Linger(40)

other reason than for causing Sean’s death.”

She closed her eyes. None of this made sense. Rand had worked for the Donovans forever. Since he was a

young man out of high school. What could possibly have made him hate this way?

The truck rattled to a stop. Rand got out and walked around to open her door. Without any care, he

yanked her from her awkward perch, and she stumbled, trying to get her feet under her. Her hands were

completely numb from the tight bonds around her wrists.

Where on God’s green earth were they? They’d gone the opposite way of town. There were no houses, no

buildings, nothing but rock formations jutting from the earth and the base of a large hill that sloped

sharply upward, a precursor to the mountains in the distance.

Rand shoved her forward and she went down to her knees, the rocks digging into her shins.

He hauled her upright and all but dragged her beyond the maze of rocks and boulders. A cave. He was

taking her into a freaking cave.

A low moan escaped her. She hated the dark. She never slept in the dark. Not since Sean died.

“Please,” she whispered. “Not in here. I’ll die in here.”

“That’s the idea.”

Her mouth fell open, and he shoved her through the tight opening into the yawning mouth of darkness.

This time when she stumbled, he let her fall. He knelt beside her and coiled rope around her ankles.

Panic hit her hard. He really meant to leave her here. Where Taggert and Greer would never find her.

“Why did you do it?” she rushed out. “Why Sean? I thought you liked him. He was always so nice to you.

He gave you a home and a job.”

Rand’s fingers tightened around her ankles, and she could positively feel the rage billowing off him.

“It was supposed to be you,” he seethed. “Not Sean. Never Sean. But he stepped in front of you, took the

knife.”

Cold settled over her like a suffocating blizzard.

“But why?” she croaked.

“You pulled them apart. You took Sean from the ranch. You turned brother against brother. The

Donovans are good people, and you destroyed their family. I heard you that day when you pranced into

the house talking about loving them all, wanting to be with them all. Couldn’t blame them for being

appalled and sending you away. It’s what they should have done. What kind of a woman proposes

something like that?”

“Someone who loves them,” she said faintly, too shocked, too numb to filter his explanation. Sean had

died because of her. She’d always known it, just hadn’t realized how much she’d been the cause of his

death. It hadn’t been random at all.

Oh God.

“Love,” he said scornfully. “What does a whore know about love? You tempted them with your body.

You took Sean away. But that wasn’t enough. You had to come back, luring them with that pitiful smile. I

won’t let them be dragged down by you again. They deserve better than that.”

“They love me,” she said in a steady voice. “You’ll hurt them if you kill me.”

There was a pause, almost as if he considered that. Then he laughed harshly. “They’ll forget you. You

aren’t the keeping kind. You were good for a lay, I guess.”

His words shouldn’t hurt. He was a maniac. Taggert and Greer did love her. They did. But would they

find her in time? Would they ever find her?

“I’ll just tell them you left,” he said matter-of-factly. “Shouldn’t come as a surprise. You left before.

Women change their minds all the time. Can’t be trusted.”

“What the hell is your problem?” she snarled. “Did your mommy abuse you? Not hug you enough? Did

your girlfriend dump you? Leave you for another man?”

He drew back, almost as if shocked by her outburst. Then he slapped her hard across the mouth.

“Your father was right to beat you. Your kind needs discipline. You need correcting. The Donovans will

be better off without you.”

He shoved a rag into her mouth and then put masking tape over her lips. As he stood, he kicked her once

in the side.

“If Sean hadn’t died for you, I’d make your death quick, but you deserve to suffer. You deserve to lie here

thinking about all the lives you’ve destroyed.”

With that he turned and stalked out of the cave, leaving her lying in the dark.





Chapter Fifteen


It was late when Greer drove through the back gate. He stopped to wait for Taggert to shut it and get back

in the truck. A few seconds later, they pulled up to the house and got out, dusting themselves off as they

headed to the back door.

As they mounted the steps, Rand opened the door and glanced uneasily at them. The hairs on Greer’s