I can’t place him.

If only it had been lighter, if the stars had been shining, if the moon had been out and she’d been able to see her attacker.

“At least the horses are safe.” A man with tousled blond hair and tired eyes walked toward them.

“Mark.” Brodie met him, slapped the guy on the shoulder. “So damn sorry this happened.”

Mark glanced at the stables. “We’ll rebuild.”

Jennifer edged closer to the men.

“The fire spread so fast. The flames were racing into the sky before I knew what was happening.” Mark’s shoulders rolled back as he exhaled on a long sigh. “And Davis...he was still here when the fire marshal came out. Your brother told the guy it was arson.” His brows rose. “Arson? When he first said that, I couldn’t understand why somebody would want to torch my stables.”

Because the man who did this was trying to get to me.

Brodie glanced at Jennifer; then he told Mark, “We think the fire was a trap. The man who set it...he wanted to lure Jennifer and me over here. He wanted us vulnerable.”

“Jennifer.” Mark said her name as if tasting it. Then he looked toward her, shaking his head. “Sorry, ma’am, we didn’t meet before, did we? Not in the middle of that nightmare.” He gave her a firm nod. “I’m Mark. Mark Montgomery.” He offered his hand.

Her fingers wrapped around his. It felt so wrong to be shaking his hand as if they were friends or going to be friends. He’d just lost his stables because of her. “He’s hunting me,” Jennifer said as she held on to his hand. “And you were hurt because of that.”

Mark glanced at Brodie, but he didn’t free her hand. Anger hardened his jaw. “All right... So then I guess my first question is what can I do to help find this jerk?”

Surprise rippled through her.

“This isn’t your fight,” Brodie said as he pulled Jennifer away from Mark and back to his side. “I’ll find the guy. I’ll stop him.”

But Mark shook his head. He was close to Brodie’s height, with shoulders that were nearly as wide and an expression just as fierce as Brodie’s. “He made it my fight.” His voice had a harsh intensity. “My men could have died. I could have died. You think I’m just going to turn the other cheek after that? You know that’s not who I am.”

“My brothers and I are after him...”

Mark focused on Jennifer once more. “Why did he want to draw you out?”

“Because he wants to hurt me.” She forced herself to speak without emotion. “Torture me slowly, then eventually kill me.”

Mark swore.

“And that’s not happening,” Brodie snarled.

She rather hoped it didn’t. “I didn’t mean to bring my storm to your door,” Jennifer told Mark.

“Lots of storms have been at my door.” His reply was soft. “And I’m still standing.”

“If you want to help us,” Brodie said, “then tell us what you saw before the fire. Let us talk to your ranch hands. We need to know if they caught sight of the man who did this.”

“You can talk to them all, but it won’t do you any good. I’ve questioned them. The cops were down here—they talked to them all, too. None of us saw anything but the fire. The fire...then, later, you, carrying your girl out in your arms.”

Jennifer glanced over at Brodie. She didn’t remember him carrying her out. She’d lost some time from the night before, time she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get back, thanks to that blow to the head.

“Search the land. Talk to everyone.” Mark waved his hand. “And I’ll search with you.”

Sometimes, the bonds of friendship could surprise Jennifer. Maybe because she’d never really had a close friend. As Jennifer Wesley, all her friendships had been no more than pretense. And as Jenny Belmont...

She hadn’t gotten close to anyone.

Actually, the person who knew her best...that person was Brodie. Did he even realize that?

“There’s something else you should know,” Brodie said slowly to Mark. “We think that the guy we’re after may have a link to my parents’ death.”

Mark stiffened. “Was he the one who killed them? Who went after Ava?” And suddenly his voice was shaking with fury, a fury that blazed in his eyes.

“We don’t know...yet.” Brodie seemed to be very careful with his words as he added, “He has answers we want.”

“Then those are the answers we’ll get.” Mark motioned toward the land again. “Let’s start searching.”

* * *

“IS...IS AVA in danger?”

They’d been searching the ranch for more than two hours when Mark finally asked that question. Jennifer was a few feet away, talking with two of the ranch hands. Mark’s voice had been pitched so low that Brodie knew she hadn’t overheard him.

Mark never liked for anyone to hear him talk about Ava. The guy actually thought he was hiding his feelings pretty well. He was wrong. Brodie knew exactly how his friend felt about Ava.

One day, there’s going to be trouble.

Mark was his friend, but Ava...Ava was his baby sister.

“She’s safe,” Brodie said. “I called her before we left the ranch. She’s finishing up her classes at the university then—”

“Is she coming home?”

Brodie shook his head. “You know this isn’t home to her any longer.”

Mark was silent a bit too long. Then he cleared his throat and said, “So Ava has started a new life.” He nodded quickly. “That’s good. She...she should be happy. Safe.” His gaze turned distant. “When she came to me that night, I couldn’t make her stop shaking. No matter what I said or what I did, I couldn’t ease her terror.”

Brodie started to speak but then stopped.

“What?” Mark demanded.

He shook his head.

“If it’s about Ava, you tell me.” Mark was suddenly right in his path. “If she’s—”

“She can’t let it go. She still wakes up, screaming at night.”

The color bled from Mark’s face.

“She’s terrified. She thinks the killers will come after her one day.” But it wasn’t just the terror that was eating up his sister and turning her into a ghost of the person she’d been. “Ava blames herself. She thinks she should have saved our parents. That she should have stayed at the ranch. Fought their attackers.”

“She would have died,” Mark said, the words hollow. Cold.

But his words were also right.

Mark yanked a hand through his hair. “I need to see her.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” To Ava, Mark was a constant reminder of the worst night of her life.

Mark’s jaw clenched. “I’ve played by the McGuire rules. I kept my distance—”

“Mark...”

“No more.” Said flatly. “You should have told me that she was hurting.”

Why? Mark couldn’t wave a magic wand and take away Ava’s pain. No one could. “There’s nothing we can do to stop the pain for her! Not until we catch those men—”

“There’s nothing you can do,” Mark said as his jaw hardened. “But maybe there’s something I can do.”

He didn’t like the look in Mark’s eyes. “Watch your step,” he warned his friend. “That’s my sister you’re talking about.”

“And she’s my—”

“What’s going on?” Jennifer asked. “What’s wrong?”

Mark huffed out a hard breath. “Brodie thinks he can keep me from something I need. He’s wrong. Friend or not...he’s wrong.” Then he spun away.

“Uh, okay...” Jennifer put her hands on her hips and faced Brodie. “Want to clue me in about what’s happening here?”

“You know my sister was at the ranch when our parents were killed.” His gaze was on Mark’s tense retreating back. “She fled that night. Saddled up Lady and rode like hell to the only person she felt safe with...”

Jennifer glanced over her shoulder. “Mark.”

Yes, Mark. Mark who was Brodie’s age...one of Brodie’s oldest friends.

Mark had always treated Ava like a kid sister, until that night.

That night had changed so much.

“Mark isn’t a safe man.” Brodie knew all about the darkness inside him. “And Ava...she’s too close to shattering. He needs to stay away from her.” He took a step forward, intending to stop Mark.