Erin. Case. Brothers. He had brothers. Case and Ian and Sean. The memories came rolling back and that made him feel more awake than anything. She’d been crying.

Was he alive? How had he managed that? He was in Cuba? Had Ten gotten him on a plane? Where was Erin? Faith was a doctor. Had she managed to save him?

“We’re going to stay here briefly and then I’ve got a lovely new home for us. I know you don’t remember much. You’re probably frightened, but the injuries you went through were grave. You’ll likely never get your memory back. It’s all right. You’re here with me now. And your brother. Robert was worried.”

A man he’d never met before smiled down at him. “I know it seems weird. I went through the same thing. I couldn’t remember either. It’s going to be okay. You’re here with your family and we’re going to take care of you.”

Every word hurt, but there had been some kind of mistake. “I don’t know what’s happening. My name is Theo Taggart. I need to contact my brother, Ian. He’s in Dallas. He’ll come and get me.”

Her smile faded. “That was fast. You must metabolize drugs quickly. Robert, could you help me?”

The big guy disappeared and a chill went through Theo.

Hope. He was staring at Hope McDonald. It hadn’t been Faith who saved him. It had been Hope, who he’d chosen not to kill.

“Dr. McDonald, I need to call my brother. He’ll be happy you saved me. I think you’ll find he won’t come after you if you call him and let him come get me.”

She put a hand on his head, smoothing his hair back. “Your brother is certain you’re dead. He won’t come after you and he likely won’t care about me since it was my father he blamed. As my father is now deceased, I think your family will go back to Texas to mourn. I’m sorry. I thought the drug would work. I can see you need more. Robert doesn’t require as much as you obviously do. I’ll have to ensure you get enough on a daily basis or my therapy won’t work.”

“Therapy?”

“Don’t worry about it.” She turned away. “Thank you, Robert.”

“Of course.” The big guy with brown hair and a ready smile looked down at him. “Don’t worry, Tom. You’re going to be okay.”

“My name is Theo.” He started to struggle because she had a hypodermic needle in her hand and he couldn’t let her poison him. Shit. He didn’t want to die like this. It had been all right when Erin was here, but now it was wrong.

He wanted her. Above his brothers. He wanted Erin here with him.

“Here you go. This will help you, Tomas,” Hope McDonald said. “When you wake up again, you’re going to feel so much better. We’ll be in a new home and you’ll have your whole new life. Here with me. Where you belong. I knew it from the moment I saw you.”

He felt the drugs when they hit his system. The world seemed to go fuzzy. What the hell had she given him?

He heard her whispering against his ear. “No more fighting, love. No more.”

But he did fight. He fought the sleep threatening to take him over.

And he fought to keep a single vision in his brain. A vision of her. A vision of Erin.

He would never forget her. Never.





CHAPTER ONE





Dallas, TX

Eighteen months later



He raised his weapon, putting the young lady’s forehead securely in his sights. It wasn’t something he enjoyed doing, but he understood the need. Cash was required and it wasn’t like Mother could get a job. Her work was far too important and it was up to him to ensure their survival. For him and his brothers.

So he would kill the girl if he had to. He told himself that over and over again. He hadn’t been able to force himself to do it before. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to now.

“Place the money in the bag,” he said in Spanish.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she rushed to do his will. His arm was steady, but in that moment she changed. Somehow she morphed right before his eyes, her hair lightening to a natural red and her skin turning ivory with the sweetest dusting of freckles.

“You don’t want to do this, Theo,” she said. This girl wasn’t crying. She was a woman and not a girl at all. She wasn’t afraid of him. Her clear green eyes were steady on him.

He didn’t want to kill her. Oh, no. He wanted something entirely different from her.

Pain flared through him, threatening to split his skull. His name was Tomas and he didn’t know the woman in front of him. He didn’t fucking know her so why did she constantly show up in his dreams? Why did she appear like a ghost he couldn’t quite rid himself of and screw everything up? She couldn’t be here. Not now.