Guarding Her Heart (Guardians Inc. Book 1) Read online

  “What do you need? Can I get you something?” His voice sounded tender and kind.

  What would he do if she told him the truth? What would Matt say if she told him that the only thing she needed tonight was him. Yes, he'd told her in no uncertain terms that he wanted to maintain a professional relationship with her. He'd said there couldn't be anything between them because he was duty bound to protect her.

  She opened her mouth to tell him – to admit she wanted him and only him. She ached to tell him he was the only thing that would ease her troubled mind tonight. Only Matt could make her feel safe. To be held in Matt's arms would be the perfect antidote to her fear. Panic crept along her spine and she turned away from him, her legs moving towards the door and away from him. By the time she reached the door he was behind her, grabbing her by the arm and turning her around so they faced each other. When she looked at him she knew it was all there in her eyes. Everything she wanted in this moment was staring back at him. Want. Yearning. A safe place to fall.

  “Marissa,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Tell me.”

  She let out a whimper as she reached out to him. She gazed up at him, tears brimming in her eyes as she said, “I’m afraid. I can’t close my eyes without seeing Beau. I need you. I'm afraid, and I don't know how to be brave right now. I just want to forget for a little while that there's this madman coming after me. Make me forget, Matt.”

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” He pulled her towards him, his lips connecting with her own in a tender, persuasive kiss. He held her head between his hands as he kissed her for all she was worth.

  “I’m going to hold you in my arms until you fall asleep,” he whispered as he ran his hands through strands of her hair. “I’m not going to kiss you. I just want you to feel safe.”

  She nodded her acceptance, unable to speak due to the huge lump in her throat. His words hit her in a soft and tender place. She needed him tonight, more than words could ever convey. And he was willing to get close to her and provide comfort, despite his better judgment about crossing any lines. He'd made her feel safe and protected, as if nothing else existed other than the two of them. If only for this night she was going to take what he was offering. She needed it. She needed him. To chase away the bogeyman and make the darkness seem as if it wasn't such a scary place.

  Matt tucked her under the blanket while his body lay on top of the covers. He was being the ultimate gentleman, she realized. Her strong, wonderful protector. As her lids became droopy and her eyes began to close she felt Matt pulling her towards him so her head rested against his shoulder. As she drifted off to sleep she heard him say, “You don't have to be afraid. I'm here. And I'm going to hold you, all through the night.”

  ***

  Morning came like a thief, stealing the night away and making it nothing more than a memory. Memories of the previous night were indelibly engraved in his heart. He couldn't regret something so amazing, even though it went against his vow to keep things professional between himself and Marissa. Waking up with Marissa sleeping soundly in his arms was one of the sweetest moments of his life. He didn't consider himself a romantic, but the sight of her made him want to shout his feelings to the world. It had all been innocent with blankets resting between them so their bodies weren’t touching. He hadn’t even kissed her, not wanting to get into a situation that was over either of their heads.

  He'd been able to sleep last night courtesy of the elite law enforcement team stationed outside the house. After the attack on Beau he'd called in a few favors from some law enforcement buddies who'd agreed to team up and take turns watching his house. His gut told him the killer wouldn't be so foolish as to come back to his house a second time, but in reality, he had no idea what he was capable of doing. He suspected that like a rat corned in a cage, Ronnie's killer was going on the offensive. The shooter had seen Marissa the night of the shooting and he knew she could finger him as a murderer. Which meant, Matt deducted, the killer knew Marissa. She wasn't some random witness to a crime. His theory was backed up by the facts. Since the night of the murder, her identity had been carefully shielded by law enforcement. The only thing that made sense to him on a gut level was that the killer was someone Marissa knew on a personal level.

  He gazed down upon her as she slept peacefully, her curls swirling around her head on the pillow, lending her an angelic look that defied her feisty personality. She was growing on him, he realized with a heaviness in his heart. He was getting used to her being around. He liked protecting her. And kissing her wasn’t half bad either, he thought with a grin.

  The sound of his cell phone buzzing captured his attention. He smiled at the sight of his sister’s phone number showing on the phone’s display.

  “Hey, Ruby Red. What's up?”

  He heard his sister's voice talking a mile a minute. None of the words were intelligible. It was nothing more than white noise. Making it worse was a crackling noise on the line.

  “Slow down. I can't hear a word you're saying,” he said forcefully.

  His stomach constricted painfully as the room began to spin crazily around him. Despite the crackling over the line, he knew he wasn't imagining what he'd heard. His sister had just confessed to killing someone.

  ***

  One step forward, two steps back. From the moment the ringing cellphone had awakened her, she'd known it was going to be one of those days. When Matt began to yell his sister's name into the phone she'd watched him transform from her strong protector into an intimidating force of nature. When he told her to pack a few things in an overnight bag she'd been mildly alarmed but not panicky. Surely if there was danger headed their way he'd tell her, she reasoned. He wasn't saying much, she realized. He was banging around the kitchen and knocking pots and pans around, all under the guise of making coffee. Just when she'd gotten used to his warm and fuzzy side, he'd turned back into a grizzly bear. The entire ride he'd barely grunted out two words to her, two of which had been “Get in” as she made her way towards the car. She'd been casting him sidelong glances, taking in the way he was gulping from his coffee mug, his face as hard and unyielding as a marble sculpture.

  Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. “Where are we going?”

  “To the Rez,” he said in a clipped tone, his jaw tight and clenched.

  “Seriously?” she blurted out, incredulous that they were going for a joyride when everything was falling apart around them.

  He sent her a glowering look. “Seriously. Is there a problem with that?”

  “Uh, not a problem unless you consider the fact that the world exploded last night. Beau's in the hospital, Evie’s a total mess, and unless I'm mistaken, there's still a killer lurking out there.”

  He didn't utter a single word in reply. His brow was furrowed and his hands tightly gripped the steering wheel as he stared straight ahead down the road. As the minutes ticked by she found herself going crazy with not knowing what had transpired to cause Matt to resemble a ghost of his former self.

  Finally, she cracked. “Matt, you've got to tell me something. I know it was your sister you were talking to on the phone. What's wrong?”

  He hesitated for a moment before speaking, his tone on edge and flat. “It's Ruby. Something went down on the reservation. Ruby said she killed someone.”

  “What? Oh my goodness!”

  Helplessness oozed from every single one of his pores and a shell-shocked expression had taken over his face. “I have no idea what went down. The line went dead and there’s a busy signal every time I tried to call her back. I have to get to her!”

  “Of course you do,” she said as a rush of emotion swept through her. She knew the strong pull of a sibling in trouble – it was the very reason she continued to bail Tony out of every bad situation he found himself in. The ties that bound them together knew no limits.

  “She's my little sister,” he said gruffly. “It's a big brother's job to protect his little sister.”

  A br
other's duty. She understood now. It was the reason he'd flipped out on Tony when he confronted him about sending her to the Wharf that night. Matt felt a deep responsibility towards Ruby and he couldn't fathom Tony's reckless actions that had placed her in harm's way. Matt lived his life according to his own personal code of honor. She had to respect him for that.

  “What does she do on the reservation?”

  “She's a faith healer. She runs a clinic on the Rez. When she's not doing that she paints and makes jewelry. She sells it in town and at Pow wows.”

  “What exactly does that mean when you say she’s a faith healer?”

  “My sister uses herbs and spirituality to heal people. It's an alternative to modern medicine. It's been practiced by Native American tribes for generations.”

  “And she's successful at it?” she asked, curious about this type of alternative medicine.

  “People flock to her from miles around to get the opportunity to experience her healing hands.” Matt shrugged. “It's not for everybody, but for people in the Native American community it works. What with poverty being so high on the Rez, most folks can't afford the rates of the docs at Trinity Hospital. Ruby gives them options.”

  “She sounds spectacular,” Marissa said with a smile, filled with admiration for a woman who saw a need in her community and ran her own clinic to fill that void. As a businesswoman herself, she respected Ruby.

  “She's amazing,” he replied, his features showing the stress and strain of the current situation.

  Matt grew quiet as a huge sign appeared welcoming them to Pine Creek Reservation. A Native American totem pole rising ten feet in the air stood next to the sign, a symbol of the cultural divide between the Reservation and the outside world. Marissa took a moment to take in the beauty of her surroundings. Wide open spaces lay before her, acres and acres of land, that had been allocated to the Lakota Sioux after generations of denial about Native American land rights. Western Mesquite and Juniper trees dotted the landscape, along with horse pastures, a trading post and a sunflower farm.

  Small children darted back and forth in front of their homes, chasing balls and playing baseball with makeshift bats. Some of the kids were without shoes, their feet dusty from the clay colored dirt they were playing in. The poverty was obvious by the small, dilapidated houses and the ramshackle appearance of the children. She wondered if these houses even had running water.

  Matt pulled up to a building located on the outskirts of the residential area. Although it was a small building made of brick, it was nicely maintained with an adobe walkway and lush, green holly bushes in front of the building. A cute ladybug mailbox sat in front of the property, lending it a folksy charm. A decorative sign hung on the building announcing Ruby's Clinic was open for business.

  Matt practically jumped out of the car, his long legs carrying him to the front door in seconds. She trailed behind him, for all intents and purposes a stranger in a foreign land. Once they entered the clinic there was a buzz of activity with a waiting room full of people – babies, children, pregnant women and senior citizens. There was an older Native American woman at the reception desk who lit up like a Christmas tree the moment she spotted Matt. She reached for him, pulling him down to her level so she could plant a kiss on both cheeks.

  “Myra, is she with somebody?” he asked, not pausing to make any introductions.

  Myra smiled, showcasing a mouth full of broken, missing teeth. Marissa had no way of knowing how old she was based on her appearance. She shooed Matt in the direction of Ruby's office, sparing a moment to shoot Marissa a suspicious look.

  Matt knocked on the office door, not bothering to wait for a reply before wrenching it open. Marissa's first glimpse at Ruby was in profile – she was standing in front of her office window, gazing outside with a dazed expression on her face. She turned towards them as the door opened, her face reflecting surprise and delight at seeing her brother. Ruby Cruz was a rare beauty. With the exception of their dark hair and warm skin color, there was little or no resemblance between brother and sister. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties with big, brown eyes, dark lashes and an expressive face. Her long dark hair reached all the way down her back. Brilliant crystal earrings sparkled in her ears. Despite her inner turmoil, the vibe she was giving off was serenity.

  “Matt, you shouldn't have come!” Ruby cried out, her voice light and airy.

  “Did you really think I would ignore that phone call?” he said in a fierce tone.

  Matt pulled Ruby into his arms, his long arms wrapping her in a bear hug. “You scared me to death. What happened here?” he said the moment he released her. He held her face in his hands and seemed to be reading her face for clues.

  Tears pooled in Ruby's espresso colored eyes. “One of my patients died. She's been fighting breast cancer for two years.” Her slight shoulders heaved with emotion. “I was trying to prolong her life, but instead I killed her. I should have had her transported to Trinity, but she kept saying she wouldn't go.” She placed her head in her hands and blew out a deep breath. “People put so much faith in me...it's devastating when it doesn't pan out. I feel responsible.”

  “You didn't kill her,” he said flatly. “That's not who you are. You're a healer, Ruby Red. Even when you were a kid you used to try and fix up all the birds with broken wings.”

  She smiled up at her big brother, chuckling through her tears. “I can't believe you remember that. Problem was, I never wanted to give those birds up after I patched them up.” They both chuckled at the memory, their mutual affection evident in every loving word and gesture.

  Ruby planted a big kiss on her brother's cheek. “You always manage to make me feel better.” She turned towards Marissa, her eyes full of curiosity as she gave her the once over from head to toe. “Now, who's this gorgeous friend of yours?”

  “This is Marissa Santana. Marissa, this is my sister, Ruby Cruz.” Although Marissa offered her hand in greeting, Ruby turned towards her with her arms wide open in greeting. “Welcome, Marissa. It is wonderful to meet you.” Marissa found herself being hugged by Ruby.

  Once the hug ended, Marissa said, “It's nice to meet you too. I really admire what you've done with your clinic.”

  “There's a lot of hard work involved,” she acknowledged, “but it's a labor of love.”

  Although Matt didn't tell Ruby about her being in his protective custody or the fact that she'd been an eyewitness to murder, she sensed Ruby was aware something out of the ordinary was going on. Marissa noticed how Ruby kept casting sympathetic glances in her direction.

  A frantic look came over Ruby's face as she said, “Matt, there's something I need to tell-.”

  “Well, look what the wind blew in.”

  At the sound of a deep, masculine voice Matt turned towards the door, his face hardening into granite as he came face to face with a man who clearly was a blood relation. Despite his craggy face, salt and pepper hair and the ravages that time had bestowed on him, the man standing in the doorway was the spitting image of Matt.

  With a wide grin, the older man drawled, “Hello, son. It's been a long time.”

  Chapter Nine

  “What is he doing here?” Matt spit the words out of his mouth as if they were poison. Nausea roiled through his stomach as beads of sweat began to gather on his forehead. He clenched his fists at his sides, resisting the impulse to lash out at the monster who'd given him life.

  Lord, give me strength.

  All it would take, he reasoned, would be one solid punch and his father would go down like a ton of bricks. As a kid he'd been no match for this brutal man who liked to hit women and terrorize children. But now, all these years later, his father would be no match against him. Age had caught up with him and he was now a wizened old man with a weak body to match his feeble mind.

  Lord, help me. I don’t want to give in to this feeling of rage, but I can’t bear to look at him. Not after all he’s done.

  Matt turned his back on his father and st
ared Ruby down, his anger rising at the thought of his sister making nice with the devil. It wasn't her mother he'd brutalized, he thought savagely. It wasn't Ruby's mother who'd been led to her death like a lamb to the slaughter.

  “He's just passing through,” said Ruby in a quiet voice. Her dark eyes implored him not to make trouble. She knew him better than anyone, and she'd surely seen the signs of trouble brewing within him.

  Out of the corner of his eye he saw his father walking towards Marissa, his hand outstretched in formal greeting as he said, “I'm Kohana Cruz -.”

  Matt's hand lashed out like quicksilver, slapping his father's hand down before he was able to make contact with Marissa. “Don't even think about it,” he said through clenched teeth. “This isn't a meet and greet.”

  Marissa moved towards him and placed a restraining hand on his wrist. “Matt, don’t. It's not worth it.” She sent Kohana a pointed look. “He's not worth it.”

  Kohana let loose a low chuckle. “I see my son has been telling tale tales again. What did he say this time? That I knocked him around a few times?”

  Marissa looked at Kohana with disgust, her beautiful face twisting into a grimace as she stared his father down. If it hadn't been so deadly serious, Matt would've laughed at the murderous look in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to take Kohana down singlehandedly.

  “I told her the truth - that you're a wife beater and a murderer,” Matt said, his voice as cold as ice.

  “You don't know what you're talking about,” Kohana snarled. “You were just a kid.”

  “Don't I? Cause I remember like it was yesterday the way you used to hurt my mother.”

  Ruby winced upon hearing the cold, hard facts laid out in the open. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and gazed back and forth between the two men, her face full of uncertainty.

  “Till my dying day I'll remember all the black eyes and the bruises. I'll never forget how she died...getting behind the wheel with you when you were drunk.”

  Kohana's face twisted angrily in response to his son's allegations. “You're a liar, just like your mother.”