Force of the Falcon

Chapter Four

Brack stared at the drawing of the winged monster, and his gut clenched. Katie was only a child, was tiny herself, and she’d been terrified—had she imagined the half bird-half man? Or could it really exist? Some kind of mutant…

No, it was impossible. He practically lived in those woods, knew the mountains. If such a creature existed, he would have seen it.

There are places to hide, a voice whispered inside his head. The old mines and tunnels. The dark edges of the forest…

The rumors about the epidemic of typhoid fever that had once destroyed half the town rose from the depths of his subconscious. The bodies had been burned, buried in a tunnel underground, the old mine blasted shut, hoping to contain the germs of the dead. He’d always wondered if somehow the ashes of those who’d died might filter into the land or water and rise to haunt them.

“Katie—” Sheriff Cohen leaned over, beefy hands on his knees “—was that what you saw, or are you getting the birds mixed up with this man here?” He pointed to Brack. “Are you sure he didn’t attack your mother?”

Katie’s eyes widened to saucer size, and Brack cursed silently. How dare Cohen suggest that he had attacked Sonya? The son of a…

Cold rage poured through him, but he stood ramrod straight, his pulse pounding as he waited on Katie’s response. He didn’t know what he’d do if she decided she should fear him, but the thought disturbed him more than he wanted to admit.

Sonya’s eyelashes fluttered, then she opened her eyes and stared at him. Her eyes were the most unusual green he’d ever seen, somewhere between the lush green of the Colorado mountainside in spring and the dark, rich color of emeralds. And they were as bewitching as an animal’s eyes in total darkness.

Again, he felt a deep connection, although a wariness flickered in her pain-filled expression, and he realized she had heard Cohen’s accusations. Her skeptical gaze tore at him.

Hell, he didn’t care. He was what he was, and he wouldn’t change for anybody.

Katie clutched the sketchpad to her side with one hand and slid her other one around his own. “No, Mr. Bwack, he saves us. And the birds…they brings him to me.”

Brack frowned. Did she have some kind of sixth sense when it came to animals as he did?

Whatever the reason, her gesture of unquestioning trust tugged at emotions long buried in his chest.

Emotions he didn’t want to feel for her or her mother.

Emotions that whispered that maybe he didn’t really want to be alone. That as much as he’d hardened himself to thinking that he could live without a woman in his life, he was wrong.

That Sonya Silverstein might fill some part of his soul that had been lost a long time ago.

He immediately jerked his gaze from hers, his instincts warning him to walk away. He could not forget who he was. Could not get involved with Sonya and lose himself in the process.

He had to discover the truth about these bizarre attacks and take care of the birds. Nothing else mattered.

He wouldn’t let it.

EVERY BONE AND MUSCLE in Sonya’s body ached, but she dragged herself from the effects of the medication and pain, and opened her eyes. Her daughter was frightened and needed her.

The scent of alcohol and hospital odors permeated the air. The rustle of the sheets as she twisted them in her fingers rattled over the blur of voices. Through the fog of drugs, Sheriff Cohen’s accusations registered. She noticed the angry glint in Brack Falcon’s powerful jaw as he’d clenched it. He could be formidable when crossed. Maybe even dangerous.

But her frail little daughter slid her small hand into his large one in blind trust.

The sight made her heart twist. Was Katie right to trust this stranger?

He had been in the woods when she was attacked. She’d heard the rumors about the Falcon men. Had been forewarned by some of the older women in town to stay away from them.

Could he have attacked her, then come back to rescue her to make himself look like a hero to the town?

His dark eyes shifted over her, and unease clawed at her chest. He didn’t strike her as the type of man to want a hero’s welcome or attention. Yet what did she know about him?

She’d certainly been wrong about her former husband.

But something had definitely transpired between her and Brack Falcon back in the woods, some moment of intense fear that had connected them. That, and another emotion she couldn’t pinpoint at the moment.

Old insecurities and distrust from her marriage taunted her.

She couldn’t trust any man. Especially where her daughter was concerned.

Yet Katie, in her innocence, seemed to like him.

On the other hand, Katie exhibited a wariness toward the other man, who looked like the sheriff, as if she immediately saw him as an enemy. Or maybe she just didn’t like him belittling her new friend.

Whatever the reason, it was her job to protect Katie, not Brack Falcon’s. She and Katie were a team and she couldn’t allow anyone into their lives. Couldn’t chance either of them growing too attached and getting hurt.

The sheriff turned to her then, as if he’d just noticed she was awake. “Ms. Silverstein, you’re awake now?”

She nodded, although when she tried to speak her lips felt as if they were glued together.

“I’m Sheriff Cohen. Maybe you can clear this up. Did this man attack you in the woods?”

Brack Falcon’s dark eyes pierced straight to her soul, and her stomach fluttered. Katie huddled closer to Brack, and Sonya wet her lips, the realization that her daughter was clinging to Brack sending a shiver of trepidation through her.

Yet hadn’t she wanted to cling to him in the woods herself when she’d been terrified? Hadn’t she begged him for help and felt comforted in his strong arms when he’d carried her and Katie to safety?

“No,” she managed to whisper.

“Then what was it?” Sheriff Cohen asked.

Sonya searched her memory for details, for some way to explain, but she’d only glimpsed the shadow of a creature. She’d been too busy trying to fend off the attack.

“I’m not sure,” she said in a strained voice. “Some kind of animal, maybe.”

Cohen jammed his lips together. “I’m calling in someone from the state,” he said. “They’ll track down those damn birds and destroy them.” He turned to Brack. “And if I find out that you and your brothers are raising some mutant attack birds or that you’re responsible for these vicious attacks, I’ll lock you up for attempted murder.”

He turned back to Sonya. “If I were you, Ms. Silverstein, I’d stay away from this man, and keep your daughter away from him, too.”

“I tolds you it was a m-monster,” Katie cried. “He wooked wike that picture!”

Sheriff Cohen’s laugh boomeranged through the room as he cut his eyes over Katie, then Sonya. “Honey, that creature is part animal, part man, just like the Falcon men. They don’t belong in this town.” He fisted his hands on his hips. “Now heed my warning, or I have a feeling next time you won’t be so lucky.”

Sonya clutched the sheet between her fingers again, the sheriff’s cold tone sending a shiver through her. Brack stiffened and started to release Katie’s hand, but she gripped him tighter as she watched Sheriff Cohen stalk from the room.

Brack cleared his throat, his voice gruff when he spoke. “I’ll leave if you want, Sonya.”

The way his deep voice rumbled out her name made a tingle travel down her spine. His stiff posture suggested that he would understand if she said yes. That he was aware of his bad reputation.

Yet her daughter was smitten with Brack and afraid of the sheriff. Fatigue clawed at her again. She couldn’t keep her eyes open. And she didn’t want Katie to be alone while she waited on Margaret to arrive.

Still, Brack was big and tough, so intense that he exuded power. And with power came danger.

She should tell him to leave. She and Katie didn’t need anyone but each other.

But Katie had been through so much already tonight. And she looked so small and vulnerable beside him….

“Please stay with Katie until Ms. Margie gets here,” she whispered.

He shifted on the balls of his feet, looking uncomfortable for a moment. Then he gave a curt nod.

Uneasiness speared through her. She didn’t want to trust him, didn’t want him in her life.

And if she was wrong about him and he hurt her daughter in any way, she’d help the sheriff run him out of town and not think twice about it.

BRACK GRIMACED as Sonya slipped back into sleep. Dammit, she was in pain. And it bothered him on a level he didn’t want to explore. Cohen’s intimidation tactics disturbed him even more. Not because he was afraid of the man, but because Cohen had tried to scare the kid with them.

He might not want a family, but he wasn’t a monster, either. And he sure as hell didn’t make it a practice to go around terrifying children.

Katie clung to his hand, and he glanced down to see her yawn. The poor little girl had been through hell tonight and needed some rest. And that babysitter might not be able to drive through the storm for a while.

Dammit. He needed to get going. Itched to hike into the woods and hunt down the creature who’d attacked Sonya. But he’d promised Sonya he wouldn’t leave Katie alone.

Katie’s head lolled to the side against the chair arm, and he scooped her up, wrapped the blanket around her, then sat down and cradled her in his lap. Katie snuggled into his chest and fell asleep instantly. She was so teeny she barely weighed anything at all. So frail that the urge to protect her and slay all her demons hit him.

But he didn’t need any complications right now. He wasn’t Katie’s father and refused to get involved with her or Sonya.

Sonya whimpered then and rolled to her side, her dark hair falling across her bruised cheek, and he fought his baser instincts. Then, hell, he lost and brushed her hair from her cheek, trying to soothe her. She moaned and jerked her eyes open as if she’d been in the throes of a nightmare, and their gazes locked. She had been reliving the attack—he saw the terror in her expression.

Then she looked down at her daughter curled against him, and her expression softened. “Thank you for being so kind to Katie tonight,” she whispered.

“How could anyone not be kind to her?” he asked gruffly.

Pain tightened her features. “The kids…they tease her, can be mean.” Her voice broke. “And others…they don’t understand.”

His jaw went rigid, his body taut as tension vibrated between them. It was none of his business, but he had to ask. “Where’s her father?”

A long second passed, and a chill swept through the room, as if a ghost had passed through. “He’s not a part of our lives,” she said quietly.

He wanted to ask more but bit back the temptation, and Sonya clamped her lips together as if she’d already said too much.

Better they left it that way. He didn’t need to know personal information. Only that something had attacked her tonight, and he’d find out what it was.

Still, as she stared at him, the sadness in her eyes tore at him.

Her husband must have abandoned her and Katie. Bastard.

His gaze fell to her lips. They were so ripe and pink he wondered what they would feel like under his mouth. Would she taste as sweet as she looked?

Suddenly he wanted to soothe away her pain. Make her smile and forget about the man who’d hurt her.

But he barely knew her, or Katie. He didn’t belong in their lives and could not replace the jerk who’d forsaken them.

Hell, his own family had been torn apart when he was small so it was natural that he’d feel compassion for her and her child. After all, he wasn’t a monster.

But he wasn’t a man who wanted a relationship with a woman now, either.

Tomorrow Sonya would go home. And he would return to Falcon Ridge. He’d hunt down her attacker, take care of his birds, and keep Cohen away from them.

And he’d live alone, just as he always intended.

SONYA SLEPT fitfully, waking every so often to search the darkness for her daughter. The nurse had called Margaret again to see what was keeping her. Margaret’s husband had to clear the entrance to their drive before they could maneuver into town to get Katie, but she was finally on the way.

Brack had dozed off himself, but his body was so big he looked uncomfortable sleeping in the chair. Dark beard stubble dotted his wide, strong jaw and his scraggly, shoulder-length hair brushed his collar, looking unkempt. He looked rugged and wild, as if he belonged out in the woods with the animals.

Yet with his head tilted sideways, his arm curved protectively around Katie, he also looked vulnerable. Tears pushed at the backs of her eyelids again, her chest hurting from the pressure. But she blinked back the moisture. The pain and medication were making her sappy. Making her read things that weren’t there.

Brack Falcon was not a vulnerable man.

But God knows, she’d been terrified when she’d been attacked. More so for Katie than for herself, but still…the memory of that creature tearing into her flesh would haunt her forever. If Brack hadn’t come along when he did, she might have died. And so might have her daughter.

Would Stan raise Katie if something happened to her?

A tremor rippled through her. Would he eventually accept her disability and love her unconditionally?

If not, would her mother want Katie?

Sonya choked back more tears at the thought of the chasm between her and her mother. Evelyn Simpson didn’t even know she had a grandchild….

Not that that was entirely her mother’s fault. No, her own stubborn pride and guilt had kept her from turning to her mother after the divorce.

And from confiding about her handicapped baby.

Her mother’s bitter warnings about Stan whispered in her ears. Evelyn had never liked him. She’d tried to convince Sonya that Stan was selfish, that underneath his charm lay the heart of a manipulative man who wanted to control every aspect of his life, including his wife and child.

A man who hated imperfections.

God, if she’d only listened to her mother…

But then she wouldn’t have her daughter. And she couldn’t imagine not having Katie in her life.

But in light of the attack tonight, she should rethink her silence. Katie would love Evelyn, and her mother…she sensed her mother would accept Katie and her limitations.

Brack shifted slightly, and she tensed as he opened his eyes and stared into hers.

“Are you all right?” he asked in a voice husky with sleep.

She nodded, well aware of how intimate the small, dark room seemed. His breathing rattled in the silence that followed, as if he, too, felt the sexual tension between them.

“Do you need something?” he said in a low voice. “Pain medication?”

She shook her head, her emotions ping-ponging in her chest. Why did his soft, husky tone make her want to cling to him?

And why did the thought of doing so terrify her?

The door squeaked open, and Margaret and her husband came in. Sonya sighed in relief, knowing she needed a reality check and for Brack Falcon to leave. He was taking up too much of the room. His scent, his body, seemed to fill it.

Margaret worried her bottom lip when she saw Brack in the room and maintained her distance from him, as if he might bite. Sonya explained about the attack, and Margaret gasped, then hugged her arms around herself.

“I’ve heard about the ghosts that haunt the town,” Margaret said, “and I knew wild animals lived in the woods, but this is awful.”

Her husband frowned, looking worried, then scooped Katie into his arms, and they left, both dismissing Brack’s offer of assistance.

A muscle twitched in his jaw as he stood and worked the kinks from his long legs. “I’ll go now.”

Sonya inhaled, wondering if she should have assured Margaret that Brack was safe. But she couldn’t. “Thank you, Brack. For everything.”

Anger glinted in his eyes. “No problem.”

Sonya told herself it didn’t matter what he thought of her. She didn’t intend to apologize for her friends wanting to protect her daughter. It was better he leave now. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to cross paths again.

Because she had no intention of getting involved with him or any other man.

HIS HUNGER was mounting, growing more incessant, the need to feed more often throbbing within him.

He wanted to taste Sonya again. She had been so delicious the first time that he craved more. But he had to bide his time.

When he saw her, and he would see her, she must never know how he felt about her.

He would befriend her. Earn her trust. Become her confidant.

And hide his dark side.

Until then, he had to find prey elsewhere.

He dipped his talon in blood, drew out a white sheet of paper, and began to write.

Some animals mate only once

You are mine now, Sonya.

You wear my markings

and will for life.

Laughter and lust sang through his bloodstream as he drew a heart on the page with the blood. He wouldn’t give her the note just yet. But one day he would.

Instead, he’d leave her a small present. A token to assure her that he hadn’t forgotten her.

His animal instincts alive, he set off into the woods, eyes piercing the darkness, senses alert for the weak.

First the hunt.

Then the kill.

Then he would spread the blood of his victim on her door so she would know he hadn’t deserted her. That he was coming back.

And that soon she would be his.

Chapter Five

Brack stalked outside, battling irritation at the wary look Sonya’s babysitter had given him. Sonya had looked relieved to have him leave, as well.

Hell, what did he care?

He had a job to do, and he’d damn well do it. Someone or something was hurting the birds he loved, and he intended to put a stop to it.

He phoned Deke and Rex and filled them in while he drove back to the house. A half hour later, he met his brothers in the library to strategize.

“Sheriff Cohen thinks we’re raising mutant attack birds up here,” Brack said.

Deke gave a belly laugh and Rex cursed. “Sheriff Cohen is a moron.”

Brack’s sentiments exactly. “He’s determined to pin these attacks on us, and to run us out of town.”

“We’re not scared kids anymore.” Rex sipped his coffee. “And he’s not running us or our families out of town again.”

“I’d like to see him run out of office,” Deke muttered.

Brack and Rex said amen to that comment.

“He threatened to bring someone in from the state agencies to check out the birds, but I don’t trust him,” Brack explained. “I think we should call in our own wildlife biologist, someone who can help us figure out what the hell’s going on. If it’s up to Cohen, he’ll destroy the falcons and burn down Falcon Ridge.”

“Over my dead body,” Rex snapped.

“We’ll get to the bottom of it first, get the animal rights activists on board if we have to,” Deke assured him. “You were in the woods, Brack? What do you think happened to the woman?”

The memory of Sonya’s terrified eyes haunted him. “I don’t know. I heard a horrific attack cry that sounded half human, half animal. And you’ve both seen the injured falcons. Something is literally ripping out their talons and mauling them to death.”

“I’ve never seen birds prey on each other like this, or on humans,” Rex said. “We should have the remains of the mutilated birds tested.”

“I’ll talk to the vet, Doctor Priestly,” Brack said. “In fact, I’ve been wondering how this predator catches the birds. We all know that’s next to impossible with a healthy raptor.”

“Which means he may injure them in some other way first,” Deke said.

“We haven’t found bullet wounds in them, though,” Brack said.

“Maybe he’s poisoning them somehow,” Rex said. “Tainting their food source with something to make them ill. I’ll get the EPA out here right away.”

Brack hissed, “And I’ll have Doctor Priestly run tests, look at tox screens.”

“You said the little girl claimed a monster bird attacked her mother?” Deke asked.

Brack nodded.

The three men exchanged skeptical but worried looks. “There were talon marks on Sonya’s back.” Her wounds had looked odd, sadistic like an animal, but humans could be sadistic, as well. Often, psychopaths began their criminal activities by killing pets and other animals as children. Then their violence escalated. Perhaps that was the case here.

“Is the woman going to be all right?” Rex asked.

Brack nodded. “She’ll heal, she seems tough. By the way, they’re our neighbors. She and her daughter just moved in to that old farmhouse down the hill.”

“The one built over the land that’s supposedly possessed?” Rex asked.

Brack nodded. He didn’t know if Sonya had known about the rumor when she’d bought the farmhouse or not. But bad things had happened there before. A murder years ago. Another questionable death in the woods last year. Some said the land was tainted, that it held evil itself because of the miners who’d died and been buried below ground.

“Maybe Elsie and Allison can stop by and see her,” Deke suggested.

Brack nodded, remembering how difficult Elsie’s life had been. Her father had kidnapped her from her mother when she was four, then abandoned her in an orphanage for unwed mothers when she was thirteen. She’d been abused and traumatized and had only recently reconnected with her mother—all thanks to Deke. Then Deke had married her, and now they planned to open a center for troubled teens in town.

“Hailey will probably want to go, too,” Rex said. “She’s joined this group in town where they deliver a basket of goodies to new residents.”

Brack shook his head at his brothers. They were turning damn domestic on him.

But he felt for his brother’s wife, Hailey. Hell, how could he not? Their lives had been intertwined since they were kids when his father had been accused of killing her parents. Hailey had witnessed the bloodbath the town called the Hatchet Murders when she was little, but she’d repressed the memory until she’d returned to Tin City. At the time, Rex had been trying to prove their father innocent of the crimes. Then someone had tried to kill Hailey to keep her from remembering, and Rex and Hailey had been thrown together.

Brack was happy for his brothers, but he had no intention of giving up his freedom for a woman. No, he’d almost made that mistake two years ago in Arizona when he’d mixed business with pleasure.

Erica Evans had poleaxed him when she’d come looking for a bodyguard for her and her child. He’d fallen hard for her, had even considered asking her to marry him.

Then she’d hauled it back to her husband.

In the end, she’d claimed he was too dark and brooding for her. Said he didn’t know how to socialize. Hell, she was right. He’d prefer a hike in the woods alone to a party any day.

But the thing that disturbed him most was her final dig—she claimed that he scared her kid.

Sonya Silverstein’s beautiful face flashed into his mind, then her little girl’s, and the mental wheels in his brain rolled like a freight train barreling ahead. But he refused to board that train again.

“I’m going into the woods now, see what I can find,” Brack said. He strode from the room, needing to be alone.