In the Arms of Danger

TWENTY

Rain beat upon the windshield of his truck, but not as heavy as earlier. The heavy rain, loud wind, and booming thunders, covered the noise from his vehicle. How else would he have gotten this close to the cabin without them hearing him?

The storm would pass within an hour or so. That would give him enough time to do what he wanted.

That i***t bodyguard just didn't give up. Yeah, well, neither would he.

He slunk in his seat and drummed his fingers on the dash as he stared at the cabin. The power had only been restored for about a half hour now, but by the darkness of the windows, he figured they'd gone to bed.

Hopefully not in the same bed.

He growled and straightened, tightening his fingers around the steering wheel. He trusted Taylor. It was the bloodhound watching her that he didn't trust. Obviously, Cory Ross wanted his woman. That man wouldn't get her.

Killing the bodyguard would definitely stop it.

Minutes crept by and soon the rain relented. He grabbed the handle of his toolbox and climbed out of the car.

Although he figured everyone was asleep, he still crept down the slope as quietly as he could. In his other hand, he gripped the flashlight, not daring to turn it on until he reached his destination.

After he was out of view from the lodge, he flipped on the light and shone it at the muddy path toward the lake. When he reached the motorboat, he stopped and flashed the light on the engine.

He grinned.

He'd make sure nothing stopped him this time. Cory Ross would lose.

* * * *

A small wind blew Taylor's long hair into her face as she sat in the boat with her daughter and Cory. Each one had a fishing pole in their hand. Stillness settled around them. Even little Meggie kept quiet. Taylor had taught her daughter not to be loud and scare the fish away.

The rainstorm had made the weather slightly cooler, but she and Meggie wore their jackets. Unfortunately, Cory hadn't. But he didn't act as though he was cold.

Although Taylor tried to concentrate on fishing, she couldn't stop her gaze from roaming over Cory sitting next to her daughter. Emotion grasped Taylor's chest and squeezed. Her daughter needed a father. Taylor had been lonely for too long and wanted a husband. The tender way Cory glanced down at Meggie reminded Taylor of the kind of love a father would have for his daughter.

Tears pricked her eyes. Dare she hope for that kind of life? Dare she hope that Cory would be the wonderful man she'd known during their month in Bermuda?

Suddenly, Meggie's fishing line wiggled. Excitedly, she jerked on the pole. Cory set his pole down and helped Meggie.

"I got one," she cheered.

"I know," Cory said with enthusiasm in his voice. "Let me help."

Taylor wanted to push Cory away from her daughter, but as she watched him with Meggie, Taylor's heart softened. She wanted so badly for her daughter to trust a man other than Pampa and Uncle Zack. Part of Taylor wanted to give him her trust, and love, once again, but then her mind argued, reminding her that Cory was the crooked FBI agent.

Meggie squealed again, but this time it was as she reeled in the large fish. Cory assisted as he pulled the fish over the edge of the boat and dump it in the bucket they'd brought to hold the fish.

"Lookie, Mommy!"

"Yes, sweetie. That's great."

When the fish was finally settled in the bucket, and the hook removed from its mouth, Meggie turned and threw her arms around Cory's neck, hugging him tight. Once more, Taylor's heart wrenched. She wanted her daughter to feel the joy of this moment, and as she studied Cory's face, his closed-eyes expression radiated love.

Confusion swept through her again. Why did he act this way? He was a cold-blooded killer. Right?

His eyes opened and he looked at her. His lips stretched into a wide smile as he reached an arm out to Taylor, inviting her into the three-way hug. Her heart leapt...and her body went willingly.

With Meggie in one arm, and Taylor in the other, how could she not imagine the happy family she'd always wanted? How could she not want Cory to be Meggie's father?

He leaned in and placed a kiss on Taylor's forehead. She hitched a breath, but couldn't take her eyes off him.

"Taylor, I love...this. I want this." His Adam's Apple jumped in a hard swallow. "Taylor Mitchell, will you marry me?"

Taylor awoke with a start. Her heart pounded. The dream she'd just had was still fresh on her mind. She placed her hand on her chest to slow her breathing. Instead of having dreams of the memories she and Cory had shared, this one was real. She had felt so much emotion, which name left her even more confused.

The brightness pouring in from the window made her squint. How long had she slept? Judging by the position of the sun, it was probably around nine. Why hadn't Meggie come to wake her yet?

Taylor climbed out of bed, stretched and yawned, before slipping into her robe and slippers. As she threaded her fingers through her hair to untangle the wayward locks, she yawned again and wandered toward her daughter's room. The cabin seemed abnormally quiet for having a mischievous four-year-old around.

The door to Meggie's room stood open, but no daughter hovered inside. However, her nightdress lay neatly folded on her bed.

Neat? That word didn't fit into Meggie's daily routine at all. How odd.

"Meggie?"

She walked out of the room and hurried downstairs to the kitchen. The cabin still remained silent.

"Cory?"

She glanced into the front room. Empty.

"Meggie? Cory?" she said louder, panic gripping her voice.

Breaking into a run, she hurried toward the back of the cabin, yelling their names. Still, no answer. She clutched the robe tighter around her neck and sprinted out the front door. The morning air nipped at her skin, but she pushed aside the cooler temperature and jumped down the porch steps.

"Meggie? Cory?" Her voice came out louder, and in a panic.

Where did they go?

Heart beating faster, alarm surging through her with each step, she ran to the Blazer and tried the doors. Locked. She swung and darted her gaze around the outside of the cabin.

Standing still, she listened for more than just her quick breaths, hoping to hear her daughter's uplifting voice, or even the deep baritone of Cory's. Once again, nothing.

Unshed tears stung her eyes. This couldn't be right. They had to be here somewhere.

She glanced toward the small road leading toward the lake. Could they be...

Grasping the robe around her tighter, she rushed toward the water. The closer she came, the clearer the surrounding shoreline became. The motorboat was gone.

Then she saw them.

As calm as could be, both sat in the steel frame, each holding a fishing pole. Taylor closed her eyes and sighed. A tear leaked through and ran down her cheek, her throat still tight.

Her dream came back, hitting her hard. Why had she dreamed of them going fishing, and yet they were doing that now. Without her, no less. Was it a coincidence at all? But it must be. She couldn't recall Cory mentioning anything about them going fishing...

Yesterday... before the power went off.

Meggie and Cory had asked about fishing, but nothing had been decided. So why did they go without letting her know? Cory could have at least left her a note. Didn't he think she'd be worried when she awoke?

Taking in the refreshing morning air as she breathed in deep, she opened her eyes and wiped away the tears. Those two looked cute sitting together.

Like father and daughter. Just like her dream.

No! She mustn't think that way. No way did she want Cory to be Meggie's father. Her daughter needed a father who would love her, who would never break her heart. One who would always be around to share her hopes and dreams, her terror, and sorrows.

Cory had none of these traits.

Although, before she found out about his hit-man profession, she'd imagined that he would be a great husband and father. She sighed. Thank heavens five years ago a friend had set her straight and made her aware of Cory's true job. Her trusted friend had warned her Cory was a hit-man.

She should have listened. She should have believed what her own eyes had told her.

A slight wind blew against her bare legs and a cold chill ran through her. Now that she knew her daughter was with Cory and what they were doing, she should hurry back to the cabin and get dressed. As soon as those two finished fishing, she would give him a good talking to...away from her daughter. She didn't know what kind of language she might be tempted to use. Cory should have been more responsible and let her know he took Meggie.

The thought stewed in her mind the whole time she dressed, making her that much more frustrated. She could shake some sense into Cory. Of course, that would mean she'd have to touch him. That right now was not a good idea. Still, she needed to let him know how she felt. How irresponsible he was for what he'd done.

She slipped on a sweater and a clean pair of jeans. Instead of her athletic shoes, she put on her hiking boots. She'd take Meggie for a walk today. It'd certainly help relieve Taylor's irritable mood.

Only dabbing on a little make-up, she then pulled her hair back into a ponytail. No use trying to make herself pretty for someone she wanted to stop thinking about.

She peeked out the window to see if Cory and Meggie were within view. She sighed. The motorboat crept toward the shore at a slow speed. Good. She couldn't wait another minute to talk to him.

Trying to keep anger in her every movement, she dashed down the stairs and hurried outside. Cory stood by the boat as he wound the thick rope around the pole to secure it. Meggie had already started her journey up the dirt path. When she saw Taylor, her eyes widened and she held up a string of fish, grinning.

"Look Mommy. I caught fish. Three of them."

Taylor laughed and crouched, holding out her arms. "Come show me."

Meggie's little feet carried her bouncing body to Taylor. With the fish almost in her face, Taylor withdrew as she tried to wrap her arms around her daughter.

"See Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetie, but I'm not blind. I don't need to see them that close."

Glancing over Meggie's shoulder, she noticed Cory. He took a couple steps away from the boat and also carried a string of fish. Her stomach growled in anticipation for their soon to be gourmet breakfast.

She patted her daughter's bottom. "Why don't you hurry inside? I need to talk to Cory."

"Otay."

Meggie skipped up the slope, her curls bouncing in rhythm. Taylor straightened and folded her arms, waiting for Cory to reach her.

At that moment, a loud blast boomed through the air. Explosive fire ripped apart the motorboat. Debris flew all around them. She ducked and shielded her face with her arms, but the blast knocked her to the ground.

Meggie's scream ripped through her heart and Taylor struggled to roll away from the extreme heat coming from the explosion. Meggie stood at the top of the hill, her eyes wide, her face pale.

Taylor whispered a relieved prayer, thankful her daughter was all right. But what about Cory? He was so close to the boat...