About This Book
Noah heard the woman’s cry for help through Levi’s phone, and he was already in the car and moving before anyone could stop him. He hated for any woman to be in distress, and this one sounded devastated. Having helped her once, he was determined to keep her safe, while the team tracked down her attacker.
Dianne was looking forward to her upcoming weekend seminar and even more to the few days with her friend, Ice, at the compound. Dianne wanted to talk over a business idea she was ready to put into place. Being attacked wasn’t part of the plan. Neither was Noah. Still she was happy to have him as a babysitter, given the circumstances.
Only someone has a grudge against Levi and sees Dianne as a way to get back at him.
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Prologue
Noah Wilkerson walked into Levi’s kitchen and sat down, hoping for a midmorning snack and more coffee.
“Hey, Noah. Even your buddy Bonaparte is hooked up now, isn’t he?” Levi asked.
Just then Bonaparte walked into the kitchen. “What’s this? I heard my name, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, how is Angela doing?” Levi asked him.
“She’s doing amazing,” Bonaparte said, with a big grin.
Noah stared at him. “I haven’t seen that smile on your face before.”
“Hey,” he said, “you haven’t met Angela.”
Noah laughed. “Nope, but I do hear that you were pretty resistant to the idea, before you went out there.”
“I sure was, but she changed my mind pretty damn fast.”
Noah looked over at Levi, just as Ice appeared. “So, you guys are running quite the matchmaking service, it seems.”
“Sometimes it works out that way,” Ice said, with a smile. “You interested?”
Noah thought about it, shrugged, and said, “Well, if you can find me a partner like the ones you’ve found for these guys, maybe,” he said. “I can’t say I’ve really been thinking about it though.”
“Of course not,” Ice said, her smile growing bigger. “Nobody really thinks about it, unless they’ve been trying for a long time.”
“Nope, not me. I broke up about a year ago from a long-term relationship and haven’t really found anybody interesting since.”
“What broke it up, Noah?” Bonaparte asked.
“She wanted a family, and, in the four years we were together, she couldn’t conceive. So she decided she wanted to change the herd sire.” They all just stared at him, and finally he shrugged, picked up his cup of coffee, and had a sip. It was the first time he’d really told the truth about it.
“Wow,” Ice said. “I’m sorry. Did you ever get tested? Or did she?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t. Don’t know about her. Maybe she did and didn’t tell me. I don’t really know. But that was the reason she gave for the breakup.”
Just then a phone call came in, Ice taking it.
“What’s going on?” Levi asked Ice, when her expression changed.
“Remember Di?” Ice asked Levi, while listening to the caller on the other end too.
“Which one? Diamond?”
“No, Dianne from Australia.”
“Oh, yeah, sure. What about her?”
“She’s in Houston, and she said—Wait, Dianne. I’m putting the phone on Speaker.”
“Okay,” Di said, and they heard her taking several deep breaths.
“Are you okay?” Ice asked.
“I’m not sure I am,” she said, with a tearful tone. “I was just attacked in my car.”
“Uh-oh,” Ice said. “Did you call the cops?”
“I would have,” she said, “but he, the guy, had a strange message.”
“What message?” Levi asked.
“Oh, good. Levi, I’m glad you’re there,” she said in relief.
“Dianne, are you hurt?”
“No,” she said. “Well, yes, but not badly.”
“Take it easy,” Ice said calmly, her tone measured and comforting. “You’re safe now.”
“Well, I am now that he’s gone,” she said, with a hysterical laugh. “Unfortunately he didn’t leave fast enough. He cut me.”
“How bad?” Levi asked sharply.
“My arm, my shoulder, and a slice across my belly,” she said. “None of them look bad. They’re just stinging and painful. I’ll have to get them checked.”
“So tell me again. Why call us and not the police?” Levi asked curiously.
“Because the attacker, he had a message for you.”
“For me?” Levi asked, standing now and walking closer to Ice. “What did he say?”
“He said, it was for—for past sins.” Then she started to cry.
“Jesus,” he said, staring at Ice. “Did you recognize him, Dianne?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “It was Maxwell.”
“Maxwell? Maxwell who?”
“Do you remember the guy who approached us on the boardwalk in Sydney a while ago? The really angry man, who lashed out verbally at the two of you? We were talking about me coming to Texas, when he ran up to us, screaming at you. Something about losing his son and it was your fault?”
“That Maxwell?” Levi asked.
“Yes.”
“But that makes no sense,” he said.
“No,” she said. “None of it makes any sense. But it was him. He was right here, attacking me moments ago, and something about past sins was your message.”
“But we didn’t have anything to do with the death of his son.”
“No,” she said, “but remember? He wanted your help, when his son was used against him.”
“And you really think that’s why he’s after us?”
She started to cry again.
Noah stared at the three of them in shock. “Hey, Dianne. This is Noah.”
“Noah? Do I know you?”
“I work for Levi,” he said. “I’m not sure if we’ve met before or not, but do you want me to come help you?”
There was silence as Levi looked at Noah.
Noah shrugged. “I don’t want to see her alone right now.”
“Where are you?” Levi asked Dianne.
“Just give me an address,” Noah said to her, “and I’ll head your way. What are you doing there anyway?”
“I’m here for a conference,” she said, “and, when I went to the underground parking lot for my rental, wanting a break, just to grab a coffee or a quick bite, that’s when he attacked me.”
“Sit tight. I’m coming.” Noah turned to Ice and said, “Can you get me as much information as you can, then hook me into the conversation, while I drive there?”
She nodded. “On it,” she said. “Dianne, I’ll call you right back. Noah is on his way.”
“Okay,” she said, her voice small, her tone teary. “I just don’t know why Maxwell used me to get to you.”
“Wrong place, wrong time,” Levi said.