Page 12 of Tormented Hearts

Those men were real. Their bullets were real.

She stood one more time with a stubborn air. But he knew the Black Heart Security team—as long as she was in danger, they weren’t going to let her out of the contract.

“Sinead.” Willow’s gentle tone made her sit for the third time, arms crossed tightly.

He couldn’t resist it. Two months on the team and half a day of humiliation gave him the right, in his eyes.

“For someone with so many objections to sitting down, ma’am, you sure do it a lot.”

She cut her gaze to him, as sharp as the scope glint that had saved his life six hours ago. “At least I can sit down, Mr. Hawk.”

* * * * *

Sinead could get her lawyer to comb over the contract with Black Heart Security that she’d verbally consented to, but that would mean more time and trouble than it was worth.

She had gotten the last word with Hawk, but even that didn’t leave her feeling good about the meeting.

Fact was, she didn’t know who had followed her into the woods or what they were after. Maybe some locals believed they had a stake on the land that didn’t belong to them, and they were prepared to drive her off.

She also knew how her father operated—and he never would have sent her out there if it wasn’t important.

But life-or-death important? She wasn’t sure anymore.

The only thing she knew with certainty? She was stuck with her bodyguard.

He sat behind the wheel of the truck, navigating the back roads and rugged mountain terrain like it was second nature.

Out of the corner of her eye, she studied him. He sat upright without a wince at whatever pain he might be feeling from that snakebite, though she suspected the only thing wounded was his pride.

She couldn’t blame him, but she’d only shot the snake because his hand was too unsteady and having the snake in hand could save his life.

She went over the steps the Black Heart Security team laid out for her. First, collect her vehicle. After that, Hawk would drive her to her hotel, where she would gather her belongings. Then they would return to the ranch and Sinead would be placed under Hawk’s guard until they learned who those men stalking her were.

The Wyoming landscape slid past, the road spilling out ahead of them and the mountains rising blue-gray on either side. Sinead watched the trees blur past the window and let herself finally ask the question she’d been avoiding since the reading of the will.

What had her father actually sent her into?

Everything the man had done had a purpose. Every meeting, phone call and decision made behind his office door had a reason behind it, even when nobody else could see the benefit until years later.

He wouldn’t have sent her into those woods for nothing.

She expected buried documents about a Wyoming property, not men with rifles. Not two bodies left behind on a ridge before nine o’clock in the morning.

She peered sideways at Hawk. He flicked a glance at the mirrors—left, right, rearview.

It wasn’t the idle look of a man who was simply driving.

Check left, check right, check behind them.

A few seconds later, he did it again.

Paranoia made her jerk her attention to the side mirror. When she saw nothing behind them but the land and sky, relief made her stomach drop.

Several miles later, she realized he was on high alert, just like in the woods. And—she noted with irritation—it was…

A little bit attractive.

She let herself study him properly for the first time. Not the once-over she’d given him when he approached or when he was lying on the ground thinking he was about to die.