Page 25 of The Heat of Intensity

“I did and I’d fucking do it again if I could,” Parker states with venom in his voice. “He took you from me. He fucking hurt you, and locked you away somewhere and I was unable to find you. I was going out of my fucking mind. Especially when Kathleen’s dog led us to a dead body. Two dead women, one on the front of the ranch and one far behind it, and you, missing in between.”

I can feel my eyes widen and my head throbs even harder.

“Damn,” I muse and sink into the pillow.

“Yeah, damn is about right. Kathleen has her hands full at the ranch. Marvin is helping her since the two dead women are linked to the serial killer case he’s working on.”

My mind is finally able to process all the information and I frown. “Wait. Two dead bodies were found at the ranch?”

Parker nods. “One I told you about when Kathleen’s dog helped us find you, but her dog is a trained cadaver dog so Wrench ran off as soon as he caught the scent. Anyway, when I was getting you coffee and pie, Luke signaled me to see something that was happening at the front of the ranch. Someone dumped a naked woman and drove off. I didn’t want you to see it, so I left you on the back porch. Once we were staring down at the dead body I called Walker to check on you and make sure you wouldn’t come out front to see it. It’s then we noticed you were gone.” A pained look crosses over his face. “While they were checking you out in the hospital, Rourke and the others talked and made sense of why the fuck Murphy was able to do that shit. Kathleen mentioned Murphy might have witnessed Bennie killing his wife, creating some twisted line he could cross when it comes to women. We think Murphy must have posed as one of the construction workers and was able to prepare things to make the hidden space in the back. Once that was set, he had the perfect room to eavesdrop and find out everything while staying close to the house to watch you. That’s also why he knew the alarm was off when Walker entered the stables. The only thing he had to worry about was the cameras. All he cared about was taking you and he had the perfect opportunity when someone dumped a body in front of the ranch.”

All the information blows my mind and makes me say, “I’m glad he’s dead. It’s over now.”

Parker is silent too long and I slightly turn my head to see his face.

He has a grim look when he grumbles, “The Murphy issue is handled, but there’s still an active serial killer. One body at the back of the ranch, close to our land. The other was dumped by the road at the entrance of the ranch. Now, we do need to know why the fuck this serial killer targeted the ranch, if he was working with Murphy, or if it was all just a clusterfuck of a coincidence. Until then I’m gonna be your shadow.”

I reach out and link my fingers with his. “I thought you were gonna be my shadow from now on no matter what.”

He gives me a blinding smile. “Damn right, I am.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Two weeks later

– PARKER –

“Waaaahoooooo.” Cosima’s voice stretches through the air as she races by.

A chuckle flows through me and I enjoy the vision of my old lady having fun a few heartbeats more before I give chase. My Quarter horse is faster than Cosima’s Gypsy Cob, but her mare gives us all a damn fine race.

Cosima leans back and brings Bluebell slowly to a stop. I bring Wendy to a stop right next to her. Up ahead Eastlynne and Rourke are coming back from their ride. They’ve been staying at the Iron Hot Blood ranch and are spending the night at Eastlynne’s ranch every now and then.

Eastlynne bought the ranch a few months ago to have a place to train and foster traumatized horses, also branching out for her business to use said horses in movies, commercials, photographs, and whatever.

When Cosima came out of the hospital two weeks ago, she didn’t want to stay at the clubhouse like I offered. She wanted to go home. At first, I was a bit hesitant, thinking she might slip into a relapse the way she shut everyone out and locked herself up the last time she suffered trauma.

Yet, she surprised the fuck out of me by bouncing right back into the sassy woman she was the morning before it happened. No trace of fear, no holding back, just simply loving life every damn second after the next. Her statement when I asked if she was okay with living at the ranch and shit? “It’s over, he can’t get to me anymore.”

That simple. It’s as if she’s taking every day as a gift and I guess it’s a perfect state of mind. Especially when I feel the same way when it comes to having this perfect woman in my life. The day she was kidnapped was a huge eye-opener.

Having something taken from you that makes the world shatter into a disarray of gray, knowing from experience it should be vibrant with colors, made my soul weep. I’m incomplete without her and I never want to experience a moment apart ever again.

Cosima’s giggle draws me back to the here and now.

Her eyes still twinkle with joy when she asks, “Wanna go home or race so I can beat your slow horse again?”

I voice the one thing that’s been on my mind since the day I wasn’t allowed into the room with her until her sister showed up at the hospital, “What I want is for you to become my wife. So, I guess we should go home and head to the courthouse. Better yet, I’m going to call Collins as soon as we’re home. He’s ordained so we can get married within the hour.”

“You’re serious,” Cosima states, the corner of her mouth twitches.

“Damn right, I am. I don’t need any confirmation or long-time trial shit to know our lives entwine perfectly. We each know what’s important in life, share the same work ethic, family, goals, and dreams, we’re on the same line and I say it requires tying the knot so you’re not only my old lady but my wife as well. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

“Hey, you don’t have to convince me.” She shrugs and adds, “You just have to catch me.”

Laughter flows freely again when she races off in the direction of the stables. This time it’s on and I give pressure with my legs to make Wendy go faster, giving her the freedom she loves to gain speed.

There’s no contest, there never was, when it comes to taking what’s mine and I easily catch up to my old lady before we reach the stables. The utter joy on her face is infectious and I feel myself grinning as we both dismount. Reaching for her, I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her flush against me to give her a hard kiss.

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