Bring On The Night

“You’re going to tell him the truth today and now—here at the park—or I will,” Jonah said in a voice of steel.

“I don’t want to be cheated of knowing my son one more day.”

She nodded. “All right, Jonah. I guess you have that right.”

“Damn straight I do. What have you told him about me—about us?” Jonah asked. “Did you tell him we’re divorced?”

“Yes. I told him that the army was important to you, and you were gone most of the time, so we decided it would be best to part. I told him you wanted out of the marriage.”

“Kate, that’s a damned lie,” Jonah said, standing again and pacing away from her, fury making him shake once more. He whipped around. “You’re the one who walked.”

MILLS & BOON

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Dear Reader,

Welcome to another month of excitingly romantic reading from Silhouette Intimate Moments. Ruth Langan starts things off with a bang in Vendetta, the third of her four DEVIL’S COVE titles. Blair Colby came back to town looking for a quiet summer. Instead he found danger, mystery—and love.

Fans of Sara Orwig’s STALLION PASS miniseries will be glad to see it continued in Bring On The Night, part of STALLION PASS: TEXAS KNIGHTS, also a fixture in Silhouette Desire. Mix one tough agent, the ex-wife he’s never forgotten and the son he never knew existed, and you have a recipe for high emotion. Whether you experienced our FAMILY SECRETS continuity or are new to it now, you won’t want to miss our six FAMILY SECRETS: THE NEXT GENERATION titles, starting with Jenna Mills’ A Cry In The Dark. Ana Leigh’s Face of Deception is the first of her BISHOP’S HEROES stories, and your heart will beat faster with every step of Mike Bishop’s mission to rescue Ann Hamilton and her adopted son from danger. Are you a fan of the paranormal? Don’t miss One Eye Open, popular author Karen Whiddon’s first book for the line, which features a shape-shifting heroine and a hero who’s all man. Finally, go To The Limit with new author Virginia Kelly, who really knows how to write heart-pounding romantic adventure.

And come back next month, for more of the best and most exciting romance reading around, right here in Silhouette Intimate Moments.

Yours,

Leslie J. Wainger

Executive Editor

Bring on the Night

Sara Orwig

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SARA ORWIG

lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband who will take her on research trips anywhere from big cities to old forts. She is an avid collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both reading and writing them.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

Prologue

“Revenge is better than money,” the man said quietly. Raking his blond hair away from his face, he stood in the hallway of San Antonio’s busy airport and glanced again at the listing that showed Flight 10 from Amarillo, Texas, was on time.

Through the windows the man could see bright sunshine outside, no bad weather to interfere with incoming flights. Inside the lobby people hurried to and fro, pilots strode past on their way to departure gates, lines grew longer at the security checks.

The man waited patiently, his gaze searching the crowd. He wanted to make certain that the flight had arrived and the special passenger was on it. His blue eyes scanned each dark-haired man, pausing briefly on first one and then another. Then his gaze was arrested.

A tall, black-haired man in a charcoal knit sport shirt and jeans crossed the airport lobby and headed toward a rental car desk, where he set his flight bag on the floor and spoke to a smiling attendant.

The man watched him smile even as his fingers curled and his fists knotted. “You’re hurrying to get your inheritance, aren’t you, Colonel Whitewolf? You think you’re so tough, with your Special Forces training. None of it will do you any good. You’ll see. You’ll go down. You’ll be first, then the others. It’s already started. While you get your car, I’ll go out to the ranch and have it ready for you. A real warm welcome.” He laughed softly.

He walked outside and hurried to a black, two-door sports car he had stolen only an hour earlier. The tags had been changed and he knew no one would bother him.

He started the engine and pulled out of the parking space, glancing in the rearview mirror at the terminal, thinking about Colonel Jonah Whitewolf, who was probably still inside at the rental desk.

“When I get through with you, you’ll regret you ever accepted your inheritance. You’re trained to deal with an enemy you can see. Now you’ll have to deal with an enemy you won’t see. Welcome to Texas, Colonel. Welcome to hell.”

Chapter 1

A bullet could change a man’s life in the blink of an eye, Jonah Whitewolf knew, but he’d never expected to have his life transformed while sitting quietly in an office.

As he stood at the car rental desk in San Antonio the memory of that moment in April still haunted him.

He recalled how he had listened in stunned disbelief as the lawyer quietly read from John Frates’s will, listing the inheritance: “To Jonah Whitewolf, to whom I am profoundly indebted, I bequeath the Long Bar Ranch, which is the Frateses’ working cattle ranch. This ranch, the livestock, the house, the land, the mineral and water rights and everything included in the ranch, shall go to Jonah Whitewolf to do with as he deems proper. In addition to the Long Bar Ranch, one and a third million dollars is hereby bequeathed to Jonah Whitewolf to do with as he sees fit.”

In shock, Jonah had stared at the lawyer. Her announcement was a moment cast in his memory forever. He could still remember how his surroundings had become unforgettable—the beautiful blond lawyer’s oak desk, her gold pen and pencil set, her slender hands holding papers as she read, the tall clock quietly ticking, the faint scent of roses in a crystal vase on a polished wooden table. Every sight, sound and smell had been etched in memory in that instant when his world changed entirely….

While the attorney had continued reading, Jonah had glanced at Michael Remington and Boone Devlin, two of his closest buddies from past days in Special Forces. Five years ago, the three of them, along with another Special Forces friend, Colin Garrick, deceased, had rescued John Frates when he had been held hostage in Colombia. Because of that rescue the three survivors of the mission were now inheriting fortunes. Mike Remington looked as shocked as Jonah felt, but then Mike’s inheritance had been an incredible surprise: John Frates’s town house in Stallion Pass, Texas, a million and a third dollars—and John’s baby daughter.

Boone had seemed equally shocked by his bequest of a nationally famous quarter horse ranch. Jonah had been faintly relieved that he hadn’t received a baby, although he had been plenty shocked to be willed a cattle ranch plus the money. He recalled thinking how ironic at this point in his life to inherit such a thing. Had the inheritance come six or seven years ago, he would have been able to save his marriage.

Unbidden, memories of his ex-wife, Kate, had crept into his thoughts. He had loved her then, and her loss still hurt today. Kate’s image floated into his consciousness: silky chestnut hair, enormous hazel eyes, thick dark lashes. An ache in his chest brought him back to reality, and he forced the memories away.

His job in Special Forces had caused the divorce. If he had had a ranch and a fortune, how different life might have been! He closed his mind to that course of thinking. What-ifs could ruin your life.

A cattle ranch and over a million dollars…His family would be ecstatic for him. Jonah thought about his present job—working around the world, putting out oil well fires. A ranch would give him an opportunity to settle in one place. On the other hand, he would be more isolated than ever.

The amount of money was staggering. He was well paid in his job, but this was wealth beyond anything he had ever dreamed of.

The minute the lawyer, Savannah Clay, finished reading the will, she looked at them with her big blue eyes. “You each will receive a copy of the document. Do any of you have questions?”

Silence was heavy in the room and the attorney had arched her brows. “No questions?”

“I’m not sure I believe this is happening,” Jonah stated quietly.

“It’s already happened,” Savannah replied in a well-modulated, no-nonsense voice. “John Frates felt strongly about what he wanted to do with his fortune.”

Again the silence was broken only by the ticking of the tall clock in her office. Once more she asked, “None of you has a question?”

“Yes,” Jonah said. “If I choose not to keep the ranch, can I sell it?”

“There are papers to sign, but yes, once this inheritance is legally yours, you are free to do with it as you choose.”

Jonah nodded. “If we sell, we get the money, plus the million and a third that each of us inherited?”

“That’s correct,” she replied firmly. “That’s only a portion of the Frates fortune. For the rest of their lives, his in-laws, Dina Frates’s parents who are in rehab, will be provided for. There is a foundation, trusts, other bequests to charities. But the three of you got his personal things and part of the Frateses’ estate. He intended Colin Garrick to have a share as well, but upon Colin’s demise, he changed the will and that money was divided, which is why each of you got a million and a third. He rounded up the total to make it equal.”

“How soon do we have to see about all this?” Jonah asked. “I’m supposed to leave for Russia next Sunday.”

“There’s no hurry. The ranch has an excellent foreman and manager. John Frates was just there part of the time and had nothing to do with running the place.”

“So we’re free to sell these inheritances?” Boone repeated.

“Yes,” Savannah Clay answered. While she talked to him, Jonah looked at Mike, who was silent and white as snow. His friend kept raking his fingers through his wavy black hair, an uncustomary gesture.

Jonah had seen Mike shot and he had seen Mike in critical, life-threatening situations. Remington was a cool, quick thinker, able to move and act swiftly, tough as well as brave, but at the reading of the will he had seemed on the verge of fainting.

“Are you all right?” Jonah whispered as the others talked.

Mike swiveled his head and gave Jonah a glassy-eyed stare. “Yes,” he murmured, but Jonah wasn’t convinced. Mike was not his usual take-charge self. Yet Jonah knew that inheriting a baby would be a shock far greater than inheriting ranches, as he and Boone had.

“Any questions, Colonel Remington?” the attorney asked.

“Yes, but I’ll wait until the others are through so I don’t take up their time,” Mike replied.

Even though they protested, Mike did wait, and finally Jonah and Boone signed papers, got their copies of the will and left the lawyer’s office.

“What a day this has been,” Boone remarked as they stepped into the sunshine. “When I flew in here, I thought the three of us would have a reunion and that would be it.”

“Yeah. Life takes strange turns,” Jonah replied. “Nobody knows that any better than the three of us do. I wish Colin were here to claim his inheritance.” Both men were silent until they reached black cars parked side by side. Then they stopped and faced each other. Boone had his hands on his hips, his tan sport coat pushed open. “See you back at the hotel. I’m going to swim, and then let’s have happy hour and celebrate our inheritance,” he said with a grin.

“Sounds fine with me. I’m still in shock,” Jonah replied as he shed his navy suit coat and pulled off his navy tie.

“I think all three of us are in shock, but Mike’s been hit the hardest. And I don’t blame him. Thank goodness he’s the one with the baby,” Boone said, unlocking his car door and tossing his sport coat on the seat.

“Yeah, I guess.” Jonah felt an aching twist deep inside.

“Man, you’re still hung up about your ex? Get over her,” Boone said, turning back to frown at Jonah. “You can marry again and have a passel of kids.”

“Boone, have you ever been in love, even once? I mean really in love?” Jonah asked, mildly annoyed by his friend’s remarks.

“Hell, no, not like you were. And I’m not going to be, either. No marriage chains for me. Lighten up.” With a flash of white teeth, Boone Devlin grinned. “The world has lots of beautiful, exciting women. You need to get out and about and forget her.”

“Sure,” Jonah answered dismissively, remembering what a playboy Boone was.

“And don’t bury yourself on a ranch, although there’s small danger of that. You’ll sell your inheritance as fast as I intend to sell mine.”

“Maybe not. I’m going to think about it and look the place over.”

“What do you know about cattle ranching?”

“I told you that my grandfather had a ranch, and I spent every summer there when I was growing up,” Jonah replied.

“You move to a ranch and you’ll be a hermit,” Boon warned, jiggling his car keys in his hand.

“As if I socialize a lot out in the oil field.”

Boone laughed and opened the door of his car. “See you at the hotel.” Each climbed into his rental car and drove out of the lot.

Jonah shoved those April memories aside and smiled at the clerk behind the rental counter. Moments later, he strode out of the San Antonio airport into bright sunshine on a cool, early June morning. After quitting his job and selling the home he owned in Midland, Texas, he was back in San Antonio to look at his inheritance for the second time.

He wanted to work the ranch, and from the time he’d made his decision, his eagerness to make the move had grown.

In the space of time between his first trip to San Antonio and this one, another shock had transpired. Savannah Clay, the lawyer who had read John Frates’s will to them, had married Mike Remington—a marriage of convenience to give Frates’s baby girl a mother and father. Jonah was surprised, and wondered how happy Mike was with the arrangement.

As Jonah neared the gates to the ranch, however, he forgot about Mike Remington. Green fields spread endlessly to the horizon. Stands of oaks gave shade to the hills, which were bright with patches of wildflowers. All land he owned…Then Jonah spotted two spirals of gray smoke rising against the deep blue sky, and he wondered what was burning.

As he drove along, watching the plumes of smoke darken and expand, Jonah had a gut feeling that something was wrong. The ranch hands could be burning off a field, but he didn’t think so.

Clamping his teeth together, he pressed the accelerator, speeding along until he reached the turn to the ranch house, then bouncing over the cattle guard. The ominous black smoke increased and he gunned the engine, skidding on gravel along the drive.

In the distance he heard sirens that only confirmed his suspicions. Another few seconds of driving and he saw bright orange tongues of flame spiraling in the sky. He caught up with a pickup truck speeding ahead of him.

Then, at another turn, the ranch house, barn and outbuildings came into view. Trees burned in two areas while flames shot up one wall of the barn, Jonah saw, but the roof hadn’t yet caught and men were pouring water on the blaze. Men fought the three blazes.

Other men carried equipment out of the barn. The wail of sirens grew louder as Jonah ran to help save the barn.

He approached the gang pouring water on the barn fire. Jonah took a hose from one of the men to relieve him, and directed ranch hands where to turn other hoses. He yelled for someone to get a ladder, and in seconds he’d braced the ladder against the barn wall. He climbed to the roof, tugging the heavy hose up with him and then motioning to a man on the ground to turn the water on again.

Flames danced in front of Jonah’s face, but he knew if they could keep the roof from going up they could contain the fire.

Two pumper trucks had arrived and started to spray big streams of water on the blaze. They could easily reach the roof, so Jonah tossed down his hose and climbed back down the ladder.

When he reached the ground, he took the hose and ran around to the entranceway, planning to go into the burning barn.

“Mr. Whitewolf! Don’t go in there!” Scott Adamson, the barrel-chested foreman, yelled at him.

Jonah shook his head and charged into the barn, where he spotted flames in a far corner. Dragging the hose, he ran forward and turned the hose on the conflagration.

A cowboy arrived to help him, and Jonah motioned to the loft. “I’m going up,” he yelled above the roar of the fire.

“That blaze could consume the loft in minutes,” the man warned, but Jonah was already climbing. “Pass the hose to me,” he called.

The man climbed behind Jonah, then handed him the nozzle. Jonah tugged on the hose and turned it on the flames.

Sweat poured off him and he could hear men yelling outside, but within minutes the blaze inside seemed under control.

When he climbed down from the loft, there were four other men in the barn, fighting the dying fire. He looked at the charred structure and knew the corner would have to be rebuilt, but the flames would be doused in minutes and the barn had been saved. The other fires had been brought under control.

He handed the hose to one of the cowboys. “I want to look around in here,” he said, skirting smoldering embers. “Keep the water flowing, because this could all burst back into flame.”

It took him only five minutes to find where he thought the fire had started. He straightened up and strode outside, past firemen who kept hoses trained on the charred and blackened wood. Cowboys had turned off the spigots to the ranch’s well water, no longer needed now.

Scott Adamson walked up to Jonah and shook his hand. “Thanks for your help, but you shouldn’t have put yourself at risk by going into the building.”

“It was safe enough,” Jonah said, brushing aside his foreman’s concern. “I need to talk to one of the officials about the fire. It was deliberately set.”

“Aw, hell!”

“You don’t sound surprised or shocked,” Jonah said, his eyes narrowing.

Adamson took his hat off to wipe sweat from his brow and rake his red hair back from his face. “We’ve had bad things happen lately. Some sick cattle—someone put poison in a water tank—some smashed fences. I thought it was kids doing pranks that got out of hand, but now I don’t know. This happened in broad daylight. Plus it was three separate fires. Someone set them. Fortunately, one of the men spotted the fires when they had just started and we had men close at hand to fight the flames.”

“It doesn’t look like the work of kids.”

“C’mon. I’ll introduce you to Tank Grayson. He’s the man you need to talk to. He knows fires, but then I guess you do, too.”

Jonah spent the next thirty minutes with the thin, blond fireman, who went inside the barn with him and confirmed Jonah’s suspicions.

“We’ll have an official analysis, but you’re right. This was started with kerosene and rags. So was the one in the trees. Anyone opposed to you moving here?”

“Not that I know of,” Jonah answered, perplexed. “Scott Adamson said that other things have been happening around here—poison in a stock tank. That kind of thing.”

The fireman shook his head. “This could have been a hell of a lot worse. We’ll let you know what we find out.”

Jonah shook hands with him and went outside to thank all the others for their help. As he shook his foreman’s hand and thanked him, Scott nodded.

“Anytime there’s a fire, everyone pitches in. We’re fortunate to have a good supply of well water, and Mr. Frates put in a fine system of water mains and spigots. Otherwise this barn would have been gone.”

“Well, I’m grateful for everyone’s help. We can rebuild that corner and it’ll be like new again. I’ll see if I can’t arrange a bonus for everyone with the next paycheck.”

“That would make a lot of guys happy, although they didn’t do this for a bonus.”

“I know that, but they took some risks fighting that fire.”

“Not like the ones you took.” Scott eyed Jonah. “I guess you’re going to live up to your reputation.”

“How so?”

The older man shrugged as he looked at the barn. “All that Special Forces stuff…Damn, I don’t know why anyone would do this.”

“I don’t, either. Well, I’m going to go get cleaned up.”

He glanced down the road at houses of people who worked on the ranch. If the fire had gotten out of control it could have spread to the bunkhouse, office and other outbuildings. They had been lucky. Jonah headed to the sprawling ranch house. Entering through the back door, he walked quietly through spacious rooms where sunlight spilled across polished hardwood floors and over classic furniture. Even though he was moving his things in tomorrow, it was still difficult to realize this was all his.

The house was rustic, yet with state-of-the-art appliances and conveniences, and a collector’s elegance to its antique furniture. Jonah didn’t know much about antiques, but Kate had been into collecting and had taught him a little about styles she liked.

He was spending tonight at the ranch, but he wanted to return to town and buy a pair of boots. He also planned to get pictures developed from a disposable camera he’d picked up on the way, to send to his folks.

When Jonah drove back to San Antonio, he was certain he had made the right choice about his future. He had had the past two months to think about it, and he wanted to keep the Long Bar Ranch, welcomed the changes it would bring to his life.

After purchasing boots, he put the package in the car and stood on the sidewalk in the hot sunshine. Tomorrow morning, before he left for Midland, he was to have breakfast with Mike and Savannah. Right now it was two o’clock in the afternoon, and he wanted to develop the pictures he had taken of the ranch so he could show them to his family back home. He smiled to himself. The ranch seemed to be in excellent shape, with enough land and stock to make it one of Texas’s largest and most successful cattle ranches.

As soon as he had made his decision, he’d felt restless, impatient to get moved in. Would he be buried out on the ranch and become a hermit, as Boone Devlin had predicted? At the moment Jonah didn’t care. The Long Bar would give him a stable life, a purpose, and the work would be something he liked to do—a lot more interesting than struggling with a burning oil well.

Climbing into the rental car, he drove into the parking lot of a drugstore and went inside. After leaving his film to be developed, he roamed the aisles, picking up a magazine to read at the ranch tonight, getting a couple of candy bars and another disposable camera. Then he headed back to the front of the store with his purchases.