Power of the Raven

Navajo protector

Gene Redhouse believes in signs. But when Lori Baker literally jumps into his life, the Navajo wisdom he’s learned disappears. Lori is being stalked and she’s never been so frightened, or so alone. Although it seems they belong to different worlds, the connection between them is instant and intense. And if he can keep her alive long enough, he vows to explore every inch of her....

With his chiseled features and powerful build, Gene is the safe harbor in Lori’s stormy sea. And yet with her past weighing her down, Lori must decide which is more dangerous: the stranger trailing her every step, or the one daring her to trust him.

“I really appreciate what you’re doing. I know I’ve turned your life, and whatever plans you had for your time in Hartley, upside down.”

“You’ve helped me, too,” he said.

She looked at him in surprise. “How? By helping you test your truck’s braking system?”

He laughed, then shook his head. “I’ve had a tough time of it lately. Coping with all the details surrounding a loved one’s death can be overwhelming. You’ve been a welcome, and beautiful, distraction.”

As Lori looked into his dark eyes her heart began beating overtime. For those precious seconds, time stood still. She was aware of the warmth of his body and the spark of desire in his steady gaze.

“You’re a mass of contradictions in one lovely package, Lori Baker,” he whispered.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aimée Thurlo is a nationally known bestselling author. She’s the winner of a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews, a New Mexico Book Award in contemporary fiction and a Willa Cather Award in the same category. Her novels have been published in twenty countries worldwide.

She also cowrites the bestselling Ella Clah mainstream mystery series praised in the New York Times Book Review.

Aimée was born in Havana, Cuba, and lives with her husband of thirty-nine years in Corrales, New Mexico. Her husband, David, was raised on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Gene Redhouse—His ranch and his mystical bond with animals ordered his life until a chance encounter with a woman on the run pushed him into a web of danger.

Lori Baker—Her stalker was relentless. She wanted her old life back, but with danger always just a half step away, there was no way out and no escape from her tormentor.

Duane Hays—The annoying wrangler had offended nearly every man and woman in the county, and he couldn’t keep a job for more than a week. Word was, he’d do anything for money, and now he was in trouble again.

Daniel Hawk—He and Gene had stood back-to-back since their teens, and found safety and family with Hosteen Silver, the medicine man who’d taken them in. Now Dan was prepared to break every rule in the book for his foster brother.

Steve Farmer—The man worked beside Lori at the Motor Vehicle Department, but recently he seemed to have way too many problems with computers and passwords. Was he a con man, or the one being conned?

Bud Harrington—Bud was a jewelry designer and a sleeze ball, and Lori had not only rejected his advances, she’d reported him to the police. Now the authorities were running shorthanded and the time was ripe for payback.

Paul Grayhorse—He was a former U.S. Marshal and Gene’s brother in every way that counted. If Gene and his woman needed his help, he’d be there for both of them, regardless of the cost.

To Marilyn, who always has a smile for everyone.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Epilogue

Chapter One

There was nothing like death to make you appreciate life. His foster father, Hosteen Silver, hadn’t been gone long, just a little over two months now, but his unexpected passing had reminded Gene Redhouse of just how unpredictable life really was.

Lifting the large bag of sweet feed his horses loved from the back of the truck, he glanced over at Grit. The horse, his foster father’s favorite mount, was prancing around the corral, tossing his head and snorting. He was beautiful, with a graceful arched neck and a strong muscular body. A black-and-white pinto, Grit had a black head with a white blaze down his muzzle. The rest of him, legs included, was white except for the rounded black spots over his body.

“Maybe Hosteen Silver mixed up some of the letters he left for the six of us and I got yours by mistake. That’s the only way things make sense, if you stop to think about it. Otherwise, why pick me to become friends with Grit?” Paul Grayhorse said, shaking his head. “You can communicate with animals in a way that’s nothing short of amazing. If anyone can befriend that surly creature, it’s you.”

Gene glanced at his foster brother, who stood well back looking at the horse. Paul was tall and muscular, but the former U.S. Marshal was still stiff from the bullet that had sliced through his shoulder a few months back while on assignment protecting a federal judge.

“Be grateful he didn’t ask you to climb up the cliff face to Winter Hawk’s nest, like Daniel and I had to do,” Gene said.

Paul nodded slowly. “Yeah.” After a moment of silence, he continued, “When I first came out to the Rez with him, I thought he’d want us to call him by his first name, like the Anglo fosters did, but he explained that Navajos don’t do that. Names have power and weren’t to be used lightly. He said we should call him Hosteen Silver. I had no idea what that meant, and I think that surprised him. That’s when he explained to me that Hosteen meant ‘mister,’ and Silver was the nickname others gave him because of his white hair. He also told me I could call him ‘uncle,’ if I preferred, since it also showed proper respect.”

Gene smiled. “It was the same for Dan and me. To his face, we always called him ‘uncle,’ but now that he’s gone, he remains Hosteen Silver to us.”

“Hey, now that we’re talking about him,” Paul said, “do you have any more ideas why he left that Changing-Bear-Maiden story for us in his safe-deposit box?”

“Not yet, but he did everything for a reason, like with those letters. I guess it’s just another puzzle we’ll have to figure out over time,” Gene said.

Paul shrugged, flinching slightly with the gesture.

Although Paul had insisted on helping him unload the truck, Gene had taken the heavier sacks of feed and grain himself. “If I were you, I’d put off working with Grit awhile longer,” Gene said. “You’re still favoring your shoulder and there was no deadline on what Hosteen Silver asked you to do. Why not put it off until you’re a hundred percent again?”

Paul shook his head. “Time meant little to Hosteen Silver, but I want to put this behind me.”

“You’ll have to rethink your tactics, then. You can’t force a horse to do anything—they outweigh you, and they’re stronger. You’ll have to persuade and outthink him. I’d advise you to befriend Grit first with some apples or carrots. Get him to come to you. If you rush it, it’ll be rodeo time and you’ll get thrown. Count on it.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it work. I’ll start by lunging him and making sure he’s tired.” As Paul took the halter and lunge line, Grit, who’d been watching him, spun, bucked and started trotting around the corral. Finally, he ran to the far end of the corral, stopped and stared at them, ears pinned back.

“He’s not in a good mood. If you try to corner him now, he might just run over you,” Gene said. “Back off for a while.”

“Who are you kidding? That horse is never in a good mood,” Paul said. “I remember when Hosteen Silver first brought that foul-tempered beast home. He asked me to exercise him, but every time I tried to ride him, I ended up facedown in the dirt. I was the one who named him Grit because that’s what ended up in my mouth each time I was tossed.”

“No big deal. The ground was there to catch you,” Gene said, trying not to laugh.

Paul leaned against the fence rails and shot his brother a dirty look. “Eventually, you ended up with the job of riding him. Hosteen Silver knew that, one way or another, I’d always end up on the ground.”

“That wasn’t exactly a big secret, bro. You never showed Grit enough respect.”

“It’s a horse. You want me to bow?”

“As you said, Grit’s a horse, not your Jeep,” Gene said.

“Give me a Jeep any day of the week. Something goes wrong, you tune it up. It doesn’t toss you flat on your butt just ’cause it’s in a bad mood.”

“Hang out and do nothing for a while. Let him watch you,” Gene said. “I’m going to finish unloading.”

Gene went to the tailgate, then climbed up into the bed of his truck. Just a few more mineral blocks to put away, then he’d start topping off the water troughs. Work at Two Springs Ranch never ended, but he loved it here. This was his world, a place that fit him perfectly.

Eventually, he intended to start looking around for a wife who enjoyed ranch life as much as he did, but love wasn’t nearly as important to him as finding a compatible mate.

His brother’s shouts broke through his thoughts.

“Get back!” Paul yelled.

Gene cursed and rushed out of the barn. Paul was trapped against the rails at the far corner of the corral. Grit had him blocked off completely, and was snorting and reaching out with his mouth, making repeated bite threats.

“Stop yelling,” Gene said, slipping through the gate. “I thought you were going to wait.”

“The fool thing played me! He looked like he’d calmed down, so I came over holding the halter. He let me get close, but when I tried to slip it over his head, he went nuts,” Paul said, trying to sidestep past the horse. Grit shifted, blocking his way.

As Gene came up he sang a soft Hozonji, a good luck song Hosteen Silver had taught him. With each note, the animal visibly relaxed and soon Gene was able to reach out and grasp Grit by the mane.

“Back up,” he said, clicking his tongue and tapping Grit on the chest. “Come on now, back up!”

The horse did as he was told, and Paul, seeing his chance, ducked out through the wooden rails of the corral. Once outside and in the clear, he waited for Gene to join him.

“If you say one word about patience, I’m going to deck you,” Paul growled.

“Something set him off like that. You gonna tell me what really happened?”

Paul gave him a slow, sheepish grin. “My cell phone went off with that new Native American tribal drum ring tone.”

“That’s going to cost you big-time, bro,” Gene said, shaking his head. “He won’t forget it. You lost ground today.”

“Yeah, I know.” Paul expelled his breath through his teeth. “Grit’s worse than ever, at least with me. These days he won’t even let me get close.”

“I think, in his own way, he misses Hosteen Silver. If it makes you feel any better, when he first came here, Grit had me running in circles—” Gene abruptly stopped speaking.

“What?”

“In the letter Hosteen Silver left for Dan and me, there was a special message at the bottom intended for me only. He said I’d see my future evolve from endless circles in the sand, and as the unlikely happened, the lost one would show me the way.”

“Any idea what that means?”

“None, but maybe Grit will play a part,” Gene said.

As they stepped out of the corral, a gentle breeze swept by, cooling Gene’s sweat-soaked chest. “Wind’s a messenger. Something’s coming, a change maybe.”

“Good or bad?” Paul asked.

“Things are good right now, so that narrows the options.” Placing his hand over the medicine pouch on his belt, Gene looked at the storm clouds overhead and heard their ominous rumbling. “Time to start watching our backs.”

Chapter Two

It was early evening in the town of Hartley and, after having supper at a local bar and grill, Gene was back on the road, looking forward to calling it a day. As executor of Hosteen’s trust, he’d agreed to take care of the paperwork that needed to be filed.

What he’d never realized until recently was just how time-consuming that would be. Although Hosteen had lived a simple life and had few possessions, the red tape had proved endless. Today he’d spent hours at the Department of Motor Vehicles transferring the title of Hosteen’s truck over to the Anglo who’d purchased it.

Knowing that Navajos, particularly Traditionalists and New Traditionalists, would want nothing to do with the possessions of the dead, he’d placed the ad in the Hartley paper, a town outside reservation borders. Though the truck was old, it was in remarkable shape, so it hadn’t taken long to find a buyer after the first test drive.

Gene felt the weight of one less detail lift from his shoulders. Although they all missed their foster father, the heavy mantle of responsibility he’d accepted had prevented him from moving forward more than the others.

Yet he knew change was coming. He could feel it, like a stirring in his blood. He glanced down at the medicine pouch fastened onto his belt, then back to the road.

As Gene slowed to take a corner, a woman suddenly darted out into the street. Gene slammed on the brakes hard, skidding and burning rubber.

Cursing loudly, he came to a full stop. At least he’d managed to avoid hitting her. His heart was still racing when she ran up to the passenger door and opened it.

Thinking carjacking, Gene automatically reached for the rifle on the rack behind him. An instant later, he recognized the woman’s face. He’d dealt with the clerk just a few hours ago at the motor vehicle department.

“Please, my name’s Lori and I need your help. I stopped at Ofelia’s Corner Diner to pick up some dinner, and when I came out I spotted a guy following me. Can you circle the block, then drop me off by my car? It isn’t far.”

“Jump in. Did you call the cops?”

“Several times, including earlier today when I noticed him following me to work,” she said, climbing in and placing her big purse on the floor between her feet. “It took forever for an officer to respond this morning because of the current work slowdown—the blue flu. I stayed in my car like I was told, but by the time the officer got there, the guy had taken off. I think he figured I’d called for help and didn’t want to get caught. Once he sees me drive off with you, he’ll probably make himself real scarce again.”

She shut the door and fastened the shoulder belt automatically. “My car’s just down the block, so it’ll only take a few minutes of your time.”

“What’s he look like? Can you still see him?” Gene checked the sidewalk up and down the street, using the side mirror.

She looked out the window. “He must have ducked out of sight. He was wearing a black jacket with a hood, sunglasses and a ball cap, same as this morning. He’s close to six feet, average build, not overweight or skinny.”

Gene studied her, taking in the soft hazel eyes and shoulder- length honey-brown hair, a subtle shade that would have been hard to get from a bottle. Her forest-green pullover sweater accentuated her beautiful breasts and hourglass figure.

No man with breath left in his lungs would ever forget meeting her. After dealing with her at the DMV, he’d expected her to haunt his dreams for some time. Now, here she was.

As the light changed to green, the vehicle behind him honked.

Moving forward again, Gene smiled. “Where to?” he asked. If things went sour, he still had his rifle and he could defend himself better than anyone he knew, including his brothers in law enforcement.

She pointed ahead. “It’s not far. Just beyond that cottonwood. Once we’re there, would you mind sticking around long enough for me to get in my car and drive off?”

“No problem.”

She shifted in her seat and looked directly at him. “You look very familiar to me.” She smiled slowly. “We met at the DMV earlier today, right?” Woven through her tentative smile was also a spark of interest.

He noted it, pleased. Gorgeous women like Lori didn’t cross his path often, and after weeks of dealing with paperwork, a little excitement would do him a world of good.

“Yeah, I was there and you helped me with a title transfer,” he said. He glanced in his rearview mirror but no one suspicious was following. “Do you happen to know the guy stalking you?” He’d been around his brothers in law enforcement long enough to have heard the stories. Old boyfriends and ex-husbands could turn a woman’s life upside down.

“I can’t be completely sure because I haven’t been able to get a clear look at his face, but I suspect it’s Bud Harrington, a man who keeps coming to my window at work. He wants to go out with me and won’t take no for an answer.”

“Have you told all that to the police?”

“Yeah, and to my boss, too.” Lori pointed to an old cream-colored sedan up ahead. “That’s my car. Thanks for helping me out, though I guess I didn’t really give you much of a choice, did I?” She sent him an apologetic smile as he pulled to the curb and parked.

“You were smart to look for help when you did instead of trying to deal with the guy on your own.” Though he liked fighting his own battles, the same rules didn’t apply in this woman’s case. Stalkers could become violent and she didn’t have the right build to fight a man. She was about five foot two and all rounded corners and softness.

“Thanks for the ride.” She looked around again as she opened the door, then froze. “He’s there! Can you see him?”

“The guy in the black hooded windbreaker?”

“That’s him, but without the ball cap this time. That hoodie covers part of his face, so I still can’t tell for sure if it’s Bud.”

“Lock the door and wait here. Let me go talk to him.”

As a former foster kid, he’d seen all the tough guys who liked to throw their weight around, the bullies who only picked on those who couldn’t fight back and the ones who thought the world owed them. Street hoods came in all shapes and sizes, but they had one thing in common. They needed to vent their pent-up rage on someone and weren’t interested in a fair fight.

Gene’s walk was slow and steady, his gaze never leaving the man standing by the car. Though he still couldn’t make out his face, Gene could see the name of the Hartley’s high school team—the Scorpions—on his windbreaker.

Gene was within thirty yards of him when the man suddenly pivoted and took off at an all-out run. Gene chased him down the block, but the guy suddenly cut left, racing out into the street just as the light changed. Tires screeched, horns honked, but the runner made it across.

Gene tried to follow, but as he stepped out, a city bus turned the corner and blared its horn, forcing him to jump back. The bus pulled up to the curb right in front of him.

By the time Gene ran the length of the bus to the rear end, cars were racing by in both directions and the guy had vanished.

Gene cursed, but there was nothing more he could do now. This would have to remain a police problem. As he returned to his truck he saw Lori sitting there, looking around, searching for him.

She climbed out to greet him. “Are you okay?” she asked, handing him the key. “The second I saw him run off and you going after him, I called the police. I told them it was an emergency.”

“Call them back. There’s no hope of catching the guy now and they’re stretched pretty tight. We may be taking them away from a real life-or-death situation, like a traffic accident.”

She nodded and dialed quickly. After a second, she looked back at him. “As soon as I told them that there was no emergency, they put me on hold,” she said with a grim smile. “It’s all part of that slowdown. Negotiations between the city and the police department reached an impasse a week ago and neither side is giving an inch. Personally I side with the cops. They aren’t getting paid enough, and if they end up having their benefits cut, too…” She shrugged and held her palms up. “Doesn’t make much sense to stay in a job where you have to risk your life every day but still have to choose between paying the rent or your health insurance.”

“True, but their situation sure doesn’t help you much right now.”

Someone finally answered the call, and Lori listened to the woman officer at the other end. “I’m sure this wasn’t an attempt to steal my car,” Lori told her. “I’ve got a sedan that’s older than dirt. No one in their right mind would want it. And a purse snatching doesn’t seem right, either. I do have my laptop inside, but you can’t see it. If you check your records, I reported seeing a man following me this morning. Heck, I even blogged about it on my webpage during a coffee break.”

A few seconds later, Lori hung up and focused on Gene. “In all the craziness, I don’t think I introduced myself to you properly. You know my first name, but my last name’s Baker,” she said, extending her hand. “And you’re Gene…”

He smiled. So she’d remembered his first name. This was turning out to be a good day, after all. “Gene Redhouse,” he answered. Like most Navajos, he generally disliked touching strangers, even in a handshake, but he’d adapted to the Anglo custom. As he shook her hand, it surprised him how soft and small it felt in his.

For the first time since they’d met she gave him a full smile. Her whole face lit up and the effect took his breath away. She was heart-stopping gorgeous.

“Did the police say what they wanted you to do next?” he asked.

“They asked me to write down the details of what happened as soon as possible. Since no officer will be available for at least two hours, they want to make sure I don’t forget anything. They’ll also want to talk to you.”

“Just to make sure I understand you, you gave the police the name of the man you think is stalking you?” he asked, verifying it. He remembered his brothers complaining about victims who protected their tormentors.

“Oh, sure, but Bud’s a real creep. When I first filed harassment charges, he told the investigating officer that I’d come on to him and he even accused me of stalking him.”

“So then it became your word against his?”

“Exactly,” she said, and expelled her breath in a whoosh. “Reporting him not only got me nowhere, it brought my credibility into question.”

“I don’t think the police necessarily doubt your word,” Gene said, “but their job requires them to rely solely on evidence. ‘He said, she said’ cases take a while to sort out.”

“Maybe so, but it still stung. I wanted to force this guy to back off, but all I really did was create new problems for myself. Now, because he can’t bother me at work without looking like a liar, I guess he’s decided to follow me before and after hours. What scares me is that I’m not sure how far he’s prepared to take this.”

“How did you happen to spot him tonight? Were you looking for him?”

“I was on my guard, mostly because I’d had to park a little farther from the restaurant than I’d intended. After dinner I was walking back to my car and caught a glimpse of someone following me. I thought it was Bud, so I called out and told him to get lost. That didn’t work, so I got scared. I ran out into the street to flag someone down.”