of her bed. The trouble was, she’d come to look at him as someone much more than an officer of the law. They’d agreed to a fictional marriage to trap the killers, but tonight she didn’t feel like a fictional character.

You’d like to be his real wife. Admit it, Kellie.

Appalled by the admission, and shocked that her feelings could run this deep so quickly, she phoned her parents. They were thankful Cy seemed to have accomplished a miracle so fast, and both were overcome with emotions. After they hung up, she got into bed, hoping she could fall asleep. When the phone rang again, she was surprised to discover it was already seven thirty.

She glanced at the screen on her cell, but there was no accompanying ID.

It was the stalker. He’d left a message. She listened to it.

“You’re still lying about having a husband. I saw the police drag my brother out of your garage to their van. You’re all going to be so sorry for what you’ve done. Just wait and see what I’ve got planned.”

He’d been watching the whole time.

She phoned Cy immediately, but it went to his voice mail. She told him about the stalker’s message before hanging up.

At this point she was wide-awake. The man who’d invaded her space in Pendleton was still out there, and now it was Cy who wouldn’t be safe. Her fear for him was greater than ever.

While she waited for him to call back, she showered and washed her hair. After a quick blow-dry, she put on jeans and a plum-colored cotton sweater. Once she’d pulled on her cowboy boots, she was ready for the day.

As she went downstairs, her phone rang. She checked the caller ID. It was Cy!

With a racing pulse, Kellie clicked on and heard “Good morning.”

“The same to you. Did you get any sleep?”