Jebediah froze in the act of getting up. Sweat trickled down his armpits. "We had a recent visitor, Jack," he explained. "A man calling himself Kadan Montague. He told us about experiments a Dr. Whitney had performed first on orphan girls and then on men in the military."
"Keep talking."
"Apparently Whitney is still alive and looking to reacquire some of the ones who've slipped away from him."
Jack studied Jebediah's face. There was righteous fury there. And truth. But not the whole truth. He switched his gaze to Briony. She was still, no longer struggling against his hold, but she didn't meet his gaze. Up so close to her, he could smell the heady scent of her, reminding him of satin sheets and candlelight. Of finer things. Things he couldn't have.
His fingers tightened on her arm and drew her closer, until they were nearly skin to skin. His gaze narrowed on Jebediah. "You wouldn't have brought your sister to tell me that. You would have come alone." He leaned closer to Briony, inhaled the scent of her hair, of her body. Something was different. Subtly so, but different.
"I insisted on coming with him."
Her voice was low. The faint tremor running through her body shook him enough that he had an urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her. He studied her face for a long time. Jebediah was afraid of him. Briony might fear his possession, but she hadn't been afraid of him. Where was all the fear coming from? He let out his breath slowly. "You're one of the orphans he experimented on. That's why Kadan told you. It's all classified information." He'd suspected all along that Whitney had experimented on her and adopted her out, but he hadn't pursued it. Being so close to her had had him thinking of other things. Like the taste of her in his mouth. The sound of her laughter.
Briony hesitated so briefly he nearly missed the quick glance she shot at her brother. "Yes. Kadan came to warn me. He's legitimate then? The things he said were true?"
Kadan. He didn't want Kadan Montague anywhere near her. Kadan was an anchor and a hell of a lot better man than he was. Jack's thumb slid over Briony's bare skin in a small caress. The feel of her soft skin set his heart pounding. What was different? Her scent. The chemistry of her body. The feel of her body. The air rushed out of his lungs. Where before her stomach had been rock hard and flat, she was now soft and round. Knowledge flooded his brain. Adrenaline flooded his body. His hands slid up her arms to her shoulders.
She'd let another man touch her the way he had. Be inside her body. Kiss her. Lie with her and laugh with her. How could she? His heart accelerated until he thought it would burst out of his chest. How could she lie with another man after being with me--belonging to me? He knew there would be no other woman for him. "Son of a bitch. You're pregnant."
Briony stood perfectly still under his hands. Jack's fingers were around her neck as if he might strangle her. He stared down at her, his eyes black and ice cold, the hard angles and planes of his face without expression. His skin had changed color, to a darker, much more violent hue, mirroring the turbulent emotion he refused to allow to rise to the surface. She felt the first real surge of fear of him, but then the pads of his fingers began stroking small caresses over her frantically beating pulse. She deliberately took a breath and let it out slowly to calm herself and stay in control.
She was unprepared for her physical reaction to him. Even now, knowing it was planted, pheromones designed especially to attract her to this man, she couldn't help the rush of heat flowing between them. "I can see you're thrilled with the news."
There was a bite of anger in her voice, but something else, something deeper, sorrow maybe. Regret? Was it possible the child was his? Hope was stirring when he didn't dare allow it. He tried fishing. "Why the hell didn't you tell me right away?"
"Obviously I didn't know where the hell you were. Do you think you could stop swearing at me? I realize we aren't welcome here, but it seemed the only thing to do under the circumstances."
"And what are the circumstances?" He held his breath.
"Dr. Whitney wants our baby. He's already made three attempts to kidnap me." She put her hand to her cheek. "I can't stay with the circus because I'm endangering my friends and family. As I get further along, it's going to be more difficult to defend myself. I thought if I came to you, you might be able to protect us until the baby's born and teach me survival skills at the same time for afterward. I'm not asking for financial help or anything else, and I realize it's dangerous. Whitney is sending enhanced soldiers against me. The man they sent, Luther, did this. And for some reason he's very angry that I'm not carrying his child, so I'm afraid for our baby." She looked up at him, her dark eyes meeting his gaze squarely. "They aren't taking this baby from me."
Jack was stuck back on our baby. Her voice echoed through his mind, repeating the words in that soft, almost loving tone. He let his breath out slowly, arms coming up to enclose her small frame, drawing her back against him so his hand covered the small, soft, rounded stomach. His child lay beneath his hand, nestled deep inside her body, protected by her. Wanted by her. Deep inside where he was hard and cold and carved of stone, he felt a curious shifting, melting, a softening he couldn't explain, and it scared the hell out of him. For a moment she stiffened, tried to pull away from him, but he tightened his hold in warning.
Briony went very still in his arms. It seemed too intimate to have his hands over her stomach, covering their child, protecting it, yet he said nothing, gave her no indication of what he was thinking or feeling. But it was obvious he wasn't going to let her go. "Kadan Montague offered us protection, but I don't know anything about him."
Jack's body jerked and his arms tightened around her. "No one is taking this baby from us," he corrected.
Briony held herself stiffly away from him. "Aren't you going to ask for a paternity test?"
"You said the baby is mine, then it's mine."
Briony sagged against him in relief. She could feel tears burning behind her eyes. She hadn't realized how she'd been holding herself together under such rigid control. She drew in a deep, ragged breath and tried to stop the sudden trembling. "I thought, if you were willing, we could work something out."
Jack ignored her statement, pinning his gaze on Jebediah. "Did you fly into the Superior airport? Is that how you arrived?"
"No, we were afraid to. Whitney's managed to find Briony everywhere we stashed her. All of my brothers flew to the States, rented cars, and went in different directions in the hopes of throwing them off. We took great care to keep anyone from tailing us, but they're good, Jack. Tyrel, my youngest brother, fought them off of Briony about a week ago. Tyrel nearly was knifed and he's good. Briony saved our butts that time, but she's worried about taking a hit in the stomach and losing the baby. They found us again at a villa and nearly managed to get Briony; that's where she got the bruise on her face. He punched her."
Jack's hands went to her shoulders. "You fought someone with a knife while you were carrying our child?" He bit out the reprimand, the words all the while echoing in his head: He punched her. He hoped Luther found Briony again because Jack was going to be right there, and if the man wanted to hit a woman, he was going to get a lesson in manners he'd never forget.
Briony jerked away from Jack, forcing him to drop his hands. "What did you expect me to do? Meekly go with them? Let them kill my brother?"
"Your brothers are big boys. The only thing you need to be worrying about is keeping the baby safe."
She backed up two more steps. "I've been keeping the baby safe, tough guy. You ran off, after fucking me, remember? Being the baby's biological father doesn't give you the right to dictate to me. In fact you have no rights when it comes to me. I asked for help protecting the baby, not someone to order me around."
Jack inwardly winced as she threw his words back in his face. He'd made a big mistake using that word, implying that making love with her meant nothing at all to him. She tried to act confident, but she'd hesitated, just that little bit, telling him she wasn't used to that kind of language--not even
being around her brothers. She was a lot more sheltered than he'd first thought, and that only made the gap between them that much wider.
He ignored her outburst as he turned back to Jebediah. "Are they specifically tracking Briony, or all of you?"
"I think Briony," Jebediah said.
"I can't figure out how they're tracking me," Briony interrupted. "I've gone through my clothes and even my jewelry. I've been so careful."
"They sure as hell didn't follow us up here," Jebediah said. "It was easy enough to watch the back trail on the switchbacks." He glanced around uneasily. "I just have a bad feeling about these people, Jack. I don't want them to get their hands on my sister."
"You won't be able to communicate with her for a while," Jack said.
"We can set up something safe," Briony said in contradiction.
Jack shook his head. "We're going to play it my way. No communication between you and your brothers. Jebediah gets the hell out of here and goes back to Europe immediately. When I know you're safe, Briony, we'll contact them."
"That's not going to fly," Briony said calmly. "I don't care how bad it gets, I want to know my family is safe at all times and they'll need to know I am."
Hello! I'm getting a little tired of sitting here with my finger on the trigger. You want them dead or you going to invite them up to the house?
You're out of shape, Ken. Go on in. It's safe enough. I'm not letting the woman go. She'll be staying with us.
Like hell. Until you're under cover, I stay out here.
"Did you hear me?" Briony challenged. "I asked for help, not a dictatorship."
"I heard you." Jack shrugged. "I don't believe in arguing, so there's really not going to be a problem. Where are your things?" He could breathe again. He didn't have to find the strength to let her go a second time. He didn't have to compromise his honor by forcing her compliance. She'd made the decision on her own. The knots in his gut began to relax.
And what do you mean, she's staying with us? There was shock in Ken's voice as Jack's message sank in.
She's carrying your niece or nephew. There was immense satisfaction in revealing the news to his brother. By telling his twin, it made the news real.
Holy shit, Jack. You could have told me. What the hell have you done?
"I only brought a small bag and it's still in the SUV. If anyone was watching, I didn't want them to think I intended to stay for any length of time. Besides, I'm going to get a lot bigger and I'll need new clothes, so there wasn't much point in bringing a lot of my things." Briony rubbed her temples. "Who are you talking to?"
Jack's head jerked up. No one had ever been able to tell when he carried on a conversation with his brother. They'd been doing it as long as he could remember. Instead of answering, he caught her wrist, his touch gentle this time. "Do you have a headache?" His fingertips brushed over her temples in exactly the same spots she'd been rubbing.
"It's been a long trip and I'm just tired," Briony said.
"She was pretty sick on the way up here," Jebediah volunteered.
Jack removed his shirt and held it out to Briony. "I want you to strip. Take off everything including underwear, jewelry, and your watch. Put on my shirt and give your brother the rest of your things. My shirt will be long enough on you to be a dress."
"Oh for heaven's sake, I'm not taking my clothes off and parading around in your shirt. We checked for bugs and didn't find any." His tattoos glowed at her in the dark. She couldn't help looking at his chest, at the terrible scars carved so deep into his heavy muscles. Her gaze traveled lower, following the series of slashes to the waistband of his jeans before she could stop herself.
His eyes darkened, slashed at her face. "I'll be more than happy to help if you can't manage on your own."
There was a very seductive note in the command, and Briony's body responded. Her gaze jumped to his. She felt the rush of heat. Her breasts ached. There was a welcoming dampness between her legs. Just like that. A note in his voice. Taking off his shirt. Even when he was being a bastard, her body wanted his.
She retreated, taking several steps away from Jack, back toward her brother. "This isn't going to work. I thought you'd be reasonable." She glanced at Jebediah. "It was a mistake to come here."
"Maybe," Jack conceded. "But you did come here. Go into the trees and take off your clothes, Briony." He gentled his voice. "If you make me force you, Jebediah is going to get all protective and then we're going to have a problem. He can't take me, and there's a high-powered rifle trained on him. Ken has an itchy trigger finger."
Briony went very still, her stomach churning, her heart beating too fast. Jack sounded so matter-of-fact. He never raised his voice. Even when he gave commands, his voice was always soft, but he expected to be obeyed. The knowledge was there inside of her, a dawning realization that he truly didn't live by the rules of society. She was surrounded by forest, deep in the mountains with a man who made his own rules, and she'd chosen that path herself. Worse, she'd put her brother's life in danger.
Jebediah waited for her answer. He was willing to try to get her out of the situation. She saw it on his face.
Jack stepped toward her, breaking the tension, his shirt in his hand. "We've got a few kinks to work out, but I can promise both you and your brother, no harm will ever come to you or the baby as long as you're in my care. Put the shirt on, Briony, and let Jebediah get out of here. The sooner he goes, the easier on you it will be."
CHAPTER 10
Briony stepped with great reluctance behind several large trees. It had seemed such a good idea coming to ask Jack Norton for assistance, but the reality was far different from thinking about it. He could take her breath away with one smoldering look, but when he spoke, she just wanted to strangle him. And for some reason he seemed to have no problems touching her a little too intimately. She'd have to remind him what a liability she was.
She'd never been without her brothers watching her back. She was deliberately separating herself from them because she was terrified they were going to be killed protecting her. She tilted her chin. She couldn't lose her resolve now. The danger to her family and friends was all too real. She just had to be strong. Briony put both hands over her stomach, wishing she were far enough along that she could feel the baby move. Once that happened, she wouldn't feel so alone and vulnerable.
"Briony?" Jebediah called to her. "Are you okay?"
She tossed her clothes aside and enveloped her body in Jack's shirt. His scent enfolded her close, teased her senses so that she couldn't help inhaling sharply. "I'm fine, Jeb," she lied, careful to keep her voice from shaking as she picked up her clothes. How could just his scent alone make her want him? Whatever Whitney had done to her was frightening in its intensity.
She didn't look at Jack as she walked back to the two men and handed her things to her brother. "Don't worry about me. I'll find a way to stay in touch with you."
Jebediah stared down at her. For one horrible moment she thought there were tears in his eyes. "Are you certain this is what you want, honey? I swear we can find a better way to protect you."
Briony shook her head. If her brother broke down, she would cry a river. She held herself rigidly. "Not without all of you being in danger."
"Give him your earrings." The order came from behind her. Too close behind her. Jack crowded her so that she felt his body heat. She felt his warm breath on the nape of her bare neck.
Briony stiffened but didn't turn around, her palms covering her earrings, holding them to her. "These belonged to my mother. They mean a lot to me."
"Give them to him. You can have them back later."
She was going to cry. She blinked furiously as she removed the small diamond studs. Jebediah closed his fist tightly around them as he bent to kiss her.
"I'll take care of them, Bri."
She nodded, afraid to speak, biting her lip hard to hold back the tears. She wanted to cling to Jebediah, to the love and comfort of her familiar world. Now, when she need
ed her family and friends the most, she was thrust into a world of uncertainty--of fear. She didn't want to be afraid of Jack or her reaction to him, but she was.
Jebediah gathered his sister into his arms, pulling her close to whisper into her ear. "You don't have to do this, honey. We're a family. We'll take care of you ourselves."
Jack heard the soft entreaty, heard the small sob she tried to suppress, and his gut twisted hard. He wasn't used to emotion. He'd trained himself not to feel anything, and now here she was again, and just like before, he had the same instant bond with her, the same flood of raw emotion that had nearly ruined him months ago. He put a restraining hand on her arm--or maybe it was to comfort her--he honestly didn't know which, but if she cried, he was afraid it was going to tear him up inside.
"It isn't helping prolonging the good-byes, Jebediah. Get out of here and make it easier on her." His voice was gruff--too gruff. He felt her stiffen beneath his hands, and she shot him a quick, quelling glance over her shoulder. There were definite tears swimming in her eyes. His heart turned over. Violence was his world. His first reaction was to smash something, his next was to pull her in to the shelter of his body.
Briony held herself away from him at first, but as her brother dropped his arms in resignation, she dug her fingers into Jack's restraining arm where it circled her waist, almost as if by holding on to him she could prevent herself from following Jebediah.
"I love you, Bri," Jebediah said.
"I love you too." She choked and pressed her hand against her mouth to keep from telling him she'd made a terrible mistake.
Jebediah looked at Jack for a long time, as if memorizing every detail of his face. "You know I would never have brought her here unless I thought she was in real trouble."
Jack nodded. "I know."
"If anything happens to her--if you harm her in any way, Jack, and that includes breaking her heart, I don't give a damn if you are the baddest ass around, I'll hunt you down."
"I know."
Jebediah remained staring at Jack a moment longer and then touched Briony's arm before turning away.
Briony bit her lip hard as she watched her brother disappear into the thick trees surrounding them.
Conspiracy Game Page 18