The Renegade Hunter Read Online Free PDF

mirror, turning her head to the side in an effort to see the goose egg she had. Of course, that didn't work.
    Grimacing, she started opening drawers and
    cupboard doors in search of a hand mirror or something she could use to see the back of her head, but there was very little in the cupboards and drawers, just towels, washcloths, and various soaps.
    Jo closed the last door and straightened with a sigh. Not only had she not found a mirror, but there was no aspirin or pain relievers of any kind in this guest bathroom either. It seemed, tired and eager to climb into bed and sleep as she was, she would have to go downstairs and find some sort of pain reliever first. There was no way she was going to sleep with her head pounding as it was.
    Maybe she could find out what had happened to her head while she was at it, she thought. Jo had no recollection of bumping it or anything and certainly should, considering the whack she must have taken to cause the swelling there now.
    In fact, she couldn't understand how she didn't recall what had happened to cause it, and began to worry that something might have been dropped into her drink tonight, one of those date rape drugs or something.
    The thought raised enough worry in her that Jo suddenly wasn't so tired and eager to climb into bed and sleep anymore.
    In fact, she was wide awake and alarmed as she slid into the hall. Jo was halfway to the stairs when she heard the front door open below. Heavy footsteps entered the house, and then there was the tap of high heels rushing up the hall.
    "Oh, Mortimer," she heard Sam say anxiously. "What's going on? Decker brought Jo inside all blank-faced and wouldn't
    tell me what had happened. He took Jo upstairs and sent her to her room and then went to check on Dani and Stephanie and hasn't come back. He was controlling Jo, wasn't he?"
    "Yes, honey, he had to."
    Jo froze in the upper hall at Mortimer's words. Decker had been controlling her? He had to? What the...
    "Why?" Sam asked. "What's happened?"
    "A rogue got onto the property," Mortimer explained. "One of Leo's sons.
    He attacked Jo. It's all right," he added quickly as Sam gasped in dismay. "She's fine. Nicholas was following the rogue and saved her before he did more than bang her up a bit."
    "Nicholas?" Sam asked even as Jo repeated the name in her head. She suddenly had a flash of the man she'd seen on the lawn with Mortimer and Bricker. They were standing in the dark and he was peering down into her face, telling her his name was-
    "Nicholas Argeneau?" Sam spoke the name running through Jo's mind, and then added, "The rogue Nicholas Argeneau.
    He was here too?"
    "Yes. He was apparently tailing Leo's son and followed him onto the property to keep him from causing trouble. He saw him attack Jo and stopped him."
    A moment of silence fell below and Jo eased for ward, moving close enough to the railing that she could see the tops of Sam and Mortimer's heads, but no more. She had no desire to be caught. Jo suspected they would stop talking if they knew she was there.
    "So this Nicholas Argeneau," Sam said grimly, "the rogue Nicholas Argeneau... helped save Dani and Stephanie at the beginning of summer and has now, again, risked getting himself caught to save my sister?" Sam asked slowly in what Jo fondly thought of as her sister's lawyer voice. "Does that make any sense to you?"
    "No." Mortimer sounded weary, and his hand came into view as he ran his fingers through his hair. "But that's what's happened."
    "Why would he do that?" Sam asked, and then, voice serious, said, "Are you sure he's a rogue, Mortimer? A man who'd risk himself to save complete strangers just doesn't sound like a-"
     
    "He's a rogue, Sam," Mortimer interrupted firmly. "And I don't know why he did what he did tonight. Maybe he's trying to make up for the past. Just be glad he did and Jo is safe."
    Sam released a little sigh, and her head moved as she nodded. "I should go check on Jo."
    "Leave her be, honey," Mortimer said,