Delilah Devlin Sanctuary (pdf)

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driven slowly mad, until he d broken the vow he d
made.
He d promised not to take what wasn t offered.
That morning, Kate seemed unaware he d
crossed that line. Sluggish, she d put her fatigue
down to too little sleep and too much sex. She d
roused only long enough to see them all through
the gate. Thankfully, his men had kept Shep and
Danny busy long enough for Ty to bundle Kate into
the lead vehicle without them realizing anything
was amiss.
That s one helluva fence, Diego said, eyeing
the 12-foot tall game fence with the barbed wire
coiled on top like makeshift concertina wire.
Maybe she didn t need us so badly after all,
Ty murmured, not sorry one bit they d made the
trip. Maybe we ll find you a girlfriend, too.
Diego gave him a sour look, and Ty laughed.
Diego s cynicism regarding the opposite sex was a
longtime source of humor for the team.
Finally, the ranch house and outbuildings came
into view. He blew out a breath, surprised by what
he saw. Despite the chaos that reined in the world
beyond the fence, here, everything seemed well-
tended whitewashed, nothing out of place or
order.
Nice operation, Diego murmured. No
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Delilah Devlin
wonder she didn t want to leave.
Ty echoed the sentiment in silence as men
poured out of the buildings.
Hands stood beside the corral and barn door
and perched along the front porch, well-oiled
weapons glinting at their sides or in their arms.
He approved.
He turned in his seat. Kate, honey, wake up.
You re home.
* * *
Kate held a steaming cup of coffee between
her hands and breathed in the aroma. Finally, she
felt like she was perking up. She sat on the railing,
eyeing the loading of the transport vehicles.
The families tromped in a steady trail back and
forth to the vehicles with their meager belongings.
Even the children came with boxes of their toys for
the journey. Watching their excitement, Kate felt
the weight of her responsibilities shift off her
shoulders. She d done the right thing for them.
Boot steps clomped on the wooden porch, and
she stiffened. Without turning to see who it was,
she knew Sam had joined her. All morning long,
she d acted like a coward, retreating behind the
excuse of overseeing the introductions of Ty s men
and her people, taking part in the discussions with
the families to help alleviate their fears of the
coming trek westward to the Davis Mountains.
Kate, he said, you happy with your choice?
She swallowed against the lump forming at the
back of her throat and turned to face him, setting
her coffee cup on the railing. Yes, Sam. I m sor
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Sanctuary
He shook his head. Don t. I m okay. It s not
like we ever made any promises.
It was hard meeting his gaze. His eyes were
moist, but a slight smile curved his lips. He looked
sad but resigned.
You know I love you, she said.
And I love you. I only want you happy.
He held open his arms, and she walked into
them, wrapping hers around his waist. They stood
like that for a long time.
I m not going with you, Kate.
What? she drew back, staring in shock at his
handsome face. Sam, you can t stay by yourself.
Shep and Danny, and a couple of the new
men, are staying, too. We ll take our chances
here.
She wanted to argue with him, rail at him for
being foolish, but she recognized the stubborn set
of his jaw. She could have been looking in a mirror.
Then she s yours. Sanctuary is yours, now.
Come back when you can, he said, his voice
rough.
She nodded, tears blurring her eyes, not
knowing what the future might hold for either of
them.
The front door slammed, and Kate turned to
the sound. Shep stepped out onto the porch, his
gaze hard. What hand did you say you stabbed?
It took her a moment to understand what he
asked. Are you talking about Ty? she asked,
feeling uneasy at the way Shep s lips thinned. His
left one, why?
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Delilah Devlin
Not a mark on him. I looked just a minute ago.
Somethin s not right.
Kate stiffened, feeling like the other boot had
finally dropped. She hadn t paid any attention, but
she also didn t recall seeing even a scratch on the
back of his hand that morning.
Shep and Sam drew their weapons, and Sam
signaled to one of the hands who sat astride the
corral fence. He jumped down and strode toward
them, his hand already going to the gun strapped to
his thigh.
Kate followed suit, knowing where her duty
lay, even as her stomach plummeted. She tucked
her coat behind her holster and stepped off the
porch toward the men loading the vehicles.
Diego watched them approach and murmured
something to Ty, who turned slowly to face Kate [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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