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  “Fifteen percent off tuition.”

  “What about telling Becca the discount is forty percent and I’ll pay the additional amount.”

  “Absolutely not, Wrangler. She’s a smart woman. It wouldn’t take her long to figure out what’s going on. When it happens, I’d lose a wonderful paralegal, and you might as well forget any chance of ever getting her back.”

  “Getting her back?”

  “You don’t fool me or Wrath. You’ve been in love with Becca all these years. My guess is you’ve been wrestling with guilt a long time. It’s why you haven’t been able to move on. You’ve never gotten over her.”

  Well, fuck. His brother’s wife always seemed to get right to the heart of any matter. It was why Cara was such a good attorney.

  “It doesn’t matter what I want or how much I regret the decision I made ten years ago. Becca will never forgive me. I’m fortunate she lets me have time with Jamie.”

  “You’re going to have to stop allowing the guilt to eat you up. I don’t approve of how you went about breaking things off with Becca, but I do understand it.”

  Massaging the back of his neck, he lowered himself into a chair, resting his elbows on the table. “What I did was selfish and cruel.”

  “Yes, it was. But your reasons were sound.”

  Wrangler no longer believed that. “I loved Becca, yet I walked away and never contacted her again. What kind of man does that make me, Cara? A fuckin’ sonofabitch. I look in the mirror and hate the image staring back at me. Regret every damn day I didn’t write or call her. And there’s nothing I can do to get those days back.”

  “What you can do is take it a day at a time. Be a good father to Jamie, and by your actions, show Becca she can trust you again. And one more thing…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Tell Becca what you just told me.”

  Becca slid her phone back into her purse, letting out a relieved breath. Wrangler texted he had Jamie and they were heading to his place, then to Rock’s for fishing.

  Jamie had been crazy with excitement before she’d dropped him off at school. Unlike Tuesday, Wrangler’s first time alone with their son, Becca felt no surge of jealousy. Instead, the eagerness on Jamie’s face eliminated all her doubts.

  “Do you have a minute to talk, Becca?”

  “Of course. Should I come into your office?” She reached for her tablet.

  “No. Right here is fine.” Cara sat down, a small smile appearing. “I got word last night you’ve been accepted into the program.”

  In an instant, Becca’s somber features brightened. “That’s wonderful! Thanks so much, Cara.”

  “I didn’t do anything except hand in your application. Getting accepted was all on you.”

  Pressing a hand against her chest, Becca inhaled a slow breath. “I can’t quite believe it.”

  “It’s true. You’ll be getting the official acceptance letter on Monday. I thought you might want to check the classes offered next term. Some are already full. The letter will give you an authorization code to register. I’d jump on the classes you want right away. And there’s one other piece of good news.”

  “What could be better than being accepted?”

  “As my employee, the dean has offered you a fifteen percent discount on tuition.”

  On impulse, she leaned forward and hugged Cara, pulling back as if she’d done something wrong. “Sorry. I’m just so overwhelmed.”

  “Never apologize for a hug. I remember making a complete fool of myself when my acceptance arrived in the mail. My mom’s hug calmed me down.”

  Becca stared at her. The only three people who’d ever been able to provide a hug of comfort were Jamie, her mother, and Wrangler. For the last ten years, hugs from anyone except her son were rare. So rare she could count them on two hands.

  “Why don’t you head out? I know Wrangler has Jamie, so there’s nothing stopping you from taking what’s left of the afternoon for yourself.”

  “If you’re sure…”

  “Absolutely. It’s only a couple hours early, and I know you’ve been putting in hours at home.” Standing, Cara started toward her office. “Go ahead and take off. I’ll only be a few minutes behind you.” Taking a couple steps, she turned back. “If you hurry, there’s a chance the admissions office hasn’t sent the acceptance letter. You might convince them to give it to you.”

  Becca grabbed her purse, hurrying toward the door. “Thanks again, Cara. I’ll see you Monday.”

  Barely able to contain her excitement, she rushed down the stairs. The admissions office was a couple hundred yards away. It took all her self-control not to break into a run. She hadn’t felt this degree of joy in longer than Becca could remember. Already scared it had all been a mistake, she picked up her pace.

  The familiar sensation of anxiety gripped her. The attacks had started not long after Wrangler left. Over time, she’d been able to control them through diaphragmatic breathing, exercise, and keeping herself busy. After Jamie’s birth, her doctor had prescribed an antidepressant. She’d never taken a single tablet.

  Approaching the admissions office, she shoved open the door. Entering, she spotted a woman leaving the office, a stack of envelopes in one hand.

  “Excuse me. My name is Rebecca North. I work for Cara McCord.”

  “Oh, yes.” Setting down her purse, she rifled through the envelopes, then held one out. “Congratulations, Miss North.”

  Taking the envelope, she ripped it open, reading the contents. “It’s true.”

  “Very true. Well, I’d better get going.” Her eyes sparkled. “My husband is cooking dinner. Feel free to stay a few minutes. The security guard will be around in thirty minutes to lock the door. Although I’m certain there are still a couple people in the finance office upstairs.”

  Waiting until the woman left, she hurried upstairs, finding the office she sought. Fifteen minutes later, Becca walked out, a list of financial aid and student loan options in her hand.

  Taking the stairs at a much slower pace, she folded the paper, slipping it into her purse. Lost in her own thoughts of a future she believed would never come, Becca headed outside.

  Paying little attention to her surroundings, it took almost twenty minutes to reach her car. Pulling out the keys, she opened the door, ready to get inside when a large hand clamped down on her shoulder, the other covering her mouth, tugging her against his chest.

  “Don’t scream, or you won’t live to see your son again.”

  Panicked eyes darted around the almost empty parking lot.

  Removing his hand from her mouth, he shoved Becca to the asphalt, his knee pressing hard into the middle of her back.

  “Listen carefully, Miss North.” The use of her name scared Becca even more. “I want the file you stole from a man you know well. If you tell me where it is, you and your son will be safe. If not…” He let the threat hang between them. Pressing harder, hearing her grunt in pain, a satisfied smile crossed his face. “Where’s the file?”

  Feeling blood trickle down her face, Becca forced herself not to let the panic overtake her.

  Shoving her head down onto the asphalt, he leaned closer to her ear. “Don’t think I’ll have any problem hurting, or killing, you or Jamie.”

  She sucked in a breath, hearing her son’s name.

  “Tell me the location of the file. And you better be telling me the truth.”

  The smell of his acrid breath, the force of his words, triggered an attack more forceful than any she’d experienced in years. Throat constricting, she tried to breathe, unable to drag in the soothing air she needed to calm the attack.

  “Dammit. Tell me.” He slapped the side of her face, drawing a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. The only response was a pained groan. Hand in the air, ready to strike again, he stilled at the sound of angry shouts.

  Glancing behind him, he cursed. Three security guards ran toward him. An instant later, he heard the sound of sirens mixed with the pounding of fo
otfalls coming in his direction.

  “Remember what I said.”

  Straightening, he slammed a boot into her side before running in the opposite direction. Jumping into the passenger side of a heavily tinted car, the driver slammed the accelerator to the floor, skidding away and out of sight.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “That’s it, Jamie. Keep the tip of your rod up. Now, reel him in nice and easy.” Grabbing his phone, Wrangler snapped a few pictures, capturing the mixture of determination and joy on his son’s face.

  “Am I doing it right?”

  “You’re doing great. Try to reel it toward the side of the boat. I’ll use the net to bring the trout on board.”

  Groaning, he shot a quick glance at Wrangler. “Is this close enough?”

  “A little closer, bud. That’s the way.” Reaching down, he grabbed the net. “Hold him steady.” Slipping the net into the water, he scooped up the trout, quickly setting it inside the boat. Checking the size, Wrangler held up his hand for a high-five.

  Slapping it, Jamie clapped his hands. “That was great. Can I catch another?”

  Removing the hook, Wrangler placed the fish into a cooler with ice, wiping his hands down his jeans. “You sure can.”

  Reaching for the rod, his hand stilled at the sound of his phone. “Hold on a minute, Jamie.” Pulling it from his pocket, he saw Wrath’s name. “Jamie just caught his first fish!”

  “That’s great.”

  Wrangler frowned at the flat tone in his brother’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Becca. She was attacked.”

  Chest squeezing, his grip tightened on the phone. “Sonofabitch. How bad? Is she all right?”

  “Hold on and I’ll explain.”

  Motioning for Jamie to sit down, he listened to Wrath as he turned the boat around, heading back to Rock’s.

  “One of Chief Abernathy’s men responded to a call from a security guard. It was a guard and a couple tenants from Cara’s building who saw a man holding her on the ground. He must have heard them because he took off, jumping into a waiting car.”

  “Did they get him?” He winced at the fear on Jamie’s face.

  “No. The officer stopped to help Becca.”

  “License plate?”

  “Not yet. I called Ethan who called the security office. They’re going to start checking the parking lot to see if one of the cameras caught it. She’s in the emergency room. I called Cara. She’s on her way there now, along with Rock and Tessa.”

  “I’ll get there as soon as I can.” Sliding the phone into his pocket, he looked at Jamie, gut clenching at the way his body began to tremble. “Your mom had an accident. She’s at the hospital. Cara, Rock, and Tessa are with her.”

  Lower lip trembling, Jamie nodded, doing all he could not to cry. “I need to be there.”

  “We’ll get the boat back and head straight there.” Sucking in a calming breath to hide his own fear, Wrangler reached over, placing a hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “She’s going to be all right, son.”

  Thankful there was little traffic on the lake, Wrangler wished he could push the speed faster. After what seemed forever, they reached the dock Rock had built. Jumping out, he secured the boat, took Jamie’s hand, and ran to his truck.

  Taking a couple back roads to decrease the time, Wrangler squealed into the parking lot, fortunate to find a space in the first aisle. Jumping out, he grabbed Jamie’s arm to stop him from running across the busy lot.

  “Listen to me, son. Whatever happened, you have to be strong for your mom, and remember, you won’t be alone. I’ll be right there with you. Okay?”

  Again, his lower lip trembled, but he gave a quick nod. “Yes. Can we go inside?”

  “Sure can.” Taking his hand, he guided Jamie to the entrance, heading straight toward Cara, Rock, and Tessa.

  “What do you know?”

  Flashing a look between Wrangler and Jamie, Rock nodded to a quiet spot several feet away.

  Tessa patted the chair beside her. “Come over and sit with us, Jamie, while your dad and Rock talk.”

  Hesitating, he bit his lip, but walked to the chair. “Is Mom going to be all right?”

  “She has a few bruises and cuts, but your mom is going to be all right.” Tessa didn’t mention the bruised ribs or concussion. With her hospital privileges, she’d been able to enter the emergency exam area and speak with the doctor. “They will probably want to keep her overnight.”

  Nodding, he sat on the edge of the chair, his gaze locked on the closed doors. “Can I see her?”

  “Not yet, sweetheart. The doctor will come out when he’s finished and let us know her status.” Reaching over, Tessa rubbed a reassuring hand over his back. “They need to get X-rays, so it may be a while.” She glanced across the room at Wrangler and Rock.

  “We won’t know much about what happened until we talk with Becca. Jacob Walker was the responding officer. He had to report in, but will get here as soon as he can,” Rock explained.

  Massaging the back of his neck, Wrangler swallowed his anger, trying to think. “He’s the husband of Vela Bettencourt, one of the Ethan’s deputies?”

  “Right. A good man. He wants to speak with us so the information gets passed along to Ethan. Jacob cares for Abernathy about as much as we do. I don’t know why he hasn’t taken the deputy job Ethan offered.”

  “Right now, I’m just glad he was the responding officer. If it had been someone else, like Eddie Katz, Abernathy would make certain we learned as little as possible.” Glancing at Jamie, seeing his gaze locked on the emergency area entrance, Wrangler’s mouth tightened in a thin line. “Abrasions, bruised ribs, and a concussion. You said Jacob grabbed her purse and keys, so it wasn’t a robbery. What the hell did the man want?”

  “Damned if I know. I haven’t seen her, but Jacob said he roughed her up real good.” Lowering his voice, Rock turned his back to Jamie. “He told me Becca’s face is a mess. Mainly abrasions from being shoved down on the asphalt. Also a black eye and lots of swelling.”

  “I’m going to kill the sonofabitch when I find him.”

  Rock gripped his shoulder. “Do not do something stupid. You’ve got a son to think about, and right now, he needs you. I doubt they’re going to let her go home tonight. Maybe not tomorrow.”

  “Jamie will stay with me.”

  Releasing his shoulder, Rock grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  “Family of Rebecca North.”

  Jogging toward the doctor, Wrangler signaled for Cara to keep Jamie with her. “That’s me.” He held out his hand. “I’m Quinn McCord, Doctor. How is she?”

  Shaking his hand, the doctor started to speak, hesitating when Tessa and Rock walked up.

  “It’s all right to talk in front of them. You probably know Dr. Tessa Walker.”

  “Of course. We spoke when the patient arrived. Miss North has numerous contusions, including a black eye. Bruised ribs and a concussion are the most severe injuries, but the damage to her face…” He looked from Tessa to Wrangler. “It appeared whoever attacked her shoved her face into the ground. The asphalt acted the same as sandpaper, scraping away some of the skin. The damage is confined to the right side. We were able to remove the small particles and disinfect the area. There’s a fifty-fifty chance the skin will heal without scarring. I’ve already contacted a plastic surgeon to get his opinion. I don’t want to alarm you, as she may heal fine, but you need to be prepared.”

  Gut twisting, Wrangler rocked back on his heels. Swallowing the rising bile, he sucked in air to stop the buzzing sound in his head.

  Rock grabbed his arm. “You all right?”

  Shredding fingers through his short hair, he nodded. “Yeah. We’ll do whatever is needed, Doc.”

  “Good. She can have visitors after we transfer her to the intensive care unit. I want her to stay over a minimum of two nights.”

  “Then that’s what will happen.”

  Wrangler’s voice sounded more con
fident than he felt. He wasn’t her husband, had no legal right to make medical decisions. Still, he’d fight like hell to make certain she received the care needed for a complete recovery.

  “She’s supposed to start law school in a few weeks.”

  Rubbing his chin, the doctor’s gaze moved over the three people in front of him. “As long as there’s no infection and she’s up to it, I don’t see a reason she won’t be able to attend classes. Does she have a regular doctor?”

  “I don’t recall the name,” Wrangler lied.

  Tessa took a small step closer, sending an apologetic look at Wrangler. “I believe her GP is Daniel Ness.”

  “He’s an excellent doctor. I’ll call him after she has been transferred to ICU. I’m certain he’ll want to stop by and see her. Doctor Ness will be able to give you more guidance concerning her progress. I need to get back. It was good to meet you, Mr. McCord.”

  Tessa slipped an arm through Wrangler’s. “Let’s get you over to Jamie. He looks like he’s ready to burst.”

  Mind whirling, anger rocketing through him, all he wanted was to punch something or somebody. “Who the hell would hurt a sweet woman like Becca? It doesn’t make sense.”

  Rock stepped in front of him. “We’ll call Wrath as soon as you speak with Becca, and Jacob gets back to us. Nothing about this feels right to me. How much do you know about her past in Phoenix?”

  “Not as much as I should.”

  “Could she be running from someone?”

  Wrangler lifted his shoulder in a shrug. “Hell if I know. We don’t talk much, except about Jamie.”

  “I doubt she’ll fill you in on her past right now. I’ll get with Raider and have him do his web magic. Then I’ll put our private investigator on it. That gal comes up with incredible data on every job.”

  “I want to know everything either of them finds, Rock.”

  “Unless you lose your shit and go after someone, you won’t be left out, man. Just don’t cross the fuckin’ line.” Rock winced at the look on Tessa’s face. “Sorry, babe.”